Carvacrol suppresses the expression of inflammatory marker genes in D-galactosamine-hepatotoxic rats

OBJECTIVE@#To unravel the mechanism of anti-inflammatory activity of carvacrol in D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced hepatotoxic rats.@*METHODS@#The mRNA and protein expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) were assayed by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) and western blot analysis.@*RESULTS@#We found that the mRNA and protein expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, COX-2 and NF-κB were significantly up-regulated in D-galactosamine induced hepatotoxic rats and treatment with carvacrol significantly down-regulated the expressions of these genes showing the mechanism behind the anti-inflammatory activity of carvacrol.@*CONCLUSIONS@#All above results reveal that the carvacrol well known anti-inflammatory activities in D-galactosamine induced hepatotoxic rats.

Antihyperlipidemic effect of Melothria maderaspatana leaf extracts on DOCA-salt induced hypertensive rats

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the antihyperlipidemic effect of crude ethanolic extract of Melothria maderaspatana (M. maderaspatana) leaf (CEEM) on deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt hypertensive rats.@*METHODS@#A midscapular incision was made on each rat and the left kidney was excised after ligation of the renal artery. The surgical wound was closed using an absorbable suture. After one week recovery period, hypertension was induced by subcutaneous injection of DOCA-salt solution, twice a week, and the rats received a 1% sodium chloride solution as drinking water throughout the experimental period. CEEM or nifedipine was administered orally once a day for 6 weeks.@*RESULTS@#In DOCA-salt hypertensive rats, the level of plasma and tissues of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acids (FFA) and phospholipids (PL) significantly increased and administration of CEEM significantly reduced these parameters towards normality. Further, the levels of low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) significantly increased while high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) decreased in hypertensive rats and administration of CEEM brought these parameters to normality which proved their antihyperlipidemic action. Histopathology of liver, kidney and heart on DOCA-salt induced rats treated with CEEM showed reduced the damages towards normal histology.@*CONCLUSIONS@#These findings provided evidence that CEEM was found to be protecting the liver, kidney and heart against DOCA-salt administration and the protective effect could attribute to its antihyperlipidemic activities.

Protective effect of Cardiospermum halicacabum leaf extract on glycoprotein components on STZ-induced hyperglycemic rats

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the protective role of Cardiospermum halicacabum (C. halicacabum) leaf extract on glycoprotein metabolism in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.@*METHODS@#Diabetes was induced in male albino Wistar rats by intraperitonial administration of STZ. The C. halicacabum leaf extract (CHE) was administered orally to normal and STZ-diabetic rats for 45 days. The effects of C. halicacabum leaf extract (CHE) on plasma and tissue glycoproteins (hexose, hexosamine, fucose and sialic acid) were determined.@*RESULTS@#The levels of plasma and tissues glycoproteins containing hexose, hexosamine and fucose were significantly increased in STZ-induced diabetic rats. In addition, the level of sialic acid significantly increased in plasma and liver while decreased in kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats. After administration of CHE to diabetic rats, the metabolic alteration of glycoprotein reverted towards normal levels.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The present study indicates that the CHE possesses a protective effect on abnormal glycoprotein metabolism in addition to its antihyperglycemic activity.