Effect of Black Seed (Nigella sativa) and Uziza (Piper guineense) Leaf on the Histology of the Liver of Wistar Albino Rats

Aim: This study was aimed at investigating the effects of aqueous extracts of both Nigella sativa and Piper guineense on the liver enzymes; alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Also the effect of Nigella sativa and Piper guineense extracts on the histology of the liver of Wistar rat was also studied. Materials and Methods: A total of twenty five Wistar rats were used for the study. The animals were grouped into five groups, each having five animals. They were induced with sucrose and margarine to cause high sugar levels and hyperlipidemia respectively except the positive control group which was fed normal feed. The groups were: the positive control group, the negative control group which were induced without treatment, the uziza leaf group which were induced and were treated with 2 ml of aqueous extract of uziza leaf, the black seed group which were induced and were treated with 2 ml of aqueous extract of black seed, and the black seed and uziza group which were induced and were treated with 2ml of aqueous extract of black seed and 2 ml of aqueous extract of uziza leaf. Results: The result showed that the extracts decreased the ALT and AST and ALP activities in the rats in a time dependent manner with highest decrease obtained on the third week of treatment with the extracts. The ALT activity (U/L) on the third week of treatment showed for the, negative control (64.48 ± 0.22), uziza leaf (28.82 ± 0.12), black seed (32.65 ± 0.02), black seed and uziza leaf (16.04 ± 0.02) (p≤0.05). The decrease in activity for AST levels (U/L) on the third week of treatment, showed for the negative control (58.00 ± 0.02), uziza leaf (11.00 ± 0.01), black seed (12.00 ± 0.02), black seed and uziza leaf (8.00 ± 0.02). Conclusion: It can be concluded that both uziza leaf and black seed have hepatoprotective effect on the liver.

Ablation of gut microbiota alleviates obesity-induced hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance by modulating bile acid metabolism in hamsters

Since metabolic process differs between humans and mice, studies were performed in hamsters, which are generally considered to be a more appropriate animal model for studies of obesity-related metabolic disorders. The modulation of gut microbiota, bile acids and the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) axis is correlated with obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in mice. However, the interactions among the gut microbiota, bile acids and FXR in metabolic disorders remained largely unexplored in hamsters. In the current study, hamsters fed a 60% high-fat diet (HFD) were administered vehicle or an antibiotic cocktail by gavage twice a week for four weeks. Antibiotic treatment alleviated HFD-induced glucose intolerance, hepatic steatosis and inflammation accompanied with decreased hepatic lipogenesis and elevated thermogenesis in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT). In the livers of antibiotic-treated hamsters, cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily B member 1 (CYP7B1) in the alternative bile acid synthesis pathway was upregulated, contributing to a more hydrophilic bile acid profile with increased tauro--muricholic acid (TMCA). The intestinal FXR signaling was suppressed but remained unchanged in the liver. This study is of potential translational significance in determining the role of gut microbiota-mediated bile acid metabolism in modulating diet-induced glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis in the hamster.

Avaliação dos níveis séricos das enzimas hepáticas e proteína C reativa em indivíduos com sobrepeso com e sem Síndrome Metabólica / Evaluation of serum levels of liver enzymes and C-reactive protein (CRP) in overweight individuals with and without metabolic syndrome

A Síndrome Metabólica (SM) é uma doença que envolve diversas alterações metabólicas, dentre elas, dislipidemia, intolerância à glicose, obesidade e hipertensão arterial. A alteração nos níveis das enzimas hepáticas tem se mostrado um marcador útil no diagnostico da SM. Há poucos trabalhos avaliando essas enzimas em indivíduos com sobrepeso com e sem SM. O presente trabalho avaliou os níveis séricos das enzimas hepáticas (ALT, AST,GGT) bem como a proteína C reativa (PCR) como marcador inflamatório em indivíduos com sobrepeso, come sem SM. Foram avaliados 97 indivíduos, sendo 41 controles saudáveis eutróficos (EU), 28 indivíduos com sobrepeso sem SM (OSSM) e 28 indivíduos com sobrepeso com SM (OCSM). As análises de colesterol total,HDL-C. LDL-C, triacilglicerol, glicose, ALT, AST e GGT foram efetuadas em um auto-analisador bioquímico.A determinação de PCR foi realizada por enzima imunoensaio em micropartículas (MEIA). Utilizou-se o teste não paramétrico de Kruskal-Wallis e os resultados foram apresentados sob a forma de mediana (mínimo máximo).Correlação de Spearman foi utilizada neste estudo. Os níveis séricos das enzimas hepáticas (ALT, AST e GGT) não diferiram entre o grupo EU e o grupo OSSM, entretanto, houve diferença estatisticamente significativa quando esses parâmetros foram comparados entre EU e OCSM e OSSM e OCSM (p<0,001). Níveis plasmáticos de glicose foram positivamente correlacionados com ALT, AST e GGT. O grupo OCSM apresentou aumento significativo nos níveis séricos de PCR quando comparado aos demais grupos (p<0,001).Conclui-se que o sobrepeso não foi capaz de alterar os níveis das enzimas hepáticas e da PCR e que a elevação dos níveis séricos de GGT pode ser considerada um fator de risco adicional para SM.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a disease that involves several metabolic changes, including dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, obesity and hypertension. The changes in liver enzyme levels have been shown to be a useful marker in the diagnosis of MetS. There are few studies evaluating these enzymes in overweight individuals with or without MetS. This study evaluated the serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, and GGT) as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) as inflammatory markers in overweight individuals with and without MS. We studied 97 subjects, 41 eutrophic healthy controls (EU), 28 overweight individuals without MetS (OSSM) and 28 overweight individuals with MetS (OCSM). Analyses of total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triacylglycerol, fasting glucose, ALT, AST and GGT were performed in a biochemical auto analyzer. The determination was performed by CRP enzyme in microparticles (MEIA). The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test was performed and the results were presented as median (minimum-maximum). Spearman correlation was also performed in this study. Serum levels of liver enzymes (ALT, AST and GGT) did not differ between group EU and group OSSM, however, statistically significant differences when these parameters were compared between EU and OCSM and OSSM and OCSM (p <0.001). Glucose levels were positively correlated with ALT, AST and GGT.The group showed a significant increase in serum CRP when compared to other groups (p <0.001). We conclude that overweight was not able to alter the levels of liver enzymes and CRP levels and the elevation of serum GGT may be considered an additional risk factor for MetS.

Study on the application value of aspartate aminotransferase mitochondrial isoenzyme in patients with alcoholic liver disease / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To analyse the clinical value of aspartate aminotransferase mitochondrial isoenzyme (m‐AST ) determina‐tion in patients with alcoholic liver disease .Methods 61 cases of patients with alcoholic liver disease (observe group) receiving treatment in this hospital from March 2013 to March 2015 and 61 cases of healthy individuals(control group) were enrolled in this study ,and serum levels of m‐AST ,alanine amino transferase(ALT) ,aspartate amino transferase(AST) and γ‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) were detected .Results Compared with the control group ,serum levels of of m‐AST ,ALT ,AST and GGT were increased in the observe group ,there were statistically significant differences (P<0 .05) .In patients with alcoholic liver disease ,after treatment , serum levels of m‐AST ,ALT ,AST and GGT were different among patients with hepatic adipose infiltration ,patients with hepatitis and patients with liver cirrhosis ,there were statistically significant differences(P<0 .05) .Conclusion Combined with ALT ,AST and GGT ,m‐AST could be utilized as an indicator for diagnosing alcoholic liver disease ,which has clinical significance .

Mean corpuscular volume and biochemical markers of alcoholism - A comparative study.

Alcoholism is a serious health issue with major socioeconomic consequences. Significant morbidity is related to chronic alcohol use, and alcoholics seek advice only when complications of drinking set in. The diagnosis is often based on patients self-reporting of alcohol consumption, which is unreliable and requires high degree of clinical suspicion. However, if alcohol problems are recognized at an early stage, the physician may be able to prevent their further development and progression. The present study compares the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) with other traditional biochemical markers in alcohol abuse patients and healthy controls. It is a prospective study, and 40 cases and 30 controls were evaluated for biochemical parameters over a period of one year. The study revealed MCV to be possessing 87.5% sensitivity, 83.33% specificity, 87.5% of positive predictive value, 48.39% of negative predictive value and 54.29% of diagnostic accuracy, which makes it a reliable marker. The mean gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentrations in alcohol dependent subjects were higher as compared to controls. Though clinical histories and questionnaires are the commonest initial means of detection of alcohol abuse, laboratory markers such as MCV should be used for confirming the diagnosis of alcohol abuse. They are also helpful in follow-up of patients undergoing treatment, and monitoring of abstinence

Is serum sialic acid a marker of alcohol abuse.

A comparative study of serum sialic acid concentration and traditional biochemical markers such as serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), and AST/ALT ratio, as well as prognostic markers such as serum total protein and serum albumin in alcohol abuse was done. A total of 70 male subjects aged between 20 and 60 years, with 40 cases diagnosed as alcoholics, and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum GGT, AST, ALT, total protein and serum albumin were estimated using auto analyzer Dade Behring clinical chemistry system. Serum sialic acid was estimated manually by modified Warren's colourimetric method. An increased concentration of serum sialic acid and other traditional biochemical markers GGT, AST, ALT was observed in cases compared to that of controls. Overall, GGT demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity. The other traditional markers used in alcohol abuse varied considerably in their specificities and sensitivities. The AST/ALT ratio was increased in cases compared to controls, but not high enough to confirm alcoholic liver disease. The albumin concentration in cases was decreased when compared to controls, while total protein concentration did not show any statistical significance in both the groups indicating that it has negligible effect. In this study, sialic acid proved to be a reliable test with sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 90%, with a diagnostic accuracy of 80%, showing that it can be used as a biochemical marker in alcohol abuse, where secondary effects of liver disease hamper the use of traditional markers.

Effect of methylene blue on oxidative stress and antioxidant defence parameters of rat hepatic and renal tissues.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of administration of 1 mM methylene blue (MB) in drinking water for 30 days on hepatic and renal antioxidant status in female adult Wistar strain rats (n=5). MB failed to induce significant change in any of the measured antioxidant defence parameters namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH). However, a marginally significant (P<0.05) increase in the level of lipid peroxidation (LPx) was recorded in liver, while a reduction (P<0.05) in its level in the kidney was noticed. Serum alanine amino transferase (AlaAT) and creatinine levels significantly (P<0.001) decreased in MB treated rats without any change in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level. Our findings suggest that the effect of MB as administered in the present study was tissue specific with regard to the level of LPx, however, in general, it does not impair liver and kidney functions as evidenced by serum parameters.