c-Jun (Phospho-Ser73) ELISA Kit

Objective(s): We aim to examine possible ammonia lowering effects of mesoporous silica SBA-15 in rats after the common bile duct ligation (BDL). We also evaluate the effect of SBA-15 treatments during 28 days of BDL on locomotion and rearing behavior, as well as on the gene expression of Jnk3 and p38alpha (p38 alpha) mitogen-activated protein kinases in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Materials and Methods: SBA-15 was prepared with the hydrothermal method from the surfactant P123 and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and calcined at 550 degrees C. Then, the product was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and BJH-BET techniques. Male Wistar rats in sham control and a group with BDL received saline but another group with BDL received SBA-15 during 28 days of BDL. We examined all groups of rats weekly for locomotion and rearing behavior; then on day 28, we sacrificed all rats, collected the blood sample, and finally dissected the PFC from the whole brain. Results: The SBA-15 treatments had no effect on locomotion but improved rearing behavior on days 7 and 14 of BDL. Biochemical analysis indicated that the SBA-15 treatments in rats with BDL significantly decreased hyperammonemia. The results also revealed that the SBA-15 treatments in rats with BDL significantly restored the decreased Jnk3 gene expression, and increased the p38a gene expression in the PFC. Conclusion: We conclude that SBA-15 can be used as an ammonia lowering agent in hepatic encephalopathy; however, its improving effects on locomotion and neuroinflammation, as well as signaling molecules in the brain need more investigations.

Many bioactive materials have been isolated from marine microorganisms, including alkaloids, peptides, lipids, mycosporine-like amino acids, glycosides, and isoprenoids. Some of these compounds have great potential in the cosmetic industry due to their photo-protective, anti-aging, and anti-oxidant activities. In this study, sarmentosamide (1) was isolated from marine-derivedStreptomycessp. APmarine042, after which its capacity to decrease skin aging was examined in-vitro. Sarmentosamide (1) was found to significantly reduce UVB-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs) by inhibiting the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation, which are regulatory pathways upstream of MMP-1 transcription. Additionally, we confirmed that sarmentosamide (1) decreased tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), induced MMP-1 secretion in NHDFs, and exhibited free-radical scavenging activity, as demonstrated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Therefore, our study suggests that sarmentosamide (1) could be a promising anti-aging agent that acts via the downregulation of MMP-1 expression.