A New Insight Into Metformin Action: Diabetes, Prostate Cancer, and Ion Channels

Diabetes Mellitus is a life-long chronic metabolic disease, requiring continuous follow-up and therapy, it reduces the quality of life of patients with acute and chronic complications, mortality, and its economic burden is high. Cancer is the second cause of death, according to the data from World Health Organization. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the developed world and the second leading cause of male cancer-related death. As with the other cancer types, metastasis is an essential problem that we are facing and it is not clear whether a tumor will metastasize or not in localized state. It has been reported that there are high levels of voltage-gated sodium channels in metastatic prostate cancer cases. Cancer, ever growing with diabetes, is a major health problem. Studies have shown that diabetic patients have higher cancer rates than those of non-diabetics. Metformin is the drug of choice for the treatment of diabetes. Recently, there are studies in the literature regarding metformin reducing the risk of cancer besides its effect on diabetes This review will explain the possible role of the metformin on the three dimensional relationship of prostate cancer, diabetes and ion channels, and provide a significant contribution to clinical trials

Protective Effects of Vitamin E and Selenium Administration on Small Intestinal Damage Prior to Abdominal Radiation

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether vitamin E and selenium have a protective effect against small intestinal damage induced by radiation. Radiotherapy has a quite important role in cancer therapy. Yet the most important problem is cytotoxicity, which occurs in the applied tissues, depending on the radiation underwent. Pre-treatment with antioxidants has been known to have a useful effect against radiation damage. Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups. Group I: control group, Group II: Only single-dose administration of 1000 cGy radiation, Group Vitamin E and selenium were administered, followed by the administration of abdominal radiation. Light and electron microscopic examinations have revealed that administration of radiation caused degenerative changes on small intestinal tissue. Treatment with vitamin E and selenium seemed to reverse these effects. Biochemically, blood glutathione levels in the radiation group were found to decrease. Vitamin E and selenium were found to increase blood glutathione levels. These results indicate that antioxidant treatment prior to irradiation may have protected the small intestine against radiation-induced damage. Dietary vitamin E and selenium have a potentially protective effect on the small intestine of patients subjected to abdominal radiotherapy

The Role of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Selenium on Cadmium-Induced Renal Toxicity of Rats

The aim of this study was to determine whether vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium have protective effects against cadmium-induced renal toxicity of rats. Vitamin C (250 mg/kg/day), vitamin E (250 mg/kg/day), and sodium selenate (0.25 mg/kg/day) were given to rats orally for 8 days. Cadmium (2 mg/kg/day CdCl2) was given to rats intraperitoneally. Vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium (in the same dose and time) were given 1 h prior to the administration of cadmium every day. The tissue and blood samples were taken from the rats for histological evaluation and biochemical analyses on the Day 9. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) and glutathione (GSH) determination were made in kidney tissue. In addition, urea and creatinine levels were determined in serum. The damage to the kidney tissue was moderate in the rats given cadmium. In this group, the distinctive changes in the proximal tubules were observed. Degenerative changes in kidney tissue were also observed in rats given vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and cadmium. LPO levels significantly increased and GSH levels decreased in kidney tissues following cadmium administration. Serum urea and creatinine levels were also increased in rats given cadmium. The administration of vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium caused a significant decrease in LPO levels and an increase in GSH levels in the kidney of rats given cadmium. Serum urea and creatinine levels were decreased in rats given both the antioxidant and cadmium. It is concluded that vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium showed some protective effect on the rat kidney