Inula helenium: A literature review on ethnomedical uses, bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities

Dynamic growth of antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance throughout the years has caused increased interest in natural alternatives to synthetic drugs. Elecampane (Inula helenium L.), a widely distributed herbaceous plant, is one of the most researched and well-known member of the genus Inula, family Compositae. I. helenium has been included in the Chinese Pharmacopeia, Russian Pharmacopeia and Pharmacopeias of some European countries. This review is an up-to-date summary of the existing knowledge on Inula helenium’s ethnomedicinal uses, secondary metabolites and pharmacological activities. Initially used in the treatment of respiratory and digestive diseases in both humans and animals, the roots of elecampane have been also proven to possess a cytotoxic and antiproliferative effect on cancer cell lines, as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and anthelmintic activities. The main bioactive compounds isolated from elecampane roots known to be responsible for their pharmacological activities are inulin, sesquiterpene lactones such as alantolactone and isoalantolactone, thymol derivatives, phenolic acids and flavonoids. This review suggests that I. helenium’s secondary metabolites have a strong therapeutic potential. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies of isolated I. helenium bioactive compounds are required in order to understand their mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and potential adverse effects

Hematopoiesis: a Brief Overview

Hematopoiesis represents the continuous process of formation of all the blood cells, that occurs throughout life, starting from the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).  Multiple studies have proved that this process is structured in two stages, the primitive wave and the definitive one, resulting in the production of all blood cell types: erythrocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, lymphocytes and platelets. The objective of this Review is to present the general aspects of this process for a better understanding, including the molecules that influence lineage-specific differentiation, hematopoiesis being one of the most important elements in maintaining one’s body homeostasis. This Review describes hematopoiesis, from the beginning, starting with HSCs, throughout fetal development and adult life, including the niches of formation and maturation of hematopoietic stem cells and the factors that influence all the proliferation and differentiation processes. The niches of formation represent local microenvironments of bone marrow tissue which participate in the maintenance, functioning and quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells. The factors that control all the processes of proliferation and differentiation are represented by transcription factors, physical cell-cell interactions and cytokines; they are either produced locally, in the bone marrow, or they can be transported to this, through the blood, being produced elsewhere.  The study of hematopoiesis, stem cell plasticity and control mechanisms, offers the opening for interesting approaches for the investigation and treatment of various malignant, inflammatory, and degenerative pathological processes

Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Intravitreal Bevacizumab Monotherapy in Zone I Stage 3+ and Aggressive Posterior Retinopathy of Prematurity

Purpose. This study aims to evaluate the regression of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) after one intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and the factors that influenced it. Methods. This retrospective case series was carried out at the “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It includes all the consecutive infants treated for ROP with one intravitreal bevacizumab injection, from January 1, 2009, throughout July 31, 2013. The follow-up continued for 60 weeks after injection. We recorded ROP classification, regression, gender, gestational age, birth weight, postnatal age and postmenstrual age at treatment, and pregnancy type. Regression was analyzed according to each of the abovementioned factors, with the program IBM SPSS 20 (Chicago, Illinois, USA). Results. This study includes 74 eyes of 37 infants of which 52 had aggressive posterior ROP (70.27%) and 22 had zone I stage 3+ ROP (29.72%). One week after the bevacizumab injection, ROP regressed in 63 eyes (85.13%), with a statistically significant higher rate in zone I stage 3+ ROP (100%), as compared with aggressive posterior ROP (78.84%) (P=0.03). We recorded no complications subsequent to the intravitreal injections of bevacizumab. We identified no late retinal detachment. Conclusion. ROP regression rate after one intravitreal bevacizumab injection was 85.13%. This trial is registered with trial registration number IRCT2014101618966N2