EFFECT OF LYOPHILIZED JUICE OF PUNICA GRANATUM L. IN ANTINOCICEPTIVE AND INFLAMMATORY PAIN

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the analgesic activity of lyophilized juice of Punica granatum L., obtained from Hidalgo, Mexico, in theformalin test.Methods: We extracted the juice manually, filtered it and then dried down in a lyophilizer machine. We evaluated the antinociceptive effect oflyophilized juice from pomegranate in the formalin test (2%) in male Wistar rats (180–200 g body weight). Thirty minutes before the test, a dose of316 mg/kg (lyophilized juice) and acetylsalicylic acid as reference drug (100 mg/kg) both were administered intragastrically (i.g.).Results: The oral administration of lyophilized juice of pomegranate showed a significant decrease in the number of flinches in the temporal courseand a significant antinociceptive effect in nociceptive and inflammatory pain compared with the vehicle. In the same way, this effect appeared with thedrug of reference (acetylsalicylic acid 100 mg/kg i.g). Furthermore, it was shown that juice had a 34% of antinociception on overall effect versus vehicle.Conclusion: The results suggest that lyophilized juice of pomegranate has antinociceptive effect in nociceptive and inflammatory pain. Therefore, thisstudy supports the possible use of this lyophilized juice of pomegranate in the treatment of pain

El pretratamiento con fenobarbital incrementa la necrosis y la regeneración postnecrótica inducida por tioacetamida

One of the most important events related to drug interactions is the ability of some drugs to induce hepatic microsomal monooxygenases and to increase the toxicity of other drugs. A single intraperitoneal dose of thioacetamide was administered to rats (500 mg/Kg) to induce liver necrosis and regeneration; and on this experimental model the influence of intraperitoneal phenobarbital administration (80 mg/Kg/day) for five days before thioacetamide was studied. The results show that phenobarbital pre-treatment increased liver damage induced by thioacetamide, as detected by increases in serum enzymatic activities, levels of total bilirubin, and by the extent of the necrotic area in the perivenous acinar region. The higher liver injury was parallel to the higher rate of tissue regenerative response as demonstrated by the rate of DNA synthesis in hepatocytes and the level of á-fetoprotein in serum. We can conclude that phenobarbital pre-treatment enhanced hepatotoxicity and hepatocellular regeneration, but did not change either acinar location or timing of liver injury and regeneration induced by thioacetamide. Moreover, the proliferative response as well as the changes in diploid and polyploid populations, were more pronounced in phenobarbital pretreated hepatocytes.Uno de los aspectos mas importantes de las interacciones de farmacos es la habilidad de algunos de ellos de inducir las monooxigenasas microsomales hepaticas e incrementar la toxicidad de otras drogas. Se administro a las ratas una dosis unica de tioacetamida por via intraperitoneal (500 mg/Kg de peso) para provocar una necrosis y regeneracion hepatica; sobre este modelo experimental se estudio la influencia de la administracion intraperitoneal de fenobarbital (80 mg/ Kg/dia) durante los cinco dias previos a la administracion de la tioacetamida. Los resultados muestran que el pretratamiento con fenobarbital incremento el dano hepatico provocado por la tioacetamida, como se demuestra por los incrementos de las actividades enzimaticas en suero, niveles totales de bilirrubina y por la extension del area necrotica en la region acinar perivenosa. Este mayor dano hepatico fue paralelo al incremento de la respuesta regenerativa del tejido como queda demostrado por el aumento de la sintesis de DNA y por el nivel de ƒ¿-fetoproteina en suero. Podemos concluir que el pretratamiento con fenobarbital aumenta la hepatotoxicidad y la regeneracion hepatocelular, sin embargo, no modifica ni la localizacion acinar ni el patron temporal del dano hepatico y regeneracion inducida por la tioacetamida. Ademas, tanto la respuesta proliferativa como los cambios en las poblaciones diploides y poliploides, fueron mas pronunciados en los hepatocitos pretratados con fenobarbital

Valuable Food Molecules with Potential Benefits for Human Health

The rapid development in the food supply chain has led to increased interest for quality in the food sector. In the last two decades, the human health and food safety have become essential. Health problems are highly related to diet and nutritional habits. The connection between nutrition and the development of various health problems is even more noticeable when close attention is given to every age group. Regarding the chemical composition of foods, a large number of bioactive compounds present in plants, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and fish are currently known. Bioactive compounds from food play an important role in prevention of illnesses. Covering essential aspects of health benefits of foods, the present chapter underlies without being exhaustive, the potential of valuable compounds such as soy isoflavones, phytochemicals, polysaccharides, probiotics, prebiotics, lipids, and marine proteins to be used as an effective prevention strategy for developing various human cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and metabolic disorders

Effect of Gadolinium Chloride on Liver Regeneration Following Thioacetamide-Induced Necrosis in Rats

Gadolinium chloride (GD) attenuates drug-induced hepatotoxicity by selectively inactivating Kupffer cells. The effect of GD was studied in reference to postnecrotic liver regeneration induced in rats by thioacetamide (TA). Rats, intravenously pretreated with a single dose of GD (0.1 mmol/Kg), were intraperitoneally injected with TA (6.6 mmol/Kg). Hepatocytes were isolated from rats at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h following TA intoxication, and samples of blood and liver were obtained. Parameters related to liver damage were determined in blood. In order to evaluate the mechanisms involved in the post-necrotic regenerative state, the time course of DNA distribution and ploidy were assayed in isolated hepatocytes. The levels of circulating cytokine TNFα was assayed in serum samples. TNFα was also determined by RT-PCR in liver extracts. The results showed that GD significantly reduced the extent of necrosis. The effect of GD induced noticeable changes in the post-necrotic regeneration, causing an increased percentage of hepatocytes in S phase of the cell cycle. Hepatocytes increased their proliferation as a result of these changes. TNFα expression and serum level were diminished in rats pretreated with GD. Thus, GD pre-treatment reduced TA-induced liver injury and accelerated postnecrotic liver regeneration. No evidence of TNFα implication in this enhancement of hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration was found. These results demonstrate that Kupffer cells are involved in TA-induced liver damage, as well as and also in the postnecrotic proliferative liver states

AN ALTERNATIVE HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND ANTIOXIDANT AGENT: THE GERANIUM

The Geranium genus is taxonomically classified within the family Geraniaceae Juss, which includes 5-11 genera and nearly 750 species in total. The best-known genera of this family are Geranium, consisting largely of wild plants, and Pelargonium, consisting largely of ornamental plants. Traditional uses include as an antiseptic in wounds and as an antipyretic by infusion of the plant. Currently, eight different species of geraniums belonging to the family Geraniaceae have been identified in Hidalgo State in Central Mexico, and no chemical or pharmacological studies have been carried out in any of these eight species. All phytochemical studies on these species indicate the presence of polyphenolic compounds, including tannins, which are characterized as water-soluble compounds with molecular weights between 500 and 30,000 g/mol. These and other compounds warrant the exploration of the Germanium genus for uses related to ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity

What is Known Regarding the Participation of Factor Nrf-2 in Liver Regeneration?

It has been known for years that, after chemical damage or surgical removal of its tissue, the liver initiates a series of changes that, taken together, are known as regeneration, which are focused on the recovery of lost or affected tissue in terms of the anatomical or functional aspect. The Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf-2) is a reduction-oxidation reaction (redox)-sensitive transcriptional factor, with the basic leucine Zipper domain (bZIP) motif, encoding the NFE2L2 gene. The Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway is transcendental in the regulation of various cellular processes, such as antioxidant defenses, redox equilibrium, the inflammatory process, the apoptotic processes, intermediate metabolism, detoxification, and cellular proliferation. Some reports have demonstrated the regulator role of Nrf-2 in the cellular cycle of the hepatocyte, as well as in the modulation of the antioxidant response and of apoptotic processes during liver regeneration. It has been reported that there is a delay in liver regeneration after Partial hepatectomy (PH) in the absence of Nrf-2, and similarly as a regulator of hepatic cytoprotection due to diverse chemical or biological agents, and in diseases such as hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. This regulator/protector capacity is due to the modulation of the Antioxidant response elements (ARE). It is postulated that oxidative stress (OS) can participate in the initial stages of liver regeneration and that Nrf-2 can probably participate. Studies are lacking on the different initiation stages, maintenance, and the termination of liver regeneration alone or with ethanol

Lipoprotein Profile in Aged Rats Fed Chia Oil- or Hydroxytyrosol-Enriched Pork in High Cholesterol/High Saturated Fat Diets

Restructuring pork (RP) by adding new functional ingredients, like Chia oil (one of the richest natural source of α-linolenic acid) or hydroxytyrosol (HxT) (potent antioxidant), both with hypolipidemic activities, is one of the strategies that may help to reduce the potential negative effects of high meat products consumption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Chia oil- or HxT-enriched-RP effect on the lipoprotein profile of aged rats fed high-fat, high-energy, and cholesterol-enriched diets. RP samples were prepared by mixing lean pork and lard with or without Chia oil (152.2 g/kg fresh matter) or HxT (3.6 g/kg fresh matter). Diets were prepared by mixing a semisynthetic diet with freeze-dried RP. Groups of 1-year male Wistar rats were fed the following experimental diets for 8 weeks: C, control-RP diet; HC, cholesterol-enriched-RP diet; and Chia oil-RP (CHIA) and HxT, Chia oil- or hydroxytyrosol-RP, cholesterol-enriched diet. Plasma lipid, lipoprotein profile, SREBP-1c protein, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) receptor gene (Ldlr) expressions were evaluated. Compared to C diet, the HC diet increased plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, total lipids, and SREBP-1c expression, but reduced Ldlr expression and significantly modified the lipoprotein profile, giving rise to the presence of high levels of atherogenic cholesterol-enriched very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) particles. Compared to the HC diet, the HxT diet did not produce significant changes in feed intake but it reduced the body weight. Chia oil and HxT partially arrested the negative effects of the high-fat, high-energy, and cholesterol-enriched meat-based diets on lipemia and lipoproteinemia, mostly by reducing the amount of cholesterol content in VLDL (60% and 74% less in CHIA and HxT vs. HC, respectively) and the VLDL total mass (59% and 63% less in CHIA and HxT vs. HC, respectively). Free fatty acids (FFA) significantly correlated with adipose tissue weight and VLDL total mass (both p < 0.05), and plasma triglycerides, phospholipids, total lipids, and SREBP-1c (all p < 0.001), suggesting the important role of FFA in lipoprotein metabolism. Results support the recommendation to include these ingredients in pork products addressed to reduce the presence of increased atherogenic particles in aged people at CVD risk consuming large amounts of pork