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Objective@#Vascular Dementia (VaD), is associated with metabolic conditions. Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of VaD. This study investigates the efficacy of ulinastatin (UTI) and sulforaphane (SUL) in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetes induced vascular endothelium dysfunction and related dementia. @*Methods@#Single dose STZ (50 mg/kg i.p.) was administered to Albino Wistar rats (male, 200−250 g). Morris water maze and attentional set shifting tests were used to assess the spatial learning, memory, reversal learning, and executive functioning in animals. Body weight, serum glucose, serum nitriteitrate, vascular endothelial function, aortic superoxide anion, brains’ oxidative markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive species-TBARS, reduced glutathione-GSH, superoxide dismutase-SOD, and catalase-CAT), inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-, and myeloperoxidase-MPO), acetylcholinesterase activity-AChE, blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability and histopathological changes were also assessed. UTI (10,000 U/kg) and SUL (25 mg/kg) were used alone as well as in combination, as the treatment drugs. Donepezil (0.5 mg/kg) was used as a positive control. @*Results@#STZ-administered rats showed reduction in body weight, learning, memory, reversal learning, executive functioning, impairment in endothelial function, BBB permeability, increase in serum glucose, brains’ oxidative stress, inflammation, AChE-activity, BBB permeability and histopathological changes. Administration of UTI and SUL alone as well as in combination, significantly and dose dependently attenuated the STZ-diabetes-induced impairments in the behavioral, endothelial, and biochemical parameters. @*Conclusion@#STZ administration caused diabetes and VaD which was attenuated by the administration of UTI and SUL.Therefore, these agents may be studied further for the assessment of their full potential in diabetes induced VaD.
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Objective@#Vascular Dementia (VaD), is associated with metabolic conditions. Diabetes is a major risk factor for the development of VaD. This study investigates the efficacy of ulinastatin (UTI) and sulforaphane (SUL) in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetes induced vascular endothelium dysfunction and related dementia. @*Methods@#Single dose STZ (50 mg/kg i.p.) was administered to Albino Wistar rats (male, 200−250 g). Morris water maze and attentional set shifting tests were used to assess the spatial learning, memory, reversal learning, and executive functioning in animals. Body weight, serum glucose, serum nitriteitrate, vascular endothelial function, aortic superoxide anion, brains’ oxidative markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive species-TBARS, reduced glutathione-GSH, superoxide dismutase-SOD, and catalase-CAT), inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-, and myeloperoxidase-MPO), acetylcholinesterase activity-AChE, blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability and histopathological changes were also assessed. UTI (10,000 U/kg) and SUL (25 mg/kg) were used alone as well as in combination, as the treatment drugs. Donepezil (0.5 mg/kg) was used as a positive control. @*Results@#STZ-administered rats showed reduction in body weight, learning, memory, reversal learning, executive functioning, impairment in endothelial function, BBB permeability, increase in serum glucose, brains’ oxidative stress, inflammation, AChE-activity, BBB permeability and histopathological changes. Administration of UTI and SUL alone as well as in combination, significantly and dose dependently attenuated the STZ-diabetes-induced impairments in the behavioral, endothelial, and biochemical parameters. @*Conclusion@#STZ administration caused diabetes and VaD which was attenuated by the administration of UTI and SUL.Therefore, these agents may be studied further for the assessment of their full potential in diabetes induced VaD.
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Background: Dietary antioxidants protect tissues and organs against insecticides/xenobiotic-induced damage. In the present study, we evaluated the results of exposure to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides, cypermethrin [Cyp] and deltamethrin [Del] and possible protective effects of curcumin and quercetin on reproductive system in male Wistar rats
Materials and Methods: In this controlled experimental study, 42 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 7 groups of 6 animals. Group A served as control, group B was exposed to Cyp [2 mg/kg.bw], group C was exposed to Del [2 mg/kg.bw], group D was exposed to Cyp+Del [2 mg/kg.bw each], group E was exposed to Cyp+Del and treated with curcumin [100 mg/kg.bw], group F was exposed to Cyp+Del and treated with quercetin [100 mg/kg.bw] and group G was exposed to Cyp+Del and treated with quercetin+curcumin for 45 days
Results: Exposure to Cyp and Del caused decreases in reproductive organs weight, sperm count, sperm motility, level of sex hormones viz. testosterone [T], follicle stimulating hormone [FSH] and luteinizing hormone [LH], steroidogenic enzymes viz. 3beta-hydroxyl steroid dehydrogenase [3beta-HSD] and 17beta-HSD, non-enzymatic antioxi- dant glutathione [GSH] and enzymatic antioxidants viz. superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], glutathione-S-transferase [GST] and glutathione reductase [GR] activity and increases in sperm abnormalities and lipid peroxidation [LPO]. The exposure also adversely affected the histo-achitecture of testes. Single and combined treatment with curcumin and quercetin significantly ameliorated Cyp and Del-induced damage in reproductive system
Conclusion: Curcumin and quercetin protected against Cyp and Del-induced reproductive system toxicity and oxidative damage in rats. The increases in activities of 3beta-HSD and 17beta-HSD with concomitant increases in testosterone were mainly responsible for ameliorating effects of curcumin and quercetin. Curcumin showed slightly better activity as compared to quercetin. The combination of both antioxidants offered more protection compared to each one alone
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Background & objectives: Due to ever growing insecticide resistance in mosquitoes to commonly used insecticides in many parts of the globe, there is always a need for introduction of new insecticides for the control of resistant vector mosquitoes. In this study, larvicidal and adulticidal efficacies of three neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam) were tested against resistant and susceptible populations of Anopheles stephensi Liston 1901, Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti Linnaeus, and Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae). Methods: Laboratory-reared mosquito species were used. Insecticide susceptibility tests were done using standard WHO procedures and using diagnostic dosages of insecticide test papers and larvicides. Adulticidal efficacy of candidate insecticides was assessed using topical application method and larval bioassays were conducted using standard WHO procedure. Results: The results of topical application on 3-5 day old female mosquitoes indicated that resistant strain of An. stephensi registered lower LC50 values than the susceptible strain. Among the three insecticides tested, thiacloprid was found more effective than the other two insecticides. Culex quinquefasciatus registered lowest LC50 for imidacloprid than the other two mosquito species tested. In larval bioassays, the LC50 values registered for imidacloprid were in the order of Cx. quinquefasciatus <An. stephensi (SS) <An. stephensi (RR) <Ae. aegypti. In case of thiacloprid, the order of efficacy (LC50) was Cx. quinquefasciatus <An. stephensi (SS) <An. stephensi (RR), whereas in case of thiamethoxam, the larvicidal efficacy was in the order of An. stephensi (RR) <An. stephensi (SS) <Cx. quinquefasciatus. Interpretation & conclusions: The present study indicated that insecticide resistant strains of mosquito species tested showed more susceptibility to the three neonicotinoids tested, and the possibility of using neonicotinoids for the control of resistant mosquitoes should be explored.
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OBJECTIVE@#To find out the anti-mycobacterial potential of Cassia sophera (C. sophera), Urtica dioica (U. dioica), Momordica dioica, Tribulus terrestris and Coccinia indica plants against multi-drug resistant (MDR) strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis).@*METHODS@#Plant materials were extracted successively with solvents of increasing polarity. Solvent extracts were screened for anti-mycobacterial activity against fast growing, non-pathogenic mycobacterium strain, Mycobacterium semegmatis, by disk diffusion method. The active extracts were tested against MDR and clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis by absolute concentration and proportion methods. The active extracts were subjected to bio-autoassay on TLC followed by silica column chromatography for isolation of potential drug leads.@*RESULTS@#Hexane extract of U. dioica (HEUD) and methanol extract of C. sophera (MECS) produced inhibition zone of 20 mm in disc diffusion assay and MIC of 250 and 125 μ g/mL respectively in broth dilution assay against Mycobacterium semegmatis. Semipurified fraction F2 from MECS produced 86% inhibition against clinical isolate and 60% inhibition against MDR strain of M. tuberculosis. F18 from HEUD produced 81% inhibition against clinical isolate and 60% inhibition against MDR strain of M. tuberculosis. Phytochemical analysis indicated that anti-mycobacterial activity of MECS may be due to presence of alkaloids or flavonoids and that of HEUD due to terpenoids.@*CONCLUSIONS@#C. sophera and U. dioica plant extracts exhibited promising anti-mycobacterial activity against MDR strain of M. tuberculosis. This is the first report of anti-mycobacterial activity form C. sophera. This study showed possibility of purifying novel anti-mycobacterial compound(s) from C. sophera and U. dioica.