International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN: 2326-7275 Vol. 7 (7), pp. 001-006, July, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Amelioration of chronic cyclosporine A-induced nephrotoxicity by telmisartan in rats

Fadhil G. Al-Amran*, Najah R. Hadi, Talib H. Kamoona and Zahraa J. Kadhum

Department of Surgery, Box C-320, 12700 E 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO80045, Iraq.

Accepted 21 September, 2017

Abstract

Nephrotoxicity is a major problem of Cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment, despite its beneficial role in organ transplantation and in a variety of immunologic disorders. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential renoprotective role of telmisartan in amelioration of chronic CsA induced nephrotoxicity. The rats were randomized into 4 equal groups. Group 1 received normal saline (control), group 2 received Cremophor EL and ethanol (CsA vehicle), group 3 received CsA 25 mg/kg/day s.c and group 4 received telmisartan 3 mg/kg/day orally in addition to CsA. The rats were pair fed with a standard chow diet throughout the experiment period (8 weeks). CsA nephrotoxicity was assessed in terms of increased S.Cr (from 0.52± 0.16 to 1.29 ± 0.20 mg/ml), blood urea (from 24.69 ± 1.89 to 75.88± 2.33 mg/ml) and serum K (from 3.43 ± 0.18 to 5.23 ± 0.43 meq/l). CsA also caused significant increase (p<0.01) in MDA (from 0.74 ± 0.13 to 2.96 ± 0.43 nmol/mg protein) and significant decrease (p<0.01) in GSH and catalase in renal tissue. Telmisartan failed to restore the altered renal functions. On the other hand, it causes a significant improvement in the histological changes including the tubulointerstitial fibrosis and arteriolopathy (p<0.01). It also caused significant reduction (p<0.01) in CsA-induced oxidative stress. These findings suggested that telmisartan has a promising renoprotective effect against chronic CsA induced nephrotoxicity.

Key words: Cyclosporine A, nephrotoxicity, oxidative stress, telmisartan.

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN: 2326-7275 Vol. 7 (7), pp. 001-005, July, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Effect of Urtica dioica leaf extract on activities of nucleoside diphosphate kinase and acetyl coenzyme, a carboxylase, in normal and hyperglycemic rats

Durdi Qujeq¹*, Saied Davary¹, Zoleika Moazzi² and Soleiman Mahjoub¹

¹Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.

²Department of Internal Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.

Accepted 13 February, 2018

Abstract

Urtica dioica has been shown to have capability of reducing blood glucose through enhancing insulin secretion. The aim of this study was to assess in vivo and in vitro effects of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of U. dioica leaves on activities of Acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), Nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) and insulin level and serum glucose concentration. The experimental animals were randomly distributed among 6 groups of 7 or 8 rats each. The treatment groups received 150 mg/kg of alloxan. Then rats were fed alcoholic and aqueous extracts of U. dioica at 50 mg/kg/day doses for a period of two weeks. Subsequently glucose, insulin levels, and ACC, NDPK activity were measured. Our studies showed significantly lower levels of glucose in the group of rats that were treated with ethanol extract of U. dioica leaves as compared with the control group (279.6 ± 24.3 vs. 393.6 ± 24.9 mg/dl), (p<0.01). Present results showed significantly elevated levels of insulin in the group of rats treated with ethanol extract of U. dioica leaves as compared with the control group (7.6 ± 0.3 vs. 3.6 ± 0.2, µg/l), (p<0.01). Also, results showed significantly elevated activity of ACC and NDPK in the group of rats treated with ethanol and aqueous extract of U. dioica leaves as compared with the control group. The results of the present study indicated that alcoholic extract of U. dioica leaves was found to reduce glucose level and increase insulin secretion, ACC and NDPK activity in the alloxan diabetic animals.

Key words: Urtica dioica, acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase, extract, nucleoside diphosphate kinase

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN: 2326-7275 Vol. 7 (6), pp. 001-006, June, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Experimental model for safe in vitro- and in vivo-influence of internal and external factors of cell differentiation

Iskra Ventseslavova Sainova¹*, Ilina Vavrek¹, Velichka Pavlova¹, Teodora Daneva², Ivan Iliev¹, Lilija Yossifova¹, Elena Gardeva¹ and Elena Nikolova¹

¹Department of Experimental Morphology, Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bonchev“ Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.

²Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, “Acad. G. Bonchev “Street, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.

Accepted 13 January, 2018

Abstract

Gene transfer in laboratory-cultivated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) was made by appropriate recombinant DNA-constructs. Electrophoretic profiles of genetic material from wild type on oncogene Dcn1 and “knock-down” on it inbred experimental mice differed not only in it, but also in tumor-suppressor gene HACE1 between both categories of laboratory rodents. The results obtained were compared with previous data, received from malignant rat insulinoma RIN-5F cells, transfected by recombinant gene constructs with inserted copy of “secretagogin” gene, by their in vitro-co-cultivation with malignant cell precursors, derived from populations of non-transfected laboratory- cultivated mESCs in the presence of Doxyciclin, probably by activation of tumor-suppressor genes of STAT-family. Furthermore, the so induced “secretagogin” over-expression could exert protective function on the transfected Rin-5F cells, which was confirmed by noticed differences in the degree of myeloid differentiation of derived precursor cells in their in vitro -co-cultivation with containing additional copy of “secretagogin” gene Rin-5F malignant rat insulinoma cells, in comparison with the results, obtained in their co-cultivation with human cervical carcinoma Hela cells in our laboratory. On the other hand, the derived normal cells with inserted additional copy of oncogene indicated good safety and immunogenity.

Key words: Oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, myeloid cell precursors, recombinant gene constructs, cell transfection.

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN: 2326-7275 Vol. 7 (6), pp. 001-007, June, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Cardiovascular drug adverse reactions in hospitalized patients in cardiac care unit

Iman Karimzadeh¹, Soha Namazi², Gloria Shalviri³ and Kheirollah Gholami¹*

¹Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

²Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

³Iranian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Center, Ministry of Health, Tehran, Iran.

Accepted 18 January, 2018

Abstract

The aim of the present survey was to evaluate different aspects of cardiovascular drug adverse reactions in a cardiac care unit (CCU). All patients admitted to CCU during a 16 months period were recruited into this study. Detection of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was based on daily chart review and face to face interview with patients. Causality assessment was performed by the World Health Organization (WHO) probability criteria. Seriousness of ADRs was determined by WHO definition. Schumock and Thornton scale was applied to assess preventability of ADRs. Statistical analysis was performed. Among 740 cardiovascular patients admitted to CCU, 70 ADRs were recorded from 44 patients. Headache (15.71%) was the most frequent ADR. The highest ADR rates were attributed to digoxin (44.29%) and atenolol (12.86%). Fifty five (78.57%) of ADRs were serious. The rate of preventable ADRs was 62.86%. Regarding outcome, one (1.43%) ADR led to death. Multivariate logistic regression showed that length of CCU stay (OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.02-1.17) and non-ischemic heart diseases (OR = 3.26, 95% CI = 1.57-6.78) were risk factors for ADR occurrence. Cardiovascular drugs could develop fatal adverse reactions in CCU patients. Primary admission diagnosis and duration of CCU stay were risk factors for ADR development.

Key words: Adverse drug reaction, cardiovascular drugs, cardiac care unit patients.

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN: 2326-7275 Vol. 7 (5), pp. 001-007, May, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antimicrobial activities of phenolic containing extracts of some tropical vegetables

S. O. Salawu^1,2*, A. O. Ogundare³, B. B. Ola-Salawu⁴ and A. A. Akindahunsi¹

¹Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, P. M. B. 704, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

²Department of Food Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

³Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, P. M. B. 704, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

⁴Department of Biology, Federal University of Technology, P. M. B. 704, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

Accepted 19 October, 2017

Abstract

The present study sought to investigate the antimicrobial properties of phenolic containing extracts of Vernonia amygdalina (Va), Ocimum gratissimum (Og) and Manihot utilissima (Mu). Phenolic compound was characterized with the aid of a reversed phase HPLC/DAD/MS, and the antimicrobial activities of the extracts was assessed using agar-well diffusion method against some microorganisms, namely; Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aereus, Shigella spp, Enterobacter, Clostridium sporogenes, Bacillus subtilis and Proteus vulgaris. Ten, eight and four phenolic compounds were identified in Va, Og, and Mu respectively. The major phenolic compounds identified in Va were, Luteolin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucuronide, luteolin and 1,5 dicaffeoyl quinic acid; nevadensin, vicenin-2, cichoric acid and rosmarinic acid in Og, while the major polyphenol in Mu were rutin and Kaempferol 3- O-rutinoside. The antimicrobial investigation showed that M. utilissima is active against only B. cereus of the entire tested organism. V. amygdalina is active against B. cereus, S. aereus and Shigella spp, while O. gratissimum is active against B. cereus, S. aereus and Shigella spp. The results obtained in the present investigation showed that the use of the vegetable materials as nutraceuticals may reduce the risk of microbial infections, which may partly be due to their phenolic composition.

Key words: Antimicrobial activity, phenolic compounds, Ocimum gratissimum, Manihot utilissimam, Vernonia amygdalina.

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN: 2326-7275 Vol. 7 (5), pp. 001-010, May, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Antioxidant effect of the Egyptian freshwater Procambarus clarkii extract in rat liver and erythrocytes

Sohair R. Fahmy* and Salwa A. H. Hamdi

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt.

Accepted 13 May, 2017

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate the curative activity of freshwater crustacean extract (FCE) from freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii and silymarin on oxidative stress induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) in rat liver and erythrocytes. The degree of treatment in this activity has been measured by using biochemical parameters such as serum aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total protein as well as malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione reduced (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) in liver tissue and erytheocyte hemolysate. The FCE and silymarin produced significant antihepatotoxic effect by decreasing the activity of serum enzymes and MDA level, and increasing the serum total protein, GSH levels and the activities of GST and CAT in liver and erytheocyte hemolysate. From these results, it was suggested that FCE could ameliorate the liver and erythrocytes injuries perhaps, by its antioxidative effect, hence eliminating the deleterious effect of toxic metabolites from CCl₄.

Key words: Procambarus clarkii, freshwater shrimp, liver, CCl₄, erythrocytes, oxidative stress.