Sinapic acid alleviates cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury by mitigating oxidative stress and apoptosis

Cisplatin is an anticancer agent with many side effects such as nephrotoxicity, as well as being widely used in the treatment of many tumor types. Sinapic acid has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and antiapoptotic effects. This study aimed to investigate the possible beneficial effects of sinapic acid against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Twenty-eight Wistar albino male rats were used. The groups are as follows: control, cisplatin, cisplatin + sinapic acid, and sinapic acid groups (n = 7). The control group received 1 ml of single-dose intraperitoneal saline on the first day of the study. The cisplatin group was given a single dose of 7 mg/kg cisplatin intraperitoneal. Animals in the cisplatin + sinapic acid group were given sinapic acid for 7 days 25 mg/kg, 3 days after oral gavage administration of 7 mg/kg cisplatin intraperitoneal. The sinapic acid group was given 25 mg/kg/day of sinapic acid by oral gavage for 7 days after the 3rd day of the study. The kidney of the rats was examined by stereological, immunohistochemical, histopathological, and biochemical methods. According to the stereological findings of the study, while the volume of the glomerulus cortex and filtration gap increased, the volume of the medulla decreased, and there was no significant difference in tubular volume in the CP group compared to the control group. The volume of the glomerulus, cortex, and filtration gap of the cisplatin + sinapic acid group was significantly reduced compared to the cisplatin group (p˂0.05). Histopathologically, it was observed the enlargement of the filtration gap, tubular dilatation, atrophy, renal fibrosis, deterioration of the microvilli, and necrosis in the tubular epithelial cells in the cisplatin group. In the cisplatin + sinapic acid group, these pathologies decreased compared to the cisplatin group. Compared to the control group, caspase-3 expression, urea, creatine, and malondialdehyde increased, while Bcl-2 and catalase decreased in the cisplatin group. However, caspase-3 expression, urea, creatine, and malondialdehyde were decreased, while Bcl-2 and catalase increased in the cisplatin + sinapic acid group compared to the cisplatin group. The results of our study showed that sinapic acid reduced the nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin.

Beneficial Impact of Semicarbazide-Sensitive Amine Oxidase Inhibition on the Potential Cytotoxicity of Creatine Supplementation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Creatine supplementation of the population with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) combined with an exercise program is known to be a possible therapy adjuvant with hypoglycemic effects. However, excessive administration of creatine leads to the production of methylamine which is deaminated by the enzyme semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) and as a result, cytotoxic compounds are produced. SSAO activity and reaction products are increased in the serum of T2DM patients. Creatine supplementation by diabetics will further augment the activity of SSAO. The current review aims to find a feasible way to ameliorate T2DM for patients who exercise and desire to consume creatine. Several natural agents present in food which are involved in the regulation of SSAO activity directly or indirectly are reviewed. Particularly, zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), histamine/histidine, caffeine, iron (Fe), and vitamin D are discussed. Inhibiting SSAO activity by natural agents might reduce the potential adverse effects of creatine metabolism in population of T2DM.

Upregulation of BAD, a pro-apoptotic protein of the BCL2 family, in vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to uremic conditions

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has recently emerged as a major risk factor for cardiovascular pathology. CKD patients display accelerated atherosclerotic process, leading to circulatory complications. However, it is currently not clear how uremic conditions accelerate atherosclerosis. Apoptosis is an important homeostatic regulator of vascular smooth cells under pathological conditions. In the present study, we explored the regulation of apoptosis in cells of the vascular wall in the uremic context. We analysed the expression and regulation of the proteins of the BCL2 family that play an essential role in apoptosis. Our results, obtained in mice and primary human smooth muscle cells exposed to two uremic toxins, point to the existence of an alteration in expression and function of one pro-apoptotic member of this family, the protein BAD. We explore the regulation of BAD by uremic toxins and report the sensitization of vascular smooth muscle cells to apoptosis upon BAD induction.

A randomized, double-blind, futility clinical trial of creatine and minocycline in early Parkinson disease

BACKGROUND

Creatine and minocycline were prioritized for testing in Phase II clinical trials based on a systematic evaluation of potentially disease modifying compounds for Parkinson disease (PD).

OBJECTIVE

To test whether creatine and minocycline alter the course of early PD relative to a predetermined futility threshold for progression of PD in a randomized, double-blind, Phase II futility clinical trial. Agents that do not perform better than the futility threshold are rejected as futile and are not considered for further study.

METHODS

Participants had a diagnosis of PD within 5 years, but did not require medications for the management of symptoms. The primary outcome was the change in the total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score from baseline to either the time when there was sufficient disability to warrant symptomatic therapy for PD or 12 months, whichever came first. Subjects were randomized 1:1:1 to receive creatine 10 g/day, minocycline 200 mg/day, or matching placebo. The futility threshold was set as a 30% reduction in UPDRS progression based on the placebo/tocopherol arm of the Deprenyl And Tocopherol Antioxidative Therapy Of Parkinsonism (DATATOP) trial. p values < or = 0.1 indicate futility.

RESULTS

Two hundred subjects were randomized to the three groups. Neither creatine (p = 0.96) nor minocycline (p = 0.66) could be rejected as futile based on the DATATOP futility threshold. The rate of progression for the calibration placebo group fell outside the 95% CI for the DATATOP historical control. In a sensitivity analysis, based on the threshold derived from the calibration placebo group, again neither drug could be rejected as futile. Tolerability was 91% in the creatine group and 77% in the minocycline group. Common adverse events included upper respiratory symptoms (26%), joint pain (19%), and nausea (17%).

CONCLUSIONS

Both creatine and minocycline should be considered for definitive Phase III trials to determine if they alter the long term progression of Parkinson disease (PD). Additional factors must be weighed before selecting agents for Phase III trials, including safety, tolerability, activity, cost, and availability of these two agents in comparison with other agents currently in development for PD.

Helicobacter bilis-associated hepatitis in outbred mice

Although Helicobacter bilis infects mice worldwide, it is not known whether H. bilis causes enterohepatic disease in outbred Swiss Webster (SW) mice. Intestinal and liver specimens from four groups of 39 SW mice, five of which were treated with creatine in the drinking water, were obtained for culture for the presence of H. bilis and were analyzed as to whether infection status was associated with H. bilis seroconversion and/or hepatitis. Helicobacter bilis was isolated from the colon of all 27 mice of groups I-III, but only from the liver of one 12- to 13-month-old female mouse. Ten of 27 livers were H. bilis-positive based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis; 8 of 10 (80%) of the positive results were for older mice. Results of PCR analysis for H. bilis were negative, and H. bilis was not isolated from 12 control mice (group IV). Irrespective of treatment group or controls, severity of histologic lobular and periportal chronic inflammatory lesions in the liver of H. bilis-infected outbred mice ranged from minimally to moderately severe. Helicobacter bilis infection was associated with increased portal inflammation in group III mice, compared with age-matched, helicobacter-free, group IV mice (P < 0.03). A comparison of potential sex effects in group III mice indicated that H. bilis-infected female mice developed more severe portal inflammation than did H. bilis-infected male mice (P < 0.01). On the basis of results of an ELISA, 8 of 11, 6- to 8-month-old H. bilis-infected mice of group III seroconverted to H. bilis outer membrane antigen. Helicobacter bilis infection is associated with hepatitis in SW mice and can confound experimental results.

Histological assessment of intermediate- and long-term creatine monohydrate supplementation in mice and rats

Creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation appears to be relatively safe based on data from short-term and intermediate-term human studies and results from several therapeutic trials. The purpose of the current study was to characterize pathological changes after intermediate-term and long-term CrM supplementation in mice [healthy control and SOD1 (G93A) transgenic] and rats (prednisolone and nonprednisolone treated). Histological assessment (18-20 organs/tissues) was performed on G93A mice after 159 days, and in Sprague-Dawley rats after 365 days, of CrM supplementation (2% wt/wt) compared with control feed. Liver histology was also evaluated in CD-1 mice after 300 days of low-dose CrM supplementation (0.025 and 0.05 g x kg-1x day-1) and in Sprague-Dawley rats after 52 days of CrM supplementation (2% wt/wt) with and without prednisolone. Areas of hepatitis were observed in the livers of the CrM-supplemented G93A mice (P < 0.05), with no significant inflammatory lesions in any of the other 18-20 tissues/organs that were evaluated. The CD-1 mice also showed significant hepatic inflammatory lesions (P < 0.05), yet there was no negative effect of CrM on liver histology in the Sprague-Dawley rats after intermediate-term or long-term supplementation nor was inflammation seen in any other tissues/organs (P = not significant). Dietary CrM supplementation can induce inflammatory changes in the liver of mice, but not rats. The observed inflammatory changes in the murine liver must be considered in the evaluation of hepatic metabolism in CrM-supplemented mice. Species differences must be considered in the evaluation of toxicological and physiological studies.

Effects of creatine and creatinine content on the mutagenic activity of meat extracts, bouillons and gravies from different sources

Thirteen commercial meat-flavour samples were analysed for creatine and creatinine content and tested for mutagenicity in the Ames Salmonella/microsome test. In most samples, more than 50% of the creatine had been converted to creatinine. Mutagenicity was related to the creatinine content: 150 mumol creatinine/g dry matter (gdm) gave upwards of 2500 revertants/gdm, concentrations of 15-40 mumol/gdm gave about 100 revertants/gdm and concentrations of 1-10 mumol/gdm gave only low or no significant mutagenicity. No relationship was apparent between coloration and mutagenicity. Beef steaks (initial weight c. 500 g) baked at oven temperatures between 115 and 245 degrees C only showed significant mutagenicity--135 revertants/100 gE (initial raw weight)--in the crust when baked at the highest temperature (245 degrees C). The gravies (meat-juice drip) collected during baking showed a linear increase in mutagenicity with baking temperatures up to 180 degrees C (48-828 revertants/100 gE) and a very sharp increase in mutagenicity for the gravy collected from beef steak baked at 245 degrees C (28,300 revertants/gdm or 19,800 revertants/100 gE). At this high temperature, the brown coloration and the proportion of creatinine to total creatine and creatinine were also dramatically increased, because this gravy dried up completely during the baking procedure.