Molecular pathways associated with oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus.

The role of oxidative stress in the occurrence and development of diabetes mellitus is both critical and pivotal. Several molecular event cascade in different metabolic pathways such as glycolytic, hexosamine, protein kinase C, polyol and advanced glycation end-product (AGE) pathways have been identified as pro-oxidative processes and are usually up-regulated in the diabetics. Inhibition of glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase by poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 1 and subsequent accumulation of the enzyme substrate (glyceraldehyde-3-P) appears to be central to diabetes-associated oxidative stress.

Alloxan-induced diabetes, a common model for evaluating the glycemic-control potential of therapeutic compounds and plants extracts in experimental studies.

Glycemic homeostasis refers to glucose balance or control within circulation in living organisms. It is normally and largely compromised in diabetes. The compromise when exacerbated, leads to several complications including retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy which are collectively known as diabetic complications and are the principal actors in co-morbidity and eventual mortality often associated with diabetes.

Anti-diabetic potential of Sapium ellipticum (Hochst) Pax leaf extract in Streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

Backgound: Ethnobatanical survey associates Sapium ellipticum (SE) with antidiabetic usage among other medicinal functions in different parts of Africa. More importantly, previous studies on the plant extract in our laboratory showed that SE has significant effects on the activities of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes such as glucokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. In view of these, the anti-diabetic potential of the plant leaf extract in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes rat model (Wistar strain) was examined.

Toxicity status and antiulcerative potential of leaf extract in Wistar rats.

Aims: The lethal dose 50% (LD) and antiulcerative potentials of (ST) leaf extract were investigated.

Materials And Methods: LD was determined through two routes of administration (intraperitoneal [i.p] and oral [p.