Investigation of the in vitro and ex vivo acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities of traditionally used Lycopodium species from South America on alkaloid extracts

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The study was aimed at evaluating medicinal and therapeutic potentials of two Lycopodiaceae species, Lycopodium clavatum (L.) and Lycopodium thyoides (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd), both used in South American folk medicine for central nervous system conditions. Alkaloid extracts were evaluated for chemical characterization, acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities.

Materials and methods

The alkaloid extracts obtained by alkaline extraction were determined for each species by GC/MS examination. The evaluation of the anticholinesterase and the antioxidant activities of the extracts were tested by determining in vitro and ex vivo models. Effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were tested in vitro using rat brain homogenates and ex vivo after a single administration (25, 10 and 1 mg/kg i.p.) of the alkaloid extracts in mice. The in vitro antioxidant effects were tested for the 2-deoxyribose degradation, nitric oxide (NO) interaction, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP). After an acute administration (25 and 10 mg/kg i.p.) of the extracts in middle-aged (12 months) mice, the antioxidant effects were estimated through the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test (TBARS), and the antioxidant enzymes activities for catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured.

Results

AChE activity was inhibited in vitro by the alkaloid-enriched extracts of both Lycopodium species in a dose and time-dependent manner in rat cortex, striatum and hippocampus. A significant inhibition was also observed in areas of the brain after acute administration of extracts, as well as decreased lipid peroxidation and increased CAT activity in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. A moderate antioxidant activity was observed in vitro for the extracts. Chemically, the main alkaloids found for the two species were lycopodine and acetyldihidrolycopodine.

Conclusion

This study showed that the biological properties of the folk medicinal plants Lycopodium clavatum and Lycopodium thyoides include AChE inhibitory activity and antioxidant effects, two possible mechanisms of action in Alzheimer's related processes.     

Use of ginger to control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy in patients with cervical cancer undergoing treatment: An experiment

Introduction:Uterine cervix tumors have an invasive nature, with the capacity to proliferate to surrounding organs such as the vagina, bladder, and rectum, as well as the capacity for dissemination and involvement of structures distant from its place of origin. According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, patients with stages IB I, IB I microscopic (small dimension <4 cm) are indicated for radiotherapy or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin (40 mg/m²). However, cisplatin has side effects such as hematological implications (anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia), gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation), and fatigue. Zingiber officinale contains bioactive compounds that act on pregnancy and postoperative nausea, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and also in the management of fatigue, myalgia, and insomnia. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ginger on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with cervical cancer undergoing treatment with cisplatin and radiotherapy.Methods and analyses:A randomized intervention clinical and controlled trial with a triple-blind design is described, comparing the effects of institutional antiemetic therapy alone, as well as in combination with 2 different ginger concentrations.Ethics and dissemination:Due to the nature of the study, we obtained approval from the Division Ethics Committee of Liga Contra o Câncer. All participants signed an informed consent form prior to randomization. The results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed journals. The data collected will also be available in a public repository of data.Trial registration number:This study is registered in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials under number RBR-47yx6p9. This study was approved by the Division Ethics Committee of Liga Contra o Câncer under CAAE 40602320.0.0000.5293.     

Influence of a preventive training program on lower limb kinematics and vertical jump height of male volleyball athletes

ObjectiveTo examine the influence of a preventative training program (PTP) on sagittal plane kinematics during different landing tasks and vertical jump height (VJH) in males.DesignSix weeks prospective exercise intervention.ParticipantsFifteen male volleyball athletes (13 ± 0.7 years, 1.70 ± 0.12 m, 60 ± 12 kg).InterventionsPTP consisting of plyometric, balance and core stability exercises three times per week for six weeks. Bilateral vertical jumps with double leg (DL) and single leg (SL) landings were performed to measure the effects of training.Main outcome measurementsKinematics of the knee and hip before and after training and VJH attained during both tasks after training. The hypothesis was that the PTP would produce improvements in VJH, but would not generate great changes in biomechanical behavior.ResultsThe only change identified for the SL was the longest duration of landing, which represents the time spent from initial ground contact to maximum knee flexion, after training, while increased angular displacement of the knee was observed during DL. The training did not significantly alter the VJH in either the SL (difference: 2.7 cm) or the DL conditions (difference: 3.5 cm).ConclusionsDespite the PTP’s effectiveness in inducing some changes in kinematics, the changes were specific for each task, which highlights the importance of the specificity and individuality in selecting prevention injury exercises. Despite the absence of significant increases in the VJH, the absolute differences after training showed increases corroborating with the findings of statistically powerful studies that compared the results with control groups. The results suggest that short-term PTPs in low risk young male volleyball athletes may enhance performance and induce changes in some kinematic parameters.     

Reliability and validity of the body image quality of life inventory: Version for Brazilian burn victims

The aims of this study were to adapt the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI) into Brazilian Portuguese (BP) and to assess the psychometric properties of the adapted version. Construct validity was assessed by correlating the BIQLI‐BP scores with the Rosenberg's Self‐Esteem Scale, with Burns Specific Health Scale—Revised (BSHS‐R), and with gender, total body surface area burned, and visibility of the scars. Participants were 77 adult burn patients. Cronbach's alpha for the adapted version was .90 and moderate linear correlations were found between body image and self‐esteem and between BIQLI‐BP scores and two domains of the BSHS‐R: affect and body image and interpersonal relationships. The BIQLI‐BP showed acceptable levels of reliability and validity for Brazilian burn patients. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 36:299–310, 2013     

Renal parenchymal thickness in children with solitary functioning kidney

Background

Reduced renal parenchymal thickness (PT) is a parameter used by clinicians to assess the degree of hydronephrosis. In patients with a congenital hydronephrotic solitary functioning kidney (SFK), PT is difficult to determine as there is no comparison with the contralateral kidney. The aim of this study was to obtain ultrasound measurements of PT in children with normal SFK and to compare these data with PT measurements in children with two functioning kidneys.

Methods

This was a prospective multicenter study carried out between 2006 and 2011 in which 236 children aged 11 days to 18.96 years with healthy SFK were examined. The SFK etiologies were unilateral renal agenesis or a nonfunctioning contralateral kidney, mostly due to multicystic dysplasia. In addition to determining other parameters, we measured PT in the middle third of the kidney by ultrasound. Correlations between PT and age, height and weight were assessed.

Results

Correlation analysis showed a positive correlation with renal PT for all parameters. The correlation coefficients for age, height and weight were 0.863, 0.873 and 0.874, respectively. In most age categories, the renal parenchyma was significantly thicker in the SFK than in two functioning kidneys.

Conclusions

Based on our results, we suggest that PT in the SFK is correlated with height, weight and age of the patient. Consequently, measurements of PT may be used for monitoring the development of the healthy SFK and may contribute to a more accurate assessment of the severity of SFK anomalies.