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Spilanthol
Spilanthol is a fatty acid amide isolated from ''Acmella oleracea''. It is believed to be responsible for the local anesthetic properties of the plant. Spilanthol permeates the human skin and the inside lining of the cheeks in the mouth (buccal mucosa), resulting in local as well as systemic pharmacological concentrations. In the skin and in the pancreas, spilanthol has also been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects. The underlying mechanism involves inhibition of nitric oxide production due to reduced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase enzyme (iNOS) in macrophages. Transcription factor array experiments revealed that spilanthol inhibits the activation of several transcription factors ( NFκB, ATF4, FOXO1, IRF1, ETS1, and AP-1) which may explain the effect of spilanthol on gene expression. See also * Hydroxy alpha sanshool Hydroxy-''alpha''-sanshool is a molecule found in plants from the genus ''Zanthoxylum''. It is believed to be responsible for the numbing a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acmella Oleracea
''Acmella oleracea'' is a species of flowering herb in the family Asteraceae. Common names include toothache plant, Szechuan buttons, paracress, buzz buttons, tingflowers and electric daisy. Its native distribution is unclear, but it is likely derived from a Brazilian ''Acmella'' species.''Acmella oleracea''. PROTA. A small, erect plant, it grows quickly and bears gold and red s. It is frost-sensitive but perennial in warmer climates. Its specific epit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fatty Acid Amide
Fatty acid amides (FAAs) are amides formed from a fatty acid and an amine. In nature, many FAAs have ethanolamine as the amine component. Also known as N-Acylethanolamine, ''N''-acylethanolamines, they contain the functionality RC(O)N(H)CH2CH2OH. A well known example is anandamide. Other fatty acid amides are fatty acid primary amides (FAPAs). They contain the functionality RC(O)NH2). Oleamide is an example of this class of FAPAs. Natural occurrences FAAs play a role in intracellular signalling. The signalling is controlled in part by fatty acid amide hydrolases, which convert the amide to the parent fatty acid. One example of signaling is induced by the binding of anandamide to the cannabinoid receptors. Aliphatic amides can be found in ''Zanthoxylum'' species found in Nigeria.The Nigerian Zanthoxylum; Chemical and biological values. S. K. Adesina, Afr. J. Trad. CAM, 2005, volume 2, issue 3, pages 282-301article See also * Fatty acid ester References Further readi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Local Anesthetic
A local anesthetic (LA) is a medication that causes absence of pain sensation. In the context of surgery, a local anesthetic creates an absence of pain in a specific location of the body without a loss of consciousness, as opposed to a general anesthetic. When it is used on specific nerve pathways (local anesthetic nerve block), paralysis (loss of muscle power) also can be achieved. Examples Short Duration & Low Potency Procaine Chloroprocaine Medium Duration & Potency Lidocaine Prilocaine High Duration & Potency Tetracaine Bupivacaine Cinchocaine Ropivacaine Clinical LAs belong to one of two classes: aminoamide and aminoester local anesthetics. Synthetic LAs are structurally related to cocaine. They differ from cocaine mainly in that they have a very low abuse potential and do not produce hypertension or (with few exceptions) vasoconstriction. They are used in various techniques of local anesthesia such as: * Topical anesthesia (surface) * Topical administration ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oral Mucosa
The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth. It comprises stratified squamous epithelium, termed "oral epithelium", and an underlying connective tissue termed ''lamina propria''. The oral cavity has sometimes been described as a mirror that reflects the health of the individual. Changes indicative of disease are seen as alterations in the oral mucosa lining the mouth, which can reveal systemic conditions, such as diabetes or vitamin deficiency, or the local effects of chronic tobacco or alcohol use. The oral mucosa tends to heal faster and with less scar formation compared to the skin. The underlying mechanism remains unknown, but research suggests that extracellular vesicles might be involved. Classification Oral mucosa can be divided into three main categories based on function and histology: *Lining mucosa, nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium, found almost everywhere else in the oral cavity, including the: **Alveolar mucosa, the lining betwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide (nitrogen oxide or nitrogen monoxide) is a colorless gas with the formula . It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical: it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes denoted by a dot in its chemical formula In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ... (•N=O or •NO). Nitric oxide is also a heteronuclear diatomic molecule, a class of molecules whose study spawned early modern molecular orbital theory, theories of chemical bonding. An important Reaction intermediate, intermediate in chemical industry, industrial chemistry, nitric oxide forms in combustion systems and can be generated by lightning in thunderstorms. In mammals, including humans, nitric oxide is a signaling molecule in many physiological and pathological pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 (inducible)
Nitric oxide synthase, inducible is an enzyme which is encoded by the ''NOS2'' gene in humans and mice. Genetics Three related pseudogenes are located within the Smith-Magenis syndrome region on chromosome 17. Alternative splicing of this gene results in two transcript variants encoding different isoforms. Location Nitric oxide synthase is expressed in epithelial cells of the liver, lung and bone marrow. It is inducible by a combination of lipopolysaccharide and certain cytokines. Function Nitric oxide is a reactive free radical mediating in neurotransmission, antimicrobial and antitumoral activities. In mice, the function of Nos2 in immunity against a number of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites has been well characterized, whereas in humans the role of NOS2 has remained elusive and controversial. Nos2 is important for protective immunity against CMV. Caveolin 1 has been shown to interact with Nitric oxide synthase 2A. and Rac2. Deficiency Autosomal recessive NOS2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macrophage
Macrophages (abbreviated as M φ, MΦ or MP) ( el, large eaters, from Greek ''μακρός'' (') = large, ''φαγεῖν'' (') = to eat) are a type of white blood cell of the immune system that engulfs and digests pathogens, such as cancer cells, microbes, cellular debris, and foreign substances, which do not have proteins that are specific to healthy body cells on their surface. The process is called phagocytosis, which acts to defend the host against infection and injury. These large phagocytes are found in essentially all tissues, where they patrol for potential pathogens by amoeboid movement. They take various forms (with various names) throughout the body (e.g., histiocytes, Kupffer cells, alveolar macrophages, microglia, and others), but all are part of the mononuclear phagocyte system. Besides phagocytosis, they play a critical role in nonspecific defense (innate immunity) and also help initiate specific defense mechanisms (adaptive immunity) by recruiting other immune ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NF-κB
Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) is a protein complex that controls transcription of DNA, cytokine production and cell survival. NF-κB is found in almost all animal cell types and is involved in cellular responses to stimuli such as stress, cytokines, free radicals, heavy metals, ultraviolet irradiation, oxidized LDL, and bacterial or viral antigens. NF-κB plays a key role in regulating the immune response to infection. Incorrect regulation of NF-κB has been linked to cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, septic shock, viral infection, and improper immune development. NF-κB has also been implicated in processes of synaptic plasticity and memory. Discovery NF-κB was discovered by Ranjan Sen in the lab of Nobel laureate David Baltimore via its interaction with an 11-base pair sequence in the immunoglobulin light-chain enhancer in B cells. Later work by Alexander Poltorak and Bruno Lemaitre in mice and ''Drosophila'' frui ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ATF4
Activating transcription factor 4 (tax-responsive enhancer element B67), also known as ATF4, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ATF4'' gene. Function This gene encodes a transcription factor that was originally identified as a widely expressed mammalian DNA binding protein that could bind a tax-responsive enhancer element in the LTR of HTLV-1. The encoded protein was also isolated and characterized as the cAMP-response element binding protein 2 ( CREB-2). The protein encoded by this gene belongs to a family of DNA-binding proteins that includes the AP-1 family of transcription factors, cAMP-response element binding proteins (CREBs) and CREB-like proteins. These transcription factors share a leucine zipper region that is involved in protein–protein interactions, located C-terminal to a stretch of basic amino acids that functions as a DNA-binding domain. Two alternative transcripts encoding the same protein have been described. Two pseudogenes are located on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forkhead Box Protein O1
Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1), also known as forkhead in rhabdomyosarcoma (FKHR), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''FOXO1'' gene. FOXO1 is a transcription factor that plays important roles in regulation of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis by insulin signaling, and is also central to the decision for a pre adipocyte to commit to adipogenesis. It is primarily regulated through phosphorylation on multiple residues; its transcriptional activity is dependent on its phosphorylation state. Function Adipogenesis FOXO1 negatively regulates adipogenesis. Presently, the exact mechanism by which this is accomplished is not entirely understood. In the currently accepted model, FOXO1 negatively regulates adipogenesis by binding to the promoter sites of PPARG and preventing its transcription. Rising levels of PPARG are required to initiate adipogenesis; by preventing its transcription, FOXO1 is preventing the onset of adipogenesis. During stimulation by insulin, FOXO1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
IRF1
Interferon regulatory factor 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''IRF1'' gene. Function Interferon regulatory factor 1 was the first member of the interferon regulatory transcription factor (IRF) family identified. Initially described as a transcription factor able to activate expression of the cytokine Interferon beta, IRF-1 was subsequently shown to function as a transcriptional activator or repressor of a variety of target genes. IRF-1 regulates expression of target genes by binding to an interferon stimulated response element (ISRE) in their promoters. The IRF-1 protein binds to the ISRE via an N-terminal helix-turn-helix DNA binding domain, which is highly conserved among all IRF proteins. Beyond its function as a transcription factor, IRF-1 has also been shown to trans-activate the tumour suppressor protein p53 through the recruitment of its co-factor p300. IRF-1 has been shown to play roles in the immune response, regulating apoptosis, DNA damage and tumo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ETS1
Protein C-ets-1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''ETS1'' gene. The protein encoded by this gene belongs to the ETS family of transcription factors. Function There are 28 ETS genes in humans and 27 in mice. They bind the DNA via their winged-helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif known as the Ets domain that specifically recognizes DNA sequences that contain a GGAA/T core element. However, Ets proteins differ significantly in their preference for the sequence flanking the GGAA/T core motif. For instance, the consensus sequence for Ets1 is PuCC/a-GGAA/T-GCPy. On the other hand, many natural Ets1-responsive GGAA/T elements differ from this consensus sequence. The later suggests that several other transcription factors may facilitate Ets1 binding to unfavorable DNA sequences. ChIP-Seq studies have shown that Ets1 can bind both AGGAAG and CGGAAG motifs. Ets1 binds to DNA as a monomer. Phosphorylation of serine residues of the C-terminal domain (in the nucleotide sequence ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
