Therapeutic potential of active components of saffron in post-surgical adhesion band formation

Background Abdominal adhesions are common and often develop after abdominal surgery. There are currently no useful targeted pharmacotherapies for adhesive disease. Saffron and its active constituents, Crocin and Crocetin, are wildly used in traditional medicine for alleviating the severity of inflammatory or malignant disease. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of the pharmacological active component of saffron in attenuating the formation of post-operative adhesion bands using different administration methods in a murine model. Material method saffron extract (100 mg/kg), Crocin (100 mg/kg), and Crocetin (100 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally and by gavage in various groups of male Wistar rat post-surgery. Also three groups were first treated intra-peritoneally by saffron extract, Crocin, and Crocetin (100 mg/kg) for 10 days and then had surgery. At the end of the experiments, animals sacrificed for biological assessment. Result A hydro-alcoholic extract of saffron and crocin but not crocetin potently reduced the adhesion band frequency in treatment and pre-treatment groups in the mice given intra-peritoneal (i.p) injections. Following the saffron or crocin administration, histological evaluation and quantitative analysis represented less inflammatory cell infiltration and less collagen composition, compared to control group. Moreover, the oxidative stress was significantly reduced in treatment groups. Conclusion These findings suggest that a hydro-alcoholic extract of saffron or its active compound, crocin, is a potentially novel therapeutic strategy for the prevention of adhesions formation and might be used as beneficial anti-inflammatory or anti-fibrosis agents in clinical trials. Taxonomy Abdominal surgeries/post-surgical adhesions

Drug-induced impairment of renal function

George Sunny Pazhayattil, Anushree C Shirali Section of Nephrology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Abstract: Pharmaceutical agents provide diagnostic and therapeutic utility that are central to patient care. However, all agents also carry adverse drug effect profiles. While most of these are clinically insignificant, some drugs may cause unacceptable toxicity that impacts negatively on patient morbidity and mortality. Recognizing adverse effects is important for administering appropriate drug doses, instituting preventive strategies, and withdrawing the offending agent due to toxicity. In the present article, we will review those drugs that are associated with impaired renal function. By focusing on pharmaceutical agents that are currently in clinical practice, we will provide an overview of nephrotoxic drugs that a treating physician is most likely to encounter. In doing so, we will summarize risk factors for nephrotoxicity, describe clinical manifestations, and address preventive and treatment strategies. Keywords: acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, drug nephrotoxicity, chemotherapy, NSAID