Assessment of Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) Standardized Leaf Extract on Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Injury in Rats

Rat Model of Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Injury

Isoproterenol (ISO) administration produces significant biochemical and histological changes including oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction, and inflammation that leads to aggravation of myocardial injury. Subcutaneous or intraperitoneal ISO injection into rats can replicate several features of human heart disease, making it a useful tool for comprehending the underlying mechanisms and evaluating potential therapeutic strategies. In the present chapter, we elaborate on how depending on the precise experimental goals and the intended level of severity, different dosages and regimens are employed to induce myocardial injury.

Phytotoxicological study of selected poisonous plants from Azad Jammu & Kashmir

Poisonous plants cause tremendous economic losses to the livestock industry. These economic losses are deterioration in their health, decreased productivity, deformed offspring, and reduced longevity. The current study is the first comprehensive report on poisonous plants of Azad Jammu and Kashmir which systematically documents the phytotoxicological effect and mode of action in livestock. The information was gathered from 271 informants including 167 men and 104 women through semi-structured interviews and literature search through available databases. The data collected through interviews was analyzed with quantitative tools viz. the factor informant consensus and fidelity level. A total of 38 species of flowering plants belonging to 23 families and 38 genera were reported. Family Asteraceae (5 spp) was the most dominant, followed by Solanaceae (4 spp), Fabaceae (4 spp), Euphorbiaceae (4 spp) and Convolvulaceae (3 spp). Among all the species collected, herbs were the dominant life form (22 spp, 57.89%), trailed by shrubs (11 spp, 28.95%), and trees (5 spp, 13.16%). Whole plant toxicity was reported to be the highest (15 spp, 39.47%), followed by leaf toxicity (12 spp, 31.58%), seed toxicity (4 spp, 7.89%), fruit toxicity (3 spp, 10.53%), latex toxicity (2 spp, 5.26%), flowers toxicity (1 spp, 2.63%), and berries toxicity (1 spp, 2.63%). The most toxic route of administration was found oral (39 spp, 40.63%), followed by intraperitoneal (24 spp, 25%), and intravenous (21 spp, 21.88%). The most commonly affected organ was found liver (20.41%), followed by gastrointestinal tract (20.341%), CNS (16.33%), skin (14.29%), kidneys (12.24%), lungs (4.04%), reproductive organs (2.04%), spleen (1.75%), blood (1.75%), heart (1.75%), urinary tract (1.75%), and pancreas (1.75%). The maximum Fic value was found for dermatological disorders (0.91), followed by the endocrine system (0.90), gastrointestinal (0.82), neurology (0.77), nephrology (0.67), cardiovascular (0.67), urinary (0.67), respiratory (0.60), sexual (0.60) disorders. Senecio vulgaris, and Ageratum conyzoides were the most important plants with fidelity level (0.95) and (0.87). Nerium oleander, Lantana camara, Leucaena leucocephala, and Ricinus communis were the important poisonous plant with maximum fidelity level (100%). Ricinus communis with reported lowest LD50 (<20 mg/kg) was the top-ranked poisonous plant followed by Lantana camara and Justicia adhatoda (25-50 mg/kg), Nerium Oleander (157.37 mg/kg), and Datura innoxia (400 mg/kg). We found that knowledge about poisonous plants is less prevailing in the rural areas of Azad Kashmir compared to the knowledge about medicinal plants and poisonous nature of reported plants is due to production of toxic substances and presence of essential oils.

Protective Effect of Dalbergia sissoo Extract Against Amyloid-β (1-42)-induced Memory Impairment, Oxidative Stress, and Neuroinflammation in Rats

Objectives

The ayurvedic literature reports that Dalbergia sissoo, a common medicinal plant for gastric and skin problems, has brain-revitalizing effects. However, the neuroprotective effect of this herb on an amyloid-β (Aβ) 1-42 model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is yet unknown. The current study describes the protective effect of ethanolic extracts of D. sissoo leaves (EEDS) against Aβ (1-42)-induced cognitive deficit, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation in rats.

Materials and Methods

EEDS (300 and 500 mg/kg) was orally administered to rats for 2 weeks prior to intracerebroventricular Aβ (1-42) treatment. The neuroprotective effect of EEDS was assessed by evaluating behavioral, biochemical, and neuroinflammatory parameters in the rat hippocampus. Memory function was assessed via the Morris water maze (MWM) task 2 weeks after Aβ (1-42) administration. After 3 weeks, surgery was performed, all biochemical parameters were evaluated, and histopathological examination of the tissues was carried out.

Results

EEDS improved the cognitive ability of Aβ (1-42)-administered rats in the MWM task. It reduced oxidative stress by significantly decreasing nitrite and malondialdehyde levels and increasing catalase activity and glutathione levels in the rat brain. Moreover, EEDS mitigated neuroinflammation in rats by decreasing the concentration of neuroinflammatory markers in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion

D. sissoo leaf extract has a beneficial role in alleviating cognitive deficits in AD by modulating cholinergic function, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation.

Cardioprotective potential of polyphenols rich Thraatchathi Chooranam against isoproterenol induced myocardial necrosis in experimental rats

BACKGROUND

The present study establishes the cardioprotective role of Thraatchathi Chooranam (TC), a polyherbal traditional Siddha medicine, in terms of membrane stabilizing and antioxidant properties in isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial necrosis model in rats.

METHODS

Animals were divided into six groups (n = 6), normal (received vehicle 0.5% CMC, p.o.), ISO control (received 0.5% CMC + ISO 120 mg/kg, b.w. s.c. twice at an interval of 48 h), standard control (received Vit-E 100 mg/kg, p.o.) + ISO, TC low and high dose (50 and 100 mg/kg p.o., respectively) + ISO, and drug control (received TC at 100 mg/kg, p.o.). At the end of experimental period, blood samples collected and plasma cardiac troponin-I (CTn-I) was measured by ELISA. Cardiac tissues were isolated, levels of membrane stabilizing enzymes, antioxidants and inflammatory markers were estimated. Gene expression of Bax, Bcl2, Caspase 3, HIF-α, TNF-α, iNOS, TRX1 and TrxR were performed by RT-PCR. Histopathological studies on cardiac tissues were conducted using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain. Statistical analyses were performed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparison as post-hoc test.

RESULTS

Administration of ISO resulted in a significant increase in plasma CTn-I, decrease in superoxide dismutase, glutathione and glutathione peroxidase; it also significantly altered membrane stabilizing enzymes like Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, Mg²⁺-ATPase Ca²⁺-ATPase and Cathepsin D. Pretreatment with TC (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg) decreased CTn-I, and improved membrane stabilizing and endogenous antioxidant enzymes and decreased cathespin D level in a dose dependent manner. Histopathological examination revealed that TC improves cellular membrane integrity and decreases inflammatory cell infiltration and necrotic death.

CONCLUSION

The present study provided a strong evidence on the protective effects of TC against ISO-induced myocardial necrosis in rats.

Human disorders associated with inflammation and the evolving role of natural products to overcome

Inflammation is a biological function which triggered after the mechanical tissue disruption or from the responses by the incidence of physical, chemical or biological negotiator in body. These responses are essential act provided by the immune system during infection and tissue injury to maintain normal tissue homeostasis. Inflammation is a quite complicated process at molecular level with the involvement of several proinflammatory expressions. Several health problems are associated with prolonged inflammation, which effects nearly all major to minor diseases. The molecular and epidemiological studies jagged that the inflammation is closely associated with several disorders with their specific targets. It would be great achievement for human health around the world to overcome on inflammation. Mostly used anti-inflammatory drugs are at high risk of side effects and also expensive. Hence, the plant-based formulations gained a wide acceptance by the public and medical experts to treat it. Due to extensive dispersal, chemical diversity and systematically established biological potentials of natural products have induced renewed awareness as a gifted source for medications. However, today's urgent need to search for cheaper, more potent and safe anti-inflammatory medications to overcome on current situation. The goal of this review to compile an update on inflammation, associated diseases, molecular targets, inflammatory mediators and role of natural products. The entire text concise the involvement of various cytokines in pathogenesis of various human disorders. This assignment discussed about 321 natural products with their promising anti-inflammatory potential discovered during January 2009 to December 2018 with 262 citations.

Effect of Kaempferol Pretreatment on Myocardial Injury in Rats

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of kaempferol in isoprenaline (ISP)-induced myocardial injury in rats. ISP was administered subcutaneously for two subsequent days to induce myocardial injury. Assessment of myocardial injury was done by estimation of hemodynamic functions, myocardial infarcted area, cardiac injury markers, lipid profile, oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokines and histopathology of heart and liver. Rats pretreated with kaempferol showed reduction in the myocardial infarcted area and heart rate. However, no improvement was observed in change in body weight, mean arterial, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Kaempferol showed significant decrease in serum LDH, CK-MB, troponin-I and lipid profile. However, highest dose of kaempferol did not reduce the serum triglyceride level. Further, antioxidant enzymes, SOD and catalase, were also higher. However, reduced glutathione, serum SGOT and creatinine did not show any improvement. Kaempferol showed reduction in MDA level. Kaempferol at highest dose showed reduction in pro-MMP-2 expression and MMP-9 level. mRNA expression level of TNF-α was not different in kaempferol-pretreated myocardial injured rats with ISP-alone group. Pretreatment with kaempferol at highest dose showed mild mononuclear infiltration and degenerative changes in heart tissue section of myocardial injured rats. Rats pretreated with kaempferol at higher concentration showed normal cordlike arrangement of hepatocytes with moderate swelling of hepatocytes (vacuolar degeneration) around the central vein. Study suggests that kaempferol attenuated lipid profile, infarcted area and oxidative stress in ISP-induced myocardial injury in rats.

Trace Element Determination and Cardioprotection of Terminalia pallida Fruit Ethanolic Extract in Isoproterenol Induced Myocardial Infarcted Rats by ICP-MS

The trace elements and minerals in Terminalia pallida fruit ethanolic extract (TpFE) were determined by the instrument inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the cardioprotection of TpFE against isoproterenol (ISO)-administered rats was studied. Rats were pretreated with TpFE (100, 300, and 500 mg/kg bw) for 30 days, with concurrent administration of ISO (85 mg/kg bw) for two consecutive days. The levels of trace elements and minerals in TpFE were below the permitted limits of World Health Organization standards. ISO administration significantly increased the heart weight and cardiac marker enzymes in serum, xanthine oxidase, sodium, and calcium in the heart, whereas significantly decreased body weight, reduced glutathione, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, and potassium in the heart. Oral pretreatment of TpFE significantly prevented the ISO-induced alterations. This is the first report that revealed the determination of trace elements and mineral nutrients of TpFE by ICP-MS which plays a principal role in the herbal drug discovery for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.