Evaluation of antiangiogenic and antoxidant properties of Parkia speciosa Hassk extracts

Parkia speciosa Hassk is a traditional medicinal plant with strong antioxidant and hypoglycemic properties. This study aims to investigate the total phenolic content, antioxidant, cytotoxic and antiangiogenic effect of eight extracts from P. speciosa empty pods. The extracts were found to contain high levels of total phenols and demonstrated strong antioxidant effect in DPPH scavenging test. In rat aortic rings, P. speciosa extracts significantly inhibited the microvessel outgrowth from aortic tissue explants by more than 50%. The antiangiogenic activity was further confirmed by tube formation on matrigel matrix involving human endothelial cells. Cytotoxic effect was evaluated by XTT test on endothelial cells as a model of angiogenesis versus a panel of human cancer and normal cell lines. Basically the extracts did not show acute cytotoxicity. Morphology examination of endothelial cells indicated induction of autophagy characterized by formation of plenty of cytoplasmic vacuoles. The extracts were found to work by decreasing expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in endothelial cells

Evaluation of anti-cancer activity of Acanthester planci extracts obtained by different methods of extraction

Acanthaster planci, the crown-of-thorns starfish, naturally endowed with the numerous toxic spines around the dorsal area of its body. Scientific investigations demonstrated several toxico-pharmacological efficacies of A. planci such as, myonecrotic activity, hemorrhagic activity, hemolytic activity, mouse lethality, phospholipase A2 [PLA2] activity, capillary permeability-increasing activity, edema-forming activity, anticoagulant activity and histaminereleasing activity from mast cells. The present study was performed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of A. planci extracts obtained by different methods of extraction on MCF-7 and HCT-116, human breast and colon cancer cell lines, respectively. Results of the cell proliferation assay showed that PBS extract exhibited very potent cytotoxic activity against both MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines with IC[50] of 13.48 microg/mL and 28.78 microg/mL, respectively, while the extracts prepared by Bligh and Dyer method showed moderate cytotoxicity effect against MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines, for chloroform extract, IC[50] = 121.37 microg/mL [MCF-7] and 77.65 microg/mL [HCT-116], and for methanol extract, IC[50] = 46.11 microg/ml [MCF-7] and 59.29 microg/ml [HCT-116]. However, the extracts prepared by sequential extraction procedure from dried starfish found to be ineffective. This study paves the way for further investigation on the peptide composition in the PBS extract of the starfish to discover potential chemotherapeutic agents

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1] and Tumour Necreosis Factor Alpha [TNF-and] in Hodgkin lymphoma

ICAM-1 is a protein which act as mediator of close cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction. It influences and regulates basic cellular function as morphogenesis and immunoregulation. Serum ICAM-1 is used as a tool in the follow up of disease activity to detect metastatic cancer and relapses of haematological malignancies in an early phase. TNF-alpha plays a central role in inflammatory and immune responses, exhibits a cytotoxic activity against tumour cells and it is the most inducer of ICAM-1. The aim is to study the prognostic importance of serum level of both serum ICAM-1 and TNF-alpha in comparison with B[2]-Microglobulin and lactic dehydrogenase enzyme in different stages and states of non-hodgkins lymphoma [activity, remission and relapse]. Sixty newly diagnosed NHL patients not receiving any therapy as well as 20 healthy subjects matched in age and sex were the subject matter of this study. Eight patients with low grade NHL, thirty patients with intermediate grade and twenty two patients with high grade.Out of them fifty two patients were in remission and eighteen patients were in relapse. All subjects sera were analysed for ICAM-1, TNF-alpha, B[2-M] and LDH. The results showed significant elevation of serum ICAM-1 and TNF-alpha in all stages of NHL at diagnosis as compared to control group, the elevation correlated with Ann Arbor stages. ICAM-1 and TNF-alpha level were significantly correlated with the serum level of prognostic markers of NHL, B[2-M] and LDH, tumor burden and disease activity of remission and relapse

Changes in rat blood parameters due to exposure to carbamate pesticide

The toxic effect of daily oral stomach intubation of Oxamyl at dose levels of 0.9, 2.2 and 3.5 mg/kg rat body wt, for 16 days was investigated. The changes in rat blood parameters were measured after 3, 5, 9, 13 and 16 days of the treatment. Oxamyl inhibited acetylcholinesterase considerably. At the level of 3.5 mg/kg, the insecticide led to an increase of total plasma protein, 5 days post treatment. The changes of the electrophoretic pattern of plasma protein fractions from normal, showed an increase in Albumin, Alpha-1 globulin and Beta-globulin and a decrease in Alpha-2 globulin and Gamma globulin. Oxamyl altered hemoglobin concentration, and caused changes in acid and base buffer capacities of Hb,. The most significant decrease in acid buffer capacity accompanied by an increase in base buffer capacity was observed after 9 and 5 days after treatment with 0.9 and 2.2 mg/kg respectively. This finding is attributed to the unfolding of Hb. and the accompained changes in hydrophilic / hydrophobic ratio. An evidence of a conversion of oxyhemoglobin [HbO2.] to methemoglobin [MetHb] as well as a formation of sulfhemoglobin [SHb.] was also observed