Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomédecine & pharmacothérapie
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Biomed. Pharmacother. · May 2017
Neuroprotective effects of octreotide on diabetic neuropathy in rats.
The purpose of the present study is to investigate the possible healing effects of octreotide (OCT) on motor performance, electrophysiological and histopathological findings of diabetic neuropathy in a rat model of diabetes mellitus (DM). To induce diabetes, rats were administered a single dose (60mg/kg) of streptozotocin (STZ). Diabetic rats were treated either with saline (1ml/kg/day, n=7) or OCT (0.1mg/kg/day, n=7) for four weeks. ⋯ Furthermore, OCT significantly improved the motor performance scores in diabetic rats (p<0.05). Histomorphometric assessment of the sciatic nerve demonstrated a significant reduction in perineural thickness in OCT treated group compared to saline group. In conclusion, OCT possesses beneficial effects against STZ-induced diabetic neuropathy, which promisingly support the use of OCT as a neuroprotective agent in patients with diabetic neuropathy.
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Biomed. Pharmacother. · May 2017
Aqueous extract of Cortex Dictamni protects H9c2 cardiomyocytes from hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Ischemia-reperfusion injury is the major manifestation of ischemic heart disease, which facilitates cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and death. Oxidative stress and apoptosis have been involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. Modern pharmacological studies have indicated that the extracts and active compounds of Cortex Dictamni exhibit antioxidative and cardiovascular protective activities. ⋯ The expressions of anti-oxidant, pro-apoptosis and anti-apoptosis proteins were measured by performing western blotting assay. Inhibitor LY294002 was used to confirm the regulation effect of CDAE on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. CDAE pretreatment prevents H/R-induced cardiomyocytes oxidative stress and apoptosis through activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
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Biomed. Pharmacother. · May 2017
Date seed extract ameliorates β-amyloid-induced impairments in hippocampus of male rats.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder among the elderly. Because the existing treatments for Alzheimer's disease only offer limited symptomatic alleviation, more efficient therapeutic agents are urgently needed. Date seed is a hepatoprotective and neuroprotective agent. ⋯ In addition, DSE reduced the number of degenerated neurons in the hippocampal CA1 subfield of the DSE treated rats. These results demonstrate that DSE may have beneficial effects in the prevention of Aβ-induced Alzheimer in a rat model. Date seed extract may have advantageous effects in preventing Alzheimer's disease in male rats.