Behavior of the total antioxidant status in a group of subjects with metabolic syndrome.

AIM: Our purpose was to examine the total antioxidant status (TAS) in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MS) subdivided according to the presence or not of diabetes mellitus. METHODS: We enrolled 106 subjects (45 women, 61 men) with MS subsequently subdivided in diabetics (14 women, 29 men) and nondiabetics (31 women, 29 men). TAS was obtained using an Assay kit which relies on the ability of plasma antioxidant substances to inhibit the oxidation of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonic acid) to the radical ABTS+. RESULTS: In the group of MS subjects a significant decrease in TAS (p<0.05) in comparison with normal controls was evident. This difference was present between normal subjects and nondiabetic subjects with MS (p<0.001) but not between normal and diabetic subjects with MS. Examining the linear regression among TAS, age, anthropometric profile, blood pressure values and glycometabolic pattern, conflicting data were found. CONCLUSIONS: Although we know that TAS includes several enzymatic and non enzymatic antioxidants, we retain that the difference observed in the two subgroups of subjects with MS must be looked in particular into two pathophysiological aspects regarding bilirubin and uric acid

Effect of beet fiber on serum fasting blood sugar and Lipids of type II diabetic patients

History and Objectives: Dietary soluble fiber had beneficial effects on serum glucose and lipid levels. Sugar beet is one of the dietary soluble fibers. Contradictory results have been associated with the effect of its consumption on serum glucose and lipid levels. Therefore, the present study was performed to assess their effect on type II diabetic patients admitted to Diabetic Clinic in Kashan in 1997-98. Materials and Methods: A cross-over, sequential and single blind clinical trial was carried out on 30 type II diabetic patients with FBS>7.8 mmol/L and HbA1C 5-9% who were treated with 2 tablets of Glibenclamide per day. Sugar fiber beet was refined, dried, ground and packed into 10 gram samples. The individuals were randomly divided into two groups: One receiving 20 grams of sugar beet fiber, blended with yogurt at lunch and dinner for 4 weeks, while the other group receiving 20 grams of starch powder instead. The individuals in each group had another 4 weeks of crossover followed by 2 weeks of wash out. Blood samples were taken for FBS and serum lipids at the beginning of the study and 5 additional samples at 2 week intervals. Paired t-test and t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Consumption of beet sugar fiber caused a reduction of 33% (P<0.001), 13% (P<0.01), 11% (P<0.05), 30% (P<0.02) and 15% (P<0.05) in FBS, total cholesterol, LDL-C triglyceride and total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio respectively. Furthermore, the results indicated that sugar beet fiber consumption did not have any statistically significant effect of HDL-C levels during the period of study. Conclusion: Consumption of sugar beet fiber, as a glucose and lipid-lowering agent is recommended for type II diabetic patients

Effect of fasting on Glucose, Lipids, body weight and blood pressure among non-Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

History and Objectives: Considering the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus and the importance of controlling the biochemical indices and its side effects, the present investigation was carried out in order to assess the effect of fasting on diabetic mellitus type II on patients referred to the Diabetic Center of Kashan. Materials and Methods: A quasi experiment on type II diabetic mellitus patients was performed. Blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, weight and blood pressure was measured before and 20 days after beginning for Ramadan Holly month. Paired T-test was used to assess the results. ]Results: 30 diabetic patients (21 female, 9 male mean age 52.83±9.5) participated in this study. Triglyceride and systolic blood pressure show significant difference during fasting whereas blood glucose, cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure did not display significant differences. Body weight did show detectable difference. Conclusion: Fasting is not harmful for diabetic patients and it has positive effect on the control of the disease

A novel human tocopherol-associated protein: cloning, in vitro expression, and characterization.

Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) is an essential dietary nutrient for humans and animals. The mechanisms involved in cellular regulation as well as in the preferential cellular and tissue accumulation of alpha-tocopherol are not yet well established. We previously reported (Stocker, A., Zimmer, S., Spycher, S. E., and Azzi, A. (1999) IUBMB Life 48, 49-55) the identification of a novel 46-kDa tocopherol-associated protein (TAP) in the cytosol of bovine liver. Here, we describe the identification, the molecular cloning into Escherichia coli, and the in vitro expression of the human homologue of bovine TAP, hTAP. This protein appears to belong to a family of hydrophobic ligand binding proteins, which have the CRAL (cis-retinal binding motif) sequence in common. By using a biotinylated alpha-tocopherol derivative and the IASys resonant mirror biosensor, the purified recombinant protein was shown to bind tocopherol at a specific binding site with K(d) 4.6 x 10(-7) m. Northern analyses showed that hTAP mRNA has a size of approximately 2800 base pairs and is ubiquitously expressed. The highest amounts of hTAP message are found in liver, brain, and prostate. In conclusion, hTAP has sequence homology to proteins containing the CRAL_TRIO structural motif. TAP binds to alpha-tocopherol and biotinylated tocopherol, suggesting the existence of a hydrophobic pocket, possibly analogous to that of SEC14

Analyzing of DNA behavior in passing through micro-structures based on the Fokker-Planck equation and the entropic barrier model

We considered the motion of DNA molecules through a hexagonal array under uniform electric fields as a Fokker-Planck process which is affected by the entropic barriers and we have simulated this motion by computer. We solved the Fokker-Planck equation with numerical simulation of the Brownian dynamics by the Euler method. For different DNA molecules, under different physical conditions, the mean value of velocity, variance, and &lt; x2 &gt; have been calculated, and the results have been compared with the Phase Diagram of our previous results. In the light of this comparison we could find the physics of the DNA behavior in different regimes. It is observed that in regime-1 (small DNA molecules under weak Electric force) we have a pure diffusion process, in regime-3 (large DNA molecules under high Electric field) the entropic barrier model is the dominated physics, and in regime-2 (medium DNA molecules under medium and relative high Electric fields), which is a more complicated regime we have a drifted diffusion phenomenon

Protective effect of dendrosomal curcumin combination on colon cancer in rat

Background: Cancer is a multistep process that develops very rapidly after its onset. Previous studies have confirmed antitumor effects of curcumin (1,7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione diferuloylmethane) that can potentially prevent colon cancer development with low side-effects. Different methods have been performed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of curcumin among which dendrosome, a nanoparticle created by Sarbolouki et al. was used in this study. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of dendrosomal curcumin on rat colon cancer. Methods: In this study which was performed in Cancer Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in 2010 year, forty rats were equally divided into control, curcumin and curcumin-dendrosome groups. Animals received azoxymethane (15 mg/kg s.c.), a carcinogen, once a week for two weeks. Curcumin (0.2%) and curcumin-dendrosome were administered to the respective animals 2 weeks before the first and 14 weeks after the last azoxymethane injections. Eventually, colorectal specimens from tumoral and adjacent non-tumoral mucosal tissues were fixed in 10% formaldehyde, and passaged and embedded in paraffin. Histopathological and immunohistochemical studies were performed on the specimens. Results: The mean number of lesions, nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, epithelial stratification, loss of nuclear polarity, goblet depletion, structural abnormality and beta-catenin expression were higher in the control group compared to curcumin and curcumin-dendrosome groups. These parameters had significantly decreased in the dendrosomal curcumin group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The present study shows that dendrosome can be used as a suitable nanoparticle to increase curcumin efficiency in the prevention or treatment of colon cancer