Reduction of glucose metabolism in brain is one of the main features of Alzheimer's disease. Thiamine (vitamin B1)-dependent processes are critical in glucose metabolism and have been found to be impaired in brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease. However, thiamine treatment exerts little beneficial effect in these patients. Here, we tested the effect of benfotiamine, a thiamine derivative with better bioavailability than thiamine, on cognitive impairment and pathology alterations in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, the amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 transgenic mouse. We show that after a chronic 8 week treatment, benfotiamine dose-dependently enhanced the spatial memory of amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 mice in the Morris water maze test. Furthermore, benfotiamine effectively reduced both amyloid plaque numbers and phosphorylated tau levels in cortical areas of the transgenic mice brains. Unexpectedly, these effects were not mimicked by another lipophilic thiamine derivative, fursultiamine, although both benfotiamine and fursultiamine were effective in increasing the levels of free thiamine in the brain. Most notably, benfotiamine, but not fursultiamine, significantly elevated the phosphorylation level of glycogen synthase kinase-3alpha and -3beta, and reduced their enzymatic activities in the amyloid precursor protein/presenilin-1 transgenic brain. Therefore, in the animal Alzheimer's disease model, benfotiamine appears to improve the cognitive function and reduce amyloid deposition via thiamine-independent mechanisms, which are likely to include the suppression of glycogen synthase kinase-3 activities. These results suggest that, unlike many other thiamine-related drugs, benfotiamine may be beneficial for clinical Alzheimer's disease treatment.

The number of studies concerning silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has increased, due in part to their potential uses for biomedical applications. These particles have been demonstrated in the elimination of the hepatitis B virus and the inhibition of the proliferation of various cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. Thus, studies on AgNPs may lead to a more efficacious and safer therapeutic approach for chronic liver injury. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are essential interstitial cells in the liver and are the predominant therapeutic target in hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis; however, the intracellular effects of AgNPs on HSCs remain to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of AgNPs on the function and metabolism of HSCs. Various concentrations of AgNPs, with a diameter of 10 or 30‑50 nm, were incubated with HSCs. Transmission electron microscopy, flow cytometry, enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays, and apoptosis and proliferation detection kits were used to analyze the effects of AgNPs on cell proliferation and metabolism. These studies demonstrated that AgNPs inhibited the proliferation of HSCs and induced their apoptosis in a size- and dose‑dependent manner.

Paeoniflorin-6′-O-benzene sulfonate (code: CP-25), a novel ester derivative of paeoniflorin (Pae), was evaluated in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) to study its potential anti-arthritic activity. AA rats were treated with CP-25 (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg) from days 17 to 29 after immunization. CP-25 effectively reduced clinical and histopathological scores compared with the AA groups. CP-25-treated rats exhibited decreases in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α) coupled with an increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine TGF-β1 in the serum. CP-25 treatment inhibited M1 macrophage activation and enhanced M2 macrophage activation by influencing cytokine production. Decreases in Th17-IL-17 and the Th17-associated transcription factor RAR-related orphan receptor gamma (ROR-γt) dramatically demonstrated the immunomodulatory effects of CP-25 on abnormal immune dysfunction. In addition, CP-25 suppressed the production of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9, which supported its anti-osteoclastic effects. The data presented here demonstrated that CP-25 significantly inhibited the progression of rat AA by reducing inflammation, immunity and bone damage. The protective effects of CP-25 in AA highlight its potential as an ideal new anti-arthritic agent for human RA.