[The gastroprotective action of acidic mineral water from the Azhyg-Sug source on the stress-induced injuries to the stomach of white rats]. / Gastroprotektivnoe deistvie kisloi mineral'noi vody istochnika Azhyg-Sug pri stress-indutsirovannom povrezhdenii zheludka u belykh krys.

BACKGROUND: The relevance of this study is determined by the need for the scientifically sound substantiation of the possibility for the use of acidic mineral waters in the treatment of digestive diseases taking into consideration their widespread application in ethnomedicine, in particular in the Republic of Tuva. AIM: The objective of the present study was to elucidate the gastroprotective action of acidic mineral water from the Azhyg-Sug source (Republic of Tyva) on the experimental animals as exemplified by the model of ulcerogenesis under the conditions of immobilization stress. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experimental studies were carried out with the use of 32 white rats of the Wistar line. Ulcerogenesis was initiated by means of immobilization stress. We evaluated the pathomorphological characteristics of the gastric mucosa and the number of destructions based on the Pauls index. The state of the lipid peroxidation system and antioxidative protection were determined from the content of malon dialdehyde and reduced glutathione, extracellular catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in erythrocytes. RESULTS: The study has demonstrated that the mineral water from the Azhyg-Sug source slows down the development of the inflammatory and destructive necrotic processes in the mucosa of the stomach of albino rats. The depth of erosion in the animals receiving mineral water was 2.3 and 3.4 times lower than in the control animals (p≤0.05). The antioxidant effect of mineral water was confirmed by the 14-20% decrease of the MDA concentration as well as by the increase of the catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities by 21-25% and 20-30% respectively in comparison with the control animals. CONCLUSION: The Azhyg-Sug mineral water has the strong gastroprotective influence on the experimental animals having the induced neurogenic ulcer. One of the mechanisms underlying the gastroprotective action of the investigated mineral water arises from its ability to inhibit the processes of lipid peroxidation with the simultaneous enhancement of the activity of the antioxidant system of the organism.

[Antimutagenic and antioxidant features of confectionery products containing the powder from the leaves of Hippophae rhamnoides L.]

The aim of the work was to determine the possibility of using the powder from the leaves of Hippophae rhamnoides L. for enriching flour confectionery and to evaluate the antimutagenic and antioxidant activity of the product. The experiment was carried out on 24 white Wistar rats with initial body weight (b.w.) 180-200 g. The animals of the experimental group (n=8) received confection containing sea buckthorn powder at a rate of 20 mg per 100 g b.w. for 14 days on the background of a standard vivarium diet. The animals of the control and intact groups received confection containing no bioactive supplement at the same dose. Antimutagenic and antioxidant effects were estimated in a day after a single injection of cyclophosphamide at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. The number of chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells of white rats was counted and the activity of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), the level of reduced glutathione and the concentration of TBA-active products in blood were evaluated. The intake of the confectionery containing the powdered H. rhamnoides leaves resulted in the 45% decrease of the number of damaged cells, 50% decrease of the proportion of cells with multiple chromosome breaks and 52% decrease of the number of achromatic gaps as compared to animals of the control group (n=8). The cake intake increased the activity of catalase (by 52%) and SOD (by 33%) and glutathione content (by 26%) in blood.

[Hepatoprotective effect of Hypecoum erectum extract on experimental D-galactosamine-induced damage of rat liver].

Hepatoprotective properties of the extract derived from the herbs of Hypecoum erectum L. have been studied on a model of D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis in rats. It is established that Hypecoum erectum extract in a dose of 50 mg/kg diminishes the development of cytolysis and cholestasis syndromes, as manifested by maximum decrease in the following indices after 7 days of the experiment: ALT activity by 26%; AST activity by 44%; alkaline phosphatase activity by 30%; ß-lipoproteins by 21%; and bilirubin by 29% (p < 0.05). The Hypecoum erectum extract (i) increases the energy potential of hepatocytes, manifested by increasing the ATP content by 70% (p = 0.001) and normalizing the ratio of lactate and pyruvate in the liver homogenate; (ii) inhibits lipid peroxidation, manifested by decreasing the content of malonic dialdehyde in the liver homogenate and diene conjugates in the blood serum on the average by 30% (p < 0.05); (iii) activates the antioxidant system of the organism, increasing the catalase activity in liver homogenates by 58% (p < 0.05) and 11% and the content of reduced glutathione in the blood by 56% (p < 0.05) and 36% (p < 0.05), respectively, on the 3rd and 7th days of the experiment.

[Effect of Hypecoum erectum extract on morphofunctional state of the liver in rats with tetracycline-associated hepatitis].

The effect of Hypecoum erectum L. extract on the morphofunctional condition of the liver in rats with experimental tetracycline-associated hepatitis was studied. The experiment included 40 albino rats Wistar. The animals treated with tetracycline hydrochloride (1.0 g/kg body weight) were exposed to the extract in a dose of 50 mg/kg for 5 days. On the 7th day of the experiment the following indices were determined: malonic dialdehyde concentration, catalase activity, the levels of ATP, pyruvate and lactate in the liver homogenate, as well as the blood levels of reduced glutathione. The liver pathomorphological investigation was applied. The H. erectum extract was shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation, to increase the activity of the host endogenous antioxidant system, to normalize the hepatocyte energy provision and to limit the liver degeneration.

[The choleretic and hepatoprotective effect of Hypecoum erectum extract].

The choleretic and hepatoprotective effect of Hypecoum erectum L. dry extract on toxic hepatitis was studied. Experimental hepatitis was caused by the introduction of D-galactosamine to Wistar white rats in the dose of 500 mg/kg of the animal weight once a day for 3 days. The H. erectum extract was administered per os in the dose of 50 mg/kg for 7 days. It has been established that H. erectum extract has a marked hepatoprotective effect in the case of D-galactosamine hepatitis in white rats that is characterized by inhibition of the disturbances in cholate-synthetic functions of the liver, increase of bile secretion rate, preservation of cholate concentration in the bile. The tested remedy diminishes dystrophic and necrotic processes, decreases the intensity of inflammatory infiltration in the liver and stimulates regeneration of liver cells in D-galactosamine hepatitis.

EFFECTS OF “NEPHROPHYTE” ON CASPASE-3 ACTIVITY AND PRESERVATION OF TISSUE ATP IN RENAL ISCHEMIA/REPERFUSION / Монголын эм зүй, эм судлал

This paper describes the effects of a multicomponent plant preparation developed on the basis of Tibetan prescriptions, including ethanolic extracts of Arctostaphylos uva- ursi (L.) Spreng, Orthosiphon stamineus (L.), Polygonum aviculare (L.), on caspase-3 activity and recovery of tissue ATP content in ischemic renal cells of albino Wistar rats. It has been shown that after “Nephrophyte” administration at a dose of 150 mg/kg body wt. (overnight and 1 hour before ischemia) the activity of caspase-3 significantly decreased and the recovery of tissue ATP was significantly enhanced. These results suggest that “Nephrophyte” may protect the kidney against ischemia/ reperfusion injuries, at least, by ameliorating apoptotic process and preserving tissue ATP content. KEY WORDS: kidney, ischemia/reperfusion, caspase-3, ATP, “Nephrophyte” INTRODUCTION Acute renal failure (ARF) as a result of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is of great clinical significance because of its frequent occurrence, high morbidity and mortality. It is important to improve the ability of kidney to tolerate ischemic damages. ATP depletion and apoptosis are widely recognized to be implicated in ischemic renal injury. Hence, research efforts designed to prevent or ameliorate I/R injury have focused on the pharmacological inhibition of apoptotic process, preservation and recovery of intracellular ATP. However, the above approaches remain to be fully explored. It is now widely recognized that several pathological processes of biological tissues are caused by ischemia-reperfusion processes. Acute renal failure (ARF) is a clinical syndrome characterized by an abrupt loss of kidney function resulted from different forms of renal injury including ischemic and toxic stimuli. Tubular cell death through apoptosis is supposed to play a significant role in the genesis of ARF that has been confirmed by studies both in animal models and in clinical kidney diseases [12; 16]. Therefore, the control of apoptosis could be a potential target for therapeutic interventions with the aim to prevent or at least to alleviate the severity of ARF. Among the biochemical events leading to apoptotic changes, activation of caspases is of great importance since they are responsible for almost all the biochemical and morphological features of apoptosis, caspase-3 being a key mediator of apoptotic death in different cell types. Earlier, it has been shown that protease inhibitors, especially peptide-based inhibitors are highly effective in preventing programmed cell death in both in vitro and in vivo models [8; 10]. Recently, natural compounds of plant origin became a focus of interest in regulating cell survival. The induction of apoptosis by plant extracts largely through caspase-3 activation has been reported in a number of studies. For example, solamargine, a steroidal alkaloid glycoside from Solanum incunum triggers apoptosis in human hepatoma cells [9]; triterpenoid saponins from Acacia victoriae induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells [6]; Tylophora alkaloids were shown to induce apoptosis in human erythroleukemic cells involving cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation [3]. As to the data on the natural inhibitors of apoptosis, there are few reports in the present-day literature. Luo et al. [11] have found that the standardized Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 significantly attenuates mitochondrion- initiated apoptosis and decreases caspase-3 activity in neuroblastoma cells [19]. The inhibitory effect of caffeic acid on the activity of caspase-3 in cultured cerebellar granule neurons subjected to apoptosis has been shown in a more recent study [18], as well as protective effect of tirofuban on ischemia-induced renal apoptosis [5]. Here, we report the inhibition of caspase-3 activity and significant recovery of tissue ATP by “Nephrophyte”, a multicomponent plant preparation developed on the Tibetan prescriptions, in rat ischemic kidney cells. Our previous studies showed antioxidant, anti- inflammatory and nephroprotective activity of the phytopreparation in question due to its phytoconstituents (flavonoids, phenolic acids and free amino acids) that was the rationale for the present research [13; 15]. MATERIALS AND METHODS ANIMALS Albino Wistar rats, weighing 180-200 g each of either sex were used. The animals were maintained under a standard light cycle (12 h light, 12 h dark) and temperature (20˚C), with free access to food and water. The research was approved by the animal study committee of the local institutional review board and conducted according to the guide for the care and use of laboratory animals.