Olive leaf extract inhibits lead poisoning-induced brain injury

Olive leaves have an antioxidant capacity, and olive leaf extract can protect the blood, spleen and hippocampus in lead-poisoned mice. However, little is known about the effects of olive leaf extract on lead-induced brain injury. This study was designed to determine whether olive leaf extract can inhibit lead-induced brain injury, and whether this effect is associated with antioxidant capacity. First, we established a mouse model of lead poisoning by continuous intragastric administration of lead acetate for 30 days. Two hours after successful model establishment, lead-poisoned mice were given olive leaf extract at doses of 250, 500 or 1 000 mg/kg daily by intragastric administration for 50 days. Under the transmission electron microscope, olive leaf extract attenuated neuronal and capillary injury and reduced damage to organelles and the matrix around the capillaries in the frontal lobe of the cerebral cortex in the lead-poisoned mice. Olive leaf extract at a dose of 1 000 mg/kg had the greatest protective effect. Spectrophotometry showed that olive leaf extract significantly in- creased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase and acid phes- phatase, while it reduced malondialdehyde content, in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining revealed that olive leaf extract dose-dependently decreased Bax protein expression in the cerebral cortex of lead-poisoned mice. Our findings indicate that olive leaf extract can inhibit lead-induced brain injury by increasing antioxidant capacity and reducing apop- tosis.

Hydrogen-rich saline injection into the subarachnoid cavity within 2 weeks promotes recovery after acute spinal cord injury

Hydrogen can relieve tissue-damaging oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. Injection of hydrogen-rich saline is an effective method for transporting molecular hydrogen. We hypothesized that hydrogen-rich saline would promote the repair of spinal cord injury induced by Allen＇s method in rats. At 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after injury, then once daily for 2 weeks, 0.25 mL/kg hydrogen-rich saline was infused into the subarachnoid space through a catheter. Results at 24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week and 2 weeks after injury showed that hydrogen-rich saline markedly reduced cell death, inflammatory cell infiltration, serum malondialdehyde content, and caspa se-3 immunoreactivity, elevated serum superoxide dismutase activity and calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity, and improved motor function in the hindlimb. The present study confirms that hydrogen-rich saline injected within 2 weeks of injury effectively contributes to the repair of spinal cord injury in the acute stage.

5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural prolongs survival and inhibits oxidative stress in a mouse model of forebrain ischemia

In the present study, we hypothesized that 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural could attenuate ischemic brain damage by reducing oxidative injury. Thus, mice were subjected to bilateral common carotid artery occlusion to establish a model of permanent forebrain ischemia. The mice were intraperitoneally injected with 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfura130 minutes before ischemia or 5 minutes after ischemia. The survival time of mice injected with 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural was longer compared with untreated mice. The mice subjected to ischemia for 30 minutes and reperfusion for 5 minutes were intraperitoneally injected with 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural 5 minutes prior to reperfusion, which increased superoxide dismutase content and reduced malondialdehyde content, similar to the effects of Edaravone, a hydroxyl radical scavenger used for the treatment of stroke. These findings indicate that intraperitoneal injection of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural can prolong the survival of mice with permanent forebrain ischemia. This outcome may be mediated by its antioxidative effects.

Givinostat inhibition of hepatic stellate cell proliferation and protein acetylation

AIM: To explore the effect of the histone deacetylase inhibitor givinostat on proteins related to regulation of hepatic stellate cell proliferation.METHODS: The cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to observe changes in proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle in hepatic stellate cells treated with givinostat. Western blot was used to observe expression changes in p21, p57, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin D1, caspase-3, and caspase-9 in hepatic stellate cells exposed to givinostat. The scratch assay was used to analyze the effect of givinostat on cell migration. Effects of givinostat on the reactive oxygen species profile, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening in JS-1 cells were observed by laser confocal microscopy.RESULTS: Givinostat significantly inhibited JS-1 cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis, leading to cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phases. Treatment with givinostat downregulated protein expression of CDK4, CDK6, and cyclin D1, whereas expression of p21 and p57 was significantly increased. The givinostat-induced apoptosis of hepatic stellate cells was mainly mediatedthrough p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Givinostat treatment increased intracellular reactive oxygen species production, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and promoted mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening. Acetylation of superoxide dismutase(acetyl K68) and nuclear factor-κB p65(acetyl K310) was upregulated, while there was no change in protein expression. Moreover, the notable beneficial effect of givinostat on liver fibrosis was also confirmed in the mouse models.CONCLUSION: Givinostat has antifibrotic activities via regulating the acetylation of nuclear factor-κB and superoxide dismutase 2, thus inhibiting hepatic stellate cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis.

Neuroprotective effects of daidzein on focal cerebral ischemia injury in rats

Daidzein, a plant extract, has antioxidant activity. It is hypothesized, in this study, that daidzein exhibits neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia. Rat models of middle cerebral artery oc- clusion were intraperitoneally administered daidzein. Biochemical and immunohistochemical tests showed that superoxide dismutase and nuclear respiratory factor 1 expression levels in the brain tissue decreased after ischemia and they increased obviously after daidzein administra- tion; malondialdehyde level and apoptosis-related cysteine peptidase caspase-3 and caspase-9 immunoreactivity in the brain tissue increased after ischemia and they decreased obviously after daidzein administration. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and luxol fast blue staining results showed that intraperitoneal administration of daidzein markedly alleviated neuronal damage in the ischemic brain tissue. These findings suggest that daidzein exhibits neuroprotective effects on ischemic brain tissue by decreasing oxygen free radical production, which validates the afore- mentioned hypothesis.

Antioxidant enzyme activities in different genders and tissues of amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense

Information regarding antioxidant enzymes in amphioxus remains lacking, and this study was carried out to examine the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) in different genders and tissues of amphioxus Branchiostoma belcheri tsingtauense. Results show that (1) CuZn-SOD, CAT and GPX activities in the whole amphioxus B. belcheri tsing- tauense were basically at the same levels in male and female amphioxus, whereas both T-SOD and Mn-SOD activities in male amphioxus were significantly higher than that in the female (P<0.05); (2) The testis had significantly higher T-SOD and CuZn-SOD activities than the ovary (P<0.05); (3) CuZn-SOD activity was undetectable in the guts of male and female amphioxus; (4) For both male and female am- phioxus, the activities of CAT and GPX in the gonads including testis and ovary were the lowest (P<0.05) among the tissues examined; (5) The gut and gill had the same level GPX activities while the gut had a higher CAT activity; (6) There was no clear difference in CAT and GPX activities in the corresponding tissues between male and female amphioxus. The study on SOD, CAT and GPX activities in different genders and tissues of the protochordate provides data for future comparison of amphioxus antioxidant enzymes with those of invertebrates and vertebrates.

Effect of Salicylic Acid on Salinity-induced Changes in Brassica juncea

Seeds of Indian mustard （Brassicajuncea （L.） Czern. et Coss.） were exposed to 0, 50, 100 and 150 mmol/L NaCI for 8 h and seeds were sown in an earthen pot. These stressed seedlings were subsequently sprayed with 10μmol/L salicylic acid （SA） at 30 d and were sampled at 60 d to assess the changes in growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant enzymes. The seedlings raised from the seeds treated with NaCI had significantly reduced growth and the activities of carbonic anhydrase, nitrate reductase and photosynthesis, and the decrease was proportional to the increase in NaCI concentration. However, the antioxidant enzymes （catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase） and proline content was enhanced in response to NaCI and/or SA treatment, where their interaction had an additive effect. Moreover, the toxic effects generated by the lower concentration of NaCI （50 mmol/L） were completely overcome by the application of SA. It was, therefore, concluded that SA ameliorated the stress generated by NaCl through the alleviated antioxidant system.

Experimental Research of Acupuncture Therapy on Skin Aging in Senile Rats

Objective： To observe the effect of acupuncture on skin aging of senile rats and discuss the mechanism of acupuncture in treating skin aging. Methods： The 18-month-old senile Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, a blank group, a surrounding needling group, a surrounding needling plus Zusanli （ST 36） group, comparing with the 8-month-old young rats. The tests included the content of dissoluble hydroxyproline （Hyp） and the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD） in the skin of rats＇ abdomen. The transmission electron microscope was used for the morphological observation of the fibroblasts and the arrangement of the collagen fiber. Results： The dermal organelles in the fibroblasts of the rats decreased with the cellular structures. Meanwhile, the spaces among the collagen fibers extended and the aging bridging increased. The surrounding needling improved the activity of the fibroblasts. The dissoluble Hyp content in the surrounding needling group was much higher than the rats in the blank group, but the SOD activity didn＇t change significantly. However, the surrounding needling plus Zusanli （ST 36） enhanced the SOD activity. Conclusion： Acupuncture may improve the activity of the fibroblasts in the skin to increase the dissoluble collagen content, resulting in the improvement of an aged appearance. Surrounding needling plus needling Zusanli （ST 36） could enhance the SOD activity.