Quercus ilex (L.) leaves emit monoterpenes, particularly alpha-pinene, beta-pinene and sabinene. Apart from the monoterpene pools that are stored in specialized structures and have a clear defensive or attractive role, the function of monoterpenes in Q. ilex leaves is unknown. We tested whether monoterpenes have an antioxidant role, as has previously been found for isoprene in isoprene-emitting...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges from simple hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to test beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA 130 mg, EPA 25 mg) treatment in NAFLD, in a mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. As pretreatment, 50 mice were fed for one month with a high-fat diet to induce NAFLD. Then, the mice wer...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Acute hepatic injury causes systematic inflammatory responses which may finally lead to functional disturbances in remote organs. In this study, the effects of an inhibitor of inflammatory cytokines (pentoxifylline, PTX) and a well-known antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), were evaluated on renal damage and oxidative stress following liver ischemia reperfusion (IR). METHO...

BACKGROUND/AIMS The independent role of soft drink consumption in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients remains unclear. We aimed to assess the association between consumption of soft drinks and fatty liver in patients with or without metabolic syndrome. METHODS We recruited 31 patients (age: 43+/-12 years) with NAFLD and risk factors for metabolic syndrome, 29 patients with NAFL...

Exposure of red blood cells to oxygen radicals can induce hemoglobin damage and stimulate protein degradation, lipid peroxidation, and hemolysis. To determine if these events are linked, rabbit erythrocytes were incubated at 37 degrees C with various oxygen radical-generating systems and antioxidants. Protein degradation, measured by the production of free alanine, increased more than 11-fold i...

PURPOSE The goal of this study was to investigate the anti-osteoporosis effect of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in vivo, and explore its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties in Sprague Dawley rats and its anticancer properties in patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 120 healthy female Sprague Dawley rats aged 6 months were divided into four groups: 1) sham-operated control (Sham gr...

BACKGROUND Gurigumu-7 is an important traditional Mongolian medicine frequently used for liver diseases. However, the pharmacological effects and the bioactive constituents are not well understood. METHOD This research was to use CCl4-induced liver damage in mice to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Gurigumu-7 and the methanol eluted fraction from a DIAION column of an extract of Gu...

BACKGROUND The wound healing process is complex and still poorly understood. Sericin is a silk protein synthesized by silk worms (Bombyx mori). The objective of this study was to evaluate in vivo wound healing effects of a sericin-containing gel formulation in an incision wound model in rats. MATERIAL/METHODS Twenty-eight Wistar-Albino rats were divided into 4 groups (n=7). No intervention or...

Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarylcoenzyme A reductase inhibitors), apart from lowering plasma cholesterol, modulate other processes involved in atherogenesis. Paraoxonase (PON), contained in plasma high density lipoproteins, protects plasma lipoproteins from oxidative damage and is a potentially atheroprotective enzyme. We investigated the effect of cerivastatin on oxidant-antioxidant balance...

BACKGROUND This study was designed to determine the optimal timing of vitamins E and C to prevent oxidative stress induced by a high-fat evening meal in type 2 diabetes. METHODS AND RESULTS Eleven subjects were admitted on 4 occasions. Euglycemia was maintained for 24 hours by insulin infusion. Participants were fed a high-fat test supper equivalent to a McDonald's Big Mac Meal. Blood was dra...