Nephroprotective potential of artichoke leaves extract against gentamicin in rats: antioxidant mechanisms

Nephrotoxicity represents a major health problem. This study aims to determine nephroprotective of artichoke leaves extract [ALE] against gentamicin [GM] injection in male rats. Rats [n=30] were divided into; negative control, nephrotoxic [GM] injected intraperitoneally [i.p.] with GM [100 mg/kg b.wt/d for 10 days], and groups administered orally with ALE [200, 400 or 600 mg/kg b.wt/d] and injected with GM. The results revealed that, GM injection induced marked nephrotoxicity as evidenced by significant increase in kidney functions, albumin and potassium [K[+]], with significant decrease in serum levels of total protein and sodium [Na[+]] as compared with negative control group. There was significant increase in malondialdehyde [MDA] level in GM group compared with negative control group. Renal examined tissues showed severe changes manifested by atrophy of glomerular tuft, necrosis of epithelial lining renal tubules with apoptosis of tubular epithelium and renal hemorrhage. Simultaneous administration of ALE during GM therapy protected kidney tissues as evidenced by normalization of kidney biochemical parameters and minimized the histopathological changes. Therefore, ALE has nephroprotective and antioxidant effects, thus could be beneficial for kidney patients

Frequency of gestational diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in urban Sudanese pregnant women in the third trimester

Impaired glucose tolerance may be defined as intermediate group of individuals whose carbohydrate metabolism does not constitute diabetes but is not entirely normal. It carries a higher risk of developing microvascular disease and a significant percentage of these patients eventually become diabetics. Of the study was to estimate the frequency of gestational diabetes mellitus [GDM] and impaired glucose tolerance [IGT] in urban Sudanese pregnant women in the third trimester. The study also showed the effect of age and parity on IGT. The study was carried out on hundred pregnant women in the third trimester. The frequency of gestational diabetes was 2% and it was 6% for the IGT incidence whereas, 92% of the pregnant women revealed normal fasting plasma levels. The IGT pregnant women were older than the control pregnant women but, the age difference was not significant [28.7 +/- 5.5 years [mean +/- S.D] vs. 27.3 +/- 4.8 respectively, p>0.05]. Also, the IGT pregnant women were found to have mean parity significantly greater than that of the control group [6.7 +/- 2 [mean +/- S.D.] vs. 3.9 +/- 2.1 respectively, p<0.001]. The frequency of GDM and IGT in Sudanese pregnant women is within the universal estimates and parity is an important risk factor that affects impaired glucose tolerance incidence in pregnancy

Effect of morin against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in young male rats

Morin, a bioflavonoid with antioxidant properties, is a constituent of many herbs and fruits that are used as herbal medicines. It exhibits many biological activities and possibly even has protective effects against chronic diseases. The present study was conducted to determine the protective effect of morin against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in young male rats. Young male rats [n=24] were divided into four groups as follow; [1]: control group, [2]: gentamicin [GM] group; rats injected intraperitioneally [i.p.] with GM at a dose of 100 mg /kg body weight [b.w.] for five consecutive days to induced nephrotoxicity, [3]: morin group; rats administered morin daily at a dose of 30 mg/ kg b. w. via gavage, and [4] GM group pretreated with morin; rats were orally received morin at the same dose and route in group [3] up to two weeks followed by injected i.p. with GM as in group [2]. Separated serum samples were used for determination of protein metabolism parameters, kidney functions, malondialdehyde [MDA], and ionic sodium [Na[+]] and potassium [K[+]]. GM injection induced marked nephrotoxicity as evidenced by significant elevation in serum levels of albumin, creatinine, urea, uric acid, MDA and K[+], with significant reduction in serum levels of total protein, Na[+] and albumin/creatinine ratio [ACR]. Pretreatment with morin protected the rats from GM-induced nephrotoxicity as evidenced by significant improvement of these investigated parameters. Histological examination of renal tissues showed marked glomerular thickening, vacuolations of the wall of blood vessels associated with necrobiotic changes in GM injected group, meanwhile there were amelioration in rats group received morin pre-GM injection. Morin exert potential antioxidant activity and offer nephroprotective effect against GM-induced nephrotoxicity in young rats

Bakery fortification and biological evalation of bottle gourd seeds [lagenaria siceraria]

This study was conducted to investigate the potential use of roasted bottle gourd seeds [BGS] as a source of protein, oil and fiber in some bakery products [white pan bread and cup cake] and determine their hypocholesterolemic effects in rats. The roasted whole BGS were subjected to different chemical determinations [Trypsin inhibitor activity and proximal composition]. White pan bread and cup cake were fortified with roasted whole BGS and their kernel flours at different percentages [10, 15 and 20%]. All the fortified samples were subjected to both objective and organoleptic evaluation. The fortified products which maintained better characteristics were subjected to nutritive value determination. The biological study included 20 male albino rats of Sprague Dawley strain, weighing [120 +/- 10 g] and lasted for 4 weeks. The rats were divided into four main groups [n = 5 rats] as follows group 1 [control] fed on a basal diet, group 2 hypocholesterolemic [HC] rats fed on a high fat and high cholesterol diet, group 3 rats fed on hypocholesterolemic diet containing [10%] raw BGS flour and group 4 rats fed on hypocholesterolemic diet containing [10%] roasted BGS flour. Food intake, body weight gain, feed efficiency ratio [FER], relative organ weights. hematocrit level, serum calcium, iron and lipid profiles were determined. Results showed that the chemical composition of fortified white pan bread and cup cake improved significantly [p<0.05] as compared to the control. The biological study showed that rats fed on raw BGS had significant [p<0.05] decrease in food intake, body weight gain, FER, hematocrit level and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, while it induced significant [p<0.05] increase in low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations as compared to the control group. Meanwhile, roasted BGS caused significant [p<0.05] increase in body weight gain and ameliorate the lipid profile parameters. Feeding tested rats on raw and roasted BGS each individually resulted in non-significant [p<0.05] decrease in calcium level and non-significant increase in iron level comparing with HC group. It can be concluded that under the study condition, roasted BGS had good impact on nutritional values of bakery products and showed hypocholesterolemic effectl on experimental animals

effect of some maternal risk factors in glucose tolerance impairment among Sudanese pregnant women in the third trimester

To show the effect of some maternal risk factors in glucose tolerance impairment in pregnancy, a study was carried out on thirty pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus, thirty ones with impaired glucose tolerance and thirty control ones with normal glucose tolerance. Age and parity of the GDM and the IGT groups were significantly greater than that of the control group: 32.77 +/- 5.08 years [mean +/- S.D.], 31.1 +/- 6.04 vs 23.93 +/- 4.46 respectively, p<0.0001 and 5.23 +/- 2.69, 5.6 +/- 3.07 vs 2.77 +/- 1.48 respectively, p< 0.0001. Also, The GDM and the IGT groups were found to have a family history of diabetes and previous heavy babies, incidence significantly higher than that of the control group. Finally, it was concluded that Age, parity, previous heavy babies' incidence and family history of diabetes are very important maternal risk factors that affect glucose tolerance in pregnancy

Bees honey abolishes the physiological disorders induced by some synthetic food colourant additives administered to young male albino rats

This work aimed to study the physiological changes in body weight, blood picture, thyroid hormones [T3 and T4] and liver functions as well as to examine the histochemical and histopathological changes in the liver of young male rats after receiving one of two colors additives mixture commonly used in local food factories in the Egyptian market [colour I, tartrazine and carmoisine and colour II, brilliant blue, sunset yellow, tartrazine and carmoisine] at a dose level of 0.3 g% in drinking water for 8 weeks. This work was also extended to study the possible protective role of a regular daily intake of bees honey [3.3 mg/kg b.wt.] against the disturbances induced by these colours additives. In conclusion, the tested synthetic food colours additives induced physiological disturbances in rats. On the other hand, the administration of bees honey plays an important protective role against the deleterious effects of the colours additives. However, even recent studies of the carcinogenic and other adverse properties of these compounds have failed to provide a basis for the confident prediction of the physiological specifications; hence, there is still a necessity of their metabolic and toxicological properties