Safranal ameliorates antioxidant enzymes and suppresses lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide formation in aged male rat liver

Curcumin pretreatment attenuates brain lesion size and improves neurological function following traumatic brain injury in the rat

Turmeric has been in use since ancient times as a condiment and due to its medicinal properties. Curcumin, the yellow coloring principle in turmeric, is a polyphenolic and a major active constituent. Besides anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic and anti-carcinogenic activities, curcumin also possesses strong antioxidant property. The neuroprotective effects of curcumin were evaluated in a weight drop model of cortical contusion trauma in rat. Male Wistar rats (350-400 g, n=9) were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg i.p.) and subjected to head injury. Five days before injury, animals randomly received an i.p. bolus of either curcumin (50 and 100 mg/kg/day, n=9) or vehicle (n=9). Two weeks after the injury and drug treatment, animals were sacrificed and a series of brain sections, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) were evaluated for quantitative brain lesion volume. Two weeks after the injury, oxidative stress parameter (malondialdehyde) was also measured in the brain. Curcumin (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the size of brain injury-induced lesions (P<0.05). Neurological examinations (rotarod and inclined-plane tests) were performed on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 post-brain injury. Control injured rats had a significant neurological deficit during 2 weeks (P<0.001). The injury increased brain levels of the malondialdehyde by 35.6% and these increases were attenuated by curcumin (100 mg/kg). Curcumin treatment significantly improved the neurological status evaluated during 2 weeks after brain injury. The study demonstrates the protective efficacy of curcumin in rat traumatic brain injury model.

Age-related changes in hepatic activity and expression of detoxification enzymes in male rats

Process of aging is accompanied by changes in the biotransformation of xenobiotics and impairment of normal cellular functions by free radicals. Therefore, this study was designed to determine age-related differences in the activities and/or expressions of selected drug-metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in young and old rats. Specific activities of 8 drug-metabolizing enzymes and 4 antioxidant enzymes were assessed in hepatic subcellular fractions of 6-week-old and 21-month-old male Wistar rats. Protein expressions of carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were determined using immunoblotting. Remarkable age-related decrease in specific activities of CYP2B, CYP3A, and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase was observed, whereas no changes in activities of CYP1A2, flavine monooxygenase, aldo-keto reductase 1C, and antioxidant enzymes with advancing age were found. On the other hand, specific activity of CBR1 and GST was 2.4 folds and 5.6 folds higher in the senescent rats compared with the young ones, respectively. Interindividual variability in CBR1 activity increased significantly with rising age. We suppose that elevated activities of GST and CBR1 may protect senescent rats against xenobiotic as well as eobiotic electrophiles and reactive carbonyls, but they may alter metabolism of drugs, which are CBR1 and especially GSTs substrates.