Comparison of Lipopolysaccharide binding protein and C-reactive protein gene expression levels in a Rat model of induced Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids within arterial walls that eventually go on to form plaques, which can cause narrowing, hardening, and/or complete blockage of arteries. This study was designed to examine the cholesterol feeding induction of cardiovascular diseases exemplified by atherosclerosis in rat and induction of CRP, LBP, SAP and P4H on the transcriptional activity of the inflammation / related gene expression by a semi-quantitative RT-PCR in liver and heart tissues, and make comparison between CRP and LBP as biomarker for atherosclerosis. Experimental Rats were fed with cholesterol diet [2.5% pure [wt/wt] cholesterol, 1% cholic acid and 5% oil] and sacrificed after 18 weeks of feeding. Histopathological examination for heart showed fatty cells deposition in atherogenic rats. Expression pattern of CRP, LBP, SAP and P4H genes were investigated, in liver and heart, these genes were highly expressed while some of them showed no expression pattern in heart tissues

Oxidative criteria and somebone turnover markers in beta-thalassemic patients

Bone disease in beta-thalassemic patients has multifactorial etiology; increased iron stores and per-oxidative stress are involved factors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between some bone turnover markers and some oxidants, antioxidants parameters of beta-thalassemic patients. The study included 50 patients were diagnosed as beta-thalassemia major aged between 3 and 40 years, 30 males and 20 females compared to 34 normal controls of same age and sex ratio. The patients and the controls were divided into 2 groups: group Al 18 years compared to their controls group B2. All were subjected to full clinical examination and laboratory analysis of their blood and urine for bone turnover markers; osteocalcin [OC], bone specific alkaline phosphatase [BAP] and urinary deoxypyridinoline [DPD].Also parathormone [PTH], serum calcium [Ca] and phosphorus [Ph]. Oxidants and antioxidants determined were; plasma malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NO], blood reduced glutathione [GSH], erythrocyte Cu- Zn Superoxide dismutase [SOD]. Serum levels of copper [Cu], zinc [Zn], selenium [Se], vitamin E and total antioxidant capacity [TAOC] were also determined. The results showed significant increase in urinary DPD and decrease in serum OC, BAP and PTH in thalassemic groups compared to controls. Also, the results revealed significant elevation in plasma MDA, NO, SOD and serum Cu and TAOC especially in group Al. While there was significant decrease in GSH, serum Zn, Se, and vitamin E. Plasma OC was positively correlated with serum iron and NO and negatively correlated with plasma TAOC in thalassemic patients within age group 3

Some biochemical changes in postmenopausal women with and without metabolic syndrome

Women with the metabolic syndrome are known to be at especially high risk for cardiovascular disease [CVD]. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases dramatically with menopause and may partially explain the apparent increase CVD after menopause. This study was performed to investigate the relationships between metabolic syndrome [MS] related parameters and the cardiovascular risk factors in Saudi postmenopausal women. Subjects with MS had significantly higher plasma levels of glucose, uric acid, TC, LDL-c, triacylglycerol and atherogenic index, and lower levels of HDL-c and zinc compared to subjects without MS. Also, the subjects with MS had significantly higher levels of plasma ALT, AST, transferrin, TIBC and ferritin in comparison to those without MS. Postmenopausal women with MS had significantly higher levels of plasma iron compared with control group and premenopausal women with MS. Plasma ALT was positively correlated with ferritin level, waist circumference, body mass index, iron, and AST in postmenopausal women with MS. On other hand, ferritin level was associated with the variables of metabolic syndrome [positive correlation with systolic blood pressure, triacylglycerol, LDL-c], and also was positively correlated with iron, and ALT. In conclusion, there is an association between postmenopausal status, MS and cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, levels of plasma ferritin are correlated with the levels of LDL-c, ALT and AST as well as with the components of metabolic syndrome in Saudi postmenopausal women. Because of the severe implications of cardiovascular diseases, counseling programs directed towards high-risk populations should be endorsed

Blood levels of iron, copper, zinc, nitric oxide, and APOE [epsilon]4 allele frequency in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease [AD] is the most common form of dementia, characterized by slow, progressive memory loss. As the disease progresses other symptoms such as visuospatial disorientation, language impairment, and executive dysfunction or frontal lobe signs develop. The current study was performed to investigate the role of iron, copper, zinc, nitric oxide [NO] in relation to ApoE epsilon 4 allele frequencies in patients with AD. This study was carried out on sixty elderly subjects aged >/= 60 years. The subjects were classified into two groups matched for age and gender: Group I: included 30 elderly patients [74.3 +/- 7.2 years] diagnosed as probable Alzheimer's disease according to the DSM-IV-TR and the NINCDS-ADRDA. Group II: included 30 cognitively normal elderly subjects [71.7 +/- 3.6 years] with no evidence of any neurological or psychiatric diseases, or any medical illness that affects cognition. Laboratory investigations were done for patients. The following plasma parameters were measured: iron, copper, zinc and nitric oxide together with ApoE genotyping by PCR - RFLP. The current study revealed that plasma copper, zinc and nitric oxide levels were higher in AD group than control group. But, no statistically significant difference could be found between the two groups in plasma iron level. The frequency of ApoE 4 allele was higher among AD patients than control subjects. In comparison between ApoE4 +ve and ApoE4 -ve patients, no statistical significant difference in the neuropsychological assessment and biochemical assays was observed. Plasma copper level had statistically significant negative correlation with constructional praxis, ward list recognition, recall of constructional praxis, and stage of AD. While, iron, zinc, and NO plasma levels were not significantly correlated with any of the tested neuropsychological tests. We have demonstrated that, NO level had the highest sensitivity and specificity for predicting AD, followed by copper level. It can be concluded that, the ApoE4 gene is a strong risk factor for the AD but it is neither necessary, nor enough for the disease occurrence. Trace metals and NO abnormalities would influence ApoE, leading to development AD. Also, Copper blood levels are related to the abnormal cognition in AD patients

Ameliorative efficacy of a triple antioxidant combination of silymarin, selenium and vitamin E on thioacetamide induced liver cirrhosis in rats

This study was carried out to investigate the curative and protective efficacy of the triple antioxidant combination of silymarin, selenium [Se] and vitamin E [Vit.E] in thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhotic rats. Thioactamide [TAA] at a dose of 200 mg/kg, twice weekly, produced liver cirrhosis in rats as manifested by the significant [P<0.05] levation of hepatic marker enzymes and disturbances in antioxidant defense when compared with normal rats. Also, histopathologic evaluation of liver samples-demonstrated cirrhotic changes in TAA treated group. Oral administration of silymarin [20 mg/kg body weight], Se [10 micro mol/kg body weight] and vit. E in diet [1 g/kg diet] for 14 consecutive days, pre and post cirrhosis induction, significantly [P<0.05] decreased alanine and aspartate aminotransferase [ALT and AST, respectively], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT] and malondialdehyde [MDA] inthioacetamide treated rats. These ameliorative effects were more apparent in the post-treated group. The triple antioxidant also improved the activities of free radical detoxifying enzymes by increasing the activities of glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px], glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase [G6P-DH], erythrocyte copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase [Cu, Zn-SOD] and the levels of reduced glutathione [GSH], plasma ceruloplasmin [Cp] and total protein in thioacetamide treated rats. A conclusion was made that the triple antioxidant induced marked improvement of biochemical and histopathological liver changes caused by thioactamide induction. Also, the results indicated that the potential therapeutic action of the triple antioxidant against TAA induction was more effective than its curative action