title: A Comparative Study upon the Therapeutic Indices of Some Natural and Synthetic Anti-inflammatory Agents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE THERAPEUTIC INDICES OF SEVERAL AGENTS USED IN TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS WHICH INCLUDED: Vitamin E, hydro-alcoholic extracts of Glycyrrhiza glabra, Matricaria aurea, dexamethasone, piroxicam and diclofenac using Wehi-164 fibrosarcoma cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytotoxicity evaluation was based on vital dye exclusion assay. Matrix-metalloproteinases inhibition (MMPI) was assessed by gelatinase zymography method. The collected data were used to estimate the IC50 (50% MMPI concentration), LC50 (50% cytotoxicity concentration) and the therapeutic index (LC50/IC50).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the natural anti-inflammatory agents used, M. aurea was the least toxic and the most effective inhibitor of MMP. Vitamin E not only increased MMP activity, but also was the most toxic of all the agents tested. Next in terms of toxicity to vitamin E was G. glabra. Diclofenac was more toxic than both piroxicam and dexamethasone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from this study suggest that medicinal plants reputed to have anti-inflammatory properties are not equally effective and safe. In order to assess the implications of these findings, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology , School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khodadadi
authors.forename: Mohammad Hassan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Pipelzadeh
authors.forename: Nasrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aghel
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esmaeilian
authors.forename: Iman
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zali
keywords: Antinflammatory agents; Cytotoxicity; Gelatinase; Matrix-metalloproteinases; Therapuetic Index; Zymography