Neda Nikokalam Nazif; Maryam Khosravi; Ramesh Ahmadi; Maryam Bananej; Ahmad Majd
Volume 21, Issue 12 , 2019, Pages 1-7
Abstract
Background: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder caused by a degenerative loss of dopaminergic neurons of midbrain, from the substantia nigra to the corpus striatum pathway. Quercetin has a neuroprotective effect to prevent the greater loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic ...
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Background: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder caused by a degenerative loss of dopaminergic neurons of midbrain, from the substantia nigra to the corpus striatum pathway. Quercetin has a neuroprotective effect to prevent the greater loss of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease model.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of the flavonoid quercetin on the behavioral test in 1-methyl-4-phenyl,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine(MPTP)-induced male NMRI mice.Methods: Animals were divided into eight groups (n = 12). Behavioral tests of bar test and treatment with quercetin began one day after inducing the disease and lasted for 35 days. Then, brains were excluded from craniums for histology, immunohistochemistry tyrosine hydroxylase, measurement of TNF-α levels, and gene expression of caspase 3.Results: Data showed that orally taking quercetin for 35 days improved the behavioral test of bar tests in Parkinson’s disease. Cell density in TH staining was counted and showed considerable decreases in the substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease group (83.67 ± 12.811) while it was higher in quercetin-treated groups PD + Q1 (103.67 ± 8.090) and PD + Q2 (145.33 ± 13.908) than in Parkinson’s disease group (P < 0.05). Quercetin decreased inflammation due to MPTP in the substantia nigra in PD + Q1 (1395.73 ± 1.058) and PD + Q2 (1250.66 ± 1.95), and corpus striatum in PD + Q1 (1207.033 ± 2.228) and PD + Q2 (1187.44 ± 1.64) and TNF-α protein levels in the quercetin-treated group (P < 0.05). Parkinson’s disease decreased gene expression of caspase 3 (0.35 ± 0.019) and increased it in quercetin-treated groups PD + Q1 (1.26 ± 0.062) and PD+Q2 (2.27 ± 0.144) (P < 0.0001).Conclusions: Quercetin is a natural flavonoid with neuroprotection effect and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptosis properties preventing the loss of dopaminergic neurons in mice with Parkinson’s disease.
Nazila Amini; Monireh Movahedi; Ali Akbar Abolfathi; Ahmad Majd
Volume 20, Issue 6 , 2018, Pages 1-6
Abstract
Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) plays the primary role in increasing oxidative stress and causing stomach inflammation, peptic ulcers, and gastric malignancy in the infected patients. L-arginine (Arg) has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Objectives: The current study aimed at ...
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Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) plays the primary role in increasing oxidative stress and causing stomach inflammation, peptic ulcers, and gastric malignancy in the infected patients. L-arginine (Arg) has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Objectives: The current study aimed at investigating the beneficial effects of L-arginine on inflammation and oxidative stress in patients infected with H. pylori with dyspeptic symptoms.Methods: The current randomized, double-blind controlled, clinical trial was conducted on 34 patients with H. pylori infection re- ferred to the center of digestive disorders affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, in order to undergo en- doscopy from December 2016 to September 2017. Patients were classified into two groups (control and treatment); the control group only received triple-drug therapy (including Amoxicillin, Clarithromycin, and Omeprazole), and the treatment group received stan- dard triple-drug therapy and L-Arg capsules for three weeks. Gastric biopsies and serum samples were taken from all patients beforeand after the study. H. pylori infection was examined by a rapid urease test and antioxidant indices including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were evaluated in gastric biopsies. In addition, serum samples were used to measure the inflammation factors including interleukin (IL)-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Results: Level of SOD activity increased significantly in the treatment group compared with that of the control group (4.91 ± 95.21 vs. 4.0 ± 44.11 IU/mg) (P = 0.001). In the treatment group, compared with the control group, the level of TAC increased significantly (0.35 ± 0.60 vs. 0.30 ± 0.9 mM/L) (P = 0.006) and the level of GPX activity increased significantly in the treatment group compared with the control group (10.68 ± 2.39 vs. 5.16 ± 2.12 IU/mg) (P = 0.000). Regarding the inflammation factor, IL-8 decreased significantly in the treatment group compared with the control group (8.00 ± 1.94 vs. 10.28 ± 2.10 pg/mL) (P = 0.002); also TNF-α decreased significantly in the treatment group compared with the control group (9.71 ± 2.69 vs. 12.24 ± 3.29 pg/mL) (P = 0.036), while therewas no significant difference in high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) decrease between the treatment and the control groups (2.34 ± 1.28 vs. 3.04 ± 1.58 mg/L) (P = 0.16). Conclusions: Consumption of L-arginine increased antioxidant indices and decreased inflammation in patients infected with H. pylori.
