Comparative study on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant vitamins E and C inFalciparum andVivax malaria

Reactive oxygen species are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of Malaria. To assess the extent of oxidative stress, a study was conducted in patients withPlasmodium falciparum malaria andPlasmodium Vivax malaria. Plasma Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured to assess the degree of lipid peroxidation. Antioxidant status was measured by estimating the levels of Vitamins E and C. Results were compared with age and sex matched control subjects. This study suggests that plasma TBARS levels were significantly increased in malaria patients. The patients withP. falciparum infection showed significantly increased levels of lipid peroxides when compared toP. vivax malaria. The antioxidant Vitamins E and C were decreased significantly in malaria patients in both the groups. Maximum decline in Vitamin C was observed inP. vivax malaria. Therefore it is been hypothesized that antioxidant Vitamins E and C could provide protection against the oxidative stress induced by malaria.     

Effect of immobilisation stress on lipid peroxidation and lipid profile in rabbits

Stress is one of the basic factors in the aetiology of a number of diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, aging, liver disease etc. Hence this work was designed to study the effect of stress in the form of forced immobilisation stress on lipid peroxidation and lipid profile in rabbits. The study was conducted in 25 healthy rabbits of either sex. Rabbits were subjected to forced immobilisation for two hours everyday for consecutive seven days. Blood samples were collected on day 1, 3 and 7 after immobilisation period. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation was estimated by TBA assay method. Lipid profile was analysed by multichannel autoanalyser. There was statistically significant increase in MDA, total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL and triglycerides with immobilisation. These findings indicate that stress in the form of forced immobilisation increases lipid peroxidation and alter lipid profile, which may be responsible for pathophysiology of various diseases.     

Modified method for determination of serum beta-glucuronidase: A comparative study using P-nitrophenyl glucuronide and phenolphthalein glucuronide as substrate in gastrointestinal tract carcinomas

Serum beta-glucuronidase activity was estimated by our modified method using two substrates phenolphthalein glucuronide and p-nitrophenyl glucoronide in 49 healthy subjects and 94 patients with gastrointestinal tract (GIT) carcinoma. The correlation coefficient using the two substrates was found to be r=0.8383. The method of Gabor Szasz was modified wherein the incubation time was decreased from 5 hours to 2 hours and the incubation temperature was increased from 25°C to 37°C. The increase in beta-glucuronidase activity in GIT carcinoma appears to be a good biochemical marker in patients with such type of carcinomas, a finding not reported in literature to-date. The modified quantitative method used for estimation of beta-glucuronidase is reliable, accurate, simple and rapid.     

Antioxidant status and peroxidative stress in mother and newborn —A pilot study

Serum antioxidant status and peroxidative stress was estimated in 30 pregnant women, their newborn infants and 25 non-pregnant women. Serum Ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol, retinol & β-carotene levels were found to be significantly reduced and peroxidative stress was significantly higher in mothers as compared to matched non-pregnant women. Newborn had significantly higher levels of ascorbic acid as compared to their mother but had significantly lower levels of lipid soluble vitamins. The peroxidative stress in newborn was found to be significantly less as compared to their mothers. A positive correlation of ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol levels between mother and newborn reflects that their status in mother does influence the newborn status.     

Evaluation of adenosine deaminase activity and lipid peroxidation levels in diabetes mellitus

There was increase in erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in red blood cells (RBC's), white blood cells (WBC's) and plasma, in 30 patients of confirmed diabetes mellitus, 10 each of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM or type I), non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM or type II) and diabetes with ketoacidosis when compared with 20 healthy individuals (controls). Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c%, plasma free fatty acid (FFA) and glycerol levels were also elevated in all the cases when compared with controls. The increase was more in diabetic ketoacidosis group. Significant positive correlations were seen between erythrocyte lipid peroxidation and ADA activities in RBC's, WBC's and plasma. It is suggested that decreased tissue adenosine levels due to increase in ADA activity, is related to the severity of hyperglycemia and lipid peroxidation in diabetes mellitus.     

Protective influence of vitamin E on the antioxidant defence system in the whole blood and liver of normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats

The effect of oral administration of vitamin E for twenty-eight consecutive days on blood glucose, reduced glutathione levels, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase activities), and levels of malondialdehyde (as an index of free radical-mediated lipid peroxidation) was observed in the whole blood and liver of normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. It was found that oral administration of vitamin E significantly (p<0.05) lowered the blood glucose level and increased the body weight of the diabetic rats. The activities of superoxide dismutase and levels of reduced glutathione increased significantly (p<0.05) while the level of lipid peroxidation decreased.     

Haemoglobin electrophoresis in diagnosing a case of sickle cell anaemia associated with β-thalassemia

Alkaline haemoglobin electrophoresis is a useful tool in diagnosing β-thalassemia and sickle-cell anaemia. In this report, using this simple technique, β-thalassemia associated with sickle-cell anaemia is diagnosed. This is the first case we have diagnosed in our laboratory using agarose gel electrophoresis.     

Effect of n-3 fatty acid supplementation on blood glucose, lipid profile and cytokines in humans: A pilot study

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of n-3 fatty acid supplementation on blood glucose, lipid profile and cytokines in humans. Twenty adult healthy subjects were supplemented with 1g/day fish oil concentrate capsules for 2 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and again after 2 week intervention. Fish oil supplementation significantly lowered fasting serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, very low density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein (P < 0.01). Also high density lipoprotein increased significantly compared with baseline value (P < 0.01). Fish oil did not significantly altere the fasting blood glucose concentration but significantly reduced the serum cytokines (P < 0.001). This study demonstrated that eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation altered serum lipids, lipoprotein and cytokine concentrations in normal human subjects even at the small dose of 660 mg of EPA plus DHA per day. It appears that EPA plus DHA can be a safe and perhaps beneficial supplement to inflammatory diseases.     

Effect of vitamin E on the platelet xanthine oxidase and lipid peroxidation in the patients of myocardial infarction

Platelets play important role in precipitating ischaemic myocardial syndromes in many ways. One of the consequences of ischaemic diseases is excessive generation of oxygen derived free radicals that have numerous pathophysiological consequences. Platelet pro-oxidant enzyme, xanthine oxidase is one of the sources of generation of free radicals. In the present paper, we report the effect of administration of vitamin E along with aspirin on the levels of platelet xanthine oxidase and extent of free radical mediated damage in the patients reperfused after myocardial infarction. Our findings show that administration of 400 mg. vitamin E for six days along with 80 mg. aspirin has an excellent anti-oxidant effect as evidenced by reduced platelet xanthine oxidase activity and lowering of malondialdehdye (MDA) levels which is an index of the extent of free radical mediated damage.     

A study on the glucose uptake,pyruvate and lactate formation in red blood cells of normal,sickle cell trait and sickle cell patients

The rate of glucose consumption and pyruvate and lactate production in red blood cells of normal, sickle cell trait and SS disease subjects were measured. Glucose consumption was found to be increased significantly (p<0.05) in red cells of sickle cell patients than the sickle cell trait and normal persons. There was also an increased rate (p<0.05) of pyruvate formation and a significant (p<0.05) increase in lactate formation in sickle red cells.     

Influence of pranayamas and yoga-asanas on serum insulin,blood glucose and lipid profile in type 2 diabetes

A distinguishable feature of type 2 diabetes besides hyperglycemia and deranged lipid profile is an impaired insulin secretion, peripheral insulin resistance and obesity which has become a major health concern worldwide. India with an estimated 31million diabetics in 2000 and 79mllions by the yr 2030 has the highest number of type 2 diabetics in the world. In this study, we aimed to see if yoga-asanas and pranayamas have any influence in modifying certain biochemical parameters. Sixty patients of uncomplicated type 2 diabetes (age 35–60 yrs of 1–10 yrs duration) were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n=30): performed yoga along with the conventional hypoglycemic medicines and group 2 (n=30): patients who only received conventional medicines. Duration of the study was 45 days. Basal recordings of blood glucose (fasting and post-prandial), lipid profile and serum insulin were taken at the time of recruitment and the second reading after forty five days. Results showed a significant improvement in all the biochemical parameters in group 1 while group 2 showed significant improvement in only few parameters, thus suggesting a beneficial effect of yoga regimen on these parameters in diabetic patients.     

Validity of acute phase proteins and trace metals as adjuncts in viral hepatitis A and B

The level of seven acute phase proteins was estimated together with copper and zinc in two groups of 15 children each suffering from hepatitis A (HAV) or Hepatitis B (HBV). The mean concentration of α-1 antitrypsin, α-2 macroglobulin, ceruloplasmin, C3 and copper was increased uniformly in both the types of viral hepatitis. α-1 acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin and zinc levels were decreased in both the infections. A significant decrease in albumin level was observed in HAV while the decrease was not significant in HBV. All the paramenters were repeated after one month on the day of discharge following the disappearance of clinical signs and symptoms wherein the haptoglobin level returned to normal in HAV. No change was observed in the level of other acute phase proteins. The level of the trace elements returned to normal. The observed increase in the levels of acute phase proteins at the onset does not seem to have any significant relation to the subsequent course of the disease. However, the level of acute phase proteins and other biochemical parameters may indicate a delayed biochemical recovery phase in conjunction with the underlying hepatic pathological changes in the course of viral hepatitis in spite of clinical recovery.     

Seminal plasma levels of 15-F2α-isoprostane, malondialdehyde and total homocysteine in normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic males

It has been proposed that oxidative stress plays an important role in male infertility. The aims of this study were to compare seminal plasma levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane (8-iso-PGF2α), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total (sum of free and bound) homocysteine (tHcy) from normozoospermic vs. asthenozoospermic men, and to examine the relationships between tHcy and lipid peroxidation products. The study was a case-control study with a simple random sampling. The case group was consisted of 15 asthenozoospermic males. This group was compared with 15 normozoospermic men. Seminal plasma levels of 15-F2α-isoprostane and tHcy were measured using commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits. MDA levels were determined by the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare two groups. Coefficients of correlation were calculated using Spearman’s correlation analysis. All hypothesis tests were two-tailed with statistical significance assessed at the p value <0.05 level. MDA levels were higher in asthenozoospermic subjects than in control subjects (0.72±0.06 μM vs. 0.40±0.06 μM; p<0.05). No differences were seen in 15-F2α-isoprostane levels in asthenozoospermic subjects and controls (65.00±3.20 pg/ml vs. 58.17±4.12 pg/ml; p>0.05). Interestingly, tHcy levels were to be slightly higher in asthenozoospermic subjects than in controls (6.18±1.17 μM vs. 4.8±0.52 μM). Sperm motility was inversely correlated with seminal plasma 15-F2α-isoprostane and MDA levels, respectively (p<0.05). In summary, seminal plasma levels of 15-F2α-isoprostane and tHcy showed no significant difference between normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic men. Sperm motility was not correlated with seminal plasma levels of tHcy. No relationship was found between tHcy and lipid peroxidation.     

Effect of low-dose omega-3 fatty acids substitution on blood pressure, hyperinsulinemia and dyslipidemia in Indians with essential hypertension: A pilot study

The present study comprised 100 patients of essential hypertension who were screened for fasting hyperinsulinemia, which was detected in 77% cases. Twenty such hyperinsulinemic cases were subjected to 4 weeks of dietary control phase followed by 6 weeks of omega-3 fatty acids substitution [either 0.6 g/d (group 1) or 1.2 g/d (group 2)]. The mean basal fasting plasma insulin levels were significantly higher (p<0.001) in patients of hypertension when compared to normal controls (126.51±80.36 and 19.35±12.61 μU/ml respectively). At the end of 4 weeks of diet control only, no significant change was observed in any parameter. After substitution of omega-3 fatty acid, a significant reduction of fasting plasma insulin levels in both group 1 (29%) and group 2 (22.8%) was observed (p<0.001). Significant reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (16.4% and 25% respectively), serum cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein was also noted in both groups (p<0.001), while high density lipoprotein increased by ∼8 mg% in both groups. Thus omega-3 fatty acid substituion in low dose along-with curtailment of dietary omega-6 fatty acid may be used as an adjunctive measure in the management of essential hypertension.