Selenium status was determined in an endemic-goiter area and in a control area of Zaire. Compared with the reference values of a noniodine-deficient area, serum selenium in subjects living in the core of the northern Zaire endemic-goiter belt (Karawa villages) was seven times lower in 52 school-children and similarly low in 23 cretins; erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (RBC-GPX) was five times...

Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) is a family of antioxidant enzymes that reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby constituting a primary defence system against oxidative stress. Of the five characterised isoforms of GPx found in mammals, GPx1 is the predominant intracellular form and GPx3 is the predominant form found in the extracellular space1. Experimental studies have demonstrated that def...

In a previous study we demonstrated that acute footshock stress increased glutathione peroxidase activity in the prefrontal cortex and striatum of adult male rats. Adolescents may respond differently to stress as life stressors may be greater than at other ages. The present study examined the effects of the acute footshock stress on superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) en...

Blood platelets are considered to be a peripheral marker in schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Oxidative stress in schizophrenia may be responsible for changes in platelet metabolism and function; therefore, the aim of this study was to examine and compare the generation of superoxide anions and activity of an antioxidant enzyme (glutathione peroxidase [GPx]) in blood platelets in p...

AIMS Levels of antioxidants such as folic acid and selenium decrease in dams exposed to ethanol during gestation and lactation, affecting their antioxidant status, their reproductive function and consequently the health of their progeny. We will study whether a Se (0.5 p.p.m.) plus folic acid (8 p.p.m.) supplemented diet administered to ethanol-exposed dams and male rats prevents the effects pr...

withania somnifera (l.) dunal is an erect evergreen shrub commonly known as ashwagandha. it is widely used in ayurvedic, and in the traditional pharmacopeia system of india. it is one of the major ingredients in many formulations prescribed for a variety of musculo-skeletal conditions including arthritis and rheumatism. in the present study, variations in the quality and quantity of proteins an...

New blood vessel formation is required to increase blood supply to the myocardium or other tissues after critical ischemia. Capillary formation after ischemia can be achieved by the sprouting of preexisting vessels, a process named angiogenesis. However, in the last few years it has become evident that bone marrow–derived circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can contribute to and amp...

Hyperglycemia exerts toxic effects on the pancreatic beta-cells. This study investigated the hypothesis that the common antidiabetic drugs glibenclamide and metformin, in combination with tualang honey, offer additional protection for the pancreas of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats against oxidative stress and damage. Diabetes was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by a single dose ...