The Role of Gluten in Autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an inherited neurodevelopmental disorder of social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Much remains unknown about their mechanisms of action and physiological effects. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in nutritional diets, which can be used as a form of therapeutic intervention for ASD with a recent increase in the research being carried out in this field. Selective nutrition therapy for ASD and brain function shows improvement in behavioral changes and reduction in malnutrition seemingly associated with the allergies or food intolerances to gluten. Therefore, a gluten-free diet has yielded positive outcomes giving hope in developing therapy for ASD.

Theaflavin ameliorates behavioral deficits, biochemical indices and monoamine transporters expression against subacute 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Evidence from clinical and experimental studies indicates that degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons is a pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective potential of theaflavin (TF) on oxidative stress, monoamine transporters and behavioral abnormalities in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced neurodegeneration. TF, a black tea polyphenol, has been known to possess neuroprotective effects against ischemia, Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, but the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects on MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration are poorly defined. Administration of MPTP (30 mg/kg bw for four consecutive days) led to increased oxidative stress and reduced behavior patterns (open field, rotarod and hang test), nigrostriatal dopamine transporter (DAT) (immunohistochemistry and Western blot) and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) (Western blot) expressions. Pre-treatment with TF reduces oxidative stress, improves motor behavior and expression of DAT and VMAT2 in striatum and substantia nigra. These results indicate that TF might be beneficial in mitigating MPTP-induced damage of dopaminergic neurons, possibly via its neuroprotective and its antioxidant potential.

Influence of diallyl disulphide on temporal patterns of circulatory lipid peroxidation products and antioxidants in N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

ABSTRACT Investigations on the effects of diallyl disulphide (60 mg/kg body weight) orally administered (thrice a week) on the temporal patterns of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and reduced glutathione (GSH) during N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis were performed in rats. The acrophase of TBARS was found to be delayed and of antioxidants was found to be advanced in NDEA-treated rats. The increase in mesor of TBARS, decrease in mesor of antioxidants, and altered amplitude and acrophase indicated the negative imbalance of oxidant and antioxidant occurring during carcinogenesis. Oral treatment of diallyl disulphide (DADS) results in the resynchronization of the altered rhythms of TBARS and other antioxidants. Although NDEA has no known significant effects on the suprachaismatic nucleus (SCN), from the present results it could be hypothesized that it would influence the peripheral oscillator systems, such as liver, possibly by modulating secretion of the various hormones and growth factors during hepatocarcinogenesis.

Metabolic normalization of alpha-ketoglutarate against N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

Chemoprevention of cancer is one of the reliable approaches to control the incidence of cancer. In the present study, we investigated the chemopreventive role of alpha-ketoglutarate (alpha-KG) during N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis. The activities of serum aspartate and alanine transaminases were found to be significantly higher in NDEA + CCl(4)-treated animals when compared with control animals. Administration of alpha-KG restored the activities of transaminases to near normal range. The levels of lipid peroxides, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were decreased in the liver tissue of NDEA + CCl(4)-treated animals when compared with control animals. alpha-KG reversed the lipid peroxide levels to near normal range. Levels of antioxidants, reduced glutathione and activities of its dependent enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase were found to be significantly higher in liver tissue of NDEA + CCl(4)-treated animals when compared with control animals. alpha-KG administration positively modulated the antioxidant levels to near normal range. In conclusion, it can be suggested that alpha-KG exerts chemopreventive role which may attributable to its ability to positively modulate the transaminase activities and oxidant-antioxidant imbalance during hepatocarcinogenesis.

Melatonin modulates the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance during N-nitrosodiethylamine induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats.

PURPOSE: Melatonin, the principle hormone of pineal gland plays an important role in several biological processes. The effects of melatonin on hepatic marker enzymes [aspartate and alanine transaminases (AST and ALT)], lipid peroxides [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)] and antioxidants [reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)] during N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats were studied. METHODS: Male albino Wistar rats of body weight 150-170 g were divided into four groups of six animals each. Group I animals served as control, Group II animals received single intraperitoneal injection of NDEA at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight followed by weekly subcutaneous injections of CCl4 at a dose of 3 mL/kg body weight. Group III animals were treated as in Group II and melatonin (5 mg/kg body weight) was administered intraperitoneally. Group IV animals received melatonin alone at the same dose as Group III animals. RESULTS: A significant increase in the activities of serum AST and ALT was observed in NDEA treated rats when compared with control animals. Melatonin administered rats showed a significant decrease in the activities of these enzymes when compared with NDEA treated animals. In the liver of NDEA-treated animals, decreased lipid peroxidation associated with enhanced antioxidant levels was observed. Administration of melatonin positively modulated these changes. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that melatonin exerts chemopreventive effect by restoring the activities of hepatic marker enzymes and reversing the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance during NDEA-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

Circadian rhythmicity of plasma lipid peroxidation and antioxidants in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Oral cancer is one of the leading cancers in India accounting for 30 to 40 percent of all cancers. Disturbances in lipid peroxidation and antioxidants status have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several cancers including oral cancer. However, circadian disturbances of oxidants and antioxidants in oral cancer patients were not reported. METHODS: The levels of plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced glutathione (GSH) and activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in ten oral cancer patients and an equal number of age-matched healthy subjects were assayed at every 6 hour intervals using colorimetric methods and their circadian characteristics were analysed using Cosinorwin computer software programme. RESULTS: Alterations in mesor, amplitude, acrophase and r value of the chosen parameters were noticed. DISCUSSION: The desynchronisation of plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and the altered circadian characteristics of antioxidants observed in this study, may deserve further investigation for the early diagnosis, prognosis and for the efficacy of cancer chronotherapy.

Temporal expression patterns of timeless in vg and cry(b) mutants of Drosophila melanogaster.

The temporal expression patterns of timeless (tim) in Drosophila melanogaster at various time points were studied in intestine and salivary gland of wild type (WT), vestigial (vg) and cryptochrome-absent (cry(b)) mutants under 12 hr:12 hr white light:darkness (LD) and 12 hr:12 hr blue light (450 nm):darkness (BD) conditions. At ZT 06 and ZT 10, tim expression was almost nil and at ZT 18 and ZT 22, the expression was most pronounced in WT and mutants, when compared to other time points. As vg flies have greatly reduced wings, their gross locomotor activity was poorer and levels of tim expression were also least than WT flies. The weaker expression of tim in cry(b) flies suggested the significant role of blue light photoreceptor cryptochrome for a stronger synchronization of circadian clock. The expression patterns of tim in the salivary gland of larvae further suggested the presence of peripheral oscillators during the developmental stages.

Effect of aspartame on circadian oscillations of calcium and inorganic phosphorus in rats.

The effect of aspartame on circadian rhythms of calcium and inorganic phosphorus levels was studied in rats. Acrophase delays in calcium rhythms and advances in inorganic phosphorus rhythms and alteration in mesor values in both rhythms were observed in aspartame-treated rats. However, no change in amplitude values was observed. Oral administration of aspartame leads to increased levels of aspartate in the brain, which could alter the characteristics of calcium and inorganic phosphorus rhythms, possibly by modulating transmission in several areas/nuclei in brain, including retinohypothalamic tract (RHT) and suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN).