Can daily consumption of a nephroprotective homeopathic product protect the kidneys from gentamicin toxicity?

The objective of this work was to determine whether preventive consumption of a homeopathic product via drinking water would protect mouse kidneys from a challenge with the nephrotoxic antibiotic gentamicin. We used 40 Swiss mice divided into four groups with ten animals each. The homeopathic product was supplied through water for 30 days in a preventive manner and gentamicin for 10 days to induce an experimental renal failure. The groups were as follows: Negative-CT (homeopathic and gentamicin was not provided), Positive-CT (did not receive homeopathic, but received gentamicin 40 mg/kg), T2 (received 0.002 ml of the product per animal/day, and received gentamicin 40 mg/kg), and T4 (0.004 ml of the product per animal/day and received gentamicin 40 mg/kg). On days 12 and 20, blood and tissue samples were collected from five animals in each group. No histopathological lesions were found in mouse kidneys. However, levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, reactive oxygen species, and nitrite/nitrate ratios in the kidney of the Positive-CT group were higher compared to the other groups. As for glutathione S-transferase, on the 20th day, the groups that used the homeopathic product (T2 and T4) had higher activities than the positive TC. Therefore, the results suggest that prophylactic consumption of the hepatoprotective homeopathic product can decrease lipid peroxidation, nitrous stress, and oxidative stress at the renal level when consecutive doses of gentamicin induce insufficiency.

Pengaruh vitamin C dosis tinggi terhadap peroksidasi lipid dan penyembuhan luka pasca tonsilektomi

Latar belakang: Tonsilitis kronik menyebabkan terbentuknya oksidan, salah satunya peroksidasilipid. Vitamin C dosis tinggi pasca tonsilektomi sebagai antioksidan diduga dapat menurunkan kadarperoksidasi lipid dan mempercepat penyembuhan luka.Tujuan: Membuktikan pengaruh vitamin Cdosis tinggi dapat mempercepat penyembuhan luka dan menurunkan kadar peroksidasi lipid pascatonsilektomi.Metode: Penelitian dengan desain randomized controlled trial (RCT). Empat puluh subjekyang memenuhi kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi di klinik Telinga Hidung Tenggorok – Bedah Kepala LeherRumah Sakit Soeselo Slawi dibagi dua, yaitu kelompok yang mendapat vitamin C dosis tinggi segerapasca tonsilektomi dan terapi standar (amoksisilin dan parasetamol), kelompok kontrol ndapat terapistandar. Kadar peroksidasi lipid dievaluasi sebelum tonsilektomi dan 2 minggu pasca tonsilektomi. Derajatnyeri dinilai dengan visual analogue scale (VAS) atau wong baker faces pain rating scale (WBFPRS)dan derajat epitelisasi dinilai pada hari ke-1, 4, 7, dan 14 pasca tonsilektomi. Data dianalisis dengan ujit berpasangan, uji t tidak berpasangan, dan uji Mann-Whitney.Hasil: Empat puluh subjek dapat diikutisampai akhir penelitian. Vitamin C dosis tinggi dapat mengurangi derajat nyeri sejak hari keempatpasca tonsilektomi (p<0,05), dan mempercepat derajat epitelisasi sejak hari pertama pasca tonsilektomi(p<0,05), serta lebih banyak sembuh pada hari ke-14 pasca tonsilektomi (p=0,002). Peroksidasi lipidserum 2 minggu pasca tonsilektomi pada kelompok vitamin C dosis tinggi cenderung lebih banyak yangturun dibanding kelompok kontrol (p=0,057). Kesimpulan: Vitamin C dosis tinggi dapat mempercepatpenyembuhan luka dan menurunkan kadar peroksidasi lipid pasca tonsilektomi.Kata kunci : Vitamin C, peroksidasi lipid, penyembuhan luka, pasca tonsilektomi ABSTRACTBackground: Chronic tonsillitis results oxidation products, one of them is lipid peroxidation.High dose vitamin C post tonsillectomy as antioxidant estimated decrease lipid peroxidation level andaccelerate wound healing. Purpose: To investigate the effect of high dose vitamin C to accelerate woundhealing and decrease lipid peroxidation level in post tonsillectomy patients. Methods: A randomizedcontrolled trial design involved fourty subjects at ENT-HNS clinic of Soeselo Slawi Hospital. The subjectswere divided into the study group who received high dose vitamin C immediately after tonsillectomy andstandart treatment (amoxicillin and paracetamol), the control group who received standart treatment. Lipidperoxidation level was observed at pre and 2 weeks post tonsillectomy, while pain scale (VAS/WBFPRS)and wound epithelialization were observed at 1st, 4th, 7th, and 14th days post tonsillectomy. Data wereanalized with independent-sample t test, paired-sample t test, and Mann-Whitney test.Results: Fourtysubjects were followed until the study finished. High dose vitamin C decreased pain scale since 4 dayspost tonsillectomy (p<0,05), could accelerate wound epithelialization since first day post tonsillectomy(p<0,05), and the most patients recovered at 14th days post tonsillectomy (p=0,002). Lipid peroxidationlevel at 2 weeks post tonsillectomy in high dose vitamin C group tend to lower than the control group(p=0,057). Conclusion: High dose vitamin C post tonsillectomy can accelerate wound healing anddecrease lipid peroxidation level post tonsillectomy.Key words: Vitamin C, lipid peroxidation, wound healing, post tonsillectomy

Therapeutic effects of oral liothyronine on aluminum phosphide poisoning as an adjuvant therapy

Background: In aluminum phosphide (AlP) poisoning, death is mainly due to cardiovascular failure and refractory acute heart failure. There is a lot of evidence showing thyroid hormones have cardioprotective effects. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral liothyronine in the treatment of AlP poisoning. Methods: Twenty-four patients from intensive care unit of Baharloo Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were randomly divided into two parallel groups of 12 cases and 12 controls. Intervention in the case group was administration of 50 µg liothyronine via nasogastric tube after gastric lavage, in the first 6 h of poisoning. In both groups, the routine treatment of AlP poisoning was performed. Blood samples were prepared at the beginning of the study and after 12 h. Patients were followed up till discharge from the hospital or death. Results: The findings demonstrated that oral liothyronine was able to significantly improve systolic blood pressure, arterial blood pH, and total thiol molecules and also could decrease lipid peroxidation, increase catalase activity, and prevent further decline in total antioxidant capacity. Conclusion: Liothyronine administration is effective in controlling AlP poisoning and can improve patients’ outcome.

Relationship of vitamin E metabolism and oxidation in exercising human subjects

During endurance exercise, oxygen consumption by the skeletal muscle can increase 100–200 times. We previously found that during an ultramarathon race (50 km, forest trail through hilly terrain) compared with a day of rest, vitamin E disappeared faster (as measured using 2H-labelled α-tocopherol) and lipid peroxidation increased. Therefore, we hypothesized that prior supplementation with antioxidants (vitamins E and C) would decrease oxidative stress during distance running and, therefore, decrease lipid peroxidation and inflammation, decreaseDNA damage, decrease muscle damage and/or improve recovery. To test these hypotheses, we carried out a randomized, double-blind study in runners (n 11 females, 11 males) who were participants in an annual ultramarathon race. We found that supplementation with both vitamins E and C only prevented increases in lipid peroxidation, but had no apparent effect on DNA damage, inflammation or muscle damage. These results suggest that the mechanism of oxidative damage is operating independently of the inflammatory and muscle damage responses.