Effects of alcoholic extract of Terminalia Chebula dried fruit on blood biochemical profile in diabetic rats

Background

A considerable amount of attention has been recently paid to the discovery of effective natural antidiabetic drugs. Terminalia chebula is considered as the mother of herbs, with reported antidiabetic activity. This study aims to evaluate the renal and hepatic protective profile of its antidiabetic therapeutic doses.

Methods

To achieve the aim of the study, a total of 66 adult male rats of Sprague-Dawley species weighing about 180-200 g (weighed using a digital scale) were used. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was induced in using streptozotocin (STZ), rats were given a 5% dextrose solution for the next 24 h. Subjects received oral treatment of Terminalia chebula ethanolic extract at different doses (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight) for 28 days. Measurements of fasting blood glucose level, change in body weight, lipid profile, serum liver enzymes, serum renal parameter, and histopathology of liver and kidney were carried out.

Results

Higher doses of Terminalia chebula (600 mg/Kg) were shown to have a potential therapeutic effect as well as the most prominent antidiabetic, antilipidemic activity, hepatoprotective and renoprotective profiles when compared to lower doses.

Conclusion

The use of Terminalia chebula alone or in combination with conventional antidiabetic drugs may be beneficial as a new advent therapy for diabetes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-021-00951-8.

Role of PI3K/Akt axis in mitigating hippocampal ischemia-reperfusion injury via CB1 receptor stimulation by paracetamol and FAAH inhibitor in rat

AIMS

Acetaminophen or paracetamol (PAR), the recommended antipyretic in COVID-19 and clinically used to alleviate stroke-associated hyperthermia interestingly activates cannabinoid receptor (CB1) through its AM404 metabolite, however, to date, no study reports the in vivo activation of PAR/AM404/CB1 axis in stroke. The current study deciphers the neuroprotective effect of PAR in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) rat model and unmasks its link with AM404/CB1/PI3K/Akt axis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Animals were allocated into 5 groups: (I) sham-operated (SO), (II) IR, (III) IR + PAR (100 mg/kg), (IV) IR + PAR (100 mg/kg) + URB597; anandamide degradation inhibitor (0.3 mg/kg) and (V) IR + PAR (100 mg/kg) + AM4113; CB1 Blocker (5 mg/kg). All drugs were intraperitoneally administered at the inception of the reperfusion period.

KEY FINDINGS

PAR administration alleviated the cognitive impairment in the Morris Water Maze as well as hippocampal histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of GFAP. The PAR signaling was associated with elevation of anandamide level, CB1 receptor expression and survival proteins as p^S473-Akt. P^{(tyr202/thr204)}-ERK1/2 and p^S9-GSK3β. Simultaneously, PAR increased hippocampal BDNF and ß-arrestin1 levels and decreased glutamate level. PAR restores the deranged redox milieu induced by IR Injury, by reducing lipid peroxides, myeloperoxidase activity and NF-κB and increasing NPSH, total antioxidant capacity, nitric oxide and Nrf2 levels. The pre-administration of AM4113 reversed PAR effects, while URB597 potentiated them.

SIGNIFICANCE

PAR poses a significant neuroprotective effect which may be mediated, at least in part, via activation of anandamide/CB1/PI3K/Akt pathway in the IR rat model.

Combination of carvacrol with simvastatin improves the lipid-lowering efficacy and alleviates simvastatin side effects

The present investigation was designed to examine the possible additive hypolipidemic effect of carvacrol (CARV) in combination with simvastatin (SIM) on poloxamer 407 (P407)-induced hyperlipidemia. Rats were injected with P407, (500 mg/ kg; i.p.), twice a week, for 30 days. Treatment was carried out by administration of SIM (20 mg/kg/day; p.o.) or CARV (50 mg/kg/day; p.o.) or combination of them. Treatment with CARV significantly decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, atherogenic index, leptin, and increased high-density lipoprotein and adiponectin. Moreover, CARV potentiated the hypolipidemic effect of SIM. Both SIM and CARV alleviated the oxidative stress induced by P407. Interestingly, CARV, when combined with SIM, significantly ameliorated SIM-induced liver and muscle injury by reducing the level of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and myoglobin and restoring the normal histological picture of both liver and muscle as well as apoptosis.

Cardiorenal protective effect of taurine against cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity in albino rats

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is a cytotoxic alkylating agent used in the treatment of malignant diseases and autoimmune disorders. Its clinical use is limited to its marked cardiorenal toxicity. The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective role of taurine (Tau; 200 mg·kg^-1 per day, i.p.) on CP-induced cardiorenal toxicity. CP (200 mg·kg^-1) was administered as a single intraperitoneal injection whereas; Tau was administered for 3 weeks on a daily basis. The results showed that CP produced an elevation in serum activities of creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine as well as blood urea nitrogen. CP also induced an elevation in the oxidative stress markers viz. elevation in the serum lipid peroxides level (measured as malondialdehyde; MDA) and reduction in reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase activity in both heart and renal tissue. On the other hand, administration of Tau attenuated the CP-evoked disturbances in the above mentioned parameters. In addition, CP exhibited electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, which were significantly reversed by Tau treatment. Finally, the histopathological examination emphasized the obtained results. In conclusion, Tau is suggested to be a potential candidate to ameliorate CP-induced cardiorenal toxicity that may be related to its antioxidant activity.

Competition Among Rhizobium spp. for Nodulation of Leucaena leucocephala in Two Tropical Soils

The successful nodulation of legumes by a Rhizobium strain is determined by the competitive ability of that strain against the mixture of other native and inoculant rhizobia. Competition among six Leucaena rhizobial strains in single and multistrain inoculants were studied. Field inoculation trials were conducted in an oxisol and a mollisol soil, both of which contained indigenous Leucaena-nodulating rhizobia. Strain-specific fluorescent antibodies were used for the identification of the strains in Leucaena nodules. Mixtures of three recommended inoculum strains for Leucaena spp. (TAL82, TAL582, and TAL1145) were used in peat-based inocula either alone or with one of the three other strains isolated from the sites, B213, B214, and B215. Each of these latter three strains was also used as single-strain inocula to study their competition with the native rhizobia in the two soil systems. In the oxisol soil, strains B213 and B215, when used as single-strain inocula, outcompeted the native rhizobia and formed 92 and 62% of the nodules, respectively. Strain B214 was the least competitive in oxisol soil, where it formed 30% of the nodules, and the best in mollisol soil, where it formed 70% of the nodules. The most successful competitor for nodulation in multistrain inocula was strain TAL1145, which outcompeted native and other inoculum Leucaena rhizobia in both soils. None of the strains in single or multistrain inoculants was capable of completely overcoming the resident rhizobia, which formed 4 to 70% of the total nodules in oxisol soil and 12 to 72% in mollisol soil. No strong relationship was detected between the size of the rhizosphere population of a strain and its successful occupation of nodules.

Phenotypic characterization of microbes in the rhizosphere of Alyssum murale

Metal hyperaccumulator plants like Alyssum murale are used for phytoremediation of Ni contaminated soils. Soil microorganisms are known to play an important role in nutrient acquisition for plants, however, little is known about the rhizosphere microorganisms of hyperaccumulators. Fresh and dry weight, and Ni and Fe concentrations in plant shoots were higher when A. murale was grown in non-sterilized compared to sterilized soils. The analysis of microbial populations in the rhizosphere of A. murale and in bulk soils demonstrated that microbial numbers were affected by the presence of the plant. Significantly higher numbers of culturable actinomycetes, bacteria and fungi were found in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil. A higher percent of Ni-resistant bacteria were also found in the rhizosphere compared to bulk soil. Percentage of acid producing bacteria was higher among the rhizosphere isolates compared to isolates from bulk soil. However, proportions of siderophore producing and phosphate solubilizing bacteria were not affected by the presence of the plant. We hypothesize that microbes in the rhizosphere of A. murale were capable of reducing soil pH leading to an increase in metal uptake by this hyperaccumulator.

Molecular characterization of phenol-degrading bacteria isolated from different Egyptian ecosystems

Twelve selected phenol-degrading bacterial isolates were obtained on phenol agar plates using culture enrichment technique. Molecular identification of the isolates was performed using eubacterial 16S rRNA PCR specific primers. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the results revealed that the majority of the isolates (8 out of 12) are affiliated to the g-subdivision of Proteobacteria. Four out of the eight isolates are closely related to the genus Acinetobacter. Molecular heterogeneity among the phenol-degrading isolates was further investigated by using rep-PCR chromosomal fingerprinting and correlated with plasmid and antibiotic profile analysis. Rep-PCR results strongly confirmed that the bacterial isolates from different environmental sites produced different fingerprinting patterns. The mineralization of phenol by all isolates was evaluated using 14C-labeled phenol assay. Phenol mineralization ranged from 55% (W-17) to 0.4% (Sea-9). This was further confirmed by the detection of several monoaromatic and polyaromatic degrading genes, e.g., pheA, MopR, XylE, and NahA. In addition, catalytic enzymes such as catalase and dioxygenase were also monitored.

Characterisation of Phaseolus symbionts isolated from Mediterranean soils and analysis of genetic factors related to pH tolerance

The ultimate objective of PhIMED, in which two European (Germany, Italy) and two Mediterranean (Morocco, Egypt) countries collaborate, is to improve the cultivation of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) under arid and semi-arid conditions by analysing and enhancing stress tolerance of the nitrogen fixing rhizobial microsymbionts. Rhizobial strains nodulating P. vulgaris (RP strains) isolated from areas in Morocco frequently subjected to drought were analysed for their salt and pH tolerance and their phylogenetic relationship. Strain RP163, exhibiting high nodulation efficiency and a broad pH tolerance was mutagenised by Tn5 and mutants unable to grow on extreme pH media were isolated. Some of the mutants affected in low pH tolerance were found to be mutated in genes related to cobalmin biosynthesis and in succinate dehydrogenase (sdhA). In a parallel approach, promoters and genes inducible under extreme pH values were identified in Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae VF39, among them gabT, which encodes the GABA transaminase and which is induced under acidic conditions. The same gene is present and similarly regulated in RP163. The actSR gene region was cloned from VF39, sequenced and mutants generated in this region were found to be impaired in growth at low pH, but also under neutral conditions. The Agrobacterium rhizogenes 'promintron' promoter, reported to be activated in stationary phase, was found to be also strongly induced under acidic conditions in rhizobia and it is currently being characterised to construct a system allowing the expression of stress tolerance genes in bacteroids and free-living bacteria.

Phylogenetic analysis of rhizosphere-associated beta-subclass proteobacterial ammonia oxidizers in a municipal wastewater treatment plant based on rhizoremediation technology

In wastewater treatment plants based on the rhizosphere zone (rhizoremediation technology), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) play an important role in the removal of fixed nitrogen. However, the diversity of these bacteria in rhizoremediation wastewater treatment plants is largely unknown. We employed direct PCR amplification and cloning of 16S rRNA genes to determine the phylogenetic affiliation of AOB occurring in root and soil samples of a wastewater treatment plant (Merzdorf plant, Brandenburg, Germany). 16S rDNA clone libraries were screened by hybridization using an oligonucleotide probe specific for AOB of the beta subclass of proteobacteria. Comparative sequence analysis of all hybridization-positive clones revealed that the majority of rDNA sequences was affiliated to members of the genus Nitrosospira and formed a novel subcluster (SM cluster), whereas only three sequences were most closely related to Nitrosomonas species. Affiliation of the novel Nitrosospira-like sequences with those of isolates from soil and rhizosphere suggests that phylogenetic clusters reflect physiological differences between members of this genus.

Antineuronal antibodies in rheumatic chorea

The objectives of our study were to examine the sera of rheumatic chorea (RhCh) patients (those with acute or chronic RhCh or with a past history of RhCh) for the presence of antineuronal antibodies (ANeurA) and to correlate the results with disease activity, chronicity, and the number and durations of choreic attacks. Subjects were inpatients of the Pediatric Hospital, Ain Shams University, and outpatients of the Outpatient Pediatric Cardiology Clinic (both in Cairo, Egypt). Forty children with RhCh (mean age, 10.9 years) and 40 healthy controls were tested. An indirect-immunofluorescence technique was used for the detection of ANeurA. ANeurA were present in the sera of 100, 93, and 44% of the patients with acute, chronic, and past histories of RhCh, respectively. A definition of chronic chorea is presented for the first time. None of the control subjects had ANeurA in their sera. The presence of ANeurA correlated with disease activity. A statistically significant increase (P < 0.01) in the prevalence of ANeurA was found for patients with active chorea (acute and chronic) compared with the prevalence in patients with past histories of RhCh (controlled chorea). ANeurA were present in the sera of both patients with acute RhCh and patients with chronic RhCh, yet patients with acute RhCh showed more brightness and cell staining than chronic patients. The severity, number, and duration of each attack were not related to the presence of ANeurA. These results strengthen further the concept of autoimmunity being the basis for the pathogenesis of RhCh. The presence of ANeurA correlated with the activity of RhCh but not with the severity, number, or duration of attacks. Humoral immunity definitely plays a role in RhCh; thus, routine administration of corticosteroids to patients with acute RhCh is suggested to prevent neuron damage and chronicity. The chronicity of chorea is not due to a further increase in ANeurA but is probably due to sensitivity to these antibodies.

Tissue distribution and macromolecular interactions of 14[C-ring] melphalan in the rat

The kinetics of uptake and elimination, covalent binding, and macromolecular interactions of 14[C-ring] melphalan was studied after a single oral dose (20 mg/kg, 0.1 mCi/kg) in normal rats. Peak radioactivity level in tissues was observed at 2-4 h after administration. Uptake of label in most tissues was rapid, with a t1/2 of less than 1 h. Elimination was biphasic. Tissues of the gastrointestinal tract showed the most rapid rates of elimination, with t1/2 beta of 13, 24, 18, and 19 h for stomach, duodenum, and small and large intestines, respectively. Bone marrow also showed a fast rate of elimination of radioactivity, with a t1/2 beta of 30 h. Tissues with the slowest rates of elimination were skin, eye, spleen, pancreas, and lung, with t1/2 beta of 333, 241, 149, 122, and 109 h, respectively. Covalent binding studies showed that melphalan, or its metabolites, bound irreversibly to all tissue macromolecular fractions. The percentage of covalently bound radioactivity increased with time in all tissues except kidney and eye, reaching up to 70%-80% of the total radioactivity remaining at 72 h. Elimination of covalently bound radioactivity was slower in the DNA fractions of the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract and heart compared with the elimination rate from lipid, protein, or RNA fractions. Slow elimination rates of 14[C-ring] melphalan equivalents from the protein fraction were observed in the skin, eye, and brain. Accumulation, rather than elimination, of radioactivity in this fraction was most prominent in the pancreas. In the bone marrow accumulation of radioactivity was observed in the lipid fraction.

Macromolecular interactions of [14C-ring]melphalan in blood

The pharmacokinetics and macromolecular interactions of [14C-ring]melphalan (L-PAM) in blood were studied in rats following a single oral dose (20 mg/kg, 0.1 mCi/kg). Radioactivity levels were monitored in blood over a period of 72 hr. The highest levels of radioactivity were observed at 2 hr. The decline of radioactivity from the blood was biphasic with T1/2 alpha = 7 hr and T1/2 beta = 75 hr. The radioactive species in plasma corresponded to unchanged L-PAM and its two known hydrolytic products 4,2-hydroxyethyl 2-chloroethylamino-L-phenylalanine (L-MOH) and 4-[bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]-L-phenylalanine (L-DOH). In addition, four other major, previously unknown, metabolites of L-PAM were detected in plasma. At 72 hr, most of the radioactivity was bound to macromolecular components, 26% to plasma macromolecules and 62% in red blood cells. Covalent binding to blood cells was mainly to membrane proteins. Binding to hemoglobin and other soluble components of the red cells was also observed, with a 5000-fold greater affinity for membranes. These studies suggest extensive interaction of melphalan, or its metabolites, with membrane and soluble proteins of red blood cells.