Jobelyn suppresses hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and necrosis in experimental alcohol-induced brain stress.

Neurodegeneration in the hippocampus is a consequence of alcohol abuse which compromises the survival of the CNS tissue and its self-renewal capacity. So far, conventional drugs have not been clinically satisfactory in ameliorating neurodegeneration, therefore there has been a surge towards exploring the potentials of nutraceuticals since they mediate their action in a multi-mechanism fashion and may have high therapeutic potentials in CNS diseases. This study, therefore, evaluated the effect of Jobelyn® supplementation in ethanol-induced neurodegeneration of the hippocampus. Adult male rats received a regimen of ethanol or ethanol plus Jobelyn®, three times daily over four days. Histological results show that Jobelyn® supplementation significantly lowered neurodegeneration in the dentate gyrus, CA1 and CA3 areas. Furthermore, IHC studies show that Jobelyn® triggered an increased expression of p53 proteins in neurons of areas CA1 and CA3, with a reduction of p53 expression in the DG and also caused reduced expression of ɤ-enolase protein in these regions. These findings suggest that Jobelyn® may be able to help to maintain neuronal survival via control of tumor antigen p53 and ɤ-enolase regulated apoptotic and necrotic processes.

Osmoregulatory adaptations during lactation: Thirst, arginine vasopressin and plasma osmolality responses.

Pregnancy and lactation are accompanied by an increase in circulating blood volume secondary to a 10 mOsmol/kgH20 decrease in plasma osmolality, decrease in the osmotic threshold for thirst and arginine vasopressin (AVP) release, prolactin-induced AVP, oxytocin and aldosterone release, as well as increased water intake and retention. The increased blood volume as a result of increased thirst; drinking and fluid retention could be beneficial for milk production and secretion during lactation. Furthermore, AVP can directly initiate milk ejection similar to oxytocin by interacting with both vasopressin and oxytocin receptors located in myoepithelial cells of the mammary gland. This review explores how osmotic equilibrium is maintained during lactation through changes in thirst, AVP release and plasma osmolality; and highlights the potential role of AVP in milk secretion.