Methods: Forty-six male Sprague Dawley rats aged 3 months were randomized into six groups. The baseline control (n=6) was sacrificed at the onset of the study. The normal control (n=8) received corn oil (the vehicle of tocotrienol) orally daily and normal saline (the vehicle of buserelin) subcutaneously daily. The buserelin control (n=8) received corn oil orally daily and subcutaneous buserelin injection (75 µg/kg) daily. The calcium control (n=8) was supplemented with 1% calcium in drinking water and daily subcutaneous buserelin injection (75 µg/kg). The remaining rats were given daily oral annatto tocotrienol at 60 mg/kg (n=8) or 100 mg/kg (n=8) plus daily subcutaneous buserelin injection (75 µg/kg) (n=8). At the end of the experiment, the rats were euthanized and their blood, tibia, and femur were harvested. Structural changes of the tibial trabecular and cortical bone were examined using X-ray micro-computed tomography. Femoral bone calcium content and biomechanical strength were also evaluated.
Results: Annatto tocotrienol at 60 and 100 mg/kg significantly prevented the deterioration of trabecular bone and cortical thickness in buserelin-treated rats (P<0.05). Both doses of annatto tocotrienol also improved femoral biomechanical strength and bone calcium content in buserelin-treated rats (P<0.05). The effects of annatto tocotrienol were comparable to calcium supplementation.
Conclusion: Annatto tocotrienol supplementation is effective in preventing degeneration of the bone induced by buserelin. Therefore, it is a potential antiosteoporotic agent for men receiving androgen deprivation therapy.
Materials and methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced with intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (1 mL/kg b.wt.) once a week for 12 weeks. The hepato- and DNA protective effects of the extracts in different combinations were compared with that of a standard drug Clavazin (200 mg/kg b.wt.). Tissue alanine aminotransferase, alpha-fetoprotein, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), isoprostanes-2α, malondialdehyde, and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, the significant hallmarks of oxidative stress, were studied.
Results: Histopathological findings of the liver sections from the rat group which received CCl4+cabralealactone, solasodin, and salvadorin demonstrated improved centrilobular hepatocyte regeneration with moderate areas of congestion and infiltration comparable with Clavazin. For in silico study, the identified compounds were subjected to molecular docking with cyclooxygenase-2 and TNF-α followed by a molecular dynamics study, which indicated their potential as anti-inflammatory agents.
Conclusion: Cabralealactone, solasodin, and salvadorin confer some hepatoprotective and DNA-damage protective effects against CCl4-induced toxicity. They successfully restored the normal architecture of hepatocytes and have the potential to be used as inhibitor to main culprits, that is, cyclooxygenase-2 and TNF-α. They can combat oxidative stress and liver injuries both as mono and combinational therapies. However, combination therapy has more ameliorating effects.
METHODS: Gerbils, 5-7 weeks old were infected by PbA via intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 106 (0.2 mL) infected red blood cells. Parasitemia, weight gain/loss, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count and body temperature changes in both control and infected groups were monitored over a duration of 13 days. RNA was extracted from the brain, spleen and whole blood to assess the immune response to PbA infection. Organs including the brain, spleen, heart, liver, kidneys and lungs were removed aseptically for histopathology.
RESULTS: Gerbils were susceptible to PbA infection, showing significant decreases in the hemoglobin concentration, RBC counts, body weights and body temperature, over the course of the infection. There were no neurological signs observed. Both pro-inflammatory (IFNγ and TNF) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines were significantly elevated. Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were also observed. PbA parasitized RBCs were observed in the organs, using routine light microscopy and in situ hybridization.
CONCLUSION: Gerbils may serve as a good model for severe malaria to further understand its pathogenesis.
SUBJECTS: Female Dark Agouti (DA) rats.
METHODS: Three different dosages of (2 mg/kg of body weight, 3 mg/kg of body weight and 4 mg/kg of body weight) collagen and complete Freund's adjuvant suspension were tested. After 45 days, serum C-reactive protein, TNF-α, superoxide dismutase and total glutathione assays were done. Radiographic and histopathological changes in the joints were compared.
RESULTS: All three groups showed signs of arthritic changes, confirmed by histopathological and radiographic changes. Severe arthritic changes were seen in the rats injected with 4 mg/kg of body weight of collagen. There was a significant increase in C-reactive protein, TNF-α, super oxide dismutase and total glutathione levels in the plasma in arthritis rats and the changes were more significant with 4 mg/kg of collagen.
CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that the optimal dose to inject to experimental animals in order to get server arthritic changes was 4 mg/kg of collagen with complete Freund's adjuvant suspension. Severe arthritis changes induced significant elevation in plasma C-reactive protein and TNF-α levels.