Resumo Os efeitos protetores antidiabéticos e hepatorrenais dos extratos etanólicos de Citrullus colocynthis e Momordica charantia foram investigados em ratos albinos machos diabéticos induzidos por estreptozotocina (STZ). Ratos diabéticos foram tratados com extrato misto de C. colocynthis, M. charantia ou C. colocynthis + M. charantia na dose de 250 mg/kg de peso corporal por via oral por dia durante 21 dias. O peso corporal médio de todos os grupos de ratos diabéticos no dia 1 de tratamento (dia 10 de diabetes) foi significativamente menor do que o grupo de ratos controle normal (P < 0,05). O nível de glicose no sangue de todos os grupos de ratos diabéticos no dia 1 de tratamento (dia 10 de diabetes) foi significativamente (P < 0,05) maior (> 200 mg/dl) do que o grupo de ratos controle normal (95,5 ± 2,7). Ao final do tratamento (dia 21), os ratos diabéticos tratados com extratos vegetais apresentaram aumento significativo (P < 0,05) no peso corporal e redução significativa (P < 0,05) na glicemia quando comparados aos animais controle diabéticos. Aumento significativo (< 0,05) foi observado nos níveis séricos de bilirrubina, alanina transaminase (ALT), aspartato transaminase (AST), fosfatase alcalina (ALP), ureia e creatinina do grupo controle diabético. Os níveis séricos desses parâmetros hepáticos e renais de ratos diabéticos tratados com extrato vegetal foram significativamente menores quando comparados ao grupo controle de ratos diabéticos (p < 0,05). Fotomicrografias de microseções de fígado e rim de ratos diabéticos tratados com esses extratos vegetais mostraram melhora nas histoarquiteturas hepatorrenais. Concluiu-se que os extratos metanólicos de C. colocynthis e M. charantia são antidiabéticos e hepatorrenais protetores em ratos machos diabéticos induzidos por STZ. O tratamento de ratos diabéticos com extrato misto de C. colocynthis + M. charantia é mais eficaz na melhora do diabetes e lesões hepatorrenais em ratos machos diabéticos induzidos por STZ.

Abstract The antidiabetic and hepato-renal protective effects of Citrullus colocynthis and Momordica charantia ethanol extracts were investigated in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic male albino rats. Diabetic rats were treated with C. colocynthis, M. charantia or C. colocynthis + M. charantia mixed extract at a dose of 250 mg /kg body weight per oral per day for 21 days. The mean body weight of all the diabetic rat groups on day 1 of treatment (day 10 of diabetes) was significantly lower than the normal control rat group (P<0.05). The blood glucose level of all the diabetic rat groups on day 1 of treatment (day 10 of diabetes) was significantly (P<0.05) higher (> 200 mg/dl) than the normal control rat group (95.5 ± 2.7). At the end of treatment (day 21), the diabetic rats treated with plant extracts showed significant increase (P<0.05) in body weight and significant (P<0.05) reduction in blood glucose level when compared to diabetic control animals. Significant increase (< 0.05) was observed in the serum bilirubin, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea and creatinine levels of diabetic control rat group. The serum levels of these liver and kidney-related parameters of diabetic rats treated with plant extract were significantly lower when compared to diabetic control rat group (p < 0.05). Photomicrographs of liver and kidney microsections from diabetic rats treated with these plant extracts showed amelioration in the hepato-renal histoarchitectures. It was concluded that the C. colocynthis and M. charantia methanol extracts are antidiabetic and hepato-renal protective in STZ induced diabetic male rats. Treatment of the diabetic rats with C. colocynthis + M. charantia mixed extract is more effective in the amelioration of diabetes and hepato-renal injuries in STZ induced diabetic male rats.

BACKGROUND: The pattern of HIV-associated eye disease has changed with ongoing advancements in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). HIV-infected individuals now live longer, enabling us to observe the long-term effects of HIV and HAART on the eye. There are few recent studies on HIV-related ocular disease in sub-Saharan Africa OBJECTIVES: To describe the ocular manifestations of HIV in patients attending the Nthabiseng HIV clinic at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 and 2022 using convenience sampling of patients at the HIV clinic. The participants' clinical history was taken, their files were reviewed, and they underwent ocular examination. Correlation between eyes was managed by taking disease in one eye as the presence of disease in the participant. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise participant characteristics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the odds ratio (OR) of developing HIV-associated ocular diseases, and a p-value of <0.05 was used to define statistical significance RESULTS: There were 182 participants (139 females and 43 males), with a mean (standard deviation) age of 48.9 (10.6) years. The most common anterior segment diagnoses were conjunctival microangiopathy (34.6%), pinguecula (31.3%) and cataracts (30.2%), while the most common posterior segment finding was peripheral retinal scarring with features in keeping of previous cytomegalovirus retinitis (24.2%). Notably, only 1.1% of patients had HIV retinopathy. A CD4 count <200 cells/(iL showed an increased OR for cataracts (OR 4.24; p=0.003) and any anterior segment diagnoses (OR 10.05; p=0.029), while a CD4 count >200 cells/(iL showed an increased risk of conjunctival microangiopathy (OR 2.14; p=0.017 CONCLUSION: With the advent of HAART, ocular manifestations of HIV are changing and the incidence of severe ocular opportunistic infections and HIV retinopathy has decreased precipitously. Although this study has shown that patients with a CD4 count <200 cells/(µL are at increased risk of developing anterior ocular manifestations of HIV, including cataracts, these diseases are relatively innocuous or easily treatable. Routine ocular screening of HIV patients seems to be substantially less important now than it was in the pre-HAART era

Resumo A presente investigação foi realizada para estimar o efeito protetor do extrato aquoso de Cheatomorpha gracilis (AEC) contra o dano hepático induzido por dieta rica em gordura (HFD) em camundongos. Os resultados do estudo in vitro mostraram que os AEC têm maiores capacidades antioxidantes nos ensaios DPPH e de eliminação de radicais hidroxila. De fato, muitos compostos fenólicos (ácido gálico, quercetina, naringenina, apigenina, kaempferol e rutina) foram identificados no AEC. Nos estudos em animais, durante 6 semanas, HFD promoveu estresse oxidativo com aumento do nível de malonaldeído (MDA), níveis de proteína carbonil (PCOs) e diminuição significativa das atividades de enzimas antioxidantes como superóxido dismutase, catalase e glutationa peroxidase. Curiosamente, o tratamento com AEC (250 mg / kg de peso corporal) reduziu significativamente os efeitos dos distúrbios de HFD em alguns biomarcadores hepáticos plasmáticos (AST, ALT e ALP), além de biomarcadores inflamatórios de proteínas plasmáticas (reduções α2 e β1 / β2 e γ aumenta as globulinas). Pode-se sugerir que a suplementação de MECG apresenta alto potencial para extinguir os radicais livres e atenua o estresse oxidativo do fígado promovido pela dieta rica em gordura e distúrbios relacionados.

Abstract The current investigation was carried out to estimate the protective effect of aqueous extract of Cheatomorpha gracilis (AEC) against High fat Diet (HFD) induced liver damage in mice. The results of the in vitro study showed that AEC have higher antioxidant capacities in the DPPH and hydroxyl radical-scavenging assays. Indeed, many phenolic compounds (gallic acid, quercetin, naringenin, apigenin, kaempferol and rutin) were identified in the AEC. In the animal studies, during 6 weeks, HFD promoted oxidative stress with a rise level of malonaldehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PCOs) levels and a significant decrease of the antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase. Interestingly, the treatment with AEC (250 mg/kg body weight) significantly reduced the effects of HFD disorders on some plasmatic liver biomarkers (AST, ALT and ALP) in addition to, plasmatic proteins inflammatory biomarkers (α2 and β1 decreases / β2 and γ globulins increases). It can be suggest that supplementation of MECG displays high potential to quench free radicals and attenuates high fat diet promoted liver oxidative stress and related disturbances.