Analgesic-antiinflammatory properties of Proustia pyrifolia.

The antiinflammatory (per os and topic) and analgesic (per os) properties of the aerial part of Proustia pyrifolia a species in danger of extinction were investigated, and the major compounds of two of its active extracts were isolated. In addition, the evaluation of cytotoxicity in three tumoral cell lines and the acute toxicity of the crude methanol extract were also assayed, together with the antioxidant activity for the different extracts of this species. The results of the evaluation of the topic antiinflammatory activities induced by arachidonic acid, and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate of the different extracts showed that this species possesses active constituents that could diminish cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenases activities, the enzymes that allow the synthesis of proinflammatory endogenous substances as prostaglandin E(2) and leukotrienes, respectively. Our results corroborate the antiinflammatory and analgesic effects of Proustia pyrifolia, and could justify its use in folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatic and gout illnesses. From bio-active extracts beta-sitosterol, quercetin and dihydroquercetin were obtained, and these compounds could explain in part the antiinflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant activities of this species. The crude methanol extract did not present acute toxicity or cytotoxic activity, however only this extract exhibited antioxidant activity.

Serum antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi antigens in Atacameños patients from highland of northern Chile.

In the present work we have investigated the serum antibody spectrum to parasite antigens involved in human T. cruzi infection. Analysis was performed by conventional serology (IHA, IFAT and ELISA), complement-mediated lysis, anti-gal antibody assay and reactivity against recombinant and synthetic peptides and metacyclic antigens by immunowestern-blotting. All the sera showed a significant reactivity in IHA, IFAT and ELISA. We found that 84.2% of the sera showed lytic activity and thirty serum samples (78.9%) which showed a lytic activity higher than 50%, also showed anti-gal antibodies at serum dilutions higher than 1:1,600. Ninety-four percent of sera reacted with one or more of the recombinant DNA clones and 97.3% reacted with one or more of the synthetic peptides. A pool of serum samples with a lytic activity higher than 75% were able to produce 60% to 78% inhibition of cell invasion. Thirty-six of the serum samples (94.7%) were able to react by immunowestern blotting with a T. cruzi metacyclic antigen with molecular size of 70 kDa. The results obtained give preliminary information about the humoral immune response and the possible role of antibodies in protection against T. cruzi infection of chronic patients from the highlands of Chile.