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Selected AbstractsInduction of Intestinal Tumors and Lymphomas in C57BL/6N Mice by a Food-borne Carcinogen, 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridineCANCER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2002Masako Ochiai 2-Amino-l-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5- b]pyridine (PhIP) is the most abundant heterocyclic amine contained in cooked meat and fish. Although PhIP has been demonstrated to induce various types of tumors in rats, lymphomas predominated in mice using the CDF1 strain. To investigate the carcinogenic activity of PhIP on other organs in mice with a different genetic background, PhIP was administered to C57BL/6N mice. After a 40-week administration of 300 ppm of PhIP in a high-fat diet followed by continuous feeding with a high fat diet, C57BL/6N mice developed adenomas and adenocarcinomas in the small intestine, the incidences being 52% in males and 68% in females at weeks 95 and 70, respectively. Lymphomas of B-cell origin also developed in both sexes as frequently as in the CDF1 strain, incidences being 48% in males and 32% in females. Although the incidence in PhIP-treated female mice did not differ from that in the control mice, lymphomas developed significantly earlier in the PhIP-treated mice. The present study demonstrated that the intestinal tract is another potential target of PhIP-induced carcinogenesis in mice, and that the carcinogenic activity of PhIP could be affected by the genetic background of the animals. [source] An antidiabetic thiazolidinedione induces eccentric cardiac hypertrophy by cardiac volume overload in ratsCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1-2 2004Kenji Arakawa Summary 1.,To assess the involvement of volume overload in the development of cardiac hypertrophy during treatment with an antidiabetic thiazolidinedione, changes in cardiac anatomy and parameters of cardiac volume overload were evaluated in female Sprague-Dawley rats treated with the thiazolidinedione derivative T-174. 2.,Two week administration of T-174 (13 and 114 mg/kg per day) increased absolute and relative heart weights by 11,24%, demonstrating the development of cardiac hypertrophy. There was no evidence of oedema in hearts from treated rats. 3.,Both plasma and blood volumes were increased in T-174-treated rats without any changes in systolic blood pressure and heart rate, whereas haematocrit was decreased. In accordance with the existence of volume overload, both left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and right atrial pressure were increased. Morphometric analysis of hearts revealed that T-174 induced eccentric heart hypertrophy, as characterized by a small increase in wall thickness and a large increase in the chamber volume, which is characteristic of volume overload. Volume overload is suggested as the possible trigger mechanism because blood volume expansion preceded cardiac hypertrophy and there was a high correlation between heart weight and blood volume. 4.,T-174-treated streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats also exhibited blood volume expansion and cardiac hypertrophy. 5.,These findings suggest that cardiac volume overload is induced by plasma volume expansion and contributes to the development of eccentric cardiac hypertrophy during treatment with antidiabetic thiazolidinediones. Although thiazolidinediones are insulin-sensitizing agents, these cardiac effects are likely to be mediated independently of insulin. [source] Mirtazapine enhances frontocortical dopaminergic and corticolimbic adrenergic, but not serotonergic, transmission by blockade of ,2 -adrenergic and serotonin2C receptors: a comparison with citalopramEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 3 2000M. J. Millan Abstract Mirtazapine displayed marked affinity for cloned, human ,2A -adrenergic (AR) receptors at which it blocked noradrenaline (NA)-induced stimulation of guanosine-5,-O-(3-[35S]thio)-triphosphate ([35S]-GTP,S) binding. Similarly, mirtazapine showed high affinity for cloned, human serotonin (5-HT)2C receptors at which it abolished 5-HT-induced phosphoinositide generation. Alpha2 -AR antagonist properties were revealed in vivo by blockade of UK-14,304-induced antinociception, while antagonist actions at 5-HT2C receptors were demonstrated by blockade of Ro 60 0175-induced penile erections and discriminative stimulus properties. Mirtazapine showed negligible affinity for 5-HT reuptake sites, in contrast to the selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, citalopram. In freely moving rats, in the dorsal hippocampus, frontal cortex (FCX), nucleus accumbens and striatum, citalopram increased dialysate levels of 5-HT, but not dopamine (DA) and NA. On the contrary, mirtazapine markedly elevated dialysate levels of NA and, in FCX, DA, whereas 5-HT was not affected. Citalopram inhibited the firing rate of serotonergic neurons in dorsal raphe nucleus, but not of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, nor adrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus. Mirtazapine, in contrast, enhanced the firing rate of dopaminergic and adrenergic, but not serotonergic, neurons. Following 2 weeks administration, the facilitatory influence of mirtazapine upon dialysate levels of DA and NA versus 5-HT in FCX was maintained, and the influence of citalopram upon FCX levels of 5-HT versus DA and NA was also unchanged. Moreover, citalopram still inhibited, and mirtazapine still failed to influence, dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons. In conclusion, in contrast to citalopram, mirtazapine reinforces frontocortical dopaminergic and corticolimbic adrenergic, but not serotonergic, transmission. These actions reflect antagonist properties at ,2A -AR and 5-HT2C receptors. [source] Effect of Cadmium and Aluminum Intake on the Antioxidant Status and Lipid Peroxidation in Rat TissuesJOURNAL OF BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Shohda A. El-Maraghy Abstract This work aimed to study the relationship between the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) or aluminum (Al) in certain tissues and the levels of lipid peroxides as well as tissue antioxidants. To carry out such investigations, CdCl2 was given to rats in two dose levels; 0.5 or 2.0 mg/kg i.p for 1 day or daily repeated doses for 2 weeks. Al was given as AlCl3 either in a single dose of 100 mg/kg or daily repeated doses of 20 mg/kg for 2 and 4 weeks. The measured parameters were tissue malondialdehyde (MDA, index of lipid peroxidation) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels as well as the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), glutathione reductase (GSSG-R), and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) enzymes. Liver and kidney functions were assessed by measuring serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities as well as serum urea and creatinine concentrations. Cd and Al concentrations in the studied tissues were also measured. Results indicated that tissue Cd was significantly increased after administration of either Cd doses. After a single dose of 0.5 or 2.0 mg/kg CdCl2, the increase in tissue Cd levels were accompanied by an increase in MDA and a decrease in GSH levels. On the other hand, after repeated administration of Cd, tissue Cd accumulation was accompanied by increased hepatic and renal GSH levels with decrease in MDA content and a decrease in GSH-PX activity in liver. Liver function was affected at all dose regimens, whereas kidney function was affected only after 2 weeks administration of the higher dose. In Al treated rats, Al concentration was shown to be increased in liver much more than in brain. This was accompanied by a slight decrease in hepatic GSH level after 2 weeks and a decrease in GSH-PX activity after 4 weeks. Liver function was affected only after repeated injection of Al for 2 or 4 weeks. In general, Al administration exhibited safer pattern than Cd. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 15:207,214, 2001 [source] Thymoquinone supplementation attenuates hypertension and renal damage in nitric oxide deficient hypertensive ratsPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 5 2007Mahmoud M. Khattab Abstract The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect of thymoquinone (TQ), the main constituent of the volatile oil from Nigellasativa seeds, in rats after chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis with N, -nitro- l -arginine methyl esters (l -NAME). Rats were divided randomly into different treatment groups: control, l -NAME, TQ and l -NAME + TQ. Hypertension was induced by 4 weeks administration of l -NAME (50 mg/kg/day p.o.). TQ was administered alone or in combination with l -NAME and continued for 4 weeks. The animals were killed, and the serum and kidney tissues were isolated for the determination of creatinine and glutathione (GSH), respectively. Rats receiving l -NAME showed a progressive increase in systolic blood pressure compared with control rats. Concomitant treatment with TQ (0.5 and 1 mg/kg/day p.o.) reduced the increase in systolic blood pressure induced by l -NAME in a dose dependent manner. Kidney injury was demonstrated by a significant increase in serum creatinine and a decrease in GSH in kidney tissue from l -NAME treated rats. Treatment of rats with TQ decreased the elevated creatinine and increased GSH to normal levels. TQ inhibited the in vitro production of superoxide radical in enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems. In conclusion, TQ is effective in protecting rats against l -NAME-induced hypertension and renal damage possibly via antioxidant activity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Losartan modifies glomerular hyperfiltration and insulin sensitivity in type 1 diabetesDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 6 2001S. Nielsen Aim: The effect of the angiotensin II receptor antagonist losartan on renal haemodynamics and insulin-mediated glucose disposal was examined in normotensive, normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. Methods: Diurnal blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate (GFR, determined using [125I]-iothalamate), renal plasma flow (RPF, determined using [131I]-hippuran) and urinary albumin excretion rate (UAE) were measured, and a hyperinsulinaemic, euglycaemic clamp with indirect calorimetry was performed in nine patients (age 30 ± 7 years (mean ±,s.d.), HbA1c 8.1 ± 1.1%) following 6 weeks' administration of either losartan 50 mg/day or placebo. Results: Diurnal blood pressure was significantly reduced after losartan compared with placebo (122/70 ± 11/8 vs. 130/76 ± 12/6 mmHg, p <,0.05). A significant decline in GFR (133 ± 23 vs. 140 ± 22 ml/min, p < 0.05) and filtration fraction (FF; GFR/RPF) (24.6 ± 3.5 vs. 26.2 ± 3.6%, p <,0.05) was observed in the losartan vs. placebo groups. RPF and UAE did not change. Isotopically determined glucose disposal rates were similar after losartan and placebo in the basal (2.61 ± 0.53 vs. 2.98 ± 0.93 mg/kg/min) and insulin-stimulated states (6.84 ± 2.52 vs. 6.97 ± 3.11 mg/kg/min). However, the glucose oxidation rate increased significantly after losartan vs. placebo in the basal state (1.72 ± 0.34 vs. 1.33 ± 0.18, mg/kg/min, p <,0.01) and during insulin stimulation (2.89 ± 0.75 vs. 2.40 ± 0.62 mg/kg/min, p <,0.03). Basal and insulin-stimulated non-oxidative glucose disposal tended to decrease after losartan; however, this was not significant. Endogenous glucose production and lipid oxidation were unchanged after treatment and similarly suppressed during hyperinsulinaemia. Glycaemic control, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides were stable in both losartan and placebo groups. Conclusions: Losartan reduces blood pressure, glomerular hyperfiltration and FF, and improves basal and insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation in normotensive, normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients. [source] |