ABSTRACT
Background: The woody shrub Trichostema lanatum Benth. (Lamiaceae) is native to Southern California and was reportedly used by the Chumash people as a disinfectant and for the treatment of rheumatism. Based on its traditional uses, this study investigated the antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties of extracts from T. lanatum.Methods: A methanolic extract of the leaves and stems of T. lanatum was tested for immunomodulatory activity by measuring the proliferation of murine macrophage cell cultures and the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α by the cells after treatment with T. lanatum. Antibacterial activity of the extract against a panel of six Gram-positive bacteria and two Gram-negative bacteria was evaluated using a disc-diffusion assay. Results: The T. lanatum extract inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria, but not Gram-negative bacteria. Treatment of activated macrophage cell cultures with T. lanatum extract resulted in decreased proliferation of the activated macrophages and a decrease in the production of TNF-α. Conclusions: These results provide the first pharmacological support for the traditional use of T. lanatum by the Chumash people of Southern California as a disinfectant and treatment for rheumatism.
ABSTRACT
Cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a vascular dementia arising from abnormal arteriolar vascular smooth muscle cells. CADASIL results from mutations in Notch3 that alter the number of cysteine residues in the extracellular epidermal growth factor-like repeats, important for ligand binding. It is not known whether CADASIL mutations lead to loss or gain of Notch3 receptor function. To examine the functional consequences of CADASIL mutations, we engineered 4 CADASIL-like mutations into rat Notch3 and have shown that the presence of an unpaired cysteine does not impair cell-surface expression or ligand binding.
