Hokkaido University · Medicine
Professor Yaser Hosny Ali Elewa's research lab focuses on the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, liver and lung fibrosis, and aging-related disorders, with an emphasis on oxidative stress, inflammation, and metabolic disturbances such as hyperhomocysteinemia. The lab investigates the protective effects of natural compounds—such as thymoquinone, curcumin, and policosanol—against tissue damage in preclinical models, particularly in the brain, heart, liver, and lungs. Using animal models of Parkinson’s disease, aging, autoimmune disease, and fibrosis, the lab explores structural and immunological changes, including novel immune structures like mediastinal fat-associated lymphoid clusters (MFALCs), and their role in disease progression. The research integrates histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular analysis to uncover therapeutic targets and mechanisms of phytochemicals in organ protection and repair.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common degenerative brain disorders caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Lewy bodies and -synuclein accumulation in the SN are hallmarks of the neuropathology of PD. Due to lifestyle changes and prolonged L-dopa administration, patients with PD frequently have vitamin deficiencies, especially folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. These disorders augment circulating levels of Homocysteine with the development of hyperh
D-galactose (D-gal) administration causes oxidative disorder and is widely utilized in aging animal models. Therefore, we subcutaneously injected D-gal at 200 mg/kg BW dose to assess the potential preventive effect of thymoquinone (TQ) and curcumin (Cur) against the oxidative alterations induced by D-gal. Other than the control, vehicle, and D-gal groups, the TQ and Cur treated groups were orally supplemented at 20 mg/kg BW of each alone or combined. TQ and Cur effectively suppressed the oxidati
The structural characteristics of the parotid glands in small ruminants (goat, sheep) were observed and compared to those of a major laboratory animal, the mouse. Their parotid glands consist of the purely serous type. Ultrastructurally, the serous acini of goats and sheep were characterized by the presence of well-developed basolateral expansions of folds, which are characteristics of electrolyte- and water-transporting epithelium. Moreover in ruminants, unlike the mouse, the presence of numero
Bleomycin (BLM) has been reported to induce lung inflammation and fibrosis in human and mice and showed genetic susceptibility. Interestingly, the C57BL/6 (B6) mice had prominent mediastinal fat-associated lymphoid cluster (MFALCs) under healthy condition, and showed susceptibility to development of lung fibrosis following BLM administration. However, the pathogenesis of lung lesion progression, and their correlation with MFALC morphologies, remain to be clarified. To investigate the correlation
We previously discovered mediastinal fat-associated lymphoid clusters (MFALCs) as novel lymphoid clusters associated with mediastinal fat tissue in healthy mice. However, no data about their morphology in immune-associated disease conditions, and their relationship with lung infiltration, is available to date. In the present study, we compared the morphological features of MFALCs in 4-month-old male murine autoimmune disease models (MRL/MpJ-lpr mice and BXSB/MpJ-Yaa mice) with those of the corre
Liver fibrosis is a prevalent liver disease that requires rapid and effective treatment prior to its progression to cirrhosis and liver damage. Recently, several reports have investigated the efficacy of phytotherapy using natural herbal extracts rather than synthetic drugs to treat several liver diseases. Policosanol is a herbal extract used to treat patients with cardiovascular. However, its therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis is still unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the
The Kynurenine pathway (KP) which is involved in the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) from tryptophan (Trp) is intricate in the development of insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Inflammatory reactions in response to cardiometabolic disorders can induce the development of IR through the augmentation of KP. However, kynurenine (KYN), a precursor of kynurenic acid (KA) is increased following physical exercise and involved in the reduction of IR. Consequently, KP
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