kaolinite and Arthritis--Rheumatoid

Malva parviflora is used as food in the gastronomy of some regions of Mexico and, also, in Mexican traditional medicine for inflammation-related conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. The objective of this work was to evaluate its antiarthritic activity in a mice model. In ICR, female mice were tested the dichloromethane extract (MpD) and fractions MpF4 (extracted with a dichoromethane:methanol system) and MpFphy (a precipitate by acetone:methanol) by using the mono-arthritis with kaolin/carrageenan model. During the treatment, joint inflammation was measured daily, and hyperalgesia was measured using the hot plate test. The treatments diminished both joint inflammation and pain. At the end of the evaluation, the left joint and spleen were extracted for determination of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The results showed that the MpD, MpF4, and MpFphy treatments modulated the concentration of these proteins. Specifically, MpFphy at 1.0 mg/kg increased IL-4 and IL-10 and decreased IL-17, IL-1β, and TNF-α. GC-MS analysis showed that MpF4 contained a mixture of a total of nine compounds, three of them newly reported for the species. The studies confirmed the presence of five sterols in the MpFphy fraction, including stigmasterol and β-sitosterol. These results confirm the anti-rheumatoid and anti-inflammatory activities of a fraction rich in sterols from Malva parviflora. Graphical abstract.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antirheumatic Agents; Arthritis, Experimental; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Carrageenan; Cytokines; Female; Inflammation; Kaolin; Malva; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Plant Extracts; Sterols

Following exposure to kaolin, plasma samples were assayed for total prekallikrein/kallikrein activity in 19 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 39 patients with RA complicated by amyloidosis, 13 patients with nonamyloid nephropathy and 54 healthy subjects. Increased total kallikrein activity was found in RA patients with amyloidosis and in patients with nonamyloid nephropathy. The concentrations of the plasma kallikrein inhibitors C1-inactivator and alpha 2-macroglobulin were normal in RA patients without amyloidosis, whereas they were increased in patients with amyloidosis as well as in patients with nonamyloid nephropathy. The results suggest that the increased activity of plasma kaolin-stimulated kallikrein in RA patients with amyloidosis is due to the nephropathy per se and probably reflects increased levels of prekallikrein.

Topics: Adult; Aged; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; alpha-Macroglobulins; Amyloidosis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Complement C1 Inactivator Proteins; Female; Humans; Kallikreins; Kaolin; Kidney Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Prekallikrein

The Freund's adjuvant technic, using killed Mycobacterium butyricum suspended in mineral oil, is a refined tool for anti-inflammatory drug evaluation. Its use has long been reserved for testing and not for screening due to technical problems in the preparation of valid animal models. After reviewing the methodology, the authors demonstrated that the availability of arthritic rats from a modern breeding center (Charles River France, SA, Elbeuf, France) make the procedure applicable to drug screening. This has both practical and economic advantages. The animals can be used as test organisms for drug evaluation 14 da after treatment. Three criteria for measuring the effectiveness of anti-arthritic drugs have been established: an arithritic index determined by examination of the 4 paws; changes in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate; and changes in levels of plasma fibrinogen. The curative activity of test substances can be evaluated by a single series of measurements of these 3 criteria after 14 da of treatment. This test was compared with 2 others; edema of the paw induced by the subcutaneous injection of kaolin or carrageenan, and was found to be superior.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Blood Sedimentation; Breeding; Carrageenan; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Edema; Fibrinogen; Freund's Adjuvant; Inflammation; Kaolin; Male; Rats; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms

Topics: Adsorption; Antibodies, Viral; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Complement Fixation Tests; Herpes Simplex; Humans; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Immunologic Techniques; Kaolin; Measles; Mumps; Rheumatoid Factor; Rubella

Topics: Adsorption; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Factor XI; Factor XII; Gout; Hemophilia A; Humans; Kaolin; Stimulation, Chemical; Synovial Fluid

Topics: Arthritis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Collagen Diseases; Diagnosis; gamma-Globulins; Hemagglutination; Hemagglutination Tests; Humans; Immune Sera; Kaolin; Rheumatoid Factor; Serology