Dislipemia y metabolismo óseo. ¿Un vínculo común de la osteoporosis y la aterosclerosis?

La magnitud del problema de salud pública relacionado con la enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV) y la osteoporosis ha sido ampliamente documentado en la literatura médica en los últimos años, y recientemente se ha propuesto la existencia de mecanismos patogénicos comunes. La dislipemia es uno de los factores de riesgo más importantes en la génesis y desarrollo de la arteriosclerosis, y, por tanto, de la ECV, que continúa siendo la primera causa de muerte en los países occidentales. Por otro lado, la osteoporosis y su complicación mas grave, la fractura, representan una verdadera epidemia en nuestros días. En este contexto, la relación entre dislipemia y metabolismo óseo ha sido comunicada por varios autores, aunque los resultados no han sido del todo consistentes. La finalidad de éste trabajo es realizar una revisión de los estudios existentes acerca de la posible asociación entre la dislipemia y diferentes aspectos del metabolismo óseo

Вивчення гепатопротекторної активності екстракту цикорію (Cichorium intybus L.)

Introduction. Nowadays hepatobiliary disorders are widespread throughout the world and affect more than 2 billion people. They often lead to serious complications and death, and thus significant economic losses [4].Therefore, the search and development of new effective drugs for the treatment of this pathology is an important task of pharmacy and pharmacology. Recently drugs that protect liver cells, namely hepatoprotectors, become increasingly popular. Hepatoprotectors’ action is aimed at restoring homeostasis in the liver, normalizing its functional activity and stimulation of  regeneration processes.There is a lack of drugs obtained from plants which are produced in Ukraineand could be used in the treatment of liver diseases. This necessitates the search of new low-toxic and effective herbal drugs. The perspective plant from this point of view is chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), which is characterized by a high content of biologically active substances [2,7].The aim of research was to investigate the hepatoprotective activity of the chicory extract and its effects on morphology and functional activity of the liver by using the rat model of chronic tetrachlormethane-induced hepatic injury.Materials and methods. The object of the study was an extract of chicory roots obtained by using 50% ethanol and made by repercolation method. Content of hydroxycinnamic acids calculated as chlorogenic acid was 0,0242 ± 0,0005%. Experimental studies were performed on 18 adult albino male rats weighing 180 ±20 g.Animals were randomly divided into 6 groups each consisted of 6 rats. The first group is intact animals. The second group of animals was administered daily intragastrically  50% ethanol (0,15 ml / kg) throughout the experimental period. In the third, fourth, fifth and sixth groups of animals chronic liver injury was induced by repeated intragastric administration of 20% CCl4 solution in olive oil (2 ml/kg b.wt.) two times a week for 30 days. Besides this fourth group of animals received daily intragastrically 50% ethanol (0,15 ml / kg), the fifth group - chicory extract daily intragastrically (150 mg / kg b.wt.), sixth group - silibor daily intragastrically (150 mg / kg b.wt).Results. In the group of rats receiving CCl4 and chicory extract liver morphology and serum enzymatic activity had a tendency to improve. In particular, ALT increased only 2,3 times (p < 0,0002) compared with the second group, AST – 1,6 times (p < 0,0008). These levels of enzyme activity were lower than in the fourth group of animals: ALT – 2,3 times (p < 0,004), AST – 1,3 times (p <0,027), AP - в 1,3 times (р<0,028). Morphologic signs of tissue injury in the fifth group were less prominent than in the fourth group. The described changes indicate hepatoprotective effect of the drug.Conclusions. The results showed that the investigated chicory extract has hepatoprotective effect in rats with chronic CCl4 – induced liver injury, manifested by decreased serum AST, ALT, AP activity and lower degree of liver damage. According to its hepatoprotective activity the extract of chicory was not inferior to silibor.Thus, the water-alcohol extract of chicory is a promising agent for further study to develop a drug with hepatoprotective properties. Приведены результаты определения гепатопротекторной активности экстракта цикория на модели хронического повреждения печени тетрахлорметаном. Показано, что экстракт цикория оказывает гепатопротекторное действие, снижая активность аланинаминотрансферазы, аспартатаминотрансферазы, а также уменьшая признаки повреждения в печени.Навели результати визначення гепатопротекторної активності екстракту цикорію на моделі хронічного ушкодження печінки тетрахлорметаном. Показали, що екстракт цикорію виявляє гепатопротекторні властивості, знижуючи активність аланінамінотрансферази, аспартатамінотрансферази, а також зменшуючи ознаки пошкодження у печінці