Tehran University Medical Journal

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The well-known fluorimetric method for histamine measurement which is one of the common methods in diagnostic laboratories was modified to accelerate and facilitate measurement of serum histamine levels and decrease the costs and restrictions. The modified method needs only 1 ml of whole blood (or serum) instead of about 10 ml in original method which is difficult almost or impossible specially for children. In addition, very small amounts of the expensive materials are needed and the samples are saved for about 15 days in -20°C which makes no significant changes. Because in most cases, sample can not be read at sampling day, the saving possibility is an advantage for improved method.

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Background: Using the systemic opioids in pain relief has been known during the history. Several evidences indicate that exogenous opioids such as morphine can produce anti-nociceptive effects by interacting with local opioid receptors in peripheral inflamed tissues in addition to analgesic effects of morphine, less clear is potential anti-inflammatory effects of it.

Materials and Methods: In the present study we examined effects of intra-peritoneal (i.p.) injection of morphine (7 mg/kg) on carrageenan (0.05 ml, 3% W/V in saline) induced paw edema in mice.

Results: Carrageenan induced paw edema were measured by mercury plethysmometer and was maximal at hour 3 and pretreatment with morphine could reduce the edema significantly. At the same time the serum levels of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) were increased. Pretreatment with naloxone (2&10 mg/kg, i.p.) at 45 min before and 165 min after carrageenan, respectively, blocked the effects of morphine sulfate on edema in each groups. Pretreatment with naloxone abolished morphine anti-inflammatory while decreased IL-1α serum levels, significantly. Although, administration of anti mouse IL-1α (7, 14 & 28 µg/mice, i.p.) abolished morphine anti-inflammatory effects.

Conclusion: These findings showed that increase in serum levels of IL-1α play important roles in anti-inflammatory effect of morphine. The results indicated that morphine exert significant anti-inflammatory activity. Presumably, the anti-inflammatory action of morphine may be due to change on the cytokine production and/or release by host immune system.

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Background: There is a growing interest in understanding the biological effects of time-tested folk medicinal plants including the green leafy vegetables, which supply minerals and vitamins to the diet. Trigonella foenum-graecum L (fenugreek) is a dietary vegetable and there are reports concerning its antinociceptive effects in Iranian traditional medicine. Its seeds are also known for their carminative, tonic, antidiabetic, antineoplastic and restorative properties. These reports and the hypoglycemic effect of fenugreek leaf extract encouraged us to assay fenugreek aqueous extract for cytotoxicity on NIH3T3 mouse fibroblast cells.

Methods: The NIH3T3cell line was purchased from National Research Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology of Iran. The cells were plated in 24-well microtiter plates with DMEM+F12 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum supplemented with 445 mg/L L-glutamine and maintained at 37^oC with 5% CO₂/95% air. Following a 24-hr incubation period, various concentrations (0.01-20 mg) of the extract to the culture wells. Cell viability was assessed using trypan blue and MTT assays after five days of incubation.

Results: The results show that the IC₅₀ of the fenugreek extract as calculated from the trypan blue and MTT assays were 1.25 and 2.5 mg/mL, respectively.

Conclusions: Our findings, therefore, suggest that the aqueous extract of fenugreek is classified as nontoxic. This observed cytotoxicity is not specific and could be due to membrane disturbances.