The effect of diclofenac on proliferation and production of growth factors by endothelial cells (hmec-1) under hypoxia and inflammatory conditions

Diclofenac belongs to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and non-selective COX inhibitors. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of diclofenac on endothelial cells proliferation under the influence of hypoxia or inflammatory conditions. Another goal was to check whether diclofenac modulates the secretion of angiogenic factors such as VEGF and bFGF in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) in the presence of CoCl2 or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which could influence the endothelial cells in an autocrine manner or other cells in a paracrine manner. HMEC-1 cells were treated with 0.1 and 0.3 mmol L-1diclofenac in the presence of 100 μgmL-1 LPS or 200 μmol L-1CoCl2. Diclofenac decreased cell viability under hypoxia and inflammatory conditions. The stimulation of bFGF secretion by LPS in microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1 cell) was attenuated bydiclofenac. Diclofenac increased the secretion of VEGF induced by LPS and hypoxia

Disulfiram-ethanol reaction and disulfiram-like reaction – not fully explained ethanol-drug interactions

Disulfiram-ethanol reaction (DER) and disulfiram-like reaction (DLR) are defined as acute intoxication with acetaldehyde after exposure to ethanol with disulfiram or a specific drug. The reaction is still considered as a problem of modern pharmacotherapy. The name of the reaction comes from a drug called disulfiram. In the 1940s, in United States disulfiram was registered for the treatment of alcoholism. DER is the effect of disulfiram’s mechanism of action consisting in inhibition of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), which causes accumulation of acetaldehyde, with accompanying alcohol intolerance and aversion to alcohol consumption. Many commonly used drugs have an ability to interact with ethanol and produce the DLR. The reaction can vary in severity of clinical course and can rarely be fatal. Specific for DER mechanism and symptoms have been observed for drugs such as abacavir, several cephalosporins and procarbazine. Based on clinical symptoms, many active agents such as chloramphenicol, griseofulvin, metronidazole and propranolol were considered as active agents increasing the risk of DLR occurrence. However no increase of acetaldehyde level in blood serum was observed, and the mechanism of interaction was different, often including changes in the level of neurotransmitters within the central nervous system. According to other drugs discussed in the article the mechanism of interaction remains unknown. For these reasons reported interactions of drugs (other than disulfiram) have been referred as DLR. For many drugs the available data is limited to only few clinical cases of acute alcohol intolerance. Furthermore, in these cases the mechanism of interaction has not been studied which limits the conclusions and indicates the need for further research in this area. The description of selected drugs also includes information on the potential risk of disulfiram-like reaction obtained from the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) of drugs registered in Poland

Abies Concolor Seeds and Cones as New Source of Essential Oils—Composition and Biological Activity

The chemical composition, including the enantiomeric excess of the main terpenes, of essential oils from seeds and cones of Abies concolor was studied by chromatographic (GC) and spectroscopic methods (mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance), leading to the determination of 98 compounds. Essential oils were mainly composed of monoterpene hydrocarbons. The dominant volatiles of seed essential oil were: limonene (47 g/100 g, almost pure levorotary form) and α-pinene (40 g/100 g), while α-pinene (58 g/100 g), sabinene (11 g/100 g), and β-pinene (4.5 g/100 g) were the predominant components of the cone oil. The seed and cone essential oils exhibited mild antibacterial activity, and the MIC ranged from 26 to 30 μL/mL against all of the tested bacterial standard strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The cytotoxic studies have demonstrated that tested essential oils were cytotoxic to human skin fibroblasts and human microvascular endothelial cells at concentrations much lower than the MIC. The essential oils from A. concolor seeds and cones had no toxic effect on human skin fibroblasts and human microvascular endothelial cells, when added to the cells at a low concentration (0–0.075 μL/mL) and (0–1.0 μL/mL), respectively, and cultured for 24 h

Diosmin and Bromelain Stimulate Glutathione and Total ThiolsProduction in Red Blood Cells

Diosmin and bromelain are bioactive compounds of plant origin with proven beneficialeffects on the human cardiovascular system. We found that diosmin and bromelain slightly reducedtotal carbonyls levels and had no effect on TBARS levels, as well as slightly increased the totalnon-enzymatic antioxidant capacity in the RBCs at concentrations of 30 and 60μg/mL. Diosminand bromelain induced a significant increase in total thiols and glutathione in the RBCs. Examiningthe rheological properties of RBCs, we found that both compounds slightly reduce the internalviscosity of the RBCs. Using the MSL (maleimide spin label), we revealed that higher concentrationsof bromelain led to a significant decrease in the mobility of this spin label attached to cytosolic thiolsin the RBCs, as well as attached to hemoglobin at a higher concentration of diosmin, and for bothconcentrations of bromelain. Both compounds tended to decrease the cell membrane fluidity inthe subsurface area, but not in the deeper regions. An increase in the glutathione concentrationand the total level of thiol compounds promotes the protection of the RBCs against oxidative stress,suggesting that both compounds have a stabilizing effect on the cell membrane and improve therheological properties of the RBCs

The Biological Activities of Cinnamon, Geranium and Lavender Essential Oils

Acinetobacter sp. represent an important cause of nosocomial infections. Their resistance to some antibiotics, their ability to survive on inanimate surfaces in the hospital environment and their ability to produce biofilms contributes to their virulence. The aim of the study was to determine the antibacterial properties of cinnamon, lavender and geranium essential oils against bacteria of the genus Acinetobacter isolated from several clinical materials and from the hospital environment. A comprehensive evaluation of the susceptibility of Acinetobacter sp. clinical strains to recommended antibiotics was performed. The constituents of cinnamon, lavender and geranium essential oils were identified by GC-FID-MS analysis, and their Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) against tested clinical strains were determined by the micro-dilution broth method. In addition, the effects of essential oils on the viability of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC-1) and glioblastoma cell line (T98G) were evaluated. Cinnamon bark oil was the most active against clinical and environmental strains of Acinetobacter baumannii with MIC values ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 µL/mL. The MIC values for geranium oil were between 7.5 and 9.5 µL/mL, and between 10.5 and 13.0 µL/mL for lavender oil. These essential oils can be best employed in the fight against infections caused by bacteria from Acinetobacter genus as components of formulations for hygiene and disinfection of hospital environment