No abstract

This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of red cabbage and garlic extracts on the oxidative stress induced through treatment with fumonisin B1 in male mice. The study was conducted on sixty male mice that were divided  randomly into six groups. Group 1included control mice, mice in group 2 received a daily oral dose (200 µg/kg.b.w) of fumonisin B1 for one month to induced mycotoxicosis, mice in group 3 received 500 mg/kg.b.w red cabbage extract plus fumonisin B1, mice in group 4 received only red cabbage extract, mice in group 5 received 500 mg/kg.b.w garlic extract plus fumonisin B1, and group 6 received garlic extract alone. After finishing  the experiments, samples of blood  were used for biochemical examination. The   results indicated that group 2 mice had significantly increased (p < 0.05) serum levels of malondialdehyde, which   is a biomarker of lipid peroxidation, in addition to significantly decreased levels of catalase and the antioxidant enzymes glutathione  peroxidase , glutathione , and superoxide dismutase  , as compared to the  normal control group. Oral administration  of  garlic and red cabbage extracts produced significantly  decreased levels of serum malondialdehyde and significantly increased levels of superoxide dismutase,  catalase,  glutathione peroxidase,  and  glutathione, as compared to  group 2. These results indicated that the experimental treatment with fumonisin B-1 caused an elevated oxidative stress in addition to the consumption of the antioxidant enzymes in response to the induced oxidative aggression.

Oxidative stress (OS) may affect in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). The aim of this study is to explore the possible relationships between OS parameters in serum and follicular fluid (FF) from infertile women with male cause infertility (n=40), women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (n=40), and women with unexplained infertility (UI)(n=45) undergoing IVF/ICSI. The collection of blood and FF samples was done at the day of oocyte aspiration. Total peroxide (TPX) level, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were measured in serum and FF; whereas, glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured in FF. Also, oxidative stress index (OSI) that is the percentage ratio of TPX to TAC, was calculated. In the control group, correlation analysis reveals the presence of a significant positive association between FF OSI with serum OSI, FF TPX with FF OSI, and serum TPX with FF GST activity. In the PCOS group, there was a significant negative association between: FF TPX and serum TAC level. However, non-significant relationship was found between serum and FF OS status parameters in the UI group. It’s concluded from the present study that systemic OS may give valuable information about local OS occurrence (blood OS reflects FF OS) only in control group and PCOS group. Such information could be useful for a better understanding of the pathological OS mechanisms involved in IVF failure for patients with different causes of infertility.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered an inflammatory process with systemic involvement of the vascular tree. Asymptomic coronary artery disease is common in diabetic patients and is a strong predictor for future adverse coronary vascular events as well as early death. The objective of this study was to determine serum levels Intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), Vascular adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1), interleukin 1-β (IL1-β), and C-Reactive protein (CRP) in relation to some markers indicative of type II diabeticT2DM. Methods: 50 patients in early stage of T2DM with no cardiovascular history and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. All anthropometrical indexes were measured in two groups. Laboratory investigations including: Fasting blood sugar (FBS) and lipid profile were measured by enzymatic colorimetric methods. Serum insulin, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, IL1-β, and CRP were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ELISA. Results: The levels of FBS (195.94± 12.178mg/dL), Insulin (18.627± 1.224µIU/ml). VCAM-1 (2017.3± 108.908 ng/dl), IL1-β (29.559 ± 1.225 pg/ml), CRP (23.989± 2.526 mg/l), and lipid abnormality, were highest in diabetic patients with significant differences (P<0.05) when compared with those of control group, while ICAM show no significant difference (57.620±0.960 ng/dl). Positive significant correlation was found between VCAM and CRP(r=0.415, P= 0.01). Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) show no significant differences with ICAM,VCAM, CRP, and IL1-β. Conclusions: This study reveals that even first-time diagnosis of T 2 DM, patients with higher insulin resistance and abnormal lipids, have elevated endothelial dysfunction markers and CRP, which may up-regulate cardiovascular disease progression.

A. Background: Diabetes initiates the thrombotic complications of atherosclerosis through changing the function of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and platelets. Also insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia can lead to arterial atherosclerosis in diabetic patients. Angiopoietin like protein-4 (ANGPTL4) is a multifunctional protein involved in lipid regulation, energy metabolism, angiogenesis, and inflammation. Its expression is stimulated in liver, heart, muscle and adipose tissue, during the acute phase response. C-reactive protein directly induces the expression of adhesion molecules by endothelial cells. Also recruiting monocytes into the vessel wall are triggered by the expression of specific chemokines particularly monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), all these processes induce the risk of atherosclerotic complications with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). B. Aim of this study:To study the role of ANGPTL4 in T2DM patients with and without atherosclerosis risk factor (dyslipidemia), and to demonstrate the relationship of ANGPTL4 with inflammatory process.