The current study aimed to assess the possible endocrine disruptor effects on rat mammary tissue and reproductive organs during pregnancy and lactation when exposed to low doses of glyphosate and its combination with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and dicamba. The study involved the exposure of pregnant Wistar rats to various regulatory-relevant doses of glyphosate, ranging from gestational day 6 until fine of the lactation period. Glyphosate doses corresponded to the European Union's glyphosate-acceptable daily intake (ADI; 0.5mg/kg bw/day) and no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL; 50mg/kg bw/day). The dose of the mixture of glyphosate, dicamba, and 2,4-D was at the European Union ADI for each herbicide namely 0.5, 0.002, and 0.3mg/kg bw/day, respectively. In the animals exposed to glyphosate NOAEL serum estradiol levels were increased compared to untreated animals, along with an upregulation of TNF-?, MMP-2, and MMP-9 as measured in mammary gland homogenates compared to non-treated animals. Moreover, in this group, a focally acute inflammatory infiltrate was observed in the mammary gland. Our study showed that short-term exposure to glyphosate at doses that are set as safe by regulators and thus without risk corroborated with a particular physiological state as gestation and lactation, can give rise to inflammatory changes in breast tissue in rats. These findings support the need for further evaluation of glyphosate and mixtures of glyphosate with other pesticides for public health protection, especially for those categories vulnerable to the potential endocrine disruptor properties of these pesticides such as pregnant women, newborns, and children.
Owing to ergosterol content, after UV irradiation yeast become a well-known source of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). Additionally, pharmaceutical yeast-based supplements may represent a suitable option for treating hypovitaminosis, especially in patients adhering to a vegan diet. Using the high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) methodology our study sought to analyse three commercially available yeast-based vitamin D2 supplements while comparing the effect of UV-C irradiation (254 nm) on yeast biomass derived from the brewing process and pure ergosterol. The two compounds were precisely separated under the described conditions in an efficient and quick manner with a retention time (Rt) of 4.152 ± 0.018 minutes for vitamin D2 and 5.097 ± 0.013 minutes for ergosterol. However, when approaching the quantitative analysis, based on our findings, it appears that the pharmaceutical supplements deviate from the declared amount of substance indicated on the label. 15 minutes of UV-C irradiation generates vitamin D2 in yeast biomass with a conversion rate of 1.78%. Also, high content of ergosterol, beside vitamin D2 formation after irradiation, may trigger the appearance of secondary products such as tachysterol.
Connections between vitamin D and psoriasis have been a matter of interest for the past decades, with its active metabolite, 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D, being valued for antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects. However, none of vitamin D's actions could be possible without the CYP27B1 enzyme that bio-activates this metabolite of interest. In order to see if there is any link between the enzyme expression and the disease's particularities, we conducted a preliminary study that involved 11 skin biopsies of patients with mild (n = 4) or moderate to severe psoriasis (n = 7). The cell proliferation antigen Ki67 and the CD45RO+ marker were also assessed. Compared with healthy skin, in psoriasis, it is reported that the enzyme's expression seems to be more ubiquitous, but a clear correlation between the disease's severity and the CYP27B1 expression was, to our knowledge, lacking. We found that, in patients with very mild psoriasis, the enzyme expression was observed in the epidermal stratum basale in a similar manner as in healthy skin specimens. Contrary, for higher severity scores, a divergent result was observed, with the enzyme being either variably spread in the epidermal stratum spinosum or completely absent. Unlike malignant diseases, a significant connection between CYP27B1 and Ki67 (p = 0.313) or CYP27B1 and CD45RO+ (p = 0.657) does not seem to be relevant in psoriasis.
Antioxidants have been commonly used in medicine for thousands of years. Clinically, pentoxifylline and Ginkgo biloba have beneficial renal effects. Our study evaluated the nephroprotective effect of Gingko biloba in combination with Pentoxifiln in an experimental model of vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity. Male Winstar rats were used in 3 groups: CONTROL, VANCO and VANCO+GBI+PTX and each group included 6 rats. Insufficient studies in the literature on the prevention of acute kidney injury by the combination of Ginkgo biloba and pentoxifylline led to the necessity to perform the study. Acute kidney injury was demonstrated by measuring serum values of classical markers such as urea and creatinine but also by measuring the urinary N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminidase index, a topical marker in modern medicine. The significant decrease of the biochemical parameters in group III (VANCO+GBI+PTX) compared to group II (VANCO) and values similar to group I (CONTROL), demonstrates, the nephroprotective effect of the use in combination of the two substances.
BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is regarded as a component of metabolic syndrome, which involves insulin resistance (IR) as the primary physiopathological event. The aim of this study was to establish the association between IR, assessed using the triglyceride and glucose index (TyG), and histopathological features of NAFLD lesions. METHODS: The study included 113 patients with metabolic syndrome. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting lipid profiles and liver enzymes were measured. IR was assessed by the TyG index. Liver biopsy was performed for assessment steatosis and fibrosis. RESULTS: the TyG index had a mean value of 8.93 ± 1.45, with a higher value in the patients with overweight (p = 0.002) and obesity (p = 0.004) characteristics than in the patients with normal weight. The TyG index mean value was 8.78 ± 0.65 in subjects without NASH, 8.91 ± 0.57 in patients with borderline NASH and 9.13 ± 0.55 in patients with definite NASH. A significant difference was found between subjects without NASH and the ones with definite NASH (p = 0.004), as well as in patients with early fibrosis vs. those with significant fibrosis. The analysis of the area under the ROC curve proved that the TyG index is a predictor of NASH (p = 0.043). CONCLUSION: the TyG index is a facile tool that can be used to identify individuals at risk for NAFLD.
The aim of this study was to investigate the changes caused by the administration of ketoprofen to albino NMRI mice on some hematological, biochemical, and structural parameters. For this purpose, the mice were divided into two lots: a control batch and an experimental batch to which ketoprofen was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight per day for 7 days. A decrease in erythrocyte number and hemoglobin was observed altogether with the increase in white blood cells. Blood biochemistry indicates increased blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Enzyme values (AST, ALT, and ALP) show a significant increase. Hepatic pathology reveals the enlargement of sinusoidal capillaries, the presence of leukocyte infiltrates associated with necrosis zones.
Ketoprofen/toxicity , Liver/drug effects , Animals , Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/pathology , Liver/metabolism , Liver/pathology , Male , Mice
Liver hydatid cyst represents one of the most frequent localizations of Echinococcus granulosus tapeworm in humans. The disease progresses symptom-free in most patients, due to a slow growth rhythm of the cyst. When it reaches large sizes, the hydatid cyst causes discomfort or pain in the liver bed, low appetite, phenomena of hepatitis or cholangitis. The patients are most often diagnosed with liver hydatid cyst after imagistic investigations (radiological or ultrasound) for symptoms that, most commonly, are not related to a hydatid cyst. We present the case of an 11-year-old girl, with no pathological history, who presented forme fruste symptoms, not acknowledged by her parents, and deceased after an anaphylactic shock caused by the rupture of a liver hydatid cyst.
Cause of Death , Echinococcosis, Hepatic/pathology , Child , Edema/pathology , Fatal Outcome , Female , Humans , Inflammation/pathology , Liver/pathology
