Renal-protective and ameliorating impacts of omega-3 fatty acids against aspartame damaged MDCK cells.

Aspartame is widely used artificial sweeteners as food additives. Several researchers have pointed that the controversial report on the use of aspartame over more than decades. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential and unsaturated fatty acids, and it plays a remarkable role in vision, intelligence, neural development, and metabolism of neurotransmitters. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on aspartame treated renal cells. Experimental groups were divided into three such as sham control, aspartame treated, and aspartame with omega-3 fatty acids. Cell viability was determined by sulforhodamine-b assay and flow cytometric analysis. The experimental results showed that the aspartame induced altered cell viability were reduced following treatment of aspartame with omega-3 fatty acids. Altered cell morphology was recovered by omega-3 fatty acids. DNA damage appeared in the highest concentration of aspartame used in this study. DNA damage characteristics such as comet tail and tiny head sections did not appear in the omega-3 fatty acids treated cells. Several microvilli and vesicular structures were found in aspartame treated cells. Altered morphology such as rounding, microvilli, and formation of dome-like structures did not appear in the omega-3 fatty acids with aspartame treated cells. Caspase-3 mRNA and protein expression were increased in aspartame treated cells, and these levels were reduced following omega-3 fatty acids treatment. Taking all these data together, it is suggested that the omega-3 fatty acids may be a therapeutic agent to reduce the aspartame induced biochemical and morphological alterations in normal renal cells. © 2017 BioFactors, 43(6):847-857, 2017.

Cytotoxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles on antioxidant enzyme activities and mRNA expression in the cocultured C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells.

The present study was aimed to investigate the dose-dependent effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on antioxidant enzyme activities and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the cocultured C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells. Coculturing experiments are 3D and more reliable compared to mono-culture (2D) experiment. Even though, there are several studies on ZnO nanoparticle-mediated cytotoxicity, but there are no studies on the effect of ZnO nanoparticle on antioxidant enzyme activities and mRNA expression in the cocultured C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells. A cytotoxicity assay was carried out to determine the effect of ZnO nanoparticles on the C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cell viability. At higher concentration of ZnO nanoparticles, C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells almost die. ZnO nanoparticles increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in a dose-dependent manner in the C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, ZnO nanoparticles increased antioxidant enzyme activities and their mRNA expression in the C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells. In conclusion, the present study showed that ZnO nanoparticles increased oxidative stress, antioxidant enzyme activities, and their mRNA expression in the cocultured C2C12 and 3T3-L1 cells.

Effect of cypermethrin, carbendazim and their combination on male albino rat serum.

SUMMARY: Alpha-cypermethrin and carbendazim are synthetic; α-cypermethrin belongs to a class of synthetic pyrethroids and carbendazim belongs to the class of carbamate fungicides. The current study was carried out to evaluate the low-dose exposure of individual and mixed forms of cypermethrin and carbendazim. α-cypermethrin was used at 0.06, 0.12, 0.30 and 0.60 mg/kg  body weight (bw), carbendazim was at 0.48, 0.96, 2.4 and 4.8 mg/kg bw and combined doses (cypermethrin: 0.06, 0.12, 0.30 and 0.60 mg/kg.bwt + carbendazim: 0.48, 0.96, 2.4 and 4.8 mg/kg.bwt) for 12 h and 24 h. The biochemical parameters and serum markey enzymes were analysed. The biochemical parameters include serum total protein, glucose, cholesterol, urea, uric acid, calcium, phosphorous, albumin and creatinine and serum marker enzymes such as alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and amylase were ascertained. Results indicated simultaneous changes in serum marker enzyme activity (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT and amylase) and biochemical markers (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 and ***P < 0.001). The experimental results indicate that even low-dose use of the synthetic pyrethroid carbamate and their combined form results in consequential negative effects on cell function.