Pharmacological Effects of the Lipidosterolic Extract from Kigelia africana Fruits in Experimental Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Induced by Testosterone in Sprague Dawley Rats.

Background: The use of phytotherapics is very frequent in men with prostatic diseases, sexual disorders and infertility, and many associations are commercially available. Various vegetable products used as drugs or nutraceuticals are attributed to possess the capacity to exert benefic effects on the reproductive system, and most of these drugs have a rich and varied lipidosterolic fraction, primarily responsible for the effects related to the male genital sphere. Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. (Bignoniaceae) is a plant used in African folk medicine as a vegetal remedy for various diseases, including some disorders of the male reproductive system; however, its potential activities have not yet been fully explored. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the lipidosterolic hexane extract (LHE) from K. africana fruits, analyzed by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detection (GC×GC-MS/FID), can prevent or reverse benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in rats. Methods: BPH was induced in experimental groups by daily subcutaneous injections of testosterone propionate (TP) for four weeks. ß-sitosterol (ß-s) was used as positive control. On day 28, the animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation after anesthesia. Prostates were excised, weighed, and used for macroscopic and histological studies. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in prostate were measured. Results: The results showed that LHE significantly reduced the prostatic weight, prostatic index, prostatic levels of testosterone and DHT, and the histopathological alterations (including the epithelial thickness, stromal proliferation, and lumen area) induced by testosterone. These effects were superior to those demonstrated by ß-s and appear to be due to a partial antiandrogenic activity of LHE. Conclusion: The results obtained showed that the LHE can prevent, and reverse testosterone induced prostatic hyperplasia, and support the traditional use of Kigelia africana in some disorders of the reproductive system.

Involvement of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1-α in Experimental Testicular Ischemia and Reperfusion: Effects of Polydeoxyribonucleotide and Selenium.

Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) is an agonist of the A2A adenosine receptor derived from salmon trout sperm. Selenium (Se) is a trace element normally present in the diet. We aimed to investigate the long-term role of PDRN and Se, alone or in association, after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats. The animals underwent 1 h testicular ischemia followed by 30 days of reperfusion or a sham I/R and were treated with PDRN or Se alone or in association for 30 days. I/R significantly increased hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF-1α) in Leydig cells, malondialdehyde (MDA), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (pErk 1/2), and apoptosis decreased testis weight, glutathione (GSH), testosterone, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), induced testicular structural changes, and eliminated HIF-1α spermatozoa positivity. The treatment with either PDRN or Se significantly decreased MDA, apoptosis, and HIF-1α positivity of Leydig cells, increased testis weight, GSH, testosterone, and Nrf2, and improved the structural organization of the testes. PDRN and Se association showed a higher protective effect on all biochemical, structural, and immunohistochemical parameters. Our data suggest that HIF-1α could play important roles in late testis I/R and that this transcriptional factor could be modulated by PDRN and Se association, which, together with surgery, could be considered a tool to improve varicocele-induced damages.

Myo-inositol in the protection from cadmium-induced toxicity in mice kidney: An emerging nutraceutical challenge.

Cadmium (Cd) induces functional and morphological changes in kidney. Therefore, the effects of a natural nutraceutical antioxidant, myo-inositol (MI), were evaluated in mice kidneys after Cd challenge. Twenty-eight C57 BL/6 J mice were divided into these groups: 0.9% NaCl; MI (360 mg/kg/day); CdCl2 (2 mg/kg/day) plus vehicle; CdCl2 (2 mg/kg/day) plus MI (360 mg/kg/day). After 14 days, kidneys were processed for structural, biochemical and morphometric evaluation. Treatment with CdCl2 increased urea nitrogen and creatinine in serum and augmented tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. Furthermore, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) immunoreactivity, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) positive cells number were significantly higher than control and MI groups. Glutathione (GSH) content and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were reduced and structural changes were evident. The treatment with MI significantly lowered urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, TNF-α and iNOS expression, MCP-1, KIM-1 and MIOX immunoreactivity and TUNEL positive cells number, increased GSH content and GPx activity and preserved kidney morphology. A protection of MI against Cd-induced damages in mice kidney was demonstrated, suggesting a strong antioxidant role of this nutraceutical against environmental Cd harmful effects on kidney lesions.

Salivary glands: a new player in phosphorus metabolism.

In uremic patients, hyperphosphatemia is associated with cardiovascular calcification and increased cardiovascular mortality. Despite the use of phosphate binders and dietary phosphate limitation in addition to dialysis, only 50% of dialysis patients achieve recommended serum phosphate levels. The identification of other approaches for serum phosphorus reduction is therefore necessary. We have approached this issue by taking into account the relationships between serum phosphate, kidney function, and saliva. Saliva was chosen because the anatomy and/or physiology of acini, the secretive units of salivary glands, shares similarities with that of the renal tubules. Salivary fluid contains electrolytes including phosphate that, when related with the amount of salivary secretion per day, raises the interest in identifying another possible approach for phosphorus removal in uremic patients. This article reports studies from our laboratory in the last 3 to 4 years, which have demonstrated a hyperphosphoric salivary content in patients with chronic renal failure and those with end-stage renal disease under chronic dialysis that, in patients with chronic renal failure, linearly correlates with serum phosphate in patients with chronic renal failure and negatively with GFR. The ingestion of the saliva and later its absorption in the intestinal tract starts a vicious circle between salivary phosphate secretion and fasting phosphate absorption, thereby worsening hyperphosphatemia. Therefore, salivary phosphate binding could be a useful approach to serum phosphate level reduction in dialysis patients. The reduction of salivary phosphate with the salivary phosphate binder, chitosan-loaded chewing gum, chewed during fasting periods, as an add-on to phosphate binders could lead to a better control of hyperphosphatemia, as demonstrated in our study, which confirms the importance of this approach.

The anatomic location of the soul from the heart, through the brain, to the whole body, and beyond: a journey through Western history, science, and philosophy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe representative Western philosophical, theological, and scientific ideas regarding the nature and location of the soul from the Egyptians to the contemporary period; and to determine the principal themes that have structured the history of the development of the concept of the soul and the implications of the concept of the soul for medical theory and practice. METHODS: We surveyed the ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman periods, the early, Medieval, and late Christian eras, as well as the Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Modern periods to determine the most salient ideas regarding the nature and location of the soul. RESULTS: In the history of Western theological, philosophical, and scientific/medical thought, there exist 2 dominant and, in many respects, incompatible concepts of the soul: one that understands the soul to be spiritual and immortal, and another that understands the soul to be material and mortal. In both cases, the soul has been described as being located in a specific organ or anatomic structure or as pan-corporeal, pervading the entire body, and, in some instances, trans-human and even pan-cosmological. Moreover, efforts to discern the nature and location of the soul have, throughout Western history, stimulated physiological exploration as well as theoretical understanding of human anatomy. The search for the soul has, in other words, led to a deepening of our scientific knowledge regarding the physiological and, in particular, cardiovascular and neurological nature of human beings. In addition, in virtually every period, the concept of the soul has shaped how societies thought about, evaluated, and understood the moral legitimacy of scientific and medical procedures: from performing abortions and autopsies to engaging in stem cell research and genetic engineering. CONCLUSION: Our work enriches our shared understanding of the soul by describing some of the key formulations regarding the nature and location of the soul by philosophers, theologians, and physicians. In doing so, we are better able to appreciate the significant role that the concept of the soul has played in the development of Western scientific, medical, and spiritual life. Although ideas about the soul have changed significantly throughout Western history, the idea of the soul as being real and essential to one's personhood has been, and remains, pervasive throughout every period of Western history.