ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) is a medicinal plant used in Polynesia for many properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antineoplastic effects. Recent studies showed that noni juice have anti-oxidant and acute anti-inflammatory activities likely due to polyphenols, iridoids and vitamin C content. The present study was undertaken to evaluate chronic anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic effects of noni juice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Therefore, we evaluated the effect of oral or intraperitoneal administrations of noni juice in vivo on the lung inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized Brown Norway rat (with prednisolone 10mg/kg intraperitoneously as reference compound) and the ex vivo effect of noni juice on BaCl2 (calcium signal) or methacholine (cholinergic signal) induced spasms in jejunum segments. RESULTS: We found that noni juice (intraperitoneously 2.17mL/kg and orally 4.55mL/kg) reduced the inflammation in OVA-sensitized Brown Norway rat with regard to the decreased number of inflammatory cells in lung (macrophages minus 20-26%, lymphocytes minus 58-34%, eosinophils minus 53-30%, neutrophils minus 70-28% respectively). Noni juice demonstrated a dose-dependent NO scavenging effect up to 8.1nmol of nitrites for 50µL of noni juice. In addition noni juice inhibited (up to 90%) calcium and cholinergic induced spasms on the jejunum segments model with a rightward shift of the concentration response curve. CONCLUSION: We describe for the first time that noni juice demonstrate (1) a chronic anti-inflammatory activity on sensitized lungs along with (2) a spasmolytic effect integrating a calcium channel blocker activity component.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Jejunum/drug effects , Morinda/chemistry , Muscle Contraction/drug effects , Muscle, Smooth/drug effects , Parasympatholytics/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Pneumonia/prevention & control , Administration, Oral , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Calcium Channel Blockers/pharmacology , Calcium Signaling/drug effects , Disease Models, Animal , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Fruit/chemistry , In Vitro Techniques , Injections, Intraperitoneal , Jejunum/metabolism , Lung/drug effects , Lung/metabolism , Muscle, Smooth/metabolism , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Nitrites/metabolism , Ovalbumin , Parasympatholytics/administration & dosage , Parasympatholytics/chemistry , Parasympatholytics/isolation & purification , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plants, Medicinal , Pneumonia/chemically induced , Pneumonia/metabolism , Prednisolone/pharmacology , Rats, Inbred BNABSTRACT
Nurses endure daily low-level exposure to cytotoxic drugs, which can lead to significant absorption with potential harmful consequences. New sterile medical devices called cytotoxic safe infusion systems (CSISs), intended by their manufacturers to improve safety and quality of cytotoxic drug infusions, have been made commercially available. CSISs from 3 manufacturers were tested in 2 cancer units and compared with standard infusion sets. The aim of this study is to evaluate the devices regarding occupational exposure, quality of the infusion, and economic aspects.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Equipment and Supplies/economics , Infusions, Intravenous/nursing , Drug Therapy/methods , Humans , Infusions, Intravenous/economics , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Occupational ExposureABSTRACT
Awara (Astrocaryum vulgare M.) pulp oil has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties in vivo, and contains an unsaponifiable matter rich in bioactive compounds. This study focused on the ethanolic unsaponifiable fraction (EUF) of awara pulp oil. Its chemical composition has been characterized: carotenoid, phytosterol, and tocopherol contents represent 125.7, 152.6, and 6.8 µg/mg of EUF, respectively. We further evaluated this fraction for anti-inflammatory properties in J774 macrophages activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon (IFN) γ to understand the biological effects of awara pulp oil. EUF strongly decreased nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E(2), tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α, and interleukin (IL) -6 and -10 production in activated J774 cells. Moreover, it inhibited expression of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenases-2 in vitro. The anti-inflammatory properties of EUF were also confirmed in vivo by modulation of TNFα, IL-6 and IL-10 serum concentration in an endotoxic shock model. Pre-treatment with awara oil fraction offers promise as a protective means to lower the production of excessive amounts of pro-inflammatory molecules.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Arecaceae/chemistry , Fruit/chemistry , Plant Oils/pharmacology , Shock, Septic/drug therapy , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry , Antioxidants/metabolism , Carotenoids/analysis , Carotenoids/metabolism , Cell Line , Cyclooxygenase 1/drug effects , Cyclooxygenase 1/metabolism , Cyclooxygenase 2/drug effects , Cyclooxygenase 2/metabolism , Cytokines/blood , Cytokines/drug effects , Cytokines/metabolism , Dinoprostone/blood , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Interferon-gamma/adverse effects , Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects , Macrophages/drug effects , Macrophages/immunology , Male , Membrane Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors , Membrane Proteins/drug effects , Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/drug effects , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/metabolism , Nitrites/metabolism , Phytosterols/analysis , Phytosterols/metabolism , Plant Oils/chemistry , Random Allocation , Shock, Septic/chemically induced , Shock, Septic/immunology , Tocopherols/analysis , Tocopherols/metabolismABSTRACT
Nurses endure daily low-level exposure to cytotoxic drugs, which can lead to significant absorption with potential harmful consequences. New sterile medical devices called cytotoxic safe infusion systems (CSISs), intended by their manufacturers to improve safety and quality of cytotoxic drug infusions, have been made commercially available. CSISs from 3 manufacturers were tested in 2 cancer units and compared with standard infusion sets. The aim of this study is to evaluate the devices regarding occupational exposure, quality of the infusion, and economic aspects.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Infusions, Intravenous/nursing , Oncology Nursing/methods , Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Cytotoxins , Humans , Infusions, Intravenous/adverse effects , Infusions, Intravenous/methods , Occupational Exposure/prevention & control , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Risk AssessmentABSTRACT
Awara (Astrocaryum vulgare M.) is a palm fruit mainly used in nutrition. We analysed the pulp oil for fatty acid, tocopherol, carotenoid, and phytosterol and we evaluated whether this oil may attenuate inflammation in vivo. In an endotoxic shock model, awara pulp oil treatment decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines. In a pulmonary inflammation model, awara pulp oil treatment reduced eosinophil and lymphocyte numbers recovered into the broncho-alveolar lavages. These results suggest that awara pulp oil administration can efficiently counteract an acute and chronic inflammatory response in vivo that is probably mediated by fatty acids and minor compounds.
