A comparative study on hypoglycemic properties, lipid profile and bioactive components of hydro-alcoholic extracts of cooked and raw Brassica napus

Introduction: Many plants with anti-oxidant properties proved to be effective on diabetes treatment. Brassica napus (turnip) is an anti-oxidant plant consumed raw or cooked. In this study, we examined and compared hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties of raw and cooked Brassica napus in diabetic rats. Objectives: Due to measuring bioactive component of Brassica napus as a rich source of flavonoid we investigate the hypoglycemic properties in raw and cooked type. Material and Methods: For this experimental study, 50 male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g were designated into five groups of 10 consist of control, diabetic control, diabetic cooked turnip, diabetic raw turnip, and diabetic glibenclamide. The alloxan-induced diabetic rats received extracts orally for 4 weeks. Then, the serum biochemical factors were measured and compared statisticaly by analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Results: Serum glucose, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly decreased in cooked and raw turnip rats compared to control ones. Cooked and raw Brassica napus extracts both helped high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increase; cooked turnip competency was superior in view of cholesterol and LDL-C decrease as well as HDL-C increase (P < 0.05). The mean difference in glucose and TG decrease was not significant between diabetic cooked turnip and diabetic raw turnip rats. Conclusion: Improving the blood glucose and lipid levels diabetic rats, in this study, may indicate that both raw and cooked Brassica napus extracts (especially the cooked one) may be beneficial in diabetic patients.

New insight to IL-23/IL-17 axis in Iranian infected adult patients with gastritis: effects of genes polymorphisms on expression of cytokines

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Chronic inflammation is the hallmark of the pathogenesis of H. pylori-induced gastric cancer. IL-17A and IL-17F are inflammatory cytokines expressed by a novel subset of CD4+Th cells and play critical function in inflammation. We evaluated the relationship between IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G and IL23R+2199 A/C polymorphisms with IL-6, IL-17, IL-21, IL-23 and TGF-β1 mRNAs expression in regard to H. pylori infection with chronic gastritis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Total RNA and genomic DNA were extracted from gastric biopsies of 58 H. pylori-infected patient with gastritis. Afterward, mucosal IL-6, IL-17, IL-21, IL-23 and TGF-β1 mRNAs expression and polymorphisms in IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G and IL-23R +2199A/Cin gastric biopsies were determined by real-time PCR and PCR-RFLP.

RESULTS

Our results show that IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G andIL23R +2199A/C polymorphisms have no effect on mucosal expression of IL-6, IL-17, IL-21 and TGF-β1 mRNAs expression in H. pylori-infected patients with chronic gastritis.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that IL-17A G197A, IL-17F A7488G and IL23R +2199A/C polymorphisms no alter mucosal cytokine pattern in Iranian patients with H. pylori-associated gastritis diseases.

Natural cytotoxicity of NC-2+ cells against the growth and metastasis of WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma

We have previously reported a new receptor (NC-2) for natural cytotoxicity (NC) on murine leucocytes, identified by monoclonal antibody D9 (mAb D9). Pretreatment of mouse spleen cells with different concentrations of mAb D9 in vitro blocked NC against WEHI-164, whereas natural killing (NK) activity against YAC-1 was unaffected. This paper reports the immune surveillance against the growth of WEHI-164 tumour cells in mice by NC-2(+) Cells. The kinetics of in vivo reduction in NC activity were investigated by treating BALB/c and (CBA × C57BL/6) F1 mice with a single injection of 40 μg of mAb D9 and monitoring splenic NC activity by (51) Cr-release assay at intervals from 24 h to 3 weeks. Control mice were injected with OKT8 irrelevant antibody. Results showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in splenic NC activity within 24 h which persisted for up to 1 week. Similar results were also obtained when (CBA × C57BL/6) F1 mice were employed (P<0.001). In vivo tumour studies were undertaken to investigate the role of NC-2(+) cells in surveillance against tumour growth and metastasis of the WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma. When syngeneic BALB/c mice were injected with 40 μg of mAb D9 and then challenged with 5 × 10(5) WEHI-164 cells, results showed significantly increased growth rate of the transplanted WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma and tumour nodules in the lungs of animals, when compared to control mice with normal NC activity. Our data support an innate surveillance in metastasis and growth of WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma in mice.