Natural Bioactive Compounds Targeting NADPH Oxidase Pathway in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, in both developed and developing countries. According to the WHO report, the morbidity and mortality caused by CVD will continue to rise with the estimation of death going up to 22.2 million in 2030. NADPH oxidase (NOX)-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induces endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling and mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in sustained oxidative stress and the development of cardiovascular diseases. Seven distinct members of the family have been identified of which four (namely, NOX1, 2, 4 and 5) may have cardiovascular functions. Currently, the treatment and management plan for patients with CVDs mainly depends on the drugs. However, prolonged use of prescribed drugs may cause adverse drug reactions. Therefore, it is crucial to find alternative treatment options with lesser adverse effects. Natural products have been gaining interest as complementary therapy for CVDs over the past decade due to their wide range of medicinal properties, including antioxidants. These might be due to their potent active ingredients, such as flavonoid and phenolic compounds. Numerous natural compounds have been demonstrated to have advantageous effects on cardiovascular disease via NADPH cascade. This review highlights the potential of natural products targeting NOX-derived ROS generation in treating CVDs. Emphasis is put on the activation of the oxidases, including upstream or downstream signalling events.

Lambda light chain myeloma with co-migrating paraprotein at beta region on agarose gel electrophoresis: a case report.

Paraproteinemia is one of the diagnostic features of multiple myeloma. A commonly used method is the detection of paraprotein by agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) followed by by immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) to confirm monoclonality. Due to their smaller size, immunoglobulin A (IgA) and light chain only paraproteins may appear at the beta or even alpha 2 protein fractions. Here, we discuss a case report of a 47-year-old man who presented with pathological fracture of third thoracic (T3) vertebra. Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) was initially reported as no paraprotein detected. However, a bone biopsy was reported to show plasma cell proliferation with light chain restriction. A repeat sample for protein electrophoresis together with IFE revealed lambda light chain paraprotein co-migrating at the beta region. The beta band plus paraprotein was quantitated as 4.3 g/L (7.0%), which was within normal limits of the beta protein fraction. Hence, it has to be remembered that if the SPE is negative, it does not necessarily mean that the paraprotein is absent in cases which are highly suspicious.