Anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential of Caesalpinia ferrea

Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. belongs to the family Fabaceae. Known as pau-ferro and jucá, it is used in folk medicine to treat diabetes, as antipyretic and antirheumatic. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of the ethanol extract of the fruits of C. ferrea (EECf). In the evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity, EECf (50 mg/kg) produced significantly inhibition of ear edema by 66.6 percent compared to control. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg) showed inhibition of 83.9 percent compared to control. EECf (50 mg/kg) inhibited of vascular permeability induced by acetic acid and was also able to reduce of cell migration to the peritoneal cavity induced by thioglycolate. In the writhing test induced by acid acetic, EECf (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) significantly reduced the number of contortions by 24.9, 46.9 and 74.2 percent, respectively. In the formalin test, EECf presented effects only in the second phase. The results provided experimental evidence for the effectiveness of the traditional use of C. ferrea in treating various diseases associated with inflammation and pain.

Effects of Müller cells on growth of RPE cells in a co-culture system in hypoxia condition / 中华实验眼科杂志

Background More and more evidences suggest that the interaction of retinal progression of retinal diseases.Objective Present study was to investigate the primarily cultured and digested using explant culture method and trypsas acidic protein(GFAP) staining,S-100 staining and cytokine-18 staining co-cultured under the normoxia and hypoxia using transwell chamber,and the proliferation and migration of cultured RPE cells were examined using MTT and compared with only RPE cells cultured group at 3, 6, 24 and 48 hours.Results Over 90% of primarily cultured RPE cells showed the positive response for S-100.The proliferation and migration of RPE cells were significantly increased in hypoxia condition compared with normoxia condition (P＜0.01).In hypoxia group,amount of proliferation and migration of RPE cells in co-culture group were higher than the only RPE cells cultured group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Hypoxia appear to aggravate the proliferation and migration of RPE cells under the hypoxia status.

Preliminary study on the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the leave extract of Hyptis fruticosa Salzm. ex Benth., Lamiaceae / Avaliação das atividades anti-inflamatória e antioxidante do extrato etanólico das folhas da Hyptis fruticosa Salzm. ex Benth., Lamiaceae

Various species of Hyptis are used in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory. In order to evaluate the actions of Hyptis fruticosa Salzm. ex Benth., Lamiaceae, studies were performed on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The ethanol extract (EE) of H. fruticosa leaves and its n-CH, CHCl, EtOAc, and MeOH/HO partitions were used in the following experiments. Oral treatment with the EE of H. fruticosa leaves (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) or its n-C6H14, EtOAc, and MeOH/H2O partitions (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) elicited inhibitory activity (p<0.05) on carrageenan-induced oedema formation and leukocyte migration into the peritoneal cavity in rats. However, the CHCl3 partition did not show any inhibitory effect on paw oedema and peritonitis experimental models. The EE and EtOAc partition present highest antioxidant potential (IC50 = 35.00±1.01 and 36.67±2.65 µg/mL DPPH, respectively), similar to the reference compound (IC50 = 16.67±1.21 µg/mL). In conclusion, H. fruticosa shows anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

Várias espécies do gênero Hyptis são utilizadas na medicina popular para tratar processos inflamatórios. Para avaliar as ações anti-inflamatória e antioxidante da Hyptis fruticosa Salzm. ex Benth., Lamiaceae, utilizou-se extrato etanólico (EE) das folhas desta planta e suas partições n-C6H14, CHCl3, AcOEt e MeOH/H2O. O tratamento oral com o EE das folhas da H. fruticosa (100, 200 e 400 mg/kg) ou suas partições n-C6H14, AcOEt e MeOH/H2O (50, 100 e 200 mg/kg) apresentou atividade inibitória sobre a formação de edema e migração leucocitária para a cavidade peritoneal induzidas pela carragenina em ratos (p<0,05). Entretanto, a partição CHCl3 não causou nenhum efeito sobre a formação de edema e migração de células peritoneais. O EE bruto e a partição AcOEt apresentaram alto potencial antioxidante (IC50 = 35,00±1,01 e 36,67±2,65 µg/mL DPPH, respectivamente), similar ao composto referência (IC50 = 16,67±1,21 µg/mL). Em conclusão, demonstrou-se que a H. fruticosa apresenta atividades anti-inflamatória e antioxidante.

Diazepam, em dose única, inibe a migração celular, a estimulação macrofágica e a atividade de TNF-α na reação inflamatória aguda induzida por LPS em camundongos / Diazepam, in a single dose, inhibits cellular chemotaxis, macrophage stimulation, and TNF-α activity in LPS-induced acute inflammatory responses in mice

Os benzodiazepínicos estão entre as drogas mais freqüentemente prescritas em razão de suas propriedades ansiolíticas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência do diazepam sobre a resposta inflamatória peritoneal aguda induzida por lipopolissacarídeo. Para tanto, camundongos Swiss foram tratados com diazepam (1 ou 10 mg/kg de peso), em dose única, por via subcutânea, uma hora antes do desafio intraperitoneal com lipopolissacarídeo bacteriano. Após 16 horas do desafio, os animais foram sacrificados, coletando-se os lavados peritoneais para determinação do número total de células e das subpopulações de mononucleares e polimorfonucleares, além da atividade de TNF-α e da porcentagem de macrófagos espraiados. Observou-se que o tratamento com diazepam, nas doses de 1 ou 10 mg/kg, reduziu significativamente a porcentagem de macrófagos estimulados por LPS e a liberação de TNF-α independente de estímulo. Houve também significativa redução da migração de leucócitos nos animais estimulados com LPS e tratados com 10 mg/kg de diazepam em relação aqueles não tratados. Concluímos que a administração do diazepam, em dose única, pode influenciar significativamente o influxo celular, a estimulação de macrófagos e a atividade de TNF-α na resposta inflamatória aguda induzida por LPS em camundongos, com possíveis implicações na eficiência da resposta anti-infecciosa.

Benzodiazepines are one of the most frequently prescribed drugs due to their anxiolytic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of diazepam on lipopolysaccharide-induced peritoneal acute inflammatory responses. Swiss mice were treated with diazepam in a single dose of 1 or 10 mg/kg- subcutaneously 1 h before an intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide or sterile saline solution. The mice were killed 16 h after and the cells were washed from the peritoneal cavity to determine the total number of cells and the mononuclear and polimorfonuclear subpopulations, as well as the TNF-alpha activity and percentage of spread macrophages. Our results showed that the diazepam treatment (1 and 10 mg/kg) induced a significant reduction in the LPS-induced macrophage stimulation and TNF-α activity. Diazepam (10 mg/kg) also reduced the inflammatory cellular migration when compared to the control. It can be concluded that the diazepam treatment in a single dose is able to influence the inflammatory cellular influx, macrophage stimulation and TNF-α activity in the acute inflammatory response in mice, having possible implications on the anti-infectious response efficiency.

Preeclampsia, migración celular y canales iónicos / Preeclampsia, cellular migration and ion channels

En la placenta humana, el sinciciotrofoblasto es la barrera que regula el transporte de nutrientes, solutos y agua entre la sangre materna y fetal. Dentro de este movimiento transepitelial se encuentra el del Na+, su contribución a la presión osmótica es fundamental en la regulación del volumen de líquido extracelular. El canal epitelial de sodio sensible al amiloride (ENaC) media el transporte de Na+ desde el lumen hacia el interior celular en numerosos epitelios absortivos. Está regulado por la aldosterona, vasopresina, catecolaminas, estrógenos y progesterona. Es bloqueado por el amiloride y sus análogos. Para su activación, diversas proteasas lo escinden en la membrana plasmática y esto a su vez es regulado por la aldosterona. El ENaC está expresado también en la placenta humana y aunque su función no es conocida, podría participar en la homeostasis de agua y electrolitos. El ENaC también es influenciado por el estado de las proteínas del citoesqueleto y los cambios en el volumen celular alteran a su vez a éste. De esta manera existe una relación entre el ENaC y el citoesqueleto. Además, las corrientes de Na+ por el ENaC y otros canales de sodio participan en la migración celular en células normales y cancerosas. Aquí presentamos evidencias que avalan la hipótesis que el ENaC es necesario para la migración celular en células BeWo, derivadas del trofoblasto humano, que sintetizan hormonas y expresan el ENaC. Las células BeWO han sido utilizadas como modelo experimental para estudiar el transporte en células de placenta.

The syncytiotrophoblast acts in human placenta as a transporting barrier regulating the transference of nutrients, solutes and water between maternal and fetal blood. This transepithelial transport involves movement of Na+ and its contribution to the osmotic pressure is an important determinant of the extracellular fluid volume. ENaC is a channel that mediates entry of Na+ from the luminal fluid into the cells in many reabsorbing epithelia; it is aldosterone, vasopressin, insulin and catecholamine-inducible, modulated by estrogens and progesterone and blocked by amiloride and its analogs. Multiple proteases are involved in the proteolytic processing and activation of ENaC subunits and aldosterone alters the protease-protease inhibitors balance. ENaC is also expressed in human placenta; although its function is not well known, the Na+ conductive properties may participate in electrolyte and extracellular volume homeostasis. The activity of ENaC channels and other ion channels and transporters is regulated by the state of actin filaments; on the other hand, changes in volume influence the actin cytoskeleton. Thus, there is an interaction between ENaC and components of the apical membrane cytoskeleton. In addition to their role in cellular homeostasis and electrical properties, Na+ currents through ENaC and other sodium channels are involved in cell migration, well documented in normal and cancer cells. In this work we presented evidences supporting the hypothesis that ENaC channels are required for the migration of BeWo cells, a human hormone-synthesizing trophoblastic cell line that express the three subunits of the ENaC channels. BeWo cell line has also been used as a model to investigate the placental transport mechanisms.