José R. Jiménez

Vasodilatory effects of flavonoids in rat aortic smooth muscle. Structure-activity relationships

1. Flavonoids relaxed the contractions induced by noradrenaline, KCl or phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate in rat aortic strips, the order of potency being: flavonols (quercetin, kaempferol, pentamethylquercetin) > flavones(luteolin, apigenin) > flavanols((+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin) which correlates with the reported order of potency to inhibit protein kinase C. 2. The relaxant effects of kaempferol and luteolin were slightly potentiated by isoprenaline and those of pentamethylquercetin, kaempferol and apigenin by sodium nitroprusside. 3. It is concluded that the main vasodilatory mechanism of flavonoids seems to be the inhibition of protein kinase C. Inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases or decreased Ca2+ uptake may also contribute to their vasodilatory effects.

Vasodilator effects of quercetin in isolated rat vascular smooth muscle

The effects of quercetin were studied on contractile responses induced by noradrenaline, high KCl, Ca2+ and phorbol 12-myristate,13-acetate in rat aortic strips and on spontaneous mechanical activity in rat portal vein segments. Quercetin, 10(-6)-10(-4) M, inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the contractions induced by noradrenaline, high KCl and Ca2+, this effect being observed when the drug was added before or after the induced contractions. The spontaneous myogenic portal activity was also inhibited. Mechanical removal of endothelium did not affect the relaxant effects of quercetin on noradrenaline-induced contractions. In addition, at the same range of concentrations, quercetin also relaxed the contractions induced by phorbol 12-myristate,13-acetate. Quercetin1 10(-5) and 5 x 10(-5) M, increased the aortic cyclic AMP content. However, pretreatment with 10(-7) M isoprenaline did not modify the relaxant effects of quercetin on noradrenaline-induced contractions and quercetin did not modify the relaxant effects of forskolin, which suggested that the vasodilator effects of quercetin were not mediated by inhibition of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases. In conclusion, in isolated rat aorta quercetin produced a vasodilator effect that seems to be mainly related to the inhibition of protein kinase C. However, and since this drug exerts multiple biochemical effects, inhibition of other transduction pathways may be involved in this effect.

Effects of flavonoids on rat aortic smooth muscle contractility: structure-activity relationships.

1. Flavonoids produced a concentration-dependent relaxation of the contractile responses induced by noradrenaline, KCl, or phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate in rat aortic rings. Only the flavonoid with three contiguous hydroxyls in B rings (myricetin), at low concentrations, potentiates the contractions evoked by these agonists. 2. The relaxant effects of flavanone on the noradrenaline-induced contractions were potentiated by isoprenaline and those of morin, chrysin, flavanone, and naringenin by sodium nitroprusside. 3. Several mechanisms are implicated in the vasodilatory effects of flavonoids: inhibition of protein kinase C; inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases; and/or decreased Ca2+ uptake.

Changes in corneal asphericity after laser in situ keratomileusis

Purpose: To analyze the origin of the changes in corneal asphericity (p‐factor) after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and the effect of postsurgery asphericity on contrast‐sensitivity function (CSF) under photopic conditions. Setting: Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain. Methods: The p‐factor and CSF (best corrected before surgery and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery) were measured in 24 eyes. Results: An increase in the p‐factor after LASIK was noted; there was an 87.2% change in the asphericity using the paraxial formula of Munnerlyn and coauthors. Other factors such as decentration, type of laser, optical role of the flap, wound healing, biomechanical effects, technical procedures, and reflection losses of the laser on the cornea could account for the greater than expected increase (12.8%) in the p‐factor. The CSF measurements deteriorated after LASIK; the change was significant (P<.05) in patients with myopia worse than −4.0 diopters at frequencies of 9.2, 12, 15, and 20 cycles per degree. Conclusion: The increase in corneal asphericity after surgery, greater with a higher degree of myopia, and the deterioration in CSF with high myopia justify new ablation algorithms and further study of the variables that could modify the ablation unpredictably.

Night vision disturbances after successful LASIK surgery

Objective: To evaluate the changes in correlations of higher order aberrations of the first corneal surface with halo phenomena, a form of image degradation, under night vision conditions measured objectively after successful LASIK (laser in situ keratomileusis) surgery. Methods: A prospective, observational, analytical study of 110 eyes that had undergone successful LASIK surgery for myopia and astigmatism. Preoperative sphere was (mean (SD)) −3.48 (1.70) D (0 to −8.00 D) and preoperative cylinder was −0.86 (0.87) D (0 to −4.00 D). Visual disturbance caused by halo phenomena was measured with the Starlights v1.0, and pupil size was measured with Colvard pupilometry after adaptation to a dark environment (0.17 lux). Corneal aberrations were computed for a corneal diameter representative of the eye’s entrance pupil under night vision conditions. Results: The halo disturbance index increased in this study by a factor of 2.15 after successful LASIK surgery. Total root mean square for monochromatic higher order aberration displayed a significant correlation with halo disturbance index (r = 0.42; p<0.01). However, only secondary astigmatism (r = 0.36; p<0.01), coma (r = 0.25; p = 0.02) and spherical aberration (r = 0.40; p<0.01) were responsible for such behaviour, with the remaining corneal aberrations up to the sixth order not displaying any significant correlation when considered individually. Conclusion: Patients undergoing LASIK procedures display an increase of halo phenomena around lights in night vision conditions, even when the results of the surgery are considered entirely satisfactory according to current international standards of predictability, efficacy and safety. Secondary astigmatism, coma and spherical aberration are the higher order aberrations up to the sixth order that significantly correlated with halo disturbance index.

Effect on laser-ablation algorithms of reflection losses and nonnormal incidence on the anterior cornea

In this paper, we provide an analytic expression for an adjustment factor in ablation algorithms for photorefractive laser surgery which take into account reflection losses and the nonnormal incidence on the cornea. We evaluate the influence of this factor on certain ocular parameters, calculating alterations in the radius of anterior cornea and corneal asphericity when we use the algorithm given by Munnerlyn’s paraxial formula. Our data indicate that this adjustment factor should be considered in the ablation algorithms that are currently being proposed in customized corneal ablation and that need great accuracy for the correction of eye aberrations.

Yield and composition of the essential oil of Thymus serpylloides subsp. serpylloides

Abstract The difference in yield and composition of essential oil of Thymus serpylloides subsp. serpylloides (‘thyme of the Sierra’) has been investigated. The research included all of its different phonological stages, its sexual characteristics, during three consecutive years. Quantitative analysis of the essential oil revealed that there is a predominance of both aromatic alcohols (carvacrol being the most abundant component in this group) and their precursors (γ-terpinene and p -cymene).

Pharmacological activity of the essential oil of Bupleurum gibraltaricum: Anti-inflammatory activity and effects on isolated rat uteri

The essential oil of Bupleurum gibraltaricum showed considerable anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan-produced pedal edema in rats. This appeared to be due to the delta-3-carene component. The essential oil and delta-3-carene both produced qualitatively similar changes in rat uterine contractions caused by oxytocin (a progressive dose-related modification of the concentration-response curves) and acetylcholine (non-progressive modification of the concentration-response curves).

Changes in corneal asphericity after laser refractive surgery, including reflection losses and nonnormal incidence upon the anterior cornea.

We tested the effects on laser ablation of reflection losses and nonnormal incidence on the anterior cornea. We measured presurgical and postsurgical corneal asphericity in 94 myopic eyes, comparing it with the corneal asphericity predicted by the Munnerlyn formula, modified or not, with an adjustment factor that takes into account the two effects mentioned above. The predictive power of the experimental results was stronger when we considered the adjustment factor. We propose to modify ablation algorithms by taking this adjustment factor into account, especially in customized corneal ablation, which needs high accuracy for correcting eye aberrations.

Micropropagation of Santolina canescens Lagasca and in vitro volatiles production by shoot explants

Shoot-tips of Santolina canescens, an aromatic species producing a novel diacetylene derivative, were in vitromultiplied on Murashige-Skoog basal medium (MS) containing different concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA) and kinetin (KIN). Rooting phase was performed on media supplemented with different auxins: 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA), 3-indolebutyric acid (IBA) and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The best axillary-bud proliferation was recorded on MS medium containing 1.33 μM BA plus 0.32 μM NAA. Plantlets rooted easily on the different tested media, but more abundant and stronger roots occurred on media containing 2.68 μM NAA. The composition of oil obtained through the cultured explants was analyzed by headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC), and santolindiacetylene (SDA) in vitro production was tested. In order to stimulate the production of this product, different concentrations of linoleic acid were supplemented to the media. The best santolindiacetylene production was obtained when the rooting media was supplemented with 0.36 μM linoleic acid.