Potential Association of Triglyceride Glucose Index with Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a common and most neglected complication of diabetes, estimated to be roughly 8% in recently diagnosed patients and greater than 50% in patients with chronic disease history. The insulin resistance (IR) itself is bidirectionally associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and CAN is a predisposing factor. The primary objective of the present study was aimed to find a correlation of triglyceride glucose index (TyG index) in CAN patients along with the prevalence of CAN in T2DM patients as a secondary objective. This prevalence study was conducted on 202 patients visiting the diabetic clinic of Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard (HIMSR) teaching hospital in New Delhi, India who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The Ewings autonomic function test was used for diagnosis of CAN. TyG index was calculated for patients based on fasting levels of glucose and triglyceride. The CAN was diagnosed in 62 participants out of 202 T2DM patients (overall prevalence 30.7%). The mean ± standard deviation (SD) for TyG index was 10.3 ± 0.2 and 9.5 ± 0.2 in CAN positive, T2DM patients, respectively. The difference of TyG index, in CAN positive and T2DM patients, was highly significant (P < 0.001). Further correlation analysis was performed to find an association of TyG index, duration, and age with patient groups. TyG index showed a positive correlation with heart rate during deep breathing (HRD), heart rate variation during standing (HRS), blood pressure (BP) response to handgrip and BP response to standing. Our finding highlights the TyG index, low-cost IR index, might be useful as an alternative tool for the early screening of patients at a high risk of diabetic neuropathy.

Attenuation of ischemia reperfusion-induced myocardial injuries by aqueous Embelia ribes Burm. extract in albino rats

The present study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of aqueous Embelia ribes Burm extract on left anterior descending coronary artery ligation [LAD]-induced myocardial infarction in albino rats. Vehicle [1% Tween 80 in distilled water] or aqueous E. ribes extract [100 and 200 mg/kg] was administered for 7 days [pre-treatment]. In the vehicle-treated group, ischemic-reperfusion injury [IRI] was evidenced by depression of haemodynamic function [heart rate], raised levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] and myocardial thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS] levels and depletion of myocardial endogenous antioxidants [glutathione [GSH], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], glutathione reductase [GR] and glutathione-S-transferase [GST]] and Na-K-ATPase levels, as compared to sham rats. Pre-treatment with aqueous E. ribes extract resulted in restoration of the altered hemodynamic parameters, myocardial antioxidant status and Na-K-ATPase activity as compared to ischemia reperfusion [IR] group. Further, IR-induced increased LDH and TBARS levels were significantly decreased by E. ribes extract treatment. The beneficial cardioprotective effects also translated into functional recovery of the heart. Cardioprotective effect of aqueous E. ribes extract likely results from the suppression of oxidative stress and correlates with the improved hemodynamic function and decreased Na-K-ATPase activity

Cardioprotective activity of Zingiber officinale roscoe in rats

In the present study, ethanolic Zingiber officinale extract was prepared and studied for antioxidant and cardioprotective effect against isoproterenol-induced myocardial necrosis in rats. The present study indicates that the ethanolic Zingiber officinale extract post treatment possess significant antioxidant and cardioprotective activity

Hepatoprotection by Jigrine, a Unani herbal formulation, during country-made liquor-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The hepatoprotective potential of Jigrine tablets [a Unani polyherbal formulation containing a mixture of 14 medicinal plants] was evaluated in country-made liquor [CML]-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. The rats were made hepatotoxic by administering CML [3 ml/100 g/day in 2 divided doses] and corn oil [1 ml/100 g/day, in a single dose] orally for 21 days. The administration of Jigrine [200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg] orally from day 15 to day 21 along with CML produced significant lowering [p<0.01] of serum AST, ALT, ALP, gamma-GTP and tissue lipid peroxide levels. The results were comparable to silymarin [25 mg/kg, orally]. The study shows that the Jigrine is definitely a hepatoprotective agent and reduction of liver damage by Jigrine treatment involved several mechanisms

reappraisal of clinical studies on the comparative influences of three indigenous plant drugs in diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is possibly the world's fastest growing disease and continues to be a threat to public health in the years 2000. Since long before the insulin period, indigenous drugs have been in use for the treatment of this malady. These traditional plant drugs supposedly represent a mild form of therapy with fewer drawbacks than chemicals either isolated from vegetable kingdom or synthesized. Pharmacological studies in the last three-four decades also evidence usefulness of plant extracts in diabetes, although they do not indicate adequate effectiveness of these hypoglycemic agents. A hypoglycaemic action from Cymnema, sylvestre, Momordica charantia and Pterocarpus marsupium has been confirmed in animal models and non-insulin dependent diabetic patients. These traditional treatments may provide valuable clucs for the development of new oral hypoglycaemic agents or simple dietary adjuncts

Effect of digenous drugs on changes inmorphology and cholesterol level of aorta in early atherosclerotic progression a comparative experimental study

Abnormalities in lipid metabolism are among the best known cardiovascular risk factors. Use of medicinal plants in preventing alterations in lipid metabolism has received wide attention by several workers. The present work compared the antihyperlipidaemic effect of guar gum, fenugreek and ginger extracts in hypercholesterolemic rabbits and results compared with Gemfibrozil used as a standard drug. The data pertaining to macroscopic aortic lesions and aortic cholesterol is presented here. The study showed that extracts of guar gum, ginger and fenugreek significantly reduced the sclerotic component and deposition of cholesterol in vessel wall