Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) on liver and intestine of normal rats. Methods: Male rats were divided into four groups as follows: 1) control rats, 2) control rats that orally received 10 mg/kg TiO₂ NPs, 3) control rats that orally received 50 mg/kg TiO₂ NPs, and 4) control rats that orally received 100 mg/kg TiO₂ NPs. After 30 days, the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway (NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β), antioxidant pathway (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], and catalase [CAT]), inflammatory pathway (inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS] and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]), and the apoptosis pathway (p53, Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3) were determined in the intestine and liver of the rats. H&E and Masson’s trichrome (MT) staining as well as TUNEL assay were used to examine the liver and the intestine. Biochemical factors, cytotoxicity, ROS generation, and apoptosis rate were also determined in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells. Results: TiO₂ NPs in a dose-dependent manner increased cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis rate in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. The administration of TiO₂ NPs significantly reduced antioxidant enzyme activity and gene expressions (SOD, CAT, and GPx) as well as glutathione (GSH) levels and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in a dose-dependent manner. TiO₂ NPs also induced the apoptosis pathway and inflammatory pathway gene expressions and caspase-3 activity in the intestine and liver. TUNEL assay was in agreement with gene expressions. TiO₂ NPs also led to morphological changes in the liver and intestine. Conclusion: TiO₂ NPs could have cytotoxic effects on the intestine and liver structure and function by inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Since December 2019, more than 3 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and about 200,000 deaths have been reported worldwide. The outbreak of this novel disease has become a global health emergency and continues to rapidly spread around the world. Based on the clinical data, approved cases are divided into four classes including mild, moderate, severe, and critical. About 5% of cases were considered critically ill and 14% were considered to have the severe classification of the disease. In China, the fatality rate of this infection was about 4%. This review focuses on currently available information on the etiology, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, and mechanism of action of COVID-19. Furthermore, we present an overview of diagnostic approaches and treatment of this disease according to available findings. This review paper will help the physician to diagnose and successfully treat COVID-19.

Aim. There is evidence thatAnethum graveolens(AG) has been used for centuries in Asian traditional medicine, and its constituents have useful effects on the control and management of diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. AG has many useful effects, including hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects, and it has been reported to reduce the incidence of diabetic complications. It acts mainly by affecting antioxidant capacity and change in some genes in glucose and lipid pathways. The aim of the present paper was to summarize pharmacological effects of AG in the management of diabetes.Methods. To prepare this review, a pharmacological and phytochemical literature survey was performed using Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science. Also, some historical and ethnopharmacological literature sources were used.Results. This review plans to provide readers with an assessment of the pharmacological effects of AG, especially in diabetes.Conclusion. The paper highlights the therapeutic effects of AG which would aid in supporting their safe use in the management of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Recently, the use of incretins has been considered as a therapeutic target for diabetes. One of the important incretins in the improvement of diabetes is glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), which is secreted by the gut and reduces the apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells and improves insulin sensitivity. In this experiment we determined the effects of resveratrol and probiotics on insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and GLP-1 in type 2 diabetes (T2D) rats. In this study, 40 male Wistar male rats were divided into 5 groups: 1. Control group, 2. T2D, 3. T2D treated with probiotics, 4. T2D treated with resveratrol, 5. T2D group treated with probiotics and resveratrol. After four weeks, the intestine were removed for histopathological analysis, biochemical tests, and oxidative stress markers. Probiotics and resveratrol significantly decreased (p < 0.001) glucose and insulin resistance, and increased (p < 0.001) GLP1 and total antioxidant capacity compared to the diabetic group. Treatment with probiotics and resveratrol also returned intestinal histological changes in diabetic rats to normal. Resveratrol and probiotics appear to be effective in controlling T2D by increasing GLP-1 levels and reducing oxidative stress.

Resveratrol (RES), a well-known antioxidant, is present in numerous plant species and, as a result, is easily obtained through dietary intake of plant-based foods and beverages. Several studies suggest that RES has anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, and anti-viral effects. It may also have beneficial metabolic properties that result in mitigation of insulin resistance (IR) and related metabolic abnormalities, including dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia through regulation of gene expression or the activity of rate-limiting enzymes. A large body of evidence supports the beneficial effects of RES in the management and treatment of IR, type 2 diabetes, and related complications through a multitude of mechanisms. This review article focuses on the mechanisms of action of RES, the mechanisms leading to improved insulin sensitivity, and its clinical role in the management and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Background: Garlic is one of the medicinal plants which has showed beneficial effects on atherosclerosis risk factors. The liver X receptor α (LXRα) is an important regulator of cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose homeostasis that belongs to the nuclear receptor superfamily. In this study we investigated the effect of garlic on lipid profile, glucose as well as LXRα expression in intestine and liver of mice. Methods: Forty male N-Mary mice were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8): group1 received chow + 2% cholesterol + 0.5% cholic acid, group 2: chow + 4% (w/w) garlic extract + 2% cholesterol + 0.5% cholic acid, and group 3: chow only. After one month of treatment, mice were anesthetized, blood was collected from their heart, and the first 10 cm of the small intestine and liver were removed. Glucose was measured by a glucometer; other biochemical factors were measured by enzymatic methods. LXR expression was checked by RT-PCR and western blotting. Results: Compared with hypercholesterolemic mice, treatment with garlic extract significantly decreased total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C), atherogenic index, alanine aminotranferease (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (all of them P < 0.05). Change in HDL-C levels was not significant in garlic-extract treated animals compared with hypercholesterolemic group. LXR protein and mRNA in the intestine were increased in garlic-extract treated group compared with chow group (P < 0.05), while in the liver, only mRNA of LXR was increased in hypercholesterolemic control mice (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that garlic extract reduced LXRα expression in the liver and increased its expression in the intestine. These effects probably have an important role in reducing serum triglyceride and cholesterol.