Genistein preserves the lungs of ovariectomized diabetic rats: addition to apoptotic and inflammatory markers in the lung

Objective(s): The role of isoflavones in pulmonary structure and function during menopause is not well studied. Moreover, the important role of estrogen in the physiological function of respiratory system has been revealed. Genistein, as an isoflavone, mimics estrogenic in diabetic and ovariectomized rats. Here, we hypothesized that genistein would reverse changes in the protein expression levels related to estrogen deficiency in the lung of ovariectomized diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Wistar female rats were assigned to four experimental groups (n=10 in each group): sham, rats underwent laparotomy without removing the ovaries; OVX, rats that underwent ovariectomy; OVX.D, rats underwent bilateral ovariectomy and were fed a high-fat diet (HFD); OVX.D.G, ovariectomized diabetic rats with genistein administration (1 mg/kg /day). After ovariectomy, rats continued to feed HFD for a 4-week period. After 4 weeks of HFD feeding, a single dose of 30 mg/kg of streptozotocin was administered in the diabetic group. Genistein was administered for eight weeks. At the end of the experiment, lung tissue was removed and Western blotting technique and hematoxylin-eosin staining were used for evaluation of the lung. Results: Treatment with genistein significantly decreased inflammatory and apoptotic biomarkers in the ovariectomized diabetic rats compared to non-treated animals (

An unusual salvage technique for posterior tracheal membranous laceration associated with transhiatal esophagectomy: A transcervical–transsternal approach

Various surgical approaches may be employed for esophageal resection. Major airway injuries due to transhiatal esophagectomy include vertical tears in the membranous trachea. Tracheal injury is an uncommon but potentially fatal complication. This article describes the technique to repair the posterior membranous tracheal tear, extended just over the carina through a transcervical–transsternal approach, thereby avoiding a second thoracotomy. Six patients with posterior membranous tracheal injury underwent this procedure. The laceration ranged from 3 cm to 5 cm in length. Four patients had received neoadjuvant chemoradiation. The management of tracheal laceration added approximately 60 minutes to the total operation time. There was no mortality related to tracheal injury. Patients were followed up for 6 months after surgery, and both posterior tracheal wall and transverse tracheotomy remained intact without stenosis. The transcervical–transsternal approach decreases the need of thoracotomy and its complications in patients with tracheal laceration in any stage, even in cases of an extended tear down to the carina

Diabetic neovascularization defects in the retina are improved by genistein supplementation in the ovariectomized rat

Genistein seems to have a protective and therapeutic effect on conditions associated with neovascular growth in the retina. This study investigated the angiogenesis, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effect of genistein on the retinas in ovariectomized diabetic rats. In this study, 40 female albino Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 8 per group): sham, ovariectomized group (OVX), OVX + diabetes (OVX.D), and OVX.D + genistein (OVX.D.G). OVX induced by removal of bilateral ovaries and then high-fat diet (HFD) and a low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) (1 mg/kg; intraperitoneal (IP) injection) was used for diabetes induction (OVX.D) with 8 weeks of genistein treatment (OVX.D.G). At the end of 8 weeks, the retina was removed under anesthesia. The samples were used to measure extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor NF-kappa-B (NF-kappa B) by western blotting and inflammatory factors ELISA and oxidative stress. Measurements of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) showed that OVX and especially OVX.D significantly decreased GSH and increased MDA level in the retina, but genistein reversed these effects in OVX.D.G groups. Also, OVX and OVX.D significantly increased VEGF, MMP-2, p-ERK, NF-kappa B, interleukin-1beta (IL-1 beta), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) expression in the retina of OVX and OVX.D groups in comparison to the sham group (p < 0.05). However, a significant reduction of these proteins was observed in the genistein-treated group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, bilateral ovariectomy and subsequently estrogen deficiency caused the development of inflammation, neovascularization, and then retinopathy in STZ-induced diabetic ovariectomized rats. On the basis of the results, genistein administration may be a practical approach for improving symptoms and complications of ovariectomized diabetic retinopathy

Synergism effect of swimming exercise and genistein on the inflammation, oxidative stress, and VEGF expression in the retina of diabetic-ovariectomized rats

Aims: Retinal neovascularization is one of the visual disorders during the postmenopausal period or types two diabetes. Physical activities and also phytoestrogens with powerful antioxidant features have been widely considered to improve nervous system diseases. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of genistein, swimming exercise, and their co-treatment on retina angiogenesis, oxidative stress, and inflammation in diabetic-ovariectomized rats. Main methods: Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 8 per group): sham, ovariectomized group (OVX), OVX + diabetes (OVX.D), OVX.D+ genistein (1 mg/kg, eight weeks; daily SC), OVX.D + exercise (eight weeks), and OVX.D+ genistein+exercise (eight weeks). At the end of 8 weeks, the retina was removed under anesthesia. The assessed effects of treatment were by measuring MiR-146a and miR-132 expression via RT-PCR, the protein levels of ERK, MMP-2, VEGF, and NF-κB via western blotting, inflammation, and oxidative stress markers levels via the Eliza. Key findings: The results showed miR-132, miR-146b, and MMP-2, NF-κB, ERK, VEGF, TNF-α, IL-1β proteins, and MDA factor in the OVX.D group were increased, but glutathione (GSH) was decreased in comparison with the sham and OVX groups. Both exercise and genistein treatment has reversed the disorder caused by diabetes. However, the combination of exercise and genistein was more effective than each treatment alone. Significance: It can be concluded that the interaction of exercise and genistein on microRNAs and their target protein was affected in the inflammation, stress oxidative, and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase pathways, can leading to a decrease in impairment of retinal neovascularization of the ovariectomized diabetic rats