Background: Although isoflavones are natural dietary antioxidants, they may have toxicological effects. This study aimed to evaluate the redox system in tissues of finishing pigs by supplementation with high dose of ...Background: Although isoflavones are natural dietary antioxidants, they may have toxicological effects. This study aimed to evaluate the redox system in tissues of finishing pigs by supplementation with high dose of daidzein(640 mg/kg).Results: The supplementation of high dose of daidzein for 64 d increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity in longissimus muscle but down-regulated the expression of reactive oxygen species(ROS)-producing enzyme NADPH oxidase-2 and cyclooxygenase-2. In contrast, high-level supplementation with daidzein exerted pro-oxidant changes in back fat, abdominal fat, liver, and plasma, as reflected by increased contents of malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation product, in these tissues. Furthermore, daidzein supplementation resulted in higher expression of ROS-producing enzymes, including NADPH oxidase-1 and cyclooxygenase-1in liver, 5-lipoxygenase(5-LOX) in backfat and NADPH oxidase-2 both in abdominal fat and backfat. The supplementation of daidzein did not affect meat quality parameters in longissimus muscle, including marbling score,eye muscle areas, intramuscular fat, shear force, drip loss, p H and meat color.Conclusions: This experiment suggests that dietary supplementation of finishing pigs with daidzein at a high dose level improves redox status in muscle but exerts pro-oxidant effect in liver and fat tissues.展开更多
Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased morbidity and incident of colon cancer;however its etiology is still unclear. Currently, one of the most probable pathogenesis patterns is incr...Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased morbidity and incident of colon cancer;however its etiology is still unclear. Currently, one of the most probable pathogenesis patterns is increased permeability of bowel membrane and it seems that oxidative stress plays an important role in this pathway. This study was done to assess the pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) in these patients. Materials: This was a cross sectional study of 2 groups including 50 patients with diagnosed IBD and 50 healthy controls. Patients were selected purposively from those referring to adult gastroenterology clinic in 2013. SPSS (ver11.5) has been. A P value < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: Mean PAB in patients and controls group was 119.98 ± 38.98 HK unite and 52.67 ± 22.80 HK unite, respectively, (P value < 0.001). PAB mean in ulcerative colitis patients was 120.60 ± 33.90 HK unite and in CD patients was 118.20 ± 45.99 HK unite, and showed no significant difference (P value = 0.85). PAB and MDA could detect healthy subjects from IBD patients with sensitivity more that 90% and specificity more than 84%. Conclusion: PAB shifted to pro-oxidants in IBD patients;moreover this shift was unrelated to disease type. These tests could use as screening test.展开更多
Toxicity is the totality of adverse effects, which can be functional and morphological lesions in a living organism, caused by a substance introduced in relatively high single doses or in small, repeated doses. The ai...Toxicity is the totality of adverse effects, which can be functional and morphological lesions in a living organism, caused by a substance introduced in relatively high single doses or in small, repeated doses. The aim of this study was to assess the OECD-recommended acute oral toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaves. Animals were given a single oral dose of 1000, 3000 and 5000 mg/Kg body weight (BW) of the extract. For the anti-inflammatory activity test, rats were given the ethanolic extract of F. umbellata leaves at doses of 100, 300 and 500 mg/Kg or aspirin® at a concentration of 100 mg/Kg PC orally, one hour before injection of 0.05 ml of 1% formalin under the plantar fascia of the rat’s right hind paw. Paw volume measurements were taken one, two and three hours after formalin injection, using an electronic caliper. After 14 days of observation, no deaths were observed in treated rats. The LD50 of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaf powder is greater than 5000 mg/Kg body weight. This extract has no significant effects on hematological parameters and on the main markers of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity for a single dose of less than 5000 mg/Kg PC. It reduces formalin-induced edema. Evaluation of the percentage inhibition showed that the extract had greater anti-inflammatory activity at 3 hours after the start of the experiment. However, better inhibition of inflammatory oedema of the paw of rats treated with 500 mg/Kg was observed at 5 hours after the start of the experiment, with a percentage inhibition of 69.23 ± 1.02, compared with the reference group treated with aspirin® 100 mg/Kg, which showed an inhibition of 63.50 ± 0.98. These results show that F. umbellata leaves possess anti-inflammatory activity, which would justify their use in traditional African medicine to prevent or treat inflammation.展开更多
P. A. M. Dirac conceived antimatter in 1928 as having negative energy by allowing a consistent representation of matter-antimatter annihilation into light. To achieve compatibility with special relativity, particle ph...P. A. M. Dirac conceived antimatter in 1928 as having negative energy by allowing a consistent representation of matter-antimatter annihilation into light. To achieve compatibility with special relativity, particle physics of the early 20th century made the theoretical assumption that antiparticles have positive energy, an assumption that remains in effect as of today. In this note we prove apparently for the first time a theorem stating that positive mass antiparticles violate Dirac’s particle-antiparticle annihilation into light. We then show the consequential unsettled character of the recent gravity test of the anti-Hydrogen atom due to the positive mass of its nucleus. We conclude by suggesting that a final scientific claim on matter-antimatter gravity requires tests on particles with clear antimatter character, such as the 1994 resolutory proposal for the comparative test of the gravity of very low energy electron and positron in horizontal flight on a supercooled vacuum tube.展开更多
Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a...Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a promising alternative to synthetic compounds whose use remains a health, environmental, and economic challenge. However, many are still unknown and unvalued, while others are becoming ignored and threatened. The main objective of this ethnobotanical study is to identify and characterize indigenous and locally grown plants against blood-sucking and disease-vector insects. Salient opportunities and challenges of using these plants are documented and discussed. Semi-structured interviews, using a prepared questionnaire, were conducted with 228 informants. The consensus index (CI) was calculated to analyze the reliability of the collected information. The identified 31 anti-insect plant species belong to 20 botanical families, four morphological categories, and six habitat types. They can be categorized as insecticidal plants (42% of the total), insect repellent (42% of the total), and both insecticidal and insect repellent (16% of the total). More than 54% of these are still abundant in the study area, while about 35.5% have become rare and difficultly accessible. Based on the numerical importance of related anti-insect plant species, the seven targeted blood-sucking insects range in the following decreasing order: Jiggers (16 species) > Fire Ants (9 species) > Flies (8 plants) > Mosquitoes (4 species) > Fleas (2 species) > Bedbugs (1 species) > lice (0 species). The three most commonly used plants, with the highest confirmation indices, are Tetradenia riparia (ICs = 0.712), Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (ICs = 0.302), and Solanum aculeastrum (ICs = 0.288). The antimicrobial role of many locally grown anti-insect plants and the multiple other associated valorization possibilities are ignored by most informants. Domesticating, propagating, protecting, and promoting the sustainable use of these plants would be an appropriate route for their conservation and continued availability.展开更多
Background: The increasing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) both on prescription and over the counter raises a major global health concern because of the risks associated with their use if no prop...Background: The increasing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) both on prescription and over the counter raises a major global health concern because of the risks associated with their use if no proper guidance is given by the health care provider. This study assessed the roles of community pharmacists in screening and disseminating information about the risks associated with NSAID use in Zambia. Methodology: This was a national cross-sectional study in which a structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to 245 registered community pharmacists in Zambia. Stata/BE, version 15.1 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, USA) and multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs. Results: 231 of the 245 distributed questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 94.3%. All (100%) participating community pharmacists claimed to have practiced dispensing NSAIDs. However, only 26 (11.0%) and 71 (30.8%) regularly screened for risk factor of selective COX-2 NSAIDS (SC2-NSAIDS) and non-selective NSAIDS (NS-NSAIDs) respectively. Information dissemination on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of SC2-NSAIDS was regularly provided by only 22 (9.5%) of pharmacists while that of NS-NSAIDs was regularly provided by 49 (21.2%). In the multivariate logistic regression model, being the owner of a pharmacy (AOR: 5.4, CI: 1.84 - 16.4) was significantly associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs while an hour increase in the working hours per day (AOR: 0.9, CI: 0.64 - 0.95) was associated with less likelihood of information dissemination. Conclusion: Pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Zambia did not regularly screen and disseminate information about the risks associated with NSAID use. Therefore, pharmacists should be able to screen and monitor patients at risk and be aware of the majority of risk factors while dispensing NSAIDs to minimize the associated complications.展开更多
According to the World Health Organization, diabetes affects approximately 347 million people worldwide. Its management is not within the reach of all social classes, therefore medicinal plants are still the first res...According to the World Health Organization, diabetes affects approximately 347 million people worldwide. Its management is not within the reach of all social classes, therefore medicinal plants are still the first resort for many populations in Africa. The biological material used in this study was the trunk bark of Guibourtia tessmannii. 50 g of trunk bark powder were decocted in 500 ml of distilled water for 5 minutes were carried out. The method used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) was an organometallic bio-reduction of silver nitrate salts mediated by various secondary metabolites contained in the plant extract. The study of the toxicity acute was conducted according to guideline 423 of the OECD protocol. The pharmacological activities were each carried out with 28 female rats divided into 7 groups of four rats. It was a question for the hypoglycemic activity of administering various doses of silver nanoparticles and other substances to the rats thirty minutes after the carbohydrate intake and for the anti-hyperglycemic activity of administering the same substances to the rats thirty minutes before the carbohydrate intake. The extraction yield was 8.76%. Only the alkaloid test was negative. After acute toxicity study, the LD50 was greater than 2000 mg/kg. Blood sugar tests revealed that glibenclamide 5 mg/kg, which is the reference molecule, lowered blood sugar more than the other treatments applied in the other batches. It was followed by treatment with silver nanoparticles at a dose of 400 μg/kg in both tests. It was therefore concluded that silver nanoparticles from G. tessmannii are good for the formulation of improved traditional medicines and bring up their afficacity .展开更多
Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. The diagnosis is most often based on the prostate biopsies’ analysis and on histological criteria recognizable on standard coloring. In some case...Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. The diagnosis is most often based on the prostate biopsies’ analysis and on histological criteria recognizable on standard coloring. In some cases, the use of immunohistochemistry is important. Objectives: This paper aims to specify the p63 phenotypic profile of lesions diagnosed benign, with minimal suspect foci, difficult to interpret, HGPIN (high grade intraepithelial neoplasia) and LGPIN (low-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) and evaluate the manual technique of p63 immunohistochemistry. Patients and Method: This was a retrospective, descriptive study of prostate biopsies recorded in the PAC service of the HALD from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018. It was completed by a manual immunohistochemical study of the blocks enrolled from November 19th to December 4th, 2020 in the PAC department of the HPD. The studied parameters were: registry number, age, clinical stage, prostate volume, PSA level, microscopic appearance and p63 immunohistochemical profile. Results: Our study included 60 prostate biopsies. The ages of our patients varied from 45 to 77 years, with an average of 64.2 years and a standard deviation of 6.2. The majority of patients were at clinical stage cT2b (33%) with a prostate volume varying between 33.15 and 169.4 cc. The minimum value of PSA in our series is 5 ng/ml, the maximum being 100 ng/ml with an average level of 24.1 ng/ml and a standard deviation of 21.2. Our series included 50 adenomyomatous hyperplasias, 7 adenomyomatous hyperplasias associated with chronic prostatitis, 2 HGPIN and 1 LGPIN. After re-reading we found 5 discordant cases, which corresponded to minimal suspect foci (kappa = 0.5098). The p63 marking was informative in 53 cases, i.e. 88%, and non-informative in 7 cases, i.e. 12%. Among the uninformative markings, 2 were due to lack of tissue adhesion to the slides. Among the informative markings, 11 were negative. p63 immunohistochemistry was useful in all suspected foci and detected 6 other minimal foci of adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: The immunostaining with the anti-p63 antibody in the prostate cancer diagnosis is of considerable benefit. It made it possible to correct 11.3% of benign diagnosis in minimal malignant focus in our context. Despite the difficulties associated with the manual technique, it is possible to have an informative rate, similar to the automatic technique.展开更多
The present study aims to establish a relationship between serum AMH levels and age in a large group of women living in Bulgaria, as well as to establish reference age-specific AMH levels in women that would serve as ...The present study aims to establish a relationship between serum AMH levels and age in a large group of women living in Bulgaria, as well as to establish reference age-specific AMH levels in women that would serve as an initial estimate of ovarian age. A total of 28,016 women on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria were tested for serum AMH levels with a median age of 37.0 years (interquartile range 32.0 to 41.0). For women aged 20 - 29 years, the Bulgarian population has relatively high median levels of AMH, similar to women of Asian origin. For women aged 30 - 34 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in Western Europe. For women aged 35 - 39 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in the territory of India and Kenya. For women aged 40 - 44 years, our results were lower than those for women from the Western European and Chinese populations, close to the Indian and higher than Korean and Kenya populations, respectively. Our results for women of Bulgarian origin are also comparable to US Latina women at age 30, 35 and 40 ages. On the base on constructed a statistical model to predicting the decline in AMH levels at different ages, we found non-linear structure of AMH decline for the low AMH 3.5) the dependence of the decline of AMH on age was confirmed as linear. In conclusion, we evaluated the serum level of AMH in Bulgarian women and established age-specific AMH percentile reference values based on a large representative sample. We have developed a prognostic statistical model that can facilitate the application of AMH in clinical practice and the prediction of reproductive capacity and population health.展开更多
The aim of the present work is to assess the value of Detarium Senegalense by determining the content of total phenols, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins, and by evaluating the free radical scavenging activity o...The aim of the present work is to assess the value of Detarium Senegalense by determining the content of total phenols, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins, and by evaluating the free radical scavenging activity of Detarium Senegalense extracts. For this purpose, sequential extraction using solvents of increasing polarity was essential. The various extracts obtained underwent phytochemical and biochemical analyses. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, polyphenols, anthocyanins and steroids/terpenes. Quantitative analysis of total polyphenols, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins yielded the following results: total flavonoids (0.803 ± 0029 mg EQ/100g P for acetone extract of roots and 0.871 ± 0.401 mg EQ/100g P for methanol extract of leaves);total polyphenols (23.298 ± 12.68 mg EAG/100g P for acetone extract of roots and 24.69 ± 0.49 401 mg EAG/100g P for methanol extract of leaves);total monomeric anthocyanins (44.697 ± 0.939 mg EC3G/100g P and 16.699 ± 0.193 mg EC3G/100g P respectively for acetone and methanol extracts of stem bark). DPPH free radical scavenging activity was 1.674 ± 0.023 mg/mL for the acetone extract and 0.934 ± 0.24 mg/mL for the methanol extract of roots. .展开更多
Objective: To explore the pre-treatment and efficacy analysis of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment for lymphedema in patients with irritating contact dermatitis. Method: Convenience sampling method was used to...Objective: To explore the pre-treatment and efficacy analysis of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment for lymphedema in patients with irritating contact dermatitis. Method: Convenience sampling method was used to observe the skin of 160 patients with upper limb lymphedema admitted to the lymphedema outpatient department of our hospital. They were divided into an observation group (80 cases) and a control group (80 cases), and both groups received a course of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment (20 treatments). The control group received routine skin care;On the basis of the control group, the observation group received pre-treatment of the affected limb skin: Laofuzi herbal ointment was applied externally to the prone areas of irritating contact dermatitis (such as the upper arm, inner forearm, and cubital fossa). Result: The incidence of irritating contact dermatitis in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P 0.05). Patients in the observation group felt significantly better in terms of comfort, skin moisture, and itching relief after being wrapped with low elasticity bandages than those in the control group (P Conclusion: Preventive treatment can effectively reduce the incidence of irritating contact dermatitis, prolong the time of stress treatment, thereby increasing efficacy and improving patient compliance.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the effects of syringic acid on HEK 293 and HepG2 cells in the absence and presence of exogenous Cu(Ⅱ)and Fe(Ⅱ)ions.Methods:The antiproliferative effects of syringic acid on HEK 293 and HepG...Objective:To investigate the effects of syringic acid on HEK 293 and HepG2 cells in the absence and presence of exogenous Cu(Ⅱ)and Fe(Ⅱ)ions.Methods:The antiproliferative effects of syringic acid on HEK 293 and HepG2 cells in the absence and presence of exogenous Cu(Ⅱ)and Fe(Ⅱ)ions were examined by MTT assay.Additionally,colony-forming,reactive oxidative species(ROS)generation,apoptosis induction,autophagy,mitochondrial membrane potential,and mitochondrial mass were investigated.Results:At 24 and 72 h,no significant differences were observed in the viability of HepG2 cells between the control and syringic acid+Fe(Ⅱ)groups.However,exposure of HepG2 cells to syringic acid+Cu(Ⅱ)for 72 h reduced the cell viability significantly.Furthermore,ROS formation,induction of apoptosis,and autophagic vacuoles were significantly increased in HepG2 cells without marked changes in mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial mass.Moreover,syringic acid+Cu(Ⅱ)reduced the plating efficiency and surviving fraction significantly.Conclusions:The combination of syringic acid with Cu(Ⅱ)was toxic to cancer cells and showed pro-oxidant activity.In addition,this combination induced autophagy in cancer cells with less cytotoxic effects on normal cells,which is a potential candidate for the development of novel therapeutics towards cancer.展开更多
Objective:To screen the anti-inflammatory monomeric compounds isolated from Berchemia lineata(L.)DC and explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of some compounds based on NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods:LPS was used ...Objective:To screen the anti-inflammatory monomeric compounds isolated from Berchemia lineata(L.)DC and explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of some compounds based on NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods:LPS was used to induce RAW264.7 to establish a model of cellular inflammatory reaction.CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of monomer compounds on the activity of RAW264.7 cells.The release of nitric oxide(NO)in the superneant was measured by Griess method,and NO inhibition rate was calculated.The anti-inflammatory activity gradient of some monomeric compounds was also measured.The effects of monomer compound 21 on the secretion of IL-6,TNF-α,NF-κB,COX-2 and iNOS induced by LPS were detected by ELISA.Results:The concentration of monomer compound of Berchemia lineata(L.)DC.was 50μmol/L,and it was administered for 24 h.The results showed that anthraquinone compound No.19 had obvious drug toxicity,while other compounds had weak or no obvious drug toxicity.The concentration was 50μmol/L,and the drug was administered for 12 h.The results showed that all the monomer compounds could inhibit the release of NO to varying degrees,and the highest NO inhibition rate was over 90%,which showed obvious anti-inflammatory activity.NO inhibition rate of No.01 new skeleton compound can reach 70.81%.The results of anti-inflammatory activity gradient showed that the monomer compound of Berchemia lineata(L.)DC.could inhibit the release of NO in a dose-dependent manner.The results of ELISA showed that phenolic compound 21 could inhibit the secretion of IL-6,TNF-α,NF-κB,COX-2 and iNOS in RAW264.7 cells.Conclusion:The monomer compound of Berchemia lineata(L.)DC.has a certain anti-inflammatory activity,among which flavonoids and bibenzyl components isolated from this plant for the first time may be the material basis for its anti-inflammatory activity.The simple phenolic monomer compound 21 may play an anti-inflammatory role by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway.展开更多
基金supported by the“National Natural Science Foundation of China”(Grant No.31072041)“National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)”(Grant No.2012CB124706-4,2012CB124706-5)+1 种基金Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province(Grant No.2013A061401020)Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou(Grant NO.2014Y2-00121)
文摘Background: Although isoflavones are natural dietary antioxidants, they may have toxicological effects. This study aimed to evaluate the redox system in tissues of finishing pigs by supplementation with high dose of daidzein(640 mg/kg).Results: The supplementation of high dose of daidzein for 64 d increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capacity in longissimus muscle but down-regulated the expression of reactive oxygen species(ROS)-producing enzyme NADPH oxidase-2 and cyclooxygenase-2. In contrast, high-level supplementation with daidzein exerted pro-oxidant changes in back fat, abdominal fat, liver, and plasma, as reflected by increased contents of malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation product, in these tissues. Furthermore, daidzein supplementation resulted in higher expression of ROS-producing enzymes, including NADPH oxidase-1 and cyclooxygenase-1in liver, 5-lipoxygenase(5-LOX) in backfat and NADPH oxidase-2 both in abdominal fat and backfat. The supplementation of daidzein did not affect meat quality parameters in longissimus muscle, including marbling score,eye muscle areas, intramuscular fat, shear force, drip loss, p H and meat color.Conclusions: This experiment suggests that dietary supplementation of finishing pigs with daidzein at a high dose level improves redox status in muscle but exerts pro-oxidant effect in liver and fat tissues.
文摘Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased morbidity and incident of colon cancer;however its etiology is still unclear. Currently, one of the most probable pathogenesis patterns is increased permeability of bowel membrane and it seems that oxidative stress plays an important role in this pathway. This study was done to assess the pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) in these patients. Materials: This was a cross sectional study of 2 groups including 50 patients with diagnosed IBD and 50 healthy controls. Patients were selected purposively from those referring to adult gastroenterology clinic in 2013. SPSS (ver11.5) has been. A P value < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: Mean PAB in patients and controls group was 119.98 ± 38.98 HK unite and 52.67 ± 22.80 HK unite, respectively, (P value < 0.001). PAB mean in ulcerative colitis patients was 120.60 ± 33.90 HK unite and in CD patients was 118.20 ± 45.99 HK unite, and showed no significant difference (P value = 0.85). PAB and MDA could detect healthy subjects from IBD patients with sensitivity more that 90% and specificity more than 84%. Conclusion: PAB shifted to pro-oxidants in IBD patients;moreover this shift was unrelated to disease type. These tests could use as screening test.
文摘Toxicity is the totality of adverse effects, which can be functional and morphological lesions in a living organism, caused by a substance introduced in relatively high single doses or in small, repeated doses. The aim of this study was to assess the OECD-recommended acute oral toxicity and anti-inflammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaves. Animals were given a single oral dose of 1000, 3000 and 5000 mg/Kg body weight (BW) of the extract. For the anti-inflammatory activity test, rats were given the ethanolic extract of F. umbellata leaves at doses of 100, 300 and 500 mg/Kg or aspirin® at a concentration of 100 mg/Kg PC orally, one hour before injection of 0.05 ml of 1% formalin under the plantar fascia of the rat’s right hind paw. Paw volume measurements were taken one, two and three hours after formalin injection, using an electronic caliper. After 14 days of observation, no deaths were observed in treated rats. The LD50 of ethanolic extract of Ficus umbellata leaf powder is greater than 5000 mg/Kg body weight. This extract has no significant effects on hematological parameters and on the main markers of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity for a single dose of less than 5000 mg/Kg PC. It reduces formalin-induced edema. Evaluation of the percentage inhibition showed that the extract had greater anti-inflammatory activity at 3 hours after the start of the experiment. However, better inhibition of inflammatory oedema of the paw of rats treated with 500 mg/Kg was observed at 5 hours after the start of the experiment, with a percentage inhibition of 69.23 ± 1.02, compared with the reference group treated with aspirin® 100 mg/Kg, which showed an inhibition of 63.50 ± 0.98. These results show that F. umbellata leaves possess anti-inflammatory activity, which would justify their use in traditional African medicine to prevent or treat inflammation.
文摘P. A. M. Dirac conceived antimatter in 1928 as having negative energy by allowing a consistent representation of matter-antimatter annihilation into light. To achieve compatibility with special relativity, particle physics of the early 20th century made the theoretical assumption that antiparticles have positive energy, an assumption that remains in effect as of today. In this note we prove apparently for the first time a theorem stating that positive mass antiparticles violate Dirac’s particle-antiparticle annihilation into light. We then show the consequential unsettled character of the recent gravity test of the anti-Hydrogen atom due to the positive mass of its nucleus. We conclude by suggesting that a final scientific claim on matter-antimatter gravity requires tests on particles with clear antimatter character, such as the 1994 resolutory proposal for the comparative test of the gravity of very low energy electron and positron in horizontal flight on a supercooled vacuum tube.
文摘Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a promising alternative to synthetic compounds whose use remains a health, environmental, and economic challenge. However, many are still unknown and unvalued, while others are becoming ignored and threatened. The main objective of this ethnobotanical study is to identify and characterize indigenous and locally grown plants against blood-sucking and disease-vector insects. Salient opportunities and challenges of using these plants are documented and discussed. Semi-structured interviews, using a prepared questionnaire, were conducted with 228 informants. The consensus index (CI) was calculated to analyze the reliability of the collected information. The identified 31 anti-insect plant species belong to 20 botanical families, four morphological categories, and six habitat types. They can be categorized as insecticidal plants (42% of the total), insect repellent (42% of the total), and both insecticidal and insect repellent (16% of the total). More than 54% of these are still abundant in the study area, while about 35.5% have become rare and difficultly accessible. Based on the numerical importance of related anti-insect plant species, the seven targeted blood-sucking insects range in the following decreasing order: Jiggers (16 species) > Fire Ants (9 species) > Flies (8 plants) > Mosquitoes (4 species) > Fleas (2 species) > Bedbugs (1 species) > lice (0 species). The three most commonly used plants, with the highest confirmation indices, are Tetradenia riparia (ICs = 0.712), Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (ICs = 0.302), and Solanum aculeastrum (ICs = 0.288). The antimicrobial role of many locally grown anti-insect plants and the multiple other associated valorization possibilities are ignored by most informants. Domesticating, propagating, protecting, and promoting the sustainable use of these plants would be an appropriate route for their conservation and continued availability.
文摘Background: The increasing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) both on prescription and over the counter raises a major global health concern because of the risks associated with their use if no proper guidance is given by the health care provider. This study assessed the roles of community pharmacists in screening and disseminating information about the risks associated with NSAID use in Zambia. Methodology: This was a national cross-sectional study in which a structured self-administered questionnaire was administered to 245 registered community pharmacists in Zambia. Stata/BE, version 15.1 (Stata Corporation, College Station, Texas, USA) and multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs. Results: 231 of the 245 distributed questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 94.3%. All (100%) participating community pharmacists claimed to have practiced dispensing NSAIDs. However, only 26 (11.0%) and 71 (30.8%) regularly screened for risk factor of selective COX-2 NSAIDS (SC2-NSAIDS) and non-selective NSAIDS (NS-NSAIDs) respectively. Information dissemination on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of SC2-NSAIDS was regularly provided by only 22 (9.5%) of pharmacists while that of NS-NSAIDs was regularly provided by 49 (21.2%). In the multivariate logistic regression model, being the owner of a pharmacy (AOR: 5.4, CI: 1.84 - 16.4) was significantly associated with information dissemination about ADRs of NS-NSAIDs while an hour increase in the working hours per day (AOR: 0.9, CI: 0.64 - 0.95) was associated with less likelihood of information dissemination. Conclusion: Pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Zambia did not regularly screen and disseminate information about the risks associated with NSAID use. Therefore, pharmacists should be able to screen and monitor patients at risk and be aware of the majority of risk factors while dispensing NSAIDs to minimize the associated complications.
文摘According to the World Health Organization, diabetes affects approximately 347 million people worldwide. Its management is not within the reach of all social classes, therefore medicinal plants are still the first resort for many populations in Africa. The biological material used in this study was the trunk bark of Guibourtia tessmannii. 50 g of trunk bark powder were decocted in 500 ml of distilled water for 5 minutes were carried out. The method used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) was an organometallic bio-reduction of silver nitrate salts mediated by various secondary metabolites contained in the plant extract. The study of the toxicity acute was conducted according to guideline 423 of the OECD protocol. The pharmacological activities were each carried out with 28 female rats divided into 7 groups of four rats. It was a question for the hypoglycemic activity of administering various doses of silver nanoparticles and other substances to the rats thirty minutes after the carbohydrate intake and for the anti-hyperglycemic activity of administering the same substances to the rats thirty minutes before the carbohydrate intake. The extraction yield was 8.76%. Only the alkaloid test was negative. After acute toxicity study, the LD50 was greater than 2000 mg/kg. Blood sugar tests revealed that glibenclamide 5 mg/kg, which is the reference molecule, lowered blood sugar more than the other treatments applied in the other batches. It was followed by treatment with silver nanoparticles at a dose of 400 μg/kg in both tests. It was therefore concluded that silver nanoparticles from G. tessmannii are good for the formulation of improved traditional medicines and bring up their afficacity .
文摘Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men. The diagnosis is most often based on the prostate biopsies’ analysis and on histological criteria recognizable on standard coloring. In some cases, the use of immunohistochemistry is important. Objectives: This paper aims to specify the p63 phenotypic profile of lesions diagnosed benign, with minimal suspect foci, difficult to interpret, HGPIN (high grade intraepithelial neoplasia) and LGPIN (low-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) and evaluate the manual technique of p63 immunohistochemistry. Patients and Method: This was a retrospective, descriptive study of prostate biopsies recorded in the PAC service of the HALD from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2018. It was completed by a manual immunohistochemical study of the blocks enrolled from November 19th to December 4th, 2020 in the PAC department of the HPD. The studied parameters were: registry number, age, clinical stage, prostate volume, PSA level, microscopic appearance and p63 immunohistochemical profile. Results: Our study included 60 prostate biopsies. The ages of our patients varied from 45 to 77 years, with an average of 64.2 years and a standard deviation of 6.2. The majority of patients were at clinical stage cT2b (33%) with a prostate volume varying between 33.15 and 169.4 cc. The minimum value of PSA in our series is 5 ng/ml, the maximum being 100 ng/ml with an average level of 24.1 ng/ml and a standard deviation of 21.2. Our series included 50 adenomyomatous hyperplasias, 7 adenomyomatous hyperplasias associated with chronic prostatitis, 2 HGPIN and 1 LGPIN. After re-reading we found 5 discordant cases, which corresponded to minimal suspect foci (kappa = 0.5098). The p63 marking was informative in 53 cases, i.e. 88%, and non-informative in 7 cases, i.e. 12%. Among the uninformative markings, 2 were due to lack of tissue adhesion to the slides. Among the informative markings, 11 were negative. p63 immunohistochemistry was useful in all suspected foci and detected 6 other minimal foci of adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: The immunostaining with the anti-p63 antibody in the prostate cancer diagnosis is of considerable benefit. It made it possible to correct 11.3% of benign diagnosis in minimal malignant focus in our context. Despite the difficulties associated with the manual technique, it is possible to have an informative rate, similar to the automatic technique.
文摘The present study aims to establish a relationship between serum AMH levels and age in a large group of women living in Bulgaria, as well as to establish reference age-specific AMH levels in women that would serve as an initial estimate of ovarian age. A total of 28,016 women on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria were tested for serum AMH levels with a median age of 37.0 years (interquartile range 32.0 to 41.0). For women aged 20 - 29 years, the Bulgarian population has relatively high median levels of AMH, similar to women of Asian origin. For women aged 30 - 34 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in Western Europe. For women aged 35 - 39 years, our results are comparable to those of women living in the territory of India and Kenya. For women aged 40 - 44 years, our results were lower than those for women from the Western European and Chinese populations, close to the Indian and higher than Korean and Kenya populations, respectively. Our results for women of Bulgarian origin are also comparable to US Latina women at age 30, 35 and 40 ages. On the base on constructed a statistical model to predicting the decline in AMH levels at different ages, we found non-linear structure of AMH decline for the low AMH 3.5) the dependence of the decline of AMH on age was confirmed as linear. In conclusion, we evaluated the serum level of AMH in Bulgarian women and established age-specific AMH percentile reference values based on a large representative sample. We have developed a prognostic statistical model that can facilitate the application of AMH in clinical practice and the prediction of reproductive capacity and population health.
文摘The aim of the present work is to assess the value of Detarium Senegalense by determining the content of total phenols, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins, and by evaluating the free radical scavenging activity of Detarium Senegalense extracts. For this purpose, sequential extraction using solvents of increasing polarity was essential. The various extracts obtained underwent phytochemical and biochemical analyses. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, polyphenols, anthocyanins and steroids/terpenes. Quantitative analysis of total polyphenols, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins yielded the following results: total flavonoids (0.803 ± 0029 mg EQ/100g P for acetone extract of roots and 0.871 ± 0.401 mg EQ/100g P for methanol extract of leaves);total polyphenols (23.298 ± 12.68 mg EAG/100g P for acetone extract of roots and 24.69 ± 0.49 401 mg EAG/100g P for methanol extract of leaves);total monomeric anthocyanins (44.697 ± 0.939 mg EC3G/100g P and 16.699 ± 0.193 mg EC3G/100g P respectively for acetone and methanol extracts of stem bark). DPPH free radical scavenging activity was 1.674 ± 0.023 mg/mL for the acetone extract and 0.934 ± 0.24 mg/mL for the methanol extract of roots. .
文摘Objective: To explore the pre-treatment and efficacy analysis of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment for lymphedema in patients with irritating contact dermatitis. Method: Convenience sampling method was used to observe the skin of 160 patients with upper limb lymphedema admitted to the lymphedema outpatient department of our hospital. They were divided into an observation group (80 cases) and a control group (80 cases), and both groups received a course of comprehensive anti-inflammatory treatment (20 treatments). The control group received routine skin care;On the basis of the control group, the observation group received pre-treatment of the affected limb skin: Laofuzi herbal ointment was applied externally to the prone areas of irritating contact dermatitis (such as the upper arm, inner forearm, and cubital fossa). Result: The incidence of irritating contact dermatitis in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P 0.05). Patients in the observation group felt significantly better in terms of comfort, skin moisture, and itching relief after being wrapped with low elasticity bandages than those in the control group (P Conclusion: Preventive treatment can effectively reduce the incidence of irritating contact dermatitis, prolong the time of stress treatment, thereby increasing efficacy and improving patient compliance.
基金financially supported by a grant from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Grant No:#:1396-01-70-16631)
文摘Objective:To investigate the effects of syringic acid on HEK 293 and HepG2 cells in the absence and presence of exogenous Cu(Ⅱ)and Fe(Ⅱ)ions.Methods:The antiproliferative effects of syringic acid on HEK 293 and HepG2 cells in the absence and presence of exogenous Cu(Ⅱ)and Fe(Ⅱ)ions were examined by MTT assay.Additionally,colony-forming,reactive oxidative species(ROS)generation,apoptosis induction,autophagy,mitochondrial membrane potential,and mitochondrial mass were investigated.Results:At 24 and 72 h,no significant differences were observed in the viability of HepG2 cells between the control and syringic acid+Fe(Ⅱ)groups.However,exposure of HepG2 cells to syringic acid+Cu(Ⅱ)for 72 h reduced the cell viability significantly.Furthermore,ROS formation,induction of apoptosis,and autophagic vacuoles were significantly increased in HepG2 cells without marked changes in mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial mass.Moreover,syringic acid+Cu(Ⅱ)reduced the plating efficiency and surviving fraction significantly.Conclusions:The combination of syringic acid with Cu(Ⅱ)was toxic to cancer cells and showed pro-oxidant activity.In addition,this combination induced autophagy in cancer cells with less cytotoxic effects on normal cells,which is a potential candidate for the development of novel therapeutics towards cancer.
基金This study was supported by National Key Research and Development Program(No.2022YFC3502201)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81960762)+3 种基金Guangxi Key Discipline of Traditional Chinese Medicine(No.GZXK-Z-20-62)Guangxi Science and Technology Base and Talent Special Project(No.Guike AD19245183,AD22035052)Guangxi Demonstration Base of External Treatment of Traditional Chinese Medicine(No.14,2019)National Famous TCM Inheritance Studio,National Famous Old TCM Expert Inheritance Studio Construction Project,National Famous TCM Huang Hanru Academic Thinking and Clinical Experience Inheritance and Promotion Center(No.2022V004)。
文摘Objective:To screen the anti-inflammatory monomeric compounds isolated from Berchemia lineata(L.)DC and explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of some compounds based on NF-κB signaling pathway.Methods:LPS was used to induce RAW264.7 to establish a model of cellular inflammatory reaction.CCK-8 method was used to detect the effect of monomer compounds on the activity of RAW264.7 cells.The release of nitric oxide(NO)in the superneant was measured by Griess method,and NO inhibition rate was calculated.The anti-inflammatory activity gradient of some monomeric compounds was also measured.The effects of monomer compound 21 on the secretion of IL-6,TNF-α,NF-κB,COX-2 and iNOS induced by LPS were detected by ELISA.Results:The concentration of monomer compound of Berchemia lineata(L.)DC.was 50μmol/L,and it was administered for 24 h.The results showed that anthraquinone compound No.19 had obvious drug toxicity,while other compounds had weak or no obvious drug toxicity.The concentration was 50μmol/L,and the drug was administered for 12 h.The results showed that all the monomer compounds could inhibit the release of NO to varying degrees,and the highest NO inhibition rate was over 90%,which showed obvious anti-inflammatory activity.NO inhibition rate of No.01 new skeleton compound can reach 70.81%.The results of anti-inflammatory activity gradient showed that the monomer compound of Berchemia lineata(L.)DC.could inhibit the release of NO in a dose-dependent manner.The results of ELISA showed that phenolic compound 21 could inhibit the secretion of IL-6,TNF-α,NF-κB,COX-2 and iNOS in RAW264.7 cells.Conclusion:The monomer compound of Berchemia lineata(L.)DC.has a certain anti-inflammatory activity,among which flavonoids and bibenzyl components isolated from this plant for the first time may be the material basis for its anti-inflammatory activity.The simple phenolic monomer compound 21 may play an anti-inflammatory role by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway.