ABSTRACT
Background: The expression of MT genes in animal's body is rapidly elevated in response to metal and agents which cause oxidative stress and/or inflammation. The MTF-1 plays an essential role in regulating transcription of MT gene in response to metal ions and oxidative stress. Metalloviatamin complex was found to exhibit anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activity, cytoprotective effect and reduces oxidative stress
Objectives: The study was designed to evaluate effects of a daily dose of copper nicotinate complex [CNC] on metallothionein-III [MT-III] and metal-responsive transcription factor -1 [MTF-1] expression during 4-dimethylaminoazobenzene [DAB] exposure. Methods: Ninety rats were divided into five groups. Group I rats were fed on standard diet and was considered the control group; group II rats were fed on standard diet containing DAB [0.06g/100g diet daily] for six months; group III rats received CNC dissolved in saline solution [1mg/kg body weight daily] for six months; group IV rats were pretreated with CNC one month before DAB; group V rats were post treated with CNC after one month of starting feeding on DAB. MT-III and MTF-1 genes expression was assayed by PCR. Renal histopathological changes were examined by light microscopy
Results: Genes expression in all groups was statistically high at all time intervals as compared with control group, while it was decreased in groups III, IV and V as compared to cancer group [II]. In group IV and V, the genes expression was statistically increased as compared with group III. MT expression in control group declined with age, while it was higher at 6th month than 2nd and 4th month in group II. MTF-1 expression was increased at 4[th] month followed by decrease at 6[th] month in all studied groups. These results were confirmed by histopathological change. There was an increase in pyknotic and necrotic nuclei in tubular epithelial cells and a mild dilatation of renal tubules
Conclusion: Scavenging ROS during DAB-induced oxidative stress may be the major role of MT. CNC causes a partial improvement in the genes expression as well as renal tubules, so CNC may be a promising candidate used for protection against oxidative stress
ABSTRACT
Angiogenesis is known to play a pivotal role in most of malignancy, including HCC, and in chronic inflammation. To investigate the angiogenic output in HCV and HBV infection and its implication in the development of HCV associated HCC. Blood samples were collected and grouped as; HS healthy subjects control group; HCC-HCV; chronic HCV infected patient group [HCV+ve] who are positive for serum anti-HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA; anti-HCV antibody positive and HCV-RNA negative patient group [HCV-ve]; patients with positive HBsAg and HBV-DNA group [HBV+ve]; and HBsAg positive and HBV-DNA negative patient group [HBV-ve]. Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin-2, endostatin and angiostatin were assessed in different studied groups
ABSTRACT
Tuberculosis [TB], is one of the major common air born infectious bacteria! diseases whichremains a major worldwide health problem with global mortality. To evaluate the efficiency of serurr samples compared to sputum for the early diagnosis of TB, and to evaluate the levels of superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], total antioxidant status [TAS] and tumor necrosis factor-a [TNF-alpha] in patients witt pulmonary tuberculosis [PTB]. One hundred patients with clinically suspected PTB and 25 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. According to the bacteriological results, 78 patients were diagnosed as having PTB infection. These cases were categorized into 69 culture positive cases [sputum anc serum PCR positive patients [n=42], sputum PCR positive and serum PCR negative patients [n=16] and sputurr and serurr. PCR negative patients [n=11]] and 9 culture negative and sputum PCR positive cases witi radiological lung abnormalities suggestive for PTB. For these 78 cases, erythrocyte SOD, CAT, serum TAS an? TNF-alpha were determined. Twenty two patients were culture negative and negative for both sputum and serun PCR. They had no PTB and were not involved in biochemical studies. In all 78 PTB patients erythrocyte SOD, CAT and serum TAS levels were statistically lower than controls [p<0.05], while TNF-alpha was highly significantly .increased [p=0.001]. There was a significant direct linear correlation between SOD and CA" and TAS [p<0.0001, r= 0.78; p<0.0001, r= 0.88; p<0.0001, r=0.80 respectively] and a significant reverse linea correlation between TNF-alpha and SOD, CAT and TAS level [p<0.0001 r=-0.55; p<0.0001, r=-0.51; p<0.0001, r= 0.65 respectively]. Although the sputum culture is still the gold standard for the diagnosis of patientt with PTB, sputum PCR is an efficient method that could be used as an alternative to the culture for the rapk identification of PTB cases. The lower levels of SOD, CAT and TAS may be improved by the antioxidant therap which may help in better prognosis. Also anti TNF-alpha therapy may help in decreasing the elevated level of TNF-alpha shown in all PTB patients