Triglyceride-coated nanoparticles: Skin toxicity and effect of UV/IR irradiation on them

Triglyceride (TG) is an important compound on the skin, produced by sebaceous glands, and may change cytotoxicity of different nanoparticles. To date, there is no report about toxicity of nanoparticles coated with TG. On the other hand, the use of ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) with nanoparticles changes nanoparticle cytotoxicity. The combination of nanoparticles with UV or IR is applicable, because it may be used for treatment or detection of local cancers, surface microbial infections and other skin diseases. In this study, different nanoparticles including titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, silver, gold, and TG-coated form of these nanoparticles, were added to suspensions of Balb/c skin cells, and then incubated for 24 h at 37 °C. Additionally, TG-coated nanoparticles were treated with UV and IR irradiation for 1 h. Different methods were applied for evaluation of cytotoxicity, including 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, cell metabolic assay, ATP assay, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation assay. This research showed that TG-coated nanoparticles had less LDH release and ROS generation with higher cell viability, cell metabolic activity, and ATP level, compared with pristine nanoparticles. In contrast, the combination of UV and IR with TG-coated nanoparticles led to higher LDH release and ROS generation with less cell viability, cell metabolic activity, and ATP level, in comparison with pristine nanoparticles. Overall, pristine metal nanoparticles without irradiation had higher cytotoxicity than metal oxide nanoparticles.     

Molecular Detection and Identification of Theileria Species by PCR-RFLP Method in Sheep from Ahvaz,Southern Iran

Background

The present study was carried out to investigate the accurate status of ovine Theileria infection in sheep from Ahvaz and surrounding region, a tropical area southwest Iran.

Methods

A PCR-RFLP method based on 18S ribosomal RNA gene was designed which could detect and differentiate Theileria and Babesia spp. and also differentiate main Theileria species in sheep at the same time. 119 sheep blood samples were collected from Ahvaz and surroundings.

Results

Microscopic examination of blood smears revealed 69.7% (83/119) infection with Theileria spp. Of the total samples subjected to PCR, 89% (106/119) were found to be positive, all of which were identified as Theileria by RFLP analysis using enzyme Hind II. In enzymatic digestion of PCR products by Vsp I, 91.5% (97/106) of Theileria positive samples were identified as T. ovis while mixed Theileria infections were found in 9 samples. The samples with mixed infections were analyzed with an additional nested PCR-RFLP method, by HpaII enzyme digestion. 3 samples with T. lestoquardi infection, 1 sample with T. ovis and T. annulata, 1 sample with T. lestoquardi and T. annulata, and 4 samples with T. ovis, T. lestoquardi and T. annulata mixed infections were detected.

Conclusion

Ovine theileriosis caused by T. ovis is highly prevalent in southwest Iran while T. lestoquardi and T. annulata infection can be detected in a lesser propor-tion of sheep in this region. The new PCR-RFLP method that was designed in this study, can serve as a beneficial diagnostic tool, especially in T. ovis prevalent re-gions.     

Vitamin E Improves Serum Paraoxonase-1 Activity and Some Metabolic Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: No Effects on Nitrite/Nitrate Levels

Objective: It is known that markers of oxidative stress and nitrite/nitrate anion (NO_x) increase and activity of antioxidative enzyme paraoxonase-1 decline in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The effects of vitamin E on paraoxonase-1 activity and NO_x in patients with type 2 diabetes are not known. The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that vitamin E supplementation would affect paraoxonase-1 activity, metabolic factors, and NO_x in patients with DM.

Methods: This double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted on 83 patients with DM aged 30–60 years. Forty-two of the subjects had taken 400 IU/day vitamin E and 41 were given placebo over 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements, and dietary intake data were collected at the baseline and at the end of the trial.

Results: Vitamin E significantly increased serum vitamin E level, paraoxonase-1 activity, and total antioxidant status (TAS) and decreased fasting blood sugar (FBS) compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Hemoglobin A1c, serum insulin, and insulin resistance significantly decreased in the vitamin E group compared to baseline values (p < 0.05). Alterations in serum levels of malondialdehyde and NO_x were not significant in any of groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Vitamin E improved serum vitamin E level, paraoxonase-1 activity, TAS, and FBS in patients with type 2 diabetes. Longitudinal studies are warranted to assess the outcome of these results in reducing complications of diabetes in patients with type 2 diabetes.     

Healthy Eating Index-2010 and Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma: a case–control study

Abstract

Background: Several studies have examined the relationship between diet quality indices and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, data on the association of these indices and colorectal adenomas (CRA) as a precursor of CRC are scarce. Our objective was to investigate the association of Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) and Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern Score (MSDPS) with CRC and CRA risk.

Methods: This is a hospital-based case–control study including 259 cases (129 CRC and 130 CRA patients) and 240 controls with non-neoplastic conditions. Dietary intake of subjects was examined using a valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire. The HEI-2010 and MSDPS were then calculated based on a-priori methods. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the relationship between HEI-2010 and MSDPS and the risk of CRC and CRA.

Results: After adjustment for confounders, compared with the first tertiles, the highest tertiles of HEI-2010 and MSDPS were significantly associated with lower odds of CRC (OR?=?0.04; 95% CI?=?0.01–0.12, OR?=?0.19; 95% CI?=?0.09–0.38, respectively). Similarly, the highest tertiles of HEI-2010 (OR?=?0.04; 95% CI?=?0.08–0.32) and MSDPS (OR?=?0.19; 95% CI?=?0.17–0.58) were associated with reduced odds of CRA compared to the lowest tertiles.

Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested that a high-quality diet assessed by HEI-2010 and MSDPS is inversely associated with the risk of CRC and CRA.     

Validity of Energy Intake Reports in Relation to Dietary Patterns

The role of under- and overreporting of energy intake in determining the dietary patterns is yet unclear, especially in the Middle Eastern countries. This study identifies the prevalence of misreporting among Tehranian women aged 18-45 years and to compare the dietary intake patterns of plausible and all energy reporters. Dietary intakes and anthropometric data were collected. FitMate™ metabolic analyzer and Goldberg equation were used in determining the under/overreporting of energy intake. Underreporters were more likely to be overweight and older compared to plausible reporters. Three dietary patterns emerged for all reporters, and two were identified for plausible reporters. Using only plausible reporters to determine dietary patterns was not similar to using all reporters. The proportion of underreporters was 59.3% in the mixture cluster, 30.4% in the unhealthy cluster, and 35.3% in the healthy cluster (p<0.05). Underreporting of energy intake is not uniformly distributed among dietary pattern clusters and tends to be less severe among subjects in the unhealthy cluster. Our data suggested that misreporting of energy intake might affect the dietary pattern analysis.Key words: Dietary patterns, Energy underreporting, Validity, Women, Iran     

Olive (Olea europaea L.) leaf extract attenuates early diabetic neuropathic pain through prevention of high glucose-induced apoptosis: in vitro and in vivo studies

Aim of study

Since the leaves of olive have been recommended in the literature as a remedy for the treatment of diabetes and they also contain antioxidant agents, we decided to investigate the possible effects of olive leaf extract (OLE) on in vitro and in vivo models of diabetic pain neuropathy.

Materials and methods

The high glucose-induced cell damage in naive and NGF-treated Pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were used. Tail-flick test was used to access nociceptive threshold. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Biochemical markers of neural apoptosis were evaluated using immunoblotting.

Results

We found that elevation of glucose (4 times of normal) sequentially increases functional cell damage and caspase-3 activation in NGF-treated PC12 cells. Incubation of cells with OLE (200, 400 and 600 μg/ml) decreased cell damage. Furthermore, the diabetic rats developed neuropathic pain which was evident from decreased tail-flick latency (thermal hyperalgesia). Activated caspase 3 and Bax/Bcl2 ratio were significantly increased in spinal cord of diabetic animals. OLE treatment (300 and 500 mg/kg per day) ameliorated hyperalgesia, inhibited caspase 3 activation and decreased Bax/Bcl2 ratio. Furthermore, OLE exhibited potent DPPH free radical scavenging capacity.

Conclusion

The results suggest that olive leaf extract inhibits high glucose-induced neural damage and suppresses diabetes-induced thermal hyperalgesia. The mechanisms of these effects may be due, at least in part, to reduce neuronal apoptosis and suggest therapeutic potential of olive leaf extract in attenuation of diabetic neuropathic pain.     

Daily apple versus dried plum: impact on cardiovascular disease risk factors in postmenopausal women

BackgroundEvidence suggests that consumption of apple or its bioactive components modulate lipid metabolism and reduce the production of proinflammatory molecules. However, there is a paucity of such research in human beings.ObjectiveWomen experience a lower rate of cardiovascular disease before menopause compared with men. However, after the onset of menopause, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases drastically due to ovarian hormone deficiency. Hence, we conducted a 1-year clinical trial to evaluate the effect of dried apple vs dried plum consumption in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in postmenopausal women.DesignOne-hundred sixty qualified postmenopausal women were recruited from the greater Tallahassee, FL, area during 2007-2009 and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: dried apple (75 g/day) or dried plum (comparative control). Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months to measure various parameters. Physical activity recall and 7-day dietary recall were also obtained.ResultsNeither of the dried fruit regimens significantly affected the participants' reported total energy intake throughout the study period. On the contrary, women who consumed dried apple lost 1.5 kg body weight by the end of the study, albeit not significantly different from the dried plum group. In terms of cholesterol, serum total cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the dried apple group compared with the dried plum group only at 6 months. Although dried plum consumption did not significantly reduce serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, it lowered their levels numerically by 3.5% and 8%, respectively, at 12 months compared with baseline. This may explain the lack of significance observed between the groups. However, within the group, women who consumed dried apple had significantly lower serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 9% and 16%, respectively, at 3 months compared with baseline. These serum values were further decreased to 13% and 24%, respectively, after 6 months but stayed constant thereafter. The within-group analysis also reported that daily apple consumption profoundly improved atherogenic risk ratios, whereas there were no significant changes in lipid profile or atherogenic risk ratios as a result of dried plum consumption. Both dried fruits were able to lower serum levels of lipid hydroperoxide and C-reactive protein. However, serum C-reactive protein levels were significantly lower in the dried plum group compared with the dried apple group at 3 months.ConclusionsThere were no significant differences between the dried apple and dried plum groups in altering serum levels of atherogenic cholesterols except total cholesterol at 6 months. However, when within treatment group comparisons are made, consumption of 75 g dried apple (about two medium-sized apples) can significantly lower atherogenic cholesterol levels as early as 3 months. Furthermore, consumption of dried apple and dried plum are beneficial to human health in terms of anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.     

Major dietary patterns and risk of renal cell carcinoma in a prospective cohort of Swedish women

Links between specific foods and the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are not well established. Dietary patterns may be a better predictor of RCC risk. Our aim was to identify and examine major dietary patterns and their relation to the risk of RCC in a large prospective cohort study of Swedish women. Complete dietary information was available from a FFQ from 46,572 women aged 40-76 y at baseline. We conducted factor analysis to identify dietary patterns. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. During a mean of 14.3 y of follow-up, we identified 93 cases of RCC. We observed 3 major dietary patterns in the cohort: Healthy (vegetables, tomato, fish, fruits, poultry, whole grains), Western (sweets, processed meat, refined grains, margarine/butter, high-fat dairy products, fried potato, soft drinks, meat) and Drinker (wine, hard liquor, beer, snacks) pattern. Higher Healthy pattern scores were not significantly associated with decreased risk of RCC (highest vs. lowest tertile RR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.45-1.48 and RR = 0.54; 95% CI 0.27-1.10 among women < or = 65 y). There was a suggestion of an inverse association between the Drinker pattern and RCC risk (RR comparing the 2nd and 3rd with the first tertile, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34-0.95; and 0.72; 95% CI, 0.42-1.22, respectively, P = 0.08 by Wald test); the association was clearer among women < or = 65 y (P = 0.02 by Wald test). Our data suggest an inverse association between Drinker pattern and the risk of RCC.     

Soy protein with or without isoflavones failed to preserve bone density in gonadal hormone–deficient male rat model of osteoporosis

Soy with its isoflavones has been shown to positively influence bone mineral density in female ovariectomized rats; hence, we hypothesized a similar effect in orchidectomized (ORX) male rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 95 days, were divided into 4 groups and were either sham operated (Sham) or ORX. The ORX groups were fed a soy protein–based diet (SOY), an isoflavone-depleted soy protein diet (SOY?), or a casein based diet for 65 days after surgery. Orchidectomy increased the rate of bone turnover, resulting in reduced bone mineral density and bone mineral content by 3.5% and 14%, respectively, and compromised biomechanical properties. The mean femoral length of ORX animals was also significantly shorter than Sham animals, but ORX rats that were fed SOY diet did not experience this reduction in bone length, implicating a role for soy protein in bone growth (4.02 ± 0.02, 3.93 ± 0.01, 3.99 ± 0.02, 3.91 ± 0.01 for Sham, ORX, SOY, SOY?, respectively). The SOY and SOY? positively influenced the biomechanical properties of bone such as yield and ultimate force, the measures of bone elasticity, and plasticity. In terms of bone histomorphometry, the data indicate that SOY? tends to reduce ORX-induced increase in bone turnover as evidenced by suppressed bone formation rate/mineralized surface by about 9%. Overall, our results indicated that soy protein, regardless of its isoflavone content, was unable to prevent the ORX-induced femoral decrease in bone density and mineral content. However, soy may enhance the quality of bone as indicated by increased yield force.     

Effect of piroxicam on the blood-retina barrier in experimentally induced diabetes in rats

The effect of piroxicam on the blood-retina barrier was evaluated in rats with experimentally induced diabetes. Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin (STZ). Diabetic rats were divided into two equal groups: those treated with piroxicam, a long-acting platelet inhibitor, and an untreated control group. Vitreous fluorophotometry (VFP) was performed both before and two weeks after induction of diabetes and piroxicam intake. Streptozocin-induced diabetes caused an alteration in the blood-retinal barrier evidenced by an increase in vitreous fluorescein concentration in diabetic rats compared with normal rats. Piroxicam intake did not lead to significant change in vitreous fluorescein concentrations. However, the examination had to be terminated at two weeks because of cataract formation. The piroxicam treated group showed less incidence of lens opacity formation (59.1% compared to 81.8% in the untreated group, p = 0.0006). Piroxicam administration appears to protect the diabetic rat eye against lens opacification.This work was supported in part by U.S. Public Health Service Grants EY02377, EY07541 and EY08137 from the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and by the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International and Pfizer, Inc.