Neuroprotective effects of açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) against diabetic retinopathy

Comparing the effects of Cyperus esculentus hydroethanolic extract and Euterpe oleracea on reproductive efficacy against cadmium-induced testicular toxicity in male rats

Objective

Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) is an environmentally toxic pollutant that can cause reprotoxicity. Cyperus esculentus and Euterpe oleracea are potent antioxidant plants currently used to counteract the action of harmful pollutants. The present experiment was intended to evaluate and comp are the role of C. esculentus hydroethanolic extract (CHE) and E. oleracea in treating the reprotoxicity induced by CdCl2 in rats.

Materials and Methods

Forty adult male rats (160-210 gm) were allocated into five groups equally. Control group: received 5 ml of normal saline (NS); the other treatment groups were injected with CdCl2 as a single dose for two weeks to induce testicular toxicity. After 14 days, the four groups were treated orally daily for two months as follows: The cadmium group (Cd) received NS, the third group (TC) was administered 800 mg/kg BW of CHE, the fourth group (TO) received 500 mg/kg BW of E. oleracea, and the fifth group (TCO) received CHE with E. oleracea.

Results

The live sperm and motility, serum testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) were significantly increased in the TCO, TC, and TO groups compared with the Cd group. Testicular nitric oxide and malondialdehyde were elevated significantly in the Cd group compared to the TC, TO, TCO, and control groups. The fold changes of Fshβ, Lhβ, and Gnrh genes were upregulated in the TCO group compared to the Cd and control groups.

Conclusion

The combination of CHE with E. oleracea showed improvements in rat testicles affected by cadmium toxicity via upregulated reproductive gene expression and its antioxidant effects.

Neurovascular Cell Death and Therapeutic Strategies for Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness worldwide. DR was recently defined as a neurovascular disease associated with tissue-specific neurovascular impairment of the retina in patients with diabetes. Neurovascular cell death is the main cause of neurovascular impairment in DR. Thus, neurovascular cell protection is a potential therapy for preventing the progression of DR. Growing evidence indicates that a variety of cell death pathways, such as apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis, are associated with neurovascular cell death in DR. These forms of regulated cell death may serve as therapeutic targets for ameliorating the pathogenesis of DR. This review focuses on these cell death mechanisms and describes potential therapies for the treatment of DR that protect against neurovascular cell death.