Aqueous garlic extract alleviates liver fibrosis and renal dysfunction in bile-duct-ligated rats

Role of the renin-angiotensin system in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease and heart failure: Diagnostic biomarkers and therapy with drugs and natural products

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a pivotal role in blood pressure regulation. In some cases, this steering mechanism is affected by various deleterious factors (mainly via the overactivation of the RAS) causing cardiovascular damage, including coronary heart disease (CHD) that can ultimately lead to chronic heart failure (CHF). This not only causes cardiovascular disability and absenteeism from work but also imposes significant healthcare costs globally. The incidence of cardiovascular diseases has escalated exponentially over the years with the major outcome in the form of CHD, stroke, and CHF. The involvement of the RAS in various diseases has been extensively researched with significant limelight on CHD. The RAS may trigger a cascade of events that lead to atherosclerotic mayhem, which causes CHD and related aggravation by damaging the endothelial lining of blood vessels via various inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways. Although there are various diagnostic tests and treatments available in the market, there is a constant need for the development of procedures and therapeutic strategies that increase patient compliance and reduce the associated side effects. This review highlights the advances in the diagnostic and treatment domains for CHD, which would help in subjugating the side effects caused by conventional therapy.

Evaluation of acrylamide exposure in pregnant Wistar rats as a risk of developing renal disease in their litters

This study was designed at evaluating the acrylamide (ACR) exposure in pregnant Wistar rats as a risk of developing renal disease in their litters. Four groups of pregnant female rats were used. Group 1 control animals were given 2 ml/kg/day of distilled water. Groups 2, 3, and 4 animals were given oral gavage doses of 2, 5, and 10 mg/kg/day of ACR respectively immediately pregnancy was confirmed. Mother rats were sacrificed 10 weeks after delivery and litters were sacrificed at 13 weeks. Proteinuria was observed in ACR-treated mother rats and their litters. Serum electrolytes, urea, and creatinine values observed in the treated group were deranged for both the mothers and litters respectively. Disruption of nephrogenesis was observed in the litters of ACR-treated mother compared to the control. The results of the effect of ACR on lipid profile indicated a significant elevation in the LDL, cholesterol, and triglyceride compared to the control. There was significant reduction in the SOD, catalase, GSH, and significant elevation in the C-reactive protein and malondialdehyde. Conclusively, exposure to acrylamide during pregnancy is a risk factor for the development of renal disease in the mother rats and their litters.

The Role of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants in Liver Diseases

A complex antioxidant system has been developed in mammals to relieve oxidative stress. However, excessive reactive species derived from oxygen and nitrogen may still lead to oxidative damage to tissue and organs. Oxidative stress has been considered as a conjoint pathological mechanism, and it contributes to initiation and progression of liver injury. A lot of risk factors, including alcohol, drugs, environmental pollutants and irradiation, may induce oxidative stress in liver, which in turn results in severe liver diseases, such as alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Application of antioxidants signifies a rational curative strategy to prevent and cure liver diseases involving oxidative stress. Although conclusions drawn from clinical studies remain uncertain, animal studies have revealed the promising in vivo therapeutic effect of antioxidants on liver diseases. Natural antioxidants contained in edible or medicinal plants often possess strong antioxidant and free radical scavenging abilities as well as anti-inflammatory action, which are also supposed to be the basis of other bioactivities and health benefits. In this review, PubMed was extensively searched for literature research. The keywords for searching oxidative stress were free radicals, reactive oxygen, nitrogen species, anti-oxidative therapy, Chinese medicines, natural products, antioxidants and liver diseases. The literature, including ours, with studies on oxidative stress and anti-oxidative therapy in liver diseases were the focus. Various factors that cause oxidative stress in liver and effects of antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases were summarized, questioned, and discussed.

Plants Consumption and Liver Health

The liver is a very important organ with a lot of functions for the host to survive. Dietary components are essential for and can be beneficial or detrimental to the healthy or diseased liver. Plants food is an essential part of the human diet and comprises various compounds which are closely related to liver health. Selected food plants can provide nutritional and medicinal support for liver disease. At the present, the knowledge of the effects of plants on the liver is still incomplete. The most urgent task at the present time is to find the best dietary and medicinal plants for liver health in an endless list of candidates. This review article updates the knowledge about the effects of plants consumption on the health of the liver, putting particular emphasis on the potential beneficial and harmful impact of dietary and medicinal plants on liver function.