HighlightsSelenium nanoparticles has important role in repression of cytogenetic toxicity and DNA damage in hepatocellular carcinoma rat model.HCC rat model treated with doxorubicin drug had low frequencies in DNA damage, chromosomal aberrations and micronucleus formation than untreated animals.Treatment of HCC rat model with doxorubicin and Nano-Se together resulted in decreased cytogenetic toxicity. So the combination of doxorubicin with nanoselenium better than doxorubicin alone.More scientific studies are needed to support the use of Nano-Se for human disease prevention or lifespan extension.

Tryptizol(®) [amitriptyline HCl (AT); El-Kahira Pharmacological and Chemical Co., Cairo, Egypt], a widely used antidepressant drug in Egypt, was evaluated for its genotoxicity. The evaluation was performed in somatic (bone marrow) and germ (spermatocytes) cells, as well as well as the sperm morphology (i.e., head and tail) and count of the resulting sperm. Three doses were tested (low, medium, and high); they were chosen according to the drug manufacturer. The low-dose group received orally 1 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) daily for a total period of 1 month; the medium-dose group received 1 mg/kg b.w. daily for 15 days and 2 mg/kg b.w. daily for another 15 days; and the high-dose group received 1 mg/kg b.w. daily for 10 days, then 2 mg/kg b.w. daily for another 10 days and, finally, 4 mg/kg b.w. daily for 10 more days. The results showed that AT treatment induced structural and numerical chromosome abnormalities in somatic cells (bone marrow) and germ cells (spermatocytes). Moreover, AT significantly reduced both the mitotic index and meiotic activity after the different treatments used. AT was found to increase significantly the incidence of sperm-cell head and tail abnormalities. The sperm-cell count was also significantly decreased with the 3 doses tested. In general, results of chromosome abnormalities in both somatic and germ cells as well as sperm morphology and count showed that the effect of AT was dose dependent. The results of the current study showed that AT is a genotoxic agent for both somatic and germ cells and should be taken under special precautions and medical supervision.

Background: This study investigates the effects of nano-curcumin on gene expression of insulin and insulin receptor in diabetic rats. Forty female rats were divided into four groups (ten rats for each). The first group was non-diabetic rats acting as negative control and rats of the second group were rendered diabetic by STZ served as positive controls. The third one was induced diabetic and received oral Diamicron for 3 weeks. The fourth was rendered diabetic and administrated oral nano-curcumin for 3 weeks. Results: A significant increase of blood glucose was showed in diabetic rats with significant reduction of insulin level compared to non-diabetic controls. The gene expression of insulin and insulin receptor were more significant in diabetic untreated rats compared to the control non-diabetic group. The induction of curcumin as well as Diamicron to diabetic rats normalized significantly their blood sugar level. Also, curcumin-treated rats indicated significant higher in gene expression of insulin and insulin receptor than positive and negative controls. Conclusion: The results suggest that nano-curcumin could be used as antidiabetic therapy, induced hypoglycemia, and increase the gene expression of insulin and insulin receptor in STZ-induced diabetic rats. More studies are needed to illustrate the definite mechanism of action of nano-curcumin concerning the upregulation of gene expression of the above-mentioned genes.

Aim: To overcome the toxic effects attributed to the use medicinal treatments against diabetes there is a desire toward using natural food and folk remedies. So, the aim this study was to use nanoparticles of dried cactus fruit peels (Opuntia ficus-indica) compared with powder materials to control blood glucose in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of Haematococcus pluvialis extract against oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines induced by hyperglycemia in diabetic rats.Methods: Oxidative stress; lipid peroxide (as presented by Malondialdehyde; MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), beside total antioxidant capacity, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants including reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase were evaluated. The inflammatory cytokines; tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta were also investigated in rats' serum. Several analyses including expression of antioxidant enzyme related genes, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and DNA adducts were performed. Results:The results showed that diabetes mellitus induced-rats exhibited increase in oxidative stress biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines, lower expression levels of the antioxidant enzyme genes; superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase than those in control rats. In addition, diabetic rats exhibited significantly higher levels of ROS generation and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) formation. In contrary, supplementation of diabetic rats with H. pluvialis extract improved the negative effect of the hyperglycemia on antioxidant enzymes, the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes, and ROS generation as well as 8-OHdG formation. Conclusion:H. pluvialis extract decreased the oxidative stress, enhanced antioxidant status and inflammatory cytokines induced by hyperglycemia in diabetic rats. The effect of H. pluvialis extract involved in the increase of expression levels of antioxidant enzyme genes; decreased the levels of ROS generation and 8-OHdG formation which may be attributed to the presence of astaxanthin in H. pluvialis extract.