The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of erdosteine and vitamins C and E (VCE) on the lungs after performing hind limb ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) by assessing oxidative stress, plasma copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) analysis. The animals were divided randomly into four groups as nine rats each as follows: control, I/R, I/R plus erdosteine, and I/R plus VCE combination. I/R period for 60 min was performed on the both hind limbs of all the rats in the groups of I/R, erdosteine with I/R, VCE with I/R allowing 120 min of reperfusion. The animals received orally erdosteine one time in a day and 3 days before I/R in the erdosteine group. In the VCE group, the animals VCE combination received one time in a day and 3 days before I/R, although placebo was given to control and I/R group animals. Lung lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde [MDA]) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase activities were increased, although lung glutathione (GSH) and plasma Zn levels decreased in I/R group in lung tissue compared with the control group. Serum MDA level, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities were increased in I/R group compared with the control. Lung MDA and plasma Zn levels and lung SOD activity were decreased by erdosteine administration, whereas lung GSH levels after I/R increased. The plasma Zn levels and lung SOD activity were decreased by VCE administration, although the plasma Cu and lung GSH levels increased after I/R. In conclusion, erdosteine has an antioxidant role on the values in the rat model, and it has more protective affect than in VCE in attenuating I/R-induced lung injury in rats.
Ammonia is considered to be the main agent responsible for hepatic encephalopathy which progressively leads to altered mental status. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) is an ionotropic glutamate receptor, which is involved in synaptogenesis, memory and neurotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ammonia intoxication and allopurinol, a xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor, on NMDA receptor subunits, NR2A and NR2B, in the hippocampus of rats. Thirty-six male rats were divided into three groups (n = 12/group) as follows: (1)control group (phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution); (2)ammonia group (ammonium acetate, 2.5 mmol/kg), (3)ammonia + allopurinol group (ammonium acetate, 2.5 mmol/kg, allopurinol, 50 mg/kg). Each rat received intraperitoneal injection for 28 days. Western Blotting technique was used for detecting NR2A and NR2B expressions. Both NR2A and NR2B subunit expressions decreased 27 and 11%, respectively, in ammonia group with respect to the control group. Ammonium acetate decreased significantly in NR2A subunit expressions in the hippocampus (p < 0.01). Administration of ammonia + allopurinol caused statistically significant increases in NR2A subunit expressions compared to the ammonia group (p < 0.001). The down-regulation of NMDA receptors caused by ammonium acetate suggest that these receptors may play role in the process of hepatic encephalopathy and using allopurinol may have some protective effects in ammonia toxicity.
N(G)-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) is a non-specific nitric oxide (NO) inhibitor and it has been used to eliminate the role of NO in many studies like animal models for hypertension. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether lisinopril treatment has any biochemical and/or histopathological effect on rat liver tissue in a L-NAME-induced hypertension model. Forty-eight 6-weeks-old male Spraque-Dawley rats were used in the study. The animals used in the study were randomly divided into four equal groups. To induce hypertension, L-NAME was added to drinking water at a concentration of 600 mg/l and each rat was given 75 mg/kg/day of L-NAME for 6 weeks. Tail cuff systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured at first, third, and sixth weeks. There was a significant difference between the experiment groups and controls. In only lisinopril given and L-NAME plus lisinopril administered groups, each rat was given 10 mg/kg of lisinopril for 6 weeks. At the end of the study, the animals were sacrificed. Blood and tissue samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological analysis. It has been observed that mean NO level was significantly decreased in L-NAME given group (p<0.05). Mean ALT levels were significantly increased in lisinopril and L-NAME plus lisinopril given groups, when compared with the control group (p<0.05). AST levels were in normal range in all groups (p>0.05). Hepatocyte degeneration was prominent in lisinopril given group, whereas mononuclear cell infiltration was significant in L-NAME given groups. Although the beneficial effects in L-NAME-induced hypertension treatment, lisinopril can lead to some unexpected results like hepatocyte degeneration, serum enzyme level elevation, and slight mononuclear cell infiltration.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.