Amelioration of insulin resistance in rats treated with rice bran oil

Background: insulin resistance [IR] is a pathological condition characterized by inadequate peripheral tissue metabolic response to circulating insulin. It plays pathophysiological role in type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]. High dosage of fructose in the diet [60 g/100 g diet] may induce insulin resistance accompanied by deleterious metabolic consequences including hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Rice bran oil [RBO], is a rich source of antioxidants especially gamma-oryzanol, alpha-tocopherols and tocotrienols which contribute to high oxidative stability, longer shelf life than other edible oils and high antioxidant property against free radicals. The present work was undertaken to study if the addition of rice bran oil in rat's diets ameliorate the insulin resistance

Materials and methods: to achieve this target, plasma fasting glucose, serum insulin and calculated HOMA-IR, which assesse the presence of insulin resistance, was evaluated. Serum lipid profile [cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein- cholesterol [HDL] and low-density lipoprotein- cholesterol [LDL] was also evaluated. In addition, the oxidative stress was assessed through hepatic malondialdehyd [MDA] as an oxidative biomarker and the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase [SOD] was also estimated

Results: RBO ameliorated HOMA-IR, oxidative biomarker [MDA] and increased SOD activity

Conclusion: high fructose diet induced oxidative stress which lead to insulin resistance, this was ameliorated by addition of RBO

Cytotoxic activity of vitex trifolia purpurea extracts

Defatted 85% crude hot aqueous methanol extract of Vitex trifolia purpurea [AME] successively extracted with, chloroform and ethyl acetate. Cytotoxicity of [AME], chloroform methanol extract [CE], ethyl acetate methanol extract [EE] and the residue obtained from methanol extract after successive extraction [RME] have been evaluated on brine shrimp [Artemia salind] and Hep-G2 cell lines as well. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay the results revealed that the [RME] is the most potent one with LC[50] value 173 microg/ml while LC[50] values of [AME], [CE] and [EE] was 180, 199 and 286 |microg/ml, respectively. As well as the results of cyto-toxic assay against Hep-G2 cell lines are in full agreement with previous results, with IC50 values 6, 10.7, 20.8 and 65.8 microg/ml for [RME], [AME], [CE] and [EE], respectively

possible effect of green tea [catechin] on perinephric fat adipocytes of adult male albino rat after induction of obesity: a histological study

Green tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and its antioxidant properties have been widely explored. Its active ingredients [polyphenols are believed to be responsible for most of green tea's roles in promoting good health Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders are an increasingly prevalent conditior in different societies. The aim of this research is to study the effect of diet-induced obesity on the histological structure of adipocytes and to evaluate the possible protective role of green tea. Forty adult male rats were divided into three groups. Group I rats [control group, n = 10] were given a balanced diet for 6 weeks. Group II rats [n = 10] were given a high-energy fatty diet for 6 weeks and served as the affected group. Group III rats [green tea group, n = 20] were divided into two subgroups. Subgroup IIIa rats [lowúdose group, n = 10] were given a high-energy fatty diet for 6 weeks and a low dose of green tea extract [325 mg/kg/day] by an oral tube for the last 4 weeks. Subgroup IIIb rats [high-dose group, n = 10] were given a high-energy fatty diet for 6 weeks and a high dose of green tea extract [500 mg/kg/day] by an oral tube for the last 4 weeks. After 6 weeks, the animals were weighed, killed, and specimens from perinephric fat were prepared for light microscopic [sudan III and osmic acid stains] and electron microscopic [transmission and scanning electron microscopic] studies. The mean area of unilocular fat cells [micrometer square] was measured and statistically studied. There was a significant increase in body weight and in marked adipocyte morphological and cytological changes [size of adipocytes, saturated fatty acids within fat cells, and increased mitochondrial content] in groups II and IIIa compared with the control group. Such effects were ameliorated by concomitant administration of high-dose green tea extract in group IIIb. It could be concluded that high-dose green tea extract is effective in lowering the increased body weight due to a high-energy fatty diet. Hence, it is advised to consider a high dose of green tea extract effective against diet-induced obesity through its effect on size and structure of adipocyte

Nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin resistance in non-typhoidal salmonella isolates in Sana'a city, Yemen

Salmonellosis is an important public health problem, particularly in lower income countries including Yemen. The emerging of antimicrobial resistant Salmonella is the commonly encountered world wide. This a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the susceptibility to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin of non-typhoidal Salmonella serogroups isolated from fecal samples of patients having diarrhoeal illness who visitted National Center of Public Health Laboratories in Yemen for the period from August 2003-to November 2005. Non-typhoidal Salmonella were isolated from fecal samples and inoculated on suitable media, on the basis of microbiological examination, cultural characters, biochemical tests, antimicrobial sensitivity test [disc diffusion], and serogrouped with commercial antisera were done for isolates. Out of 406 isolated strains, there were 184 of isolates were resistant to common antimicrobial agents, and the most frequently serogroup identified resistant strains in this study were serogroups B [23.4%], followed by serogroups C [12.8%], and D [6.4%] respectively. The isolated strains were tested against a number of antimicrobial agents including two quinolones: nalidixic acid, and ciprofloxacin. Emerging quinolone resistance was detected of all non-typhoidal Salmonella isolates tested, 35 [8.6%] were resistant to nalidixic acid, and only three [0.7%] of them with resistant to nalidixic acid were also resistant to ciprofloxacin. It clear from the present study that, the resistance of nalidixic acid has increased from 5.6% [2003] to 10.8% [2005]. The MIC to nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin were 128 micro g /ml and 4-8 micro g/ml respectively. These findings reveal that very few non-typhiodal isolates of Salmonella in Yemen that are resistant to nalidixic acid are also resistant to ciprofloxacin. Continued surveillance for quinolone resistant Salmonella is necessary, particularly after recent approval of a fluorquinolone for use animals intended for food in many regions of the world

Role of lentil nutrition in decrement stroke risk

The present work was conducted to study the effect of lentil nutrition on lipid profile, hematological profiles, some minerals [Fe, Ca, Na, Mg and K], folic acid and homocysteine concentration. Two main experimental groups were established; the first main group [n = 6] used as control group [fed on basal diet] and the second group [n = 36] was divided into six experimental groups each group contain six rats. The first three groups [1, 2 and 3] were depleted in folic acid, B6 and B12 1, 2 and 3 [fed on basal diet], the later three groups [4, 5 and 6] were depleted in folic, B6 and B12 and fed on cooked lentil. Folic acid and B12 deficiency caused mild elevation in lipid profiles. Triglycerides of all groups were not statistically changed except B12 depleted groups had the highest concentration [71.6 mg/dl]. After feeding on cooked lentil, total cholesterol and LDL were decreased and triglyceride in B12 depleted group showed a significant decrease [19.9%]. Feeding on lentil caused slight increase in hemoglobin in group 4 and 6 [13.7 and 14.3 g/dl, respectively]. Platelets count significant increased in folate depleted group [1] and it decreased after feeding on lentil. Serum iron raised in folate, B6 and B12 depleted groups [74.50, 59.10 and 70.30 mg/dl, respectively], after fed on lentil the levels decreased to [51.70, 53.00 aid 51.46 mg/dl, respectively]. Magnesium and potassium concentrations increased significantly in groups fed on lentil [4, 5 and 6]. Folate depleted group showed slight decrement in Na concentration after feeding on lentil. The folic acid concentration was increased in group four [55.0%] after feeding on lentil, while [t-Hcy] concentrations were significantly decreased in folic acid and B6 depleted groups [37%], while B12 depleted group observed no change after feeding on lentil [19.94 micro mol/L]

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery [FESS] in patients with hyperreactive airway disease

This Study was conducted as prospective study on 36 asthmatics with evidence of chronic rhinosinusitis. The aim of this study is to study the effect of chronic sinusitis and polypoidal sino-pathy on the lower airways and to elucidate the effect of functional endoscopic sinus surgery [FESS] on the hyperreactive airway disease and asthma associated with chronic sinusitis. The results of this Study 3 months and 6 months postoperativley showed a significant improvement of all major nasal symptoms [P<0.05] [Table 1] except for hyposmia which did not show the same improvement [P>0.05]. In both allergic and non allergic patients 3 months and 6 months postoperatively, there was a significant improvement in the mean asthma symptoms [P<0.05] [Table 2 and Fig. 1], asthma exacerbation [P<0.05] [Table 3, 4]. We concluded that, sinus disease is an aggravating and exacerbating factor in asthma rather than an inducer of asthma and this was proved by improvement of severe asthma markedly after elimination of the offending sinusitis by FESS and by observation of airway hyperresponsiveness in non asthmatic subjects with chronic sinusitis, and by the observation of improvement of airway hyperresponsiveness after FESS due to relief of nasal symptoms and sinus lesions