Curcumin and Its Semisynthetic Derivative F-Curcumin Ameliorate the Expression of Cytokines in Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Mouse Models of Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disorder impacting the central nervous system, with cytokines significantly influencing its pathogenesis. This study investigates the effect of curcumin and its semisynthetic derivative F-curcumin on cytokine gene expression in autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse models of MS. We assessed the expression levels of specific cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), alongside key transcription factors for helper T cells (T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt, and FoxP3) in both the spinal cord and spleen. Treatment with curcumin and F-curcumin significantly ameliorated the severity and onset of EAE. Notably, mice administered with either compound showed a substantial decrease in the expression of genes encoding IL-1 (2 folds), IFN-γ (2 and 4 folds), and IL-17 (2.5 and 3.5 folds), alongside a marked increase in TGF-ß (7 folds) and IL-10 (4 and 6 folds) levels. Additionally, the gene expression of T cell-derived transcription factors nearly mirrored the changes observed in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines across the groups. The F-curcumin-treated group exhibited more pronounced results. In conclusion, curcumin and F-curcumin significantly modulate cytokine gene expression during EAE induction, potentially alleviating inflammation in MS, with F-curcumin showing a more substantial effect.

Novel PEGylated derivatives of α-tocopherol for nanocarrier formulations; synthesis, characterization and in vitro cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Despite numerous beneficial therapeutic effects namely antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, Vitamin E has limited clinical applications due to its low water solubility. Throughout the present work, α-tocopherol's new PEGylated derivatives alongside with polyethylene glycol 300 (α-1TPGT300), 400 (α-TPGT400), and 1000 (α-TPGT1000) were synthesized. A 1,2,3-triazole ring was utilized as a linker for the attachment of alpha tocopherol to the PEGs through a click reaction. The purified derivatives were characterized by the means of 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy, UV-vis and FT-IR methods. Synthesized derivatives' capacity to produce self-assembly nanoparticles was evaluated employing the critical micelle concentration (CMC) values. The stability of the micelles was studied by size analysis. In vitro cytotoxicity of the products was investigated using MTT assay against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The IC50 value for TPGT1000 after 24 h treatment was 15.0 ± 1.8 µM, whereas no significant cytotoxicity effect was observed following the treatment of MCF-7 cells by TPGT300, 400. The present study showed that polymeric micelle TPGT1000 possessed better physicochemical and biological properties including relatively lower CMC value, higher stability in FBS environment in addition to higher cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells compared to the lower molecular weight PEGylated derivatives. These results confirmed that increasing PEG chain length left a positive effect on the polymeric micelle properties and also improved the cytotoxicity effect of new PEGylated vitamin E derivatives.

Cross-Cultural Validation and Normative Data of the Social Responsiveness Scale in a Group of Iranian General Child Population.

This study aimed to assess the validity and normative statistics of the Farsi version of the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2). Among the mainstream elementary schools, 191 boys and 342 girls with a mean age of 9.46 (+ 1.72) years were recruited. Teachers and parents completed the SRS-2. The parents also answered the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS). There were not any significant differences regarding the parents' and teachers' ratings of the SRS mean scores in terms of gender, academic level, and age. The SRS was significantly correlated with the SCQ (0.438) and VABS (- 0.142) mean scores. The study supported the validity of the SRS as a screening instrument for social communication problems in Farsi-speaking school-aged children.

Association of classic lichen planus with human herpesvirus-7 infection.

BACKGROUND: Lichen planus is a mucocutaneous papulosquamous itchy disease with unknown etiology. A number of factors such as immune mechanisms, viral agents, and drugs have been implicated in pathogenesis of lichen planus. In recent years, several studies have indicated the role of viral agents in this disease, including human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7). Studies have given contradictory results, which is why we decided to study the possible association between lichen planus with HHV-7. METHODS: In this case-control study, which was conducted on 60 cutaneous classic lichen planus samples as well as 60 healthy control skin samples after matching the two groups in terms of gender and age, tissue samples of patients and controls were studied by real time polymerase chain reaction to detect for HHV-7. RESULTS: According to this study, HHV-7 DNA was found in 18 samples of the case group (30.0%) and in six (10.0%) of the control group (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: The results of this study support the likely role of HHV-7 in pathogenesis of lichen planus. As an exogenous antigen, this virus may be involved in cellular immune-mediated destruction of keratinocytes.