The first-trimester maternal serum cyclophilin A concentrations in women with complicated pregnancy as preeeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Cyclophilin A (CyPA) is a potential mediator of inflammation. We assessed the predictive value of the first-trimester maternal serum CyPA concentrations for complicated pregnancy. METHODS: The first-trimester serum CyPA concentrations were quantified in 100 women with normal pregnancy and in 351 women with complicated pregnancy, including 102 pre-eclampsia women, 131 gestational hypertension (GH) women and 118 gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) women. Its association with complicated pregnancy was ascertained using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Median CyPA concentrations were significantly higher in women developing complicated pregnancy as pre-eclampsia, GH or GDM than in women with normal pregnancy. CyPA concentrations were independently correlated with C-reactive protein concentrations in complicated pregnancy as pre-eclampsia, GH or GDM women. Serum CyPA and body mass index were independently associated with the development of complicated pregnancy as pre-eclampsia, GH or GDM. Serum CyPA possessed significantly high area under receiver operating characteristic curve. Meanwhile, CyPA significantly improved the predictive value of body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Serum CyPA might be utilized as a potential inflammatory biomarker for complicated pregnancy and assessment of serum CyPA might aid in the prediction of complicated pregnancy.

Antinociceptive Effects of Prim-O-Glucosylcimifugin in Inflammatory Nociception via Reducing Spinal COX-2.

We measured anti-nociceptive activity of prim-o-glucosylcimifugin (POG), a molecule from Saposhnikovia divaricate (Turcz) Schischk. Anti-nociceptive or anti-inflammatory effects of POG on a formalin-induced tonic nociceptive response and a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) inoculation-induced rat arthritis pain model were studied. Single subcutaneous injections of POG produced potent anti-nociception in both models that was comparable to indomethacin analgesia. Anti-nociceptive activity of POG was dose-dependent, maximally reducing pain 56.6% with an ED50 of 1.6 mg. Rats given POG over time did not develop tolerance. POG also time-dependently reduced serum TNFα, IL-1ß and IL-6 in arthritic rats and both POG and indomethacin reduced spinal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Like indomethacin which inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity, POG dose-dependently decreased spinal COX-2 content in arthritic rats. Additionally, POG, and its metabolite cimifugin, downregulated COX-2 expression in vitro. Thus, POG produced potent anti-nociception by downregulating spinal COX-2 expression.