The plant kingdom comprises medicinally useful plants that have provided many new drugs used to treat various diseases. In our search for bronchodilator secondary metabolites from growing in Saudi Arabia, the total extract of Rhazya stricta showed activity against carbamylcholine- (CCh) induced bronchoconstriction guinea pig tracheal muscles as an ex vivo model. fractions obtained liquid–liquid...

The separation of rat epididymal adipocytes into plasma-membrane, mitochondrial, microsomal and cytosol fractions is described. The fractions, which were characterized by marker-enzyme analysis and electron-micrographic observation, from the cells of fed and 24 h-starved animals were used to prepare acetone/diethyl ether-dried powders for the measurement of lipoprotein lipase activities. The hi...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current investigation was to study the influences, preventive and diuretic, of Nigella sativa L. seeds oil (NSSO) on calcium oxalate (CaOx) urolithiasis induced in Wistar male rats. METHODOLOGY Seeds of Nigella sativa L. (N.S) were analysed for the evaluation of the concentration of oxalate and calcium. Nigella sativa L. seeds oil is obtained by hyd...

OBJECTIVES For determining the mechanism of anti-asthmatic effect of thymoquinone, this investigation evaluated the effect of thymoquinone in the presence of selective A2A and A2B adenosine receptor antagonists (ZM241385 and MRS1706, respectively). MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy guinea pigs were randomly divided to 7 groups; control (C), sensitized with ovalbumin (S), sensitized groups pretrea...

The centromere regions of each chromosome in the complement of Nigella damascena (2n equals 2x equals 12) stain differentially with Giemsa at interphase and throughout all the principal stages of mitosis and meiosis. Each centromere is seen to consist of a pair of sister half-centromeres which appear as 2 differentially stained dots. The appearance and behaviour of these dots indicates that the...

Total poly(A)-containing mRNA was isolated from the MOPC-315 and MOPC-315 NR plasmacytomas. The RNA was further fractionated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-sucrose gradients. The MOPC-315 mRNA fractions directed the synthesis of both the heavy chain and light chain precursor of the MOPC-315 IgA protein in a cell-free extract of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. None of the MOPC-315 NR mRNA fractions test...

Preparations of plasminogen, soluble in aqueous media, increased vascular permeability in guinea pig skin when activated by streptokinase or urokinase. The permeability-enhancing effect was inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor but not by triprolidine. Permeability-enhancing activity evolved when plasmin was incubated with fractions of plasma rich in prokinin. The experiments described suggest...

The epoxide hydrolase activities of the 100,000 g pellet (microsomal) and 100,00 g soluble (cystosolic) fractions of mouse, rat, and guinea pig liver were measured with three closely related compounds used as substrates. Differences between the species in the distribution of the cytosolic and microsomal hydrolases and in their substrate specificities and pH optima demonstrate why epoxide hydrol...

This investigation examined the theoretical and practical parameters requisite to preparatory istachophoretic separation of blastomycin purified derivative. It resulted in a relatively simple, two-step procedure for preparation of blastomycin antigens in milligram quantitites that exhibited sensitivity and specificity in experimentally infected guinea pigs. Analysis of the nine isotachophoretic...

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) is one of the top reasons for patient visits to primary care physicians because of its bothersome symptoms. This highly prevalent disease also impairs quality of life, sleep, and work. Oral antihistamines are one of the most frequently prescribed medications for the management of SAR but they have their own side effects. Hence the effects of traditional Nigella ...