Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2010 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 7 Articles
Free radicals and other reactive oxygen species are derived either from normal essential metabolic processes in the human body or from external sources such as exposure to X-rays, ozone, cigarette smoking, air pollutants and industrial chemicals. Free radical formation occurs continuously in the cells as consequence of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. There is now universal agreement that free radicals are involved in the physical, biochemical, and pathological changes associated with aging. Oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and DNA accumulates and increases with age, and is associated with age-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and diabetes. An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. In a biological system they may protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Antioxidants terminate these chain reactions by removing free radical intermediates, and inhibit other oxidation reactions by being oxidized themselves. Although, some of the evidence that certain dietary antioxidants and some co-factors can reduce free radical mediated damage and promote healthy aging is controversial, the elderly should be encouraged to take exogenous antioxidants and co-factors, which have shown efficacy in scientific studies....
Present study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of acute administration of lycopene on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction in rats. Lead II electrocardiograph was monitored and recorded at regular intervals. Cardiac marker enzymes such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were estimated in serum sample whereas level of lipid peroxidation and biomarkers of oxidative stress in heart tissues were measured. ISO (200mg/kg, sc twice at the interval of 24 hours) induced pathological changes in rat heart as evident by a significant increase in the levels of SGOT, CK, LDH and lipid peroxidation and a significant decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione in heart. In addition the ECG exhibited significant reduction in R amplitude and increase in ST-segment elongation and ST-segment elevation in ISO treated rat indicating severe myocardial ischemic injury. Finally, blinded histopathological studies confirmed necrosis and inflammatory cells in isoproterenol-treated rats. Administration of lycopene (1, 3 and 6mg/kg, i.p) 10min before isoproterenol treatment significantly attenuated isoproterenol induced cardiac dysfunction, myocardial injury and histological alteration in dose dependent manner. The results of present study suggest that lycopene has a significant protective effect against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction after acute administration which may be accounted for its potent antioxidant and protective property....
Drug addiction is regarded as the disease of the brain reward system which is considered a complex disease of the CNS. Morphine addiction involved not only counter adaptive changes of endogenous opioid peptides and its receptor system, but also adaptive changes of many non-opioid neuronal transmitter systems. This study reveiwed the neurobiology of morphine addiction, the neural mechanisms of addictive drugs that can be localized to a variety of brain regions and neuronal circuitry underlying the progressive increase in morphine relapse. Relapse can be modeled in laboratory animals by using conditioned place preference which widly is used from decades. This study also examined the role of nitric oxide (NO) in relapse to morphine dependence using the different NOS inhibitors e.g L-NAME, aminoguanidine, agmatine and NO precursor L-arginine significantly alter the morphine phenomenone....
Epidemiological studies have found a negative association between cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and frequent sexual mating with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chronic cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and frequent sexual mating on 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) induced rat model of PD. On the zero day animals were given with an intraperitonial (i.p) injection of MPTP (20mg/kg) and after 48 hours the animals were treated with cigarette smoke, ethanol and frequent sexual mating for 60 days. At the end of study we evaluated effect of these factors by pharmacological, biochemical and histochemical evaluation. Treatment with cigarette smoke, alcohol and frequent sexual mating significantly increased the neurodegeneration which can be evidenced by increase in dopamine amount and iron deposition in substantia nigra (SN) but reduced mitochondrial complex I activity, muscle grip strength, and anti-oxidant enzymes when compared with control group. The present study indicating that cigarette smoke, alcohol and frequent sex may worsen the neurodegeneration in Parkinsonism like disorders....
The rat adrenal medulla contains a low proliferating, highly differentiated parenchymal Epinephrine and Norepinephrine storing cells. It also contains ganglionic sympathetic cells. These cells are controlled by preganglionic sympathetic nerves and by hormones of pituitary and adrenal cortex. It is considered as part of the nervous system (having developed from the neural crest). Methylcobalamin is one of the Cobalamin coenzymes. It is a nerve growth factor. This study was designed to investigate the histological effect of this drug on adrenal medulla. It also aimed to compare these changes with changes in serum level of Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Adrenocorticotropic (ACTH), Cortisol, Aldosteron hormones and Calcium, Sodium, Potassium minerals in rats. Some Methylcobalamin treated rats were exposed to acute blood loss and histological effect of acute circulatory failure on their adrenals was studied. Albino female adult rats were used. They were divided into four groups. Each group has control and experimental animals, all experimental animals were treated with methylcobalamin for two weeks and used on the fifteenth day. Control animals were injected with normal saline. In the first group, rats were used for histological study of their adrenal medulla. In the second group, on the fifteenth day following treatment with methylcobalamin, animals were exposed to acute circulatory failure through aspiration of their blood by direct cardiac puncture, immediately after death, their adrenals were taken and processed for light microscopical study. Third group was used for the assay of ACTH, Cortisol, Aldosteron hormones and Calcium Sodium and Potassium levels in their blood. The fourth group was used for the assay of Epinephrine and Norepinephrine in their blood. For light microscopy, the adrenals were fixed in Ortho's fixative and embedded in paraffin. Thin section were cut, stained with Giemsa stain and examined under light microscope. For hormonal assays the blood was collected through cardiac puncture. Hormones and minerals were assayed in the Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory, University Malaya Medical Center, 50603 KL. Epinephrine and Norepinephrine were measured by using ELISA kit. Light microscopy revealed that, there was an increase in number and size of Norepinephrine containing cells and ganglionic sympathetic cells in adrenal medulla of the treated rats. Methylcobalamin treated rats, exposed to acute blood loss, showed a decrease in number of Norepinephrine containing cells in their medulla when compared with experimental rats that were only treated with Methylcobalamin. Norepinephrine containing cells in the bleeded animals were more frequent than those of the controls (untreated rats). Serum levels of ACTH, Cortisol and Aldosteron in experimental animals were significantly lower than the controls. Serum levels of calcium, Sodium and Potassium were unchanged in experimental animals when compared with those of the controls. Methylcobalamin treated animals had significantly higher serum level of Norepinephrine and lower level of Epinephrine than their controls.\r\n\r\nHistological finding suggests that Methylcobalamin drug has stimulated the Norepinephrine containing cells and ganglionic sympathetic cells in the adrenal medulla. \r\nThe high serum level and rich medullary content of Norepinephrine in the treated animals has an inhibitory effect on ACTH secretion from pituitary gland. This in turn inhibits Cortisol and Aldosteron secretion. Serum levels of minerals were similar in both experimental and control rats. This could be explained on a suggestion that, basal Aldosteron secretion might have been sufficient to maintain normal electrolyte concentrations in Methylcobalamin treated rats. Acute blood loss of methylcobalamin treated rats had stimulated the Norepinephrine loaded cells to spill out some of their content in circulation, thus their number had decreased in the medulla. It is argued that, Methylcobalamin has a direct e...
Diseases which manifest in patient populations representing at the maximum 6-8% of the world population are defined as rare diseases. An orphan drug is a pharmaceutical agent that has been developed specifically to treat a rare medical condition, the condition itself being referred to as an orphan disease. Due to the small number of patients suffering, and the resultant lack of revenue they provide, pharmaceutical companies do not have any incentives to develop drugs and treatments for rare diseases. Therefore the pharmaceutical company may have the ability to supply orphan drugs, even when there is a demand, but this demand is not significant enough to manufacture the needed product. This is also partially due to the lack of sponsorship, or no one to “adopt” the orphan drug, to conduct the necessary testing to obtain the necessary approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Orphan Drug Act’ was passed by the US Congress in 1982 and signed into a law in January 1983. The objectives of this legislation were to stimulate the development of drugs for the treatment of rare diseases. The need for such an act is thus evident and it need from initiative from the Indian Pharmacists and the Government to implement such Laws which would strengthen the health infrastructure and provide relief to the numerous rare disease sufferers throughout the country....
Introduction: Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury induces an inflammatory response and production of oxygen-derived reactive species which affect many organs including heart, brain, kidney and gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to assess the hepatic damage induced by renal I/R injury. Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. Hyperlipidemia was induced by feeding the rats with cholesterol (500 mg/kg per oral) in hydrogenated ground nut oil (as a vehicle) for 4 weeks. At the end of the fourth week, renal I/R injury was induced by occlusion of both renal vascular pedicles for 60 minutes, followed by 24-hour reperfusion. At the end of the experiment, liver was isolated for biochemical analysis. Results: Hyperlipidemic I/R rats have significantly higher levels of lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase, nitric oxide and myeloperoxidase, and lower levels of antioxidant enzymes (reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase) compared to hyperlipidemic group. Conclusion: This study elucidated the oxidative and inflammatory role of hepatic damage induced by renal I/R injury....
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