Anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, thrombolytic and cytotoxic activities of an ornamental medicinal plant: Persicaria orientalis

Background:, an ornamental medicinal plant, has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. Although the plant is reported to have some important pharmacological effects, many medicinal values remain unidentified. Our objective was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, thrombolytic, and cytotoxic properties of the methanol extract ofMethods:Anti-inflammatory activity was measured by the inhibition of hypotonicity-induced human red blood cell hemolysis and albumin denaturation technique in vitro of Po-MeOH. Diarrheal episodes were examined in mice with castor oil-induced diarrhea. The clot lysis and brine shrimp lethality bioassay in vitro were used to evaluate the thrombolytic and cytotoxic activities of the plant extract, respectively.Results:Using in vitro anti-inflammatory models, the results demonstrated that Po-MeOH at the five different dose ranges from 31.25 to 500 μg/mL significantly (p<0.05) protected (0.98%–50.71%) the erythrocyte membrane against lysis induced by hypotonic medium solution and protein denaturation (38.27%–79.22%) of bovine albumin, respectively. The extract exhibited a significant reduction of severity (75.17%) of castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice at the highest dose of 400 mg/kg compared to loperamide (82.06%) at 5 mg/kg. Po-MeOH also showed 33.14% clot lytic activity in the thrombolytic test and cytotoxicity with LCConclusions:These findings suggest that Po-MeOH has significant anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal effects along with moderate thrombolytic and lower cytotoxic properties that may warrant the further exploration.

In vitro oocyte maturation in a medium containing reduced sodium chloride improves the developmental competence of pig oocytes after parthenogenesis and somatic cell nuclear transfer

The present study investigated the effects of IVM in hypotonic medium containing reduced (61.6 mM) NaCl compared with isotonic medium containing 108.0 mM NaCl (designated L and N respectively) on oocyte maturation and embryonic development in pigs. IVM culture was divided into four periods at 11-h intervals. Oocytes cultured in N for 33 h and then in L for 11 h of IVM (N-N-N-L) showed significantly improved (P < 0.05) nuclear maturation of oocytes (75.4–79.0% vs 60.2–85.8%) and blastocyst formation (61.5–66.1% vs 45.2–67.5%) after parthenogenesis (PA) compared with other treatments (L-L-L-L, L-L-L-N, L-L-N-L, N-N-L-L, N-N-L-N, L-L-N-L, L-N-N-L and N-L-N-L). Oocytes matured in L-L-L-L and N-N-N-L had an increased (P < 0.05) perivitelline space (11.0–12.5 vs 5.5 µm) and intraoocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) content (1.39–1.41 vs 1.00 pixels per oocyte) relative to oocytes matured in N-N-N-N. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos derived from the N-N-N-L treatment had significantly (P < 0.05) higher blastocyst formation (53.5%) than embryos derived from Medium-199 (37.4%) and N-N-N-N (41.8%) treatments. Overall, the results demonstrate that maturation of pig oocytes in hypotonic medium with reduced NaCl during the last 11 h of IVM increases the developmental competence of oocytes after PA and SCNT by improving the cytoplasmic microenvironment, including an increased GSH content in IVM oocytes.

Jobelyn® exhibited anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and membrane-stabilizing activities in experimental models

JobelynAcute inflammation was induced with intraplanter injection of carrageenan and increase in rat paw volume was measured using plethysmometer. The volume of fluid exudates, number of leukocytes, concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) in the fluid were measured on day 5 after induction of chronic inflammation with carrageenan in the granuloma air pouch model. RBC lysis induced by hypotonic medium as determined by release of hemoglobin was measured spectrophotometerically.JB (50–200 mg/kg) given orally produced a significant inhibition of acute inflammation induced by carrageenan in rats. It reduced the volume and number of leukocytes in inflammatory fluid in the granuloma air pouch model of chronic inflammation. It further decreased the levels of MDA in the fluid suggesting antioxidant property. JB elevated the concentrations of GSH in inflammatory exudates indicating free radical scavenging activity. It also significantly inhibited RBC lysis caused by hypotonic medium, suggesting membrane-stabilizing property.JB has in vivo anti-inflammatory activity, which may be related to its antioxidant and membrane-stabilizing properties, supporting its use for the treatment of arthritic disorder.

Effects of n-Octyl-β-D-Glucopyranoside on Human and Rat Erythrocyte Membrane Stability Against Hemolysis

The practical importance for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries of the interactions between biological membranes and surfactant molecules has led to intensive research within this area. The interactions of non-ionic surfactant n-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (OG) with the human and rat erythrocyte membranes were studied. The in vitro hemolytic and antihemolytic activities were determined by employing a method in which both erythrocytes were added to the hypotonic medium containing OG at different concentrations, and the amount of haemoglobin released was determined. noctyl- β-D-glucopyranoside was found to have a biphasic effect on both types of erythrocyte membrane. We also investigated the interactions of OG with the erythrocyte membrane in isotonic medium; the dose-dependent curves show similar behaviour in both human and rat erythrocytes. Our results showed that OG has greater antihemolytic potency on rat than on human erythrocytes; furthermore, rat erythrocytes were more sensitive than human erythrocytes to hypotonic shock. How the different lipoprotein structure of these erythrocytes determines a difference in antihemolytic activity is discussed.

Lipids of the ultra-thin square halophilic archaeonHaloquadratum walsbyi

The lipid composition of the extremely halophilic archaeonHaloquadratum walsbyiwas investigated by thin-layer chromatography and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The analysis of neutral lipids showed the presence of vitamin MK-8, squalene, carotene, bacterioruberin and several retinal isomers. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerophosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerosulfate, phosphatidylglycerol and sulfated diglycosyl diether lipid. Among cardiolipins, the tetra-phytanyl or dimeric phospholipids, only traces of bisphosphatidylglycerol were detected. When the cells were exposed to hypotonic medium, no changes in the membrane lipid composition occurred. Distinguishing it from other extreme halophiles of the Halobacteriaceae family, the osmotic stress did not induce the neo-synthesis of cardiolipins inH. walsbyi. The difference may depend on the three-laminar structure of the cell wall, which differs significantly from that of other Haloarchaea.

Two pathways for ATP release from host cells in enteropathogenicEscherichia coliinfection

We previously reported that enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) infection triggered a large release of ATP from the host cell that was correlated with and dependent on EPEC-induced killing of the host cell. We noted, however, that under some circumstances, EPEC-induced ATP release exceeded that which could be accounted for on the basis of host cell killing. For example, EPEC-induced ATP release was potentiated by noncytotoxic agents that elevate host cell cAMP, such as forskolin and cholera toxin, and by exposure to hypotonic medium. These findings and the performance of the EPEC espF mutant led us to hypothesize that the CFTR plays a role in EPEC-induced ATP release that is independent of cell death. We report the results of experiments using specific, cell-permeable CFTR activators and inhibitors, as well as transfection of the CFTR into non-CFTR-expressing cell lines, which incriminate the CFTR as a second pathway for ATP release from host cells. Increased ATP release via CFTR is not accompanied by an increase in EPEC adherence to transfected cells. The CFTR-dependent ATP release pathway becomes activated endogenously later in EPEC infection, and this activation is mediated, at least in part, by generation of extracellular adenosine from the breakdown of released ATP.

Increase in Tetrahydrobiopterin Release from PC 12 Cells under Hypotonic Culture Conditions is Inhibited by HgCl2

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) was released from PC 12 cells to the extracellular fluid. We found that the BH4 outward flow from the cells placed in Hanks medium was increased when NaCl concentration of the medium was decreased. Increase in the BH4 out flow was not observed when NaCl in the Hanks medium was substituted with sodium glutamate (0.14 M), choline chloride (0.14 M) or sucrosc (0.25 M). HgCl2, an inhibitor of water channel, aquaporin, prevented the increase in BH4 out flow caused by the hypotonic medium. The results suggested the presence of a site in BH4 transport which was stimulated by osmotic pressure and/or water influx.