We investigated the effect of aminoguanidine (AG) administration on GBM thickness, glomerular heparan sulfate (HS) content, and urinary albumin and HS excretion in diabetic rats. After induction of diabetes, female Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups: Group AGDM (n = 11) received 1 g/L aminoguanidine bicarbonate in drinking water, group DC (n = 12) was given only tap water. Control rats rece...

Protein glycation caused by sugars and reactive carbonyls is a contributing factor to diabetic complications, aging, and other chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of cranberry phytochemicals on protein glycation. Cranberries, purified to yield sugar-free phytochemical powder, were fractionated into ethyl acetate and water fractions. Water frac...

Ethylmethylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (EMGBG) sulfate, an analog of the well-known anti-leukemic drug methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), was synthesized. It was shown to be an extremely powerful competitive inhibitor of eukaryotic S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, with an apparent Ki value 12 nM. Thus, it appears to be the most powerful known inhibitor of the enzyme, being almost an order ...

Angiotensin II contributes to ventricular remodeling by promoting both cardiac hypertrophy and apoptosis; however, the mechanism underlying the latter phenomenon is poorly understood. One possibility that has been advanced is that angiotensin II activates NADPH oxidase, generating free radicals that trigger apoptosis. In apparent support of this notion, it was found that angiotensin II-mediated...

1. The role of nitric oxide as mediator of the vascular alterations present in different models of experimental liver cirrhosis is controversial. In the present study, we evaluated the role of nitric oxide and that of the endothelium in the response to phenylephrine and acetylcholine of isolated aortic rings from chronic bile duct-ligated (29 days) rats and their corresponding controls. Experim...

Interleukin- (IL-) 17A, a pleiotropic mediator of inflammation and autoimmunity, potently stimulates bone-marrow neutrophil production. To explore IL-17A effects on eosinopoiesis, we cultured bone-marrow from wild-type mice, or mutants lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS-/-), CD95 (lpr), IL-17RA, or IL-4, with IL-5, alone or associated with IL-17A. Synergisms between IL-17A-activated,...

Immune control of many intracellular pathogens, including Trypanosoma cruzi, is reported to be dependent on the production of nitric oxide. In this study, we show that mice deficient in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS or NOS2) exhibit resistance to T. cruzi infection that is comparable to that of wild-type mice. This is the case for two iNOS-deficient mouse strains, Nos2(tm1Lau) and Nos2 ...

Rat liver ornithine decarboxylase activity was decreased by administration of putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane) or other diamines, including 1,3-diaminopropane, 1,5-diaminopentane and 1,6-diaminohexane. This effect was seen in control rats and in rats in which hepatic ornithine decarboxylase activity had been increased by administration of growth hormone (somatotropin) or thioacetamide. Loss of ac...

The development of AGE inhibitors is considered to have therapeutic potential in patients with diabetes diseases. The aim of the present study was investigate the effect of methanolic extract of the leaves of Origanum majorana (OM) used as spice in many countries on AGEs formation. In vitro studies indicated a significant inhibitory effects on the formation of AGEs. Their antiglycation activiti...

BACKGROUND Circulatory failure in sepsis arises from vascular hyporesponsiveness, in which nitric oxide (NO) derived from inducible NO synthase (iNOS) plays a major role. Details of the cross talk between thromboxane (TX) A2 and the iNOS-NO system, however, remain unknown. We intended to clarify the role of TXA2, via the cross talk, in vascular hyporesponsiveness. METHODS AND RESULTS We exami...