Gossypol: a potent inhibitor of PAF-acether- and leukotriene-induced contractions of guinea-pig lung parenchyma strips

Platelet-activating factor (PAF)-antagonists of natural origin

Presently herbal medicines are being used by about 80% of the world population for primary health care as they stood the test of time for their safety, efficacy, cultural acceptability and lesser side effects. The discovery of platelet activating factor antagonists (PAF antagonists) during these decades are going on with different framework, but the researchers led their efficiency in studying in vitro test models. Since it is assumed that PAF play a central role in etiology of many diseases in humans such as asthma, neuronal damage, migraine, cardiac diseases, inflammatory, headache etc. Present days instinctively occurring PAF antagonist exists as a specific grade of therapeutic agents for the humans against these and different diseases either laid hold of immunological or non-immunological types. Ginkgolide, cedrol and many other natural PAF antagonists such as andrographolide, α-bulnesene, cinchonine, piperine, kadsurenone, different Piper species' natural products and marine origin plants extracts or even crude drugs having PAF antagonist properties are being used currently against different inflammatory pathologies. This review is an attempt to summarize the data on PAF and action of natural PAF antagonists on it, which were evaluated by in vivo and in vitro assays.

Pharmacological modulation of platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced bronchoconstriction and hypertension in anaesthetized guinea-pigs

The effect of PAF has been examined in anaesthetized guinea-pigs. Intravenous (i.v.) administration of PAF (10 ng kg-1) did not modify the respiratory response but decreased the arterial blood pressure. A high dose of PAF (200 ng kg-1) caused marked bronchoconstriction and concomitant hypertension. The cyclooxygenase inhibitors aspirin (5 mg kg-1) and indomethacin (5 mg kg-1) and the thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor antagonist BM-13.177 (1 mg kg-1) failed to inhibit the peak bronchoconstrictive response but significantly inhibited the prolonged response following peak response. These inhibitors also attenuated PAF-induced hypertension. On the other hand, the lipoxygenase inhibitors phenidone (10 mg kg-1) and NDGA (5 mg kg-1) and the leukotriene (LT) receptor antagonist FPL-55712 (2 mg kg-1) affected neither bronchoconstriction nor hypertension induced by PAF. However, when aspirin was given in combination with NDGA, phenidone or FPL-55712, the peak and the following prolonged bronchoconstriction were significantly inhibited. The suppression of PAF-induced hypertension by aspirin was not further inhibited by the combination of these inhibitors. These results indicate that in anaesthetized guinea-pigs PAF-induced bronchoconstriction is composed of a dual response, a direct action (peak response) and an indirect action (prolonged response). The latter may be produced by the generation of TXA2 and lipoxygenase products, while PAF-induced hypertension is indirectly mediated by the generation of TXA2.