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Context Myrtle, Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae), is a medicinal plant well known for its richness in phenolic compounds and its beneficial effects for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Objective In the present work, the protective effect of the myrtle berry seed aqueous extract (MBSAE) against esophageal reflux (ER)-induced damage in esophagus mucosa as well as the mechanisms implicated was determined. Materials and methods In this respect, adult male Wistar rats were used and divided into seven groups: Control, ER, ER + various doses of MBSAE, ER + famotidine or ER + gallic acid. The ER was induced and animals were per orally (p.o.) treated with MBSAE or reference molecules during 6 h. The phytochemical screening was determined using colourimetric analysis. Results MBSAE is rich in total polyphenols and anthocyanins and exhibited an important in vitro antioxidant activity. In vivo, we firstly found that ER led to marked macroscopic and histopathological changes in esophagus. The results showed, also, that the ER was accompanied by a state of oxidative stress as assessed by an increase of lipid peroxidation, a decrease of the sulphhydryl groups and glutathione levels, as well as antioxidant enzyme activities depletion. MBSAE abrogated all morphological, histopathological and biochemical alterations. We showed also that ER increased esophageal calcium, hydrogen peroxide (HO) and free iron levels while MBSAE treatment protected against intracellular mediators deregulation. Conclusion Our data suggest that MBSAE exerted a potential protective effect against ER-induced damage in rat esophagus, at least in part, due to its antioxidant properties.

International audienceWe aimed in the present study to investigate the protective effect of a myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) berry seed aqueous extract (MBSAE) on acetic acid (AA)-induced colitis in rats as well as the mechanism implicated in this coli-protection. The use of the LC/MS technique allowed us to identify 18 phenolic compounds in the MBSAE. Secondly, we found that the MBSAE inhibited the luminol-amplified chemiluminescence of resting neutrophils and N-formyl-methionylleucyl-phenylalanine (fMLF) or phorbolmyristate acetate (PMA) stimulated neutrophils in a dose-dependent manner. The MBSAE had no effect on superoxide anions, but it inhibited H2O2 production in the cell free system stimulated with horseradish peroxidase (HRPO) and MPO release from the neutrophils. In vivo, the pre-treatment of rats with sulfasalazine (100 mg kg(-1)) and the MBSAE (25, 50, and 100 mg kg(-1)) significantly reduced AA-induced colonic mucosa lesions as well as histopathological changes. The MBSAE counteracted AA-induced lipid peroxidation and the depletion of the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). We also found that the myrtle extract inhibited the increase of the plasma scavenging activity (PSA) and preserved the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as sulfhydryl groups (-SH) and reduced glutathione (GSH). More importantly, acetic acid administration increased colonic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), free iron and calcium levels, while the MBSAE pre-treatment reversed all intracellular mediator perturbations. In conclusion, our data suggests that the MBSAE exerted a potential protective effect against AA-induced injury and oxidative stress in the rat colon. This coli-protection might be related in part to its antioxidant and ROS scavenging activities or by negatively regulating Fenton reaction components such as H2O2 and free iron, which are known to lead to cytotoxicity mediated by intracellular calcium deregulation

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Bladder cancer is the second most common malignancy of the urogenital region. The majority of bladder cancer deaths occur as a consequence of metastatic disease. Microvessel density (MVD), a surrogate marker for angiogenesis, has been shown to be predictive of progression and poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value and prognostic significance of angiogenesis in human non muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) treated by BCG immunotherapy. The frozen sections of 28 non muscle invasive bladder cancer specimens were stained with CD34 antibody to label the vascular endothelium using the standard streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method. Angiogenic activity was measured using microvessel count determined by the expression of vascular markers CD34.The prognostic significance of tumor stage, grade, loci number, tumor size, age and CD34 expression in determining the risk for recurrence was studied with both univariate and multivariate methods of analysis. According to univariate analysis of the prognostic significance for tumor stage, grade, tumor size, loci number, age and CD34 expression, in patients with NMIBC, the pT1 stage and high grade seem to be associated in a statistically significant manner with higher risk for recurrence (P=0.004, P=0.004, respectively). In the other hand, multivariate Cox regression's analysis showed that microvessel density and multiplicity were independent predictor of recurrence after BCG immunotherapy (p=0.016, p=0.032, respectively). This study provides strong evidence that CD34 MVD is associated with recurrence after BCG immunotherapy. Independent studies, however, will be required on larger cohort to validate these findings.