Search results for "platelet-activating factor"
showing 10 items of 15 documents
Platelet-activating factor type activity in plasma from patients with septicemia and other diseases
1991
The purpose of the present study was to determine whether increased levels of platelet-activating factor (PAF) type activity can be detected in plasma from patients with septicemia and other diseases. A level of PAF below 0.5 ng/mL of plasma was considered normal. We found that plasma from a patient with adverse anaphylactoidic reaction to intravenous analgetics contained 2.1 ng PAF/mL. In seven patients with septicemia, including urosepsis, endocarditis and peritonitis, and with positive blood culture, increased plasma PAF levels (1-20 ng PAF/mL) were observed. Other patients with clinical indications of septicemia had negative blood cultures and/or increased levels of C-reactive protein (…
New findings on the bioactivity of lignans
2002
Abstract This chapter reviews the lignans with biological and pharmacological activity, and includes new natural products and some synthetic or semisynthetic compounds. Lignans are widespread in plants and in many cases are their effective principles. They play an important role as phytoestrogens in preventing menopausial symptoms, osteoporosis, cancer and heart diseases. Lignans possess anticancer and antiviral properties and specifically inhibit certain enzymes and mediators involved in inflammation and immunity processes. They affect the cardiovascular system by different mechanisms including the modification of phosphodiesterase activity and platelet activating factor function. Lignans …
Vitamin C blocks inflammatory platelet-activating factor mimetics created by cigarette smoking.
1997
Cigarette smoking within minutes induces leukocyte adhesion to the vascular wall and formation of intravascular leukocyte-platelet aggregates. We find this is inhibited by platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonists, and correlates with the accumulation of PAF-like mediators in the blood of cigarette smoke-exposed hamsters. These mediators were PAF-like lipids, formed by nonenzymatic oxidative modification of existing phospholipids, that were distinct from biosynthetic PAF. These PAF-like lipids induced isolated human monocytes and platelets to aggregate, which greatly increased their secretion of IL-8 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha. Both events were blocked by a PAF r…
Cross-talk between minimally primed HL-60 cells and resting HUVEC reveals a crucial role for adhesion over extracellularly released oxidants
2011
This study demonstrates that a long-lasting co-culture of neutrophil surrogates (HL-60 cells), minimally primed by platelet activating factor (PAF), and resting endothelial cells (EC) results in the elaboration of an hyper-adhesive endothelial surface, as measured by the increase in the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules E-Selectin, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1. This endothelial dysfunction is mediated by the activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor NF-κB through an exclusive adhesion-driven mechanism active in the endothelial cell: reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, extracellularly released by minimally primed HL-60 cells, are not involved in the induction of the endotheli…
Antiasthmatic Effects of <i>Picrorhiza kurroa</i>: Androsin Prevents Allergen- and PAF-induced Bronchial Obstruction in Guinea Pigs
1991
In the Ayurvedic medicine, <i>Picrorhiza kurroa </i>Royle ex Benth. is used for the treatment of liver and lung diseases. Using different chemical and pharmacological methods, we could identify the phenol glycoside androsin as active compound preventing allergen and platelet-activating factor induced bronchial obstruction in guinea pigs in vivo (10 mg/kg p.o.; 1 h prior to the inhalation challenge). Histamine release from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes in vitro was inhibited by other compounds yet to be identified.
Effects of selective phosphodiesterase inhibitors on platelet-activating factor- and antigen-induced airway hyperreactivity, eosinophil accumulation,…
1996
There is currently interest in the potential use of selective inhibitors of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDE) in the treatment of asthma. In this study we examined the effects of three selective PDE inhibitors, milrinone (PDE III), rolipram (PDE IV) and zaprinast (PDE V), on the broncoconstriction produced by antigen and histamine, the airway hyperreactivity and microvascular leakage after aerosol exposure to platelet-activating factor (PAF) and antigen, and the antigen-induced eosinophil infiltration in guinea-pig lung. Inhaled rolipram (0.01-10 mg ml-1) inhibited dose dependently the bronchospasm produced by aerosol antigen (5 mg ml-1) an anaesthetised, ventilated guinea-pigs. Ro…
Platelet-activating factor contributes to the induction of long-term potentiation in the rat somatosensory cortex in vitro
2007
The contribution of platelet-activating factor (PAF) to the induction of neocortical LTP was examined in rat brain slices containing the primary somatosensory cortex (SI). Field potentials evoked by single pulse stimulation in cortical layer IV were recorded from layer II/III. In control experiments, tetanic high frequency stimulation (HFS) resulted in input-specific, NMDA receptor-dependent LTP (21.1+/-3.2%; mean+/-SEM; n=15; P0.001). BN-52021 (5 microM), an antagonist at the extracellular PAF receptor, weakened the HFS-induced LTP to 12.4+/-2.7% (n=11; P0.05). In contrast, HFS-induced LTP was significantly enhanced to 29.4+/-2.3% (n=11; P0.05) when brain slices were superfused with ACSF c…
Involvement of prostaglandins and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the contractile effect of platelet-activating factor in rat isolated gastric corpus
1996
Abstract The present study characterizes the nature of the response to the platelet-activating factor (PAF) in isolated gastric corpus with and without mucosa. PAF (10-8 M) induced contraction of rat isolated gastric corpus strips followed by desensitization of this tissue. Incubation of strips with the specific PAF-receptor antagonist WEB 2086 (5 × 10-8 − 5 × 10-5 M), the prostaglandin blocker indomethacin (10-6 M) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine antagonist methysergide (10-5 M) reduced significantly the contraction induced by PAF. Neither of the histamine H1/H2 antagonists diphenhydramine (10-6 M) or cimetidine (10-5 M) affected the contraction induced by PAF. In contrast with the whole gastr…
Action of the racemate and the isomers of the platelet-activating factor antagonist bepafant (WEB 2170) after oral administration to guinea-pigs and …
1991
The aim of the present study was to clarify whether there is a difference in terms of potency and pharmacodynamic half time between the isomers and the racemate of the platelet-activating factor antagonist WEB 2170 (bepafant) after oral administration to guineapigs or rats. The following experiments were performed in the guinea-pig. Infusion of platelet-activating factor at 30 ng/ (kg × min) for 30 min to anaesthetized guinea-pigs induced a decrease of respiratory flow and mean arterial blood pressure. Oral pretreatment with WEB 2170 or isomers, respectively, 60 min before infusion of plateletactivating factor inhibited these changes in a dose-dependent manner. The ED50S for inhibition of r…
Effect of two phenanthrene alkaloids on angiotensin II-induced leukocyte-endothelial cell interactionsin vivo
2003
The present study has evaluated the effect of two phenanthrene alkaloids, uvariopsine and stephenanthrine, on angiotensin II (Ang-II)-induced leukocyte–endothelial cell interactions in vivo and the mechanisms involved in their activity. Intravital microscopy within the rat mesenteric microcirculation was used. A 60 min superfusion with 1 nM Ang-II induced a significant increase in the leukocyte–endothelial cell interactions that were completely inhibited by 1 μM uvariopsine cosuperfusion. A lower dose of 0.1 μM significantly reduced Ang-II-induced leukocyte adhesion by 75%. When Ang-II was cosuperfused with 1 and 0.1 μM stephenanthrine, Ang-II-induced leukocyte responses were significantly …