Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders-Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders) - Volume 15, Issue 3, 2015

Hypoxia and Inflammation are strictly interconnected with important consequences at clinical and therapeutic level. While cell and tissue damage due to acute hypoxia mostly leads to cell necrosis, in chronic hypoxia, cells that are located closer to vessels are able to survive adapting their phenotype through the expression of a number of genes, including proinflammatory receptors for alarmins. These receptors are activat Read More

Resveratrol, a constituent of grapes and various other plants, has been an attractive compound for biomedical studies because moderate long-term drinking of red wine is associated with a reduced risk of lifestyle-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Resveratrol is as a phytoalexin, cyclooxygenase (COX) suppressor, and an activator of peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor (PPAR) and SIRT1. As Read More

Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic agent which is most widely used as first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes. Metformin improves hyperglycemia by suppressing hepatic glucose production and increasing glucose uptake in muscle. Metformin also has been shown to reduce cardiovascular events in randomized controlled trials; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be established. Recent preclinical and clinical studies ha Read More

Inflammation is a protective response to eliminate cytotoxic agents and pathogens. Various factors are thought to be involved in the pathological changes in tissues caused by inflammation. Interleukin 1, an inflammatory cytokine, is thought to have diverse physiological functions and to play an important role in inflammatory disease. In this review, we discuss interleukin-1 as a target of inflammatory disease.

Mucosal tissues and especially the intestine are constantly exposed to abundant non-self materials yet simultaneously establish immune homeostasis to prevent excessive inflammatory responses. The maintenance of intestinal homeostasis is achieved by a harmonized immune network mediated by endogenous factors (e.g., cytokines and chemokines) and exogenous factors (e.g., commensal bacteria and dietar Read More

In different inflammatory diseases, many metalloproteinases are over expressed and thought to promote progression of the disease. Understanding roles of these enzymes in disease progression as well as in normal homeostasis is crucial to identify target enzymes for the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the autoimmune inflammatory diseases in which around 1-2 % of the world populations are suffered Read More

Blood pressure and lipid profile are important determinants of cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). To identify the pleiotropic effects of vildagliptin other than blood glucose lowering effect, a retrospective study was conducted in 128 patients with T2DM treated with vildagliptin 50 mg twice daily. The patients were separated into two groups: patients who were initiated with vildagliptin as monothe Read More

Fibromyalgia (FM), clinical condition characterized by several signs and symptoms such as widespread pain, trigger point, morning stiffness and extreme tiredness for scarce hours of sleep, is linked to several changes in several brain neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin and norepinephrine. Consequently, the Neural Vegetative System works more and so it generates an exaggerated muscular contraction, sw Read More

Background: Lifestyle changes have led to a high global incidence of type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Evidence suggests beneficial effects of the intake of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in patients with T2DM. Objective: To investigate the relationship between habitual fatty acid intake and inflammatory biomarkers in Mexican individuals with and without T2DM. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 120 adults with a Read More

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) as an autoimmune disease is identified by low count platelet due to decreaed platelet production as well as increased platelet destruction by autoimmune mechanisms in which platelet autoantigen(s) react with the patient’s immune system. In ITP a shift toward B cells producing autoantibodies together with CD4+ T helper cells have been reported. T helper cell 22 (Th22) as a new su Read More