Serum Levels Of Parameters Research Articles

Phytochemical profile of a microalgae Euglena tuba and its hepatoprotective effect against iron-induced liver damage in Swiss albino mice.

This study was aimed to evaluate different phytochemical constituents and the ameliorating effect of 70% methanol extract of Euglena tuba (ETME) on iron overload-induced liver injury, along with its in vitro iron-chelating and DNA protection effects. Phytochemicals of ETME were identified by GC-MS analysis. Iron chelation and protection of Fenton reaction-induced DNA damage was conducted in vitro. Post oral administration of ETME to iron-overloaded mice, the levels of serum parameters, antioxidant enzymes, liver iron, lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl and hydroxyproline contents were measured. ETME showed inhibition of lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and liver fibrosis. The serum markers and liver iron were lessened, whereas enhanced levels of liver antioxidant enzymes were detected in ETME-treated group. Furthermore, the histopathological observations also substantiated the protective effects of the extract. Several bioactive compounds identified by GC-MS may be the basis of hepatoprotective as well as antioxidant and iron-chelating effect of ETME. Currently available iron-chelating agents show several side effects and limitations which may be overcome by ETME, which suggest its benefit against pathology of iron overload-linked diseases. Hence, ETME can be used as a promising hepatoprotective agent.

Iron body stores in patients treated with red-cell transfusions

Background: Consequence of chronic transfusion therapy is a secondary iron overload, which adversely affects the heart, liver and endocrine glands. This can be minimized by iron chelating therapy. The assessment of iron overload is essential to assign and adjust this treatment. Serum ferritin is a widely used marker for the estimation of iron stores. However, a variety of conditions alter the relationship between serum ferritin levels and body iron stores. Soluble transferrin receptors in serum (sTfR) reflect the degree of erythropoiesis and the status of body iron. The data on usage of serum transferrin receptors for the assessment of iron overload are sparse. The purpose of our work was to estimate iron overload in transfusion dependent patients and to assess the combinative value of serum transferrin receptors and ferritin in prediction of iron load. Methods: Serum levels of iron, transferrin saturation, ferritin and sTfR were evaluated for 36 transfusion dependent patients. Twenty of them had myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Body iron (mg/kg) was calculated from the sTfR/ferritin ratio with the use of regression formula developed by Cook et al. Levels of serum parameters and calculated body iron were compared with estimated iron overload. We used absolute number of transfused units of blood as a measure of iron overload. Results: Serum ferritin above 1000 ug/L and above 2000 ug/L was found in 69 % and in 47 % of transfusion dependent patients. For MDS patients these levels were found in 85 % and 65 %. Concentration of sTfR was lower in the group of patients than it was in control group of healthy people (p = 0.001). We found a significant inverse correlation between sTfR and transferrin saturation. The estimated iron overload correlates well with serum ferritin (n = 0.66, p 1000 ug/L and good prognosis (subgroup of MDS) should need intensification of chelating treatment. In this study we didn’t find any advantages of calculating body iron in comparison to measuring serum ferritin levels for the estimation of iron overload.

Role of dietary l-arginine supplementation on serum parameters and intestinal enzyme activities in rats fed an excess-fat diet

We investigated whether dietary supplementation with l-arginine, the endogenous precursor of nitric oxide, might affect serum parameter levels body weight, food intake and activities of intestinal mucosa enzymes in animals fed with a standard diet or a diet high in saturated fat for 4 weeks. Body weight and food intake were not affected by diet but relative liver weight was higher in animals receiving a high-fat diet. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels were higher in both groups fed high-fat diet and dietary l-arginine did not affect these parameters but produced an increase in serum protein levels and a slight decrease in glycaemia. Regarding the intestinal enzyme activities, rats fed a high-fat diet plus arginine showed the lowest intestinal disaccharidase activities.

A multicenter randomized controlled dose study of ursodeoxycholic acid for chronic hepatitis C

The effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on liver function tests and on bile acid metabolism was investigated in a multi-center randomized controlled dose study for chronic hepatitis C. Twenty, 18 and 19 patients were administered 150, 600 and 900 mg/day, respectively of ursodeoxycholic acid every day for 16 wk. Serum liver parameters and bile acid composition in the treatment groups were compared with 17 control patients. A similarly significant decrease of serum alanine aminotransferase and serum γ-glutamyltransferase was observed in patients administered 600 and 900 mg of ursodeoxycholic acid. Serum bile acid composition was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. At entry, the relative proportions of major bile acids were similar to those observed in normal individuals. Maximal concentrations of total ursodeoxycholic acid were 0.30 μmol/L, 5.59 μmol/L, 21.42 μmol/L and 14.73 μmol/L in the control, 150, 600 and 900 mg/day groups, respectively. The fraction of the total ursodeoxycholic acid increased in a dose-dependent manner, and it was significantly higher than in controls (p < 0.001). The hydrophobicity index of bile acids was calculated by the method of Heuman, and its correlation with serum parameter levels was analyzed. In the 600 and 900 mg/day dose groups, serum alanine aminotransferase decreased in the cases in which hydrophobicity index significantly decreased during treatment. The same correlation was observed between the hydrophobicity index and serum γ = glutamyltransferase in these two groups. There was no correlation between these parameters in the control and 150-mg groups. There was no correlation between reduction rate of serum alanine aminotransferase and initial liver histology. These data suggest that ursodeoxycholic acid at a dose of 600 mg/day may be effective in improving liver function in patients with chronic hepatitis C. (HEPATOLOGY 1994;20:558–564).

A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Dose Study of Ursodeoxycholic Acid for Chronic Hepatitis C

The effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on liver function tests and on bile acid metabolism was investigated in a multi-center randomized controlled dose study for chronic hepatitis C. Twenty, 18 and 19 patients were administered 150, 600 and 900 mg/day, respectively of ursodeoxycholic acid every day for 16 wk. Serum liver parameters and bile acid composition in the treatment groups were compared with 17 control patients. A similarly significant decrease of serum alanine aminotransferase and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase was observed in patients administered 600 and 900 mg of ursodeoxycholic acid. Serum bile acid composition was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. At entry, the relative proportions of major bile acids were similar to those observed in normal individuals. Maximal concentrations of total ursodeoxycholic acid were 0.30 mumol/L, 5.59 mumol/L, 21.42 mumol/L and 14.73 mumol/L in the control, 150, 600 and 900 mg/day groups, respectively. The fraction of the total ursodeoxycholic acid increased in a dose-dependent manner, and it was significantly higher than in controls (p < 0.001). The hydrophobicity index of bile acids was calculated by the method of Heuman, and its correlation with serum parameter levels was analyzed. In the 600 and 900 mg/day dose groups, serum alanine aminotransferase decreased in the cases in which hydrophobicity index significantly decreased during treatment. The same correlation was observed between the hydrophobicity index and serum gamma = glutamyltransferase in these two groups. There was no correlation between these parameters in the control and 150-mg groups. There was no correlation between reduction rate of serum alanine aminotransferase and initial liver histology.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Various Biochemical Aspects of the Blood in Experimentally Induced Hyper and Hypoprolactinemia in Male Guinea Pigs

The present study aimed to investigate various biochemical constituents in serum of male guinea pigs of differing serum prolactin status.Four similar groups of apparently healthy male guinea pigs were used in this study. The first group was used as the control; the second group was made hyperprolactinemic with daily doses of 1mg estrogen; the third group was made hypoprolactinemic with daily doses of 2.5mg bromocriptine; the fourth group, after being similarly dosed with estrogen, was again orally dosed with bromocriptine.Results revealed that estrogen induced a marked serum hyperprolactinemia accompanied with a significant rise in serum levels of estradiol-17β, insulin, and calcium; while serum levels of glucose, magnesium, and inorganic phosphorous were found to be significantly decreased. These serum constituent levels approached to almost their control levels after bromocriptine administration. Bromocriptine without estrogen promoted a marked decrease in serum prolactin and estradiol-17β, but other serum parameter levels remained almost within their normal range. The biochemical changes detected in the present study may be useful in clinical diagnosis and treatment of prolactinemia.

Time course study of insulin secretion after 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 administration.

Vitamin D3 is known to be involved in pancreatic endocrine function. The rapidity of action of the biologically active form of vitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], was studied over time (from 0-72 h) on pancreatic insulin secretion by the subsequently isolated perfused pancreas of vitamin D-deficient rats pair-fed with vitamin D-deficient control rats treated with vehicle alone. At 8 h after 1,25(OH)2D3 administration (1.3 nmol), augmentation of the insulin secretion in response to 16.6 mM glucose had already significantly appeared and reached a maximum at 14 h, and then markedly decreased to pretreatment baseline values by 36 h. In a separate experiment using 20 mM arginine as a stimulus, insulin secretion from the isolated perfused pancreas also showed a significant increase at 8 h and demonstrated a maximum response at 14 h after 1,25(OH)2D3 administration, followed by gradual decrease to 72 h. The prevailing levels of serum parameters, including calcium, phosphorus, and glucose, seemed not to be involved in this mechanism, since these were not correlated to the amount of insulin secretion by the subsequently isolated perfused pancreas. Also the observed rapid effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on insulin secretion appear not to be related to a rapid effect of the secosteroid on increased dietary/caloric intake. These results clearly establish both the dependence of and rapid dynamics response of the perfused pancreas to the potentiating effects of in vivo administered 1,25(OH)2D3 on either glucose- or arginine-mediated insulin secretion from the perfused pancreas.