Which part of the blood in the knee joint is responsible for its detrimental effects? (An experimental study on the knee joint in rabbits).

AIM: This study aims to determine the potential causative elements which are responsible for the cartilage damage in case of frequent intra-articular bleeding and to evaluate the effects of intra-articular free iron and chelation of iron in the knee joint. METHODS: Thirty-five New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into five groups according to substances injected into their knee joints. Plasma (group I) and cellular components (group II) of the blood harvested from the rabbits, iron (ferric hydroxide sucrose) (group III), iron&chelator (group IV) and only chelator (deferoxamine mesylate) (group V) were injected into their right knees three times a week for 12 weeks. The joint surface was examined histologically according to the classification system modified from Colombo et al. The changes in the synovial tissue were evaluated according to the scoring system modified from Madhok et al. RESULTS: Cartilage and synovial abnormality scores were significantly higher in all study groups when compared to their own controls (p < 0.0001). Cartilage scores of groups I and V were significantly lower when compared to groups III and IV (p = 0.002 for group I and p = 0.003 for group V). Synovial abnormality score of group I was significantly lower than scores of groups III and IV (p = 0.001); and of group V lower than groups III and IV (p = 0.003 and p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: All substances tested in this study caused a certain amount of damage in the cartilage tissue and led to synovial abnormalities. Both iron and iron&chelator caused more damage in the cartilage and led to more advanced synovial changes when compared to the plasma component of blood and chelator itself. Influence of iron and iron&chelators were found to be similar showing that chelation was inadequate in antagonizing the detrimental effects of iron.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Crude Momordica charantia L. Extract on 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene Sulfonic Acid-Induced Colitis Model in Rat and the Bioaccessibility of its Carotenoid Content.

Momordica charantia L., known as bitter melon (BM), is a plant that belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. Aims of this study are to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of crude BM extract on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced experimental colitis model in rat. It was also aimed to determine the content and bioaccessibility of carotenoids of BM. BM was purchased from local markets in Izmir, Turkey. Fruits of BM were lyophilized, powdered, and used in the experiment. Carotenoids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. To determine the bioaccessibility of ß-carotene, in vitro digestion was performed. Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: group A (BM+TNBS), group B (BM), group C (TNBS), and group D (control). BM solution was given 300 mg/(kg·day) for 6 weeks orally. Colitis was induced by 0.25 mL of a solution containing 100 mg/kg 5% (w/v) TNBS in 50% ethanol (w/v) intrarectally after 6 weeks. After sacrification, macroscopic and microscopic evaluations were performed. Myeloperoxidase, cytokines levels (interleukin-17 [IL-17], TNF-alpha, and interleukin-10 [IL-10]) were measured in serum and colonic samples by ELISA test. Institutional Animal Ethics Committee approval was obtained. Total carotenoid content of BM was determined 11.7 mg/g dry weight as ß-carotene equivalents. Bioaccessibility of total carotenoids was determined as 2.1% with in vitro digestion. Pretreatment with crude BM extract significantly reduced weight loss, macroscopic, and microscopic colitis damages in colonic samples (P = .000), (P = .015), and (P = .026), respectively. Serum anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 increased significantly in both treatment groups (P = .000). BM is a rich source of carotenoids, but the bioaccessibility of its carotenoids is low. This study displays that BM has protective anti-inflammatory effects on TNBS-induced colitis.

Effects of Aloe vera leaf gel extract on rat peritonitis model.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities and probable toxic effects of Aloe vera (AV) in a rat peritonitis model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RATS WERE DIVIDED INTO FIVE GROUPS: (1) Control group, (2) AV group, (3) peritonitis group (P), (4) peritonitis + AV group (P + AV), and (5) peritonitis + antibiotherapy group (P + Ab). Ultrafiltration (UF) rates were determined and colony and leukocyte counts were calculated in the dialysate. Glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine levels, and alanine transaminase (ALT) activities were studied in blood. Glucose, interleukins (IL-1ß, IL-6), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were studied in dialysate and peritoneal tissue for the assessment of the anti-inflammatory effect. Copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn-SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) were also investigated in peritoneal tissue. RESULTS: Aloe vera increased the UF rate and lowered leukocyte numbers in the peritonitis group. There was no significant difference in blood and dialysate glucose, BUN, creatinine levels and ALT activity among control and AV groups. AV decreased IL-1ß, IL-6 and PGE2 in peritonitis, showing good anti-inflammatory effect. AV showed antioxidant effect on the chosen antioxidant parameters Cu, Zn-SOD, MDA, and NO. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that, AV might be used in peritonitis for its probable UF increasing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.