Polyphenol-rich ethyl acetate fraction isolated from Molineria latifolia ameliorates insulin resistance in experimental diabetic rats via IRS1/AKT activation.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) isolated from Molineria latifolia rhizome as dietary interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its underlying molecular mechanisms in vivo. Experimental rats were induced by high fat diet feeding coupled with combined exposure to streptozotocin and nicotinamide. Treatment with EAF improved glucose tolerance and lipid profiles, but the insulin secretion was unaltered.

Bioprospecting the Curculigoside-Cinnamic Acid-Rich Fraction from Molineria latifolia Rhizome as a Potential Antioxidant Therapeutic Agent.

Increasing evidence from both experimental and clinical studies depicts the involvement of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Specifically, disruption of homeostatic redox balance in accumulated body fat mass leads to obesity-associated metabolic syndrome. Strategies for the restoration of redox balance, potentially by exploring potent plant bioactives, have thus become the focus of therapeutic intervention.

Brewers' Rice: A By-Product from Rice Processing Provides Natural Hepatorenal Protection in Azoxymethane-Induced Oxidative Stress in Rats.

Brewers' rice, which is known locally as temukut, is a mixture of broken rice, rice bran, and rice germ. Our present study was designed to identify the effect of brewers' rice on the attenuation of liver and kidney damage induced by azoxymethane (AOM). Alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatinine, and urea were evaluated to understand potential hepatoprotective effects and the ability of brewers' rice to attenuate kidney pathology induced by AOM treatment.

Pro-apoptotic effect of rice bran inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) on HT-29 colorectal cancer cells.

Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), or phytic acid is a natural dietary ingredient and has been described as a "natural cancer fighter", being an essential component of nutritional diets. The marked anti-cancer effect of IP6 has resulted in our quest for an understanding of its mechanism of action. In particular, our data provided strong evidence for the induction of apoptotic cell death, which may be attributable to the up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-xl in favor of apoptosis.

Preventive inositol hexaphosphate extracted from rice bran inhibits colorectal cancer through involvement of Wnt/β-catenin and COX-2 pathways.

Nutritional or dietary factors have drawn attention due to their potential as an effective chemopreventive agent, which is considered a more rational strategy in cancer treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of IP₆ extracted from rice bran on azoxymethane- (AOM-) induced colorectal cancer (CRC) in rats. Initially, male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups, with 6 rats in each group.

Suppression of β-catenin and cyclooxygenase-2 expression and cell proliferation in azoxymethane-induced colonic cancer in rats by rice bran phytic acid (PA).

Background: Phytic acid (PA) is a polyphosphorylated carbohydrate that can be found in high amounts in most cereals, legumes, nut oil, seeds and soy beans. It has been suggested to play a significant role in inhibition of colorectal cancer. This study was conducted to investigate expression changes of β-catenin and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and cell proliferation in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence after treatment with rice bran PA by immunocytochemistry.

The improvement of in vivo model (Balb/c mice) for cervical carcinogenesis using diethylstilbestrol (DES).

Cervical cancer is the most common gynecological cancer and one of the major causes of female cancer-related death worldwide particularly in developing countries. Thus far, there are a few in vivo models have been developed in investigating this type of cancer. In this study, we induced cervical cancer in Balb/c mice by exploiting the carcinogenic property of diestylstilbestrol (DES).

The hypocholesterolemic effect of germinated brown rice involves the upregulation of the apolipoprotein A1 and low-density lipoprotein receptor genes.

Germinated brown rice (GBR) is rich in bioactive compounds, which confer GBR with many functional properties. Evidence of its hypocholesterolemic effects is emerging, but the exact mechanisms of action and bioactive compounds involved have not been fully documented. Using type 2 diabetic rats, we studied the effects of white rice, GBR, and brown rice (BR) on lipid profile and on the regulation of selected genes involved in cholesterol metabolism.

Effects of germinated brown rice and its bioactive compounds on the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma gene.

Dysregulated metabolism is implicated in obesity and other disease conditions like type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases, which are linked to abnormalities of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). PPARγ has been the focus of much research aimed at managing these diseases. Also, germinated brown rice (GBR) is known to possess antidiabetic, antiobesity and hypocholesterolemic effects.

The combination of mitragynine and morphine prevents the development of morphine tolerance in mice.

Mitragynine (MG) is the major active alkaloid found in Mitragyna speciosa Korth. In the present study, we investigated the enhancement of analgesic action of MG when combined with morphine and the effect of the combination on the development of tolerance towards morphine. Mice were administered intraperitoneally with a dose of MG (15 and 25 mg/kg b.

Antinociceptive action of isolated mitragynine from Mitragyna Speciosa through activation of opioid receptor system.

Cannabinoids and opioids systems share numerous pharmacological properties and antinociception is one of them. Previous findings have shown that mitragynine (MG), a major indole alkaloid found in Mitragyna speciosa (MS) can exert its antinociceptive effects through the opioids system. In the present study, the action of MG was investigated as the antinociceptive agent acting on Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and effects on the opioids receptor.

Therapeutic potential of Moringa oleifera extracts against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Context: Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae) is a rich source of essential minerals and antioxidants; it has been used in human and animal nutrition. The leaves and flowers are being used by the population with great dietary importance.

Germinated brown rice (GBR) reduces the incidence of aberrant crypt foci with the involvement of beta-catenin and COX-2 in azoxymethane-induced colon cancer in rats.

Chemoprevention has become an important area in cancer research due to the failure of current therapeutic modalities. Epidemiological and preclinical studies have demonstrated that nutrition plays a vital role in the etiology of cancer. This study was conducted to determine the chemopreventive effects of germinated brown rice (GBR) in rats induced with colon cancer.

Immunohistochemical detection of phospho-Akt, phospho-BAD, HER2 and oestrogen receptors alpha and beta in Malaysian breast cancer patients.

Activation of Akt signaling pathway has been documented in various human malignancies, including breast carcinoma. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence of Akt phosphorylation in breast tumours and its relationship with expression of ER-alpha, ER-beta, HER2, Ki-67 and phosphorylated Bcl-2 associated death domain (p-BAD). Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect these molecules on 43 paraffin-embedded breast tumour tissues with commercially available antibodies.

Phenotyping of lymphocytes expressing regulatory and effector markers in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Dysfunction of the host immune system in cancer patients can be due to a number of reasons including suppression of tumour associated antigen reactive lymphocytes by regulatory T (Treg) cells. In this study, we used flow cytometry to determine the phenotype and relative abundance of the tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from 47 enzymatically dissociated tumour specimens from patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. The expression of both effector and regulatory markers on the TILs were determined by using a panel of monoclonal antibodies.

A comparative study of the expression of Wnt-1, WISP-1, survivin and cyclin-D1 in colorectal carcinoma.

Background And Aims: It is well accepted that activation of Wnt signalling occurs in colorectal carcinoma (CRC), but the correlation amongst the various proteins involved in primary tumours are still unclear. The expression of the inducer of this pathway, Wnt-1, and the downstream effectors, WISP-1, cyclin-D1 and survivin proteins, was compared in a series of CRC tissues with the apparently normal adjacent tissues to determine the relationship of these proteins.

Patients And Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples of 47 CRCs surgically resected at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) between 1999 and 2000 were used.

Positive correlation between overexpression of phospho-BAD with phosphorylated Akt at serine 473 but not threonine 308 in colorectal carcinoma.

The enhancement of cell proliferation and promotion of cell survival via the inhibition of apoptosis is thought to be the key to the initiation and progression of cancers. The phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt is an important survival signal pathway that has been shown to be crucial in the regulation of balance between pro-apoptotic and survival (anti-apoptotic) signal. In this study, the expression of phosphorylated Akt at Thr308 and Ser473, BCL-2-antagonist of cell death (BAD) at Ser136 and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3beta) at Ser9 in 47 paraffin-embedded human colorectal carcinoma (CRC) tissues were determined by immunohistochemical staining in order to dissect the alterations in the signal transduction pathways in CRC.

Expression of beta-catenin, COX-2 and iNOS in colorectal cancer: relevance of COX-2 adn iNOS inhibitors for treatment in Malaysia.

Background: Promising new pharmacological agents and gene therapy targeting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) could modulate treatment of colorectal cancer in the future. The aim of this study was to elucidate the expression fo beta-catenin and teh presence of COX-2 and iNOS in colorectal cancer specimens in Malaysia. This is a useful prelude to future studies investigating interventions directed towards COX-2 adn iNOS.

Expression of interleukin-18, interferon-gamma and interleukin-10 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

This is the first report on the detection of IL-18, IFN-gamma and IL-10 proteins in hepatocelllular carcinoma. In the apparently normal surrounding tissue, 13 out of 17 paired specimens showed positive immunoreactivity to IL-18 (76.5%) compared with six out of 17 in the tumour portion (35.