The impact of the vitamin D and resveratrol administration on the stiffness and elasticity of T2DM rat aorta associated with the trace element and mineral levels.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is directly associated with increased aortic stiffness, reduced aortic elasticity, and aortic dissection, which are independent risk factors for cardiovascular death. Since Vit D and resveratrol have been reported due to their cardioprotective effects, in this study, we aim to evaluate the impact of Vit D and resveratrol treatment alone or in combination on the aortic health associated with trace element and mineral levels in a high-fructose diet/streptozotocin-induced T2DM model.

Methods: We investigated biomechanical changes of the aorta samples via a custom-built stretcher, where trace element and mineral levels in aorta samples were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) following acidic microwave digestion.

Combined resveratrol and vitamin D treatment ameliorate inflammation-related liver fibrosis, ER stress, and apoptosis in a high-fructose diet/streptozotocin-induced T2DM model.

A high fructose diet is a major cause of diabetes and various metabolic disorders, including fatty liver. In this study, we investigated the effects of resveratrol and vitamin D (VitD) treatments on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and liver regeneration in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus, namely, T2DM Sprague-Dawley rats. This T2DM rat model was created through a combination treatment of a 10% fructose diet and 40 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ).

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on OPG/RANKL signalling activities in endothelial tissue damage in diet-induced diabetic rat model.

Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that causes endothelial damage and is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis. In the present study vitamin D3 supplementation in rats was used to determine the role of Osteoprotegerin (OPG)/Receptor activator kB ligand (RANKL) signalling in endothelial damage and changes in the expression levels of genes involved in this pathway. We hypothesized that vitamin D3 supplementation affects OPG and RANKL activity in the aorta.

Synergistic Effect of Apigenin and Curcumin on Apoptosis, Paraptosis and Autophagy-related Cell Death in HeLa Cells.

Background/aim: We aimed to investigate the synergistic effects of apigenin and curcumin on the cross-talk between apoptosis and autophagic cell death, as well as on paraptosis in HeLa cells.

Materials And Methods: Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. Synergistic effects were measured using the Bliss independence model.

Transdifferentiation of both intra- and extra-islet cells into beta cells in nicotinamide treated neonatal diabetic rats: An in situ hybridization and double immunohistochemical study.

We aimed to study the effect of nicotinamide (NA) on beta (β)-cell regeneration and apoptosis in streptozotocin induced neonatal rats (n-STZ). Three groups were performed: Control group, n2-STZ group (100 mg/kg STZ on the second day-after birth), n2-STZ + NA group (STZ;100 mg/kg + NA;500 mg/kg/day for 5 days). The pancreatic tissue sections were immunostained with insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, Pdx1, Notch1 and active caspase-3 antibodies, and double immunostained with insulin/PCNA, insulin/glucagon and insulin/somatostatin antibodies.

Evaluation of the wound healing potential of the lipid fraction from activated platelet-rich plasma.

Previous in vitro studies suggest a direct relevance for the peptide-free lipid fraction (LF) of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in biological mechanisms related to wound healing. However, there are no scientific reports to date on the wound healing activities of this lipid component . Thus, the present study provides a scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of the lipid portion of the activated PRP.

DPP4 inhibitor induces beta cell regeneration and DDR-1 protein expression as an endocrine progenitor cell marker in neonatal STZ-diabetic rats.

Background: We aim to investigate the effects of dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitor (Vildagliptin-VG) on DDR-1 as a marker for endocrine progenitor cells, β-cell regeneration, and apoptosis in neonatal streptozotocin (n2-STZ) diabetics.

Methods: Neonatal rats were divided into two main groups as short- and long-term treatment, each consisted of four groups; (1) Control, (2) n2-STZ diabetic (single dose of 100 mg/kg STZ at 2nd day of birth), (3) n2-STZ + VG (60 mg/kg/day VG orally; for 8 and 28 days), (4) VG (60 mg/kg/day orally; for 8 and 28 days). Blood glucose levels and body weights were measured, and the tissue sections were immunostained using insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, PCNA, Pdx-1 and DDR-1 antibodies.

Protective effects of pentoxifylline in small intestine after ischemia-reperfusion.

Objective This study was performed to determine the healing effects of pentoxifylline on molecular responses and protection against severe ischemic damage in the small intestine. Methods Thirty-six Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups. The superior mesenteric artery was clamped for 120 minutes, and reperfusion was performed for 60 minutes.

The Detection Techniques for Autophagy-Associated Cell Death-Related Genes and Proteins: Gene Expression Assay and Immunohistochemistry.

Autophagy is important in cellular homeostasis for the cell survival mechanism. Deficiency or excess of autophagy is generally related to some of diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. Although autophagy is a cell survival mechanism, it can mediate programmed cell death in several conditions.

The severity of internal carotid artery stenosis is associated with the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A gene expression.

Aim: The INK4b-ARF-INK4a locus in the chromosome 9p21 region is known to play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. The INK4/ARF transcript p16(INK4a) inhibits the activity of the cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4/CDK6 and arrests cell-cycle progression. CDK inhibitors also regulate G1/S phase progression in vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) and may modulate the early stages of atherosclerosis.

The role of clusterin on pancreatic beta cell regeneration after exendin-4 treatment in neonatal streptozotocin administrated rats.

We investigated the effects of exendin-4 (Ex4) treatment on expression of clusterin and β cell regeneration in the endocrine pancreas in neonatal streptozotocin (nSTZ) diabetic rats. Three groups were used: (1) n2-STZ group; on the second day after birth 100mg/kg STZ was given i.p.

The effects of alpha lipoic acid on liver cells damages and apoptosis induced by polyunsaturated fatty acids.

We studied the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on the liver cell damages and apoptosis by n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) rich diet in young rats. 24 Wistar rats were divided into four groups. During the study, 12 of them (control) were fed with standard chow and other 12 (n-6) were fed with the food containing high-fat n-6 for 8 weeks.

Obestatin and insulin in pancreas of newborn diabetic rats treated with exogenous ghrelin.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of ghrelin treatment on obestatin, insulin gene expression and biochemical parameters in the pancreas of newborn-streptozocin (STZ) diabetic rats. Rats were divided into 4 groups. Group I: control rats treated with physiological saline; group II: control rats treated with 100 μg/kg/day ghrelin; group III: two days after birth rats that received 100mg/kg STZ injected as a single dose to induce neonatal diabetes; group IV: neonatal-STZ-diabetic rats treated with ghrelin for four weeks.

FTO mRNA expression in extremely obese and type 2 diabetic human omental and subcutaneous adipose tissues.

Background: Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) gene expression is known to correlate with obesity. Our aim was to investigate the FTO gene expression in paired omental and subcutaneous human adipose tissues from morbid and obese patients. To understand the role of CD68-positive macrophages in adipose tissues, the correlation with adiposity parameters such as adipocyte diameter and adipocyte radius was also measured.

The neuroprotective effects of z-DEVD.fmk, a caspase-3 inhibitor, on traumatic spinal cord injury in rats.

Background: Apoptosis is one of the most important forms of cell death seen in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions, including traumatic injuries. This type of cell death occurs via mediators known as caspases. Previous studies have investigated the roles that apoptosis and different caspases play in the pathogenesis of secondary damage after spinal cord injury (SCI).

Protective effects of a calcium channel blocker on apoptosis in thymus of neonatal STZ-diabetic rats.

Streptozotocin (STZ) is known to induce insulin-dependent diabetes in experimental animals. In STZ-induced diabetes, atrophy of the thymus is caused by elevated intracellular calcium levels leading to apoptosis. Hyperglycemia is known to result in a decrease in numbers of T cells in the thymus and circulation.

Renoprotective effects of valsartan and enalapril in STZ-induced diabetes in rats.

Effects of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist valsartan and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril were studied in streptozotocine (STZ)-induced diabetes in rats on the basis of microalbuminuria (Ma) and renal morphology. Five groups of Wistar rats were used, one group was the non-diabetic control, one group consisted of untreated STZ-diabetics and 3 groups of STZ-diabetics were treated with either enalapril and/or valsartan for 30 days. Blood glucose (BG) and Ma levels, body and kidney weight and glomerular size were measured.