Effect of dietary supplementation of Padauk (Pterocarpus soyauxii) leaf on high fat diet/streptozotocin induced diabetes in rats’ brain and platelets

Background This study investigated the effects of Padauk leaf on brain malondialdehyde (MDA) content, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities, ectonucleotidases and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities in the platelet of high fat diet and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods The animals were divided into six groups (n = 7): normal control rats; diabetic rats + high fat diet (HFD); diabetic rats + HFD + Metformin; diabetic rats + HFD + acarbose; diabetic rats + HFD + 10% Padauk leaf; normal rats + basal diet + 10% Padauk leaf. After 30 days of experiment comprising of acclimatization, dietary manipulation, pre-treatment with STZ and supplementation with Padauk leaf, the animals were sacrificed and the rats’ brain and blood were collected for subsequent analysis. Results The results demonstrated that the elevated MDA content and AChE activity in the diabetic rats were significantly reduced when compared with the control rats. Furthermore, the increased NTPDases, 5′-nucleotidase and ADA activities in the diabetic rats were significantly reduced when compared with the control rats. Conclusion This study demonstrated that Padauk leaf exhibited modulatory effects on purinergic and cholinergic enzymes involved in the prevention of platelet abnormality and consequent vascular complications in diabetic state

Blood biochemical profile of rabbits fed corn or sunflower silage

O objetivo foi avaliar os níveis sanguíneos de glicose, triglicerídeos e colesterol, vitaminas C e E de coelhos alimentados com silagem de milho ou silagem de girassol. Foram utilizado 15 coelhos em crescimento, alojados em gaiolas individuais. Testou-se três tratamento com cinco repetições. Os tratamentos foram: dieta basal (DB), dieta basal e silagem de girassol (SG) e dieta basal e silagem de milho (SM). Os animais receberam ração, silagem e água ad libitum. Foram obtidas duas amostras de sangue com 72 e 86 dias de idade após 42 e 56 dias de experimento. Os níveis de glicose, triglicerídeos e colesterol no soro foram determinados com kit comercial de reação de coloração e a leitura em espectrofotômetro a 505nm. A Análise de Vitamina C foi realizada em soro utilizando 2,4- dinitrofenilhidrazina (DNPH) como reagente colorimétrico e a vitamina E foi determinada em soro pelo método fluorimétrico. Não houve diferença significativa nos níveis de glicose, triglicerídeos e colesterol. Os níveis de glicose foram 163, 185 e 140 mg/dL, para DB, SG e SM, respectivamente. Os níveis de triglicerideos foram 115, 138 e 123 mg/dL respectivamente para DB, SG e SM. Os níveís de colesterol foram de 108, 124 e 110 mg/dL respectivamente para DB, SG e SM. Os níveis sanguíneos de vitamina C foram 52, 112 e 105 μmol/L de soro (P<0,001), respectivamente para DB, SG e SM. Os níveis sanguíneos de vitamina E foram 173, 278 e 309 μmol/L de soro (P<0,001), respectivamente para DB, SG e SM. Concluiu-se que a suplementação da dieta com silagem de milho ou de girassol não afetou os níveis de glicose, colesterol e triglicerídeos porém aumentou os níveis de vitamina C e vitamina E no sangue de coelhos em crescimento.The objective was to evaluate the levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, vitamins C and E in blood of rabbits fed with corn or sunflower silage. Fifteen growing rabbits were used, housed in individual cages. Three treatments with five repetitions were tested. The treatments were: basal diet (BD), basal diet and sunflower silage (SS) and basal diet and corn silage (CS). The animals received feed, silage and water ad libitum. There were two blood samples with 72 and 86 days of age after 42 and 56 days of experiment. The glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol level were determined with a commercial kit coloring reaction and the reading on a spectrophotometer at 505nm. Vitamin C analysis was performed in serum using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) as a colorimetric reagent and vitamin E was determined in serum by the fluorimetric method. There was no significant difference in glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Glucose levels were 163, 185 and 140 mg/dL, for BD, SS and CS, respectively. Triglyceride levels were 115, 138 and 123 mg/dL respectively for BD, SS and CS. Cholesterol levels were 108, 124 and 110 mg/dL respectively for BD, SS and CS. The blood levels of vitamin C were 52, 112 and 105 μmol/L of serum (P<0.001), respectively for BD, SS and CS. Blood levels of vitamin E were 173, 278 and 309 μmol/L of serum (P<0.001), respectively for BD, SS and CS. It was concluded that supplementation of the diet with corn or sunflower silage did not affect glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels but increased vitamin C and vitamin E levels in the blood of growing rabbits

Oral Administration of N-acetylcysteine Improves Biochemical Parameters in Diabetic Rats

To evaluate the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent ROS scavenger and thiol group supplier, on normoglycemic and diabetic rats, the animals received 50 or 200 mg/kg NAC by gavage daily for 45 days. The results showed a lack of uniformity in acetylcholinesterase activity among the four cerebral structures. While neither dose of NAC produced significant hypoglycemic activity, 50 mg/kg NAC partially reverted the weight loss of diabetics and was effective in restoring aminolevulinate dehydratase activity and non-protein thiol content in liver, and in diminishing serum protein carbonylation. The dose of 200 mg/kg NAC presented some negative effects per se in both the antioxidant and cholinergic systems. In conclusion, 50 mg/kg NAC produced an improvement in some parameters suggesting NAC as a possible drug in antioxidant therapies against diabetic state. However, future studies are necessary to investigate the better dose of this compound to counteract its undesirable effects

Anthocyanins restore behavioral and biochemical changes caused by streptozotocin-induced sporadic dementia of Alzheimer's type

Aims The aim of this study was to analyze if the pre-administration of anthocyanin on memory and anxiety prevented the effects caused by intracerebroventricular streptozotocin (icv-STZ) administration-induced sporadic dementia of Alzheimer's type (SDAT) in rats. Moreover, we evaluated whether the levels of nitrite/nitrate (NOx), Na+,K+-ATPase, Ca2 +-ATPase and acethylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in the cerebral cortex (CC) and hippocampus (HC) are altered in this experimental SDAT. Main methods Male Wistar rats were divided in 4 different groups: control (CTRL), anthocyanin (ANT), streptozotocin (STZ) and streptozotocin + anthocyanin (STZ + ANT). After seven days of treatment with ANT (200 mg/kg; oral), the rats were icv-STZ injected (3 mg/kg), and four days later the behavior parameters were performed and the animals submitted to euthanasia. Key findings A memory deficit was found in the STZ group, but ANT treatment showed that it prevents this impairment of memory (P < 0.05). Our results showed a higher anxiety in the icv-STZ group, but treatment with ANT showed a per se effect and prevented the anxiogenic behavior induced by STZ. Our results reveal that the ANT treatment (100 μM) tested displaces the specific binding of [3H] flunitrazepam to the benzodiazepinic site of GABAA receptors. AChE, Ca+-ATPase activities and NOx levels were found to be increased in HC and CC in the STZ group, which was attenuated by ANT (P < 0.05). STZ decreased Na+,K+-ATPase activity and ANT was able to prevent these effects (P < 0.05). Significance In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that ANT is able to regulate ion pump activity and cholinergic neurotransmission, as well as being able to enhance memory and act as an anxiolytic compound in animals with SDAT

Post-thyroidectomy hypothyroidism increases the expression and activity of ectonucleotidases in platelets: Possible involvement of reactive oxygen species

Signaling mediated by purines is a widespread mechanism of cell–cell communication related to vasomotor responses and the control of platelet function in the vascular system. However, little is known about the involvement of this signaling as well as the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the development of hypothyroidism. Therefore, the present study investigates changes in the purinergic system, including enzyme activities and expression in platelets, and oxidative profiles in patients with post-thyroidectomy hypothyroidism. The nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (NTPDase/CD39) expression in patients increased by 40%, and the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or adenosine diphosphate (ADP) hydrolyzing activity increased by 82% and 70%, respectively. The activities of ecto-5´-nucleotidase and adenosine deaminase (ADA) also significantly enhanced (39% and 52%, respectively), which correlates with a 45% decrease in adenosine concentration. Furthermore, these patients demonstrated an increased production of ROS (42%), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (115%), carbonyl protein (30%) and a decreased glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity (20%). This study demonstrates that hypothyroidism interferes with adenine nucleoside and nucleotide hydrolysis and this is correlated with oxidative stress, which might be responsible for the increase in ADA activity. This increase causes rapid adenosine deamination, which can generate a decrease in their concentration in the systemic circulation, which can be associated with the development of vascular complications

Effects of chlorogenic acid, caffeine and coffee on components of the purinergic system of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

We evaluated the effect of chlorogenic acid (CGA), caffeine (CA) and coffee (CF) on components of the purinergic system from the cerebral cortex and platelets of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Animals were divided into eight groups: control animals treated with (I) water (WT), (II) CGA (5 mg/kg), (III) CA (15 mg/kg) and (IV) CF (0.5 g/kg), and diabetic animals treated with (V) WT, (VI) CGA (5 mg/kg), (VII) CA (15 mg/kg) and (VIII) CF (0.5 g/kg). Our results showed an increase (173%) in adenosine monophosphate (AMP) hydrolysis in the cerebral cortex of diabetic rats. In addition, CF treatment increased adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and AMP hydrolysis in group VIII synaptosomes. Platelets showed an increase in ectonucleotidase activity in group V, and all treatments reduced the increase in adenosine triphosphate and ADP hydrolysis. Furthermore, there was an increase in platelet aggregation of 72% in the diabetic rats, and CGA and CF treatment reduced platelet aggregation by nearly 60% when compared to diabetic rats. In this context, we can suggest that CGA and CF treatment should be considered a therapeutic and scientific target to be investigated in diseases associated with hyperglycemia