In vivo and in vitro studies on the antioxidant activity of sea cucumber aqueous extract against isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury in a rat model

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the cardiopreventive activity of the aqueous extract of sea cucumber body wall against isoproterenol-induced cardiac injury in rats. Isoproterenol a synthetic catecholamine and beta-adrenergic agonist, which causes severe oxidative stress-induced myocardial injury. HPLC analysis of the sea cucumber aqueous extract revealed the presence of some active phenolic components with antioxidant activity, such as pyrogallol, rutin, chlorogenic acid, ascorbic acid, catechin, coumaric acid, cinnamic acid, and ellagic acid. Subchronic oral administration of sea cucumber extract [14.4mg/Kg b.w.] to normal rats thrice weekly for 8 consecutive weeks did not exert any toxic side effects. whereas enhanced the cardiac reduced glutathione level and catalase activity, and in contract reduced serum low density liporprotein-cholestrol level. On the other hand, pretreatment of rats with the sea cucumber extract for 8 weeks before being intoxicated with 2 subcutaneous injections of isoproterenol normalized serum levels of total CK, CK-MB activity, total cholesterol. triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, as well as cardiac glutathione peroxidase and catalase activities. In vitro antioxidant studies on the sea cucumber extract have shown a moderate scavenging activity for NO radical and iron chelating activity, as well as a weak inhibition of lipid peroxidation. In addition, histopathological examination of H and E stained myocardium sections of the left ventricle showed that pretreatment of isoproterenol-intoxicated rats with sea cucumber extract caused a substantial attenuation in the degenerative cellular changes induced by isoproterenol

Resveratrol, a natural phytoalexin: a therapeutic promise for metabolic disorders in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic rats

Resveratrol, a natural phytoalexin, has demonstrated a wide variety of biological activities, which make it a good candidate for treatment of diabetes mellitus. The present study was aimed to evaluate the properties of resveratrol [RSV] as an antidiabetic agent in streptozotocin-nicotinamide [STZ-NIC] induced Type2 diabetes model. Furthermore, the antidiabetic nature of resveratrol was compared with glyclazide, an oral standard antidiabetic drug. This study includes 40 male albino rats divided into 5 groups: control, control+resveratrol, diabetic, diabetic+resveratrol and diabetic+ glyclazide. The antidiabetic effect of oral administration of RSV [5mg kg/b.wt] for 45days was evidenced from the improvement in the levels of blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and the calculated homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. The significant decrease [p<0.05] in plasma insulin level exhibited in the diabetic rats was not affected by RSV treatment, indicating that the hypoglycemic effect of RSV is independent of insulin. The altered activities of key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism such as glucokinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase and glycogen synthase in liver tissues of diabetic rats were all significantly reverted [p<0.05] to near normal levels by administration of RSV. Hyperlipidemia observed in the diabetic group of rats was markedly alleviated by oral treatment with RSV. Lastly, STZ-NIC induced diabetic rats orally treated with RSV had significantly lower [p<0.05] plasma homocystein level and significantly higher [p<0.05] serum folic acid and vit. B12 levels than the untreated ones indicating improvement in the endothelial function in those rats. The present study suggests that STZ-NIC induced diabetes is an excellent model for type2 diabetes, and that RSV is an effective therapeutic agent for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

association of blood pressure level and the change in some hematological, hormonal and metabolic parameters in essential hypertensive subjects

This study aimed to investigate some possible hematological, hormonal and metabolic disorders that might occur in patients with essential hypertension [EH]. The study was conducted on 30 patients with untreated mild EH as well as an age matched control group of 30 male subjects with normotension. Patients with EH had higher WBCs count and neutrophil percentage, plasma ACTH, serum [s] prolactin, plasma aldosterone, s. cortisol and s. insulin levels, s. AST, s. ALT, s. gamma glutamyl transferase, s. alkaline phosphatase activities and s. total bilirubin, s. glucose s. creatinine, s. urea and s. uric acid leve1s than their controls. However, there was a significant decrease in RBCs count, platelet count, lymphocyte percentage and s. albumin level in those patients as compared with their control levels. Correlation data indicated that in normotensives, there was a positive significant correlation between DBP and age, while there were negative significant correlations between DBP and height and between DBP and RBCs

Effect of different salt diets on the release of atrial natriuretic peptide and its related hormonal and renal changes

The effect of different salt [NaCl] diets [deficient, low or high] on plasma atrial natriuretic peptide [ANP] level and subsequently the effect of ANP change on the other related hormonal and renal parameters were studied in male [Rattus rattus norvegicus] rats. Seventy rats were used in this study and divided into four groups: Control [15 rats], deficient salt diet [15 rats], low salt diet [20 rats] and high salt diet [20 rats]. Serum sodium, plasma ANP and cyclic guanosine 3,5-monophosphate [cGMP] levels were significantly lower; while, plasma renin activity [PRA] and serum aldosterone levels were significantly higher in rats fed on deficient or low salt diet than in the control rats. Total body weight [TBW], hematocrite [Hct], serum potassium, albumin, urea and creatinine levels remained within the normal level. On the other hand, in the group of rats fed on high salt diet, serum sodium, TBW, plasma ANP and cGMP, serum urea and creatinine were significantly increased; whereas, Hct, serum albumin, PRA and serum aldosterone levels were significantly decreased as compared with the control group with no significant change in serum potassium level