Chaivat Toskulkao

Modulation of insulin resistance in ovariectomized rats by endurance exercise training and estrogen replacement

Estrogen is known to play a role in fat metabolism, but its role in carbohydrate metabolism remains controversial. We investigated alterations in carbohydrate and fat metabolism after prolonged estrogen deprivation by determining body weight, food intake, visceral fat content, serum lipids, glucose tolerance, and insulin action on glucose transport activity in isolated soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles. In addition, effects of endurance exercise training with or without estrogen replacement on metabolic alterations occurring under estrogen deficiency were examined. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated (SHAM). The OVX rats remained sedentary, received 5 microg of 17beta-estradiol (E(2)), performed exercise training (ET), or underwent both estrogen treatment and exercise training (E(2) + ET) for 12 weeks. Compared with SHAM, OVX animals had greater final body weights, visceral fat content, and serum levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < .05). Exercise training and E(2) significantly reduced body weights (6% and 25%), visceral fat (37% and 51%), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (19% and 26%). Exercise training alone improved whole-body glucose tolerance (29%), which was enhanced to the greatest extent (51%) in the ET rats that also received E(2). Insulin-stimulated glucose transport activity in OVX group was lower than that in SHAM by 29% to 44% (P < .05). Exercise training and E(2) corrected the diminished insulin action on skeletal muscle glucose transport in OVX animals, which was partly due to elevated glucose transporter-4 protein expression. These findings indicate that 12 weeks of ovariectomy caused metabolic alterations mimicking features of the insulin resistance syndrome. Furthermore, these metabolic disturbances were attenuated by ET or E(2), whereas the beneficial interactive effects of ET and E(2) on these defects were not apparent.

Acute and subacute toxicity of piperine in mice, rats and hamsters

Piperine is acutely toxic to mice, rats and hamsters. The LD50 values for a single i.v., i.p., s.c., i.g. and i.m. administration of piperine to adult male mice were 15.1, 43, 200, 330 and 400 mg/kg body wt, respectively. The i.p. LD50 value was increased to 60 mg/kg body wt in adult female and 132 mg/kg body wt in weanling male mice. In adult female rats, the i.p. LD50 value was 33.5 mg/kg body wt whereas the i.g. LD50 value was increased to 514 mg/kg body wt. Most animals given a lethal dose died of respiratory paralysis within 3-17 min. In subacute toxicity studies, the rats died within 1-3 days after treatment. Histopathologic changes included severe hemorrhagic necrosis and edema in gastrointestinal tract, urinary bladder and adrenal glands. Death of these animals may be attributable to multiple dysfunctions in their organs.

Reduction of plasma cholesterol by Curcuma comosa extract in hypercholesterolaemic hamsters.

The influence of the extract of Curcuma comosa Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) on lipid metabolism was investigated in hypercholesterolaemic hamsters. Intragastric administration of the ethyl acetate extract of C. comosa rhizome (0-500 mg/kg per day) to hypercholesterolaemic animals for 7 days decreased both plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels in a dose-dependent manner. The reduction of plasma cholesterol levels was accompanied by a significant increase in the hepatic cholesterol content while the triglyceride content was not significantly changed. The increase of the hepatic cholesterol content was brought about by an expansion of the free cholesterol pool which specifically augments biliary cholesterol excretion. The C. comosa extract also increased plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and decreased plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. These results suggest that the C. comosa extract exerts a hypolipidaemic action by acceleration of lipid mobilization from extrahepatic tissue to the liver which subsequently increases excretion of cholesterol via the bile for excretion.

Developmental Toxicity of Steviol, a Metabolite of Stevioside, in the Hamster

The developmental toxicity of steviol, a metabolite of stevioside, was studied in hamsters. Pregnant hamsters were intubated with steviol at dose levels of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 g/kg BW/day on days 6-10 of gestation. Steviol at doses of 0.75 and 1.0 g/kg BW/day were highly toxic to both dams and fetuses. Significant decrease of maternal body-weight gain during the experimental period (days 6-14) and high percentage of maternal mortality indicated the general toxicity of these two high doses. The number of live fetuses per litter and mean fetal weight also significantly decreased in the steviol-treated animals at doses of 0.75 and 1.0 g/kg BW day. The animals treated with an intermediate dose (0.50 g/kg BW/day) exhibited less signs of maternal and developmental toxicity than the two high doses (0.75 and 1.0 g/kg BW/day). One craniomeningocele was found in a fetus under the maternal toxic condition in steviol-treated at a dose of 0.75 g/kg BW/day. Neither the skeleton nor visceral development of the offspring was affected by steviol treatment except delayed ossification of the xiphoid (bifid) and long bones of the limbs and supernumerary thoracic ribs (14th ribs) tended to be increased at doses of 0.5 to 1.0 g/kg BW/day steviol. No dose-related teratogenesis was detected. From the result of the present study concerning maternal toxic condition and embryotoxicity, an oral dose of 0.25 g steviol/kg BW/day is regarded as having no observable effect. This steviol-treated dose is derived from stevioside 625 mg/kg BW/day which is approximately 80 times higher than the suggested acceptable daily intake of stevioside for humans (7.938 mg/kg BW/day).

Inhibitory effect of steviol, a metabolite of stevioside, on glucose absorption in everted hamster intestine in vitro

The effects of stevioside and steviol (a product of enzymatic hydrolysis of stevioside) on intestinal glucose absorption were examined in hamster jejunum. By using the everted sac technique, we found that stevioside (1 and 5 mM) had no inhibitory effect on glucose absorption. In contrast, glucose absorption was inhibited 29% by 1 mM steviol. The inhibition of glucose absorption by steviol was related to steviol concentration and incubation time. The possible mechanism of steviol inhibitory action of glucose absorption was also investigated. Reductions in the intestinal mucosal ATP content and absorptive surface area were responsible for the inhibition of glucose absorption by steviol. The decrease in the intestinal mucosal ATP content was accompanied by a decrease in the activities of mitochondrial NADH cytochrome c reductase and cytochrome oxidase. Moreover, no inhibitory effects of steviol on the activity of intestinal Na+,K(+)-ATPase and glucose uptake in the intestinal brush-border membrane vesicles were seen. These results suggest that inhibition of intestinal glucose absorption by steviol in hamsters is due to the reduction in mucosal ATP content and an alteration of the morphology of the intestinal absorptive cells.

Attenuation of oxidant-induced muscle insulin resistance and p38 MAPK by exercise training

We have recently shown that direct exposure to an oxidant stress induces resistance to insulin in glucose transport activity in intact rat skeletal muscle. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of prior exercise training in attenuating oxidative stress-induced insulin resistance. Male Sprague-Dawley rats either remained sedentary or underwent a treadmill-running regimen for 6 weeks. Isolated soleus muscles were incubated in the absence or presence of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) (50-70 microM) with or without insulin for 2 h. In the sedentary animals, H(2)O(2) significantly inhibited insulin action on glucose transport activity and phosphorylation of Akt (Ser(473)), by 28 and 24%, respectively, and substantially activated the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK (Thr(180)/Tyr(182)) by 43% and SAPK/JNK (Thr(183)/Tyr(185)) by 111%. Interestingly, the inhibitory effects of H(2)O(2) on insulin-stimulated glucose transport and Akt (Ser(473)) phosphorylation were attenuated by 43 and 75% in exercise-trained muscles. Additionally, the phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK (Thr(180)/Tyr(182)) triggered by oxidative stress was reduced by 59% in the exercise-trained muscle. We have demonstrated for the first time in mammalian skeletal muscle that endurance exercise training can partially protect against glucose transport resistance to insulin induced by oxidative stress, and this benefit of exercise training is at least in part mediated through the insulin signaling pathway and stress-activated signaling elements.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION AND QUANTITATION OF STEVIOSIDE AND ITS METABOLITES

A method of analysis using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the separation and quantitation of the metabolites of stevioside: steviol-16,17α-epoxide, 15α-hydroxysteviol, steviolbioside, isosteviol, and steviol. The separation was carried out on a reversed-phase C18 Nova-Pack column with gradient elution of acetonitrile/water mixture. The applicability of the method was demonstrated in the detection and separation of stevioside and its metabolites found in blood, feces, and urine of hamsters after ingestion of stevioside.

Effect of ethanol on the in vivo covalent binding and in vitro metabolism of aflatoxin B1 in rats

The binding of [3H]aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to the DNA, RNA and protein of liver after i.p. administration to rats with and without ethanol pretreatment was studied. The quantities of AFB1 binding to DNA and RNA were significantly increased by ethanol pretreatment but the formation of protein adducts was not affected. AFB1 metabolism by hepatic microsomes from ethanol-treated rats to aflatoxins M1 (AFM1) and Q1 (AFQ1) was increased when compared to those of control microsomes. These results suggest that an increase in AFB1 binding to liver nucleic acids and AFB1 metabolism after pretreatment of ethanol resulted from an increase in hepatic mixed-function oxidases and a possible decrease in hepatic glutathione (GSH) content which subsequently lead to an increase in hepatotoxicity of AFB1.

Hepatic mitochondrial function and lysosomal enzyme activity in ethanol-potentiated aflatoxin B1 hepatotoxicity

The possible role of hepatic mitochondrial function and lysosomal enzyme activity in ethanol-enhanced aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) hepatotoxicity was studied in male rats. Hepatic ATP content was significantly decreased in rats treated with ethanol (4.0 g/kg body wt.) and AFB1 (2.0 mg/kg body wt.) compared with rats treated with AFB1 alone at 12-72 h after AFB1 administration. The decrease in hepatic ATP content was due to the decrease in the activity of NADH-cytochrome c reductase whereas cytochrome oxidase activity did not differ in rats treated with ethanol and AFB1 when compared to AFB1 alone. Total and free activities of hepatic lysosomal enzymes (glucuronidase, arylsulfatase and acid phosphatase) were significantly increased in rats treated with ethanol and AFB1 at 24-36 h after AFB1 administration when compared to AFB1 alone. The increase in hepatic lysosomal enzyme activities correlated well with the increase in the lipid peroxide level of lysosomes in rats treated with ethanol and AFB1. These findings indicate that the decrease in hepatic mitochondrial respiratory enzyme activities and the increase in lipid peroxide level of lysosomes might lead to a decrease in hepatic ATP content, and that the increase in the activities of hepatic lysosomal enzymes, respectively, enhance the AFB1 hepatotoxicity of ethanol.

Effects of stevioside, a natural sweetener, on intestinal glucose absorption in hamsters

Abstract Effects of stevioside, a natural sweetener, on intestinal glucose absorption were examined in hamsters. Oral administration by gavage of a high dose of stevioside at 2.5 g/kg BW/day for 12 weeks caused inhibition of glucose absorption, but lower doses of 0.5 and 1 g/kg BW/day had no effect. Reductions in the activity of intestinal Na + −K + -ATPase and absorptive surface area were responsible for the inhibition of glucose absorption by stevioside. In addition, stevioside at a dose of 2.5 g/kg BW/day for 12 weeks also caused a reduction in body weight and an increase in sucrase activity of the jejunum. These results suggest that inhibition of glucose absorption by stevioside in hamsters is due to the inhibition of intestinal mucosal Na + −K + -ATPase and an alteration of the morphology of the intestinal absorptive cells which would lead to reductions in body weight of hamsters.