Cytotoxicity of some Cameroonian spices and selected medicinal plant extracts

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Several medicinal plants and spices are used traditionally to treat cancers in Cameroon.

Aim

Methanol extracts from thirty-four spices and plants, with related ethnobotanical use were investigated for their in vitro cytotoxicity on the human pancreatic cancer cell line MiaPaCa-2, leukemia CCRF-CEM cells and their multidrug resistant (MDR) subline CEM/ADR5000, and the normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In addition the anti-angiogenic properties of the most active extracts were investigated.

Material and methods

The MTS [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium] assay was used for cytotoxic studies and the CAM-assay (chicken-chorioallantoic-membrane-assay) for anti-angiogenesis test.

Results

The results of the cytotoxicity tests indicated that, when tested at 20 μg/ml, extracts from Xylopia aethiopica, Echinops giganteus, Imperata cylindrica, Dorstenia psilirus and Piper capense were able to inhibit more that 50% the proliferation of the three tested cancer cells (MiaPaCa-2, CEM/ADR5000 CCRF-CEM). The lowest IC₅₀ values of 6.86 μg/ml on MiaPaCa-2 and 3.91 μg/ml on CCRF-CEM cells were obtained with X. aethiopica, while the corresponding value of 6.56 μg/ml was obtained with P. capense on CEM/ADR5000 cells. Against leukemia cells, no cross-resistance was observed with I. cylindrica, P. capense and Zinziber officinalis. Extracts from D. psilirus and E. giganteus were able to inhibit angiogenesis by more than 50% in quail embryo.

Conclusion

The overall results of the present study provide supportive data on the use of some Cameroonian plants for cancer treatment.     

Chromosome Arm-Specific Long Telomeres: A New Clonal Event in Primary Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Cells

Previous studies demonstrated that critically shortened telomere lengths correlate with the chromosome instability in carcinogenesis. However, little has been noticed regarding the correlation of long telomeres at specific chromosomes with malignant disorders. We studied relative telomere lengths (RTLs) for individual chromosomes using the quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization technique in a cohort of 32 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and 32 normal samples. We found that telomeres at some specific chromosome arms remain well maintained or even lengthened in a high frequency (27/32) of leukemia cases. In particular, 10 chromosome arms, 4q, 5p, 7q, 11p, 13p, 13q, 14p, 15p, 18p, and Xp, with long telomeres were consistently identified in different samples, and six of them (4q, 5p, 13p, 13q, 14p, and Xp) with relatively long telomeres were also observed in normal samples, but they appeared in lower occurrence rate and shorter RTL than in CML samples. Our results strongly indicate the presence of a special leukemia cell population, or a clone, originated from a common progenitor that is characterized with chromosome arm-specific long telomeres. We suggest that relatively long telomeres located at key chromosomes could be preferentially maintained or further elongated during the early stage of malignant transformation.     

Minor increase of endtidal CO2 during sevoflurane-induced malignant hyperthermia

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) in a pediatric patient during sevoflurane anesthesia with only a minor rise of endtidal CO(2) is described. MH was considered because of increased rectal temperature. The outcome was favorable after the initiation of a few simple measures (increased minute ventilation, cessation of sevoflurane). As recommended by the regional MH Reference Center, dantrolene was not used. In vitro contracture tests were performed on muscle biopsies from both parents. A strong contracture in response to halothane confirmed the father's MH susceptibility, thereby according a high probability of an MH episode in his son.     

A computerized file for the surveillance of diabetic patients: the MELLITEE system

Taking over a chronic disease like diabetes in a hospital clinic raises multiple problems. Large numbers of diabetic patients and prolonged follow-up periods result in a mass of data that only computers can control. MELLITEE is a computerized system developed to facilitate the longterm management of patients and to help in maintaining a high standard of care. It includes a structured and standardized medical record. Physicians of three Parisian hospital clinics agreed on the minimum content of the record. MELLITEE is operated at the Saint-Louis Hospital on a 68,000 based mini-micro computer (Fortune/Thomson Micromega-32), running under the Unix operating system and with the Lied data base management system. Data are keyed directly into the computer by physicians, nurses and dietitians from throughout the department. On-line registration of information allows the suppression of the corresponding part of the usual paper record. The clinical data base obtained from administrative and medical information can be used to facilitate more effective patient follow-up and clinic management. The system is to be set up in the other collaborating centres in the near future, allowing pooling of data. It will also provide long-term information which can be used for evaluation of care and epidemiological research.     

Does taking endurance into account improve the prediction of weaning outcome in mechanically ventilated children?

Introduction  

We conducted the present study to determine whether a combination of the mechanical ventilation weaning predictors proposed by the collective Task Force of the American College of Chest Physicians (TF) and weaning endurance indices enhance prediction of weaning success.     

Variable response to atrial pacing after intravenous propranolol in patients with stable exertional angina

The effect of propranolol administration on regional coronary haemodynamics were investigated in 14 patients with stable exertional angina and isolated left anterior descending artery disease. Thermodilution was used to measure great cardiac vein flow (GCVF) and anterior regional coronary resistance (ARCR) under control conditions, at peak atrial pacing, after i.v. propranolol administration (0.1 mg kg-1) and at the peak of repeated atrial pacing. Propranolol did not change peak pacing heart rate, systolic blood pressure or double product. Peak pacing GCVF decreased slightly but non-significantly after drug administration from 84 +/- 20 to 79 +/- 24 ml min-1, while ARCR increased, but again non-significantly, from 1.36 +/- 0.44 to 1.45 +/- 0.45. Analysis of individual patient responses revealed that propranolol prolonged peak pacing time and hence peak pacing heart rate (from 126 +/- 24 to 140 +/- 23 beats min-1, P less than 0.05) in five patients. In such patients, peak pacing systolic blood pressure was lower than the pre-propranolol atrial pacing (145 +/- 35 vs 165 +/- 33, P less than 0.001) so that double product remained unchanged. Moreover, peak pacing ARCR did not change after propranolol (pre-propranolol 1.47 +/- 0.46, after propranolol 1.40 +/- 0.56 mmHg.ml-1.min, P = ns) while it increased significantly in the nine patients who did not improve after the drug (before propranolol 1.30 +/- 0.44, after propranolol 1.48 +/- 0.41 mmHg.ml-1.min, P less than 0.02). These data suggest that the response to atrial pacing after i.v. propranolol administration is variable as some patients tolerate higher heart rates while others do not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Linear dimensions and volumes of human lungs obtained from CT images

This work provides the results of a collaboration between the Human Monitoring Laboratory (HML) and the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) in which CHUM provided CT lung image sets from 166 patients for the analysis of linear dimensions and lung volume. This work has shown that a large amount of data exists in the medical community that can be of value to the health physics community. The intent of this study was to determine the range of linear dimensional parameters that could be used for torso phantom development for males and females; understand and characterize the variability of linear lung dimensions for males and females; replace the brief table in ICRP 23 with more modern data for males and females; identify an empirical formula that would predict linear dimensions of human lungs from age, height and/or weight for males and females; characterize the left, right, and total lung volumes of males and females in this data set; and compare the lung volumes of males and females to published equations for determining lung volumes. It was found that linear dimensions of lungs are essentially independent of age, height, and weight, so predictive equations cannot be formulated; however, the ranges of those parameters have now been established for the population studied herein. The data presented here are more modern than the brief table that appeared in ICRP 23, and the average values could be used as future guidelines. Whole lung volumes have been determined from the voxel lung phantoms, and empirical formulae have been developed for males and females in this data set; these compare favorably with the published values in ICRP 66.     

Sleep and hypertension. An epidemiologic study in 7,901 workers

In order to evaluate possible correlations between blood pressure levels and sleep quality, 7,901 workers of both sexes living in Paris area have been the subject of a survey during their annual examination performed by workside physicians. The enquiry included questions related to sleep quantity and quality, sleeping pills consumption, awakenings, nightmares, snoring, way of life and working conditions. The information concerning these parameters was available for 7,542 people. Among them, 6,551 (86.9%) did not suffer from high blood pressure (HBP) (blood pressure less than 160/95 mmHg), 618 (8.2%) presented a high blood pressure but were not treated, 371 (4.9%) received a treatment against HBP. The average sleep duration is about 7.4 h (S.D. = 1.0) for men and about 7.6 h (S.D. = 1.0) for women (less than 0.001). It is significatively and negatively correlated with the systolic blood pressure level (SBP) (less than 0.001) and the diastolic blood pressure level (DBP) (less than 0.001). The frequency of patients complaining of nightly awakening and of snoring significatively increase with SBP (p less than 0.05) and DBP (p less than 0.001). The observed association between DBP (but not SBP) and sleep duration and nightly awakening remains significant in multivariate analysis including age, sex, tobacco smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption, use of sleeping pills and hypotensive treatment, as well as the negative correlation between SBP and nightmare frequency. The correlation between SBP or SBP and snoring was no more significant. In conclusion, a significant correlation has been found between the blood pressure levels and the sleep quality whose clinical consequences remain to be explored.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Major depression and external stressors: the Lebanon Wars

This article examines the effect of war events and pre-war depression on the prevalence of major depression during war. A total of 658 subjects aged 18-65 years were randomly selected from four Lebanese communities differentially exposed to the Lebanon Wars and were interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (Arabic version). The individual levels of exposure to war events were assessed through a War Events Questionnaire. The lifetime prevalence of the DSM-III-R-defined major depression varied across the four communities from 16.3 to 41.9%; the final parameters predicting major depression since the onset of the wars were: depression before the wars and exposure to the wars. Both, individual levels of exposure to war and a history of pre-war depression, predict the development of depression during war. Received: 5 June 1997 / Accepted: 14 July 1998