The ocular renin‐angiotensin system has become an interesting target for ocular diseases because it has been implicated in various ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age‐related macular degeneration, uveitis, and hypertensive cataracts. In the present study, we explored the effect of topically and orally administered losartan (an angiotensin receptor blocker) on streptozotocin‐induced diabetic cataract in albino rats. Topical treatment with losartan modulated neither the blood glucose level nor the polyol content but oral treatment with losartan decreased both. Topical and oral treatment with losartan significantly increased the antioxidants (glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase), decreased the lipid peroxidant malondialdehyde, and restored soluble protein, and insoluble protein and various ions (Na+, K+, and Ca2+) in the lens; however, topical treatment had a better effect than oral treatment. These findings demonstrate that topical administration of losartan significantly reduces the risk of cataract formation without affecting either the blood glucose level or polyol contents.

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A simple, fast, and efficient RP-HPLC method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous estimation of Levodropropizine, Chloropheniramine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, and the quantification of Levodropropizine impurities in the Reswas syrup dosage form. A gradient elution method was used for the separation of all the actives and Levodropropizine impurities by using the X-Bridge C18, 150 mm × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm column with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and detector wavelength at 223 nm. The mobile phase consisted of a potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate buffer and acetonitrile. All the peaks were symmetrical and well-resolved (resolution was greater than 2.5 for any pair of components) with a shorter run time. The limit of detection for Levodropropizine and its Impurity B was 0.07 μg/ml & 0.05 μg/ml, whereas the limit of quantification was 0.19 μg/ml & 0.15 μg/ml respectively. The method was validated in terms of precision, accuracy, linearity, robustness, and specificity. Degradation products resulting from the stress studies were well-resolved and did not interfere with the detection of Levodropropizine, Chloropheniramine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, and Levodropropizine Impurity B, thus the test method is stability-indicating. Validation of the method was carried out as per International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines.

The present study was designed to evaluate the antihypertensive activity and cardioprotective effects of magnesium taurate against cadmium chloride (CdCl2)-intoxicated albino rats. Sprague Dawley male albino rats (120–150 g) were divided into five groups having six animals in each group. Hypertension and cardiotoxicity were induced in animals by administration of CdCl2 (0.5 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for four weeks. Magnesium taurate (2 and 4 mg/kg/day) was administered orally after induction of hypertension (after two weeks) in their respective groups concurrently with CdCl2 for next two weeks. Amlodipine (3 mg/kg/day, p.o.) was used as a standard and administered after induction of hypertension. Blood pressure was monitored biweekly by using non-invasive blood pressure system and biochemical parameters and histopathology of the heart were evaluated after four weeks of the experimental protocol. During the four weeks of the experimental protocol, the toxic control group showed significant elevation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure concomitant with augmentation of cardiotoxicity as indicated by reduction in myocardial antioxidants including glutathione peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and increased malondialdehyde level in heart as compared to the normal group. The oral administrations of magnesium taurate significantly restored the blood pressure, myocardial antioxidants and malondialdehyde level as compared to toxic control group. In addition, histopathological examination showed that magnesium taurate treatments substantially reduced the myocardial damages against CdCl2 treatment. The results suggest that magnesium taurate has prominent antihypertensive and cardioprotective activity via its potent antioxidant activity and can be used as a nutrition supplement to improve the cardiovascular health.

Glaucoma has engulfed a huge population of the world into its claws of blindness as it remains asymptomatic until nearly 40% of the neurons are lost and the only option left is for patients to be subjected to symptomatic treatments or surgical methods, neither of which is completely effective in curing the disease as they do not restore the physiological dimensions at the neuronal level. Among the several factors that drive the pathophysiology of glaucoma, one is the involvement of fibrogenic factors, such as transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) which remodels the extracellular matrix (ECM) and, thus, the deposition of fibrotic material in the retina, resulting in the progression of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the protective effects of oxymatrine (OMT) in the steroid-induced glaucoma model in experimental rats and to determine the role of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) in the pathogenesis of glaucoma and its consequent inhibition due to the antioxidant and the antiinflammatory, and also the TGFβ1 antagonistic, behavior of OMT. To that end, we experimentally elucidated the role of OMT, a TGFβ1 antagonist, that is known to play antiinflammatory and antioxidant roles in the steroid-induced glaucoma model in experimental rats, and using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we observed a direct inhibitory effect of OMT on the pathogenesis of glaucoma. The antioxidant and the antiinflammatory potentials of OMT were determined using several biochemical methods to determine the major antioxidants in the retinal layers, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH), along with the nitrite and the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration levels. As a result, OMT was found to reduce the total protein content in the retinal layers, a correlation that has not been previously reported. Moreover, the impacts of OMT on the major governing ATPases, namely Na+/K+ ATPase and Ca2+ATPase, along with its impacts on the intracellular ionic concentrations of Na+, K+, and Ca2+, were determined and were found to point toward OMT, restoring homeostasis in glaucomatous animals. A clearer picture of the changes during the treatment was obtained using retinal images of the live animals and of the lenticular changes in the sacrificed animal; these images provided data on the pathological pathways leading to glaucoma inception and its consequent inhibition by OMT. The data reported in this study clearly indicate that OMT has a possible role in inhibiting the pathogenesis of glaucoma, and the data also permit the quantification of several biochemical parameters of concern.