Antioxidant factors, nitric oxide levels, and cellular damage in leprosy patients.

INTRODUCTION: The immune response caused by Mycobacterium leprae is a risk factor for the development of oxidative stress (OS) in leprosy patients. This study aimed to assess OS in leprosy patients before the use of a multidrug therapy. METHODS: We evaluated the nitric oxide (NO) concentration; antioxidant capacity; levels of malondialdehyde, methemoglobin and reduced glutathione; and the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in leprosy patients. RESULTS: We observed lower SOD activity in these leprosy patients; however, the NO levels and antioxidant capacity were increased. CONCLUSIONS: The infectious process in response to M. leprae could primarily be responsible for the OS observed in these patients.

Antioxidant factors, nitric oxide levels, and cellular damage in leprosy patients

Introduction The immune response caused by Mycobacterium leprae is a risk factor for the development of oxidative stress (OS) in leprosy patients. This study aimed to assess OS in leprosy patients before the use of a multidrug therapy. Methods We evaluated the nitric oxide (NO) concentration; antioxidant capacity; levels of malondialdehyde, methemoglobin and reduced glutathione; and the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in leprosy patients. Results We observed lower SOD activity in these leprosy patients; however, the NO levels and antioxidant capacity were increased. Conclusions The infectious process in response to M. leprae could primarily be responsible for the OS observed in these patients. .

Nitric oxide metabolites in sera of patients across the spectrum of leprosy.

Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, caused by Mycobacterium leprae infection, manifests itself as a clinical spectrum depending on the patients' immunological response, finally leading to peripheral nerve damage and deformities in the patients. Nitric oxide (NO) which is known to contribute to pathogenesis of several neurological diseases has been detected in tissues and urine of leprosy patients. This is the first study assessing NO as its stable end products, nitrites and nitrates, in sera of patients across the spectrum of the disease as a possible parameter of prognostic value. Comparison of NO metabolites showed a significant increase in multibacillary patients and patients with type I reactions as compared to healthy control individuals. These levels reduced significantly after treatment. This study has further borne out the utility and reliability of the cadmium-reduction method of estimation of NO metabolites--a relatively inexpensive procedure that lends itself to large-scale screening and follow-up of patients.

Involvement of NO in the inhibitory effect of Calotropis procera latex protein fractions on leukocyte rolling, adhesion and infiltration in rat peritonitis model.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The latex of Calotropis procera has been used in the traditional medicinal system for the treatment of leprosy, ulcers, tumors, piles and diseases of liver, spleen, abdomen and toothache. It comprises of a non-dialyzable protein fraction (LP) that exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and a dialyzable fraction (DF) exhibiting pro-inflammatory properties. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of LP sub-fractions on neutrophil functions and nociception in rodent models and to elucidate the mediatory role of nitric oxide (NO). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The LP was subjected to ion exchange chromatography and the effect of its three sub-fractions (LP(PI), LP(PII) and LP(PIII)) thus obtained was evaluated on leukocyte functions in the rat peritonitis model and on nociception in the mouse model. RESULTS: LP sub-fractions exhibit distinct protein profile and produce a significant decrease in the carrageenan and DF induced neutrophil influx and exhibit anti-nociceptive property. The LP and its sub-fractions produced a marked reduction in the number of rolling and adherent leukocytes in the mesenteric microvasculature as revealed by intravital microscopy. The anti-inflammatory effect of LP(PI), the most potent anti-inflammatory fraction of LP, was accompanied by an increase in the serum levels of NO. Further, our study shows that NO is also involved in the inhibitory effect of LP(PI) on neutrophil influx. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that LP fraction of Calotropis procera comprises of three distinct sets of proteins exhibiting anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive properties of which LP(PI) was most potent in inhibiting neutrophil functions and its effects are mediated through NO production.

A study of serum nitric oxide levels in psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: M any inter and intracellular mediators have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Nitric oxide has been shown to play an important role in many diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated raised levels of nitric oxide in psoriatic plaques which may be attributed to its effect on keratinocytes, on local cGMP levels or its ability to induce angiogenesis. AIMS: To detect serum nitric oxide (NO) levels in patients with active psoriasis, to correlate these levels with severity of disease and compare them with those in normal individuals. METHODS: Thirty six patients with active psoriasis were selected after written consent. All patients on topical or systemic treatment for fifteen days prior to the study were excluded. Disease severity was assessed by PASI score and serum nitric oxide levels were detected by Greiss method and compared with age and sex matched controls. Statistical analysis of all data was done by unpaired t test. RESULTS: Out of 36 patients, 30 had chronic plaque psoriasis (mean NO 157.5), 4 had erythroderma (mean NO 120.2) and 2 had generalized pustular psoriasis (mean NO 144.3). The mean NO level in the psoriatic group was 157.7 with SD 50.4 while in the control group it was 32.8 with SD 4.03. The difference was statistically significant (t=13.8, P < 0.001). In the chronic plaque group, as the duration of disease increased, the NO levels increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Nitric oxide levels were significantly increased in patients with psoriasis and these levels showed a positive correlation with severity and duration in the chronic plaque type group.

[Increase in nitric oxide concentrations in serum and mononuclear cell cultures from patients with Type II reaction state of Hansen's disease]. / Incremento de óxido nítrico en el suero y sobrenadantes de cultivo de células mononucleares de pacientes con la enfermedad de Hansen en estado reaccional tipo II.

The word "reaction" is used in leprosy to describe signs and symptoms of acute inflammation. Type II reactions, including erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) occur in the multibacillary forms of Hansen's disease. Nitric oxide (NO) could play a role in the response of the host, where a high NO production would be involved in acute inflammatory processes. In this paper we evaluate NO production in serum and in the supernatants of mononuclear cell cultures (MNCC), measured indirectly by Griess' method. The results obtained in serum showed that 52% of patients with ENL (15/29) had a production over 30 microM, distributed as follows: 8/15 had a mean concentration of 36.38 +/- ?5.71 microM; 1/15, 70.5 microM and 6/15 had a mean concentration greater than 100 microM (205.97 +/- 5 microM). Forty eight percent presented nitrite and nitrate levels lower than 30 microM (18.93 +/- 6.15). Only supernatants of mononuclear cell cultures from ENL patients collected at 120 hours of incubation presented NO production levels higher than 10 microM +/- 6.53, as compared with the supernatants from the stable polar forms of the disease (lepromatous leprosy and tuberculoid leprosy), where values were 2.52 microM +/- 1.18 and 2.69 microM +/- 1.07, respectively. These preliminary results show a different metabolic activity in the group of patients with Type II reaction state (ENL).