Piperine as Therapeutic Agent in Paracetamol-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Mice.

High doses of paracetamol (APAP) can cause irreversible liver damage. Piperine (P) inhibits cytochrome P450, which is involved in the metabolism of various xenobiotics, including paracetamol. We evaluated the hepatoprotective effects of piperine with or without N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

Temporal analysis of paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity.

Paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity (APAP) causes severe damage that may be irreversible. Understanding the evolution of liver injury caused by overdose of the drug is important to assist in the treatment. In the present study, we evaluated the acute intoxication by APAP (500 mg/kg) in periods of 3 and 12 hours in C57BL/6 mice through biochemical, histological, inflammatory parameters, and the redox status.

A prospective study in women: açaí (Euterpe oleracea Martius) dietary intake affects serum p-selectin, leptin, and visfatin levels.

Background: açaí is the fruit of the palm tree Euterpe oleracea Martius, which is native to the Amazon region. This fruit has been extensively studied due to its potential effects on human health. Studies have also evaluated the potential effect of açaí on the inflammatory response, but there are still few studies that have assessed this property in humans.

Açaí ( Martius) Promotes Jejunal Tissue Regeneration by Enhancing Antioxidant Response in 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Mucositis.

Intestinal mucositis (IM) caused by antineoplastic chemotherapy is characterized by an important inflammatory process, which may compromise ongoing treatment. Our study aimed to investigate the effect of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Martius) on the antioxidant response in BALB/c mice pretreated with Açaí pulp (200 g/kg) for 14 day. A group of animals receiving a single intraperitoneal injection of 5-FU (200 mg/kg) were euthanized on day three (D3) or seven (D7) after administration, the distal jejunum was isolated for the analyses of histology, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzyme activities, and concentration of total sulfhydryl groups (GSH).

Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) dietary intake affects plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, cholesteryl ester transfer to high-density lipoprotein and redox metabolism: A prospective study in women.

The açai fruit (Euterpe oleracea Martius), which is native to the Brazilian Amazon region, was shown to have high polyphenols and MUFA contents. In this study, we aimed to assess the effects of açai consumption on plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, the transfer of lipids to HDL (which is a relevant HDL function), and some biomarkers of redox metabolism. Forty healthy volunteer women aged 24 ± 3 years consumed 200 g of açai pulp/day for 4 weeks; their clinical variables and blood sample were obtained before and after this period.

Açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp dietary intake improves cellular antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers of serum in healthy women.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of açai pulp (Euterpe oleracea Martius) intake on the prevention of oxidative damage by measuring the activity of antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers of protein oxidation in women.

Methods: A nutritional intervention study was conducted with thirty-five healthy women who were asked to consume 200 g/d of açai pulp for 4 wk. Blood samples were collected, and blood pressure and anthropometric parameters were measured before and after the experimental period.

High dietary salt decreases antioxidant defenses in the liver of fructose-fed insulin-resistant rats.

In this study we investigated the hypothesis that a high-salt diet to hyperinsulinemic rats might impair antioxidant defense owing to its involvement in the activation of sodium reabsorption to lead to higher oxidative stress. Rats were fed a standard (CON), a high-salt (HS), or a high-fructose (HF) diet for 10 weeks after which, 50% of the animals belonging to the HF group were switched to a regimen of high-fructose and high-salt diet (HFS) for 10 more weeks, while the other groups were fed with their respective diets. Animals were then euthanized and their blood and liver were examined.

The hypocholesterolemic activity of açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is mediated by the enhanced expression of the ATP-binding cassette, subfamily G transporters 5 and 8 and low-density lipoprotein receptor genes in the rat.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the ingestion of açaí pulp can improve serum lipid profile in various animal models; therefore, we hypothesized that açaí pulp (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) may modulate the expression of the genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis in the liver and increase fecal excretion, thus reducing serum cholesterol. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the expression of 7α-hydroxylase and ATP-binding cassette, subfamily G transporters (ABCG5 and ABCG8), which are genes involved with the secretion of cholesterol in the rat.

Salt overload in fructose-fed insulin-resistant rats decreases paraoxonase-1 activity.

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a HDL-associated esterase/lactonase and its activity is inversely related to the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a high-salt diet on serum PON1 activity in fructose-fed insulin-resistant rats. Adult male Fischer rats were initially divided into two groups.

Diet supplementation with acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp improves biomarkers of oxidative stress and the serum lipid profile in rats.

Objective: We investigated the antioxidant potential and hypocholesterolemic effects of acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) pulp ingestion in rats fed a standard or hypercholesterolemic diet.

Methods: Female Fischer rats were fed a standard AIN-93 M diet (control) or a hypercholesterolemic diet that contained 25% soy oil and 1% cholesterol.