Protective effect of Dillenia indica L. on acetic acid induced colitis in mice.

The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic, immune mediated and chronic inflammation of the intestine. The study aimed to elucidate the ameliorative effect of methanolic extract of Dillenia indica (DIME), hexane fraction (HFDI) and chloroform fraction (CFDI) of Dillenia indica in acetic acid induced experimental colitis in mice. Macroscopic score, colon weight, colonic catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), and histological changes were recorded after the treatment regimen of 7 days. Intra-rectal instillation of acetic acid caused enhanced macroscopic score, colon weight, colonic MPO, MDA, and TNF-alpha level. It caused significant decreased level of CAT, SOD and GSH. DIME (800 mg/kg), HFDI (200 mg/kg) and CFDI (200 mg/kg) treatment exhibited significant effect in lowering macroscopic score, colon weight, MPO, MDA, TNF-alpha levels and elevation of CAT, GSH and SOD levels. The results suggest that D. indica has ameliorating effects on experimental colitis by inhibiting the proinflammatory mediators like TNF-alpha production.

Carboplatin-induced oxidative stress in rat cochlea.

Carboplatin is currently being used in the clinic against a variety of human cancers. However, high dose carboplatin chemotherapy resulted in ototoxicity in cancer patients. This is the first study to show carboplatin-induced oxidative stress response in the cochlea of rat. Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups of six animals each and treated as follows: (1) control (normal saline, i.p.) and (2) carboplatin (256 mg/kg, i.p.). Animals in both groups were sedated with ketamine/xylazine and auditory brainstem-evoked responses were recorded before and 4 days after treatments. The animals were sacrificed on the fourth day and cochleae were harvested and analyzed. A significant elevation of the hearing threshold shifts was noted at clicks, 8, 16, and 32 kHz tone burst stimuli following carboplatin administration. Carboplatin significantly increased nitric oxide and malondialdehyde levels, xanthine oxidase and manganese-superoxide dismutase activities in the cochlea indicating enhanced flux of free radicals. Cochlear glutathione levels, antioxidant enzyme activities such as copper zinc-superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase and enzyme protein levels were significantly depleted 4 days after carboplatin treatment. The data suggest that carboplatin induced free radical generation and antioxidant depletion, and caused oxidative injury in the cochleae of rats.

Dose response of carboplatin-induced hearing loss in rats: antioxidant defense system.

Carboplatin, a platinum-containing anticancer drug, is currently being used against a variety of cancers. However, a single high dose of carboplatin is ototoxic in cancer patients. This is the first study to show carboplatin-induced hearing loss in a rat model. Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups and treated as follows: (1) control (saline, intraperitoneally (i.p.)); (2) carboplatin (64 mg/kg, i.p.); (3) carboplatin (128 mg/kg i.p.); (4) carboplatin (192 mg/kg, i.p.) and (5) carboplatin (256 mg/kg, i.p.). Animals in all groups were sedated with ketamine/xylazine and auditory brain-evoked responses (ABRs) were recorded before and 4 days after treatments. The animals were sacrificed on the fourth day and cochleae were harvested and analyzed. Carboplatin dose-dependently decreased body weight. However, at higher doses of carboplatin (192 and 256 mg/kg), there was a significant elevation of hearing threshold shifts at clicks, 4, 8, 16 and 32 kHz tone burst stimuli. The higher doses of carboplatin (192 and 256 mg/kg) significantly increased cochlear lipid peroxidation (132 and 146% of control) and depleted cochlear glutathione levels (66 and 63% of control), respectively. The antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) depressed significantly at higher doses of carboplatin. The data suggest that higher doses of carboplatin (above 128 mg/kg) induce hearing loss as evidenced by significant changes in ABRs, lipid peroxidation and antioxidants in the cochlea of rats.

Effect of protective agents against cisplatin ototoxicity.

HYPOTHESIS: The goals of this investigation were to compare the efficacy of three protective agents against cisplatin-induced elevation of auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds and to examine whether these protective agents prevent cisplatin-induced alterations of the antioxidant defense system in the cochlea of the rat. BACKGROUND: Cisplatin is an ototoxic antitumor agent. Previous animal studies have shown that cisplatin administration causes an elevation of ABR thresholds. These auditory changes are accompanied by alterations in the concentration of glutathione and the antioxidant enzymes in the cochlea. The authors' previous work has indicated that the protective agent diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) prevents decrease in glutathione (GSH), alteration of antioxidant enzyme activity, and disruption of cochlear function with cisplatin administration. METHODS: Wistar rats were sedated and underwent pretreatment ABR testing using clicks and tone burst stimuli at 8, 16, and 32 kHz. Control rats received saline by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Positive control rats were administered cisplatin 16 mg/kg i.p. Three groups of rats received protective agents in combination with cisplatin. The DDTC-protected rats were given 600 mg/kg of DDTC subcutaneously 1 hour after cisplatin. Animals protected by 4-methylthiobenzoic acid (MTBA) were given 250 mg/kg of this agent i.p. 30 minutes before cisplatin. Animals protected with ebselen were given 16 mg/kg i.p. one hour before cisplatin. The ABR thresholds were recorded 72 hours after cisplatin administration in all groups. Cochleas were removed, and extracts of the tissues were analyzed for GSH, activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (as an index of lipid peroxidation). RESULTS: Cisplatin-treated rats had significant ABR threshold shifts, ranging from 27 to 40 dB. Rats administered each of the three protective agents in combination with cisplatin had ABR threshold shifts of <10 dB. The cochleae of rats administered cisplatin alone had nearly a 50% depletion of glutathione and about a 50% reduction in the activities of SOD, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase, while catalase activity was reduced to 70% of control values. These changes were accompanied by a reciprocal elevation of MDA of 165%. These changes, namely, the depletion of GSH and antioxidant enzyme activity and the elevation of MDA in the cochlea, were largely attenuated by the administration of the protective agents tested. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that cisplatin ototoxicity is related to lipid peroxidation and that the use of protective agents prevents hearing loss and lipid peroxidation by sparing the antioxidant system in the cochlea. These results suggest the possibility that the clinical use of protective agents could effectively reduce or prevent damage to the inner ear of patients receiving cisplatin chemotherapy, provided that the antitumor effect is not altered.

Dose dependent protection by lipoic acid against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats: antioxidant defense system.

This study investigated the alterations that occur in auditory brainstem-evoked responses (ABRs) concurrent with changes in cochlear concentrations of glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activity in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity and in dose-dependent otoprotection by an antioxidant lipoate. Male Wistar rats were divided into different groups and were treated as follows, with: (1) vehicle (saline) control; (2) cisplatin (16 mg/kg, i.p.); (3) lipoate (100 mg/kg, i.p.) plus saline; (4) cisplatin plus lipoate (25 mg/kg); (5) cisplatin plus lipoate (50 mg/kg), and (6) cisplatin plus lipoate (100 mg/kg). Post-treatment ABRs were evaluated after three days, the rats were sacrificed, and cochleae were harvested and analyzed. The cisplatin-injected rats showed ABR threshold elevations above the pre-treatment thresholds. Rats treated with lipoate plus cisplatin did not show significant elevation of hearing thresholds. Cisplatin administration resulted in a depletion of cochlear GSH concentration (69% of control), whereas, cisplatin-plus-lipoate treatment increased GSH concentration close to control value. Cisplatin-treated rats showed a decrease in cochlear superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities (57, 78, 59, and 58% of control, respectively), and an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (196% of control). Cochlear SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, and GR activities and MDA concentrations were restored in the rats injected with cisplatin plus graded doses of lipoate than those with cisplatin alone. It is concluded that cisplatin-induced ototoxicity is related to impairment of the cochlear antioxidant defense system, and the dose-dependent otoprotection conferred by an antioxidant lipoate against cisplatin ototoxicity is associated with sparing of the cochlear antioxidant defense system.

Interaction of exercise and ethanol on antioxidant enzymes in brain regions of the rat.

This study investigates the effect of ethanol ingestion on antioxidant enzymes (AOE) and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, (MDA) in different brain regions of the rat after acute exercise. Acute exercise (100% VO2max) significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and decreased glutathione reductase (GR) activity in the cerebral cortex. Acute exercise significantly increased MDA level in the corpus striatum. Ethanol (20%) (1.6 g/kg, PO) significantly increased MDA level in the cerebral cortex. Ethanol also significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the cortex and catalase (CAT), GSH-Px, and GR activities in the corpus striatum. Ethanol significantly augmented CAT activity in the medulla and GSH-Px activity in the hypothalamus. However, CAT activity significantly decreased in the hypothalamus after ethanol ingestion. The combination significantly increased GSH-Px activity in the hypothalamus, SOD activity in the cortex, GR activity in the striatum, and MDA level in the medulla. In conclusion, the cerebral cortex, striatum medulla, and hypothalamus reacted differentially in response to ethanol as well as to acute exercise-induced oxidative stress whereas the combination moderated the changes in AOE activity in specific brain regions.

Maternal coffee drinking and unusually high concentrations of caffeine in the newborn.

The authors report a case of a premature infant with unusually high concentrations of transplacentally acquired caffeine. The mother drank 24 cups of coffee per day during pregnancy. The infant developed apnea, and not having known the above maternal history, was started on caffeine therapy. Serum caffeine concentration was found to be 40.3 micrograms/ml prior to caffeine administration on the fifth day of age. Caffeine concentration at birth was probably much higher based on the pharmacokinetic extrapolation (caffeine half-life of 100 hours). It is suggested that manifestation of apnea in this infant may have been related to caffeine withdrawal.

Identification of cocarcinogens and promoters in industrial discharges into and in the Illinois River.

Organic compounds were isolated from grab or composite samples of industrial and municipal discharges and of the Illinois River by liquid-liquid extraction or adsorption on activated carbon or XAD-2 resin columns. Of the 213 different compounds identified and semiquantitated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in 16 samples, 74 were long-chain hydrocarbons or their derivatives. Although their toxicological significance in the environment at the levels found is unknown, the widespread presence of these cocarcinogens and promoters (often found in conjunction with known initiators) may make them significant environmental toxicants. Some evidence for this is the fact that serial dilutions of the extracts were highly toxic to Salmonella typhimurium in the Ames assay, while weak mutagenicity was occasionally detected.