The presence of CD40, CD40L and ADAM8 among endometriotic patients.

Clinical and molecular research data are still insufficient to determine the onset, etiology and progression of endometriosis. Recently, a number of studies have been investigating the role of the inflammatory-immune factor. The role of inflammation in tissue infiltration and staging of endometriosis is limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the presence of CD40, CD40L and ADAM8 among endometriotic patients. These three markers of inflammation were measured in the serum of each of 76 women participating in the study. Twenty-nine (29) women, of mean age 36.9, (±9.2 SD) years free of endometriosis served as the control group. Of the endometriotic women 15 had a stage I-II and 32 stage III-IV disease. We undertook the present investigation expecting that an increased expression of CD40, CD40L and ADAM8 would testify to the inflammatory-autoimmune character of endometriosis. No difference in the levels of CD40, ADAM 8, CD40L was detected between the two groups. The stage of endometriosis did not affect CD40, ADAM 8, CD40L serum concentrations. A difficulty in our study is the lack of data with which to compare our results. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the role of these inflammatory markers in endometriosis.

Screening of Mediterranean Rosaceae plants for their molluscicidal and piscicidal activities.

Extracts of increasing polarity of 13 plants belonging to Mediterranean Rosaceae were tested for possible lethal toxicity against Biomphalaria glabrata Say, a snail intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon. Due to the search for compounds without toxicity in nontarget organisms, principally fish and humans, the piscicidal toxicity of the active extracts was also evaluated.

In vitro genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of five new chemical compounds of plant origin by means of the human lymphocyte micronucleus assay.

The micronucleus test in human peripheral lymphocytes is widely used in toxicology for the assessment of the genotoxic profile of chemical compounds of environmental concern. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic, cytotoxic and antimitotic activity of five new compounds isolated from Prunus africana Hook or from Bupleurum fruticosum L. The experiments were conducted only in vitro. Results showed that none of the plant extracts, tested over a wide range of concentrations, increased the frequency of micronuclei. Only compounds 2 and 5 were found to be toxic for phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocytes at the maximum dose used. reserved.

Chemical constituents of Aristolochia rigida and mutagenic activity of aristolochic acid IV.

Two aristolochic acids [2 and 3] and a flavonol glycoside 1 have been isolated from Aristolochia rigida (Aristolochiaceae). Aristolochic acid IV [2], the most abundant constituent, has shown a weak direct mutagenic activity in the Ames test: this action seems to be inhibited, at least in part, by metabolic reactions.