Résumé
The effects of aqueous extract of Anthemis mauritiana Maire & Sennen flowers (AM) on rabbit and rat jejunum were studied. The AM (0.1-3 mg/mL) showed reversibly relaxation of spontaneous contractions on isolated rabbit jejunal smooth muscle The spasmolytic effect was dose-dependent with IC50 value of 1,48 ± 0,02 mg/ml. Similarly this extract inhibited the contractions of rat jejunum induced by KCl (75mM) and Carbachol (CCh, 10-6M) with IC50 values of 0,48 ± 0,09 mg/ml and 1,53 ± 0,03 mg/ml respectively. Furthermore, AM exhibited an inhibitory effect on the dose-response curves induced by CCh and CaCl2 on rat jejunum. These results clearly demonstrated the antispasmodic effect of AM which was strongly suggested to be mainly due to the inhibitory effect on Ca++ influx through membrane of jejunal smooth muscle.
Résumé
This study included 50 patients with SLE diagnosed according to the revised criteria of the American Rheumatism Association. 25 age and sex, matched control subjects were added. Serum lithium estimation by Flameless atomic absorption spectro photometer was done in both patients and control subjects. Lithium level was correlated to leucocytic count in patients group. The mean serum lithium of patients was 13.19 +/- 1.2 Ug/L compared to a mean of 15.09 +/- 1.37 Ug/L IN THE CONTROL GROUP. Serum Lithium in patient with SLE was found to be statistically significantly lower than that of the control group. Furthermore lithium level in leucopenic patients was significantly lower than that of both the control group and patients with normal leucocytic count. The lower Serum Lithium in SLE patients may play a role in the immunological disturbance in these patients. Furthermore more decrease in Serum Lithium may be a cofactor in the pathogenesis of lencopenia in these pt. Recently, lithium is used as an immunostimulant. Lithium was found to enhance a variety of indices of immune function including proliferation of lymphocyte in response to mitogens - rosette formation by T cells and phagocytosis by macrophage. Does Lithium level in the blood affect the normal physiological function of immune response? Does disturbance of Lithium level contribute to immunological distrubance? This study opens these questions as Restoration of normal Serum lithium may affect the outcome and prognosis in these patients