Evaluation of the hepatotoxic and hepatoprotective effect of Rwandese herbal drugs on in vivo (guinea pigs barbiturate-induced sleeping time) and in vitro (rat precision-cut liver slices, PCLS) models.

Precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) preserve the tissular organization of the organ and represent an in vitro model closer to in vivo conditions than hepatocytes cultures. As this may be an interesting tool not only for the investigation of hepatotoxic and protective effects but also for bioguided fractionations schemes, the usefulness of PCLS was compared with an in vivo test of liver function. Crude extracts derived from five herbs used in Rwanda for hepatoprotective activity were tested on CCl(4)-treated guinea pigs by the method of barbiturate-induced sleep modification.

Serum alkaline deoxyribonuclease activity, a sensitive marker for the therapeutic monitoring of cancer patients: methodological aspects.

Alkaline deoxyribonuclease (DNase) is present in human circulating serum but its physiological role and signification of its variations are still largely unknown. The present report demonstrates that between 37 degrees C and 50 degrees C, as measured in the presence of 0.25 mmol/l Ca2+ and 5 mmol/l Mg2+, serum alkaline DNase activity increases, in most sera, reaching a level far higher than expected from thermal activation.