ABSTRACT
The effect of an aqueous extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as platelet thromboxane-B(2) and prostaglandin-E(2) production was examined. A raw aqueous extract of ginger was administered daily for a period of 4 weeks, either orally or intraperitoneally (IP) to rats. Fasting blood serum was investigated for thromboxane-B(2), prostaglandin-E(2), cholesterol and triglycerides. A low dose of ginger (50 mg/kg) administered either orally or IP did not produce any significant reduction in the serum thromboxane-B(2) levels when compared to saline-treated animals. However, ginger administered orally caused significant changes in the serum PGE(2) at this dose. High doses of ginger (500 mg/kg) were significantly effective in lowering serum PGE(2) when given either orally or IP. However, TXB(2) levels were significantly lower in rats given 500 mg/kg ginger orally but not IP. A significant reduction in serum cholesterol was observed when a higher dose of ginger (500 mg/kg) was administered. At a low dose of ginger (50 mg/kg), a significant reduction in the serum cholesterol was observed only when ginger was administered IP. No significant changes in serum triglyceride levels were observed upon administration of either the low or high dose of ginger. These results suggest that ginger could be used as an cholesterol-lowering, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory agent.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Blood Platelets/drug effects , Fibrinolytic Agents/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Zingiber officinale/chemistry , Administration, Oral , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Cholesterol/blood , Dinoprostone/blood , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Fibrinolytic Agents/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Rats , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Thromboxane B2/blood , Triglycerides/bloodABSTRACT
The effect of variation in the intracellular and extracellular phosphate concentration on the Pi efflux across the basolateral membrane of pre-loaded enterocytes has been examined. Efflux rate constants for Pi fell from 0.89 h-1 to 0.68 h-1 as the extracellular Pi concentration was increased from 0.5 mM to 5 mM. As the intracellular Pi concentration was raised from 0.5 to 3 mM the rate constant dropped from 0.95 h-1 to 0.77 h-1. The findings are indicative of the presence of Pi-specific transporter at the basolateral membrane. The efflux rate constant of Pi at pH 7.1 was higher than that at pH 7.4 suggesting that the Pi flux across the basolateral membrane of enterocytes follows a similar pattern towards pH changes as do fluxes across the brush-border membrane.
Subject(s)
Jejunum/metabolism , Phosphates/metabolism , Animals , Basement Membrane/metabolism , Extracellular Space/metabolism , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , In Vitro Techniques , Intracellular Fluid/metabolism , Ion Transport , Kinetics , Male , Microvilli/metabolism , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
The effect of chemically-induced diabetes on the handling of phosphate (Pi) by rat jejunal enterocytes has been investigated in the presence of a Na- or a choline-gradient. Pi uptake was significantly increased in both gradients. The Pi efflux rate constants for enterocytes from diabetic rats were similar to those of control rats. The effect of diabetes on both the protein and alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes of the rat small intestinal brush-border membranes was examined using SDS-PAGE. The patterns given by membranes from rats 14 days after the induction of diabetes were no different from those of controls.