Lung Function in Woodworking Teachers in Sweden

Abstract

Work-related airways symptoms are common in woodworkers. To study possible work-related effects on lung function, 40 exposed woodworking teachers and 31 controls were examined by spirometry, diffusion-capacity and nitrogen-washout determinations, and methacholine challenge. Measured levels of total and respirable dust and terpene concentrations in the shops were below the Swedish threshold-limit values. Lungfunction values on Monday morning were similar in the two groups. Slight obstructive impairments during the working week were found in both groups. In the woodworking teachers, small changes in lung function were related to measured total dust, use of process ventilation, and use of a broom to clean the benches. Their methacholine reactivity was slightly more pronounced compared with that of the controls, but the numbers of hyper reactive individuals (PC₂₀ < 8 mg/m³) were equal in the two groups. These facts might indicate small workrelated effects on lung function, but some contradictory findings disturb this interpretation. The results are therefore inconclusive.     

A double-blind,placebo controlled study of Ginkgo biloba extract (‘Tanakan’) in elderly outpatients with mild to moderate memory impairment

Summary

Thirty-one patients over the age of 50 years and showing a mild to moderate degree of memory impairment entered a 6-month double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel group design study to assess the effects of a standardized Ginkgo biloba extract (containing 24% flavonoid glycosides and 6% terpenes) on cognitive function. Patients were allocated at random to receive oral doses of 40?mg Ginkgo biloba extract or identical placebo 3-times daily. Assessments were made at baseline and after 12 and 24 weeks of treatment using a range of psychometric tests. Efficacy data were available for 27 patients (15 in the placebo group and 12 in the active treatment group). Statistical analysis of the data as compared to baseline suggests that Ginkgo biloba extract had a beneficial effect on cognitive function in this group of patients. Performance on the Digit Copying sub-test of the Kendrick battery was significantly improved at both 12 and 24 weeks, while the median speed of response on a computerized version of a classification task also showed a significant superiority over placebo at 24 weeks.     

INHIBITION OF CREATINE KINASE ACTIVITY IN RAT BRAIN BY METHYL BROMIDE GAS

Rats were exposed to 290 or 495 ppm methyl bromide gas for 6 h/day, 3 times/wk for 4 to 8 wk. Creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and bromide ion concentrations were measured in eight regions of the brain. Methyl bromide gas inhibited CK activities in all regions of the brain, though the inhibition tended to be smallest in the cerebellum (hemisphere and vermis) and largest in the brainstem (hypothalamus, midbrain, and medulla oblongata). The dose of methyl bromide to inhibit CK activities was lower than that to damage the central nervous system histologically. No inhibition of ASAT or LDH activities was seen except for a slight inhibition of these in striatum. Inhibition of CK activities did not increase clearly on increasing dose (290 to 495 ppm) or on prolonging exposure period (4 to 8 wk). Although 50% recovery of CK activities and the half-life of bromide ion agreed well in the medulla oblongata, changes in CK activities and bromide ion concentrations did not correlate otherwise. Thus, inhibition of CK activities in brain appears to be a sensitive indicator of methyl bromide intoxication, and may be related to genesis of its neurotoxicity. The inhibition seems to be caused by methyl bromide itself rather than by bromide ion. When effects on enzyme activities in brain homogenate were examined in vitro by bubbling with methyl bromide gas, CK inhibition was seen within 15 s of exposure. Dithiothreitol suppressed the CK inhibition, whereas N -acetylcysteine did not. These observations suggest that methyl bromide may attack sites in the CK molecule different from those attacked by ethylene oxide or acrylamide.     

Farnesol: antinociceptive effect and histopathological analysis of the striatum and hippocampus of mice

Farnesol, a sesquiterpene alcohol, has been shown to have antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. Recent studies have found that antioxidant compounds may exert a certain protective effect against neurotoxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of farnesol (FAR) and its neurotoxic effects on the brains of adult mice. In this study, two mouse models of analgesia were used to evaluate FAR at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). In the acetic acid–induced writhing test, a significant decrease was found in the number of contortions in the FAR‐treated mice at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. FAR was also found to inhibit the licking response in the injected paw at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg (i.p.) in the first (0–5 min) and second phases (15–30 min) of the formalin test. To evaluate neurotoxic effects, Swiss mice were treated with 0.9% saline (i.p., control group), 0.05 Tween 80 dissolved in 0.9% saline (i.p., vehicle group), and FAR 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg, i.p. Following treatment, all groups were observed for 72 h. In the FAR 200‐mg group, 16% of the animals suffered brain injury that affected 12% of the area of the hippocampus. No lesions were found in the hippocampal and striatal regions of the brain in any of the animals treated with the 50 and 100 mg/kg doses of FAR. In conclusion, FAR exerts an antinociceptive effect with no significant neurotoxicity in the brains of adult mice.     

The application of anethole,menthone, and eugenol in transdermal penetration of valsartan: Enhancement and mechanistic investigation

Context: The main barrier for transdermal delivery is the obstacle property of the stratum corneum. Many types of chemical penetration enhancers have been used to breach the skin barrier; among the penetration enhancers, terpenes are found as the most highly advanced, safe, and proven category.

Objective: In the present investigation, the terpenes anethole, menthone, and eugenol were used to enhance the permeation of valsartan through rat skin in vitro and their enhancement mechanism was investigated.

Materials and methods: Skin permeation studies of valsartan across rat skin in the absence and the presence of terpenes at 1% w/v, 3% w/v, and 5% w/v in vehicle were carried out using the transdermal diffusion cell sampling system across rat skin and samples were withdrawn from the receptor compartment at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24?h and analysed for drug content by the HPLC method. The mechanism of skin permeation enhancement of valsartan by terpenes treatment was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Results: All the investigated terpenes provided a significant (p?<?0.01) enhancement in the valsartan flux at a concentration of 1%, and less so at 3% and 5%. The effectiveness of terpenes at 1% concentration was in the following order: anethole?>?menthone?>?eugenol with 4.4-, 4.0-, and 3.0-fold enhancement ratio over control, respectively. DSC study showed that the treatment of stratum corneum with anethole shifted endotherm down to lower melting point while FTIR studies revealed that anethole produced maximum decrease in peak height and area than other two terpenes.

Conclusion: The investigated terpenes can be successfully used as potential enhancers for the enhancement of skin permeation of lipophilic drug.     

山茱萸总萜对KKay糖尿病小鼠的治疗作用研究

目的 观察山茱萸总萜对KKay糖尿病小鼠的治疗作用。方法 选择KKay糖尿病小鼠模型,分别以低、中、高剂量（0.05、0.10、0.20 g/kg）的山茱萸总萜ig给药5周。每天给药前观察动物一般状况;给药前及给药期间每周测定1次小鼠体质量、空腹血糖;给药第5周,进行ip葡萄糖耐量试验（IPGTT）,采血测定胰岛素（Ins）、糖化血红蛋白（HbA1c）、糖化血清蛋白（GSP）、总胆固醇（TC）、三酰甘油（TG）、高密度脂蛋白（HDL）、低密度脂蛋白（LDL）水平,计算胰岛素抵抗指数（IR）。结果 与模型组比较,山茱萸总萜可以剂量相关性地减轻KKay小鼠体质量,高剂量组第1、2和5周差异显著（P<0.05）;各剂量组自给药第1周起即可显著降低空腹血糖水平（P<0.05、0.01）;高剂量组显著降低IPGTT中小鼠血糖-时间曲线下面积（P<0.05）;山茱萸总萜可以剂量相关性地降低Ins、HbA1c、GSP、TC、TG、LDL水平、降低IR。结论 山茱萸总萜对于KKay小鼠糖尿病相关症状和指标具有剂量相关性的改善作用,可改善脂质代谢紊乱,提示其在治疗伴有胰岛素抵抗和脂质代谢紊乱的轻、中度2型糖尿病方面具有良好的应用前景。     

民族药地菍研究进展

地菍Melastoma dodecandrum为我国民间习用药材,在我国畲族、瑶族、苗族等少数民族地区应用较多,具有活血止血、消肿祛瘀、清热解毒等功效。从本草考证、资源分布、标准收录情况、药理活性、化学成分、临床应用等方面对地菍的国内外研究进展进行综述,以期为地菍的后续研究、开发与临床应用提供参考。     

Topical antiinflammatory and analgesic activities of Copaifera duckei dwyer

The oleoresin of several Copaifera species is used widely in the Amazonian Region mainly as a topical antiinflammatory and healing agent. The topical analgesic and antiinflammatory activities of Copaifera duckei oleoresin, whose terpenoidal chemical composition has been characterized, are now examined. Antiinflammatory activity was evaluated in rats using the carrageenin-induced paw edema and the granuloma tests, and in mice by the croton oil-induced dermatitis test. Analgesic activity was determined in mice using the writhing test method. In the carrageenin-induced edema and granuloma tests the oleoresin in a dose of 1,802 mg/kg inhibited the edema by 18% and granuloma by 42% (p < 0.05), this last result similar to that observed with dexamethasone. Topical doses of 517 mg/kg, 1,035 mg/kg and 1,802 mg/kg produced 52%, 58% and 62% (p < 0.05) reduction of the edema induced by croton oil, respectively, and 48%, 56% and 65% inhibition of the writhing process (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the Copaifera duckei oleoresin has topical antiinflammatory and analgesic activities.