Curcuma longa Extract Exerts a Myorelaxant Effect on the Ileum and Colon in a Mouse Experimental Colitis Model, Independent of the Anti-Inflammatory Effect

Background: Curcuma has long been used as an anti-inflammatory agent in inflammatory bowel disease. Since gastrointestinal motility is impaired in inflammatory states, the aim of this work was to evaluate if Curcuma Longa had any Methods: The biological activity of Curcuma extract was evaluated against Carbachol induced contraction in isolated mice intestine. Acute and chronic colitis were induced in Balb/c mice by Dextran Sulphate Sodium administration (5% and 2.5% respectively) and either Curcuma extract (200 mg/kg/day) or placebo was thereafter administered for 7 and 21 days respectively. Spontaneous contractions and the response to Carbachol and Atropine of ileum and colon were studied after colitis induction and Curcuma administration. Results: Curcuma extract reduced the spontaneous contractions in the ileum and colon; the maximal response to Carbachol was inhibited in a non-competitive and reversible manner. Similar results were obtained in ileum and colon from Curcuma fed mice. DSS administration decreased the motility, mainly in the colon and Curcuma almost restored both the spontaneous contractions and the response to Carbachol after 14 days assumption, compared to standard diet, but a prolonged assumption of Curcuma decreased the spontaneous and Carbachol-induced contractions. Conclusions: Curcuma extract has a direct and indirect myorelaxant effect on mouse ileum and colon, independent of the anti-inflammatory effect. The indirect effect is reversible and non-competitive with the cholinergic agent. These results suggest the use of curcuma extract as a spasmolytic agent

Real time RT-PCR approach for the evaluation of ERBB2 overexpression in breast cancer archival samples: a comparative study with FISH, SISH, and immunohistochemistry.

We tested the reliability of real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions as an alternative method for the assessment of ERBB2 status in paraffin-embedded tissues of 83 patients with breast cancer and 20 non-neoplastic controls. PCR was also compared with the immunohistochemical (IHC) HercepTest score and with fluorescence (FISH) and silver (SISH) in-situ hybridization, in 42 selected cases. ERBB2 mRNA was overexpressed in 26/83 (31%) breast cancer samples, using a cutoff calculated as the mean value of the controls plus 3 SD or with the receiver operating curve. The PCR test showed a 96% sensitivity and a 100% specificity when compared with FISH, with an area under the receiver operating curve of 98.4%. Overexpression of ERBB2 at PCR was also significantly correlated with amplification in FISH (P<0.001, Mann-Whitney test) and in SISH (P<0.001, Mann-Whitney test), and with the IHC HercepTest scores 2 or 3 (P<0.001, Spearman rank correlation). FISH, SISH, and IHC were also compared with each other. ERBB2 amplification in FISH significantly correlated with that in SISH (P=0.002, chi test with a concordance of the 87%), but not with IHC HercepTest scores (P=0.214, chi test). Real time PCR is a reliable and cost-effective method for the assessment of ERBB2 status in archival breast cancer samples, compared with FISH. Its introduction in routine diagnostic pathology practice is feasible even if it requires amendments to the current clinical oncology protocols