Aspirin and Blood Glucose and Insulin Resistance

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disorder in which blood sugar levels are abnormally high because either absolute or relative insulin deficiency. Treatment of diabetes involves diet, exercise, education and for most people, drugs. Oral antidiabetic drugs and/or insulin doses may be affected by co-administration of many drugs including aspirin. Dose adjustments may be necessary. The pain killer effect of aspirin is best known for its effects on the two cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX1 & COX2), but, recently, aspirin could specifically inhibit the protein I-kappa-β-kinase beta (IKK-beta). This kinase is used for its role in the cascade of signals that activate the nuclear factor kappa-b (NF-kappa-B) family of cellular genes which regulate inflammatory and immune responses. Now, it turns out that IKK-beta also works in another pathway to contribute to insulin resistance by interfering with insulin signaling. Objective: In view of the recent rodent data demonstrating a potentially important role of IKKβ in mediating insulin resistance and the ability of salicylates to inhibit IKKβ activity, we decided to examine the role of different doses of aspirin (low, moderate and high) in experimentally induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: DM in rats were induced by administration of nicotinamide (NAD), 15 min prior to the single dose of streptozotocin STZ i.p. Ninety male albino rats were used in this study. They were divided into 6 main groups. The first was served as control which receives no medications. The second group was diabetic induced rats as mentioned above. The third group was controlled by insulin after induction of D.M. Groups from the fourth to the six consist of 20 diabetic induced rats and further subdivided into rats taking either aspirin alone in different doses (low, moderate or high) or aspirin and insulin. At the end of the protocol, fasting blood sugar level (FBS), glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1c%), total serum proteins, C-peptide, lipid profile and C-reactive proteins were measured. Results: Different doses of aspirin showed that moderate and to a greater extent high dose aspirin administration to diabetic rats have greater impact on fasting blood glucose levels whether treated with insulin or not. Again, HBA1c% in diabetic rats treated with insulin and receiving HDA was lower than diabetic rats treated with insulin only or even taking LDA in addition. On the contrary, different doses of aspirin (LDA, MDA&HDA) administration to diabetic rats have no any influence on HBA1c% as compared to normal non-diabetic rats. TGs in diabetic rats receiving MDA alone was elevated as compared to normal non-diabetic rats. Again, moderate and HDA in diabetic rats not taking insulin had high TGs level as compared to diabetic rats treated with insulin only. Conclusion: The study concluded that the inflammatory pathways hold a substantial part in insulin resistance in type 2 DM. The influence of salicylate compounds on insulin sensitivity is multifactorial especially in high doses, and involves both beneficial and deleterious effects depending on the species and experimental model studied.

The Reproductive and Thyroid Hormonal Profile of Khat (Catha Edulis) Chewers

The effects of khat on the hormonal levels have been established;however, the effects on human beings are controversial. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible effects of khat on the levels of serum thyroid hormones, testosterone, estradiol (E2), prolactin and cortisol in men. A total of 50 blood samples were collected from healthy males who referred to chew khat for more than 10 years and analyzed for the above hormones. The results were compared to the hormonal levels of 35 non khat chewers. Chewing khat causes significant increases in the testosterone (P < 0.03), prolactin (P < 0.05), E2 (P < 0.00005), FT3 (P < 0.04), and TSH (P < 0.05) levels. No significant differences were found in the serum level of FT4 between the two groups. The level of cortisol were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the khat chewers group compared to the control group. This study suggests that khat chewing can cause reduction in the cortisol level, which may cause increases of testosterone, prolactin and E2. In addition, chewing khat increases the level of TSH and FT3 serum levels. Therefore, khat may contribute to the relevant disorders caused by abnormal levels of the studied hormones in the people who are chewing

Occupational Exposure to Paints Causes Impairment of Kidney Functions

It has been suggested that exposure to organic solvents may have a role in the impairment of kidney function that may progress to kidney failure. However, this has never been evaluated with an appropriate analytical study of the kidney functions of those people who are chronically exposed to these chemicals. This study was designed to measure the kidney function of car painters in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Fifty workers were selected at random for this study and compared to thirty male medical students who were taken as a control group. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of kidney function. The levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and uric acid were scientifically higher in the tested group compared to the control group. In addition to this, the levels of these parameters were significantly higher in the serum of car painters who worked in this industry for more than ten years compared to painters who worked for less than ten years. Moreover, the number of car painters who were not using protective gloves and masks during working hours were 43 and the number of car painters who visited specialized clinics because of kidney problems were 45 of the 50 tested volunteers. These findings support the hypothesized association of solvent exposure with the development of chronic renal failure. They should prompt clinicians to give greater attention to patients’ occupational exposures. Routine monitoring of kidney functions and the use of protective materials are of greater importance to minimize the occupational diseases caused by organic solvents.

Inhibition of calcium oxalate nephrotoxicity with Zamzam water

Zamzam water is well known of its high conductivity. For this fact urologist and nephrologists recommend their patients who are suffering from kidney stones not to drink this water because it could worse their health status. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Zamzam water on calcium oxalate nephrotoxicity in experimentally induced kidney stones in male Wistar albino rats. Calcium oxalate crystals were induced by orally administration of 200 mg of glycolic acid dissolved in the drinking water. The rats were divided into three groups;six rats each. These include positive control group (given glycolic acid), test group (given glycolic acid plus Zamzam water) and negative group (given drinking water only). After two weeks of treatment, blood analysis of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine showed significant differences in positive control group compared to the negative control group, whereas no significant differences were noticed in the level of BUN and creatinine between both the negative control and the test group. Moreover, urine analysis showed a high density of calcium oxalate crystals in the positive control group, whereas no crystals were detected in the negative control and the test groups. Histopathological investigations showed damaging in kidneys of the positive control group with no tissue abnormalities in the negative control and the test group. I concluded from this study that Zamzam water prevents the formation calcium oxalate stone, which probably mean that it has no negative effect on patients suffering from kidney disorders due to crystals formation.