Apoptosis of blood neutrophils from healthy donors was studied under conditions of cell culturing with different concentrations of H(2)O(2), selective NO synthase inhibitor, and inductor of NO synthesis (L-arginine). In vitro incubation of neutrophilic leukocytes with 5 mM H(2)O(2) led to activation of the apoptotic program in neutrophils, which was seen from increased content of Bax protein in the cells and increased number of apoptotic cells in the culture. Increased content of annexin-positive cells after incubation of neutrophil culture with NO synthase inhibitor suggests involvement of NO in the regulation of neutrophil apoptosis under conditions of oxidative stress, while L-arginine prevented H(2)O(2)-induced programmed cell death.

The extract of meadowsweet aerial parts exhibits hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity during experimental toxic CCl 4 hepatitis. This extract improved liver function. Meadowsweet extract in 70% ethanol (100 mg/kg) was most potent and exhibited low toxicity. By several parameters the effectiveness of this extract surpassed that of Carsil.Liver and biliary diseases occupy an important place in the overall morbidity [4][5][6]. Despite the existence of numerous potential sources for hepatoprotectors, there are only small number of drugs of this group. They exhibit therapeutic efficacy only after longterm treatment, which is often associated with side effects. In Russia, much attention is paid to the search and synthesis of highly effective and safe hepatoprotectors.The pathogenesis of liver damage induced by various hepatoprotectors is mainly determined by prooxidant activity of these drugs. Plant antioxidants are promising hepatoprotective agents. The therapeutic effect of these agents under conditions of toxic liver injury is primarily related to the presence of phenol compounds (e.g., flavonoids, coumarins, and phenol carbonic acids). They have a wide range of biological activity, including antioxidant, membrane-stabilizing, antitoxic, and reparative properties [2,4,8].Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim.) of the Rosaceae family holds much promise in this respect. This plant contains various phenol compounds and is extensively used in traditional medicine for the treatment of digestive diseases [1].Here we studied hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of the extract from meadowsweet aerial parts (ME) during experimental toxic hepatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODSExperiments were performed on 112 male outbred albino rats weighing 220-240 g. The animals were kept in a vivarium under standard conditions and fed a standard diet. ME was obtained by treatment of meadowsweet aerial parts with solvents (water; 40, 70, and 95% ethanol) at 80-85 o C for 2 h. The raw material/extracting agent ratio was 1:10. ME in 70% ethanol consists of various substances that are extracted from ground raw materials with 70% ethanol. The extract contains 3.93% flavonoids by the content of quercetin and its glycosides (dry residue >22%). Meadowsweet aerial parts contain simple phenols, flavonoids, organic acids, coumarins, tannins, saponins, polysaccharides, carotenoids, amino acids, macroelements, and trace elements. Toxic hepatitis was modeled by daily intragastric administration of 1 ml/kg CCl 4 in 20% oil solution for 6 days. Toxic hepatitis in rats was verified by aminotransferase activity and contents of bilirubin and its fractions. The suspension of ME in 1% starch gel

We studied the state of the thiol-disulfide system (contents of reduced and oxidized glutathione, their ratio, and concentrations of protein SH-groups and protein-bound glutathione) and functional properties of neutrophils (production of hydroxyl radicals, IL-8, and TNF-α and myeloperoxidase activity) from healthy donors under conditions of oxidative stress in vitro induced by H(2)O(2)in a final concentration of 200 μM and from patients with community-acquired pneumonia. We evaluated the role of reduced and protein-bound glutathione in the regulation of functional state of blood neutrophils from patients with community-acquired pneumonia and during oxidative stress in vitro under conditions cell incubation with N-ethylmaleimide or 1,4-dithioerythritolsulfhydryl, the blocker and protector of sulfhydryl groups, respectively.