Early administration of melatonin to asphyxiated term neonates is feasible and may ameliorate brain injury.

Melatonin and taurine have alleviative effects in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into nondiabetic, diabetic, diabetic melatonin supplemented and diabetic taurine supplemented groups. At the end of the study, both blood and liver were collected for determination of some oxidative stress parameters, and hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) enzyme activity and gene expression. An increased CYP2E1 activity and expression level with a concomitant significant change in oxidative stress parameters were found in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Taurine or melatonin supplementation to the diabetic rats alleviated these experimental parameters with a more significant effect for taurine than that of melatonin. Suppression of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) production by taurine can be one of the mechanisms of a reduction in CYP2E1. Taurine was effective more than melatonin in reducing CYP2E1 activity and expression; therefore antioxidants might prove beneficial in type 1 diabetes associated with manifestations of liver injury.

The aim of this study was to explain whether serum autotaxin (ATX) activity might be a target for regulation of liver fibrosis and to evaluate the hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effects of histidine in thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis in rats. This study was carried out on 100 Wistar Albino rats, classified into five groups, each containing 20 rats: Group I (control group), Group II: rats were given histidine intraperitoneally, Group III: rats were injected intraperitoneally with TAA, Group IV: rats were injected with L-histidine together with TAA, and Group V: rats were injected with TAA for 1 month then treated with intraperitoneal injection of L-histidine for another month. At the end of experiment, blood and liver were collected for determination of some liver enzymes, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC), serum ATX activity, and liver tissue hydroxyproline. Thioacetamide treatment caused significant increases in liver enzymes, ATX activities, and liver hydroxyproline, but a significant decrease in plasma's TAC. Upon treatment with histidine, a significant decrease in liver enzymes, ATX activities, and liver hydroxyproline was observed with a significant increase in plasma TAC in Group IV and a significant decrease in Group V. Histidine as an antioxidant has a protective effect on TAA-induced liver fibrosis; it is beneficial in rats not only by inhibition of collagen synthesis and increasing TAC but also by inhibition of ATX activities thus reducing its capacity to produce lysophosphatidic acid, which has a role in liver fibrosis. C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 25:143-150, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com.

Background: Obesity in adolescents has quadrupled in the past 30 y. Markers for cardiovascular risks are needed in this population. We hypothesized that soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) and asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) can correlate with carotid intimamedia thickness (cIMT), a known index of subclinical atherosclerosis. We also aimed to evaluate the frequency of (Gly82Ser) RAGE gene polymorphism in obese adolescents. Methods: Obese and nonobese adolescents were evaluated in a cross-sectional study for lipid profile, insulin resistance, ADMA, sRAGE, and RAGE gene (Gly 82 Ser) polymorphism. We measured cIMT in all subjects and performed correlation analyses with all markers. results: The study included 50 obese and 40 healthy control adolescents. Compared to controls, obese subjects had less sRAGE (P = 0.02) and greater cIMT (P = 0.006), insulin resistance (P < 0.0001), and ADMA (P < 0.0001). In a multivariate linear regression model, sRAGE was associated with cIMT (β = 0.28, P = 0.04). Both GS and SS genotypes of RAGE were more frequent in obese than controls (P = 0.04). conclusion: Increased ADMA and decreased sRAGE are associated with cardiovascular risks in obese adolescents. The S allele in RAGE gene is more frequently detected with obesity. The role of RAGE gene and mechanisms leading to cardiovascular risks need further studying. c hildhood obesity is an emerging public health challenge with an estimated prevalence of around 20% in western countries (1). Exposure to cardiovascular risk factors in early life, including obesity, may induce changes in the arteries that are associated with the diagnosis of atherosclerosis in adults (2). The measurement of carotid intimamedia thickness (cIMT) is a noninvasive test to detect early alterations in arterial wall and can be a useful screening tool to early assess subclinical manifestations of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (3). However, there is a desperate need to discover novel biomarkers that can help understand the exact pathophysiology and improve clinical management of cardiovascular diseases associated with obesity in children (4).Asymmetric dimethyl arginine (ADMA) is a competitive inhibitor of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase that reduces the production of NO and therefore might cause endothelial dysfunction. Serum ADMA concentrations are increased in individuals with hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, chronic heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and chronic renal failure. It has been suggested as a potential risk predictor for cardiovascular events and all-cause cardiovascular mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (5). The relationship between ADMA and cardiovascular complications in children remains unclear.The advanced glycation end products (AGE) and its receptor (RAGE) system is a newly discovered pathway implicated in the pathogenesis of several cardio-metabolic diseases (6). The RAGE is a multiligand receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface molecules and enga...

Endogenous melatonin concentration is increased in late neonatal sepsis and can potentially be used as a marker for sepsis especially when combined with CRP.