Lead intoxication has been a major health hazard in humans. It affects people at all ages. Its toxicity is associated with various organs of the body and affects different metabolic pathways. Based on histological data, l-carnitine reduced the severity of tissue damage produced as a result of exposure of rats to lead acetate. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the underlying mechanism of protection offered by l-carnitine against lead acetate intoxication using male Sprague-Dawley rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with ten rats in each. The first group (G1) served as the control group and animals received standard diet only. The second group (G2) received lead acetate in their diet. The third group (G3) was the l-carnitine treated group and received the normal standard diet supplemented with l-carnitine. While the fourth group (G4) had a diet supplemented with both lead acetate and l-carnitine. At the end of each experiment, blood (serum and whole blood) were collected from each animal and analyzed for the following parameters: serum testosterone levels, serum nitric oxide and serum malondialdehyde. This is in addition to looking at the enzymatic activities of two important enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and on (glutathione reductase) which are indicative of the antioxidant activities in the whole blood. The results indicated that l-carnitine will counteract the undesirable effects of lead intoxication. It exerted its antioxidant potential by reducing the production of ROS and scavenging free radicals by maintaining and protecting the level of the of antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT and glutathione peroxidase. l-Carnitine may play an important role in reversing the undesirable effects of lead intoxication. Future studies should be conducted to see whether such an effect is applicable in humans exposed to lead poising.

This study was carried out to investigate the potential effects of vitamin B12 and sitagliptin, and their possible synergistic effect with doxorubicin (DOX) on the Ehrlich solid tumor model. B12, sitagliptin, and their combination with DOX were administered to tumor‐bearing mice for 21 days. Treatment with B12, sitagliptin, as well as their combinations with DOX caused a significant inhibition of tumor growth and increased the survival time. Malondialdehyde levels and the relative expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α and nuclear factor kappa B were significantly decreased, whereas the total antioxidant capacity was significantly increased in all treated groups, except the DOX‐treated one, when compared with the positive control group. Moreover, increased apoptosis was also observed by increased cleaved caspase‐3 immunostaining and histopathological examination. In conclusion, the antitumor activity of B12 and sitagliptin could be attributed to their ability to induce apoptosis and suppress oxidative stress and inflammation.

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This study was designed to determine the effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) present in flaxseed oil and soybean oil on fertility of male rats. Twenty-four male rats were divided into four groups each group contain six rats. The first group, the control group, received oil-free diet. The second group received diet contains flaxseed oil, the third group received diet contains soybean oil and the fourth group received diet contains both flaxseed oil and soybean oil with the ratio of 75%: 25%, respectively. Serum samples were collected for reproductive hormones analysis (LH, FSH and testosterone). Testicular tissues were collected with the head of epididymis for sperm cell count and semen quality test. Testicular tissues specimens were taken for histopathological examination, 17β-HSD3 gene expression and enzymatic activity as well as estimation of the antioxidant activity. The results of serum hormonal analysis showed a significant increase in testosterone and FSH levels without elevation in LH level. There was a significant increase in sperm cell count and semen quality in all three oil supplemented groups. Similar results were observed in gene expression analysis and enzyme activity of 17β-HSD3. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was lower in all oil groups especially soybean oil group without significant differences between the four groups in nitric oxide (NO) level. Reduced glutathione (GSH) level was higher in oil groups than the control one. Glutathione S transferase (GST) activity was higher in group received both soybean and flaxseed oils without significant differences between the other groups including the control group. Finally, flaxseed and soybean oils have positive effects on spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis.

Objective: To evaluate the potential protective effect of pumpkins’ seed extract on oxidative stress and cyclin D1 expression associated with mammary gland carcinoma in rats. Design: Randomized controlled experimental study. Animals: Forty female Sprague Dawley rats. Procedures: Rats were allocated equally to four groups (10 rats each); group 1 (control group); group 2 received 7, 12 dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) subcutaneously in the mammary region to induce carcinoma. Group 3 received pumpkin seed extract at 300 mg/kg body weight orally, and group 4 was treated with both pumpkin seed extract and DMBA. Animals were euthanized after 8 weeks of treatment, and tissues from mammary gland were collected and divided into three portions. The first portion was used to determine antioxidant and oxidative stress markers; the second one was stored in RNA for later estimation of Cyclin D1 expression, and the last portion was stored in neutral buffered formalin (10%) for histopathological examination. Results: Nitric oxide, Malondialdehyde, Reduced Glutathione, Glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed a significant decline in rats supplemented with pumpkin seed extract and subjected to induced mammary carcinoma in comparison with diseased non-supplemented rats (P <0.05). In addition, there was a down-expression in cyclin D1 expression in rats supplemented with pumpkin seed extract. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Pumpkins’ seed extract can alleviate the oxidative stress and cyclin D1 expression associated with experimentally induced mammary carcinoma in rats. Further studies are needed to get an evidence for the use of pumpkin seed extract in the clinical practice.

The increase in dietary cholesterol to perform a rat model for atherosclerotic diet would result in a significant increase in serum levels of total cholesterol and malondialdehyde and blood SOD activity in rats. Moreover, there was significant decrease in serum levels of LDL-C, triacylglycerol and GSH, In addition to blood catalase activity. Although, there was a nonsignificant change in in serum HDL-C and blood GPx activity. However, dietary supplementation with olive oil mixed with atherosclerotic diet ameliorates this undesirable effect. water was offered ad libitum according to National Research Council (1995).

Nanotechnology is an exciting field that has a profitable outcome due to the increased applications of nanomaterials in many areas such as industry, agriculture, business, medicine and public health. Nanomedicine is a science that studies the application of nanotechnology in medicine. For diseases diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, control and prevention. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) possess the potential to be used in nanomedicine for cancer diagnosis and therapy due to their advantageous characteristics such as biocompatibility, photocatalytic activity and good optical and electronic properties. This review aims to introduce nanomedicine and nanomaterials and focus on the recent research interest toward TiO2 NPs in medicine.

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