Objective: The present study examined the effects of aqueous and methanolic extracts of palm dates (fruits and seeds) on diabetic nephropathy in a rat model of type 2 DM. Methods: Sixty male albino rats subdivided into a) normal control (NC) group, b) diabetic control (DM) group, c) aqueous fruit extract (AFE) group, d) methanolic fruit extract (MFE) group, e) aqueous seed extract (ASE) group and f) methanolic seed extract (ASE) group. Treatment with both extracts done for 15 weeks after induction of type 2 DM. by the end of experiment fasting blood glucose, serum lipid profile, creatinine, urea, uric acid, urinary albumin excretion, kidney tissue MDA, catalase, SOD, GSH were measured and kidney histopathological examination was done. Results: Diabetic untreated rats showed significant hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia and deterioration in kidney functions and morphology with enhanced oxidative stress in kidney tissues. On other hand, rats treated with either aqueous or methanolic fruit or seed extracts showed significant improvement in all studied parameters compared to DM group (p<0.05). However, the effects of fruit extracts especially aqueous extract were more powerful than seed extracts. Conclusion: Aqueous and methanolic fruit and seed extracts of palm date protect kidneys from diabetic nephropathy in rats which might be due to their antioxidant properties.

Integrins - ß are highly conserved pleiotropic cytokine. In this study, we cloned the full - length cDNA sequence of yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco integrin - ß1 and integrin - ß3 gene. The Integrin - ß1 cDNA is 2816 bp in length and encodes a protein of 461 amino acids. Integrin - ß3 cDNA is 1713 bp in length and encodes 479 amino acids. Integrins - ß were classified strictly with the same type of proteins by phylogenetic analysis. Stegastes partitus integrins - ß was classified on the same phylogenetic branch compared with other fish. Tissue transcription profile analysis indicated that, in the healthy P. fulvidraco, integrins - ß mRNA was predominantly expressed in the liver and brain, follow by gill and spleen. The P. fulvidraco integrins - ß shares high homology with the Cypriniformes Danio rerio (83% ~87%). Expression of the two Integrins - ß transcripts showed significant expression changes in 4 h after infection with Flavobacterium columnare, which has modulation of expression continuing up to 3 d following pathogen exposure. Both of the integrin - ß genes were significantly up - regulated at 24 h in spleen and liver after infection tissue. Integrin - ß3 showed the most sensitive to F. columnare, suppressing expression - 6.34 - fold at 24h. This informations elucidates the functions of individual integrins - ß genes in regards to pathogen recognition, binding, and their larger immune context.

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that causes accumulation of lipoproteins, which leads to vascular injury and may even cause Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI). The interaction of vascular endothelium with low - density lipoproteins (LDL) was modified by using two distinct groups of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The first group was doped with aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3) and boric acid (H3BO3), and the second group was functionalized by chemical route with carboxylic acid (COOH) and glucosamine (C6H13NO5). The catalysts used to grow the CNTs were Nickel (Ni) 50%, Cobalt (Co) 50% and Cobalt Iron (Fe - Co) 10% - 40%, by sol - gel route. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman, and contact angle were used to characterize CNTs. The Raman spectra of multi - wall carbon nanotubes showed three bands, which are called D (disorder), G (graphitization) and G’ (second harmonic order) which caused by the D band. It is observed that the intensity ratio ID / IG increases for functionalized CNTs. CNTs grown from nickel and functionalized by chemical route with glucosamine showed low wettability contact angle for the 2h and 18h oxidized LDL samples. CNTs grown from nickel and doped with aluminum sulfate showed an angle of contact with low wettability for the 2h oxidized LDL sample. An association of the sulphate groups in the density of the load and the cooperativity of the load with arginine and lysine rich peptides of the LDL sample were observed. The CNT catalyzed with (Fe - Co) and doped with boric acid evidenced a low strength of adhesion and greater surface tension for the 18h high degree oxidized LDL; resulting in a repulsion of residues of lysine and arginine of the altered structure of ApoB 100 of the LDL. The obtained CNT structures are presented as a possible devise coating with therapeutic potencial to avoid the progression of atherosclerosis.

Interleukin (IL)-17 is a newly described T cell-derived inflammatory cytokine. Recent studies have shown that inflammatory cytokines play important roles in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). However, whether IL-17 plays a prominent role in type 2 DM remains unclear. Here we measured serum concentrations of IL-17, and mRNA expression of IL-17 and its transcription factor ROR?t in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 30 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 DM and 20 healthy subjects. Results have shown that serum levels of IL-17 were significantly higher in patients than in healthy subjects (10.44 ± 6.47 vs. 2.99 ± 1.68 pg/mL, P<0.01); and mRNA levels of IL-17 and its transcript factor ROR?t were also upregulated in PBMC from patients (P<0.001). Further, IL-17 mRNA expression was correlated with TNF-a mRNA expression in PBMC from patients (r=0.6988, P<0.001). These results indicated that IL-17 might contribute to the inflammation process in type 2 diabetes as an inflammation factor.