J Physiol Biochem. 2011; 67(3):339-349. PMID: 21336648

Abstract Recent studies have shown that lead (Pb) could disrupt tissue prooxidant/antioxidant balance which lead to physiological dysfunction. Natural antioxidants are particularly useful in such situation. Current study was designed to investigate efficacy of green tea extract (GTE), on oxidative status in brain tissue and blood caused by chronic oral Pb administration in rats. Four groups of adult male rats (each 15 rats) were utilized: control group; GTE-group (oral 1.5% w/v GTE for 6 weeks); Pb-group (oral 0.4% lead acetate for 6 weeks), and Pb+GTE-group (1.5% GTE and 0.4% lead acetate for 6 weeks). Levels of prooxidant/antioxidant parameters [lipid peroxides (LPO), nitric oxides (NO), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD)] in plasma, erythrocytes, and brain tissue homogenate were measured using colorimetric methods. Pb concentrations in whole blood and brain tissue homogenate were measured by atomic absorption. In Pb-group, levels of LPO were higher while NO and GSH were lower in plasma, erythrocytes, and brain tissue than controls. TAC in plasma, SOD in erythrocytes, and GST in brain tissue homogenate were lower in Pb-group versus control. GTE co-administrated with Pb-reduced Pb contents, increased antioxidant status than Pb-group. In erythrocytes, Pb correlated positively with LPO and negatively with NO, GSH, SOD, and Hb. In brain tissue homogenate, Pb correlated positively with LPO and negatively with GSH. This study suggests that lead induce toxicity by interfering balance between prooxidant/antioxidant. Treatment of rats with GTE combined with Pb enhances antioxidant/ detoxification system which reduced oxidative stress. These observations suggest that GTE is a potential complementary agent in treatment of chronic lead intoxication. Keywords Rat . Brain tissue homogenate . Erythrocyte . Lead toxicity. Green tea extract . Oxidative stress

Abstract

This work aims at determining the difference of pro-inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules in a synovial fluid, serum of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis patients. Synovial fluid and serum were obtained from rheumatoid arthritis (n=21), osteoarthritis (n=11) patients, serum of healthy individuals (n=12). Interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, sE-selectin levels were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Test. Compared to controls, S-sE-selectin was significantly elevated in rheumatoid arthritis while S-IL-1β, S-TNF-α were elevated in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients. S-sE-selectin, SF-IL-1β, and SF-TNF-α were significantly elevated in rheumatoid arthritis versus osteoarthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis, SF-sE-selectin was significantly lower while SF-TNF-α was higher than serum in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis, positive correlation between SF-E-selectin with serum C-reactive Protein and S-sE-selectin; between S-sE-selectin with disease duration and S-TNF-α between S-IL1-β with SF-IL1-β and disease activity while the negative correlation between S-TNF-α with grip strength were found. A degree of vascular endothelial activation reflected by increased sE-selectin is associated with disease activity, duration in rheumatoid arthritis. The positive association between IL-1β, disease activity and a negative association between TNF-α, grip strength indicated that serial estimation of these cytokines may be used to monitor disease progression. Elevated TNF-α in synovial fluid than in serum of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis patients indicates its local formation in the synovium.

Abstract Background Afatoxin B (AFB) induces toxicological efects on the liver and immune organs. The whey proteins can modulate the immune response during afatoxicosis. Our work evaluates the novel polylactic acid-glycolic acid-chitosanencapsulated bovine and camel whey proteins against AFB-induced thymic and splenic atrophy in rats. Methods and results Seventy adult male Wister albino rats were divided into a control healthy group (G1) and six AFB1- intoxicated groups (G2–G7). One of the following supplements: distilled water, camel whey proteins (CWP), bovine whey proteins, poly (d, l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)- chitosan-loaded with camel whey protein microparticles (CMP), PLGAchitosan loaded with bovine whey protein microparticles (BMP), and PLGA-chitosan nanoparticles were administered as prophylactic supplements to AFB1-intoxicated groups. The AFB-treated group showed signifcantly higher hepatic levels of oxidative stress and lower levels of antioxidants. In the afatoxicated group, atrophy of the splenic lymphatic nodules and disfgurement in the organisation with an apparent decrease in the thickness of the cortex in the thymus were observed, as well as a decrease in splenic and thymic CD4+T and CD8+T lymphocytes. Moreover, CXCL12 levels were downregulated, whereas tumour necrosis factor-alpha, nuclear factor kappa B, and cleaved caspase-3 levels were upregulated. CWP, BMP, and CMP supplements markedly decreased oxidative stress, infammation, and apoptosis, as well as signifcantly raised CXCL12, CD4+T, and CD8+T cells. Conclusions The CWP, BMP, and CMP supplements rescue the liver and immune tissues from the toxic efects of AFB through their antioxidant, antiapoptotic, anti-infammatory, and chemotaxis-enhancing roles.

Previous studies in headache patients measured the cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) in response to photic stimulation but they have yielded contradictory results. The purpose of study was to measure CVR of both migraine and chronic tension headache (TTH) patients in response to photic stimulation. The study included 37 migraineurs and 24 chronic TTH patients compared with 50 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Peak systolic, end diastolic, mean flow velocities and CVR (PSV, EDV, MFV, and CVR) were measured using TCD ultrasonography of the middle, anterior, posterior cerebral and vertebral arteries (MCA, ACA, PCA, and VA) before and after 100 s of 14 Hz photic stimulation. A three-way repeated measures ANOVA interaction with main factors of Vessels (MCA, ACA, PCA, VA), Time (pre-post photic) and Groups (migraine, TTH, and control group) revealed significant 3-way interactions for measures of PSV (P = 0.012) and MFV (P = 0.043). In the migraine patients there was significantly higher PSV, EDV, and MFV in the MCA, ACA, and PCA after photic stimulation compared with baseline. The CVR of the MCA was also significantly higher in migraineurs than controls. In the TTH group, there was significantly higher PSV, EDV, and MFV (P = 0.003, 0.012, 0.002 respectively) in the VA after photic stimulation than at baseline. The CVR was significantly higher in the VA of TTH patients than controls. Compared with controls after photic stimulation, the higher CVR of the MCA in migraineurs and of the VA in TTH patients could be used as diagnostic tool to differentiate between the two types of headaches.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) induces lateralized speech arrest consistent with cerebral dominance for language. Studies of language cerebral dominance in differently handed healthy subjects have been limited. Using a focal magnetic coil, we examined the degree of consistency between handedness as evaluated by the Stanley Coren Score and hemispheric dominance for language as determined by rTMS in 25 right- and 25 left-handed medical students. They were categorized according to the score into 24 strongly right-handed, 1 moderately right-handed, 19 strongly left-handed, 3 moderately left-handed and 3 ambidextrous (equally-handed). In the strongly right-handed subjects, left-sided language cerebral dominance was recorded in 87.5% of the subjects, and bilateral cerebral representation in 8.2%, and right-sided language cerebral dominance in 4.2%. In the strongly left-handed subjects, 73.7% had left-side language cerebral dominance, 15.8% had bilateral cerebral representation and 10.5% had right-side cerebral language dominance. In mixed handed subjects (moderately right, left and ambidextrous), bilateral cerebral representation was observed in 57% and left-side cerebral language dominance in 43%. There were 27 subjects who developed speech arrest at 140% of motor threshold, the others developed speech arrest at lower intensities. Speech lateralized to the left-side cerebral dominance in strongly right- and left-handed subjects, but bilateral cerebral representation was frequent in mixed handedness and right-sided cerebral dominance rarely occurred.