{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Author}: Riemekasten, G.
{Year}: 2011
{Title}: Gender-Specific Aspects in Systemic Sclerosis
{Tag}: 0
{Star}: 0
{Journal}: AKTUELLE RHEUMATOLOGIE
{Volume}: 36
{Issue}: 6
{Pages}: 366-371
{ISBN/ISSN}: 0341-051X
{Keywords}: POPULATION-BASED COHORT; DIGITAL ULCERS; AUTOIMMUNE-DISEASES; RISK-FACTORS; SCLERODERMA; WOMEN; PREGNANCY; PREVALENCE; MORTALITY; THERAPY; sclerodemia; systemic sclerosis; gender; sex; hormones
{Abstract}: Women are 3-4 times more frequently affected by systemic sclerosis than males. Genetic, hormonal and gender-specific acquired factors such as environmental conditions or pregnancies may contribute to the dominance of the female population. Despite similar clinical findings in both patient groups, the diagnosis in female patients is often made at a later time point compared to male patients. The clinical course of the disease is not different, digital ulcers and left ventricular dysfunctions are the only manifestations more frequent in male patients. However, the quality of life is more severely affected in female patients and the hospitalisation rate is higher. Both male and female patients suffer from an impairment of their sexuality as a result of the disease. In pregnant SSc patients, the risk of foetal growth retardation and preeclampsia is higher. The slightly higher disease-related mortality of males suggested by some studies is not supported by recent studies showing an increasing mortality in female SSc patients in the last decades in both US-American and European cohorts. As oestrogens directly affect endothelial function, it remains open whether this could lead to a gender-specific therapy, despite some promising effects of hormonal therapies in female SS patients.
{Database Provider}: Web of Science SCI
{Language}: German
{Country}: Germany

{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Author}: Dezern, A. E.; Styler, M. J.; Drachman, D. B.; Hummers, L. K.; Jones, R. J.; Brodsky, R. A.
{Year}: 2013
{Title}: Repeated treatment with high dose cyclophosphamide for severe autoimmune diseases
{URL}: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=23358715&query_hl=1
{Tag}: 0
{Star}: 0
{Journal}: Am J Blood Res
{Volume}: 3
{Issue}: 1
{Pages}: 84-90
{Date Displayed}: 2013
{Date}: 2013-01-20
{Type of Work}: Journal Article
{Accession Number}: 23358715
{Abstract}: High dose cyclophosphamide (HiCY) without stem cell rescue has been shown to induce remissions in patients with severe autoimmune disorders (SADS). However, up to 80% of these patients ultimately relapse. Here we review the outcomes of seven patients treated with two cycles and one patient treated with three cycles   of HiCY. The diseases re-treated were scleroderma, multiple sclerosis, three patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA), and three patients with myasthenia gravis (MG). All but two patients with SAA had received standard immunomodulatory therapy for their disease up front and had been refractory. All patients had complete hematologic recovery. Overall survival in this cohort was 100%. All patients relapsed after the initial cycle but event free survival thereafter was   93.3%. All are still in remission except two MG patients, one of whom relapsed after a severe GI infection requiring hospitalization, and the other relapsed 3 years after the second treatment and she did not respond to the third treatment.   This shows that HiCY can be safely re-administered in patients with SAA and refractory SADS. The quality and duration of second remissions appears to be equal or superior to the first remission.
{Author Address}: Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Medical Oncology, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore, MD, USA.
{Language}: eng

{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Author}: Wu, M. F.; Li, P. C.; Chen, C. C.; Ye, S. S.; Chien, C. T.; Yu, C. C.
{Year}: 2011
{Title}: Cordyceps sobolifera extract ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced renal dysfunction in the rat
{URL}: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=21598419&query_hl=1
{Tag}: 0
{Star}: 0
{Journal}: Am J Chin Med
{Volume}: 39
{Issue}: 3
{Pages}: 523-35
{DOI}: 10.1142/S0192415X11009007
{Date Displayed}: 2011
{Date}: 2011-01-20
{Type of Work}: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
{Accession Number}: 21598419
{Keywords}: Animals; Antioxidants/pharmacology/*therapeutic use; Apoptosis/drug effects; Autophagy/drug effects; Biological Agents/pharmacology/*therapeutic use; Blood Urea Nitrogen; *Cordyceps; Creatinine/blood; Dietary Supplements; Dogs; Epithelial Cells/drug effects; Female; Kidney/blood supply/*drug effects/metabolism; Kidney Diseases/chemically induced/*drug therapy/metabolism; Kidney Tubules/drug effects; Leukocytes/metabolism; Lipopolysaccharides; Oxidative Stress/drug effects; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Swine
{Abstract}: Cordyceps Sobolifera (CS), an economic traditional Chinese herb, may ameliorate nephrotoxicity-induced renal dysfunction in the rat via antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, and anti-autophagy mechanisms. We investigated the water extract   of fermented whole broth of CS on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced renal cell injury in vitro and in vivo. CS effect on LPS-induced epithelial Lilly pork kidney (PK1) and Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial (MDCK) cell death was detected with MTT assay. Two-month treatment of CS effects on renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), plasma blood urea nitrogen, creatinine level and leukocytes (WBC) count were determined in the LPS-treated rats. We further examined the effects of CS supplement on renal tubular oxidative stress,   endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis and autophagy by Western blot analysis. LPS dose-dependently induced PK1 and MDCK cell death, which can be ameliorated by CS treatment. LPS significantly decreased RBF and GFR and increased blood leukocyte counts, plasma blood urea nitrogen and creatinine level in the rat after 24 hours of injury. LPS enhanced renal tubular ER stress, autophagy and apoptosis via by increase protein expressions of GRP78, caspase 12, Beclin-1 and   Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. These findings are associated with the significant staining in renal proximal and distal tubular ED-1, GRP78, Beclin-1 autophagy, and TUNEL apoptosis in the LPS-treated kidneys. Two months of CS supplement significantly improved RBF, GFR and WBC values and reduced ED-1, GRP78, Beclin-1 autophagy and   TUNEL apoptosis in the LPS-treated kidneys. Long-term CS treatment reduced LPS-induced stress responses and tissue damage possibly via blocking LPS-triggered signaling pathways.
{Author Address}: Department of Internal Medicine, Kuang-Tien General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
{Language}: eng

{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Author}: Li, X. T.; Li, H. C.; Li, C. B.; Dou, D. Q.; Gao, M. B.
{Year}: 2010
{Title}: Protective effects on mitochondria and anti-aging activity of polysaccharides from cultivated fruiting bodies of Cordyceps militaris
{URL}: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=21061463&query_hl=1
{Tag}: 0
{Star}: 0
{Journal}: Am J Chin Med
{Volume}: 38
{Issue}: 6
{Pages}: 1093-106
{DOI}: 10.1142/S0192415X10008494
{Date Displayed}: 2010
{Date}: 2010-01-20
{Type of Work}: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
{Accession Number}: 21061463
{Keywords}: Aging/*drug effects/physiology; Animals; Antioxidants/metabolism/pharmacology/*therapeutic use; Cordyceps/*chemistry; Cysteine; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fruiting Bodies, Fungal; Galactose; Hydroxyl Radical/metabolism; Injections, Subcutaneous; Liver/*drug effects/metabolism; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Mitochondria/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology; Mitochondrial Diseases/*drug therapy/metabolism/pathology; Phytotherapy; Polysaccharides/pharmacology/*therapeutic use; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism; Superoxides/metabolism; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances
{Abstract}: Cordyceps militaris (L.) Link is an entomopathogenic fungus parasitic to Lepidoptera larvae, and is widely used as a folk tonic or invigorant for longevity in China. Although C. militaris has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia, there is still a lack convincing evidence for its anti-aging activities. This study was performed to investigate the effects of polysaccharides from cultivated fruiting bodies of C. militaris (CMP) on mitochondrial injury, antioxidation and anti-aging activity. Fruiting bodies of C. militaris were cultivated artificially under optimized conditions. The spectrophotometric method was used to measure thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), mitochondrial swelling, and activities of scavenging superoxide anions in vitro. D-galactose (100 mg/kg/day) was injected subcutaneously into back of the neck of mice for 7 weeks to induce an aging model. The effects of CMP on the activities of catalase (CAT), surperoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and anti-hydroxyl radicals were assayed in vivo using commercial monitoring kits. The results showed that CMP could inhibit mitochondrial injury and swelling induced by Fe(2)(+)-L-Cysteine in a concentration- dependent manner and it also had a significant superoxide anion   scavenging effect. Moreover, the activities of CAT, SOD, GPx and anti-hydroxyl radicals in mice liver were increased significantly by CMP. These results indicate that CMP protects mitochondria by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting mitochondrial swelling, and increasing the activities of antioxidases. Therefore, CMP may have pharmaceutical values for mitochondrial protection and anti-aging. CMP was the major bioactive component in C. militaris.
{Author Address}: Dalian Nationalities University, China. xtli@dlnu.edu.cn
{Language}: eng