Influence of the -308 TNF-alpha and -174 IL-6 polymorphisms on lipid profile in Mexican subjects.

Polymorphisms in the promoter region of several cytokine genes have been associated with differential cytokine production. Several reports indicate that polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) genes are associated with lipid abnormalities. The aim of this study was to identify the genotype frequencies for -308G/ATNF-alpha and -174G/CIL-6 polymorphisms in Mexican subjects and to determine the influence of both polymorphisms on serum lipid levels. Serum lipid concentrations were measured in 100 healthy Mexican subjects. Screening of the -308G/ATNF-alpha and -174G/CIL-6 polymorphisms was performed in all participants using PCR-RFLPs. Genotype frequency for TNF-alpha polymorphism was: 87% GG and 13% GA, whereas IL-6 polymorphism was: 77% GG and 23% GC. The polymorphism frequencies obtained in this study were significantly different to Caucasian populations. High serum levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol were associated with GG genotype of the -308 TNF-alpha polymorphism, as well as low HDL-c levels, but no association was found between the -174 IL-6 polymorphism and serum lipid concentrations. We observed a significant association of the -308 TNF-alpha polymorphism with lipid profile in Mexican subjects. Furthermore, the genotype distribution of -308 TNF-alpha and -174 IL-6 polymorphisms in Mexican Mestizo population similar to populations in different continents may be due to our genetic background influenced by the mixture of Spaniards, Indian and black genes.

Polymorphism of the beta3-adrenergic receptor and lipid profile in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus treated with chloroquine.

We investigated the effect of beta 3-adrenergic receptor (beta(3)AR) polymorphism on lipid profiles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated with chloroquine. One hundred sixty-eight subjects were classified into three groups: 61 RA patients, 57 SLE patients, and 50 healthy subjects. All patients fulfilled the 1987 and 1982 classification criteria for RA and SLE, respectively, of the American College of Rheumatology. Demographic data and clinical characteristics of the patients were registered. Fasting lipid profile determination and leukocyte genomic DNA isolation from peripheral blood was performed in all the participants. Screening of the beta(3)-AR gene polymorphic region (exon 1) was done by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. Quantitative and qualitative variables were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the LSD and chi(2) tests, respectively. An association between the arg64/arg64 beta(3)-AR genotype and high levels of triglycerides (TG) and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c) was found in three RA patients ( P=0.01), two of them taking chloroquine. Arg64/arg64 beta(3)-AR polymorphism may contribute to increased TG and VLDL-c in RA patients, independently of chloroquine treatment.

Anticonvulsant effects of Magnolia grandiflora L. in the rat.

The ethyl ether (EE) and hydroalcoholic extract (HE) of Magnolia grandiflora L. (Magnoliaceae) seeds, a popular plant utilized in the Mexican traditional medicine because of its antispasmodic as well as other reported pharmacological effects, were studied in adult male Wistar rats. EE and HE orally administered in a single dose of 250 mg/kg (calculated on lipidic base) and 200 mg/kg, exhibited abolition of the extensor reflex of maximal electric induced-seizure test in 50 and 40% of the experimental animals, respectively. They significantly prolonged the sleeping time induced by pentobarbital and only the ethanol extract induced hypothermia. No neurological deficit was exhibited by either extract according to the gait, stance and righting test. Although ulterior toxicological and pharmacological insight is necessary, these results suggest that the chemical constituents of this plant could have utility in the control of epileptic patients presenting convulsive seizures.