Therapeutic effect of okra extract on gestational diabetes mellitus rats induced by streptozotocin.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of okra extract on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) rats and its probable molecular mechanism. METHODS: A total of 30 female SD rats were caged with male rats for pregnancy, 27 pregnant rats were obtained and weighed. The pregnant rats were equally randomized into the control group, GDM group and intervention group. Once the pregnancy was verified, GDM group and intervention group were given 45 mg/kg streptozotocin by peritoneal injection for inducing GDM, control group was given equal volume of citrate buffer. Once the model was established successfully, intervention group was administered orally the solution containing 200 mg/kg/d okra extract, the other groups were given the diet and water only. On the 19th day of pregnancy, the blood samples and fetal rats of all groups were collected, fetal rats weight and placental weight was recorded and the serum glucose, lipids, serum insulin and C-peptide of pregnant rats before the delivery were determined. RESULTS: The pregnant rats weight before the delivery, fetal rats weight and placental weight of GDM group were lower than control group and intervention group (P < 0.05). After the treatment of okra extract, serum glucose and lipids levels of intervention group were both improved significantly (P < 0.05), especially, the FBG, HDL, FINS, serum m insulin and hepatic glycogen levels were equivalent to control group (P > 0.05). Antioxidant enzymes levels of GDM group in liver and pancreas tissues were lower than the other groups, and after treatment of okra extract, antioxidant enzymes levels in liver and pancreas tissues were equivalent to control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Okra extract, rich in antioxidant substances, could avoid the excessive consuming of antioxidant enzymes, then, suppresses the oxidative stress and insulin resistance, thereby improving blood glucose level of GDM rats.

HPV16 CTL epitope peptide-activated dendritic cell and natural killer co-culture for therapy of cervical cancer in an animal model.

There is increasing evidence that natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in antitumor immunity following dendritic cell (DC) vaccination. Little is known, however, about the optimal stimulation of DCs by epitopes and NK interactions for cytotoxicity in tumors. In this study, DC cells activated by the HPV16E7.49-57 epitope and LPS were co-cultured with NK cells in vitro, and then used ot immunize mice to study CTL activity of TC-1, which constitutively expresses HPV16E6E7, with an LDH release assay. Cytotoxicity in mice immunized with DC loaded with epitope HPVE7.49-57 vaccine co-cultured with NK was enhanced significantly (p<0.01). In conclusion, talk-across between DC and NK cells enhances their functions, also improving cytotoxicity againsttumor cells, suggesting that activated DC-NK by epitopes has potential application for cancer-specific immuno-cellular therapy.