Our study results confirmed the effectiveness of laser acupuncture in alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation, improving antioxidant and energy metabolic status, while also suppressing the disease activity in RA patients. Laser acupuncture is a promising treatment modality to reduce the pain and suffering of RA patients because of its efficiency in inhibiting most of the main factors involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:490-497, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

To assess the effects of combined vitamin therapy on oxidant-antioxidant hepatic status and hemoglobin (Hb) derivatives on β-thalassemia major (β-TM), a prospective study of 60 β-TM patients aged 4 to 17 years, was conducted. Thirty-nine patients with initial low serum vitamins E, C and A, were treated with oral combined vitamins for 1 year compared to 21 patients with normal vitamin levels. Serum transaminases, serum ferritin, hepatic fibroscan elastography (TE) and magnetic resonance imaging R2* (MRI R2*) for liver iron concentration (LIC), were assessed before and after 6 and 12 months of therapy. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, superoxide dismutase and GSH enzymes. The studied vitamins, reduced GSH and Hb levels were significantly elevated and paralleled by progressive decline in MDA and ferritin during therapy (p <0.001). Serum transaminase and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased, while GSH reductase was significantly elevated during therapy (p <0.001). Improvement of hepatic fibrosis as 23.0% had TE (>12 kPa) at baseline compared to 20.5% after therapy (p >0.05), although LIC values were significantly decreased (p <0.001). Combined vitamin therapy improves the antioxidant/oxidant balance, LIC and hepatic fibrosis in young β-TM patients.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of goldenberry (GB) (Physalis peruviana) extract supplementation on fat accumulation, hepatic oxidative damage, hepatic fat deposition, inflammation, and hepatic scarring, as well as metabolic syndrome in obese rats. Obesity was induced by feeding rats a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. Female Wister rats were divided into four groups (eight each): control group, obese group, obese + a lowdose GB (200 mg/kg), and obese + a high-dose GB (400 mg/kg). Body mass index (BMI), adipose tissue hormones, lipid profile, liver enzymes, hepatic oxidative stress parameters, and hepatic histopathological changes were assessed. Treating obese rats with GB supplementation reduced their increased body weight, BMI, leptin level, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin resistance index (homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance). Moreover, the GB regime significantly improved the antioxidant parameters in the liver. In addition, it has shown a significant antiobesity impact by lessening body weight, oxidative damage, BMI, lipids, and insulin insensitivity. Eventually, administration of GB extracts reduced markers of inflammation [tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and C-reactive protein], fat deposition, steatosis, and fibrosis in the liver of the obese rats. Moreover, GB intake can be used in coupling with a healthy diet to assist obese rats suffering from metabolic syndrome.

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Humans are exposed to a number of toxic elements in the environment. Cadmium, widely used in industry, is a great environmental health problem of both humans and animals. Effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation have been postulated to be major contributors to cadmium-exposure related disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of curcumin on oxidative stress in rats exposed to cadmium. Curcumin was administered orally (600 mg/kg body weight). After 24 days, significant increases in methemoglobin percentage (metHb%), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and hemolysis test were observed in cadmium exposed rats compared to control group (P < 0.05), while GSH concentration showed insignificant change. Curcumin treatment of cadmium exposed rats significantly lowered metHb%, while significantly increased oxyhemoglobin percentage (HbO 2 %), compared to cadmium alone group (P < 0.05). Also curcumin treatment significantly increased GPx activity of cadmium exposed rats as compared to cadmium alone group (P < 0.05). Curcumin treatment of cadmium exposed rats lowered MDA concentration and hemolysis percentage by 10 and 9%, respectively. The findings of this study suggest that curcumin elevated the GPx activity of cadmium exposed rats and had ameliorative effect on lipid peroxidation and erythrocytes hemolysis. Moreover, the results of multicomponent spectrophotometric analysis suggest that curcumin treatment of lead exposed rats lowered the levels of inactive metHb level and elevated the level of active HbO 2 . Curcumin may exert its protective actions against cadmium-induced hematotoxicity in rats possibly through its antioxidant mechanisms and may have future therapeutic relevance.