Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.6.1.1 (aspartate aminotransferase)
 21,665 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Activated sludge is a rich source of nitrogenous matter and has been recommended as cheap supplement in animal feed. It has been incorporated into cattle and poultry feed. It is well known that sewage of purely domestic origin is also contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and other organic pollutants. A study was undertaken to determine the toxic effects of heavy metal-contaminated domestic sewage sludge on young male Wistar rats by supplementing dehydrated activated sludge in their diet at concentrations of 5, 10, 15 and 20%. The sludge was found to be contaminated with 1.820 (zinc), 0.273 (nickel), 0.017 (lead), 0.053 (copper), 0.006 (chromium), and 0.005 (cadmium)mg/g of dry sludge, by analysis by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The toxic effects of sludge-supplemented diets on individual groups of rats were assessed by assaying various enzyme activities in serum, liver, muscle, and brain. Levels of serum and liver alanine aminotransferase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) were significantly low in all the sludge-supplemented diet-fed (SSDF) rats. Similarly, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and muscle SDH activity were also significantly reduced in the SSDF rats. On the other hand, liver and muscle LDH, serum and liver aspartate aminotransferase, and serum and muscle alkaline phosphatase activities were significantly higher in all the SSDF animals. Brain and muscle acetylcholinesterase activity was significantly high in all the SSDF groups. This study indicates that even though the sludge is a rich source of nitrogenous matter, its supplementation in poultry and animals feed should be done with caution. Otherwise, the contaminants found in the sludge will biomagnify in the food chain and lead to various toxicological hazards.
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PMID:A study of toxic effects of heavy metal contaminants from sludge-supplemented diets on male Wistar rats. 1005 66

An 82-year-old male patient was admitted for liver dysfunction. Laboratory test showed the following data; aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 79 IU/l, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 28 IU/l, total bilirubin (T. Bil) 0.9 U, zinc sulfate turbidity test (ZTT) 48.9 U, gamma-globulin 4.9 g/dl, immunoglobulin G (IgG) 5,046 mg/dl, anti-nuclear antibodies x 320, anti-mitochondrial antibodies (-), hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) (-), HBcAb (-), anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) (-), hepatitis C virus (HCV-RNA) (-), anti-hepatitis G virus (anti-HGV) (-), alpha-fetoprotein 306.8 ng/ml, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) 2.3 ng/ml, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 77.2 U/ml. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a large mass occupying most of the right lobe and portal thrombosis in the liver. Liver biopsy revealed cirrhosis with inactive hepatitis in the nontumorous lesion and well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma in the tumorous lesion. We report a rare case of an aged male patient with autoimmune hepatitis complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma.
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PMID:An aged male patient with autoimmune hepatitis complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma. 1039 80

Natural products from plants are rich sources used for treating a number of diseases. Many of the pharmacological principles of the currently used anticancer agents have been initially isolated from plants. Most of the herbal drugs are a mixture of a number of plant ingredients. Their cumulative effect increases the efficacy of the drug in curing the diseases. Muthu Marunthu is a herbal formulation comprising of eight various plant ingredients, and has been claimed to possess antitumor effect. Therefore, attention has been focused on studying the various plant ingredients in the drug as a whole for its antitumor effects. It was observed that the growth rate in rats was normal and there was no change in blood parameters such as glucose, urea, proteins, cholesterol and also in the activities of pathophysiological enzymes such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), alkaline and acid phosphatase after Muthu Marunthu administration. The tumor weight was found to be reduced in methylcholanthrene induced fibrosarcoma rats after Muthu Marunthu treatment. Elevated levels of glycocomponents of glycoproteins such as hexose, hexosamine, sialic acid and fucose in plasma of fibrosarcoma rats decreased significantly after Muthu Marunthu treatment. The DNA and RNA levels of liver and kidney, which were increased in fibrosarcoma rats, returned to near normal levels after Muthu Marunthu treatment. The vitamins such as A, C and E in plasma were decreased in fibrosarcoma rats but increased significantly after Muthu Marunthu treatment. The altered levels of copper, zinc and selenium in plasma have also been corrected after Muthu Marunthu treatment. These observations clearly suggested the antitumor potency of Muthu Marunthu in experimentally induced fibrosarcoma in rats.
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PMID:Biochemical evaluation of antitumor effect of muthu marunthu (a herbal formulation) on experimental fibrosarcoma in rats. 1040 24

Changes in hematological and serum biochemistry parameters in female zinc (Zn)-dosed farm-raised mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) fed four different diets were examined. Sixty ducks received an average dose of 0.97 g of Zn in the form of eight, 3.30-mm diameter shot pellets containing 98% Zn and 2% tin, and another 60 ducks were sham-dosed as controls. Fifteen ducks from each of the two dosing groups were assigned to one of four dietary treatments: corn only, corn with soil, commercial duck ration only, or commercial duck ration with soil. Shot-pellet dissolution rates ranged from 7 mg/Zn/day to 27 mg/Zn/day. Regardless of diet, the Zn dose resulted in mortality; incoordination; paralysis and anorexia; decreased body, liver, pancreas, gonad, and gizzard weight; increased kidney weight; and macroscopic lesions. Zn-dosed ducks had a lower mean erythrocyte packed cell volume (PCV), higher mean reticulocyte count, and a greater number of individuals with immature and/or abnormal erythrocytes, than did control mallards. Mean total leucocyte counts were higher in Zn-dosed ducks than in controls. Zn-dosed ducks that had soil available had higher leucocyte counts than those without soil. Zn-dosed ducks were characterized by a marked heterophilia and relative lymphopenia. In Zn-dosed ducks, the mean lymphocyte count was highest in those provided a commercial duck ration, and lowest in those fed corn. In control ducks, the mean lymphocyte count was highest in ducks fed corn, and lowest in those provided soil along with a commercial duck ration. Zn-dosed mallards had higher serum aspartate aminotransferase and amylase levels, and lower alkaline phosphatase activities than control ducks. Serum phosphorus and uric acid concentrations were higher, and calcium, glucose, and total protein levels lower, in Zn-dosed ducks than in control ducks. Diet did affect serum calcium, phosphorus, total protein, and uric acid concentrations. Differences in erythrocyte and leucocyte parameters, serum enzyme activities, and metabolite concentrations were associated with dose and diet effects. Diets high in protein and other organic matter and calcium and phosphorus did not prevent or substantially alleviate Zn toxicosis in farm-raised mallard ducks.
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PMID:Influence of diet on the hematology and serum biochemistry of zinc-intoxicated mallards. 1068 52

The ability of chromium (Cr) salts to increase metallothionein (MT) levels in rat liver, kidney and pancreas, and its relationship with the presence of toxic effects are reported here. Rats were injected subcutaneously with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 mg K2Cr2O7/kg and sacrificed 24 h later. Total Cr accumulation followed a dose-dependent pattern, levels in kidney being higher than those in liver or pancreas, suggesting different tissue bioavailabilities and accumulation patterns. Cr(IV) administration resulted in a tissue-specific MT induction: pancreas and liver showed five- and 3.5-fold MT increases, respectively; no increase was observed in the kidney. A positive correlation was observed between zinc and MT concentrations in liver, and between total Cr and MT concentrations in pancreas. Serum alpha-amylase activity showed a dose-dependent increase starting from 20 mg/kg, whereas serum glucose levels increased at doses higher than 30 mg/kg. Serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities were increased in a dose-dependent manner, from 20 and 30 mg/kg, respectively. Our results showed that treatment with Cr(VI) can induce MT synthesis in pancreas and suggests a subsequent binding of Cr to MT. Also, pancreas is a target organ for Cr toxicity, and the usefulness of alpha-amylase activity as a sensitive biomarker of Cr toxicity in human exposed populations merits further study.
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PMID:Chromium increases pancreatic metallothionein in the rat. 1068 10

The influence of sodium fluoride on the course of repair process in the mechanically injured rat bone was studied. Thirty six male Wistar rats aged 5 months, weighing 460-540 g were investigated. The animals lived under standard conditions and were fed ad libidum with the standard LSM food including 0.7 mg/kg of fluorine on the average. The animals randomly divided into 3 groups that comprised study and control groups, 6 rats each. The rats in the first group were given water with 20 mg (1.05 mmol) of sodium fluoride per kg of body weight for 24 h over a period of 2 weeks--group Ia. In the second group--IIa--animals were given water with sodium fluoride at a dose of 1.5 mmol/kg b.w./24 h for a period of 4 weeks. In the third group--IIIa--the animals were given sodium fluoride in a dose of 1.5 mmol/kg b.w./24 h for a period of 6 weeks. The rats from the control groups I, II and III were given water without sodium fluoride for the period of 2, 4 and 6 weeks, respectively. At the beginning of the experiment a hole was drilled in both femoral bones in rat under barbiturate anaesthesia. According to the protocol the rats underwent ether euthanasia after 2, 4 and 6 weeks after surgery and the following samples were collected: blood from the heart for biochemical studies and both femoral bones for biochemical and histological studies. The following parameters were evaluated in blood serum: fluorine, calcium, magnesium contents, serum concentrations of urea, creatinine, bilirubin and activity levels of enzymes: aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, cholinesterase, base phosphatase. Fluorine, calcium magnesium and zinc contents were estimated in bone samples. The concentration of fluorine ions in animal serum after 2, 4 and 6 weeks of experiment increased significantly as compared with the corresponding controls. The highest fluorine concentrations were observed in serum of rats supplemented with NaF for 6 weeks. The fluorine concentrations in the bone tissue and fresh and dried granulation tissues in all studied groups also revealed statistically significant increase as compared to the controls. The rats fed with sodium fluoride for the period of 6 weeks revealed statistically significant increase of serum magnesium concentration as compared to the remaining study groups. Bone magnesium concentrations in animals fed with NaF for the period of 2 and 6 weeks were higher as compared to the corresponding control groups, with the highest differences observed after 6 weeks of experiment. Animals fed with sodium fluoride for the period of 6 weeks revealed increased serum calcium concentrations as compared to the study groups after 2 and 4 weeks of experiment. Similar results were achieved in bone tissue samples (Fig. 1 and 2, Tab. 1-6). Basing on the achieved results in biochemical studies and histological pictures it should be assumed that laboratory animals fed with sodium fluoride in doses recognised as non-toxic reveal intensified healing process within mechanically injured bones. The use of sodium fluoride led to accelerated chondrogenesis process in the area of insufficiently perfused bone, osteogenesis including temporary callus formation and mineralization of the new bone, as well as remodelling into mature lamellar bone. The greatest differences in the repair dynamics for both groups occurred between the second and fourth week of experiment. These results could be the base of clinical studies on application of the sodium fluoride in the acceleration of fracture healing.
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PMID:[Evaluation of the repair process in mechanically injured rat bone stimulated by sodium fluoride with non-toxic doses]. 1090 90

Nutritional status and vitamin B6 status were assessed in 18 men and 32 women, average age 84, living in a home for the aged. Average proportion of energy derived from protein was higher than the recommended; fiber intake was very low. Also low were intakes of calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, vitamins D and E, thiamin, folic acid and vitamin B6. Supplementation with vitamin B6 (10 mg/d) for 28 days in those with the lowest B6 status assessed by B6 intake, activation coefficient of aspartate transaminase and plasma pyridoxamine concentrations led to improved B6 status (marked decrease in activation coefficient) and increased synthesis and decreased degradation of many short-lived neutrophil proteins. Though our elderly enjoy a variety of foods, some have marginal deficiencies that can be improved. Therefore, in the institutionalized elderly, micronutrient supplementation should be administered at a level low enough to be safe (below recommended upper level of intake) but high enough to be effective.
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PMID:[Nutritional status and vitamin B6 supplementation in the institutionalized elderly]. 1097 65

The toxicological literature is replete with studies attempting to explain the mechanism of action of organophosphorus (OP) insecticides to their anticholinesterase activities, but not much is known about the metabolism and detoxification of these compounds. The goal of this study was to ascertain the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos, one of the most widely used OPs, on the liver of male rats and also to evaluate the protective potential of zinc in mediating its toxic effects. It was observed that chlorpyrifos (13.5 mg/kg body weight) treatment resulted in significant inhibition (p < 0.001) of serum and hepatic acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities after 8 wk. However, zinc-treated (227 mg/L drinking water) animals resulted in significant normalization of the inhibited AChE activities. Similarly, a significant increase in the levels of various serum and liver marker enzymes (viz. alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase [AST], and alanine aminotransferase [ALT]) was observed following treatment with chlorpyrifos. However, coadministration of zinc to these animals restored these enzymes to within normal limits, even though some increase in the activity of serum ALT and hepatic alkaline phosphatase still persisted at the end of the study. Chlorpyrifos treatment diminished serum and hepatic zinc levels significantly (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001) compared to normal control animals. Serum iron concentrations also plummeted significantly following chlorpyrifos treatment. On the contrary, serum copper levels were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in chlorpyrifos-treated animals, but they were normalized following zinc supplementation to the rats in this group. Interestingly, chlorpyrifos treatment resulted in elevated hepatic levels of copper, iron, and selenium, but zinc treatment could only partially restore the raised elemental concentrations. These data clearly demonstrate the potential role of zinc in mediating the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos, presumably because of their antioxidant properties and also their possible interaction with other trace elements in maintaining the cellular harmony.
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PMID:Protective effects of zinc in chlorpyrifos induced hepatotoxicity: a biochemical and trace elemental study. 1105 90

Stress responses and changes in protein metabolism were studied in common carp Cyprinus carpio exposed to 0, 0.8, 4, and 20 microM cadmium (Cd) over a 29-day period. Blood and other tissue samples were taken after 4 and 29 days of exposure. The highest Cd concentration proved to be lethal to the fish, resulting in 100% mortality after 21 days of exposure. Cd accumulated in the tissues in the following order: kidney>liver>gills. Blood hematocrit, blood hemoglobin, plasma glucose, plasma lactate, and tissue total protein contents were not significantly altered. The concentrations of Cd and zinc (Zn) binding metallothioneins ((Cd, Zn)-MTs) were in the following order=liver>kidney>gills. An increase in (Cd, Zn)-MTs was observed at all exposure concentrations at days 4 and 29 in kidney and at Day 29 in gills. No significant changes in (Cd, Zn)-MT contents were found in liver. The concentrations of free amino acids and the activities of proteases were increased at Day 4 in gills, liver, and kidney of carp exposed to 4 and 20 microM Cd, and in gills and kidney at Day 29 in carp exposed to 4 microM Cd. The observed increases in the activities of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase suggest that the observed proteolysis is intended to increase the role of proteins in the energy production during Cd stress. However, this increased activity of both aminotransferases was not found in gills during exposure to the lethal Cd concentration, indicating that Cd may also cause an inhibitory effect on the activity of these enzymes above a certain level.
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PMID:Stress responses and changes in protein metabolism in carp Cyprinus carpio during cadmium exposure. 1122 34

Heme oxygenase (HO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the degradation of heme into biliverdin, carbon monoxide, and iron. HO-1, an inducible form, is thought to contribute to resistance to various types of oxidative stress. Doxorubicin (DOX) produces clinically useful responses in a variety of human cancers. We reported previously that prior administration of DOX ameliorated subsequent hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was to examine whether this pharmacological preconditioning was useful for another type of hepatic injury induced by a non-surgical method. When a high dose of DOX (10 mg/kg body weight) was administered directly to rat liver via the portal vein, serum aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels increased markedly 24 hr after the injection. Under this condition, zinc-protoporphyrin IX, a specific inhibitor of HO-1, caused both serum AST and ALT levels to be elevated further. When a low dose of DOX (5 mg/kg body weight) was administered to rats via the tail vein as pharmacological preconditioning 3 days before the injection of a high dose of DOX via the portal vein, the levels of serum AST and ALT in rats clearly were improved as compared with rats without the preconditioning. Expression of HO-1 in the liver was confirmed 3 days after the administration of a low dose of DOX. In addition, prior administration of zinc-protoporphyrin IX abolished the effect of DOX preconditioning. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the positive staining of HO-1 protein induced by a low dose of DOX was localized to histiocytes infiltrating periportal areas. These results strongly suggest that pharmacological preconditioning with DOX may generally help to attenuate subsequent oxidant-induced hepatic injury.
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PMID:Pharmacological preconditioning with doxorubicin. Implications of heme oxygenase-1 induction in doxorubicin-induced hepatic injury in rats. 1170 58


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