ABSTRACT
The hypoglycemic activity of lectin isolated from Urtica pilulifera L. seeds (Urticaceae) was investigated in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Significant hypoglycemic effect was found at the dose of 100 mg/kg after i.p. administration for 30 days. Blood glucose (BG) level, food and fluid intake, body weight (BW) loss and histopathologic findings of the normal and diabetic animals were evaluated. The group treated with UPSL (U. pilulifera seed lectin) was also compared against glipizide (oral antidiabetic agent, Carlo-Erba) as a standard.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Urtica dioica/chemistry , Animals , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Body Weight/drug effects , Cell Count , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/blood , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/pathology , Drinking/drug effects , Eating/drug effects , Islets of Langerhans/drug effects , Islets of Langerhans/pathology , Lectins/chemistry , Lectins/isolation & purification , Lectins/pharmacology , Male , Pancreas/pathology , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Seeds/chemistryABSTRACT
Protein carbonyl groups result from free radical-induced protein oxidation; their level in tissues and plasma is a relatively stable marker of oxidative damage. Protein carbonyl contents in erythrocyte membranes were investigated in the type 2 diabetic patients with good (n = 16) and poor (n = 30) glycemic control. Diabetic patients were classified as patients with (n = 20) and without (n = 26) angiopathy. Protein carbonyl content was evaluated using the 2,4-dinitro-phenyl-hydrazine method. Protein carbonyl content and GHb levels were significantly higher in both patients with poor and good glycemic control than in control subjects (p < 0.001 in each case). There was a significant difference in protein carbonyl content between patients with poor and good glycemic control (p < 0.001). Diabetic patients with angiopathy had significantly higher protein carbonyl content and GHb levels than the diabetic patients without angiopathy (p < 0.001). These results suggest that impaired glycemic control is connected to protein oxidation, and protein oxidation may be related to underlying metabolic abnormalities and complications of diabetes.
Subject(s)
Blood Proteins/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood , Erythrocyte Membrane/metabolism , Blood Glucose/metabolism , Diabetic Angiopathies/pathology , Diabetic Retinopathy/pathology , Erythrocyte Membrane/drug effects , Female , Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism , Humans , Hydrazines , In Vitro Techniques , Male , Middle Aged , Spectrophotometry, UltravioletABSTRACT
Post-operative radioiodine treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer occupies a well determined place in the treatment policy of this disease. Since little is known about erythrocytes oxidant and antioxidant status in patients with thyroid cancers after radioiodine treatment, we measured erythrocyte malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, as a marker of lipid peroxidation, erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and activities of GSH-Peroxidase and GSH-Reductase as antioxidants. We found that erythrocyte MDA levels were significantly higher, and erythrocyte GSH levels and activities of GSH-related enzymes were significantly lower in thyroidectomised patients after surgery than in healthy controls. Additionally, according to their thyroid hormone levels the patients had hypothyroidism at this time. In patients 2 days after radioiodine treatment both MDA and GSH levels and GSH-related enzyme activities were significantly increased when compared to their own initial levels. In conclusion, we suggested that radioiodine could facilitate or induce significant oxidant/antioxidant changes in erythrocytes-indirectly as a result of the internal radiotherapy with radioiodine.
Subject(s)
Iodine Radioisotopes/therapeutic use , Oxidative Stress , Thyroid Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Thyroid Neoplasms/surgery , Thyroidectomy , Adenocarcinoma, Follicular/blood , Adenocarcinoma, Follicular/radiotherapy , Adenocarcinoma, Follicular/surgery , Adult , Biomarkers/blood , Carcinoma, Papillary/blood , Carcinoma, Papillary/radiotherapy , Carcinoma, Papillary/surgery , Erythrocyte Count , Erythrocytes/cytology , Erythrocytes/metabolism , Female , Glutathione/blood , Glutathione Peroxidase/blood , Glutathione Reductase/blood , Hemoglobins/metabolism , Humans , Male , Malondialdehyde/blood , Middle Aged , Thyroid Neoplasms/blood , Thyrotropin/blood , Thyroxine/blood , Triiodothyronine/bloodABSTRACT
In this study, serum and tissue sialic acid levels in various histopathological types of thyroid cancer were measured and were found to be significantly higher than those measured in the control group. The amount of sialic acid in tissue was 2.8 +/- 1.42 mg/100 mg protein while the serum level was 79.2 +/- 6.6 mg per dl. The rise in tissue and serum sialic acid levels was relatively non-specific with respect to type of cancer as they depend on the tumor burden only. Neither were they related to age, sex or duration of cancer. The serum sialic acid levels increased during the few days following thyroidectomy and returned to normal thereafter. The sialic acid determination appeared to be an important criterion in patient follow-up and evaluating therapeutic response.
