Levels of biological markers of nitric oxide in serum of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

The aim of the study was a determination of the levels of nitric oxide（NO）and its biological markers such as malonyldialdehyde（MDA）and nitrotyrosine in the serum of patients with squamous cell carcinoma（SCC）of the oral cavity and identification of the relationships between NO and those markers.These studies were performed on patients with SCC of the oral cavity before and after treatment.Griess reaction was used for the estimation of the total concentration of NO in serum.The nitrotyrosine level in serum was assessed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）kit,and MDA level using a spectrophotometric assay.Higher concentrations of NO in blood serum were determined in patients with stage IV of the disease before treatment in comparison to the control group and patients with stages II and III of the disease.Moreover,higher concentrations of MDA and nitrotyrosine were determined in the serum of patients in all stages of the disease in comparison to healthy people.After treatment,lower concentrations of NO in the serum of patients with stage IV of the disease were observed in comparison to the amounts obtained prior to treatment.In addition,lower levels of nitrotyrosine in the serum of patients with all stages of the disease were recorded,whereas higher concentrations of MDA were determined in these patients in comparison to results obtained before treatment.The compounds formed with the contribution of NO,such as MDA and nitrotyrosine,may lead to cancer progression in patients with SCC of the oral cavity,and contribute to formation of resistance to therapy in these patients as well.Moreover,the lack of a relationship between concentrations of NO and MDA,and between NO and nitrotyrosine in serum suggests that the process of lipid peroxidation and nitration in patients with SCC does not just depend on NO.

PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF SHENG MAI SAN ON ADRIAMYCIN-INDUCED CARDIOTOXICITY——AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

By measuring the contents of lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) of the myocardial cells, it has been shown that Sheng Mai San can protect the myocardial cells from the adriamycin-induced cardiotoxicity ultrastructrally, inhibit their metabolism of lipid-bound sialic acid and improve the scavenging ability of myocardial cells for semiquinoid free radicals.

Nitric oxide production is associated to increased lipoperoxidation and active caspase-3 in demyelinated brain regions of the taiep rat

We previously showed that the increase in nitric oxide (NO) levels and NO synthase (NOS) expression correlate with the progression of reactive astrocytosis and demyelination in the brains of 6-month-old taiep rats. Increased levels of NO can result in high concentration of peroxynitrite and thus cause tissue damage, which consists of lipoperoxidation of the cytoplasmic membrane, such as the myelin, and of apoptotic and necrotic cell-death. On this basis, we studied whether the increased NO production is associated with lipoperoxidation and cell death in the cerebellum and brainstem over the age (1, 3, 6, and 8 months) of taiep rats. The results were compared with those obtained in matched Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. We measured the levels of nitrites (NO production), malonyldialdehyde, and 4-hydroxyalkenal (lipoperoxidation) in brain tissue homogenates. The three NOS isoforms and cleaved caspase-3 were evaluated by using ELISA and immunostaining techniques. Our results showed that NO production and lipoperoxidation increased in the cerebellum and brainstem as the age of the taiep rats increased compared to SD rats. The overexpression of nNOS and iNOS were in the Purkinje cells, magnocellular neurons, and in oligodendrocytes, whereas the glial cells showed strong cleaved-caspase-3 immunoreactivity. In summary our results suggest that NO plays a role in the demyelination and cell death in the taiep rat.

A Clinical Study of Garlicin in Treating Acute Cerebral Infarction

Objective: To evaluate the effect of garlicin in treating acute cerebral infarction.Methods: One hundred and one patients of acute cerebral infarction diagnosed by CT were treated with garlicin (garlicin group) and compared with another group of 53 patients treated with ligustrazine (control group). The neurologic deficiency score and neurologic function score were used for evaluation of effect.Results: The effective rates of garlicin and ligustrazine were 89. 36% and 84. 85% respectively. The improvement scores of neurologic function were 18.46±10.69 and 11.94 ± 6.79 respectively. The difference between the two groups was significant. Before treatment the serum level of MDA in the garlicin group was 6.015 ±1.26 nmol/ml, and it decreased to 4. 87 ± 1.16 nmol/ml after treatment, the change being more significant than that of the control group (from 6.02 ±0.73 nmol/ml to 6.47 ±1.04 nmol/ml). The rheological parameters and cerebral blood flow were also improved after garlicin treatment.Conclusion: Garlicin could increase the perfusion flow of brain, improve the microcirculation, and scavenge free radicals so as to relieve the ischemia and reperfusion injury of the brain.