Malekpour-Dehkordi Z, Javadi E, Doosti M, Paknejad M, Nourbakhsh M, Yassa N, Gerayesh-Nejad S, Heshmat R,
Volume 69, Issue 3 (6-2011)
Abstract
Background: ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a key mediator of
cholesterol efflux to apoA-I in lipid-laden macrophages, the first step of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in vivo and a critical step in preventing atherosclerosis.
Enhanced ABCA1 expression may inhibit foam cell formation and consequently reduce atherogenic risk. On the other hand, garlic, Allium sativum, and garlic extracts have been demonstrated to have potential cardiovascular benefits. Moreover, garlic has direct antiatherogenic and antiathersclerotic effects on artery walls. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcoholic garlic extract on the expression of ABCA1
in macrophages.
Methods: Cell viability assay was used in order to detect the cytotoxic dose of alcoholic garlic extract on macrophages. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to study the effects of alcoholic garlic extract on the expression of ABCA1. Macrophage cells were treated by different concentrations of alcoholic garlic extract for 48 h. The total RNA of the treated macrophages were extracted and analyzed by real-time PCR. ABCA1 protein expression was also analyzed using the Western blotting technique.
Results: Alcoholic garlic extract increased the ABCA1 mRNA (20-23%) and protein expression (18-37%) in THP-1 macrophage cells compared with the controls (untreated cells).
Conclusion: The results of this study are suggestive of the potential effects of alcoholic garlic extract in increasing ABCA1 expression in macrophages, the possibility of promoting reverse cholesterol efflux in macrophages and preventing atherosclerosis
Batoul Kavyani , Mohammad Yousef Alikhani , Mohammad Reza Arabestani , Shirin Moradkhani , Mohammad Taheri ,
Volume 74, Issue 8 (11-2016)
Abstract
Background: Multidrug-resistant bacteria make many problems in clinical therapy, design and manufacture of synthetic drugs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most important multidrug-resistance bacteria leads to variety infections in human especially in immunocompromised, patients with severe burns, and nosocomial infections. It Recent years, this organism makes a big challenge in clinical treatment of infections using a wide range of antibiotics. Medicinal herbs for thousands of years to prevent or treat infectious diseases were considered. Today, pharmacists have high interest of using medicinal herbs to prepare a new antimicrobial compounds. The goal of this study was to investigation the effect of aqueous and alcoholic extract of fresh garlic on the expression of genes encoding elastase and exotoxin A virulence factors, in P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain.
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Methods: Present study was an experimental study and performed from 2015 to 2016 in Hamadan University of Medical Science, Iran. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of aqueous and alcoholic extract of garlic was determined. Then in order to investigation the gene expression of elastase and exotoxin A genes, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method was performed at sub-MBC concentrations.
Results: According to the results aqueous extracts of garlic had better impact in comparison with alcoholic alone. At concentration of 64 and 8 mg/ml of aqueous extract the expression of both elastase and exotoxin A genes were decreased. Although, the expression of elastase gene was most affected by garlic at different concentrations than exotoxin A.
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Conclusion: The results suggested that the compositions of garlic extracts can inhibit the production of virulence factors in P. aeruginosa. So in order to treat infectious diseases in the near future, medicinal plants known as new antimicrobial drugs can be used alone or with antibiotic drugs against pathogenic bacteria.
