ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Persea cordata Mez. (Lauraceae) is a medicinal plant used in veterinary ethnopharmacology, which is a popular medicine used as an anti-inflammatory and healing agent, mainly on animal skin diseases, characterized by cutaneous open wounds, in South Brazil. AIM OF THIS STUDY: The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible antiedematogenic effect of ethyl acetate (EtAc) and butanol (BuOH) polar fractions of Persea cordata on Evans blue dye leakage induced by pro-inflammatory agents in rat skin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats (180-200 g, n=5-6) were pretreated with a single intraperitoneal administration of EtAc or BuOH (1 to 600 mg kg(-1)) fractions followed by intravenous Evans blue dye injection (1%, 30 mg kg(-1), i.v.), 60 min before the injection of phlogistic agents. Animals received intradermal injections (0.05 ml) of carrageenan (CAR, 300 µg/site), 48/80 compound (C4880, 10 µg/site), histamine (HIS, 0.3 µg/site), serotonin (5-HT, 0.01 µg/site), dextran (DEX, 200 µg/site), bradykinin (BK, 0.003 µg/site), capsaicin (CPS, 400 µg/site), substance P (SP, 0.003 µg/site) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2 10 nmol/site) and they were submitted to euthanasia after 60 min. Skin samples were obtained in the extravasation sites of Evans blue dye. Skin fragments were soaked in formamide at 37°C (during 24h) for Evans blue extraction. The amount of dye leakage in the tissue fragment was determined by a spectrophotometer (620 nm). RESULTS: In a very similar manner in terms of potency and efficacy, systemic administration of EtAc and BuOH fractions caused dose-dependent inhibition of vascular Evans blue dye leakage induced by phlogistic agents in the rat skin. The results obtained (ID50 values in mgkg(-1) and maximal inhibition in %) with EtAc fraction, as follows were: CAR (34.42 and 63.0), 4880 (8.52 and 59.1), HIS (21.22 and 66.8), 5-HT (32.99 and 73.4), DEX (41.74 and 67.0), BK (34.03 and 68.0), CPS (100.7 and 77), SP (2.1 and 78.9) and PGE2 (133 and 71.0). BuOH fraction significantly inhibited CAR (25.9 and 70)-, 4880 (36.8 and 66)-, HIS (17.6 and 77)-, 5-HT (32.8 and 56)-, DEX (89.6 and 75)-, BK (28.0 and 66)-, CPS (136.37 and 71)-, SP (5.6 and 78)- and PGE2 (109.64 and 56)-induced VE, respectively. CONCLUSION: Systemic administration of Persea cordata polar fractions exerts a non-specific inhibitory effect on microvascular leakage induced by pro-inflammatory agents in rat skin, probably to interfering with different biological systems involved in the development of the inflammatory process, reinforcing the popular use of Persea cordata as an anti-inflammatory and healing agent for skin.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Persea , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Skin/metabolism , 1-Butanol/chemistry , Acetates/chemistry , Animals , Capillary Permeability/drug effects , Male , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Solvents/chemistryABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess the expression profile of multidrug resistance (MDR)-related proteins ABCB1, ABCC1 and LRP in 46 patients with acute leukemia (AL). METHODS: The levels of MDR gene mRNA expression and protein expression at diagnosis were analyzed by semi-quantitative PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. RESULTS: In the adult group, higher expression levels of abcc1 gene were associated with older age and lower levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). In the pediatric group, abcc1 gene expression levels were associated with higher CD34 expression and a higher ABCB1 protein expression was correlated with high WBC counts. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The present data indicate that abcb1 gene overexpression may be associated with a poor prognosis in adults with AL and that ABCB1 and abcc1 expression correlates with different prognostic factors in pediatric patients with AL. Our findings demonstrate that the method of choice to evaluate chemotherapy resistance-related proteins is a major variable.
Subject(s)
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/genetics , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm , Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute/genetics , Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins/genetics , Neoplasm Proteins/genetics , Vault Ribonucleoprotein Particles/genetics , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B , ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 1/metabolism , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antigens, CD34/genetics , Antigens, CD34/metabolism , Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Gene Expression , Humans , Infant , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/genetics , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute/diagnosis , Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute/drug therapy , Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute/metabolism , Leukocyte Count , Middle Aged , Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins/metabolism , Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis , Risk Factors , Treatment Outcome , Vault Ribonucleoprotein Particles/metabolismABSTRACT
O Papilomavirus Humano (HPV) vem sendo intensamente pesquisado em virtude da sua grande ocorrência na população mundial e da íntima relação com a carcinogênese cervical. Baseado neste fato, o presente estudo tem por objetivo verificar a prevalência e a incidência de HPV de baixo e alto risco oncogênico pela técnica de biologia molecular (Captura Híbrida II®), bem como a faixa etária mais acometida. Foram analisados 12.211 exames do Estado de Santa Catarina coletados a partir do banco de dados do setor de doenças infecciosas do Laboratório de Análise e Pesquisa do Gene NAnálise, sediado na cidade de Florianópolis-SC, no período de 2001-2005. Os resultados obtidos apontam a grande incidência de HPV na população estudada, apresentando 53,8 de positividade, onde, destes, 66,4 foi HPV de alto risco. No entanto, quando comparada à prevalência de HPV de baixo e a de alto risco em relação à faixa etária, o HPV de baixo risco teve uma maior incidência na população abaixo dos 25 anos (48) e até os 35 anos(33). Já na faixa etária de 36 a 45 anos (22), e acima de 45 (8) a maior incidência foi de HPV de alto risco. Isso demonstra a importância da realização de exame específico, por metodologias mais sensíveis, como testes de biologia molecular (Captura Híbrida), para garantir o diagnóstico precoce, deste que vem sendo considerado o maior agente causador de câncer cervical.
