Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2012 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 6 Articles
The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute and subacute toxicity (28 days) of the ethanol extract of Z. zerumbet rhizomes\r\n(EEZZ) via the oral route in Wistar rats of both sexes. In the acute toxicity study, Wistar rats were administered a single dose of\r\n15 g kg-1 of body weight by gavage, and were monitored for 14 days. EEZZ did not produce any toxic signs or deaths; the 50%\r\nlethal dose must be higher than 15 g kg-1. In the subchronic toxicity study, EEZZ was administered by gavage at doses of 1000,\r\n2000 and 3000 mg/kg daily for 4 weeks toWistar rats. The subacute treatment with EEZZ did not alter either the body weight gain\r\nor the food and water consumption. The hematological and biochemical analysis did not show significant differences in any of the\r\nparameters examined in female or male groups. Necropsy and histopathological examination, did not reveal any remarkable and\r\ntreatment related changes. A no-observed adverse-effect level for EEZZ is 3000 mg kg-1 for rats under the conditions of this study.\r\nHence, consumption of EEZZ for various medicinal purposes is safe....
This study investigated the antidepressant activity of ethanolic extract of U. lanosa Wallich var. appendiculata Ridsd (ULEtOH) for\r\ntwo-weeks administrations by using FST and TST on mice. In order to understand the probable mechanism of antidepressant-like\r\nactivity of ULEtOH in FST and TST, the researchers measured the levels of monoamines and monoamine oxidase activities in mice\r\nbrain, and combined the antidepressant drugs (fluoxetine, imipramine, maprotiline, clorgyline, bupropion and ketanserin). Lastly,\r\nthe researchers analyzed the content of RHY in the ULEtOH. The results showed that ULEtOH exhibited antidepressant-like activity in\r\nFST and TST in mice. ULEtOH increased the levels of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in cortex, striatum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, the\r\nlevels of NE and MHPG in cortex and hippocampus, the level of NE in striatum, and the level of DOPAC in striatum. Two-week\r\ninjection of IMI, CLO, FLU and KET enhanced the antidepressant-like activity of ULEtOH. ULEtOH inhibited the activity of MAOA.\r\nThe amount of RHY in ULEtOH was 17.12 mg/g extract. Our findings support the view that ULEtOH exerts antidepressant-like\r\nactivity. The antidepressant-like mechanism of ULEtOH may be related to the increase in monoamines levels in the hippocampus,\r\ncortex, striatum, and hypothalamus of mice....
The antitumor effects of curcumin, a natural biologically active compound extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, have been\r\nstudied in many cancer cell types including human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we investigated the effects of Ca2 on\r\ncurcumin-induced apoptosis in human HCC J5 cells. The abrogation of mitochondrial membrane potential (??m), the increase\r\nof reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and calcium release were demonstrated with flow cytometry as early as 15 minutes\r\nafter curcumin treatment. In addition, an increase level of cytochrome c in the cytoplasm which led to DNA fragmentation was\r\nobserved. To verify the role of Ca2 in curcumin-induced apoptosis, 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid\r\n(BAPTA), an intracellular calcium chelator, was applied. Cell viability was increased, but ??m, ROS production, activation of\r\ncaspase 3, and cell death were decreased in J5 cells pretreated with BAPTA for 2 h followed by the treatment of 25 �µM curcumin.\r\nThese results suggest that the curcumin-induced apoptosis in human HCC J5 cells is via mitochondria-dependent pathway and is\r\nclosely related to the level of intracellular accumulation of calcium....
Elk velvet antler (EVA) has a traditional use for promotion of general health. However, evidence of EVA effects at different\r\nlifestages is generally lacking. This paper investigated the effects of long-term maternal dietary EVA supplementation on physical,\r\nreflexological and neurological development of rat offspring. Female Wistar rats were fed standard chow or chow containing 10%\r\nEVA for 90 days prior to mating and throughout pregnancy and lactation. In each dietary group, 56 male and 56 female pups\r\nwere assessed for physical, neuromotor, and reflexologic development postnatally. Among the examined physical developmental\r\nparameters, incisor eruption occurred one day earlier in pups nursing dams receiving EVA. Among neuromotor developmental\r\nparameters, duration of supported and unsupported standing was longer for pups nursing EVA supplemented dams. Acquisition\r\nof neurological reflex parameters (righting reflex, negative geotaxis, cliff avoidance acoustic startle) occurred earlier in pups\r\nnursing dams receiving EVA. Longterm maternal EVA supplementation prior to and during pregnancy and lactation accelerated\r\ncertain physical, reflexologic, and neuromotor developmental milestones and caused no discernible adverse effects on developing\r\noffspring. The potential benefits of maternal EVA supplementation on postnatal development warrants further investigation to\r\ndetermine whether EVA can be endorsed for the promotion of maternal and child health....
Jasminum sambac is used in folk medicine as the treatment of many diseases. The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the\r\ngastroprotective effects of ethanolic extracts of J. sambac leaves against acidified ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Seven groups\r\nof rats were orally pre-treated with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as normal group, CMC as ulcer group, 20 mg/kg of omeprazole\r\nas positive group, 62.5, 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of extract as the experimental groups, respectively. An hour later, CMC was given\r\norally to normal group and acidified ethanol solution was given orally to the ulcer control, positive control, and the experimental\r\ngroups. The rats were sacrificed after an hour later. Acidity of gastric content, the gastric wall mucus, ulcer areas, and histology\r\nand immunohistochemistry of the gastric wall were assessed. Gastric homogenates were determined for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2),\r\nsuperoxide dismutase (SOD), andmalondialdehyde (MDA) content. Ulcer group exhibited significantly severe mucosal injury as\r\ncompared with omeprazole or extract which shows significant protection towards gastric mucosal injury the plant promotes ulcer\r\nprotection as it shows significant reduction of ulcer area grossly, and histology showed marked reduction of edema and leucocytes\r\ninfiltration of submucosal layer compared with ulcer group. Immunohistochemistry showed overexpression of Hsp70 protein and\r\ndownexpression of Bax protein in rats pretreated with extract. Significant increased in the pH, mucus of gastric content and high\r\nlevels of PGE2, SOD and reduced amount of MDA was observed....
Objective. To assess the effect of sulfotanshinone sodium injection for unstable angina. Methods. We searched for published\r\nand unpublished studies up to June 2011. We included randomized controlled trials that confoundedly addressed the effect of\r\nsulfotanshinone sodium injection in the treatment of unstable angina. Results. Twenty-five studies involving 2,377 people were\r\nincluded. There was no evidence that sulfotanshinone sodium alone had better or worse effects to routine western medicine\r\ntreatments in improving clinical symptoms (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.11) and ECG (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.09). However,\r\nthere was evidence that sulfotanshinone sodium combined with western medications was a better treatment option than western\r\nmedications alone in improving clinical symptoms (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.3), ECG (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.35), C-reaction\r\nprotein (mean difference 2.10, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.58), and IL-6 (mean difference -3.85, 95% CI -4.10 to -3.60). There was no\r\ndifference between sulfotanshinone sodium plus western medications and western medications alone affecting mortality (RR\r\n0.50, 95% CI 0.02 to 12.13). Conclusion. Compared with western medications alone, sulfotanshinone sodium combined with\r\nwestern medications may provide more benefits for patients with unstable angina. Further large-scale high-quality trials are\r\nwarranted....
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