Antimicrobial activity and volatile constituent analysis of three commercial herbal toothpastes containing Aloe vera L. and Fragaria vesca L. extracts.

AIMS: This work was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of three different commercial herbal (Aloe vera L. and Fragaria vesca L. extracts) toothpastes [LR Aloe vera (HTP1), ESI Aloe fresh (HTP2) and ROCS Teens (HTP3)] against two microorganisms that cause tooth infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An agar disk diffusion method was used to test the antimicrobial activity of three herbal gel toothpastes in the amount of 100 µL against Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus. In the second part of the work, the volatile organic compounds of three different commercial herbal toothpastes (HTP1-3) were determined by solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-flame ionization detection (SPME/GC-MS-FID). RESULTS: The sensitivity of the tested herbal toothpastes toward each microorganism was expressed as the mean of the clear zone within the range of 6-16 mm diameters. HTP1 and HTP2 were found to be more effective against both bacteria compared with HTP3. Oxygenated monoterpenes (99.34%, 91.44%, and 83.48%) were the most abundant groups in the SPME of HTP1-3, respectively. Menthol (25.41%, 35.82%, and 31.15%) and anethole (52.01%, 23.62%, and 38.79%) were the major compounds identified in the SPME analysis of HTP1-3, respectively. Carvone was found only in HTP3 (0.49%) in a small quantity. CONCLUSION: The commercial herbal toothpastes could have advantages in decreasing bacterial accumulation on teeth with protection of the oral cavity.

A new proteinase 3 substrate with improved selectivity over human neutrophil elastase.

We report the synthesis and enzymatic studies on a new proteinase 3 intermolecular quenched substrate with enhanced selectivity over neutrophil elastase. Using combinatorial chemistry methods, we were able to synthesize the hexapeptide library with the general formula ABZ-Tyr-Tyr-Abu-X1'-X2'-X3'-Tyr(3-NO2)-NH2 using the mix and split method. The iterative deconvolution of such a library allowed us to obtain the sequence ABZ-Tyr-Tyr-Abu-Asn-Glu-Pro-Tyr(3-NO2)-NH2 with a high specificity constant (kcat/KM=1534×10(3)M(-1)s(-1)) and superior selectivity over neutrophil elastase and other neutrophil-derived serine proteases. Moreover, using the obtained substrate, we were able to detect a picomolar concentration of proteinase 3 (PR3). Incubation of the above-mentioned substrate with neutrophil lysate resulted in a strong fluorescent signal that was significantly reduced in the presence of a PR3 selective inhibitor.

Sympathetic skin responses from frontal region in migraine headache: a pilot study.

Frontal sympathetic skin responses (F-SSRs) were recorded to investigate sympathetic nervous system activity in migraine headache (MH). Thirty-five patients with unilateral MH and 10 healthy volunteers were studied by evoking bilateral F-SSRs with electrical stimulation of the median nerve in attack, post-attack and interictal periods. The mean latencies were longer and the maximum amplitudes were smaller on the symptomatic side compared with the asymptomatic side (P < 0.05 for both amplitude and latency) in attack and in interictal periods. In five patients, F-SSRs were absent bilaterally, in four patients the responses were absent only on the symptomatic side during the attack period. In the post-attack period, F-SSRs on the symptomatic side had higher amplitudes and shorter latencies compared with the asymptomatic side (P < 0.01 for both amplitude and latency). There is an asymmetric sympathetic hypofunction on the symptomatic side in attack and interictal periods, whereas there is a hyperfunction in the post-attack period.

Inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) activity reverses endotoxin-induced hypotension via decreased nitric oxide production in rats.

Overproduction of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species leads to oxidative stress and decreased total antioxidant capacity, which is responsible for high mortality from several inflammatory diseases such as endotoxic shock. Among reactive nitrogen species, nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) during endotoxemia is the major cause of vascular hyporeactivity, hypotension and multiple organ failure. This study was conducted to determine if mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) contributes to endotoxin-induced hypotension as well as vascular inflammation and oxidative stress via NO production. In conscious male Wistar rats, injection of endotoxin (10 mg kg(-1), i.p.) caused a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) for 4h and increased levels of nitrite in serum, aorta and mesenteric artery. These effects of endotoxin were prevented by selective inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation by MAPK kinase (MEK1/2) with U0126 (5 mg kg(-1), i.p.; 1h after endotoxin). Endotoxin also caused an increase in protein levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 in aorta which was abolished by U0126. Selective inhibition of iNOS with phenylene-1,3-bis[ethane-2-isothiourea] dihydrobromide (1,3-PBIT) (10 mg kg(-1), i.p.; 1h after endotoxin) did not change the endotoxin-induced increase in ERK1/2 activity. Myeloperoxidase activity was increased in aorta and decreased in mesenteric artery by endotoxin, which was reversed by U0126. Endotoxin-induced decrease in one of the products of lipid peroxidation, malonedialdehyde (MDA) was prevented by U0126 in mesenteric artery; however, U0126 caused a further decrease in the levels of MDA in aorta. These data suggest that increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 by MEK1/2 contributes to the endotoxin-induced hypotension via NO production rat aorta and mesenteric artery. It is likely that ERK1/2 mediates the effect of endotoxin on MPO activity in a different degree in the tissues suggesting possible involvement of any mediator and/or mechanism which also causes neutrophil infiltration during inflammatory response at least in mesenteric artery. Moreover, ERK1/2 seems to be involved in the endotoxin-induced increase in total antioxidant capacity in mesenteric artery.

Involvement of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II to endotoxin-induced vascular hyporeactivity in rat superior mesenteric artery.

Endotoxin causes impaired vascular contractility proposed to be mediated mainly by induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Evidence suggests that calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) may lead to activation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2alpha) (cPLA(2alpha))/inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) pathway in response to endotoxin in vascular smooth muscle cells. This study was conducted to determine if CaMKII is involved in the endotoxin-induced vascular hyporeactivity by activating of iNOS and/or cPLA(2alpha)/COX-2 enzymes in rat isolated superior mesenteric artery with endothelium. Incubation with endotoxin (100 microg ml(-1)) for 4h caused vascular hyporeactivity to norepinephrine which was completely abolished by phenylene-1,3-bis[ethane-2-isothiourea] dihydrobromide (1,3-PBIT), a selective iNOS inhibitor, methyl arachidonyl fluorophosphonate (MAFP), a selective 85kDa cPLA(2alpha) inhibitor, DFU, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, and KN-93, a selective CaMKII inhibitor. Endotoxin-induced increase in tissue nitrite production was decreased by 1,3-PBIT and DFU, and further increased by MAFP. MAFP, DFU and KN-93 reversed the endotoxin-induced decrease in tissue 6-keto-PGF(1alpha). These data suggest that reversal of the endotoxin-induced vascular hyporeactivity by inhibition of CaMKII in rat superior mesenteric artery may be related to increased production of vasodilator arachidonic acid products by cPLA(2alpha)/COX-2 pathway rather than prostacyclin and nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide reverses endotoxin-induced inflammatory hyperalgesia via inhibition of prostacyclin production in mice.

We examined whether nitric oxide (NO), derived from constitutive NO synthase (NOS) and/or inducible NOS (iNOS), could contribute to endotoxin-induced inflammatory hyperalgesia via interacting with nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and/or polyADP-ribose synthase (PARS). Injection of endotoxin (10 mg kg(-1), i.p.) to mice elicited hyperalgesia, determined by hot plate test, which is prevented by NO precursor (L-arginine), cNOS/iNOS inhibitor (N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester; L-NAME), NF-kappaB inhibitor (N-acetylserotonin), COX inhibitor (indomethacin), COX-2 inhibitor (DFU) and PARS inhibitor (3-aminobenzamide). Endotoxin caused a decrease in serum nitrite levels prevented by N-acetylserotonin, L-arginine, indomethacin, DFU or 3-aminobenzamide. Endotoxin increased serum 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) levels diminished by L-arginine or aminoguanidine (iNOS inhibitor). L-Arginine, L-NAME, aminoguanidine, DFU or 3-aminobenzamide prevented endotoxin-induced decrease in heart, lungs, kidneys and brain nitrite and malonedialdehyde levels and myeloperoxidase activity. In conclusion, NO reverses endotoxin-induced inflammatory hyperalgesia via inhibition of prostacyclin production, and also contributes to the analgesic effect of NF-kappaB, COX or PARS inhibitors.

A study on visual evoked responses in childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms.

As some apparently idiopatic epilepsies may occasionally pose diagnostic difficulties in regard to their precise status of etiology, evoked potentials, particularly visual evoked potential (VEP), may contribute to the diagnosis of childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms (CEOP) as a subsidiary method of evaluation. This study includes 19 children (10 boys 52.6%; 9 girls 47.4%) ranging in age from 5 to 17 years (mean SD = 9.68 3.28) suffering from CEOP and a control group of 30 normal children, matched for chronological age and sex. Peak amplitudes and latencies of the P100 component for pattern-shift VEP (PVEP) and of major positivity for flash VEP (FVEP) are measured, respectively. The results from this study demonstrate that amplitude and latency values in patients with CEOP differs insignificantly when compared with controls. Although, non-significantly, mean values of amplitudes for both PVEP and FVEP were higher in the patients than in the normal children, whereas latencies in FVEP were somewhat longer. There may be some tendency for the amplitudes to increase and the latencies to be delayed in VEPs in patients with CEOP, when an overall interpretation of our and similar studies are considered. In certain cases of diagnostic difficulty, VEP values may provide further information for the clinician, regarding either a symptomatic or an idiopathic nature of the underlying disorder.

Neuropsychological functions in idiopathic occipital lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Despite the benign prognoses of idiopathic partial epilepsies, particularly regarding the response of seizures to treatment, some evidence now exists that patients with such disorders may have subtle neuropsychological deficits. This study was designed to investigate several modalities of neuropsychological functioning in a group of 21 patients, ranging from 6 to 14 years of age, with idiopathic occipital lobe epilepsy (IOLE). The case patients were compared with 21 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status. METHODS: A battery of age-appropriate neuropsychological tests was administered individually to all the participants. Tests were chosen on the basis of age-appropriate norms, their ability to represent a wide variety of functional domains, and their appropriateness in a cross-cultural setting. The tests were selected to measure functioning in six domains: intellectual functioning, attention, memory, academic achievement, visual-motor functioning, and executive functioning; some were further subdivided by their verbal-versus-visual modality of functioning. RESULTS: The results revealed no significant difference in basic neurophysiological functions between the patient and control groups, although the case patients' performance scores were lower in attention (p < 0.01) and memory (p < 0.01), as well as in intellectual functioning (p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of subtle cognitive deficits in IOLE patients should always be considered, though further studies are necessary to elaborate their precise and long-term effects.

Infantile autism: adult outcome.

Although the core features of autism do not change qualitatively, a gradual overall symptomatic improvement including an increase in adaptive skills is observed in most cases with age. Follow-up studies show that the diagnostic features, the differential diagnosis, and clinical problems of adult autistics differ substantially from that of autistic children. The differential diagnosis of older autistics include personality disorders, learning disabilities, and mood disorder. Depression, epilepsy, and behavioral problems such as aggression and agitation may be major clinical problems during adolescence. The early indicators of a better outcome include a higher level of IQ and language. Among the neuropsychological variables, measures of flexibility and cognitive shift are important as prognostic factors. Early behavioral and educational intervention may especially increase the adaptive skills of the patients and promote the in-family communication. The outcome studies of autism are particularly helpful in addressing the appropriate and most effective programs of remediation for adult autistics.

Benign rolandic epilepsy: neuropsychological findings.

Benign rolandic epilepsy (BRE) is a partial idiopathic epilepsy of childhood presenting with a nocturnal seizure and with a typical EEG showing centrotemporal spike and multifocal or generalized sharp slow waves. Although normal neurological and intellectual development are expected in BRE, it is not infrequent to detect subtle defects in neuropsychological functions and neuromotor development. This study included 20 cases of BRE diagnosed according to the criteria of ILAE. The patients underwent several tests of neuropsychological functions as well as detailed neurological examination and the results were compared statistically to normal controls. In the patient group, a family history of language delay or learning disability (P < 0.005), presence of consanguinity (P < 0. 05), dyspraxia in the lower extremities (to imitation) (P < 0.05), difficulties in go-no-go test (P < 0.001), as well as some problems related to language such as dysprosody (P = 0.05), minor motor deficits in the left (P < 0.05) and right upper extremity (P < 0.05) were significantly more frequent compared to the control group. One should be rather guarded against the prognosis in BRE with respect to the higher cortical functions and neurodevelopmental problems.