Salvia officinalis, Rosmarinic and Caffeic Acids Attenuate Neuropathic Pain and Improve Function Recovery after Sciatic Nerve Chronic Constriction in Mice.

The leaves of Salvia officinalis L. have a traditional reputation for the management of pain in Morocco. This study was conducted to investigate the curative effects of Salvia officinalis (SO) and its major constituents Rosmarinic (ROS) and Caffeic acids (CAF) on peripheral neuropathic pain in mice. Chronic constriction injury (CCI) was induced in mice, and neuropathic pain behaviors tests were evaluated by mechanical, chemical, thermal sensation tests and functional recovery of the sciatic nerve at different time intervals, i.e., (day 0, 1, 7, 14, and 21). Ethanolic extract of SO (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.), ROS (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.), CAF (30 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.), and CLOM (5 mg/kg, i.p., a positive control) was given for 21 days after surgery. Hematological and biochemical parameters were also measured as well as histopathological analysis. CCI produced significant development in mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, cold allodynia, and rise in the sciatic functional index in mice. Chronic treatments with SO extract, ROS, CAF, and CLOM for 3 weeks significantly increased mechanical sensibility, cold, and thermal withdrawal latency and enhanced functional recovery of the injured nerve. The same treatments remarkably ameliorated hematological parameters and did not alter biochemical levels. The histopathological findings had revealed the protective effect of SO, ROS, and CAF against the CCI-induced damage. Our data support the use of SO in folk medicine to alleviate pain. Their main phenolic constituents could be promising antineuropathic compounds, which may be attributed to their biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. SO leaves may be a good candidate to treat neuropathic pain.

Immunoanalytical characteristics of C-reactive protein and high sensitivity C-reactive protein.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a polypeptide molecule belonging to the family of pentraxins. It has a molecular mass of 120,000 daltons and consists of five identical sub-units that contain each 206 amino acids. CRP is synthesized primarily by the liver in response to certain pro-inflammatory cytokines. It plays an important role in innate immunity, opsonization by its properties, complement activation and immunoglobulins receptor binding. CRP is a protein of the acute systemic inflammation and is, therefore, a prime marker of inflammation. As atherosclerosis has an inflammatory component, CRP can appreciate cardiovascular risk when analysed by more sensitive assays, that are able to measure extremely low concentrations of CRP, called high sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP). The CRP is quantified by immunonephelometry or immunoturbidimetry. There is no standard technique. The hs-CRP quantification is based on immunonephelemetry sensitized techniques called "immunolatex". We present in this paper the main biochemical and physiological data related to CRP, explaining the need for its quantification, the problems encountered in immunoassay and the interpretation of results.