Protective effect of polysaccharides isolated from the seeds of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. on 5-fluorouracil-induced intestinal mucositis in mice

Purpose: To evaluate the protective effect of Cuscuta chinensis Lam. polysaccharides (PCCL) on 5-fluorouracil-(5-FU)-induced intestinal mucositis (IM) in mice. Methods: PCCL was orally administered at a dose of 20 mg·kg­1 for 7 days and its protective effect on 5-FU-induced IM (5-FU, 50 mg·kg­1 for 5 days) was evaluated by monitoring changes in body weight, degree of diarrhea, levels of tissue inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, and interleukin 1ß levels), apoptosis rates, and the expression levels of caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2. Results: The severity of mucosal injury (as reflected by body weight changes, degree of diarrhea, height of villi, and damage to crypts) was significantly attenuated by PCCL administration. PCCL also reduced the levels of tissue inflammatory factors, the apoptosis rate, and the expression of caspase-3 and Bax, and increased Bcl-2 expression. Conclusions: PCCL administration may be significantly protective against 5-FU-induced IM by inhibiting apoptosis and regulating the abnormal inflammation associated with it.

Protective effects of silymarin on methotrexate-induced damages in rat testes

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of silymarin (SMN), an antioxidant, on methotrexate (MTX)-induced damage in rat testes. Thirty-two Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): control, MTX (20 mg/kg, i.p. on days 1 and 5), SMN (200 mg/kg, orally), and MTX + SMN (20 mg/kg, i.p. on days 1 and 5 and SMN 200 mg/kg orally) groups. At the end of the 6-week trial period, histopathological, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and spermatological analyses were performed on testes tissues. Histopathologically, MTX-induced damage, including depletion of germ cell and loos of spermatozoa, was significantly improved with SMN treatment. Immunohistochemically, the immunoreactivity of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1) and manganese superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) were detected more intensely in the MTX + SMN group than in the MTX group. Biochemical examinations revealed that SMN supplementation decreased the lipid peroxidation and increased enzymatic antioxidants in the SMN-treated rats. Spermatologically, significant differences were found in the density, motility, dead-to-live sperm ratio, and abnormal sperm rate in the MTX + SMN group compared to the MTX group. In conclusion, SMN seems to have protective effects as an antioxidant against MTX-induced damage in rat testes.

Mechanisms of Endothelial Protection by Natural Bioactive Compounds from Fruit and Vegetables

ABSTRACT The endothelium is fundamental for the regulation of vascular tone and structure. Under disease conditions, including the presence of cardiovascular disease risk factors, the endothelium loses its protective role and becomes a proatherosclerotic structure. In this article we searched for strategies from PUBMED and Science Direct databases using the following key words: endothelium, natural bioactive compounds, polyphenols and cardiovascular diseases. The search was restricted to english language papers. Studies have identified the contribution of diet to the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. In this context, high intakes of fruit and vegetables are associated with the decrease of cardiovascular diseases. Thus the most important fruit/vegetables and bioactive compounds to prevent endothelial diseases are berries, apples, virgin olive oil, tomatoes, soybeans, and polyphenols, carotenoids and unsaturated fatty acids, respectively. The bioactive compounds from fruit and vegetables provide endothelial protection through the following mechanisms: improved eNOS/NO bioavailability, attenuates oxidative stress, inhibited NF-κB pathway and decreased cell adhesion molecules expression. In this article natural bioactive compound mechanisms of endothelium protection are thoroughly reviewed.

Ionômero de vidro: agentes protetores de superfície / Glass ionomer: superficial protectors agents

O cimento de ionômero de vidro qualifica-se como um material bastante crítico quanto à sua utilizaçäo. A indicaçäo da proporçäo pó-líquido feita pelo fabricante deve ser rigorosamente obedecida. A manipulaçäo, inserçäo e proteçäo do material precisam ser feitas sempre de maneira apropriada. Foi pensando nisso, que este experimento de baseou, a fim de avaliar três diferentes protetores de superfície para restauraçöes de cimento de ionômero de vidro: Finishing Gloss (Vitrimer), Fortify e esmalte para unha Colorama. Os cimentos ionométricos utilizados para este experimento foram Vidrion R, Chelon Fil e Vitrimer. Os resultados indicaram que as melhores proteçöes foram obtidas quando se usou a resina fluída Finishing Gloss e esmalte para unha Colorama; näo havendo diferença significante entre eles. Já o Fortify näo deve ser o produto de primeira escolha para proteçäo superficial