The comparison of the effect of the aqueous extract of the Elaeagnus angustifolia with ibuprofen on the expression of the iNOS and COX2 genes in the cartilage tissue of rat rheumatoid arthritis model

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Background and Purpose:Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease, it is treated by nonstroidal anti-inflamatory drugs. Using medicinal plants has lower dangers than chemical drugs.One of the plants used in the traditional medicine is Elaeagnus angustifolia. In the present study to confirm the anti-inflammatory property of the plant the effect of the extract of Elaeagnus angustifolia is examined on the expression of the iNOS and COX2 genes. METHODS: This experimental study was performed on 35 male wistar rats. 7 rats  were considered as control group, and in the rest of rats rheumatoid arthritis was induced according to the CIA protocol with collagen type 2 injection.One group was not treated as the control group and three groups were treated orally for a period of 30 days by ibuprofen with the concentration 15 mg/kg and the aqueous extract of the Elaeagnus angustifolia with the concentration 350 mg/kg and their combination,then expression of the COX2 and iNOS genes were measured by real time PCR technique. FINDINGS: Treatment with ibuprofenand the aqueous extract reduced the genes expression. In other words, the expression of the iNOS gene decreased more in the ibuprofen group (6.34±0.49) than the Elaeagnus angustifolia (7.71±0.61; p<0.001) and the expression of the COX2 gene decreased more in Elaeagnus angustifolia (7.70±0.77) than ibuprofen group (9.93±0.68; p< 0.001). CONCLUSION: it seems that the aqueous extract of the elaeagnus angustifolia can be used independently or together with ibuprofen to treatment of the rheumatoid arthritis

Familial Aggrigation of Fmr and Bechet, S Diseases in Their Mother

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary condition which is characterized by recurrent episodes of fever and abdominal pain. On the other hand, Behcet`s disease (BD) is an immune mediated condition typified by recurrent oral aphthous lesions, inflammatory eye disease and multiple organ involvement. Association of these two conditions is rare. We present a pair of twins with FMF and BD in their mother

Effects of calcitonin nasal spray on serum bone resorptive marker CTX and other laboratory findings in osteopenic menopausal women: a clinical trial

Background: Various therapeutic options such as calcitonin have been suggested for patients with low bone density, despite uncertain efficacy in most patients. C-telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) is a new bone marker used for the assessment of bone resorption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of nasal spray calcitonin in women with osteopenia via serum CTX and other laboratory tests. Methods: We conducted a self controlled clinical trial in 2009 on 105 women of menopausal age diagnosed in Baqiyatallah Hospital Clinic with osteopenia based on a bone mineral density score of 1.5 SD lower than peak bone mass. The patients were assigned to receive nasal spray calcitonin (200 IU/day), calcium (1000 mg/day) and Vit-D (400 IU/day) for 6 months. Serum CTX and other laboratory parameters were measured before and after the treatment. The data were analyzed by SPSS, version 17, using t-tests and a P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Fifty-two patients completed the study and the mean CTX level decreased significantly from 3.10±2.03 to 2.61±1.82 pmol/lit (P<0.001), but total serum levels of PTH, Ca, AST, ALT and Alkaline Ph decreased insignificantly. Conclusion: It seems that nasal spray of calcitonin is significantly effective in preventing disease progression and treatment of low bone density by inhibiting bone tissue resorption indicated by CTX although further studies with larger samples sizes and inclusion of control groups are warranted