No abstract

Erythraea centaurium is a plant which is used in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions in popular medicine. The aqueous extract of the plant has been examined for its antiinflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic effects in several animal models. The extract exhibited antiinflammatory and antipyretic activity although no analgesic activity was observed.

The effects of cinnamon bark and olive leaf have been investigated on streptozotocin-induced tissue injury, and some biochemical and haematological changes in rats. The effects on glycaemia were also evaluated. Long-term administration of olive leaf caused significant improvement in tissue injury induced by streptozotocin treatment; the effect of cinnamon bark was less extent. No effects on blood glucose levels were detected. However, significant decreases in some increased biochemical and haematological parameters of streptozotocin-treated rats were observed. Aspartate aminotransferase, urea and cholesterol levels were significantly decreased by treatment with both plant materials, and alanine aminotransferase by treatment with olive leaf. Cinnamon bark also caused a significant decrease in platelet counts. In addition, any visible toxicity, except decrease in body weight gain, attributable to the long-term use of plant materials was not established in normal rats. The data indicate that long-term use of olive leaf and cinnamon bark may provide benefit against diabetic conditions. Determination of underlying mechanism(s) of beneficial effects, toxicity to other systems and clinical assessments of related plant materials are major topics requiring further studies.

Celecoxib is increasingly being used in children with rheumatologic complaints. Although the particular concerns about the safety of the drug, there are only a small number of published studies in children. This study was performed to investigate the effects of celecoxib on oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities as well as celecoxib-induced changes in liver, kidneys and stomach of young rats. Four weeks-old Wistar albino, female rats were used. Celecoxib was given by gavage for 14 days. Control rats received only vehicle. Blood and organs were taken under pentobarbital anesthesia. Plasma malondialdehyde levels were increased by treatment. Catalase activity was increased, while glutathione peroxidase activity was decreased. Superoxide dismutase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities was not changed by treatment. The reduced glutathione content of kidneys were higher, while there was no significant difference in liver content, as compared with controls. Significant changes were observed in serum parameters of rats treated with celecoxib. Histopathological evaluation of organs was done by an experienced pathologist unaware of the treatment. Results of the present study indicated the alterations of oxidant/antioxidant status and histopathological changes in tissues of young rats treated with celecoxib.

Cyclic GMP-elevating agents, including atrial natriuretic hormone and NO-generating vasodilators, decrease cytosolic free Ca2+ levels in mesangial cells. We have investigated the role of cell density as a modulator of the decrease in cytosolic free Ca2+ induced by the cyclic GMP (cGMP)-elevating vasodilators atrial natriuretic peptide (99-126) [ANP (99-126); 'atriopeptin 28'] and the NO-generating vasodilator S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP), in cultured rat mesangial cells. Increasing cell density was significantly correlated with the decrease in cytosolic free Ca2+ induced by ANP (99-126) or SNAP. Moreover, this effect was independent of the cells' proliferative status. ANP (99-126) and SNAP induced greater fold stimulation of cGMP accumulation in high-density cells, but the levels of cGMP elicited by high concentrations of ANP (99-126) or SNAP were similar in high- and low-density cells. 8-Bromo cGMP was more effective in decreasing cytosolic free Ca2+ in high- than in low-density cells, suggesting that the greater effectiveness of ANP (99-126) and SNAP was, in part, due to greater effectiveness of endogenous cGMP in high-density cells. The results document that cell density, but not proliferative status, plays an important role in the modulation of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics in rat mesangial cells by atriopeptins, NO-generating vasodilators and cGMP.