garlic
Comparative effects of garlic and aspirin on diabetic cardiovascular complications.

Patumraj S, Tewit S, Amatyakul S, Jariyapongskul A, Maneesri S, Kasantikul V, Shepro D.

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.

By using streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats as a studied model, our previous experimental results have indicated that daily oral feeding of garlic extract (100 mg/kg BW) could increase the cardiovascular functions in streptozotocin (STZ) rats; the abnormality of lipid profile was prevented; and garlic extract could increase fibrinolitic activities with the decrease of platelet aggregation. Moreover, the plasma insulin level was increased concomitantly with the decrease of plasma glucose level. However, due to the high incidence of atherosclerosis in diabetes, the present study has been continued for further investigation of the effect of garlic extract on the coronary vascular ultrastructural changes. In addition, to identify the possible mechanism(s) of garlic's therapeutic effects, the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, aspirin, has been included in this present study. By using transmission electron microscopic studies, 16 weeks of daily oral feeding of garlic extract (100 mg/kg BW) caused as an antiatherosclerotic agent at the coronary arteriolar (15-30 microns) wall in STZ-rats. Interestingly, the thickening of coronary capillary (5-10 microns) basement membrane also was significantly attenuated within the group of STZ-rats treated with garlic extract. However, the possible direct action of garlic through the cyclooxygenase pathway has not been confirmed by the results of aspirin: The daily oral feeding of aspirin (10 mg/kg BW) in 16-week STZ-rats has not showed reduced arteriolar vascular wall abnormalities. The irregular patterns of fiber matrix, arranging the basement membrane at the arteriolar walls, were still recognized in the same manner as in STZ-rats. Interestingly, the thickening of the capillary basement membrane occurred in 16-week STZ-rats seems to be attenuated by the aspirin received. At present, garlic extract may open the new era in the medicinal use of garlic to prevent diabetic cardiovascular complications.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10892409&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Identification of aster yellows phytoplasma in garlic and green onion by PCR-based methods.

Khadhair AH, Evans IR, Choban B.

Alberta Research Council, Vegreville, Canada. hameed arc.ab.ca

In the summer of 1999, typical yellows-type symptoms were observed on garlic and green onion plants in a number of gardens and plots around Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. DNA was extracted from leaf tissues of evidently healthy and infected plants. DNA amplifications were conducted on these samples, using two primer pairs, R16F2n/R2 and R16(1)F1/R1, derived from phytoplasma rDNA sequences. DNA samples of aster yellows (AY), lime witches'-broom (LWB) and potato witches'-broom (PWB) phytoplasmas served as controls and were used to determine group relatedness. In a direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, DNA amplification with universal primer pair R16F2n/R2 gave the expected amplified products of 1.2 kb. Dilution (1/40) of each of the latter products were used as template and nested with specific primer pair R16(1)F1/R1. An expected PCR product of 1.1 kb was obtained from each phytoplasma-infected garlic and green onion samples, LWB and AY phytoplasmas but not from PWB phytoplasma. An aliquot from each amplification product (1.2 kb) with universal primers was subjected to PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) to identify phytoplasma isolates, using four restriction endonucleases (AluI, KpnI, MseI and RsaI). DNA amplification with specific primer pair R16(1)F1/R1 and RFLP analysis indicated the presence of AY phytoplasma in the infected garlic and green onion samples. These results suggest that AY phytoplasma in garlic and green onion samples belong to the subgroup 16Sr1-A.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12398284&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
[Garlic oil induces differentiation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line]

[Article in Chinese]

Li X, Xie J, Li W.

China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing.

OBJECTIVES: To study the mechanism of garlic oil-induced differentiation of human gastric cancer cell line BGC-823. METHODS: Confocal microscopic assay and Northern blot hybridization were used to detect morphological change and gene expression in garlic oil treated human gastric cancer cells (BGC823). RESULTS: Cell growth in vitro and tumorigenicity in nude mice were inhibited dramatically by garlic oil. Garlic oil treatment resulted in cell apoptosis as shown by DNA fragmentation. High expression level of WAF1/p21 and wild type p53 gene was detected in garlic oil-treated cells. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that differentiation and apoptosis of BGC-823 cell can be induced with garlic oil, and p21 and p53 genes possibly play important role in the process.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10921020&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Effect of dietary garlic (Allium Sativum) on the blood pressure in humans--a pilot study.

Qidwai W, Qureshi R, Hasan SN, Azam SI.

Department of Community Health Sciences, Community Health Centre, Aga Khan University, Karachi.

OBJECTIVE: To find out whether individuals with blood pressures on the lower side consume more garlic in their diets. A pilot study to make grounds for more elaborate future trials. METHOD: A questionnaire was developed in order to estimate the dietary intake of garlic per person per month and to record three blood pressure readings on each individual. It was administered to 101 adult subjects, presenting to the Family Practice Centre of a hospital in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. The various demographic parameters including age, sex, marital status and education were recorded. Those subjects found to be overweight, with known history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease, and smoking and on medications, which effect blood pressure, were excluded from the study. This was done to remove the effect of confounding variables on Blood Pressure. The data was entered into the epi-info program and the analysis was done using the SPSS software. RESULTS: An average garlic use of 134 grams per case per month was found. 67% of the subjects used garlic in cooked food while the rest used either in the raw form or in pickles. 59% thought that dietary use of garlic is healthy. Subjects with blood pressure on the lower side are found to consume more garlic in their diets. (The mean difference is significant for systolic with p value of 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study shows that individuals whose blood pressures are on the lower side are more likely to consume more garlic in their diets. (Statistically significant for systolic blood pressure only). This was a pilot study and more elaborate trials are recommended to prove this association.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10979632&dopt=Abstract garlic



garlic
Garlic elicits a nitric oxide-dependent relaxation and inhibits hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in rats.

Kim-Park S, Ku DD.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA. SKIMPARK UAB.EDU

1. The aims of the present study were to determine the characteristics of garlic extract-induced relaxation in rat isolated pulmonary arteries, its susceptibility to changes in oxygen tension and its protective effect against hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. 2. In normoxia, garlic extract (3-500 microg/mL) produced a dose- and nitric oxide (NO)-dependent relaxation. Following 60 min hypoxia, maximum garlic relaxation was reduced compared with control (mean (-SEM) -86 +/- 3 vs-69 +/- 2% of phenylephrine (PE) precontraction, respectively), but recovered after 60 min reoxygenation (-85 +/- 3% PE precontraction). 3. Acetylcholine (0.1 micromol/L)-induced NO-dependent relaxation was reduced from a control value of -76 +/- 1% to -46 +/- 4% during hypoxia and was further reduced to -35 +/- 2 % after reoxygenation. 4. In endothelium-intact arteries, hypoxic exposure resulted in a triphasic response: early transient contraction (+24 +/- 4%), followed by transient relaxation (-37 +/- 7%) and then sustained contraction (+62 +/- 5%). 5. Pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester abolished the early transient contraction, moderately attenuated the sustained contraction and had no effect on the transient relaxation. Mechanical endothelial disruption inhibited all hypoxia-induced vascular changes. 6. Garlic pretreatment had no effect on the early transient contraction (+25 +/- 4%), but inhibited the transient relaxation (-5 +/- 3%; P<0.05) and the sustained contraction (+26 +/- 5%; 7. Garlic also significantly inhibited endothelin-l-induced contractions in a dose-dependent manner. 8. These findings show that garlic extract modulates the production and function of both endothelium-derived relaxing and constricting factors and this may contribute to its protective effect against hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction.

Online source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11022969&dopt=Abstract garlic