The Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Glucose Metabolism,Lipid Profiles,Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress in Patients With Diabetic Nephropathy: A Randomized,Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Trial

Objective: Data on the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on glucose metabolism, lipid profiles, inflammation, and oxidative stress in subjects with diabetic nephropathy (DN) are scarce. This research was done to determine the effects of CoQ10 supplementation on metabolic status in subjects with DN.

Methods: This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was done in 50 subjects with DN. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups to intake either 100 mg/day CoQ10 supplements (n = 25) or placebo (n = 25) for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were obtained at first and after 12-week intervention to quantify metabolic profiles.

Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, compared with the placebo, CoQ10 supplementation resulted in significant decreases in serum insulin levels (?3.4 ± 6.8 vs +0.8 ± 6.4 µIU/mL, p = 0.02), homeostasis model of assessment-estimated insulin resistance (?1.0 ± 2.0 vs +0.2 ± 1.8, p = 0.03), homeostasis model of assessment-estimated B cell function (?12.3 ± 26.3 vs +3.5 ± 23.1, p = 0.02) and HbA1c (?1.1 ± 1.0 vs ?0.1 ± 0.2%, p < 0.001), and a significant improvement in quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (+0.009 ± 0.01 vs ?0.006 ± 0.01, p = 0.01). In addition, CoQ10 supplementation significantly decreased plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) (?0.6 ± 0.5 vs +0.5 ± 1.0 µmol/L, p < 0.001) and advanced glycation end products levels (AGEs) (?316.4 ± 380.9 vs +318.6 ± 732.0 AU, p < 0.001) compared with the placebo. Supplementation with CoQ10had no significant impacts on fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid profiles, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) compared with the placebo.

Conclusions: Taken together, our study demonstrated that CoQ10 supplementation for 12 weeks among DN patients had favorable effects on glucose metabolism, MDA, and AGEs levels, but unchanged FPG, lipid profiles, and MMP-2 concentrations.     

The state of hepatitis B and C in Europe: report from the hepatitis B and C summit conference*

Worldwide, the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause, respectively, 600,000 and 350,000 deaths each year. Viral hepatitis is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, which in turn ranks as the third cause of cancer death worldwide. Within the WHO European region, approximately 14 million people are chronically infected with HBV, and nine million people are chronically infected with HCV. Lack of reliable epidemiological data on HBV and HCV is one of the biggest hurdles to advancing policy. Risk groups such as migrants and injecting drug users (IDU) tend to be under-represented in existing prevalence studies; thus, targeted surveillance is urgently needed to correctly estimate the burden of HBV and HCV. The most effective means of prevention against HBV is vaccination, and most European Union (EU) countries have universal vaccination programmes. For both HBV and HCV, screening of individuals who present a high risk of contracting the virus is critical given the asymptomatic, and thereby silent, nature of disease. Screening of migrants and IDUs has been shown to be effective and potentially cost-effective. There have been significant advances in the treatment of HCV and HBV in recent years, but health care professionals remain poorly aware of treatment options. Greater professional training is needed on the management of hepatitis including the treatment of liver cancer to encourage adherence to guidelines and offer patients the best possible outcomes. Viral hepatitis knows no borders. EU Member States, guided by the EU, need to work in a concerted manner to implement lasting, effective policies and programmes and make tackling viral hepatitis a public health priority.     

Biological activities of the crude skin toxin of the Suez Gulf oriental catfish (Plotosus lineatus) and its antitumor effect in vivo (mice)

Quantitative determination of newly reported enzymes activity in the crude skin toxin (CST) of catfish revealed highest activities of hyaluronidase and lipase, lesser activities of phospholipase A2, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), cholinesterase (CE), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and aspartate transaminase (AST), and least activities of proteinase and 5-nucleotidase (5'-NT). The CST has a hemolytic activity of 54% and no ichthyotoxicity up to 500 ug/ml. The chosen dose of CST (LD12.5) showed a potential cytotoxic activity against solid Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice demonstrated by an increase in the mean survival time (238.8%) and tumor growth inhibition ratio (T/C) of 73%. The CST ameliorated the relative weights of heart and liver after three weeks, while modulating the elevation in the relative spleen weight throughout the treatment periods (three, six, and nine weeks). The levels of serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, and liver total lipids were normalized after three weeks, whereas the serum albumin and hepatic glycogen concentrations, as well as ALT, AST, 5'-NT, and G-6-Pase activities were ameliorated after 6 weeks. Serum levels of glucose, LDH, and creatine kinase (CK) activities were significantly modulated throughout the treatment periods. Histological examinations of the tumor and liver tissues of treated tumor-bearing animals were carried out. Tumor tissues showed many cytolytic and cytopathic changes after treatment, while liver tissues showed moderate dysplastic changes after six weeks of treatment, which became more marked after nine weeks.     

Chemoprevention of prostate carcinogenesis by DFMO and/or finasteride treatment in male Wistar rats

In the present study the chemopreventive activities of DFMO, the irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, and finasteride, the inhibitor of prostatic 5a-reductase, against the development of chemically induced prostate adenocarcinoma by methylnitrosourea/testosterone propionate in male Wistar rats were investigated. According to histological examination, oral administration of DFMO and finasteride, either alone or combined, for two months to MNU/TP-inoculated rats reduced the tumor incidence to 11.11%, 10% and 10%, respectively, compared to tumored controls (64.3%). DFMO and/or finasteride treatment resulted in significant reductions in the wet weight of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles and its ratio relative to the total body weight, as well as the levels of prostate total protein, DNA, RNA and DNA/RNA ratio, compared to tumored controls. However, the effect of the combined treatment was of no statistical significance compared to single DFMO or finasteride treatment, as demonstrated by the non-significant differences between the mean values of most of the studied parameters. The tumor chemopreventive activity and the prostate growth inhibitory effect of DFMO and finasteride were due to suppression of prostate polyamine synthesis. ANOVA test revealed that the relative weight of the prostate as well as blood and tissue polyamine levels could be used as significant endpoint biomarkers for DFMO and finasteride as cancer chemopreventive agents.     

Fibroscan of chronic HCV patients coinfected with schistosomiasis

Background and study aimsBoth hepatitis C virus (HCV) and schistosomiasis are highly endemic in Egypt and coinfection is frequently encountered. Such coinfection is responsible for leading to a more severe liver disease. Hence, the aim of the study was to assess the fibroscan in chronic HCV patients coinfected with Schistosoma.Patients and methodsThis study included 231 chronic HCV patients. Routine pre-treatment work-up was done including anti-schistosomal antibodies. Liver stiffness measurements using fibroscan and reference needle-liver biopsy were done. Patients were categorised into two groups: HCV patients with positive schistosomal serology and HCV patients with negative schistosomal serology.ResultsAnti-schistosomal antibody was positive in 29% of the studied population. Positive schistosomal serology status was significantly associated with the disagreement between the results of liver biopsy (Metavir) and the fibroscan results (p value = 0.02), which was more obvious in F2 and F3 fibrosis stages. The sensitivity of fibroscan for the detection of the F2 stage decreased from 64% among negative schistosomal serology patients to 30.8% among positive schistosomal serology patients, and for the F3 stage it decreased from 43.8% to 21.4%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression showed that fibrosis stages (F0–F1 and F4) were the most independent factors that were associated with the agreement between fibroscan and liver biopsy (odds ratio (OR) 3.4, 7.12 and p value <0.001, <0.001, respectively).ConclusionAlthough the sensitivity of fibroscan for the detection of fibrosis stages (F2 and F3) was impaired in patients with positive schistosomal serology, fibrosis stages (F0–F1 and F4) were the most independent factors associated with the agreement between fibroscan and liver biopsy.