Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0038358 (gastric ulcer)
 5,179 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In addition to housekeeping cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, which is constitutively expressed in many body cells, an inducible COX-2 has been described and cloned. Induction or presence of COX-2 has been reported not only in isolated cells, but also in cells in various tissues, as well as in both physiological and pathophysiological states, including acute exudative inflammation, proliferative inflammation, animal arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, angiogenesis, bone absorption, gastric ulcer, colon cancer, hyperalgesia, Alzheimer's disease and certain states of the kidney, brain and female reproductive organs. This review article introduces results from recent works in these fields. COX-1- or COX-2-knockout mice may provide many clues on the roles of COX-2, but may simultaneously cause unnecessary confusion in the recognition of the roles of COX-2, and this is discussed. Recently the roles of COX-2 in exudative inflammation and the anti-inflammatory effects of selective COX-2 inhibitors have been questioned. This is discussed in the text. Prostanoids mediate signals to adjacent cells to provide fine regulation of cellular function. Because of the short duration of the expression of COX-2 gene and protein, COX-2 must play some roles different from those of COX-1 gene and protein in vivo. It is not yet possible to identify all the roles of COX-2, but in some tissues, such as the kidney, the brain and others, COX-2 may be expressed constitutively, whereas the prostaglandin generation by COX-2 may replace that by COX-1 in some states (or vice-versa). Precise analyses of the expression of COX-2 may disclose fine modulation of cellular and organ functions by PGs. Several selective or preferential COX-2 inhibitors have been developed and were shown to be effective in clinical trials. Most were reported to be free of adverse gastrointestinal effects, but it should be noted that in the healing process of gastric ulcers and in sodium-restricted states, adverse effects of selective COX-2 inhibitors could be expected. Soon, with more detailed knowledge of the delicate roles of COX-2 in vivo, effective and safe application of COX-2 inhibitors should be realized.
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PMID:Cyclooxygenase-2: its rich diversity of roles and possible application of its selective inhibitors. 1102 54

This paper discusses the effects of curcumin on patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Curcumin (Turmeric), an ancient Indian herb used in curry powder, has been extensively studied in modern medicine and Indian systems of medicine for the treatment of various medical conditions, including cystic fibrosis, haemorrhoids, gastric ulcer, colon cancer, breast cancer, atherosclerosis, liver diseases and arthritis. It has been used in various types of treatments for dementia and traumatic brain injury. Curcumin also has a potential role in the prevention and treatment of AD. Curcumin as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipophilic action improves the cognitive functions in patients with AD. A growing body of evidence indicates that oxidative stress, free radicals, beta amyloid, cerebral deregulation caused by bio-metal toxicity and abnormal inflammatory reactions contribute to the key event in Alzheimer's disease pathology. Due to various effects of curcumin, such as decreased Beta-amyloid plaques, delayed degradation of neurons, metal-chelation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and decreased microglia formation, the overall memory in patients with AD has improved. This paper reviews the various mechanisms of actions of curcumin in AD and pathology.
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PMID:The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer's disease: An overview. 1996 73

Research in the last two decades has transformed the way hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is perceived from a noxious gas to a gaso-transmitter with a vast potential in pharmacotherapy. H2S is synthesized in various body-systems using the enzymes cystathionine beta-synthase and cystathionine gamma-lyase; either of these being the predominat enzyme in a particular system. H2S may be one of the physiological modulators of blood pressure in humans. The gas relaxes the vascular smooth muscle cells by opening up K(ATP) channels. Moreover, it suppresses the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. H2S may also be contributing in the protection afforded by ischaemia-preconditioning. Testosterone is thought to be responsible for the higher central nervous system level of H2S in males. In the central nervous system, H2S is implicated in Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, stroke and Down's syndrome. Insulin secretion is associated with a decrease in the H2S levels. Raised H2S is detrimental in acute pancreatitis as well as in septic shock. Recently, H2S-releasing derivatives of certain drugs have shown promise in protection against gastric ulcer and in inflammatory bowel disease. The beneficial effects of certain sulphur containing herbs like ginseng and garlic may be mediated via H2S. In future, development of specific drugs modulating H2S levels may prove beneficial in varied disorders.
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PMID:Gaso-transmitter hydrogen sulphide: potential new target in pharmacotherapy. 2111 45

Histamine plays an important role as neurotransmitter and chemical mediator in multiple physiological and pathophysiological processes in central and peripheral tissues. In the last century the extensive study of its actions in the human body, resulted in the identification of four G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) subtypes (H1R-H4R), mediating numerous effects. The successful application of H1R and H2R antagonists/inverse agonists in the treatment of allergic conditions and gastric ulcer proved that these two receptors are excellent drug targets. Ligands for H3R are currently in advanced stages of clinical development for a broad spectrum of mainly central diseases (e.g. narcolepsy, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and schizophrenia). Meanwhile, preclinical research in the H4R field, focused on inflammatory and immunological processes, led to the evaluation of the first H4R-targeting clinical candidates. Drug development for each histamine receptor subtype will be discussed with a special focus on H3R and H4R ligands.
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PMID:Histamine receptor subtypes: a century of rational drug design. 2220 71

Lysophosphatidic acid (1-acyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidic acid; LPA) is a simple and minor phospholipid in plants. Plant LPAs are merely metabolic intermediates in de novo lipid synthesis in plant cell membranes or for glycerophospholipid storage. The production and metabolisms of LPAs in animals are also well characterized and LPAs have diverse cellular effects in animal systems; i.e., from brain development to wound healing through the activation of G protein-coupled LPA receptors. Recent studies show that various foodstuffs such as soybean, cabbage and seeds such as sesame and sunflower contain bioactive LPAs. Some LPAs are produced from phosphatidic acid during the digestion of foodstuff. In addition, herbal medicines such as corydalis tuber, and especially ginseng, contain large amounts of LPAs compared to foodstuffs. Herbal LPAs bind to cell surface LPA receptors in animal cells and exert their biological effects. Herbal LPAs elicit [Ca(2+)]i transient and are coupled to various Ca(2+)-dependent ion channels and receptor regulations via the activation of LPA receptors. They also showed beneficial effects of in vitro wound healing, in vivo anti-gastric ulcer, anti-Alzheimer's disease, autotaxin inhibition and anti-metastasis activity. Thus, herbal LPAs can be useful agents for human health. Humans can utilize exogenous plant-derived LPAs for preventive or therapeutic purposes if plant-derived LPAs are developed as functional foods or natural medicine targeting LPA receptors. This brief review article introduces the known rich sources of herbal LPAs and herbal LPA binding protein, describes their biological effects, and further addresses possible clinical applications.
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PMID:Plant Lysophosphatidic Acids: A Rich Source for Bioactive Lysophosphatidic Acids and Their Pharmacological Applications. 2683 Apr 77

Incretin contains two peptides named glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). Drug therapy using incretin has become a new strategy for diabetic treatments due to its significant effects on improving insulin receptors and promoting insulinotropic secretion. Considering the fact that diabetes millitus is a key risk factor for almost all age-related diseases, the extensive protective roles of incretin in chronic diseases have received great attention. Based on the evidence from animal experiments, where incretin can protect against the pathophysiological processes of neurodegenerative diseases, clinical trials for the treatments of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are currently ongoing. Moreover, the protective effect of incretin on heart has been observed in cardiac myocytes, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells of vessels. Meanwhile, incretin can also inhibit the proliferation of aortic vascular smooth muscle cells, which can induce atherosclerogenesis. Incretin is also beneficial for diabetic microvascular complications, including nephropathy, retinopathy and gastric ulcer, as well as the hepatic-related diseases such as NAFLD and NASH. Besides, the anti-tumor properties of incretin have been proven in diverse cancers including ovarian cancer, pancreas cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer.
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PMID:Protective Effects of Incretin Against Age-Related Diseases. 3162 2