BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence suggests that some cardiovascular drugs could modulate the level of proinflammatory cytokines. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether celiprolol, a third generation β-adrenoceptor blocker, affects lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 in normotensive (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR)...

The hormonal responses to anaesthesia and cardiac surgery were studied in 20 patients. Ten patients were anaesthetized with fentanyl 60 microgram kg-1 and nitrous oxide in oxygen and 10 with etomidate 0.3 mgkg-1 and nitrous oxide in oxygen plus halothane. There were no significant changes in cortisol, growth hormone or insulin concentrations in response to surgery in either group, although cort...

Ethanol extract (ETE) and cold aqueous infusion (CAI) of Vitex leucoxylon leaf were evaluated in a battery of tests to define the activity profile of the plant. CAI depressed SMA, antagonised d-amphetamine stereotypy and oxotremorine tremors, shortened the duration of mice immobility in behavioural 'despair' test and lowered serum total cholesterol level. ETE showed significant inhibition of ca...

Chronic nicotine (NIC) pretreatment has been shown to enhance NICinduced locomotor stimulation, an effect that seems critically dependent on activation of brain dopamine (DA) systems. In the present study the effects of chronic, intermittent NIC treatment were examined in the rat to establish whether such behavioral sensitization is associated with specific, regional changes in brain dopaminerg...

We studied the efficacy of water-soluble extracts from four Ajuga spp on the post-embryonic development of two exopterygota (sucking insect) species. To allow comparison between different Ajuga species, results are expressed in terms of quantity of plant extracted per litre of test solution. Crude methanolic extracts of all Ajuga plants tested, with the exception of A genevensis, showed conside...

Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii (Stapf) Diels leaves are widely used in the treatment of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular related complications in Nigeria. This study investigates the anti-inflammatory and antiobesity effect of aqueous extract of Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii leaves in high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced obese rats. HFD-fed rats were given 100, 200, and 400 mgkg-1 body weight of aqueous...

OBJECTIVE Determine the effect of a matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor (MMPi) and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) on collagen, MMP, tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) expression in the spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) rat. METHODS Six groups were tested: normotensive 9- and 13-month-old Wistar-Furth (WF) rats, 9-month-old SHHFs (compensatory hypertrophy), 13-month...