Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 22, Issue 4, 2016

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the myocardium which often follows microbial infections and is a significant cause of sudden unexpected death in the young (<40 years of age) and an underlying cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. Although histologically, the disease is usually associated with infiltration of the myocardium with either eosinophils or leukocytes, use of immunosuppression is controversial outside of giant cell myo Read More

A growing body of evidence has been accumulating to demonstrate that human myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy involve a complex interaction with autoimmunity triggered by cardiotropic microbial infections. Animal experiments have provided direct evidence that infections with a particular microbe can incite autoimmune myocarditis, and this autoimmune response can be mimicked by immunization with the car Read More

Myocarditis, which is commonly known as heart inflammation, is a multifaceted disease that includes at least three phases. The host’s immune system is mostly active during the first viral and the second autoimmune phase, when several inflammatory pathways are activated. One of the pivotal transcription factors that regulate immune responses is the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). If, on one side, the acute response t Read More

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide are produced highly in myocarditis. ROS, which not only act as effectors for pathogen killing but also mediate signal transduction in the stress responsive pathways, are closely related with both innate and adaptive immunity. On the other hand, oxidative stress overwhelming the capacity of anti-oxidative system generated in severe inflamm Read More

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) are a unique group of four G-protein coupled receptors. They are widely expressed within the cardiovascular system and the heart. PARs are activated via cleavage by serine proteases. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that the activation of PAR1 and PAR2 plays a crucial role in virus induced inflammatory diseases. The receptors enable cells to recognize pathogen-derived changes in the ext Read More

Myocarditis, which is caused by viral infection, can lead to heart failure, malignant arrhythmias, and even sudden cardiac death in young patients. It is also one of the most important causes of dilated cardiomyopathy worldwide. Although remarkable advances in diagnosis and understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of viral myocarditis have been gained during recent years, no standard treatment strategies have been Read More

AL-1 is a novel andrographolide derivative synthesized by conjugating andrographolide and alpha lipoic acid. AL-1 has been found to increase insulin secretion, decrease blood glucose level and protect β-cell mass and function in alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model. However, the protective mechanism of AL-1 on high glucose-induced pancreatic β-cell injury is still not clear. In the present study, we found that AL-1 Read More

The development of slow release nano-sized carriers for efficient antineoplastic drug delivery with a biocompatible and biodegradable pectin-based macromolecular pro-drug for tumor therapy has been reported in this study. Pectin-doxorubicin conjugates (PDC), a macromolecular pro-drug, were prepared via an amide condensation reaction, and a novel amphiphilic core-shell micell based on a PDC macromolecular pro-drug Read More