EFFECT OF SOME PHYTOGENIC AGENTS AND SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDS ON COMPLEMENT CASCADE-MEDIATED HEMOLYSIS

A variety of anti-inflammatory compounds obtained from various medicin al plants (phytogenic) as well as some synthetic compounds were tested on the complement cascade in vitro. Bovine erythrocytes were treated with rabbit antibovine red blood cell antibody. Rabbit plasma was dilu ted with veronal buffer and mixed with erythrocytes in the presence or absence of drugs and incubated. Erythrocytes were pelleted and the ab sorbance of the supernatant at 412 nm determined. Drugs could be group ed into three categories; (a) those with no effect whatsoever; (b) tho se which produced definite enhancement of the release of hemoglobin by the complement cascade, and (c) prednisolone, which inhibited the rel ease of hemoglobin by the complement cascade. We suggest that predniso lone and the drugs which had no effect on the complement cascade are s afer to use as anti-inflammatory agents, while drugs enhancing the com plement cascade may have potential adverse properties.