ABSTRACT
Four cases of rhinosporidiosis occurring in Indian expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia are described. The prevalence of such cases in other countries of the Arabian Gulf is reviewed.
Subject(s)
Rhinosporidiosis/diagnosis , Adult , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , India/ethnology , Male , Middle East/epidemiology , Nasal Cavity/pathology , Rhinosporidiosis/epidemiology , Rhinosporidiosis/pathology , Saudi Arabia/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Treatment with an aqueous extract of the aerial parts of Melothria maderaspatana, before or after CCl4 administration in rats markedly decreased CCl4-mediated reductions in aniline hydroxylase and p-aminopyrine N-demethylase activities. Phenobarbital-induced sleeping time in rats and kinetic enzyme studies showed that the effect of the plant was neither due to an induction of the drug metabolizing enzymes nor due to an alteration in the Km values of the enzymes.
Subject(s)
Carbon Tetrachloride/toxicity , Microsomes, Liver/enzymology , Mixed Function Oxygenases/metabolism , Pharmaceutical Preparations/metabolism , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Aminopyrine N-Demethylase/metabolism , Aniline Hydroxylase/metabolism , Animals , Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/pathology , Glutathione/blood , Glutathione/metabolism , In Vitro Techniques , Kinetics , Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects , Liver/pathology , Male , Malondialdehyde/metabolism , Microsomes, Liver/drug effects , Phenobarbital/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , Sleep/drug effectsABSTRACT
Aqueous extracts of the aerial parts of Melothria maderasptana and the leaves of Osbeckia octandra have been compared with (+)-3-cyanidanol with regard to their abilities to alleviate carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver dysfunction in albino rats by comparing the abilities of these drugs to protect the liver against CCl4-mediated alterations in the liver histopathology and serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (GOT), alkaline amino-transferase (GPT), and alkaline phosphatase. In both pretreatment and post-treatment (administration of drugs before or after CCl4 treatment) experiments, the most marked rate of recovery of the liver was exhibited by the group of rats treated with Melothria maderaspatana extract. Although the protection offered by (+)-3-cyanidanol and Osbeckia octandra appears to be comparable in post-treatment, Osbeckia was significantly more effective in pre-treatment. From the overall results obtained it appears that the aqueous extracts of Melothria maderaspatana and Osbeckia octandra are both as potent or in some instances (in pretreatment experiments) more potent than (+)-3-cyanidanol. Of the two plants tested under the present experimental conditions used, Melothria maderaspatana appears to be marginally more effective than Osbeckia octandra in protecting the liver against CCl4-induced alterations.
Subject(s)
Liver Diseases/drug therapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Animals , Male , Rats , Rats, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
An investigation was carried out to evaluate the ability of Melothria maderaspatana to protect the livers of albino rats from carbon tetrachloride-mediated alterations in liver histopathology and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. Treatment with an aqueous extract of Melothria aerial parts (either before or after CCl4 administration) markedly decreased CCl4-mediated alterations in liver histopathology as well as serum enzyme levels. Results provide supportive evidence for the folklore view that this plant is a good hepatotonic.
