Thymoquinone ameliorates amikacin induced oxidative damage in rat brain tissue

Behavioral and histological study on the neuroprotective effect of thymoquinone on the cerebellum in AlCl3-induced neurotoxicity in rats through modulation of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition. Thymoquinone (TQ) is a natural compound that possesses beneficial biological effects on the brain. The present study evaluates the protective impact of TQ on the cerebellum in rats with AlCl3-induced Alzheimer's disease. Four groups were utilized. Control: 20 rats that were subdivided into two subgroups. Ia: received distilled water for 4 weeks. Ib: received corn oil via oral gavage (1 ml/kg daily) for 4 weeks. TQ group: 10 rats received TQ in corn oil via oral gavage (20 mg/kg daily) for 4 weeks. AD group:10 rats received AlCl3 in distilled water via oral gavage (300 mg/kg daily) for 4 weeks. AD & TQ group: 10 rats received both AlCl3 & TQ for 4 weeks. The grip period in the rotarod test decreased, escape latency in first three days and the entry latency period to the quadrant with the removed escape platform in the Morris water maze test increased in AD group, but when TQ was administered concurrently, there was a noteworthy improvement. Meanwhile, when compared to AD group, the addition of TQ showed a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), associated with a significant increase (P < 0.05) in reduced glutathione (GSH) level. Furthermore, AD & TQ group exhibited substantial preservation of the cerebellum's histological structure, the Purkinje cells number and transverse diameter showed a high significant increase (P < 0.001) and a significant increase (P < 0.05), respectively in comparison to the AD group. Using TQ showed improvement in behavioral tests, biochemical and histological findings. Thus, TQ might have therapeutic effects on Alzheimer's disease.

Lutein, a non-provitamin A carotenoid, reduces cisplatin-induced cardiotoxicity

Cardiovascular complications resulting from cisplatin (CS) are a significant factor that can disrupt the treatment plan associated with this chemotherapy. This information led us to investigate the effectiveness of lutein (LT), which has antioxidant effects, in preventing CS-induced cardiotoxic effects. After 28 rats were randomly divided into four equal groups, saline (1 ml/day) was administered to the control group, LT (100 mg/kg/day) to the LT group, CS (10 mg/kg) to the CS group, and active agents in the LT and CS groups were administered to the CS + LT group in the same dose and manner. The examinations determined that MDA, cardiac biomarkers (CK-MB, BNP, LDH, and cTn-I) levels, TNF-α and caspase-3 expressions, and apoptosis significantly increased in the CS group. In contrast, GSH, SOD, and CAT levels were decreased. In addition, histopathological changes characterized by interstitial edema, leukocyte infiltration, and vacuolar degeneration were detected in the heart tissues of this group. It was determined that LT application prevented the above-mentioned CS-induced cardiotoxic effects to a significant extent, although not completely. The findings obtained in this study show that LT may reduce CS-induced cardiac damage thanks to its ROS-reducing, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and cytoprotective characteristics.

Protection of lutein against the neurotoxicity of cisplatin in the rat brain

One of the biggest problems of cancer treatment is the harmful effects of these drugs on the healthy tissues and organs of the organism. Our study aims to determine the possible protective effects of Lutein (L) against the toxicity of the pharmacological substance Cisplatin (CS), which is used in the treatment of cancer, in the brain of rats, through biochemical and histopathological tests. In our study, lutein (L) (100 mg/kg, orally) was administered for brain toxicity caused by CS (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal (i.p.)). The study was completed in 7 days with a total of 28 rats from 4 groups, each consisting of 7 subjects. Control, L, CS and CS + L. A decrease in MDA level and an increase in CAT, GSH and SOD levels were observed in the CS + L group compared to the CS group. In histopathological examinations, no significant pathological changes were detected in the cerebrum, while degeneration in Purkinje cells and apoptosis in neurons in the molecular and granular layers in the cerebellum were detected. It is understood from the study that L alleviates the results of oxidative stress, increases antioxidant functions and positively supports brain functions. It also demonstrates the ability of L to prevent CS-induced brain damage. Ultimately, L appears to be a applicable pharmacological agent in this damage.

Protective effect of misoprostol against paclitaxel-induced cardiac damage in rats

OBJECTIVE

One of the most critical reasons for limiting cancer treatment is the toxic effects of anti-cancer drugs on healthy tissues and organs. This study aims to investigate the possible protective effects of misoprostol (MS) against the damage that arises from paclitaxel (PT), an anti-cancer pharmacological agent, in the rat heart using histopathological and biochemical analyses.

METHODS

In this study, four groups, each containing seven animals, were formed by random selection from 28 Sprague Dawley female rats. Control group rats were administered 1 ml of normal saline orally and intraperitoneally (i.p.) for six days. While the PT group rats were administered PT at a dose of 2 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) on days 0, 2, 4, and 6, the MS group was administered MS at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg in 1 ml normal saline by oral gavage for six days. PT and MS were administered to the PT + MS group rats in the same dose and route as the previous groups.

RESULTS

Administration of PT increased serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cardiac troponin I (cTn-I), creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. PT administration also decreased the levels of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the heart tissue while increasing the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05). In histopathological examinations, pathological changes, such as edema, congestion, hemorrhage, apoptosis, and degeneration, occurred in the heart tissue of PT-treated rats. The negative changes in histopathological and biochemical parameters that occurred in the PT group were almost not observed in the PT + MS group (p < 0.005).

CONCLUSION

When the findings were evaluated, it was concluded that MS protects the heart tissue from the harmful effects of PT, probably due to its antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and TNF-alpha suppressive effects.

A review of therapeutic impacts of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and its constituents

Application of herbal medicines in the treatment of diseases is in the center of attention of medical scientific societies. Saffron (Cricus sativus L.) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Iridaceae family with different therapeutic properties. The outcomes of human and animal experiments indicate that therapeutic impacts of saffron and its constituents, crocin, crocetin, and safranal, mainly are mediated via inhibiting the inflammatory reactions and scavenging free radicals. It has been suggested that saffron and crocin extracted from it also up-regulate the expression of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), down-regulate nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and untimely improve the body organs dysfunction. Inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) also is attributed to crocin. The current review narrates the therapeutic effects of saffron and its constituents on various body systems through looking for the scientific databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar from the beginning of 2010 until the end of 2022.