Methanolic extract of Kigelia africana exhibits antiatherosclerotic effects in endothelial cells by downregulating RAGE and adhesion molecules.

The Kigelia plant is used in African countries for its medicinal properties. Kigelia africana is an interesting example of a medicinal plant due to its pharmacological activities, including its anti-inflammatory effect. Atherosclerosis, the primary cause of cardiovascular disease, is related to lipoprotein oxidation, inflammation and immune responses involving the vascular endothelium and immune cells. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effects of Kigelia africana (Lam.) extract, focusing particularly on antiatherosclerotic effects in endothelial cells (ECs). The methanolic extract of Kigelia africana (MKA) showed no cytotoxicity on ECs at doses of 10~200 µg/ml. MKA reduced RAGE expression on oxLDL- or TNF-α-stimulated ECs in a dose dependent manner, showing significant inhibition at a concentration of 50 µg/ml. In addition, MKA significantly inhibited the oxLDL- or TNF-αinduced expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in ECs in a dose-dependent manner but did not affect intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), resulting in downregulation of the migration and adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to ECs. These results suggest that MKA could be used for the treatment of atherosclerosis without cytotoxicity.

Methanolic extract of Kigelia africana exhibits antiatherosclerotic effects in endothelial cells by downregulating RAGE and adhesion molecules

@#The Kigelia plant is used in African countries for its medicinal properties. Kigelia africana is an interesting example of a medicinal plant due to its pharmacological activities, including its anti-inflammatory effect. Atherosclerosis, the primary cause of cardiovascular disease, is related to lipoprotein oxidation, inflammation and immune responses involving the vascular endothelium and immune cells. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effects of Kigelia africana (Lam.) extract, focusing particularly on antiatherosclerotic effects in endothelial cells (ECs). The methanolic extract of Kigelia africana (MKA) showed no cytotoxicity on ECs at doses of 10~200 μg/ml. MKA reduced RAGE expression on oxLDL- or TNF-α-stimulated ECs in a dose dependent manner, showing significant inhibition at a concentration of 50 μg/ml. In addition, MKA significantly inhibited the oxLDL- or TNF-α- induced expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in ECs in a dose-dependent manner but did not affect intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), resulting in downregulation of the migration and adhesion of THP-1 monocytes to ECs. These results suggest that MKA could be used for the treatment of atherosclerosis without cytotoxicity.

Evaluation of the comparative efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine and artesunate-amodiaquine-chlorpheniramine (Artemoclo™) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated malaria in Nigerian children.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine (AL), artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) and artesunate-amodiaquine-chlorpheniramine (AQC) for the treatment of acute uncomplicated malaria among Southwest Nigerian children. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred and sixty children aged 6 months to 14 years with acute uncomplicated malaria were randomized to AL (n = 53), ASAQ (n = 53), or AQC (n = 54). Enrollees were seen daily on days 0-3 and then on days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 for clinical and parasitological evaluations. Paired samples of genomic DNA at enrolment and at the time of recurrent parasitaemia were genotyped using nested PCR to distinguish between reinfection and recrudescence. Detailed haematological and biochemical evaluations were carried out in a subset of enrollees on days 0, 7 and 28 as part of a safety evaluation. RESULTS: Of the 160 children, 144 (90%) completed the study. The mean fever clearance times and parasite clearance times for AL, ASAQ and AQC were comparable (p = 0.94 and p = 0.122, respectively). On day 14, the adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) for AL and AQC was 100% and for ASAQ it was 90% (p = 0.39). The PCR-uncorrected results on days 28 and 42 and the ACPR-corrected results on day 42 were similar for all drugs (p = 0.62 and p = 0.56, respectively). AQC resulted in the best parasite clearance and haematological recovery on day 2 (p = 0.022 and p = 0.018, respectively). Biochemical parameters were not adversely affected by the three artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and these were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The three ACTs were efficacious and safe, but AQC resulted in a better haematological recovery on day 2 and higher cure rates throughout the study period.

Blood banking in a malaria-endemic area: evaluating the problem posed by malarial parasitaemias.

The emergence and wide dissemination of drug-resistant malarial parasites underscore the need to prevent post-transfusion malaria. In Nigeria, as in most of sub-Saharan Africa, however, blood donors are not routinely screened for malarial infection. Recently, 391 consecutive potential blood donors in a malaria-endemic area of south-western Nigeria were each checked for malarial parasitaemia using three methods: microscopy (all samples), OptiMAL (315 samples) and/or the Clinotech Malaria Cassette (142 samples). OptiMAL detects parasite-specific lactate dehydrogenase whereas the Clinotech test detects the surface proteins of merozoites and sporozoites. Microscopy revealed parasitaemias in 79 (20.2%) of the potential donors, the levels of parasitaemia varying from 34 to 6289 asexual parasites/microl (mean=445/microl). The prevalence of malarial parasitaemia, as detected by microscopy, was significantly higher during the rainy season than in the dry season (27.3% v. 5.5%; P<0.0001). There was no significant association between patent parasitaemia and fever (i.e. an axillary temperature > or =37.5 degrees C), blood group, gender or anaemia. The corresponding prevalences of malarial parasitaemia detected using the rapid diagnostic tests were 3.8% (12/315) for OptiMAL and 57.8% (82/142) for the Clinotech. With the results of the microscopy used as the 'gold standard', OptiMAL gave a sensitivity of only 16.0% but a specificity of 98.5%. The corresponding values for the Clinotech tests were 69.2% and 50.0%, respectively. It would clearly be beneficial to include screening for malaria parasitaemia in the routine investigation of potential blood donors in Nigeria, especially during the rainy season, when the risk of transfusion-transmitted malaria appears relatively high.