Beena Shetty

Effects of Acorus calamus Rhizome Extract on the Neuromodulatory System in Restraint Stress Male Rats.

AIM Prolonged exposure to stress mainly affects the cognitive functions of the brain by inducing neuronal damage mediated through oxidative stress. Acorus calamus (AC) has long been used in Indian folk medicine for various central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities. Hence the present study investigates the effect AC on learning and memory in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS Adult Wistar male rats were subjected to restrained stress for 21 days (6 hr/day) and the animals were concurrently administered AC for 21 days orally. The Hebb-Williams maze and elevated plus maze served as standard behavioural models for testing memory. The rats were sacrificed on 22nd day and the brain homogenate was taken for various biochemical assessments. RESULTS Sodium potassium ATPase activity and TBARS levels showed a significant decrease in the stress group compared to control. After administration of AC, the activity of Na- K- ATPase and levels of TBARS showed a tendency to revert back to normal. However there was no effect on AOPP levels, even after the treatment, which remained high. CONCLUSION The present study shows the preventive action of AC rhizome powder on stress induced cognitive functions and modulatory effect on antioxidants and Na-K-ATPase activity.

Role of Redox Metals, Oxidative Protein Products and Antioxidant Potentials of Thiols in Diabetic Retinopathy

Role of Redox Metals, Oxidative Protein Products and Antioxidant Potentials of Thiols in Diabetic Retinopathy Oxidative stress has been proved in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) not only by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) but also due to non-enzymatic protein glycosylation, auto-oxidation of glucose, impaired glutathione metabolism, alteration in the antioxidants and advanced oxidative protein product formation. The current study was undertaken to establish the relationship between iron, copper and antioxidants like reduced glutathione (GSH), total thiols, and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) as well as total protein and albumin. The study group consisted of a total of 90 subjects which included non-diabetic healthy controls (n=30), diabetes mellitus patients (n=30), and diabetic retinopathy patients (n=30). All the parameters were measured using spectrophotometric methods. AOPP levels showed a very highly significant increase in DR patients and in DM patients compared to normal controls, the AOPP levels being higher in the DR compared to the DM patients (p= 0.001). The levels of thiols showed a very highly significant decrease in DR and DM as compared to normal subjects. The total proteins level showed a very highly significant decrease (P = 0.001) in DR and DM compared to normal. There was no change in the level of albumin. A significant increase in the levels of iron was observed in DR when compared to DM and control. The levels of copper in DR showed a very highly significant increase when compared to DM and controls (p = 0.001). Our study indicates a possible increase in the copper and iron-mediated generation of ROS thereby leading to increased consumption of antioxidants in the body. Uloga Redoks Metala, Proizvoda Oksidacije Proteina i Antioksidantnih Potencijala Tiola u Dijabetesnoj Retinopatiji Prisustvo oksidativnog stresa u patogenezi dijabetesa (DM) i dijabetesne retinopatije (DR) dokazano je ne samo zahvaljujući prisustvu reaktivnih vrsta kiseonika (ROS) već i zbog neenzimske glikozilacije proteina, autooksidacije glukoze, poremećenog metabolizma glutationa, promena u stvaranju antioksidanata i naprednih proizvoda oksidacije proteina. Ova studija sprovedena je kako bi se ustanovio odnos između gvožđa, bakra i antioksidanata kao što je redukovani glutation (GSH), ukupnih tiola i naprednih proizvoda oksidacije proteina (AOPP) kao i ukupnih proteina i albumina. Ispitivanu grupu činilo je ukupno 90 subjekata, odnosno zdravih kontrola (n=30), pacijenata sa dijabetesom (n=30) i pacijenata sa dijabetesnom retinopatijom (n=30). Svi parametri izmereni su pomoću spektrofotometrijskih metoda. Uočen je veoma značajan porast nivoa AOPP kod pacijenata sa DR i DM u odnosu na zdrave kontrolne subjekte, s tim što su nivoi AOPP bili viši u DR nego u DM (p=0,001). U poređenju sa zdravim ispitanicima, nivoi tiola bili su veoma značajno sniženi u DR i DM. Nivo ukupnih proteina bio je veoma značajno snižen (p=0,001) u DR i DM u poređenju sa kontrolnom grupom, dok u nivou albumina nije bilo promena. Značajan porast nivoa gvožđa uočen je u DR u poređenju sa DM i kontrolnom grupom. Nivoi bakra u DR pokazali su veoma značajan porast u poređenju sa DM i kontrolnom grupom (p=0,001). Naša studija ukazuje na potencijalni porast produkcije ROS uz posredstvo bakra i gvožđa usled koje dolazi do povišene potrošnje antioksidanata u telu.

Oxidative Products of Proteins and Antioxidant Potential of Thiols in Gastric Carcinoma Patients

Oxidative Products of Proteins and Antioxidant Potential of Thiols in Gastric Carcinoma Patients It has been suggested that oxidative stress defined as a shift in antioxidant/oxidant balance towards oxidants is associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases, including carcinogenesis. Reactive oxygen species can induce carcinogenesis via injury to macromolecules such as DNA, carbohydrates and proteins. Forty primary gastric carcinoma patients and 40 healthy controls were included in the study. Advanced oxidation protein products, total thiols, total protein, albumin in plasma, % hemolysis in RBC suspension and glutathione in both whole blood and plasma were estimated. Our studies demonstrated a significant increase in advanced oxidation protein products, % hemolysis (p=0.033), A:G ratio (p=0.003) and a highly significant decrease in blood glutathione (p=0.036), total thiols (p=0.001), plasma thiols other than glutathione and total antioxidant activity. The findings suggest that gastric carcinoma is associated with oxygen derived free radicals accumulation, and depletion of total antioxidant activity has lead to oxidative stress and advancement of oxidative-antioxidative disorders followed by progression of gastric cancer. Proizvodi Oksidacije Proteina i Antioksidativni Potencijal Tiola kod Obolelih od Gastričnog Karcinoma Postoje podaci o tome da je oksidativni stres, koji se definiše kao promena u ravnoteži između antioksidanata i oksidanata u korist oksidanata, povezan sa patogenezom mnogih bolesti, uključujući karcinome. Reaktivne vrste kiseonika mogu izazvati nastanak karcinoma putem oštećivanja makromolekula kao što su DNK, ugljeni hidrati i proteini. Studija je obuhvatila četrdeset pacijenata sa primarnim gastričnim karcinomom i 40 zdravih osoba. Određeni su proizvodi uznapredovale oksidacije proteina, ukupni tiol, ukupni protein, albumin u plazmi, procenat hemolize u suspenziji eritrocita i glutation u punoj krvi i plazmi. Istraživanje je ukazalo na značajan porast proizvoda uznapredovale oksidacije proteina, procenta hemolize (p=0,033), odnosa A:G (p=0,033) i veoma značajan pad glutationa u krvi (p=0,036), ukupnih tiola (p=0,001), tiola u plazmi osim glutationa i ukupne antioksidantne aktivnosti. Na osnovu rezultata se može zaključiti da postoji veza između gastričnog karcinoma i akumulacije slobodnih radikala iz kiseonika i da smanjenje ukupne antioksidantne aktivnosti dovodi do oksidativnog stresa i napredovanja oksidativnih/antioksidativnih poremećaja koje prati progresija gastričnog kancera.

Positive influence of Methotrexate-Hydroxychloroquine combination on the expression of GM-CSF receptor on neutrophils of synovial fluid in rheumatoid arthritis

Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) has been inducted as a mediator of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Methotrexate combination therapy forms an important component of the treatment regimen in rheumatoid arthritis. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of Methotrexate-Hydroxychloroquine (MTX-HCQ) combination and Sulfsalazine- Hydroxychloroquine (SSZ-HCQ) combination on the expression GM-CSFR in neutrophils isolated from synovial fluids. 15 cases of confirmed rheumatoid arthritis patients who presented at the hospital for surgical correction of joint deformities were selected for the study. Neutrophils isolated from the synovial fluids were used as the source of the receptor for quantitation on an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The EIA was developed and standardized in our laboratory for quantification of the GM-CSF R. The findings are suggestive of the fact that the administration of MTX-HCQ combination has positive influence on the expression of the GM-CSF R on neutrophils as against SSZ-HCQ combination. The physiological basis of this increase needs further investigation.

oral-ingestion-of-spondias-pinnata-bark-extract-trim-down-severity-of-small-intestinal-mucositis

Chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID) is a common side effect of cancer treatment and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The experimental procedure included an oral treatment with S. pinnata bark extract prior (100 mg/Kg/day) or after (100 and 200 mg/ kg body wt.) the induction of a rat mucositis model by injecting a single dose of etoposide (i.p) and treated with S. pinnata bark extract (100 and 200 mg/ kg body wt.) for next 72 hrs. Treatment efficacy was determined by changes in the intestinal morphology and biochemical parameters such as intestinal TNF-α, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and sodium potassium ATPase after 72 hr, with and without intervention. There was a significant increase in the IL-6 and TNF-α levels and a significant decrease in sodium potassium ATPase activities in intestinal tissue after etoposide injection. However, in the post treatment groups (in both 100 and 200 mg), IL-6 and TNF-α levels reverted back to that of normal. In study group, the animals exposed to Pre and post treatment with S. pinnata extract (100 mg/kg body wt), histological studies showed that S. pinnata bark extract intervention was able to restore the normal morphology and intestinal sodium potassium ATPase activity. The results suggest that S. pinnata bark extract has potentials to prevent the toxic effects of etoposide which expedites to mucositis.