Embelia ribes extract reduces high fat diet and low dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephrotoxicity in rats.

Nephropathy associated with type 2 diabetes is the single most common cause of end-stage renal disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the preventive effect of ethanolic extract of Embelia ribes fruit (EER) against high fat diet (HFD) and low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic nephrotoxicity in Wistar rats. HFD-fed and low dose STZ (35 mg/kg, i.p)-induced diabetic rats were treated with EER (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) for 21 days while continuing on HFD. Preventive effects of EER were demonstrated by significant reduction (p< 0.01) in body weight gain, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while elevation in serum albumin and total protein levels. Insulin sensitizing effects were seen during oral glucose tolerance testing. Further, EER treatment significantly (p< 0.01) decreased the kidney thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels, while increasing the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels in diabetic rats. Histological studies of kidney also supported the experimental findings. Taken together, our data suggest that EER attenuates renal injury in type 2 diabetic rats, possibly by improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism, enhancement of insulin sensitivity, blood pressure lowering, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation process.

Preventive effect of embelin from embelia ribes on lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in high-fat diet-induced obesity in rats.

A high-fat diet (HFD) results in hyperlipidemia and an increase in oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preventive effect of embelin against hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress in HFD-induced obesity in rats. Male Wistar rats aged 12 weeks (150-200 g) were fed with an HFD for a period of 28 days to induce experimental obesity. HFD-induced obese rats were treated with embelin (50 mg/kg) or orlistat (10 mg/kg) for 21 days. A range of parameters were tested including body weight gain, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, visceral fat pad weights, serum levels of glucose, insulin, leptin, apolipoprotein B (ApoB), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH). Twenty-one days of embelin (50 mg/kg) treatment produced effects similar to orlistat in reducing body weight gain, blood pressure, visceral fat pad weight, serum lipid levels, as well as coronary artery risk and atherogenic indices of HFD-fed rats. Embelin treatment also lowered the serum levels of glucose by 24.77 %, insulin by 35.03 %, and leptin by 43.39 %. Furthermore, embelin treatment significantly (p < 0.01) decreased the hepatic TBARS levels, while increasing the SOD, CAT, and GSH levels in obese rats. The present study indicated the preventive effect of embelin in HFD-induced obesity and its related complications. Embelin could be valuable in the development of new drug therapies to prevent obesity, hyperlipidemia, and oxidative stress.

Comparative drug susceptibility study of five clonal strains of Trichomonas vaginalis in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To produce comparative data on a group of Trichomonas vaginalis clonal strains with varied drug responses using identical methods and materials. METHODS: Five clonal strains of Trichomonas vaginalis were isolated from reference strain using agar plate technique. The variability of growth kinetic and susceptibility of clonal strain to metronidazole, tinidazole, satranidazole and nitazoxanide were observed in 96 well microtitre plate. RESULTS: Among these clonal strains there was a good correlation between rates of growth with the relative susceptibility of the strains to drugs in vitro. Regarding metronidazole, tinidazole and satranidazole susceptibility, different degrees of susceptibility were determined. However, no difference in nitazoxanide susceptibility was found between the clonal strain tested and a reference strain. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first description of biological variability in clonal stock of Trichomonas vaginalis. Different degrees of drug susceptibility were determined among clonal strains tested. Further studies will be necessary to ascertain the importance of this variability in clinical infection.