Antioxidant and Chemopreventive Effects of Azadirachta indica on Lead Acetate-induced Hepatotoxicity in Male Wistar Rats.

Toxic metals such as lead (Pb) cause severe liver damage in humans and animals, with oxidative stress prominently implicated in the pathogenesis of lead acetate­induced liver injury. Azadirachta indica is hepatoprotective due to its antioxidative effect. This study investigated the antioxidative role of A. indica (AI) and its chemopreventive effect on lead acetate (LA)-induced hepatocellular dysfunction with seventy adult male rats classified into group A- Control (distilled water), group B 0.1% LA only, group C and D- 0.1% LA + 100 mg/kg and 0.1% LA + 200 mg/kg AI respectively, group E- 0.2% LA, group F and G- 0.2% LA + 100 mg/kg and 0.2% LA + 200 mg/kg AI. Oxidative stress markers (MDA and H2O2), antioxidant parameters (GSH, SOD, CAT, GPx, GST), inflammatory markers (MPO and NO), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and histopathological studies of the liver were evaluated. The results showed that LA administration caused a decrease in GSH, GPx, and GST while AI co-administration increased the activities of the antioxidants. Moreover, LA administration increased MPO, NO, MDA, and H2O2 levels whereas AI significantly reduced (P<0.05) these parameters. Histopathological examination revealed necrosis and mild infiltration by inflammatory cells in LA administered rats, whereas these lesions were absent in AI administered rats. In conclusion, A. indica demonstrates a protective role in lead acetate-induced hepatotoxicity, mainly via oxidative stress inhibition.

Cardioprotective Effects of Curcumin-Nisin Based Poly Lactic Acid Nanoparticle on Myocardial Infarction in Guinea Pigs.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the most prevalent cause of cardiovascular death. A possible way of preventing MI maybe by dietary supplements. The present study was thus designed to ascertain the cardio-protective effect of a formulated curcumin and nisin based poly lactic acid nanoparticle (CurNisNp) on isoproterenol (ISO) induced MI in guinea pigs. Animals were pretreated for 7 days as follows; Groups A and B animals were given 0.5 mL/kg of normal saline, group C metoprolol (2 mg/kg), groups D and E CurNisNp 10 and 21 mg/kg respectively (n = 5). MI was induced on the 7th day in groups B-E animals. On the 9th day electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded, blood samples and tissue biopsies were collected for analyses. Toxicity studies on CurNisNp were carried out. MI induction caused atrial fibrillation which was prevented by pretreatment of metoprolol or CurNisNp. MI induction was also associated with increased expressions of cardiac troponin I (CTnI) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) which were significantly reduced in guinea pig's pretreated with metoprolol or CurNisNp (P < 0.05). The LC50 of CurNisNp was 3258.2 µg/mL. This study demonstrated that the formulated curcumin-nisin based nanoparticle confers a significant level of cardio-protection in the guinea pig and is nontoxic.

Urinary aflatoxin exposure monitoring in rural and semi-urban populations in Ogun state, Nigeria.

Aflatoxins are a major class of fungal toxins that have food safety importance due to their economic and health impacts. This pilot aflatoxin exposure biomonitoring study on 84 individuals was conducted in a rural (Ilumafon) and a semi-urban community (Ilishan Remo) of Ogun state, Nigeria, to compare aflatoxin exposures among the two population cohorts. First morning urine samples were obtained from the participants, and the urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) levels were measured by a quantitative Helica Biosystems Inc. ELISA kit assay. About 99% (83 out of 84) of the urine samples had detectable AFM1 levels in the range of 0.06 to 0.51 ng mL-1 (median: 0.27 ng mL-1). The mean urinary AFM1 levels were significantly (p = 0.001) higher in the semi-urban population (0.31 ± 0.09 ng mL-1) compared to the rural population (0.24 ± 0.07 ng mL-1). There were, however, no significant differences in mean urinary AFM1 levels of males and females, and among children, adolescents and adults. This study indicates high aflatoxin exposure to the extent of public health concerns in the studied populations. Thus, more efforts are required for aflatoxin exposure monitoring and control in high-risk regions.