Anti-apoptotic effects of phyllanthin against alcoholinduced liver cell death

Purpose: To evaluate the anti-apoptotic effect of phyllanthin on alcohol-induced liver cell death in HepG2 cells alone and in co-culture with human monocytic (THP-1) differentiated macrophage cells.Methods: Cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The cells were pretreated with 1, 5 and 10 μM phyllanthin for 24 h followed by 1300 mM alcohol for HepG2 cells and 2000 mM alcohol for the co-cultured cells. Thereafter, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) changes, apoptotic cell death and caspase-3/7 activities were assessed.Results: Alcohol exposure significantly increased intracellular ROS generation (p < 0.001), decreased MMP changes (p < 0.001), increased the number of apoptotic and necrotic cells (p < 0.001) and also induced higher caspase-3/7 activity (p < 0.001) in the co-culture with THP-1 differentiated macrophage cells than in HepG2 cells alone. Pretreatment of HepG2 cells and co-cultured cells with phyllanthin for 24 h prior to alcohol exposure significantly decreased intracellular production of ROS (p < 0.001) and also increased the change in MMP (p < 0.001) as well as caused a decrease in the number of apoptotic and necrotic cells (p < 0.001), but inhibited caspase-3/7 activity (p < 0.001).Conclusion: The results indicate that phyllanthin treatment may have a significant therapeutic effect on alcohol-related liver diseases.Keywords: Hepatoprotective, Liver diseases, Human monocytic cells, Reactive oxygen species, Apoptosis, Co-culture, Mitochondrial membrane potentia

Effects of the extracts from Mitragyna speciosa Korth. leaves on analgesic and behavioral activities in experimental animals

The leaves of Mitragyna speciosa Korth. (M. speciosa) were extracted with methanol to give methanol extract. The methanol extract was made in acid and then in alkaline and extracted with chloroform to give alkaloid extract. The effects of the methanol and alkaloid extracts on analgesic activities in hot plate test in mice and tail flick test in rats and behavioral activities in locomotor activity and pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice, were examined. In acute toxicity test, the LD50 values of oral administration of the methanol and alkaloid extracts of M. speciosa leaves in mice were 4.90 g/kg and 173.20 mg/kg, respectively. Oral administration (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of the methanol extract of M. speciosa leaves significantly prolonged the latency of nociceptive response on hot plate test in mice. The alkaloid extract of M. speciosa also increased the pain response latency at the dose of 20 mg/kg but less potent than those of the methanol extract (100 mg/kg) in mice (comparing 5-10 mg/kg alkaloid extract with corresponding to approximately 200 mg/kg of methanol extract). The antinociceptive action of either methanol extract (100 mg/kg, p.o.) or alkaloid extract (20 mg/kg, p.o.) of M. speciosa leaves was blocked by naloxone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice. Neither the methanol extract nor the alkaloid extract significantly prolonged latency of nociceptive response on tail flick test in rats. Both of the extracts had no significant change on spontaneous motor activity or pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice, respectively. These results suggest that the methanol and alkaloid extracts of M. speciosa leaves possess the analgesic activity which partly acted at opioid receptors in the supraspinal opioid system

รายงานการวิจัยฉบับสมบูรณ์เรื่องผลของสารสกัดจากใบกระท่อมต่อฤทธิ์แก้ปวดและพฤติกรรมในสัตว์ทดลอง

Prince of Songkla Universit

Beneficial effects of young coconut juice feeding on the lipid, renal and liver profiles, in ovariectomized rats: Preliminary novel findings

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of feeding young coconut juice (YCJ), known to contain - sitosterol, to ovariectomized rats, a model for postmenopausal women, on the lipid, renal and liver metabolism profiles. Four groups of female rats (6 in each group) were included in this study. These included sham-operated, ovariectomized (ovx), ovx receiving estradiol benzoate (EB) injections intraperitoneally, and ovx receiving YCJ orally. At the end of the third and the fourth week of study, the rats were sacrificed and their serum estradiol (E2) was analyzed. The uterus was removed along with the kidney and liver. The latter was paraffin processed for histopathological assessment. In contast with the 7 days treatments, all parameters of the 14 days treatment had improved. After 14 days of treatment, the circulating levels of BUN, creatinine, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, AST, ALT, ALP, total protein and albumin of ovx+YCJ group were not significantly different from the sham and ovx groups. Only the serum HDL level of the ovx+YCJ group was significantly higher than that of the sham group. The histopathological assessment of the liver and kidney showed no significant changes when compared with the control groups. Glycogen accumulation appeared in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes particularly in the ovx+YCJ group but significant changes of the hepatocytes containing glycogen were not detected. No other abnormal features were seen in any of the four groups. The %age uterine/body weights indicated that YCJ feeding in ovx rats at 100 mL/kgBW for up to two weeks did not cause increased uterine weight. In summary, this study confirmed that feeding YCJ had beneficial effects on the serum lipid profile, and maintained liver and renal functions for up to 2 weeks after administration

การศึกษาผลของน้ำมะพร้าวอ่อนต่อการสมานแผลในหนูขาวเพศเมีย : รายงานวิจัยฉบับสมบูรณ์

มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร

Young coconut juice significantly reduces histopathological changes in the brain that is induced by hormonal imbalance: A possible implication to postmenopausal women

Background and aim: Some degenerative diseases of the nervous system have been linked to hormonal imbalance in postmenopausal women. It is argued that young coconut juice (YCJ) could have some estrogen-like characteristics, but this is still debatable. Our aim was to investigate this argument, and to examine whether YCJ has any neuroprotective effects. Materials and methods: Four groups of female rats (10 in each group) were included in this study. These included sham-operated, overiectomized (ovx), ovx and receiving estradiol benzoate (EB) injections intraperitoneally, and ovx and receiving YCJ orally. At the end of the five-week study, the rats were sacrificed, and their serum estradiol (E2) level was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay. Moreover, the rat brains were excised, and the cortical pyramidal neurons were examined using markers of neuronal cell death, namely anti-neurofilament (NF200) and antiparvalbumin (PV) antibodies. Results: Our results showed that the rat group which received YCJ had its serum E2 level significantly (P<0.05) higher than the ovx group which did not receive any treatment, and the sham-operated group. A similar trend was observed with the group which received EB injections, but no significant difference was present when the latter was compared with the shamoperated group. In addition, a significant reduction in neuronal cell death was observed in the YCJ-treated group, as compared to the ovx group which did not receive any treatment. This was indicated by the significantly (P<0.05) higher number of neurons which were immunopositive for NF200 and PV. Interestingly, the number of these neurons was also significantly (P<0.05) higher in the YCJ group, as compared to the EB group. Conclusion: This study confirms the argument that YCJ has estrogen-like characteristics, and it also adds more evidence to the observation that hormonal imbalance could induce some brain pathologies in females

Young coconut juice can accelerate the healing process of cutaneous wounds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Estrogen has been reported to accelerate cutaneous wound healing. This research studies the effect of young coconut juice (YCJ), presumably containing estrogen-like substances, on cutaneous wound healing in ovairectomized rats.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Four groups of female rats (6 in each group) were included in this study. These included sham-operated, ovariectomized (ovx), ovx receiving estradiol benzoate (EB) injections intraperitoneally, and ovx receiving YCJ orally. Two equidistant 1-cm full-thickness skin incisional wounds were made two weeks after ovariectomy. The rats were sacrificed at the end of the third and the fourth week of the study, and their serum estradiol (E2) level was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The skin was excised and examined in histological sections stained with H&E, and immunostained using anti-estrogen receptor (ER-α an ER-β) antibodies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Wound healing was accelerated in ovx rats receiving YCJ, as compared to controls. This was associated with significantly higher density of immunostaining for ER-α an ER-β in keratinocytes, fibroblasts, white blood cells, fat cells, sebaceous gland, skeletal muscles, and hair shafts and follicles. This was also associated with thicker epidermis and dermis, but with thinner hypodermis. In addition, the number and size of immunoreactive hair follicles for both ER-α and ER-β were the highest in the ovx+YCJ group, as compared to the ovx+EB group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study demonstrates that YCJ has estrogen-like characteristics, which in turn seem to have beneficial effects on cutaneous wound healing.</p