ABSTRACT
Effect of chronic treatment with Bis(maltolato)oxovanadium (IV) (BMOV) was studied in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced neonatal non-insulin-dependent-diabetic (NIDDM) rats. Intraperitoneal injection of STZ (90 mg kg(-1)) in Wistar rat pups (day 2 old) produced mild hyperglycemia, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance at the age of 3 months. Treatment with BMOV (0.23 mM kg(-1)) in drinking water for 6 weeks produced a significant decrease in elevated serum glucose levels without any significant change in serum insulin levels in diabetic rats. BMOV treatment significantly decreased integrated area under the glucose curve without any significant change in integrated area under the insulin curve indicating improved glucose tolerance. Treatment also significantly increased K(ITT) value of diabetic rats indicating increased insulin sensitivity. BMOV treatment significantly reduced hypercholesterolemia in diabetic rats. Treatment also significantly decreased serum triglyceride levels in both diabetic and non-diabetic rats. The data suggest that chronic BMOV treatment improves glucose and lipid homeostasis. These effects appear to be due to the insulin sensitizing action of vanadium.
Subject(s)
Animals , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Body Weight , Cholesterol/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood , Glucose Tolerance Test , Hypercholesterolemia/drug therapy , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Insulin/metabolism , Male , Pyrones/therapeutic use , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Vanadates/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Recognition of Nitric oxide (NO) as the chemical entity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) has renewed the interest of the scientific community in the last decade. The outcome of research the world over is that the dreaded environmental pollutant is found to be a fundamental physiological mediator and effector. NO is synthesized endogenously by enzymes nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in specialized tissues from its precursor L-arginine. The L-arginine-NO biosynthetic pathway is involved in physiological processes such as vasodilation, memory, neuroprotection, peristalsis, penile erection, immune defense, various endocrine and exocrine secretions in various systems such as cardiovascular, CNS, reproductive and immune system. Small quantities of NO produced by constitutive enzymes mediate these physiological effects. The expression of inducible enzyme or overstimulation of constitutive enzymes leading to production of large quantities of NO is implicated in the cytotoxic effects observed in various disorders like AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's, arthritis etc. In conclusion, NO is a 'double edged sword' and the challenge before the scientific community is to develop strategies for using it to our advantage.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena , Central Nervous System/physiology , Digestive System Physiological Phenomena , Humans , Immunity , Male , Nitric Oxide/physiology , Nitric Oxide Synthase/antagonists & inhibitors , Penile Erection/physiology , Phosphorylation , Respiratory Physiological PhenomenaABSTRACT
Volatile oil of C. deodara, administered orally at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, significantly inhibited the pedal edema induced by compound 48/80 in rats. The oil significantly inhibited compound 48/80 induced degranulation of isolated rat peritoneal mast cells at concentrations ranging from 25-200 micrograms/ml. C. deodara wood oil also significantly inhibited the enzyme lipoxygenase at a concentration of 200 micrograms/ml. Thus, the anti-inflammatory activity of C. deodara wood oil could be attributed to its mast cell stabilizing activity and the inhibition of leukotriene synthesis.