Lipid peroxide levels and antioxidant status in alcoholic liver disease

The present study was conducted to evaluate some of the components of antioxidant defense system and oxidative damage in 20 male patients of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The results were compared with 20 healthy male smokers and 20 healthy male non-smokers volunteers. Patients were subjected to detailed clinical examination and laboratory investigations. Blood samples were collected for estimating reduced glutathione (GSH), total thiols (T-SH) malondialdehyde (MDA), transaminases (AST, ALT), glutathione-S-transferease (GST) and gammaglutamyl transferase (GGT). Serum aspartate amino transferase (AST)/alanine amino transferase (ALT) ratio was significantly (p<0.01) reduced in ALD patients as compared to the controls. However, the core of utility of MDA and GST was found to be significantly (p<0.01) increased in ALD patients compared to controls. There was a significant negative correlation of MDA with both GSH and TSH. Plasma GGT levels were significantly (p<0.01) increased in alcoholics and the enzyme showed a significant positive correlation with MDA. These results give enough evidence of increased oxidative stress and compromised antioxidant defense system in patients with ALD.     

Antioxidant and lipid lowering activities of Indian black tea

Indian black tea; CTC leaf and dust, produced by Tata Tea Limited, Kolkata, (India) was studiedin vitro as potential scavenger of oxygen free radicals. Super oxide anions were generated in a system containing xanthine—xanthine oxidase (enzymic system) and by NADH- phenozine methosulphate (non enzymic system). Anions were assayed in terms of uric acid formation and reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium salt, which were shown to be suppressed by tea extracts. Extracts from both leaf and dust also inhibted the formation of hydroxyl radicalsin vitro in the enzymic system comprising hypoxanthine—Cu⁺²—sodium ascorbate and xanthine oxidase and in non enzymic system of deoxyribose—Cu⁺²—sodium ascorbate and H₂O₂ as well as the Cu⁺² induced lipid peroxidation in human low density lipoprotein. Feeding with black tea in normal rats for sixty days increased their antioxidant activity and their liver microsomes were shown to be protected against peroxidation of lipids as stimulated by metal ions with enzymic or non enzymic reactants. Furthermore feeding with tea extracts in normal as well as triton WR—1339 induced hyperlipidemic rats caused decrease in their plasma levels of total cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides. The antioxidant and lipid lowering activities of both extracts from CTC leaf and dust tea was comparable and may be due to the presence of natural products like catechin and others.     

Risk factors for coronary heart disease in type II diabetes mellitus

Cardiovascular complications are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. An attempt has been made to evaluate the risk factors for coronary heart disease in type II diabetics. In the present study the levels of fasting and postprandial plasma glucose, total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins, triglycerides were high and the levels of high density lipoproteins were low in the type II diabetics compared to controls. The markers of free radical induced injury i.e. malondialdehyde and nitrite/nitrate were high while total antioxidant status a marker for antioxidant protection against reactive oxygen species was low in diabetics compared to controls. The study therefore suggests the importance of assessing these markers of oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity along with the other routine investigations in diabetic patients for initiating antioxidant therapy in addition to primary and secondary preventive measures to mitigate the devastating consequences of diabetes leading to coronary heart disease.     

Serum gamma glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) activity in alcoholics with liver abscess and chronic alcoholics

Gamma Glutamyl Transferase (γ-GT) is a microsomal enzyme. Its activity in serum is assayed in alcoholics with liver abscess and alcoholics without liver abscess after screening by ultrasonography. The enzyme activity in serum is increased by 334% in the patients with liver abscess compared to normal control subjects (p<0.0001), and 172% when compared to patients with chronic alcoholism without liver abscess (p<0.0001). The enzyme activity was increased by 59.3% in the serum of patients without liver abscess compared to the normal control subjects (p<0.001). Measurement of γ-GT in serum appears to be a sensitive index in the diagnosis of alcoholics with liver abscess.