ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Fructose intake has been increased steadily during the past two decades. Fructose, like other reducing sugars can react with proteins, which may account for aging and myocardial infarction. Fructose participates in glycation (fructation) and AGE formation some 10 times faster than glucose. This study aims to determine the fructose concentration and correlate with antioxidant status in senile diabetic and non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction. METHODS: The study included one hundred twenty six subjects. Out of them 31 were normal senile subjects, 33 were senile diabetic patients without myocardial infarction, 32 were senile diabetic patients with myocardial infarction and 30 were senile non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction. The patients were selected on clinical grounds from National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: Serum fructose was significantly increased in senile diabetic patients with and without myocardial infarction and senile non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction as compared with senile control subjects. Serum total antioxidant status was found to be significantly decreased in senile diabetic patients with and without myocardial infarction and senile non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction as compared with senile control subjects. Fasting blood glucose, HbA (1C) and serum fructosamine were significantly increased in senile diabetic patients with or without myocardial infarction as compared with senile non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction and senile control subjects. Negative significant correlation was observed between serum fructose and serum total antioxidant status in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction. Positive significant correlation was observed between serum fructose and s-AGEs in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that increased fructose concentration and decreased antioxidant status might have a role in the myocardial infarction.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood , Fructose/blood , Myocardial Infarction/blood , Aged , Aging/metabolism , Alzheimer Disease/complications , Analysis of Variance , Antioxidants/metabolism , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Female , Fructosamine/blood , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Myocardial Infarction/complications , Oxidative Stress , Patient SelectionABSTRACT
Hypotensive effects of aloeemodin, aloin A, elgonica dimer A and bisbenzopyran from Aloe barbadensis have been studied. Aloeemodin has emerged as a potent hypotensive agent in current pharmacological investigations and caused 26 %, 52 %, and 79 % falls in mean arterial blood pressure at the corresponding doses of 0.5, 1, and 3 mg/kg in rats. The paper also describes the absolute configuration of elgonica dimer A (1).
Subject(s)
Aloe/chemistry , Anthraquinones/therapeutic use , Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Emodin/analogs & derivatives , Emodin/therapeutic use , Glucosides/therapeutic use , Hypertension/drug therapy , Phytotherapy , Plant Preparations/therapeutic use , Animals , Anthraquinones/chemistry , Anthraquinones/isolation & purification , Blood Pressure/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Emodin/chemistry , Emodin/isolation & purification , Emodin/pharmacology , Glucosides/chemistry , Glucosides/isolation & purification , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Plant Roots/chemistry , RatsABSTRACT
Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek) (Leguminosae) is employed as a herbal medicine. Its seeds are known for their carminative, tonic and antidiabetic effects. A curative dose of Trigonella foenum-graecum also produces antiulcer action. In this study we have investigated the hypoglycaemic activities of the aqueous extract of the seeds Trigonella foenum-graecum in normal mice using oral route of adminstration. The methanolic extract administered through the same route produced hypoglycaemic effect only at the dose of 1 g/kg body weight. The aqueous extract is under further investigation to determine the chemical structure of the active component. The presence of hypoglycaemic activity in aqueous and methanolic extract indicates that the active compounds are polar in nature.
Subject(s)
Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Rosales/chemistry , Administration, Oral , Animals , Blood Glucose/analysis , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Hypoglycemic Agents/administration & dosage , Mice , Plant Extracts/administration & dosageABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence and severity of asymptomatic carotid arterial disease in young patients following neck radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma and to compare the prevalence of carotid arterial disease following radiation therapy alone with that following radiation therapy and chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two survivors of childhood or early adult Hodgkin lymphoma aged 18-37 years who had undergone radiation therapy more than 5 years earlier underwent carotid arterial ultrasonography. Common carotid intima-media thickness was measured; carotid vessels were assessed for intima-media abnormalities. Results were compared with those from 33 control subjects. RESULTS: Patients had a significantly greater number of abnormal scans than did control subjects (11 [26%] vs one [3%]; P < .01). Ten patients (24%) had intima-media abnormalities that did not cause significant stenosis; one patient had diffuse bilateral intima-media thickening (mean, 1.99 mm) with greater than 70% stenosis of both common carotid arteries. Intima-media thickness was significantly greater in patients (0.51 mm) than in control subjects (0.43 mm; P < .005). The number of abnormalities in patients with radiation therapy plus chemotherapy (six [19%] of 31 patients) did not differ significantly from the number in patients with only radiation therapy (five [45%] of 11 patients; P = .12); there was no significant difference between median intima-media thicknesses (0.50 mm vs 0.51 mm, P > .2). CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic carotid arterial disease occurs frequently in young patients following neck radiation therapy for Hodgkin lymphoma. No difference in prevalence was shown between only radiation therapy and radiation therapy plus chemotherapy.
Subject(s)
Carotid Artery Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Artery Diseases/etiology , Hodgkin Disease/radiotherapy , Radiation Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Adolescent , Adult , Biopsy , Carotid Arteries/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Arteries/pathology , Carotid Arteries/radiation effects , Carotid Artery Diseases/pathology , Female , Humans , Male , Neck/radiation effects , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Radiotherapy Dosage , Tunica Intima/diagnostic imaging , Tunica Intima/pathology , Tunica Intima/radiation effects , Tunica Media/diagnostic imaging , Tunica Media/pathology , Tunica Media/radiation effects , UltrasonographySubject(s)
Alanine Transaminase/blood , Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , PakistanSubject(s)
Carotenoids/blood , Vitamin A Deficiency/epidemiology , Vitamin A/blood , Age Factors , Diet , Female , Humans , Male , Pakistan , Sex FactorsSubject(s)
Ascites/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Ascitic Fluid/analysis , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedSubject(s)
Creatinine/metabolism , Kidney Diseases/metabolism , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
1. Liver and serum aspartate aminotransferase (GOT) and alanine aminotransferase (GPT) activities were measured in a hibernating desert lizard, Uromastix hardwickii. The levels of both enzymes were found to be lower in hibernation than during the active period, particularly in the liver. 2. After intramuscular injection of 2 mg of cortisone acetate there was a rapid rise in the levels of these enzymes with a peak of 18 hours (GOT) and 12 hours (GPT). 3. The response of both enzymes to cortisone was much greater during the active period than during hibernation. 4. GOT showed a much more rapid and greater response to cortisone than GPT. This is in contrast to the response of rat liver where GPT is more responsive to this hormone. 5. These studies indicate that the transferase enzymes of this lizard differ from those of the rat in their sensitivity and time of response to cortisone.
