Protective effects of berberine as a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent against nephrotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide in mice.

PURPOSE: Cyclophosphamide is an alkylating agent with nephrotoxicity that constrains its clinical application. Berberine is an isoquinoline derivative alkaloid with biological functions like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. The current research intended to examine the nephroprotective impacts of berberine against cyclophosphamide-stimulated nephrotoxicity. METHODS: Forty animal subjects were randomly separated into five categories of control (Group I), cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg, i.p., on 7th day) (Group II), and groups III and IV that received berberine 50 and 100 mg/kg orally for seven days and a single injection of cyclophosphamide on 7th day. Group V as berberine (100 mg/kg, alone). On day 8, blood samples were drawn from the retro-orbital sinus to determine serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) as biomarkers for kidney injury. Nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities as oxidative stress factors, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß) levels as inflammatory mediators were assessed in kidney tissue. RESULTS: The results of this study demonstrated that berberine was able to protect remarkably the kidney from CP-induced injury through decreasing the level of BUN, Cr, NGAL, KIM-1, NO, MDA TNF-α, IL-1ß and increasing the level of GSH, CAT, SOD, and GPx activities. CONCLUSION: Berberine may be employed as a natural agent to prevent cyclophosphamide-induced nephrotoxicity through anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Carnosol attenuates bleomycin-induced lung damage via suppressing fibrosis, oxidative stress and inflammation in rats.

AIMS: Bleomycin, an important toxic anti-cancer agent, induces pulmonary fibrosis. The significance of oxidative stress and inflammation in promoting of bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has been reported. Thus, we evaluated the protective effects of carnosol as a robust natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for bleomycin-related IPF in rats. MAIN METHODS: Male Wistar rats (n = 40) were randomly assigned to five groups. Group 1 was administrated with saline (intratracheally) on day 7 and oral gavage of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, 0.05%) from day 1 to day 28. Group 2 received a single dose of bleomycin (intratracheally, 7.5 UI/kg) on day 7 and oral gavage of saline for 28 days. Groups 3, 4 and 5 were administrated with bleomycin (single dose) on day 7, along with oral administration of carnosol (at doses 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, respectively) from day 1 to day 28. The lungs were isolated to measure the histopathological and biochemical and inflammatory markers. KEY FINDINGS: Carnosol treatment significantly reduced malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, tumor necrosis factor- α, interleukin-6 levels and myeloperoxidase activity in the lungs of rats exposed to bleomycin. Also, lung glutathione content, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities significantly increased in the carnosol/bleomycin-treated group than the bleomycin group. Lung index, hydroxyproline content, fibrosis and histopathological changes, also significantly decreased by carnosol therapy. SIGNIFICANCE: Treatment with carnosol can modulate biochemical and histological alterations caused by bleomycin. Thus, it can be regarded as an appropriate therapeutic approach for IPF.

Protective effects of apigenin on altered lipid peroxidation, inflammation, and antioxidant factors in methotrexate-induced hepatotoxicity.

Methotrexate (MTX) is used as an effective chemotherapeutic agent against autoimmune diseases and tumors. Oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of MTX-induced damage. This study aimed at examining the ameliorating effects of apigenin (API) as a natural antioxidant on MTX-induced hepatotoxicity. The rats were classified into four groups: group I: normal saline-treated, group II: MTX-treated (20 mg/kg, ip, single dose at day 7), group III: MTX + API-treated (20 mg/kg, po), and group IV: API-treated. API was administrated for 9 days. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were used as biochemical factors of MTX-induced hepatic injury. In hepatic tissues, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH), and activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as oxidative stress markers along with inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß) were assessed. Our results showed that MTX administration significantly increased ALP, ASP, ALT, MDA, NO, TNF-α, and IL-1ß levels and significantly decreased antioxidant factors such as GSH, CAT, GPx, and SOD. The API pretreatment group showed a significant rise in hepatic antioxidant markers, besides significant reductions in the serum levels of AST, ALT, and ALP and hepatic content of MDA, TNF-α, NO, and IL-1ß. In addition, the hepatoprotective effect of API was confirmed by histological evaluation of the liver. API can prevent MTX-induced hepatotoxicity through mitigation of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Evaluation of light curing distance and mylar strips color on surface hardness of two different dental composite resins.

INTRODUCTION: Hardness is one of the basic properties of dental materials, specially composite resins which is relevant to their polymerization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of light curing distance and the color of clear Mylar strips on surface hardness of Silorane-based (SCR) and Methacrylate-based composite resins (MCR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 40 samples of MCRs (Filtek Z250) and SCRs (Filtek P90) were prepared in size of 5 mm×2 mm (80 samples in total). The samples divided into 8 groups (10 samples in each one) based on the color of clear Mylar strips (white or blue) and distance from light curing source (0 mm or 2 mm). All the samples cured for 40 second and stored in incubator for 24 hours in 37°C temperature. Surface hardness test was done by Vickers test machine and the collected data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and paired T-test by using SPSS software version 13 at significant level of 0.05. RESULTS: MCRs cured with blue Mylar strips from 0 mm distance had the highest (114.5 kg/mm(2)) and SCRs cured with white Mylar strips from 2 mm distance had the lowest (42.2 kg/mm(2)) mean of surface hardness. Also, the results of comparison among SCRs and MCRs showed significant differences among all groups (all P values <0.01). CONCLUSION: The hardness decreased as the distance increased and the blue Mylar strips provided higher hardness than clear ones. Also, Filtek Z250 showed higher hardness compared to Filtek P90.