Soybean and ascorbate feeding in experimental carcinogenesis: immunological studies.

Soybean and/or sodium ascorbate have been demonstrated to have protective effects against carcinogenicity of the nitrosamine precursors dibutylamine and sodium nitrite in rats. Some immunological aspects of the cellular and humoral compartments of the immune system were investigated in this experimental model. The parameters chosen for the study were the lymphocyte transformation test, migration inhibition test, the demonstration of Fc and Fc plus complement receptors on the lymphocyte surface (EA and EAC rosette-forming test), and the determination of total serum proteins and their fractions. The results indicated that dibutylnitrosamine can be formed in vivo from its precursors dibutylamine and sodium nitrite, and that it affects the immune system of rats which showed an immunosuppressed state present as depressed cellular and humoral immunity. The protective role of soybean and/or ascorbate against carcinogenicity of dibutylamine and sodium nitrite was demonstrated by the absence of tumor formation. These agents were found to be capable of increasing the defense mechanism of rats by enhancing both cellular and humoral immunity in the presence of the carcinogenic nitrosamine precursors dibutylamine and sodium nitrite.

Extraction and identification of different prostaglandins in Allium cepa.

Green onions (Allium cepa) were homogenized in a blender and extracted by normal extraction methods except that diethyl ether was used as the first extracting solvent. Different analytical procedures were used for the identification of the prostaglandins separated. TLC was applied using silica gel 60 F254 plates and a mixture of benzene, dioxane and acetic acid (20:10:1) as eluent, and the Rf values were compared with those of authentic samples. GC analysis on an SE 30 packed column and FID was applied; relative retention times of the onion extract components were measured and matched with authentic prostaglandin samples using cholesterol as an internal standard. GC-MS analyses using the same conditions adopted for GC analysis were conducted on a Finnigan MAT 112S instrument. Four peaks were identified. The prostaglandins identified were F1 alpha, E1, B1 and A2.

Plasma prostaglandin activities in some immuno-inflammatory diseases.

In the present study the relationship between plasma prostaglandins (PGs) level and the immuno-inflammatory reactions, known to accompany bronchial asthma and/or schistosomiasis infection, was investigated. It was found that plasma PGF2 alpha increased significantly above the control values in 30 asthmatics, 30 schistosomal and 30 asthmatic schistosomal patients. Plasma PGE increased also together with that of PGF2 alpha which is considered to be useful for the protection of the patient against the injurious effects of the infection, due to the known opposing actions of PGE to those of PGF2 alpha.