Effects of Cinnamomum cassia extract on oxidative stress, immunreactivity of iNOS and impaired thoracic aortic reactivity induced by type II diabetes in rats

Type II diabetes is known to cause neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy. However, cardiovascular disorders associated with diabetes have been ignored. In traditional medicine, cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) bark has been used for its abilities to relieve fever, inflammation and chronic bronchitis. In the present study, the effect of Cinnamomum cassia extract (CN) on the thoracic aorta in an experimental type II diabetes model was investigated. In rats administered with nicotinamide + streptozotocin, significant endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress were characterised by increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and decreased insulin/proinsulin levels. This impairment was prevented by administering 1000 mg/kg metformin or 500-1000-1500 mg/kg CN. CN administration attenuated the inflammatory response by decreasing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), Nitric oxide (NO) and increasing Glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione (GSH). In addition, CN administration was shown to cause down-regulating effects on iNOS in thoracic aorta. These findings reveal that CN could prevent chronic complications of experimentally induced type II diabetes by attenuating inflammation, oxidant/antioxidant imbalance, and normalised contraction and relaxion responses in the thoracic aorta.

TTV infection in children with and without liver disease.

BACKGROUND: TTV DNA has been reported in patients with a broad spectrum of hepatic disorders as well as in healthy people. AIM: To clarify the role of TTV in children with liver disease and in healthy children. METHODS: Degenerate primers designed to amplify a target sequence from the ORF 1 region of TTV genome were used for nested PCR, to detect TTV DNA in sera. RESULTS: TTV was detected in 3 of 18 children with chronic hepatitis B (16.7%), 2 of 17 hepatitis B carriers (11.8%), 2 of 17 children with cryptogenic chronic liver disease (11.8%), and 1 of 40 (2.5%) children without liver disease. The infection rate was similar among the various study groups and in the various age groups. There was no difference between TTV positive and negative children in respect to gender, history of surgery, parenteral treatment, transfusion of blood and blood products, presence of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, jaundice, and transaminase values. CONCLUSION: TTV does not seem to have an etiologic role in cryptogenic liver disease in children and does not seem to influence the clinical course of liver disease.

Serum hyaluronic acid concentrations in children with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Liver disease is associated with increased levels of hyaluronic acid (HA). AIM: To evaluate serum HA concentrations in children with cirrhosis and its relation with liver function tests and Child-Pugh score. METHODS: Twenty-two children with biopsy-proven liver cirrhosis were studied. All were assessed for the presence of ascites or encephalopathy and liver function tests were performed. Patients were categorized according to Child-Pugh criteria. Serum HA was measured using microELISA (normal 0-100 ng/mL). Twenty-two children with chronic hepatitis B and no cirrhosis were studied as controls. RESULTS: Serum HA level in the cirrhotic children was 85.2 (72.8) ng/mL; levels were high (166.0 [46.3] ng/mL; range 115-246) in 8 (36.4%) patients. Three of 11 (27.2%) Child-Pugh class A patients, 3 of 8 (37.5%) class B patients, and 2 of 3 (66.7%) class C patients had elevated serum HA values (p=ns). Serum HA levels correlated with direct bilirubin level. The control group had lower levels (4.8 [2.3] ng/mL; p< 0.05), which were in the normal range. CONCLUSION: Serum HA level may be useful as a diagnostic tool in children with cirrhosis.

Evaluation of diagnostic parameters of Wilson's disease in childhood.

BACKGROUND: Wilson's disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder with variable clinical presentation. Its diagnosis depends on a combination of clinical and laboratory findings. We evaluated the sensitivity of various diagnostic tests in children with WD and high liver copper concentrations. METHODS: Thirty-three children (6-15 years old, 19 male) with confirmed WD (hepatic copper >250 mcirog/g dry weight) were evaluated retrospectively. Eyes were examined with biomicroscope for Kayser-Fleischer rings and urinary copper content was determined in 30 patients. Serum ceruloplasmin levels were measured and liver tissue samples were stained with orcein in all. RESULTS: All patients presented with hepatic disease. Four patients also had neurological involvement. Hepatic copper concentration was between 250 and 1200 microg/g. Eighteen patients had liver cirrhosis, 9 chronic hepatitis, and 6 had massive hepatic necrosis on liver biopsy or necropsy. The sensitivity of various tests evaluated was: 100% (30/30) for urinary copper excretion, 88% (29/33) for orcein staining on liver tissues, 82% (27/33) for ceruloplasmin levels, and 63% (19/30) for presence of Kayser-Fleischer ring. Kayser-Fleischer ring was present in all patients with neurological manifestations and in 58% of patients with only hepatic presentation. CONCLUSIONS: 24-hour urinary copper excretion seems to be the most sensitive test for diagnosis of WD, particularly when liver biopsy cannot be performed due to coagulation abnormalities.