Tindakan minyak kelapa dara terhadap tulang osteoporosis pascamenopaus: analisis gen Osteoblastogenesis dan antioksidan

Osteoporosis pascamenopaus merupakan salah satu masalah kesihatan utama yang melanda kaum wanita berumur. Ia disebabkan oleh beberapa faktor termasuk tekanan oksidatif, yang dipercayai dapat dikawal melalui pengambilan antioksidan daripada sumber makanan. Minyak kelapa dara (VCO) merupakan salah satu hasil semula jadi yang kaya dengan antioksidan dan telah dibuktikan mampu memelihara tulang yang mengalami osteoporosis. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mendapatkan kefahaman yang lebih mendalam tentang aktiviti minyak kelapa dara terhadap osteoporosis pada peringkat molekular. Tiga puluh dua ekor tikus betina Sprague-Dawley dibahagikan kepada empat kumpulan, iaitu kumpulan pembedahan Sham, kawalan terovariektomi (Ovx+Ctrl), kumpulan terovariektomi dengan rawatan VCO (Ovx+VCO) dan kumpulan terovariektomi dengan rawatan estrogen (Ovx+E). Kesemua rawatan diberikan melalui oral selama sepuluh minggu. Sampel tulang femur tikus diambil untuk mengkaji perubahan pada ekspresi gen superoksida dismutase (SOD), glutation peroksidase (GPX), osteokalsin dan transkripsi faktor 2 berkaitan run (Runx2). Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa tikus yang menerima rawatan VCO mengalami peningkatan yang signifikan pada ekspresi gen SOD, GPX dan osteokalsin berbanding kumpulan kawalan terovariektomi, disamping ekspresi gen Runx2 yang turut menunjukkan pola peningkatan. Secara kesimpulannya, VCO membantu memelihara tulang pada tikus model osteoporosis melalui tindakannya meningkatkan ekspresi gen antioksidan serta gen yang menigkatkan aktiviti sel osteoblas

Erectile dysfunction and methadone maintenance therapy

Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common side effects of methadone affecting more than half of methadone patient population. The problem is associated with prominent reduced quality of life. Erectile dysfunction may perpetuate greater problem if left untreated as patients may opt to use harmful self-treatment such as abusing methamphetamine. This illicit drug use to overcome the side-effects of methadone may lead to polysubstance use disorder that further compromise addiction therapy. To overcome this issue, both practitioners and patients play a major role in the management of erectile dysfunction. Patient awareness regarding erectile dysfunction and its impact as well as doctor’s active intervention to detect erectile dysfunction, are essential to improve the detection rate and management of erectile dysfunction. Frequent screening of erectile dysfunction and its risk factors will help with the identification of patients suffering from erectile dysfunction. Multiple treatments options such as bupropion, trazodone and many more are available to treat erectile dysfunction which will be further explored in this review

DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE DOWNREGULATES BONE RESORPTION ACTIVITY OF OSTEOCLASTS IN DOSE DEPENDENT MANNER: AN IN VITRO MODEL USING RAW 264.7 CELLS

Objective: Numerous studies have evidenced the bone regulatory potential of dihydrotestosterone in androgen-deficient osteoporosis. The present study was thus aimed to explore the translational mechanism of dihydrotestosterone to down-regulate the bone resorption activity of osteoclasts using RAW 264.7 cells as in vitro model.Methods: Prior to analyze the efficacy of dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) to alleviate osteoclastic differentiation, their cell viability and cell proliferative ability was assessed using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and MTS assays. The osteoclastic differentiation capacity of dihydrotestosterone was evaluated by measuring TRAP activity and the expression of bone resorption-related proteins such as matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9), cathepsin-K, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and NFATc1. Moreover, the effects of dihydrotestosterone were also evaluated on superoxide (free radicals) generation and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in RANKL-induced osteoclasts.Results: Dihydrotestosterone showed no toxicity towards RAW 264.7 cells and significantly enhanced their proliferation and growth rates in a dose-dependent fashion. It was also observed that dihydrotestosterone exhibits a remarkable inhibitory effect on differentiation, maturation and activation of osteoclasts. The marked inhibition of differentiation and activation of osteoclasts caused by 5α-DHT was due to down-regulation of the expression of MMP-9, cathepsin-K, TRAP, NFATc1, generation of superoxide and up-regulation of SOD activity in the RAW 264.7 cells.Conclusion: Resulting data provided substantially in vitroevidence for the pronounced anti-osteoclastogenetic activity of dihydrotestosterone and its therapeutic value in treating osteoporosis and other bone-erosive disorders.Â

The influence of age, ethnicity and body anthropometry on the level of serum osteocalcin and terminal-c telopeptides of type I collagen in men

Bone turnover markers (BTMs) are useful in the assessment of bone health status. However, the infl uence of age, ethnicity and body anthropometry on the level of BTMs in men remains understudied. This study aimed to determine the influence of these factors on the level of BTM, namely osteoclacin (OC) and C-terminal telopeptides of type 1 collagen (CTX-1) among Malay and Chinese men (N = 407) aged 20 years and above in Klang Valley. The subjects were recruited using purposive sampling method. Their height, body weight and body mass index were measured. Their blood was collected in the morning for serum OC and CTX-1 analysis using enzyme-linked immunoasorbent assays. Results showed that OC and CTX-1 levels were significantly higher in Malay compared to Chinese men (p 0.005). There were significant and negative correlations between OC and body mass index and weight, which were significant for men aged 20-39 years only (p 0.05). As a conclusion, levels of BTMs in Malaysian men could be infl uenced by age, ethnicity and body anthropometry. Thus, these factors should be taken into consideration in the evaluation of bone health status of men using BTMs

Vitamin E and the Healing of Bone Fracture: The Current State of Evidence

Background. The effect of vitamin E on health-related conditions has been extensively researched, with varied results. However, to date, there was no published review of the effect of vitamin E on bone fracture healing. Purpose. This paper systematically audited past studies of the effect of vitamin E on bone fracture healing. Methods. Related articles were identified from Medline, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Screenings were performed based on the criteria that the study must be an original study that investigated the independent effect of vitamin E on bone fracture healing. Data were extracted using standardised forms, followed by evaluation of quality of reporting using ARRIVE Guidelines, plus recalculation procedure for the effect size and statistical power of the results. Results. Six animal studies fulfilled the selection criteria. The study methods were heterogeneous with mediocre reporting quality and focused on the antioxidant-related mechanism of vitamin E. The metasynthesis showed α-tocopherol may have a significant effect on bone formation during the normal bone remodeling phase of secondary bone healing. Conclusion. In general, the effect of vitamin E on bone fracture healing remained inconclusive due to the small number of heterogeneous and mediocre studies included in this paper

Serum testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin and total calcium levels predict the calcaneal speed of sound in men

OBJECTIVES: Variations in sex hormones and the calcium balance can influence bone health in men. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the calcaneal speed of sound and biochemical determinants of bone mass, such as sex hormones, parathyroid hormones and serum calcium. METHODS: Data from 549 subjects from the Malaysian Aging Male Study, which included Malay and Chinese men aged 20 years and older residing in the Klang Valley, were used for analysis. The subjects' calcaneal speed of sound was measured, and their blood was collected for biochemical analysis. Two sets of multiple regression models were generated for the total/bioavailable testosterone and estradiol to avoid multicollinearity. RESULTS: The multiple regression results revealed that bioavailable testosterone and serum total calcium were significant predictors of the calcaneal speed of sound in the adjusted model. After adjustment for ethnicity and body mass index, only bioavailable testosterone remained significant; the total serum calcium was marginally insignificant. In a separate model, the total testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin were significant predictors, whereas the total serum calcium was marginally insignificant. After adjustment for ethnicity and body mass index (BMI), the significance persisted for total testosterone and SHBG. After further adjustment for age, none of the serum biochemical determinants was a significant predictor of the calcaneal speed of sound. CONCLUSION: There is a significant age-dependent relationship between the calcaneal speed of sound and total testosterone, bioavailable testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin in Chinese and Malay men in Malaysia. The relationship between total serum calcium and calcaneal speed of sound is ethnicity-dependent

Combined Effects of Eurycoma longifolia

Androgen-deficient osteoporosis in men is treated with testosterone therapy, which is associated with side effects. Eurycoma longifolia (EL) is known to possess androgenic properties and has been reported to protect bone from androgen-deficient osteoporosis in experimental animal models. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of combination therapy of EL and testosterone (T) in treating androgen-deficient osteoporosis. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into: sham-operated (SHAM), orchidectomized-control (ORX), orchidectomized with testosterone (ORX + T), orchidectomized with EL (ORX + EL), and orchidectomized with combined T and EL therapy (ORX + T + EL). EL was administered via oral gavages daily at the dose of 15 mg/kg. T was injected intramuscularly at 8 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg for the ORX + T and ORX + T + EL groups, respectively. Following 6 weeks of treatment, the osteocalcin levels of ORX + T and ORX + T + EL groups were significantly lower than the SHAM group (P<0.05). The posttreatment CTX levels of ORX + T and ORX + T + EL groups were significantly lower than their pretreatment levels (P<0.05). Biomechanically, the strain parameter of the ORX + T + EL group was significantly higher than the ORX group (P<0.05). Thus, the combination therapy of EL and low-dose T has potential for treatment of androgen-deficient osteoporosis. The lower T dose is beneficial in reducing the sideeffects of testosterone therapy

Dihydrotestosterone, a robust promoter of osteoblastic proliferation and differentiation: understanding of time-mannered and dose-dependent control of bone forming cells

Objective(s): The present study was aimed to evaluate the time-mannered and dose-dependent effects of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) on the proliferation and differentiation of bone forming cells using MC3T3-E1 cells. Materials and Methods: Cell proliferation was analyzed using MTS and phase contrast microscopic assays. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed through a series of in vitro experiments including crystal violet staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and Van Gieson (VG) staining. Taken together, the efficiency of bone mineralization was examined by using alizarin red s (ARS) staining, Von Kossa staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. Results: The resulting data revealed that 5α-DHT exhibits promising potential particularly at a dose of 0.1 ng/ml, in promoting the growth of MC3T3-E1 cells compared to the control group (CN). Moreover, a significantly higher ALP activity was evident in the experimental group treated with 5α-DHT compared to the CN group at various time intervals. MC3T3-E1 cells treated with 5α-DHT also expressed a remarkably higher collagen deposition and mineralization (calcium and phosphate contents) compared to the CN group at various time intervals. Conclusion: Conclusively, we suggest that 5α-DHT exhibits outstanding potential of promoting proliferation and differentiation in osteoblasts which could be the in vitro basis for the efficacy of 5α-DHT in the treatment of androgen-deficient male osteoporosis

Vitamin E and Bone Structural Changes: An Evidence-Based Review

Purpose. This paper explores the effects of vitamin E on bone structural changes. Methods. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies about vitamin E and osteoporosis/bone structural changes. A comprehensive search in Medline and CINAHL for relevant studies published between the years 1946 and 2012 was conducted. The main inclusion criteria were published in English, studies had to report the association or effect of vitamin E and osteoporosis-related bone changes, and the osteoporosis-related bone changes should be related to lifestyle variables, aging, or experimentally-induced conditions. Results. The literature search identified 561 potentially relevant articles, whereby 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were three human epidemiological studies and eight animal experimental studies included in this paper. Four animal studies reported positive bone structural changes with vitamin E supplementation. The rest of the studies had negative changes or no effect. Studies with positive changes reported better effects with tocotrienol vitamin E isomer supplementation. Conclusions. This evidence-based review underscores the potential of vitamin E being used for osteoporosis. The effect of one of the vitamin E isomers, tocotrienols, on bone structural changes warrants further exploration. Controlled human observational studies should be conducted to provide stronger evidence

Coconut oil and cholesterol as challenge agents to induce hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis in hamster animal model

Hyperlipidemia is a condition of high lipid levels in the plasma and often linked with the deposition of lipid droplets in the aorta which initiate the progression of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a common cardiovascular disorder initiated by the formation of foams cells in the vascular wall which leads to turbulent blood flow, injury to the endothelial layer and subsequent vascular thrombosis. Since the early 1980’s, Golden-Syrian hamsters have been widely used as an animal model in the research of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. The use of hamsters in the hyperlipidemic and atherosclerotic model is due to their lipoprotein profile that is closer to human setting, sensitive to high-fat high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet and a suitable rodent model. Atherosclerosis can be induced in hamsters through dietary challenge with HFHC diet. Over the decades, coconut oil (CNO) was commonly used as the source of fat in the diet design of high saturated fatty acids (SFA) composition. In this review, we summarized published literature with designs involving CNO plus cholesterol-induced hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis or both. The factors that may influence the ability of CNO and cholesterol combination to induce hyperlipidemia such as the period of dietary intervention, hamster strains and the dietary amount were evaluated and summarized