Long-term periodic anthelmintic treatments are associated with increased allergen skin reactivity.

BACKGROUND: The low prevalence of allergic disease in the rural tropics has been attributed to the protective effects of chronic helminth infections. There is concern that treatment-based control programmes for these parasites may lead to an increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases. OBJECTIVE: We measured the impact of 15-17 years of anthelmintic treatment with ivermectin on the prevalence of allergen skin test reactivity and allergic symptoms in school-age children. METHODS: The prevalence of allergen skin test reactivity, exercise-induced bronchospasm and allergic symptoms was compared between school-age children living in communities that had received community-based treatments with ivermectin (for onchocerciasis control) for a period of 15-17 years with those living in geographically adjacent communities that had received no ivermectin. RESULTS: The prevalence of allergen skin test reactivity was double in children living in treated communities compared with those in untreated communities (16.7% vs. 8.7%, adjusted OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.50-2.94, P<0.0001), and the effect was mediated partly by a reduced prevalence of Trichuris trichiura among treated children. Ivermectin treatments were associated with an increased prevalence of recent eczema symptoms (adjusted OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.05-4.78, P=0.04) but not symptoms of asthma or rhino-conjunctivitis. The effect on eczema symptoms was not associated with reductions in geohelminth infections. CONCLUSION: Long-term periodic treatments with ivermectin were associated with an increased prevalence of allergen skin test reactivity. There was some evidence that treatment was associated with an increased prevalence of recent eczema symptoms but not those of asthma or rhino-conjunctivitis.

High prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in adolescent girls in a tropical area of Ecuador.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common clinical syndrome, but data are scarce on the BV prevalence in tropical regions among sexually active and virgin adolescents. To estimate the prevalence of BV among adolescent girls in an Ecuadorian coastal town, girls were asked to complete a questionnaire on risk factors for BV and vaginal samples were examined. Bacterial vaginosis was present in 31.5% of 213 girls, and the prevalence was similar in self-reported virgin and sexually active girls (OR 1.06, 95% CI, 0.51-2.21, P = 0.88), although the power of this analysis was limited. The prevalence of BV was high among Ecuadorian adolescent girls, and did not appear to be associated with sexual activity.

Analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Buddleja globosa, Buddlejaceae.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Buddleja globosa, known as "matico", is employed in Chile for wound healing. AIM OF THE STUDY: To validate the traditional use of the crude drug through in vivo and in vitro evaluation of the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant properties of its extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sequential hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and total methanol extracts were studied using bioguided fractionation. The following activities were investigated: analgesic (writhing test), oral and topic anti-inflammatory (paw- and ear-induced edema), free radical scavenging and antioxidant activities (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH, superoxide anion, lipid peroxidation and xanthine oxidase inhibition). Sodium naproxen, nimesulide, indomethacin were used as reference drugs for in vivo, quercetin and allopurinol for in vitro assays. RESULTS: A mixture of alpha- and beta-amyrins was isolated from the hexane extract that showed 41.2% of analgesic effect at 600 mg/kg, inhibited by 47.7 and 79.0% the arachidonic acid (AA) and 12-deoxyphorbol-13-decanoate (TPA)-induced inflammation at 3mg/20 microL/ear, respectively. A mixture of beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, stigmastenol, stigmastanol and campesterol was isolated from the fraction CD4-N and beta-sitosterol-glycoside from the fraction CD5-N, reducing TPA-induced inflammation by 78.2 and 83.7% at 1mg/20 microL/ear, respectively. The fraction CD4-N at 300 mg/kg also showed analgesic activity (38.7%). The methanol extract at 600mg/kg per os showed anti-inflammatory effect (61.4%), topic anti-inflammatory (56.7% on TPA) and analgesic activity (38.5%). Verbascoside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside were the major components of the methanol extract; apigenin 7-O-glucoside was also detected. Inhibition of superoxide anion, lipoperoxidation, and DPPH bleaching effect was found in the methanol serial and global extracts. CONCLUSIONS: The present report demonstrate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of Buddleja globosa and validate its use in Chilean traditional medicine.

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.

Effect of bakuchiol on leukocyte functions and some inflammatory responses in mice.

The effects of bakuchiol, a meroterpenoid isolated from the leaves of Psoralea glandulosa L., on phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity from different sources, human neutrophil responses, zymosan air pouch and topical inflammation in mice, were investigated. This natural product was a weak inhibitor of secretory and intracellular PLA2 but dose-dependently reduced the formation of LTB4 and TXB2 by human neutrophils and platelet microsomes, respectively. In addition, bakuchiol inhibited degranulation in human neutrophils, whereas superoxide generation was not affected. In mice, bakuchiol decreased cell migration, myeloperoxidase activity and eicosanoid levels in the air pouch inflammation induced by zymosan. After topical administration, this compound was effective as an inhibitor of oedema and myeloperoxidase activity in the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear oedema and significantly reduced the PGE2 content and ear oedema in the arachidonic acid-induced response. Bakuchiol is a natural anti-inflammatory agent able to control leukocytic functions such as eicosanoid production, migration and degranulation in the inflammatory site.

Biological and chemical study of paico (Chenopodium chilense, Chenopodiaceae).

The methanolic extract of the aerial portion of Chenopodium chilense Schrad., used in Chilean traditional medicine as a remedy for stomach-ache, has been found to exert the major spasmolytic activity in acetylcholine contracted rat ileum. This extract, with a complex flavonoid patterns on thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis, is practically non-toxic both for rats and brine shrimp Artemia salina in acute toxicity test.

Phytochemical and biological study of radal Lomatia hirsuta (Proteaceae).

The anti-inflammatory property of Lomatia hirsuta (Lam.) Diels ex Macbr. (Proteaceae), leaves (radal), a plant used in Chilean traditional medicine for bronchial troubles and asthma, was evaluated. The biological assays showed infusion of L. hirsuta leaves inhibits the inflammation induced by lambda-carrageenan corresponding to a 29.2% anti-inflammatory effect, and to 53.5% of the maximum effect observed with sodium naproxen (4 mg/kg) in the same experimental conditions. The coumarins, umbelliferone and scopoletin, were the major compounds isolated, along with quercetine, rhamnetin and iso-rhamnetin, with minor quantities or quercitrine and no presence of toxic naphthoquinone derivates. These results supported the folk use of L. hirsuta.

Active constituents isolated from Psoralea glandulosa L. with antiinflammatory and antipyretic activities.

The antiinflammatory and antipyretic activities of the petroleum ether extract (PEE), dichloromethane extract (DME) and methanol extract (ME1) of the aerial part of Psoralea glandulosa L. (Papilionaceae) were studied. The bioactivity-guided fractionation of the active extracts yielded the isolation of bakuchiol (Bk) from the petroleum ether as the active compound, cyclobakuchiols A and B (Cbk), and angelicin (Ang) from DME.

A new cucurbitacin glycoside from Kageneckia oblonga (Rosaceae).

A novel cucurbitacin glycoside has been isolated from aerial parts of Kageneckia oblonga R. et P. and shown to be 3beta-(beta-D-glucosyloxy)-16alpha,23alpha-epoxycuc urbita-5,24-dien-11-one. The structure was established by usual spectroscopic and two-dimensional (2D) NMR techniques. This compound has found to be nontoxic when tested in-vivo cell culture assays. In previous investigations we reported 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin F and prunasine. This was the first report on cucurbitacins from the genus Kageneckia (Rosaceae).

Strain selection for ß-carotene production by Dunaliella.

Four strains of Dunaliella were grown at 25°C and pH 8±0.5, with continous illumination at 200 W/m(2). Their maximum specific growth rates ranged from 0.093 day(-1) to 0.234 day(-1), nitrate yields from 3.0 to 7.8 g cells/g NaNO3 and lipid contents from 3% to 6% of the dry wt, with carotenes 50 to 80% of the lipids. Of the carotenes, ß-carotene made up 7 to 19%; all-trans-ß-carotene 32 to 52% and 9-cis-ß-carotene 29 to 55%. There are, therefore, considerable intra-specific differences between strains of Dunaliella.

[Prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with cerebrovascular occlusive disease]. / Prevalencia de la ateromatosis carotídea en pacientes con enfermedad cerebro vascular oclusiva.

BACKGROUND: Hispanics have a greater incidence of stroke and prevalence of intracranial atherosclerosis than whites. AIM: To study the prevalence of extracranial atherosclerosis among patients admitted to a hospital with an ischemic stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study in stroke patients admitted to a Neurology ward in a University Hospital. All were subjected to a CT scan, carotid duplex-Doppler ultrasonographic examination with Doppler measurement of blood flow velocity, permeability and plaques. Cardiac emboli were searched with transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. RESULTS: One hundred ten patients (39 women), aged 67.5 +/- 11.4 years old were studied. Stroke was atherothrombotic in 46 (41.8%), embolic in 30 (27.3%), lacunar in 27 (24.6%) and of other type in 7 (6.4%). Ninety two patients (84.4%) had high blood pressure, 38% had high cholesterol levels, 35% had a cardiac disease and 26% were smokers. Thirty five subjects (31.8%) had a normal carotid ultrasonography, 46 (41.8%) had mural plaques, 16 (14.5%) had multiple plaques without occlusion, 13 (11.8%) had a partial occlusion and 7 (6.4%) had a total occlusion. Logistic regression analysis disclosed no significant relationship between stroke types and carotid atherosclerosis. Age was the only significant predictor for carotid atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of severe carotid atherosclerosis in this group of stroke patients was less than expected.

Actividades biológicas de Xenophyllum poposum Phil. (Asteraceae), planta del altiplano chileno / No disponible

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