Effects of antioxidant supplement and metformin therapy on C-reactive protein and oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objectives: The study aims to compare the effects of metformin and antioxidant vitamins C and E on C-reactive protein (CRP) and oxidative/antioxidant status (represented by serum malondialehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant status (TAS) in newly diagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at baseline and after 3 months of therapy compared with the control group. Patients and Methods: The study was performed in Al-Wafaa Center of Diabetes Management and Research in Mosul, Iraq. They included 91 type 2 diabetic patients and 50 healthy controls. The patients were divided into two groups: The first group (n = 44) was received metformin alone orally for duration of 3 months and the second group (n = 47) was received metformin with vitamin C and E orally for duration of 3 months also. Fasting blood samples were obtained from both controls and patients (before and after treatment) and assays were done for determination of serum MDA, TAS, and CRP. Results: Compared with controls, patients serum levels of MDA, and CRP were significantly high and TAS were significantly lower. After 3 months of treatment, both patients groups reported significant reductions in serum levels of MDA, CRP and a significant increase in serum levels of TAS, compared with the pre-treatment levels. The present study found that there was a non significant difference in serum MDA levels between the two patients groups (p=0.026), whereas serum TAS levels was significantly higher and CRP was significantly lower in the second group as compared to the first group. Conclusion: The present study concluded that three months oral consumption of combined antioxidant vitamins C and E with metformin in patients with T2DM showed significantly beneficial effect on oxidative stress and inflammatory response compared with metformin alone. The findings of this study necessitate investigating the overall clinical impact of antioxidant treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus to maintain good glycemic control

Comparison of the effect of losartan versus candasartan on uric acid levels in hypertensive patients

Background: It have been suggested by some studies that uric acid plays a causal role in the development of cardiovascular disease where as other studies concluded that uric acid merely reflects other concomitant risk factors, such as hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity, or lipid abnormality . Sartan drugs or angiotensin II receptor blockers do appear to lower uric acid levels (SUA). The clinical importance of this finding to patients with hypertension, or gout, or both is not yet known. The  present study was aimed to compare the effects of the antihypertensive drugs losartan and candasartan on blood pressure and uric acid level in hypertensive patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 80 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients were divided into two groups, with 40 patients in each group. Group 1 was given losartan (50 mg/day) and group 2 was given candasartan (8mg/day). A control group of 50 apparently healthy individuals was included. Blood pressure and uric acid were measured for controls and patients before and after drug administration.  Results:A significant  increase in blood pressure and uric acid were found in hypertensive patients before starting treatment (P<0.001), as compared with controls. After 2 months of treatment, the systolic and diastolic BP were significantly reduced in the both losartan and candasartan groups (P<0.001). Both drugs were similarly effective in reducing the blood pressure in patients with hypertension with no statistical significant difference between the two treatments.  Serum uric acid levels were only significantly reduced after 2 months of treatment with losartan (P < 0.001) but not with candasartan. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that both losartan and candasartan therapy were similarly effective in reducing blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Losartan, but not candasartan, was associated with a significant reduction in serum uric acid levels. Our findings suggest that the losartan is the drug of choice in patients with hypertension and hyperuricemia and gout

The Role of curcumin extract in Ameliorating Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cardiotoxicity

Cyclophosphamide, a chemotherapeutic and immunosuppressive drug, has been linked to problems after bone marrow transplantation in the past. More recently, it has been demonstrated that cardiotoxicity limits the dose of cyclophosphamide, and cardiology is receiving more attention. Though the exact mechanism of cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity is unknown, oxidative and nitrative stress are suspected to play a role. As a result, the focus of this review is on antioxidants and how they can reduce or prevent cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity. It will place a special emphasis on the cardioprotective properties of naturally occurring, plant-derived antioxidants such as curcumin extract, which have recently attracted a lot of interest

Effects of Losartan versus Enalapril on Serum Uric Acid Levels in Hypertensive Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

To investigate the effects of losartan and enalapril on serum uric acid in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome, one hundred and twenty six newly diagnosed mild hypertensive patients, having markers of metabolic syndrome included  in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (60 patients) was given losartan (50 mg/ day) and group 2 (66 patients)  enalapril (20 mg/ day) for a duration of 2 months. A control group of seventy apparently healthy individuals were included. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria of metabolic syndrome related to the American National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III. Serum uric acid levels were measured before and after drug administration. The results revealed a significant higher levels of uric acid were found in the hypertensive patients as compared with control group and a  significant drop of uric acid was noted after treatment with losartan but not with enalapril.  In conclusions: this study demonstrates significantly higher serum uric acid concentrations in hypertensive patients having markers of metabolic syndrome. Losartan but not enalapril therapy produced a significant fall in the serum uric acid level. Losartan can be useful therapeutic agent to control blood pressure and to reduce serum uric acid level in hypertensive patients having markers of metabolic syndrome and hyperuricaemia. Key words: Hypertension, metabolic syndrome, uric acid, losartan, enalapril

Effects of Dpyridamole on Histopathology of Salivary Glands in Rabbits

Aims: Dipyridamole is a well-known coronary vasodilator. It is an adenosine reuptake inhibitor leading to increased blood levels of adenosine. So, this study aims to investigate the effects of systemic administration of dipyridamole on the salivary gland tissues in the rabbit model. Materials and methods: Ten male rabbits with a body weight of 1.50 ± 0.25kg were involved. The control group (5 animals) received no treatment, while the treatment group (5 animals) was treated with dipyridamole by gavage tube at an oral dose of 8 mg/kg once daily for 30 days. Then all animals were sacrificed and tissue sample sections from the salivary glands were subjected to a hematoxylin-eosin stain and evaluated for histopathological examination. Results: Histopathological slides of parotid and submandibular glands in the treatment group showed abnormal changes in the structure of acinar cells and the cells lining the striated ducts. Sections of parotid displayed necrosis of the cells of serous acini and the cells lining the striated ducts, with the presence of hemorrhage around these ducts. Conclusions: Increased levels of adenosine in the body microenvironment induced by systemic administration of the dipyridamole can cause salivary gland tissue disturbance

Comparative evaluation of different marketed products of ciprofloxacin tablets in vitro

The contents of four ciprofloxacin tablets products available in the private pharmacies of Mosul city were measured according to the British Pharmacopoeia (BP). Some biopharmaceutical parameters such as content uniformity, disintegration, and hardness were also measured for the same products. In addition, the antibacterial activity of these four products were assessed by microbiological assay on different types of gram negative bacteria in vitro. The results indicated that there is a little differences in the content uniformity of these products and they are within acceptable requirement of BP and United State Pharmacopoeia (USP). In the same manner, the weight variation, disintegration, and hardness were within acceptable range according to the BP and USP. The microbiological assay indicated that these different products produce approximately the same inhibition zones on the same bacterial type. The above results may be useful to predict the bioavailability of these different products

Phenylthiocarbamide perception in epileptic patients on carbamazepine therapy

The present study was designed to study the taste sensitivity to phenylthiocarbamide among epileptic patients. A total of ٧٣ epileptic patients participated in the study. The epileptic state of the patients was well controlled by carbamazepine therapy, with their serum level of carbamazepine within therapeutic range. The other group consists of ٦٢ healthy volunteers, serving as a control. Test strips impregnated with phenylthiocarbamide have been used to identify tasters from non tasters of both patients and control groups. The individuals who perceive phenylthiocarbamide as bitter tasting was regarded as tasters while those describe it as tasteless were regarded as non-tasters. The results showed no significant difference with regard perception of phenylthiocarbamide between epileptic patients on carbamazepine therapy and controls

Inelastic analysis of composite sections

This paper describes the development of a numerical algorithm used for the inelastic analysis of composite sections subjected to combined axial force and bending moment. The algorithm is based on finding the strain distribution across the section for a given applied loads and mechanical properties of the materials. The application of algorithm is illustrated by analysing a reinforced concrete section. The stress–strain relationship adopted for the concrete is based on a non-linear monotonic model, which is capable of predicting both ascending and descending (softening) parts of the stress–strain curve. For the reinforcing steel, the relation assumed to be bi-linear elasto-plastic in tension and compression. The developed algorithm predicts the exact mode of strain distribution for elastic, plastic and elasto-plastic stages of behaviour. Newton–Raphson concept has been implemented to determine the strain distribution across the section. The algorithm can be used to analyse both regular and irregular cross-section geometry, different materials with single or multi-layered steel bars