Salvadora persica extract attenuates cyclophosphamide-induced hepatorenal damage by modulating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Salvadora persica (SP) is used as a food additive and is a common ingredient in folk medicine. This study investigates the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and beneficial effects of SP against cyclophosphamide (CYP) toxicity in rats. METHODS: In a 10-day study, 32 male rats were equally allocated into 4 groups (8 rats/group) as follows: the normal control (NC group), normal rats that only received oral aqueous extract of SP (100 mg/[kg·d]; SP group), animals treated with intraperitoneal CYP injections (30 mg/[kg·d]; CYP group), and the CYP + SP group that concurrently received CYP with SP aqueous extract. Serum samples were collected to measure the liver and renal biochemical profiles, as well as antioxidant and oxidative stress markers and the concentrations of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Hepatic and renal tissues were also harvested for histopathology and to measure apoptosis using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling technique, alongside tissue levels of oxidative stress markers. RESULTS: Liver enzymes, total bilirubin, creatinine and urea, as well as serum IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB increased significantly, whilst total protein, albumin, calcium, IL-10 and AMPK declined in serum of the CYP group relative to the NC group. The hepatorenal concentrations of glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and catalase declined markedly in the CYP group, whereas malondialdehyde, protein adducts, and apoptosis index increased compared with the NC group. By contrast, the hepatorenal biochemistry and apoptosis index of the SP group were comparable to the NC group. Interestingly, the CYP + SP group had significant improvements in the liver and renal biochemical parameters, enhanced anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects, and marked declines in hepatic and renal apoptosis relative to the CYP group. Moreover, all monitored parameters were statistically indistinguishable between the CYP + SP group and the NC group. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the aqueous extract of SP could be a potential remedy against CYP-induced hepatorenal damage and may act by modulating the AMPK/NF-κB signaling pathway and promoting anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Evaluation of cardiac biomarkers in smokers and non-smokers with chronic periodontitis.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to assess the levels of the cardiac biomarkers in smokers versus non-smokers chronic periodontitis (CP) patients and periodontally healthy subjects, also to correlate cardiac biomarkers level with the severity of CP. METHODS: Eighty selected individuals were divided into three groups: Smokers CP (28), non-smokers CP (32), and healthy control subjects (20). The CP evaluated clinically by plaque index (PI), bleeding index (BI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and pocket depth (PD). Serum levels of cardiac biomarkers were assayed for the following: Aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), troponin-I (Tr-I), creatinine kinase (CK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). RESULTS: The statistical analysis of the investigated biomarkers showed that ALT and AST significantly increased in smokers versus non-smokers CP patients (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, the other biomarkers (Tr-I, CK, and LDH) showed a non-significant increase in smokers compared with non-smokers periodontitis patients (P ≥ 0.05). Furthermore, the mean values of all biomarkers, Tr-I, ALT, AST, LDH, and CK, expressed highly significant comparisons (P ≤ 0.01) in smokers and non-smokers CP patients against healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: The present study suggested that the cardiac biomarkers affected by CP and worse aggravated by the presence of smoking that could play a bidirectional effect on periodontitis and cardiovascular (CV) conditions. Further researches are needed to elucidate the efficacy of periodontal treatment and serum cardiac biomarkers in systemically healthy and diseased CV patients.

Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the fibrinogen levels in chronic periodontitis patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on the fibrinogen levels in chronic periodontitis patients when compared to the levels seen in healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 subjects, with an average age of 38 ±â€¯25 years, were enrolled in the present study. They were divided into two groups, namely Group 1 (15 periodontally healthy subjects) and Group 2 (15 moderate to severe chronic periodontitis patients). The periodontal condition of each periodontitis patient was assessed by recording the probing pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), plaque index (PI), and bleeding index (BI) both before and after periodontal therapy had been administered for one month. Additionally, blood samples were collected from the healthy subjects and the periodontitis patients before and after the periodontal treatment in order to assay the plasma fibrinogen levels. RESULTS: The clinical parameters were found to be improved after one month of periodontal therapy, with the statistical difference in the mean values of the BI and PD being highly significant (P < 0.01), while the statistical differences concerning the PI and CAL were significant (P < 0.05). The fibrinogen levels (mg/dL) for the periodontitis patients before and after treatment were 342.26 ±â€¯69.00 and 352.93 ±â€¯64.3 mg/dL, respectively. The level was 269.85 ±â€¯43.68 mg/dL for the healthy subjects. In terms of the between-group comparison, the fibrinogen levels of the healthy subjects were observed to be highly significantly lower than the levels of the periodontitis patients before and after the treatment (P < 0.01), in contrast the statistical analysis showed a non-significant difference in the fibrinogen levels (P > 0.05) before and after the periodontal treatment. In addition, the statistical analysis revealed non-significant correlation between the fibrinogen levels and all the periodontal parameters (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The non-surgical periodontal therapy proved to be effective in improving the clinical periodontal condition of the periodontitis patients, while the plasma fibrinogen levels were not found to be influenced by the periodontal therapy. Further studies are needed to evaluate the fibrinogen levels over a longer duration after periodontal treatment in patients following a periodontal maintenance program.