Histopathological and biochemical effects of green tea and/or licorice aqueous extracts on thyroid functions in male albino rats intoxicated with dimethylnitrosamine

OBJECTIVE: To investigate histopathological and biochemical effects of green tea and/or licorice aqueous extracts in thyroid functions in male albino rats intoxicated with Dimethylnitrosamine. METHODS: 40 Male albino rats were divided into two main groups, 20 normal rats and 20 DMN intoxicated rats. Normal rats were subgrouped into 4 equal groups, group A without treatment (controls), group B treated with green tea, group C treated with licorice, group D treated with green tea and licorice. DMN intoxicated rats were subgrouped into 4 equal groups, group E treated with DMN, group F treated with DMN and green tea, group G treated with DMN and licorice, group H treated with DMN, green tea and licorice. The rats were permitted for free access to solubilized extracts of green tea and or licorice for 4 weeks. All rats in groups E, F, G, H were treated by intraperitoneal DMN (4 mg dissolved in 2.5 ml distilled water/kg body weight) seven times every 2 days in the first two weeks. Plasma total triiodothyronine and tetraiodothyronine were determined by radioimmunoassay. Thyroxine 5(-)monodeiodinase activity of liver was determined by spectrophotometeric method. Plasma thyroid stimulating hormone was determined by chemiluminometric technique. Histopathological examination was conducted. RESULTS: Histopathologically thyroid gland of DMN intoxicated rats showed degeneration (DG)and desquamation (DS) of the lining epithelium and atrophy of many acini with hyperemia (H) in the stromal capillaries and In comparison with control, the administration of DMN alone induced decrease in plasma levels of T3 and T4 while it induced increase in plasma levels of TSH and hepatic activity of Thyroxine 5(-)monodeiodinase. Coadminstration of DMN and green tea attenuated the lowering effect of DMN on plasma levels of T3 and T4 and induced increase in these levels but values are still below normal ones while Co administration of DMN with licorice or mixture did not affect these levels. Co administration of green tea and/or licorice with DMN attenuated the rising effect of DMN on hepatic activity of Thyroxine 5(-)-DI while augmented the rising effect of DMN on plasma level of TSH. CONCLUSION: Aqueous extract of green tea may be effective in amelioration of biochemical effects and histopathological lesions induced by DMN

Data Highlights the Ameliorative Effects of Nigella sativa, Atorvastatin, or L-carnitine on HFD-Caused Detriments in Male Albino Rats

This dataset of this article investigates the effect of 4 weeks HFD administration to male albino rats and putative alleviation potentials of Nigella sativa, atorvastatin, or L-carnitine administered in the last 2 weeks of the experiment in doses of 300 mg/kg/day, 5 mg/kg/day, or 200 mg/kg/day respectively. Although HFD raised serum atherogenic index, the tested materials, all, ameliorated this effect which was confirmed by histopathological examination of hepatic tissues. Nevertheless, the tested materials did not, at least, worsen the liver function indices, but ameliorate the hepatic histological architecture, which confirm the safety of tested materials for treating HFD-induced dyslipidemia in rats

Data Highlights the Ameliorative Effects of Nigella sativa, Atorvastatin, or L-carnitine on HFD-Caused Detriments in Male Albino Rats

The data of this study was aimed to investigate the effect of 4 weeks high fat diet (HFD) administration to male albino rats and putative alleviation potentials of Nigella sativa, atorvastatin, or L-carnitine administered in the last 2 weeks of the experiment in doses of 300 mg/kg/day, 5 mg/kg/day, or 200 mg/kg/day respectively.Screening of serum atherogenic index (AX) was done after 2 weeks of starting the experiment according to formula: log10 (TG/HDL-c). Rats exhibited AX less than 0.24 were excluded. Rats with AX more than 0.24 were allocated into the HFD group and the other 3 treated groups (as shown in table 1 and fig. 1) for supplementing the tested materials. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected and the rats were killed by sudden cervical decapitation while they were anaesthetized. Serum ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT activities beside atherogenic index were estimated. Histological examinationSamples of hepatic tissues from control and treated rats were collected and fixed in PFA 4 % and then embedded in paraffin wax and processed using routine hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E). Then, sections were examined under a light microscope.Results Histological examination of liver of control group showed the typical normal histological structure of hepatic parenchyma (Fig. 2). Livers of rats fed on HFD revealed swollen hepatocytes with marked to severe steatosis characterized mainly by lipid deposition which appear as clear vacuoles. Moreover, pericentral coagulative necrosis, as well as scattered inflammatory cell infiltration, were also observed (Fig. 3). Histological examination of the livers of NS-received group showed significantly moderated hepatic steatosis. (Fig. 4 and 5). Histologic examination of atorvastatin-received rats; the liver showed mild degenerated changes in hepatocytes and a definite improvement in the hepatic architecture compared to the HFD group. The lipid droplet diameter, the number of lipid droplets, and area covered by the lipid droplets were significantly lowered (Fig. 6 and 7). LC-received group; the liver showed that hepatocytes had normal-sized nuclei, the number and the size of vacuoles were markedly decreased, the cell boundaries were clear. Central veins, blood vessels of the portal triad, and the hepatic sinusoids are congested and engorged with blood (Fig. 8 and 9).ConclusionAlthough HFD raised significantly serum atherogenic index by 31% relative to normal control’s one, both NS and atorvastatin ameliorated, separately, this effect which was confirmed by histopathological examination of hepatic tissues. On the other side, LC decreased insignificantly the raised atherogenic index by a condition of our study (table 10). Nevertheless, the tested materials did not, at least, worsen the liver function indices (table 4 and 10)), but ameliorate the hepatic histological architecture, which confirm the safety of tested materials for treating HFD-induced dyslipidemia in rats.THIS DATASET IS ARCHIVED AT DANS/EASY, BUT NOT ACCESSIBLE HERE. TO VIEW A LIST OF FILES AND ACCESS THE FILES IN THIS DATASET CLICK ON THE DOI-LINK ABOV

Spatial price transmission: A study of sheep markets in Sudan

Recent research in low-income countries has shown that high transfer costs and marketing margins may hinder the transmission of price signals, as they may prohibit arbitrage. Oligopolistic behavior and collusion among domestic traders may retain price differences between markets at levels higher than those determined by transfer costs and hinder the full price transmission and market integration (Rapsomanikis et al., 2003). This paper investigates price movements among important sheep markets in the Sudan to explore their performance and pricing efficiency. Six geographically separated livestock wholesale markets are tested spatially, using Johansen’s cointegration test (1988) and time-series price data for the period 1990–2004. Spatial analysis of the whole dataset indicates the absence of cointegration among the selected markets, while a subset of the data, for the period 2000–2004, after some infrastructural facilities were introduced, shows that the same markets are cointegrated

Spatial price transmission: A study of sheep markets in Sudan

Recent research in low-income countries has shown that high transfer costs and marketing margins may hinder the transmission of price signals, as they may prohibit arbitrage. Oligopolistic behavior and collusion among domestic traders may retain price differences between markets at levels higher than those determined by transfer costs and hinder the full price transmission and market integration (Rapsomanikis et al., 2003). This paper investigates price movements among important sheep markets in the Sudan to explore their performance and pricing efficiency. Six geographically separated livestock wholesale markets are tested spatially, using Johansen’s cointegration test (1988) and time-series price data for the period 1990–2004. Spatial analysis of the whole dataset indicates the absence of cointegration among the selected markets, while a subset of the data, for the period 2000–2004, after some infrastructural facilities were introduced, shows that the same markets are cointegrated.Sheep markets, Spatial transmission, Cointegration, Sudan, Demand and Price Analysis, Livestock Production/Industries,

The Effect of Canertinib on Sensitivity of Cytotoxic Drugs in Tamoxifen-Resistant Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

Aims and Objectives. To investigate and examine the reversal effects of canertinib on the activity of EGFR and tamoxifen resistance in drug-resistant human breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7/TamR). Materials and Methods. The antiproliferative activity of canertinib alone or in combination with a conventional EGFR-targeting chemotherapies cytotoxic drugs differing in the mechanism(s) of action, such as paclitaxel, carboplatin, etoposide, vinorelbine, and daunorubicin as well as resistance mechanisms of EGFR targeting, have been investigated. Results. With an elevated dosage of canertinib, a significant decrease in proliferation and increase in apoptosis was observed. The treatment with higher doses of canertinib resulted in a 2-3-fold increase in apoptosis. In the combined treatment, it had been noticed a significant developed apoptotic cell death rather induced by single agent treatment. A significant downregulation of the antiapoptotic protein bcl-2 was exposed by immunocytochemistry investigation. Sensitivity to paclitaxel was also measured and was found to inversely correlate to bcl-2 status. Conclusion. Proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in MCF-7/TAM-R cells increase with increasing dosage of canertinib. This suggests that canertinib can reverse tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells. The antitumor effect of this EGFR-irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor provides a rationale for its clinical evaluation in combination with other cytotoxic drugs

Antidiabetic Potency, Antioxidant Effects, and Mode of Actions of Citrus reticulata Fruit Peel Hydroethanolic Extract, Hesperidin, and Quercetin in Nicotinamide/Streptozotocin-Induced Wistar Diabetic Rats

This study is aimed at assessing the antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and antioxidant effects of Citrus reticulata (C. reticulata) fruit peel hydroethanolic extract and two flavonoids, hesperidin and quercetin, in nicotinamide (NA)/streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced type 2 diabetic rats. In addition, GC-MS and HPLC-MS analyses of the extract were performed and the results indicated the presence of multiple flavonoids including hesperidin, quercetin, naringin, and polymethoxylated flavones (nobiletin and tangeretin). To achieve the aim of the study, diabetic rats with NA/STZ-induced T2DM were orally treated with C. reticulata fruit peel hydroethanolic extract, hesperidin, and quercetin at a dose of 100 mg/kg b.w./day for four weeks. The treatments with C. reticulata fruit peel extract, hesperidin, and quercetin significantly ameliorated the impaired oral glucose tolerance; the elevated serum fructosamine level; the diminished serum insulin and C-peptide levels; the altered HOMA-IR, HOMA-IS, and HOMA-β cell function; the decreased liver glycogen content; the increased liver glucose-6-phosphatase and glycogen phosphorylase activities; the deleteriously affected serum lipid profile; the elevated serum AST and ALT activities; and the raised serum creatinine and urea levels in the diabetic rats. The treatments also produced remarkable improvement in the antioxidant defense system manifested by a decrease in the elevated liver lipid peroxidation and an increase in the lowered glutathione content and GPx, GST, and SOD activities. Furthermore, the three treatments enhanced the mRNA expression of GLUT-4 and the insulin receptor β-subunit, but only quercetin produced a significant increase in the expression of adiponectin in adipose tissue of diabetic rats. In conclusion, C. reticulata fruit peel hydroethanolic extract, hesperidin, and quercetin have potent antidiabetic effects which may be mediated through their insulinotropic effects and insulin-sensitizing actions. In addition, the alleviation of the antioxidant defense system by the extract, hesperidin, and naringin may have an important action to enhance the antidiabetic actions and to improve liver and kidney functions in NA/STZ-induced diabetic rats

The Antidiabetic Effects and Modes of Action of the <i>Balanites aegyptiaca</i> Fruit and Seed Aqueous Extracts in NA/STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder that threatens human health. Medicinal plants have been a source of wide varieties of pharmacologically active constituents and used extensively as crude extracts or as pure compounds for treating various disease conditions. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects and the modes of action of the aqueous extracts of the fruits and seeds of Balanites aegyptiaca (B. aegyptiaca) in nicotinamide (NA)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis indicated that 3,4,6-tri-O-methyl-d-glucose and 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- were the major components of the B. aegyptiaca fruit and seed extracts, respectively. A single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) 15 min after intraperitoneal NA injection (60 mg/kg b.w.) was administered to induce type 2 DM. After induction was established, the diabetic rats were treated with the B. aegyptiaca fruit and seed aqueous extracts (200 mg/kg b.w./day) via oral gavage for 4 weeks. As a result of the treatments with the B. aegyptiaca fruit and seed extracts, the treated diabetic-treated rats exhibited a significant improvement in the deleterious effects on oral glucose tolerance; serum insulin, and C-peptide levels; liver glycogen content; liver glucose-6-phosphatase and glycogen phosphorylase activities; serum lipid profile; serum free fatty acid level; liver lipid peroxidation; glutathione content and anti-oxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, and superoxide dismutase) activities; and the mRNA expression of the adipose tissue expression of the insulin receptor β-subunit. Moreover, the treatment with fruit and seed extracts also produced a remarkable improvement of the pancreatic islet architecture and integrity and increased the islet size and islet cell number. In conclusion, the B. aegyptiaca fruit and seed aqueous extracts exhibit potential anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects, which may be mediated by increasing the serum insulin levels, decreasing insulin resistance, and enhancing the anti-oxidant defense system in diabetic rats

Layer-by-Layer Extracellular Biological Synthesis of Sustainable Ag-Based Nanoparticles for Catalytic Reduction of Methylene Blue Dye

Novel cubic microstructures for the purposes of plasmonic Ag-based NPs were made using biological wastes produced from a microbial culture of Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) employing a bottom-up approach for the biosynthesis of metal-based nanomaterials. The unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the as-prepared Ag-based NPs was detected at 405 nm. The infra-red spectrum revealed that the used biological waste effectively stabilized our Ag-based NPs. Scanning and transmission electron microscopes were used in order to evaluate the sizes and shapes of the distinctive structures present in our samples. The Ag NPs had a face-centered cubic structure, with a size of 64.4 nm for the (200) nano-crystallites, according to the X-ray diffraction that was conducted. The zeta potential was found to be −19.5 mV and the dynamic light scattering (DLS) size was 238.8 nm. Methylene blue’s (MB) reaction with NaBH4 was used in order to measure the catalytic activity of the generated Ag-based NPs over a period of 1 to 5 min. With an astonishing reaction rate of 0.2861 min−1, the MB elimination percentage reached 67% in just 5 min, displaying outstanding catalytic activity. This work can therefore encourage the use of this biowaste for the ecologically benign, cost-effective, and long-term synthesis of innovative Ag-based nanoparticles and nanostructures, as well as in their use as catalysts in the catalytic reduction in MB