Antiosteoporotic activity of Salvadora persica sticks extract in an estrogen deficient model of osteoporosis

OBJECTIVES: The effect of Salvadora persica sticks on prevention of tooth decay is well established, but the effect of S. persica stick extract (SPE) on the prevention/treatment of osteoporosis has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to provide baseline information of the effectiveness of SPE on ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of osteoporosis. METHODS: SPE was administered at 50, 150, and 300 mg/d orally to OVX rats for 16 weeks. Serum osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus, and urinary deoxypyridinoline, calcium, and phosphorus were measured. Bone mineral density (BMD), 3-point bending test, and histomorphometric characteristics of the femoral bone were also examined. RESULTS: SPE at doses of 150 and 300 mg/d, but not 50 mg/d, significantly prevented bone loss in OVX rats as proved by decreased biochemical markers of bone resorption and increased BMD and biomechanical indices of the femoral bone. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms a dose-dependent protective action of SPE on rat OVX model of osteoporosis. This effect needs further investigation at the molecular and clinical levels to provide a natural and cost-effective alternative for the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

The Effect of Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells on Lung Regeneration and Apoptosis in a Simple Model of Pulmonary Emphysema

BACKGROUND: In severe chronic stages of emphysema the only treatment is lung transplantation. SO, an urgent need exists for the development of effective treatments. Stem cells therapy arises as a new therapeutic approach. AIM OF THE WORK: To investigate whether bone marrow mononuclar cells (BMMNCs) can promote lung regeneration and decrease apoptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced pulmonary emphysema in C57Bl/6 mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 14 weeks old female mice (C57Bl/6), weighing around 25 g were used in this study. The mice were divided into 4 groups (10 in each group): group A: mice received no treatment, group B: mice received intranasal instillation of LPS with no further treatment, group C: mice received intranasal instillation of LPS then given a dose of BMMNCs and evaluated 21 days later and group D: the mice that received intranasal instillation of LPS then given a dose of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) and evaluated 21 days later. Imaging analysis was done using imagej program. To measure apoptotic index, Anti-caspase 3 polyclonal antibody staining was done. RESULTS: Analysis of the mean of airspace equivalent diameters (D0) and its statistical distribution (D1) for the different groups allowed to observe that group treated with BMMNCs (group C) showed the significant improvement in D0 and D1 than the group received LPS only (group B). Analysis of apoptotic index showed significant difference between BMMNCs treated group (group C) and that received LPS only (group B). CONCLUSIONS: BMMNCs effectively promote lung regeneration and reduction of apoptosis in pulmonary emphysema.

Stem Cells and Lung Regeneration

Tissues such as the lung, liver, and pancreas that have a low steady-state cell turnover yet can respond robustly after injury to replace damaged cells. The airway epithelium is exposed to inhaled particles and pathogens that may lead to the development of a many infectious and inflammatory respiratory diseases. Lung transplantation is an accepted modality of treatment for end-stage lung diseases. Since the early 1990 s, more than 26,000 lung transplants have been performed at centers worldwide. However, the availability of donor tissues and organs is limited, which presents a serious limitation for widespread transplantation surgery. The appearance of bioengineered lung and tracheal tissue transplants is considered a promising alternative to the classical transplantation of donor organ/tissue. Stem cells therapy arises as a new therapeutic approach, with a wide application potential.

Apolipoprotein E4 effect on development and cognitive function in giardia-infected children

Parasitic infections can seriously affect child development and cognition while the treatment is easy and cheap. To elucidate apolipoprotein [ApoE] and neurodevelopment in children with Giardiasis and the role of ApoE isoforms in childhood cognition and infant development. The present study was performed on 75 Giardia-infected patients [1-9 years] and 45 healthy children control group of similar age and sex.They were subjected to anthropometric measurements. cognitive functioning. developmental assessments and determination of ApoE allelic forms. ApoE genotypes frequency distribution in the studied children was 6. 8, 4, 42, 27 and 33 for E2/2, E2/3. E2/4, E3/3. E3/4 and [4/4, respectively. There were no significant differences regarding demographic and anthropometric measurements as well as cognitive function between ApoE4 carrier and non carrier in children above 4 years; but their scores of performance, part of the intelligence test, and of the frill scale IQs proved to be at the lower normal level. Meanwhile, highly significant differences were observed between ApoE4 carrier and minim carrier regarding developmental assay in children below 4 years. The ApoE4 isoforms have a protective role on cognitive development in children below 4 years sufferring from sole Giartia infection. So, children with ApoE4 negative genotypes should be notified for their susceptibility to cognitive impairment after diarrhea in early infancy and childhood and are advised for careful follow up

Biological evaluation and study of polysaccharides of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb growing in Egypt

The extracts of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb growing in Egypt, the polysaccharides prepared from leaves, stem and bark and the major constituent in the plant [biochanin A] were subjected to screening of anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and analgesic activities adopting new methodology. The anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, and antimicrobial activities of these substances were also examined. Since the polysaccharides prepared from different organs [leaves 2.5%, stem 2.2%, bark 1.2%] possessed anti-inflammatory activities, they were subjected to further phytochemical studies, using paper chromato-graphy and GC/MS analysis. The polysaccharides were heterogeneous in nature and lacked uronic acids. The use of GC/MS to study the monomeric composition of polysaccharides in the acid hydrolysate indicated that the leaf polysaccharides consist mainly of rhamnose [77%] in addition to glucose [23%]. The stem polysaccharide consists of rhamnose [47%], glycerol [46%] and galactose [7%]. The bark polysaccharide consists of rhamnose [18%], fructose [2.5%], glucose [74.5%] and galactose [6%]

Prognostic significance of time-delay to peak creatine kinase after direct percutaneous coronary intervention in acute myocardial infarction patients

Was to investigate the prognostic significance of time-delay to peak creatine kinase [CK] after successful direct percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] in patients with acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. Our 240 consecutive first AMI attack subjects admitted within 5 hours from onset were successfully reperfused by direct PCI therapy. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the upper quartile value of peak-CK time from onset, the early peak-CK group [peak-CK time >/= 16 hours from onset, n=180] and the late peak-CK group [peak-CK time >/= 16 hours, n=60]. [I] The early ST-segment resolution rate was lower in the late peak-CK group compared with the early peak-CK group [p<0.05], and there were significantly fewer patients with preinfarction angina pectoris in the late peak-CK group than in the early peak-CK group [p<0.01]. [II] LVEF in the chronic stage was significantly lower in the late peak-CK group than in the early peak-CK group [49 +/- 13% versus 57 +/- 13%, p<0.001]. [III] There were significantly more patients with major complications in the late peak-CK group than in the early peak-CK group [required CABG: 10% versus 3%, p<0.05; cardiac death: 18% versus 3%, p=0.0001]. [IV] Multivariate analysis identified late peak-CK as an independent predictor of cardiac death [Odds ratio 7.91, 95% C.I. 1.40-44.11, p<0.05]. In patients with AMI, the time-delay to peak-CK after successful direct PCI may be closely related to left-ventricular systolic dysfunction and poor patient outcome, including mortality

Further phytochemical studies of dalbergia sissoo roxb growing in Egypt

Preliminary phytochemical screening of different parts of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb cultivated in Egypt showed the presence of flavonoids in free form and as glycosides, sterols, triterpenes, tannins and polysaccharides. Isolation trials of flavonoids were undertaken based on their high content in the plant. Biochanin A was purified as the major constituent of the leaves. Beside triterpenes obtained from the CHCl[3] extract of the bark, dalbergin, a known neoflavonoid was purified. Kaempferol, quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside and quercetin -3- alpha- L- rhamnoside were isolated for the first time from the EtOAc fraction of the leaves. Theis flavonoids tectorigenin, tectorigenin-7-O-apioglucoside and the new compound tectorigenin-4'-0-apioglucoside were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the bark. Rutin [quercetin-3-rutinoside] was purified as the major flavonoid in the n-butanol extract of the leaves. The identification of the isolated flavonoids was performed using measurement of the physical constants, UV, IR, EIMS, Positive FABMS and [1]HNMR. GLC of the fatty acid methyl esters of the leaf, stem and bark showed that stearic and palmitic acids are the major saturated fatty acids, while linoleic is the major unsaturated fatty acid. GC/MS analysis of the unsaponifiable matter of leaves showed the presence of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, cholesterol acetate, cholesterol, p-amyrin and the major triterpene a-amyrin, beta-sitosteroI was also purified and identified using mass spectrometry and argentation chromatography

Inflammation as a key problem in type 2 diabetes mellitus in the elderly

Diabetes mellitus imposes a tremendous burden on health economies mainly because of its devastating complications. A long duration of metabolic disturbances can cause vascular damage leading to both macro and micro vascular complications. There is an increasing evidence that atherosclerosis is accompanied by inflammation. Our aim in this study is to prove that a low grade inflammation accompany the diabetes mellitus and this inflammatory process is correlated to diabetic control and diabetic complications. Our study was done on 100 elderly diabetic patients whose total white blood cell count was in the normal range. Their age ranged from 65-85years with mean age of them is 68.1 years, half of them were males and the other half were females. They undergo full clinical examination and laboratory investigations including total white blood cell count, serum Creatine protein level, albumin level in urine. glycosylated haemoglobin in addition to other routine laboratory investigations. The patients were divided into 5 quintiles according to the distribution of the total white blood cell count and serum C-reactive protein level. We found a highly significant positive correlation [P value <0.0001] of the total white blood cell count and serum C-reactive protein level to the diabetes duration, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting and post prandial blood glucose levels, glycosylated haemoglobin, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, serum creatinine and albuminuria and a highly significant negative Correlation with the high density Iipoprotein-cholesterol [P value<0.0001]. We found also a highly significant positive correlation of the total white blood cell Count and serum C-reactive protein level with diabetic micro and macro vascular complications [P value<0.0001]. Moreover, there is an increased risk of macro and micro vascular complications with progressive quintiles of both white blood cell count and serum C-reactive protein level. The odds ratio for the group 5 of the total white blood cell count in comparison to group 1and2 equals 7.35 [confidence Interval= 3.12-9.31] for macro vascular complications and it equals 7.19 [confidence interval= 4.12-9.19] for micro vascular complications. The odds ratio for groups 3,4and 5 of the serum C-reactive protein level equals 9.31[confidence interval= 6.19-18.1] in comparison to groups 1 and 2 for macro vascular complications and it equals 7.31 [confidence interval= 5.19-15.9] for micro vascular complications. We found also an increased risk for smokers to develop both macro and micro vascular complications of diabetes mellitus , odds ratio equals 6.87[confidence interval= 2.14-22.06] and 3 [confidence interval=1.07-8.38] respectively compared with non smokers in the lowest quintile

Epicardial visceral fat in obesity

Epicardial fat, which is the fat surrounding the heart has been recently studied as a method of visceral adipose tissue prediction. The role of visceral fat has been previously linked to the insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome and its associated increased cardiovascular risk. So, the aim of this study was to determine the epicardial fat thickness in obese subjects and to correlate the findings to anthropometric and metabolic parameters of the metabolic syndrome and insulin sensitivity. The study included 38 obese [BMI

Coagulation and fibrnolytic variables in subjects with metabolic syndrome

It has been noticed that the metabolic cardiovascular risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome do not sufficiently explain excess cardiovascular risk attributed to this syndrome. It was suggested that abnormalities in haemostatic system might contribute to this excess risk. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the levels of some of the haemostatic variables in subjects having metabolic syndrome and to correlate these values with the anthropometric and metabolic variables associated with this syndrome. The study included 46 obese non diabetic subjects of whom 28 subjects [group1] fulfilled the ATP III criteria of the metabolic syndrome and 18 subjects [group2] did not have metabolic syndrome as well as 14 lean subjects [group 3] of matched age and sex as a control group. Clinical and laboratory evaluation of the study groups stressed on anthropometric measurements [weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, and sagittal abdominal diameter],blood pressure , and laboratory measurements of fasting glucose, fasting insulin, lipids, tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA] antigen, antithrombin III activity [ATIII], protein C antigen and von Willebrand factor [vWf] antigen. The main results of this study included a significant increase in the concentrations of t-PA and vWf antigens in subjects having metabolic syndrome [group 1] in comparison to the other groups while there were non-significant changes in the levels of protein C antigen and AT III activity. Both t-PA and vWf showed significant correlation with HOMA-IR as a measure of insulin sensitivity. The t-PA showed also significant correlation with most of the variables of metabolic syndrome including waist circumference, BMI, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HDL cholesterol . On the other hand, vWf showed significant correlations with fasting glucose, fasting insulin and sagittal abdominal diameter, with non-significant correlations with the other variables. It was concluded that the t-PA and vWf antigens concentrations were increased in subjects with metabolic syndrome and correlated with the HOMA-IR measure of insulin sensitivity. Taking into consideration that both t-PA and vWf are mainly released from vascular endothelium, these findings could be an indicator of endothelial dysfunction in those group of subjects