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

Possibilities of applying Ti (C, N) coatings on prosthetic elements : research with the use of human endothelial cells

Purpose: The aim of our study was to examine the effect of prosthetic alloys with Ti (C, N) coatings on viability and pro life ration of human cells employing an MTT assay with the use of human microvascular endothelial cells derived from the skin – HMEC-1 (Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells-1). Methods: Cylindrical shape samples made of Ni-Cralloy were divided into S1-S5 groups and coated with Ti (C, N) layers with different content of C and N. S0 group – control group without layer. The alloys (S0-S5) were stored in an experimental medium (MCDB131 with antibiotics) for 30 days and then HMEC-1 cells were incubated in the alloy extract for 24 and 96 hours. Next, cell viability was determined using MTT method. Results: In the case of samples incubated for both 24 and 96 hours there are statistically significant differences (with p-value <0.05) between the uncoated samples (S0 group) and all the other Ti (C, N) coated samples. Higher absorbance values were observed in all coated groups than in the control S0 group, where cell growth was statistically significantly lower. Conclusions: During incubation of endothelial cells with coated samples the number of cells was significantly bigger than the number with uncoated alloys. The best viability of cells was obtained from the S = 3 (with 51.94% at. Ti, 28.22% at. C and 19.84% at. N) group of samples. Ti (C, N) coatings may be applied as protective components on prosthetic elements made of base metal alloys

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