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The dose‐dependent adverse effects of anticancer agents need new methods with lesser toxicity. The objective of the current research was to evaluate the efficacy of GLUT1 inhibitor, as an inhibitor of glucose consumption in cancer cells, in augmenting the efficiency of docetaxel with respect to cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Cell cytotoxicity was assessed by using methylthiazolyldiphenyl‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Annexin V/PI double staining was employed to evaluate apoptosis percentage. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis was accomplished to detect the expression of genes involved in the apoptosis pathway. The IC50 values for docetaxel and BAY‐876 were 3.7 ± 0.81 and 34.1 ± 3.4 nM, respectively. The severity of synergistic mutual effects of these agents on each other was calculated by synergy finder application. It showed that the percentage of apoptotic cells following co‐administration of docetaxel and BAY‐876 increased to 48.1 ± 2.8%. In comparison without GLUT1 co‐administration, the combined therapy decreased significantly the transcriptome levels of the Bcl‐2 and Ki‐67 and a remarkable increase in the level of the Bax as proapoptotic protein(p < 0.05). Co‐treatment of BAY‐876 and docetaxel depicted a synergistic effect which was calculated using the synergy finder highest single agent (HSA) method (HSA synergy score: 28.055). These findings recommend that the combination of GLUT‐1 inhibitor and docetaxel can be considered as a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of patients with lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent oral and genital aphthous ulcers, uveitis and skin lesions. Oxidative stress and inflammation have important role in the pathogenesis of BD. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Nigella sativa (NS) oil administration on malondialdehyde (MDA), total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-10 and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs- CRP) levels in patients with BD. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trial, 96 BD patients were randomly assigned to NS or placebo groups. Study groups received 1000 mg/day NS oil and placebo soft gels for 8 weeks. Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-10, hs-CRP, MDA and TAC were measured before and after treatment. Results: Eighty-nine individuals completed the study. Significant decreases in the serum levels of MDA and increases in the serum levels of TAC were found in the NS group. However, differences in the changes of MDA and TAC in the NS and placebo groups were not significant. Pre- and post-intervention changes of TNF-α, IL-10 and hs-CRP levels in the NS group were non-significant. Conclusion: NS 1000 mg per day is probably not effective in reducing the inflammatory and oxidative markers in BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective(s): Diabetes can gradually cause damage to the function and structure of male gonads. This survey was conducted to investigate the effect of troxerutin on hormonal changes, serum oxidative stress indices, and testicular function and structure in prepubertal diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Fifty prepubertal (6 weeks old) male Wistar rats were divided into five groups including Control, Troxerutin, Diabetic, Diabetic+Troxerutin, and Diabetic+Insulin. Type I diabetes was induced by 55 mg/kg of streptozotocin intraperitoneally. The groups were treated with 150 mg/ kg/day troxerutin via oral gavage or 4-6 IU/day insulin via subcutaneous injection for 4 consecutive weeks. Blood sugar (BS) and serum levels of insulin, FSH, LH, testosterone, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were analyzed. Testis and epididymis were removed for histopathologic study and analysis of sperm parameters. Results: Troxerutin significantly reduced the BS in the diabetic group similar to insulin but could not affect insulin, FSH, or LH significantly. Troxerutin caused a significant increase in testosterone and GPX but had no significant effect on serum MDA, TAC, and SOD levels. In addition, troxerutin had a better effect than insulin on diabetes-induced testicular structural damage. Sperm analysis results also revealed that troxerutin and insulin could improve sperm number, motility, and viability in diabetic rats. Conclusion: According to these results, it can be derived that administration of troxerutin is a suitable protective strategy for side effects of diabetes in testis of prepubertal diabetic male rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is characterized by albuminuria, hypertension, and a progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate. The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A is a well-known agent that is active in lowering total plasma and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in cases with hypercholesterolemia. Hence, in this study, proteinuria changes at the beginning and after the withdrawal of lovastatin in patients with type 2 DN (T2DN) were studied. Materials and Methods: Lovastatin was administered for thirty male patients with T2DN and then was withdrawn. Twenty-four hours, urine creatinine and protein levels were determined. Results: The mean levels of total cholesterol and LDL-C were reduced without any change in the triglyceride (TG) level while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was increased. There was a reverse linear correlation between the changes in the level of HDL-C and the changes in the level of 24 h urine protein after 90 days of lovastatin therapy (P = 0.007, r = -0.484). Conclusions: Short-term 3-month lovastatin therapy has no effect on proteinuria levels in patients with T2DN despite the antihyperlipidemic effects and reverse correlation of proteinuria with HDL-C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was designed to assess the effect of sesame seed on lipid profile and oxidative stress biomarkers in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Methods: Fifty patients with knee OA were allocated into two groups receiving 40 g of sesame seed daily along with standard medical therapy (n=25) or standard treatment (n=25) for two months. Serum total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid profile (total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides) were measured. Results: After the intervention period two months of study, serum TC, LDL-cholesterol and MDA decreased significantly in the sesame group (P<0.05), while no significant difference in serum values of lipid profile and oxidative stress parameters was seen in the control group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in pre and post-treatment values of lipid profile and oxidative parameters between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Current study showed a positive effect of sesame seed in improving lipid profile and oxidative stress in patients with knee OA and indicated the fact that sesame seed might be of help to reduce oxidative stress in OA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heracleum persicum (H. persicum) is a medicinal herb used in Iranian traditional medicine for its anti-toxic property. It is commonly consumed in the form of food additives and as a medicinal herbal tonic to treat liver and kidney diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-oxidant, antidiabetic, and anti-hyperlipidemic effects of H. persicum hydroalcoholic extract in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats (n=30) were assigned to five groups: a normal group, a diabetic control group, and three diabetic groups treated orally with 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract and 5 mg/kg of glibenclamide, respectively, for two weeks. Blood glucose and bodyweight were measured at the end of each week. On day 15, blood samples were collected to measure the levels of insulin, insulin growth factor-I (IGF-I), antioxidant markers for malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant activity (TAS), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) using commercial kits. The data were analyzed using SPSS Software (version 22.0). Results: Daily treatment with 400 mg/kg of the extract significantly reduced the blood glucose level (P<0.001) and improved bodyweight (P=0.002), insulin (P<0.001), IGF-I (P=0.024), SOD (P=0.001), GPx (P=0.009), MDA (P<0.001), TAS (P=0.006), TG (P<0.001), HDL (P=0.023), LDL (P=0.005), and VLDL (P<0.001) compared with the diabetic control group. Conclusion: Beneficial effects of H. persicum for the treatment of diabetes were confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity is major problem after organ transplantation. It is multifactorial, but oxidative stress may have an important role in this process. It has been shown that angiotensin II receptor blockers have renoprotective effects but their molecular mechanism is largely unknown. Antioxidative effect is an important role of the recently known anti-aging protein, klotho. This study aimed to evaluate effect of valsartan in alleviation of cyclosporine A nephrotoxicity via a probable increase in serum klotho levels or decreasing oxidative stress.Materials and Methods: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups to receive 1 mL/kg/d of olive oil as control; 30 mg/kg/d of cyclosporine; 30 mg/kg/d of cyclosporine and 50 mg/kg/d of valsartan; and 50 mg/kg/d of valsartan. After the 6 weeks of administration period, serum levels of klotho and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum malondialdehyde level was measured spectrophotometrically.Results: The mean serum level of klotho was significantly lower in the cyclosporine group compared with control and valsartan groups. Klotho level in the valsartan group was significantly higher than those in the other groups. The cyclosporine group was detected to have significantly higher serum 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and malondialdehyde levels compared with the other study groups. The levels of klotho were negatively correlated with 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and malondialdehyde levels.Conclusions: Administration of valsartan may lead to attenuation of the nephrotoxic side effect of cyclosporine via enhancing klotho and decreasing oxidative stress levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is one of the main complications of diabetes mellitus, mostly ending to end-stage renal disease. Leptin and C-reactive protein (CRP), as inflammatory markers implicated in the progression of DN, increase in diabetes mellitus, while transferrin and albumin, as members of anti-oxidant defense mechanism, are found to decline. Materials and Methods. In a controlled clinical trial, 65 patients with type 2 DN were assigned to receive lovastatin or placebo, for 3 months, to assess statins' impact on serum levels of leptin, CRP, transferrin, albumin, and lipid profile. Results. Serum levels of CRP (3.52 +/- 4.16 mg/dL to 2.84 +/- 3.06 mg/dL, P = .02), leptin (10.78 +/- 8.30 mg/dL to 7.80 +/- 5.41 mg/dL, P = .006), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (116.16 +/- 46.54 mg/dL to 85.46 +/- 29.22 mg/dL, P = .001), and total cholesterol (199.00 +/- 43.33 mg/dL to 164.67 +/- 35.19 mg/dL, P = .001) were lowered after lovastatin therapy. Mean serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased (40.00 mg/dL to 42.80 mg/dL, P = .005) after the treatment. Lovastatin had no significant effect on albumin and transferrin. Placebo did not change any of the parameters after 3 months. Conclusions. The effect of statins on the inflammatory markers involved in the development of DN is a new approach to evidence supporting the pleiotropic effect of this drug group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney failure, particularly in hemodialysis patients, has been suggested to have a major role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. We evaluated omega-3 fatty acids supplementation effects on oxidative and antioxidant factors in hemodialysis patients. Materials and Methods. In a clinical trial, patients on hemodialysis were divided into 2 groups in order to receive either omega-3 fatty aid capsule, 1 g 3 times a day, or placebo for 2 months. The two groups were comparable in terms of sex distribution, age, medications, diabetes mellitus, hemoglobin level, serum ferritin, and serum albumin. Blood samples taken from patients before and at the end of the study period were examined for oxidative stress markers including malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and ferric reducing antioxidant power. Results. Seventy-five hemodialysis patients were divided into the omega-3 group (n = 37) and the control group (n = 38). Before the treatment period, the two groups were comparable in the malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and ferric reducing antioxidant power levels. In the patients who received omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant factors including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and ferric reducing antioxidant power were significantly increased after two months (P = .02, P = .02, and P = .01, respectively); however, there was no significant changes in the control group in these markers. Malondialdehyde levels were significantly reduced after the study period only in the omega-3 group (P = .007). Conclusions. The present study revealed that the supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids may result in better antioxidation status in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment on renal and lung injury following renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)., Materials and Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were assigned to three groups of 10 rats each. The first group was sham-operated, the second was subjected to renal I/R (30 min of ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion). The third group was subjected to renal I/R and treated with EPO in two doses: the first dose 1 h prior to ischemia (1,000 U/kg) and the second dose 6 h after ischemia (1,000 U/kg)., Results: The renal and lung tissue injury index, tissue serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine (Cr) were higher in the renal I/R group compared to the renal I/R + EPO group; the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Kidney and lung tissue glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase levels were higher in the renal I/R + EPO group than the renal I/R group; the difference was also statistically significant (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The data showed that EPO pretreatment could be effective in reducing renal and lung injury following renal I/R and could improve the cellular antioxidant defense system. Hence EPO pretreatment may be effective for attenuating renal and lung injury after renal I/R-induced injury during surgical procedures, hypotension, renal transplantation and other conditions inducing renal I/R., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Follicular fluid (FF) plays an important role in oocytes and embryo development, which may contribute to IVF/ICSI success rate., Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) level in FF and the success rate of IVF/ICSI., Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, FF samples, FF samples were obtained from 100 patients referred to Tabriz Alzahra Hospital. Seventy-nine subjects underwent IVF and the remaining 21 underwent ICSI. The levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein A-I and CETP were measured using enzymatic, turbidometric and ELISA methods respectively., Results: Analysis of the subgroups with different levels of CETP showed a significant lower level of CETP in the subgroup with the lowest number of mature oocytes (p<0.05). The level of CETP was also considerably lower (18%, p=0.05) in subjects with<50% oocytes fertilization ratio than subjects with >70% of this ratio., Conclusion: While no association was found for pregnancy, the amount of CETP in FF was associated positively to the maturity and the percentage of oocyte fertilization.