Analysis of the Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Potential of the Fractions Obtained From the Ethyl Acetate Partition of the Leaves of Diplopterys Pubipetala

Aims: The objective of this work was to analyze the anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of the fractions of ethyl acetate from the leaves of D. pubipetala. Methodology: Liquid-liquid partitioning was performed, the ethyl acetate partition was eluted in classical liquid chromatography, followed by thin layer chromatography. Antioxidant activity was performed by the DPPH photochlorimetric method and the levels of interleukin (IL?6), tumor necrosis factor ? (TNF??), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and nitric oxide (NO) were identified in supernatants of cell cultures. Results: Fractions F4, F5 and F10 showed antioxidant activity. The F10 fraction indicated efficient anti-inflammatory activity by the production of IL-10 and nitric oxides. Fractions F4, F5 and F9 stimulated the production of IL-6 and TNF-?. Conclusion: These results indicate a possible synergistic action of the extract and the partition of ethyl acetate, since after fractionation the potential presented in previous studies was lower.

Quantification of the population and phagocytary activity of hemocytes of resistant and susceptible strains of Biomphalaria glabrata and Biomphalaria tenagophila infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Entre os fatores determinantes na resistencia e suscetibilidade da Biomphalaria ao Schistosoma mansoni, os hemocitos desempenharam importante papel. Com o objetivo de estudar as interacoes S. mansoni/Biomphalaria relativas aos hemocitos o primeiro passo e certamente relacionado a padronizacao desta populacao de celulas em Biomphalaria nao infectada. Desta forma a quantificacao desta populacao de celulas na hemolinfa bem como sua capacidade fagocitaria foi determinada pela primeira vez. Alem disso, usando cepas de B. glabrata e B. tenagophila suscetiveis e resistentes, o hemocitograma e a capacidade fagocitaria dos hemocitos, apos infeccao com S. mansoni, foram tambem determinados. Cepas de B. glabrata (BA e BH respectivamente) resistentes e suscetiveis bem como cepas de B. tenagophila (TAIM e CF respectivamente) foram infectadas com 10 miracidios das cepas LE e SJ de S. mansoni, respectivamente. Estes caramujos infectados e respectivos controles nao infectados foram avaliados em relacao ao numero de hemocitos circulantes e alteracao da capacidade fagocitaria, usando Zimozan e MTT...

Miocardite como manifestação inicial da síndrome de imunodeficiência adquirida / Myocarditis as the first manifestation of the acquired imunodeficiency syndrome

O envolvimento cardíaco ocorre em 25 'por cento' a 50 'por cento' dos pacientes com S.I.D.A., quando analisados por ecocardiografia, biópsia miocárdica ou necrópsia. As manifestaçöes clínicas afetam 10 'por cento' dos pacientes, sendo a insuficiência cardíaca a mais frequente. Descrevemos a evolução de um paciente que tinha teste positivo para H.I.V. e miocardite como a primeira manifestação clínica da doença - a miocardite estava associada com arritmias complexas e bloqueio atrioventricular, havendo necessidade de implante de um marcapasso definitivo.

Effect of gamma interferon and interleukin 10 on phosphoinositol turnover by human neutrophils in vitro

We evaluated the levels of inositolmono-(IP1), di-(IP2), tri- (IP3) and tetraphosphates (IP4) in human neutrophils (N) stimulated with gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) (200 mul from a pool of cell culture supernatant obtained from 1 x 10(7) PHA-primed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (30-60 min at 37 degrees Celsius, 5 per cent CO2) in the presence or in the absence of interleukin 10 (IL-10) (10 mug/10mul). The results, reported as mean + SEM cpm, showed that IFN-gamma induced a significant increase only in the IP3 level (N + medium = 1.413 + 172 and N + IFN-gamma = 8,875 + 832). However, this activation mediated by IFN-gamma was blocked partially in the presence of IL-10 (N + IFN-gamma + IL-10 = 2,430 + 239) (P<0.05). Interleukin 10 alone did not induce significant alterations in the content of IP1 (1,203 + 123), IP2 (1,880 + 163), IP3 (938 + 102) or IP4 (2,403 + 345) when compared to the respective controls in the absence of IL-10 (IP1 = 1,625 + 132; IP2 = 1,343 + 149; IP3 = 1,413 + 172 and IP4 = 3,281 + 234). We also demonstrated the inhibitory effect of IL-10 on chemoluminescence generation by human neutrophils during phagocytosis of opsonized particles (OZ). Chemoluminescence generation was enhanced by IFN-gamma (N + OZ = 42.8 + 3.9 and N + OZ + IFN-gamma = 66.5 + 4.3) and this effect was reduced by IL-10 (N + OZ + IFN-gamma + IL-10 = 37.6 + 5.1). These data suggest that IL-10 modulates the neutrophil response and may be important for the development of new treatments of inflammatory injury.

A microcalorimetric assay to measure the reactivity of antigen-stimulated mononuclear cells from Schistosoma mansoni infected patients

The reactivity of mononuclear cells (2 x 10**6/ml minimum Eagle's medium, MEM) from normal subjects and from Schistosoma mansoni-infected patients was evaluated by microcalorimetry. The results which are reported as heat production (mcal for 2 x 10**6 cells in 3600s), were 2,087 ñ 21.2 and 2,497.0 ñ 21.3 for mononuclear cells from infected patients (N = 8) under stimulation with S. mansoni soluble egg antigen (SEA) and soluble adult worm antigenic preparation (SWAP), respectively. The values for cells from normal subjects (N = 8) were 13.7 ñ 1.1 and 29.3 ñ 3.2 in the presence of the same antigens. Pre-treatment of mononuclear cells from patients with 1 mM aminophylline (a cAMP phospphodiesterase inhibitor) totally abolished heat production. Cell viability (> 95%) was not changed after the measurement. The microcalorimetric assay described here measures the cellular metabolic activity and we feed justified in suggesting this techinique as an auxiliary diagnosis of schistosomiasis. Given the sensitivity, precision and accuracy of this microcalorimetric assay, we feel it can be used for the diagnosis of disease conditions for which a reliable diagnostic method is required

Correlation between the lack of mononuclear cell cytotoxicity against schistosomula in vitro with schistosomiasis

A comparison was made of the reactivity of mononuclear cells from subjects and from S. mansoni-infected patients. The following parameters were evaluated: 1) ability of mononuclear cells to kill schistosoma in the presence of complement; 2) [3H]-inositol incorporation into phosphatidylinositol (PI) and the rate of inositolphosphates (IPx) released. Cells from normal subjects, but not from S. mansoni infected patients, were able to kill schistosomula in vitro. A decrease in inositolpolyphosphates (IPx) was observed for phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated mononuclear cells from infected patients when compared with mononuclear cells from normal subjects after 24 h of incubation. The results suggest that the reactivity of mononuclear cells from infected patients is altered under conditions of nonspecific stimulation with PHA when compared with normal cells