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Vol.6 No.4 – 1: Evaluation of the cardioprotective effect of l-carnitine and silymarin in cancer patients receiving anthracycline-containing chemotherapy

By: Zeinab Al kasaby  Zalat* 1, Hosny A. Elewa2,Mohamed Abdel-Latif3 , Mohamed A. Alm El-Din4, Neeven A. Kohaf 5

  1. Assoc. Professor and Head of Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. (Pharm.D., Ph.D.) (zeinabalkasaby.pharmg@azhar.edu.eg)
  2. Assoc. professor and Head of Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Horus University, Dominate City, Egypt. (Pharm.D, Ph.D.)
  3. Professor and Head of Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. (Ph.D.)
  4. Assoc. Professor, Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt. (MD)
  5. Master degree in pharmaceutical sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt. (M.Sc.)

Abstract

Aim: Anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity is the most common constraint of its use in the treatment of various types of cancer. This study aimed to investigate the benefits of the addition of the l-carnitine / silymarin to anthracycline chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. Methods: 83 patients were recruited from Clinical Oncology Department, Tanta University, Egypt, then prospectively randomized to receive their anthracycline-containing therapeutic regimen, control group (n=33), or anthracycline plus l-carnitine, l-carnitine group (n=25), or anthracycline plus silymarin, silymarin group (n= 25). Blood samples were collected at the beginning and after 6 months to measure LDH, CK-MB, cTn I, Anticardiolipin IgG, Fe, ferritin, and TIBC and % of saturation. % EF was documented. Data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA and paired t-test. P <0.05 was statistically significant. Results: The addition of l-carnitine to anthracycline chemotherapy has a significantly improved EF% (P=0.003), Anticardiolipin IgG (P=0.001), ferritin (P=0.001), and TIBC (P=0.011). The supplementation with silymarin to anthracycline chemotherapy had a statistically significant decrease in Anticardiolipin IgG (P=0.000), iron (P=0.001), ferritin (P= 0.001), TIBC (P=0.007), and % saturation (P=0.001). Silymarin group showed a significant decrease in iron profile compared to the l-carnitine group. Conclusion: The co-administration of l-carnitine or silymarin with anthracycline chemotherapy represents a new therapeutic strategy for better control of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. Silymarin resulted in more beneficial effects on the iron profile compared to l-carnitine with anthracycline or anthracycline chemotherapy alone.

Evaluation-of-the-cardioprotective-effect-of-l-carnitine-and-silymarin-in-cancer-patients-receiving-anthracycline-containing-chemotherapy-converted

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Vol3 No.1 -4 : Silymarin extract modulates toxicity, injury, oxidative stress and PCNA alternations induced by tramadol in rat liver

By : Nadhom Abd Khalaf

Abstract

Tramadol is a synthetic opioid analgesic commonly prescribed for moderate to severe pain. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of silymarin supplementation on Tramadol induce injury, oxidative stress and PCNA expression alterations on liver in rats. For this purpose 40 male albino rats were divided into four groups and treated for 4 weeks (group 1 was control, group 2 was silymarin, group 3 was Tramadol and group 4 was Tramadol plus silymarin). The obtained results revealed that; serum GPT, GOT, ALP, GGT activities and MDA levels in liver tissues were significantly increase in rats treated with Tramadol as compared to control group while, total protein, albumin, globulin levels in serum, GSH, SOD and catalase levels in liver tissues levels were significantly decrease in Tramadol group when compared with control rats. Liver sections in rats treated with Tramadol exhibited mild positive reactions were detected for PCNA-ir, marked dilation or congestion in central veins, marked cellular infiltrations, atrophied and vacuolated hepatocytes. Treated rats with Tramadol plus silymarin succeeded to modulate these observed abnormalities resulting from Tramadol as indicated by the reduction of enzymes activity and the pronounced improvement of the investigated biochemical, antioxidant parameters, oxidative stress, hepatic injury and PCNA alterations. Further studies are needed to investigate the impacts of tramadol on human health.


2017 JBSAR

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Vol.2 No.2 -4 : Comparative cardioprotective effect of Egyptian Silybum marianum extract and Chinese silymarin in experimentally liver fibrosis.

By : 1Ehab Tousson; 2Afrah F. Salama; 3Mahmoud A. Elony; and 2٭Mona A. Dora

Abstract

Liver fibrosis is one of the common problems effects on the human health. Many herbal, medicinal and pharmaceutical plants and their extracts are widely studied by many researches. Chinese silymarin got a bright reputation in relieve of liver fibrosis. The current study is a comparative study between the effect of Chinese silymarin (commercial drug) and the extracted silymarin from the natural Egyptian plant on the cardiac toxicity due to liver fibrosis induced by ethanol in rats. A total of 72 female Albino rats were divided into six groups; G1, Control; G2,Fibrosis; G3,Chinese silymarin; G4, Fibrosis + Chinese silymarin; G5, Egyptian silymarin extract; G6, Fibrosis + Egyptian silymarin extract. Results showed that, heart enzymes activities LDH, lipid profiles in serum and MDA in tissues were a significant increase in Fibrosis group when compared with control group. On the other hand; creatine kinase (CK) in serum, total protein, total thiol, TAC, CAT and GST in cardiac tissues were a significant decrease in Fibrosis group when compared with control group. The current results revealed that; the Egyptian plant extract improved the lipid profile, heart functions and its oxidative stress parameters as comparison with the used medical Chinese silymarin.


4. Comparative cardioprotective effect of Egyptian Silybum marianum extract and Chinese silymarin in experimentally liver fibrosis.
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Vol.1 No.3 -2 : The possible protective effect of vitamin E and ∕ or silymarin on rat testes exposed to 950MHz electromagnetic field.

By : Amr Mahmoud Abd El-Hady* and Noaman Abd El-Latif. El-Tahawy**

Abstract

This work aims to study the histopathological and histochemical changes in the testes of male albino rats post exposure to mobile phone radiation and the possible protective role of vitamin E and/or silymarin. The current experiment was carried out on 30 adult male albino rats (Sprague dawly). Rats were randomly and equally divided into five groups: 1) Group C: control rats left without treatment; 2) Group R: rats exposed to frequency equals 950 MHz of electromagnetic field (EMF); 3) Group R + E: rats received vitamin E before exposure to frequency equals 950 MHz of EMF; 4) Group R + S: rats received silymarin before exposure to frequency equals 950 MHz of EMF and 5) Group R + E+ S: rats received vitamin E parallel to silymarin before exposure to frequency equals 950 MHz of EMF. Electromagnetic field exposed rats showed testicular alterations which were ameliorated by using either vitamin E or silymarin alone. However, both vitamin E and silymarin administration ameliorated the damaging effects of testes of mobile phone exposed rats more than that of silymarin or vitamin E alone.


2. The possible protective effect of vitamin E and ∕ or silymarin on rat testes exposed to 950MHz electromagnetic field.
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