Antioxidant properties of Achyranthis radix extract in rats

20-Hydroxyecdysone, from Plant Extracts to Clinical Use: Therapeutic Potential for the Treatment of Neuromuscular, Cardio-Metabolic and Respiratory Diseases

There is growing interest in the pharmaceutical and medical applications of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), a polyhydroxylated steroid which naturally occurs in low but very significant amounts in invertebrates, where it has hormonal roles, and in certain plant species, where it is believed to contribute to the deterrence of invertebrate predators. Studies in vivo and in vitro have revealed beneficial effects in mammals: anabolic, hypolipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, etc. The possible mode of action in mammals has been determined recently, with the main mechanism involving the activation of the Mas1 receptor, a key component of the renin-angiotensin system, which would explain many of the pleiotropic effects observed in the different animal models. Processes have been developed to produce large amounts of pharmaceutical grade 20E, and regulatory preclinical studies have assessed its lack of toxicity. The effects of 20E have been evaluated in early stage clinical trials in healthy volunteers and in patients for the treatment of neuromuscular, cardio-metabolic or respiratory diseases. The prospects and limitations of developing 20E as a drug are discussed, including the requirement for a better evaluation of its safety and pharmacological profile and for developing a production process compliant with pharmaceutical standards.

Effects of glyphosate-based herbicide-contaminated diets on reproductive organ toxicity and hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis hormones in weaned piglets

At present, glyphosate (GLP) is the most produced and used herbicide in the world. With the large-scale use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), their toxic effects on animals and plants have increasingly become a concern. Based on the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX) dose (20 mg kg-1) and the dose set by the government (40 mg kg-1), four experimental groups in which Roundup® (R) herbicide was added to the feed of weaned piglets at GLP concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 40 mg kg-1 were designed. The results showed that R had no significant effect on the vulvar size or index of reproductive organs but that it could affect the tissue morphology and ultrastructure of the uterus and ovary. With the increase in GLP concentration, the activities of antioxidant enzymes [SOD (P < 0.05) and GPx (P = 0.002)] in the uterus showed significant increases. Compared with the control group, the content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the treatment groups increased significantly (P < 0.05), the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the 10 mg kg-1 treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group. We measured hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis (HPOA) hormones and also found that GLP significantly increased luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and testosterone (T) content (P < 0.05) and decreased follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) content (P < 0.05). In summary, although R does not affect the vulvar size or reproductive organ index of weaned piglets, it changes the morphology and ultrastructure of the uterus and ovaries, interferes with the synthesis and secretion of HPOA hormones, and causes changes in the balance of the antioxidant system of uterus. This study provided a theoretical basis for preventing reproductive system harm caused by GBHs.

Nephrotoxicity of Kalach 360 SL: biochemical and histopathological findings

Kalach 360 SL (KL) is a commercial herbicide which contains 360 g/l of glyphosate used in both agricultural and urban areas throughout the world including Tunisia. We aimed to evaluate the effects of KL on rats' renal system. Female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 6) received a standard diet and served as control, groups 2 and 3 (n = 12 each) received 0.07 ml (D1: 126 mg/kg), and 0.175 ml (D2: 315 mg/kg) of KL, respectively, for 60 d. The chronic exposure to KL induced a significant increase in plasma creatinine, urea, and uric acid levels. Creatinine clearance decreased in KL-treated groups, compared with controls. Several urine parameters, such as urine-specific gravity and urine osmolality, significantly decreased, while dieresis and urinary Na/K + ratio increased in KL-treated groups. These findings suggested a distal tubular damage caused by tubular necrosis. Moreover, the chronic exposure to KL induced an increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and a decrease in antioxidant status, enzymatic activities (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and non-enzymatic levels (vitamin C), which led to an oxidative stress. Histopathological studies showed a peritubular inflammatory reaction, nephrose, fragmented glomeruli, necrotic epithelial cells, and tubular dilatation. These results could have significant health implications for animal and human populations. Further data are necessary to investigate the potential consequences of chronic dose exposure during life.

Oxidative stress responses of rats exposed to Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate

Glyphosate is the active ingredient and polyoxyethyleneamine, the major component, is the surfactant present in the herbicide Roundup formulation. The objective of this study was to analyze potential cytotoxicity of the Roundup and its fundamental substance (glyphosate). Albino male rats were intraperitoneally treated with sub-lethal concentration of Roundup (269.9mg/kg) or glyphosate (134.95mg/kg) each 2 days, during 2 weeks. Hepatotoxicity was monitored by quantitative analysis of the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, total protein, albumin, triglyceride and cholesterol. Creatinine and urea were used as the biochemical markers of kidney damages. The second aim of this study to investigate how glyphosate alone or included in herbicide Roundup affected hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels of animals as an index of antioxidant status and oxidative stress, respectively, as well as the serum nitric oxide (NO) and alpha tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α) were measured. Treatment of animals with Roundup induced the leakage of hepatic intracellular enzymes, ALT, AST and ALP suggesting irreversible damage in hepatocytes starting from the first week. It was found that the effects were different on the enzymes in Roundup and glyphosate-treated groups. Significant time-dependent depletion of GSH levels and induction of oxidative stress in liver by the elevated levels of LPO, further confirmed the potential of Roundup to induce oxidative stress in hepatic tissue. However, glyphosate caused significant increases in NO levels more than Roundup after 2 weeks of treatment. Both treatments increased the level of TNF-α by the same manner. The results suggest that excessive antioxidant disruptor and oxidative stress is induced with Roundup than glyphosate.