ABSTRACT
Objectives: The current study was designed to evaluate protective role of the ethanolic fenugreek seed extract (FSE) and potentiating its effects with nitric oxide (NO) modulators in experimental arthritis and its comparison with the standard drug methotrexate. Materials and Methods: The FSE was prepared using standard procedures. Fifty-four male Wistar rats were equally distributed into nine groups of six animals in each group. Rheumatoid arthritis was induced by administration of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) in sub-plantar region of rt. hind paw. FSE alone and with L-arginine or N?-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) were administered on day 10 of CFA inoculation, i.p. Animals were evaluated for arthritic parameters, cytokines and oxidative stress markers estimation. Statistics: The data were analysed by two-way ANOVA followed by Newman Keul’s post hoc test for inter group analysis by GraphPad Prism 6.0 and P < 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Adjuvant inoculated rat shows significant increase in arthritic and inflammatory parameters as well as oxidative stress biomarkers in serum, paw homogenates and joint synovial fluid. CFA inoculation significantly decreased anti-inflammatory cytokine-10 and SOD activity. These adjuvant-induced arthritic changes were significantly attenuated by ethanolic FSE administration from 10 to 28 days. These results are comparable to standard drug methotrexate. NO modulators further potentiated protective effects of FSE when given in combination. These results were more prominent when ethanolic seed extract was given with iNOS inhibitor, L-NAME. Conclusion: These findings suggest that FSE shows protective effects in CFA induced arthritic changes that may be mediated through pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokines imbalance and it is associated with modulation of oxidative stress and NO-signalling.
ABSTRACT
Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare lung disease characterized by accumulation of excessive lung surfactant in the alveoli leading to restrictive lung functions and impaired gas exchange. Whole lung lavage (WLL) is the treatment modality of choice, which is usually performed using double lumen endobronchial tube insertion under general anesthesia and alternating unilateral lung ventilation and washing with normal saline. It may be difficult to perform WLL in patients with severe hypoxemia wherein patients do not tolerate single lung ventilation. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support (ECMO) has been used in such patients. We report a patient with autoimmune PAP following renal transplant who presented with marked hypoxemia and was managed by WLL under ECMO support.
ABSTRACT
A single intraperitoneal injection of DL-methionine (500 mg/kg body wt.) to adult male Wistar rats was shown to significantly induce all the components of the hepatic microsomal mixed function oxidase system such as NADPH cytochrome C reductase activity, cytochromes P-450 and b5, as well as activities of drug metabolizing enzymes such as aminopyrine demethylase and uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase. Combined administration of nicotinamide (250 mg/kg body wt.) and DL-methionine (500 mg/kg body wt.) was shown to bring about an additional increase (25-30%) in the activities of these enzymes as compared to their induction on independent administration of the two endobiotics. In rats bearing Yoshida sarcoma (ascites) tumour as well as in normal rats injected with serum from tumour bearing animals, the decreased activities of hepatic mixed function oxidases could be restored to their normal levels by administration of DLmethionine (500 mg/kg body wt.) to these rats. Whereas actinomycin D (1 mg/kg body wt.) had no effect on the increased incorporation of [14C] labelled leucine into microsomal proteins following administration of nicotinamide, the enhanced incorporation of the label following DL-methionine administration was completely inhibited by the same dose of actinomycin D. Administration of cycloheximide (0·5 mg/kg body wt.) to rats could completely inhibit the increased incorporation of [14C] leucine into hepatic microsomal proteins following independent administration of nicotinamide and DL-methionine. Similar inhibitory pattern with actinomycin D and cycloheximide was also demonstrated in case of induction of NADPH cytochrome C reductase activity by both these endobiotics.