Lipid peroxidation in liver, plasma, and erythrocytes of rats chronically treated with ethanol

The effect of ingestion of water containing 20% ethanol for 1-2 months on lipid peroxide levels of liver, plasma, and erythrocyte was investigated in rats. Our results show that elevated plasma lipid peroxide levels and erythrocyte susceptibility to lipid peroxidation may reflect stimulated lipid peroxidation in rat liver following chronic ethanol ingestion.     

Effects of melatonin on oxidative stress and spatial memory impairment induced by acute ethanol treatment in rats

Melatonin has recently been suggested as an antioxidant that may protect neurons from oxidative stress. Acute ethanol administration produces both lipid peroxidation as an indicator of oxidative stress in the brain and impairs water-maze performance in spatial learning and memory tasks. The present study investigated the effect of melatonin against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and spatial memory impairment. The Morris water maze was used to evaluate the cognitive functions of rats. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), which are the indicators of lipid peroxidation, and the activities of antioxidative enzymes (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) were measured in the rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex which form interconnected neural circuits for spatial memory. Acute administration of ethanol significantly increased TBARS levels in the hippocampus. Combined melatonin-ethanol treatment caused a significant increase in glutathione peroxidase activities and a significant decrease of TBARS in the rat hippocampus. In the prefrontal cortex, there was only a significant decrease of TBARS levels in the combined melatonin-ethanol receiving group as compared to the ethanol-treated group. Melatonin did not affect the impairment of spatial memory due to acute ethanol exposure, but melatonin alone had a positive effect on water maze performances. Our study demonstrated that melatonin decreased ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation and increased glutathione peroxidase activity in the rat hippocampus.     

Curcumin prevents liver fat accumulation and serum fetuin-A increase in rats fed a high-fat diet

Fetuin-A is synthesized in the liver and is secreted into the bloodstream. Clinical studies suggest involvement of fetuin-A in metabolic disorders such as visceral obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and fatty liver. Curcumin is extracted from the rhizome Curcuma longa and has been shown to possess potent antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and hypoglycemic properties. In this study, we investigated the effect of curcumin treatment on serum fetuin-A levels as well as hepatic lipids and prooxidant–antioxidant status in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into six groups. Group 1 was fed control diet (10 % of total calories from fat). Groups 2 and 3 were given curcumin (100 and 400 mg/kg bw/day, respectively ) by gavage for 8 weeks and were fed control diet. Group 4 was fed with HFD (60 % of total calories from fat). Groups 5 and 6 received HFD together with the two doses of curcumin, respectively. Curcumin treatment appeared to be effective in reducing liver triglycerides and serum fetuin-A levels. These findings suggest that the reduction of fetuin-A may contribute to the beneficial effects of curcumin in the pathogenesis of obesity.     

Monitoring of genotoxic damage in smokeless tobacco ((Maraş powder) consumers using micronucleated exfoliated oral cells

Mara? powder is a kind of smokeless tobacco used in the south-eastern region of Turkey. The present study was carried out to assess possible DNA damage in exfoliated oral cells of Mara? powder users by analysing the frequencies of micronuclei (MN), which is a simple and reliable biomarker for genotoxic damage and to screen for the detection of site-specific differences in the frequencies of MN. The mean (±SD) MN frequency in the inner lip mucosa site was 1.27(±0.55) % for Mara? powder users and 0.88(±0.47) % for non-smoking control subjects (p < 0.05) and 0.82(±0.40) % for the buccal site of Mara? powder users (p < 0.01). There was no significant site-specific difference between the inner lip site and the buccal mucosa site 0.73(±0.43) % in the MN frequency of non-smoking control subjects (p > 0.05). There was no significant effect of daily consumption of Mara? powder, and duration of usage on MN frequencies. The present study suggests that the oral use of smokeless tobacco represents a genotoxic hazard and also that use of MN from a single site may be misleading as a marker of genotoxic exposure. Habitual use of Mara? powder should be taken into account and could be considered unsafe.     

Periodontal tissue regeneration by combined implantation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells and platelet-rich plasma in a canine model

Background aimsOne goal of periodontal therapy is to regenerate periodontal tissues. Stem cells, growth factors and scaffolds and biomaterials are vital for the restoration of the architecture and function of complex tissues. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) are an ideal population of stem cells for practical regenerative medicine. In addition, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can be useful for its ability to stimulate tissue regeneration. PRP contains various growth factors and may be useful as a cell carrier in stem cell therapies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a mixture of ASCs and PRP promoted periodontal tissue regeneration in a canine model.MethodsAutologous ASCs and PRP were implanted into areas with periodontal tissue defects. Periodontal tissue defects that received PRP alone or non-implantation were also examined. Histologic, immunohistologic and x-ray studies were performed 1 or 2 months after implantation. The amount of newly formed bone and the scale of newly formed cementum in the region of the periodontal tissue defect were analyzed on tissue sections.ResultsThe areas of newly formed bone and cementum were greater 2 months after implantation of ASCs and PRP than at 1 month after implantation, and the radiopacity in the region of the periodontal tissue defect increased markedly by 2 months after implantation. The ASCs and PRP group exhibited periodontal tissue with the correct architecture, including alveolar bone, cementum-like structures and periodontal ligament-like structures, by 2 months after implantation.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that a combination of autologous ASCs and PRP promotes periodontal tissue regeneration that develops the appropriate architecture for this complex tissue.     

ICAM1 K469E and E-selectin S128R polymorphisms could predispose to increased autoantibody production and TSH suppression in Graves’ disease

The etiopathogenesis of Graves’ disease (GD) has not been clearly elucidated although the role of chronical inflammation and endothelial dysfunction has been established. Adhesion molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1), and E-selectin are secreted from vascular endothelium and promote accummulation of leukocytes in damaged endothelial areas. This study examined the possible association of ICAM1 (G241R and K469E), VCAM1 (T-1591C and T-833C), and E-selectin (S128R) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the occurence of GD. ICAM1 (G241R and K469E), VCAM1 (T-1591C and T-833C), and E-selectin (S128R) SNPs in DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes of 171 patients with GD and 259 healthy controls were investigated by real-time PCR combined with melting curve analysis using fluorescence-labeled hybridization probes. We did not find significant differences in the distributions of studied polymorphisms, nor in the haplotype frequencies between patients with GD and healthy control. However, the anti-TPO levels in E-selectin 128R allele carrying subjects (SR + RR) were higher than S128S genotype (p < 0.05). In addition, the decline of TSH levels was more prominent in ICAM1 469 E carrying subjects (KE + EE) in comparison with wild homozygotes (p < 0.05). Although there is not assosiation between ICAM1 (G241R and K469E), VCAM1 (T-1591C and T-833C), and E-selectin (S128R) SNPs and susceptibility to GD, higher anti-TPO in E-selectin 128 SR + RR, and lower TSH in ICAM1 469 KE + EE subjects suspect that these genotypes are prone to increased antithyroid autoantibody production with more accentuated TSH suppression in GD. Further studies with a larger cohort, analyzing other polymorphisms in ICAM, VCAM1 and E-selectin genes are necessary to support our observations.     

Extraction of the essential oil from endemic Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis with two different methods: comparison of the oil composition and antibacterial activity

The antibacterial activity and chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) isolated from Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis by two different extraction methods, i.e., hydrodistillation (HD) and solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME), were examined. This endemic Origanum species had shown very good antibacterial activity. The composition of the O. bilgeri EOs obtained by SFME and HD was investigated by GC/MS analysis. The main components of the oils obtained by both methods were carvacrol (90.20-84.30%), p-cymene (3.40-5.85%), γ-terpinene (0.47-1.20%), and thymol (0.69-1.08%). The EO isolation by SFME offered many important advantages, including a higher extraction yield, a shorter extraction time, and a higher content of the active component carvacrol. The carvacrol-rich oils obtained by both HD and SFME showed a good antibacterial activity. The largest inhibition zones were observed for the O. bilgeri EO obtained by SFME. Our study suggests that O. bilgeri EO has the potential to be used as preventative against bacterial contamination in many foods, instead of the common synthetic antimicrobial products.     

Adipocyte/macrophage fatty acid binding proteins control integrated metabolic responses in obesity and diabetes

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are cytosolic fatty acid chaperones whose biological role and mechanisms of action are not well understood. Here, we developed mice with targeted mutations in two related adipocyte FABPs, aP2 and mal1, to resolve their role in systemic lipid, glucose, and energy metabolism. Mice lacking aP2 and mal1 exhibited a striking phenotype with strong protection from diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease. These mice have altered cellular and systemic lipid transport and composition, leading to enhanced insulin receptor signaling, enhanced muscle AMP-activated kinase (AMP-K) activity, and dramatically reduced liver stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1) activity underlying their phenotype. Taken together with the previously reported strong protection against atherosclerosis, these results demonstrate that adipocyte/macrophage FABPs have a robust impact on multiple components of metabolic syndrome, integrating metabolic and inflammatory responses in mice and constituting a powerful target for the treatment of these diseases.