Silimarin and Cancer.

Background: Silimarin is the dry mixture of a whole family of natural substances, extracted after the addition of ethanol, methanol, and acetone. Silimarin consists mainly of silibin A and silibin B, as well as other less important compounds.

Methods: Silimarin has been demonstrated to "inhibit cell proliferation and to induce apoptosis, while also having anti-angiogenic properties.

Diabetic hepatosclerosis: True clinical entity or ghost disease?

Diabetic hepatosclerosis is a novel entity that has recently been introduced by reviewing archived liver biopsies as a non-cirrhotic form of peri-sinusoidal fibrosis with basement membrane formation. Diabetic hepatosclerosis is usually characterized by an indolent clinical course. Serum aminotransferase levels are normal or minimally elevated, but elevated alkaline phosphatase levels is usually present.

Sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors and their nephroprotective potential .

Chronic kidney disease among patients with diabetes is on the rise. The sodium glucose co-transporters 2 inhibitors are a new class of glucose-lowering agents, which act through a novel mechanism by producing a decline in glucose reabsorption in the kidney, thereby increasing glucosuria and decreasing serum glucose levels. Data suggest that they possess nephroprotective properties.

SGLT-2 inhibitors: Their pleiotropic properties.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a global pandemic. Nowadays, it is estimated that approximately 415 million people all over the world have diabetes. The sodium glucose co-transporters 2 inhibitors are a new class of glucose-lowering agents, which act through a novel mechanism by producing a decline in glucose re-absorption in the kidney, thereby increasing glycosuria and decreasing serum glucose levels.

Potential anticancer properties and mechanisms of action of curcumin.

Curcumin, a yellow substance belonging to the polyphenols superfamily, is the active component of turmeric, a common Indian spice, which is derived from the dried rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant. Numerous studies have demonstrated that curcumin possesses anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancerous properties. The purpose of this review is to focus on the anti-tumor effects of curcumin.

The therapeutic potential of milk thistle in diabetes.

Milk thistle has been known for more than 2.000 years as a herbal remedy for a variety of disorders. It has mainly been used to treat liver and gallbladder diseases.

Statins and cancer.

Statins have pleiotropic properties and might exert an effect even in the field of cancer. Statins competitively inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme (HMG-CoA) reductase, the major rate-limiting enzyme that controls the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonic acid. Specifically, inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase by statins has been proved to prevent the synthesis of mevalonic acid, a precursor of non-steroidal isoprenoids, which are lipid attachment molecules for small G proteins, such as Ras, Rho and Rac.

Resveratrol and diabetes.

Resveratrol is a stilbene compound, and a phytoalexin, synthesized by plants in response to stressful stimuli, usually caused by infection. It is abundantly present in red wine, ports and sherries, red grapes, blueberries, peanuts, itadori tea, as well as hops, pistachios, and in grape and cranberry juices. The anti-hyperglycemic effects of resveratrol seem to be the result of an increased action of the glucose transporter in the cytoplasmic membrane.

Metformin and cancer.

Metformin is well-known as an anti-diabetic drug, but it seems to possess anti-cancerous properties as well. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a highly conserved regulator of the cellular response to the presence of low energy in all eukaryotic cells. It is considered a key sensor of the balance of cellular ATP and AMP concentrations.