[Effect of aqueous seed extract of securigera securidaca on erythrocytes catalase activity in type 1 diabetic rats]

Complications in diabetes mellitus are associated with free radicals and oxidative stress. The human body prevents these complications through antioxidant defense mechanisms. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of aqueous seed extract of Securigera Securidaca on erythrocyte catalase activity in typel diabetic rats. At the present interventional study thirty male wistar rats were used. Animals were divided to two groups including normal and diabetic [n = 15 per each group].Each group was divided further to control and experimental subgroups. The experimental subgroups were received 100 and 200 mg/kg/day of the plant extract intraperitoneally. After thirty days administration, blood sample was directly collected from the heart and erythrocyte catalase activity was assessed. catalase activity decreased in diabetic control group significantly [P = 0.002].Furthermore, catalase activity in groups treated at two doses of l00mg/kg and 200mg/kg was significantly different as compared to control group [P = 0.003]. The aqueous seed extract of Securigera Securidaca probably could be effective in decreasing diabetic complications through improvement of antioxidant response by altering catalase activity and consequently reducing oxidative stress

Association of variable number of tandem repeats in endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene with coronary artery disease

Endo-derived nitric oxide [NO] is synthesized from L-arginine by endothelium nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]. Since reduced NO synthesis has been implicated in the development of coronary atherosclerosis; we hypothesized that polymorphisms of NOS gene might be associated with increased susceptibility to this disorder and coronary artery disease [CAD]. We studied the 27 base pair tandem repeat polymorphism in intron4 of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS] gene in 141 unrelated CAD patients with positive coronary angiograms in Shahid Rajaee Heart Hospital and 159 age matched control subjects without a history of symptomatic CAD. The study protocol was approved by the Iran University of Medical Sciences Ethics Committee. The eNOS gene intron4a/b VNTR polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The plasma lipids levels and other risk factors were also determined. The genotype frequencies for eNOS4b/b, eNOS4a/b and eNOS4a/a were 68.8, 29.1 and 2.1% in CAD subjects, and 81, 18.4 and 0.6% in control subjects, respectively. The genotype frequencies differed significantly between the two groups [X[2]=6.38 P=0.041]. The frequency of the allele was 16.7% in CAD subjects and 9.8% in control subjects and was significantly higher in the patients [X[2]=6.18 P=0.013, odds ratio=1.84]. Plasma lipids, except HDL-C were also remarkablely increased in CAD group

Study of XmnI polymorphism in 5 region of the apoAl gene in Iranian hyperlipidemic subjects

Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between polymorphisms in the ApoAl - CIH - AIV gene cluster and hyperlipidemia. This study was conducted to elucidate the association between polymorphism of ApoAI/XmnI and Iranian hyperlipidemic subjects. Total genomic DNA was prepared from seventy-six Iranian patient with primary hyperlipidemia and seventy-five normolipidemic subjects. The subjects in the control group were age-and sex-matched to the patients. Fragment of 392 bp for 5 region of the apoAl gene [C-2500T] was amplified by polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. In the hyperlipidemic group, the genotype frequency of X1X1, X1X2, X2X2 were 0.63, 0.24, 0.13, respectively. In the control group those were 0.81, 0.11 and 0.08, respectivley. There was a significant difference [p<0.05] between 2 groups. The rare allele [X2] was more frequent in hyperlipidemic group than in controls [p<0.01]. Various genotypes of apoAl/Xmnl had no significant effect on lipids or apoAI levels in hyperlipidemic group. The above results show that polymorphism ApoAl/XmnI is associated with hyperlipidemia in Iranian hyperlipidemic subjects. Therefore, our data confirmed the previously reported association between genetic polymorphism ApoAI/XmnI and hyperlipidemia