Protective effects of peel and seed extracts of Citrus aurantium on glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cell line

A b s t r a c t Oxidative stress and apoptosis contribute to neuronal degeneration in many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) and is considered responsible for the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is thought to be involved in glutamate-induced apoptosis process. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of Citrus aurantium in the glutamate-induced rat's adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12 cells) were investigated. The cell viability and apoptotic cell death were measured using MTT and propidium iodine (PI)

Bezpieczeństwo i skuteczność dwufazowej insuliny aspart 30 (BIAsp30) u Irańczyków chorych na cukrzycę typu 2: otwarte, nierandomizowane, wieloośrodkowe badanie - irańska podgrupa badania IMPROVE™

Introduction: To evaluate the clinical profile of BIAsp 30 (30% soluble insulin aspart, 70% protamine-crystallized insulin aspart) (NovoMix®30) in type 2 diabetes patients in routine clinical practice in Iran. Material and methods: IMPROVE&#8482; was a 26-week, multinational, open-label, non-randomized study in patients with type 2 diabetes. The safety and efficacy of BIAsp 30 were assessed at baseline and at 13 and 26 weeks. The titration of BIAsp30 was at the physician&#8217;s discretion. Results: In Iran, 478 patients (47% male) previously treated with oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) (N = 159, 33.3%) and/or insulin other than BIAsp30 (N = 317, 66.3%) or a few who were treatment-na&#239;ve (N = 2, 0.4%) participated in the study. After 26 weeks of treatment with BIAsp 30, the rate of reported major hypoglycaemic episodes was reduced by 88.1% from baseline (baseline v. Week 26: 0.303 v. 0.037 episodes/pt-year; p < 0.001). No significant differences in minor hypoglycaemic episodes between baseline and Week 26 were found. Glycaemic control was significantly improved from baseline to Week 26 with a mean HbA1c reduction of 1.2 &#177; 1.9%. Patients&#8217; quality of life as measured by the DiabMedSat questionnaire significantly improved from baseline (58.1) to the end of the study (75.4, p < 0.001). Conclusions: BIAsp 30 therapy appeared safe and effective and improved quality of life in Iranian patients with type 2 diabetes after 26 weeks of treatment. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (4): 364-370)Wstęp: Celem badania była ocena profilu działania insuliny BIAsp 30 (30% rozpuszczalnej insuliny aspart, 70% insuliny krystalizowanej z protaminą) (NovoMix®30) u chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 w warunkach standardowej opieki zdrowotnej w Iranie. Materiał i metody: IMPROVE&#8482; było 26-tygodniowym, wieloośrodkowym, międzynarodowym, otwartym i nierandomizowanym badaniem z udziałem chorych na cukrzycę typu 2. Bezpieczeństwo i skuteczność insulin BIAsp 30 oceniano na początku badania oraz po 13 i 26 tygodniach. Dawkowanie insuliny BIAsp30 było zależne od zaleceń lekarskich. Wyniki: W irańskiej części badania uczestniczyło 478 chorych (47% stanowili mężczyźni) leczonych dotychczas doustnymi lekami hipoglikemizującymi (N = 159, 33,3%) i/lub insuliną inną niż BIAsp30 (N = 317, 66,3%) oraz nieliczna grupa pacjentów niestosujących wcześniej farmakoterapii (N = 2, 0,4%). Po 26 tygodniach leczenia insuliną BIAsp 30, częstość epizodów ciężkiej hipoglikemii zmniejszyła się o 88,1% (wartości wyjściowe v. tydzień 26: 0,303 v. 0,037 epizodów/pacjenta-rok; p < 0,001). Dane dotyczące częstości epizodów lekkiej hipoglikemii na początku badania i po 26 tygodniach leczenia nie różniły się istotnie. Odnotowano natomiast poprawę kontroli glikemii; po 26 tygodniach odsetek HbA1c obniżył się średnio o 1,2 &#177; 1,9% w stosunku do wartości wyjściowej. W okresie od rozpoczęcia do zakończenia badania nastąpiła istotna poprawa jakości życia chorych, oceniana przy użyciu kwestionariusza DiabMedSat; punktacja wynosiła odpowiednio 58,1 i 75,4 (p < 0,001). Wnioski: Terapia insuliną BIAsp 30 stosowana przez 26 tygodni u Irańczyków chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 okazała się bezpieczna i skuteczna, a ponadto spowodowała poprawę jakości życia pacjentów. (Endokrynol Pol 2010; 61 (4): 364-370

Iranian Multicenter Osteoporosis Studies (IMOS) during last decade : rationale, main findings, lessons learned and the way forward

Purpose Osteoporosis remains a major public health concern, considering its high prevalence along with its association with osteoporotic fractures. It imposes a heavy burden on the society worldwide as the population ages. This paper aims to provide a brief review on Iranian multicenter osteoporosis studies (IMOS) studies and provide some recommendations for improvement. Methods IMOS studies were conducted to investigate the prevalence of osteoporosis and related risk factors. This paper provides a general view on the Iranian multicenter osteoporosis studies (IMOS), conducted during last decades. Results The results showed a high prevalence of osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency in the Iranian population. Although the study protocols were mainly similar, some differences were observed in terms of the study population and design. The protocol of IMOS-3 was modified to overcome the setbacks noted in the previous studies; however, it was implemented in two cities with noticeably different socioeconomic and geographical characteristics from five cities where the first phase was conducted, resulting in different lifestyles and habits. Although previous IMOS studies have raised major concerns regarding the high prevalence of osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency, interpretation should be made with caution given the differences, especially in the surveyed cities. Such discrepancies cause problems in trend analysis, and nationally representative samplings are preferably needed to correctly compare the prevalence of osteoporosis and related risk factors. Conclusions Considering the aging population and the importance of osteoporosis and its complication, developing a standard surveillance system to obtain valid and nationally representative estimates is recommended

Effects of Fasting on Glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone (GLP-1), and Lipid Profile Indices in Obese and Thin Women

Introduction: Glucagon-like peptide-1 hormone (GLP-1) contributes to the regulation of insulin and glucose concentration. However, the effects of fasting on GLP-1 response in different people has not been determined yet. The aim of the present research was to investigate the effect of fasting on GLP-1 and the lipid profile of obese and thin women.Materials and methods: In this research, 25 obese and thin women whose age ranged from 35 to 45 years were selected through a convenient sampling method and were divided into two groups of obese (n=12, body mass index ˃30 kg/m2) and thin (n=13, body mass index=18-20 kg/m2). GLP-1 in both groups was measured in four phases: 3 days before the beginning of Ramadan, 14 days after the beginning of Ramadan, 28 days after the beginning of Ramadan and 2 weeks after the end of Ramadan. Repeated –measure ANOVA was used to statistically analyse the data. Results: GLP-1 was reduced from phase 1 to 3 of the research. However, it was increased after Ramadan. In the thin group, GLP-1 was increased in 14 days of fasting, but did not show any change at the end of Ramadan, and also two weeks after this month. However, none of these changes were statistically significant. The two groups did not diverge from each other significantly in any of the phases.Conclusion: The present findings showed that fasting has no significant effect on the GLP-1 and lipid profile indices of the obese and thin women

Prevalence and Extent of Glycemic Excursions in Well-Controlled Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus using Continuous Glucose-Monitoring System

Background : Continuous glucose-monitoring system (CGMS) is a tool for assessment of glycemic excursions. Glucose variability is a risk factor independent of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) for diabetic complications; hence CGMS may be a better method for management of diabetes. Aim: To evaluate the extent of glycemic excursions in well-controlled type 2 diabetic patients. Setting and Design :The study was carried out in 21 diabetic patients on oral agents. Materials and Methods: Patients underwent continuous glucose-monitoring by CGMS for 3 days. Number and duration of glycemic excursions, correlation coefficient (%) between CGMS and self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG), mean absolute difference (%MAD) and complications of CGMS were analyzed. Statistical Analyses : The statistical analyses were performed with the use of mean ± SD, t-test and Mann-Whitney test. Results :The mean age of patients was 51.9 ± 9.7 years. The mean HbA1c was 6.7 ± 0.38%. The mean number of glycemic readings was 753.6 ± 203.5 times. The correlation coefficient was 0.83 and the MAD was 11.7 ± 8.0%, which were considerable. Three (14.2%) patients experienced, altogether, 9 hypoglycemic events with an average duration of 162 minutes. Twenty (94.7%) patients had hyperglycemic events. The mean duration of hyperglycemia was 19.4 ± 12.8 hours. All events were asymptomatic. Disconnection of device was the most common complication (3 patients). Conclusion : This study demonstrated that well-controlled type 2 diabetic patients have a considerable number of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia events that may be missed by SMBG

Protective effects of peel and seed extracts of Citrus aurantium on glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cell line

Oxidative stress and apoptosis contribute to neuronal degeneration in many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS) and is considered responsible for the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is thought to be involved in glutamate-induced apoptosis process. In this study, the neuroprotective effects of Citrus aurantium in the glutamate-induced rat’s adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12 cells) were investigated. The cell viability and apoptotic cell death were measured using MTT and propidium iodine (PI)-staining methods, respectively. In addition, intracellular ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined by fluorometric methods. The results showed that glutamate cytotoxicity in PC12 cells was accompanied by an increment of MDA content, ROS generation, and apoptotic induction. However, pretreatment with peel and seed extracts of C. aurantium significantly reduced MDA content, ROS generation, and apoptotic cells. All these findings indicated that C. aurantium protected PC12 cells against glutamate-induced apoptosis by inhibiting ROS production. Therefore, the present study supports that C. aurantium extracts possess neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced toxicity in PC12 cell line. The protective effect of C. aurantium might be attributed to its antioxidant properties

Effects of standardized extract of Ferula gummosa root on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity

Glutamate is one of the major excitatory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Increasing glutamate leads to neurodegenerative disease. Nowadays, plant medicine plays a role in the treatment of some disorders. In this research, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of Ferula gummosa root extract against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in the rat adrenal pheochromocytoma (PC12) and mouse neuroblastoma (N2a) cell lines. The cells were pretreated with extract for 2 h and then exposed to glutamate for 24 h. After 24 h the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and apoptotic cells were determined in both cell lines. Glutamate increased lipid peroxidation, ROS, and apoptotic cells in both cell lines. The extract significantly increased the cell viability and decreased the ROS generation under glutamate-induced oxidative stress in these cells. Also, the extract decreased the MDA level and apoptotic cells. The results showed that Ferula gummosa root may have a protective effect on glutamate-induced toxicity, suggesting that the extract protects neuronal cells from glutamate-induced oxidative stress