Department of Physiological Sciences
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A Lanosteryl triterpene from Protorhus longifolia augments insulin signaling in type 1 diabetic rats
(BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2018-10-01)Background: A substantial literature supports antidiabetic properties of the lanosteryl triterpene (methyl-3β- hydroxylanosta-9,24-dien-21-oate, RA-3) isolated from Protorhus longifolia stem bark. However, the ...
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Using rodent models to simulate stress of physiologically relevant severity : when, why and how
(InTech, Rijeka, Croatia, 2012)Given the demands of modern life, it is no wonder that the concept of stress has become a household topic for discussion. Also in the academic realm the phenomenon which is stress, is topping the charts in terms of ...
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The role of bile acids in nutritional support
(BioMed Central, 2018-09-30)Abstract: Nutritional support continues to receive much attention as a possible intervention to prevent loss of lean tissue mass, promote recovery and re-establish proper immune function in critical care patients. Yet there ...
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The precision control of autophagic flux and vesicle dynamics - a micropattern approach
(MDPI, 2018)Autophagy failure is implicated in age-related human disease. A decrease in the rate of protein degradation through the entire autophagy pathway, i.e., autophagic flux, has been associated with the onset of cellular ...
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Physically active men show better semen parameters than their sedentary counterparts
(Royan Institute, 2017)Background: The quality of semen depends upon several factors such as environment, life style, physical activity, age, and occupation. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the conventional and functional semen ...
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Genetic polymorphisms of organic cation transporters 1 (OCT1) and responses to metformin therapy in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus : a systematic review protocol
(BioMed Central, 2018-07-25)Background: Metformin is one of the most commonly used drugs for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite its efficacy and safety, metformin is frequently associated with highly variable glycemic responses, which is ...
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Metabolic syndrome and body shape predict differences in health parameters in farm working women
(BioMed Central, 2018-04-04)Background: Sufficient evidence associate body shape to detrimental lifestyle diseases including the metabolic syndrome (MetS). The prevalence of the MetS, as well as effects of the MetS and body shape on body ...
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The inflammatory effects of TNF-α and complement component 3 on coagulation
(Nature Publishing Group, 2018)Tissue necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and complement component 3 (C3) are two well-known pro-inflammatory molecules. When TNF-α is upregulated, it contributes to changes in coagulation and causes C3 induction. They both interact ...
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Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) can reverse the amyloid state of fibrin seen or induced in Parkinson's disease
(Public Library of Science, 2018)The thrombin-induced polymerisation of fibrinogen to form fibrin is well established as a late stage of blood clotting. It is known that Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is accompanied by dysregulation in blood clotting, but it ...
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Investigating the effects of chronic doxorubicin and ghrelin treatment on hepatic tissue
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective and widely used chemotherapeutic agent. However, its toxicity on healthy tissue limits its usage. DOX is known to induce damage mainly via oxidative stress ...
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Neuro- and immunomodulatory effects of Sceletium tortuosum
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Chronic lifestyle stress translates to chronic physiological and psychological conditions. Continual stress-response activation plays a key role in the development of inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes, ...
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Investigation into potential endocrine disruptive effects of Sceletium tortuosum
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Depression has been recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the leading cause of disability, affecting an estimated 300 million people globally. To date antidepressants are prescribed as the ...
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The potential toxic effects of chronic doxorubicin treatment on the rat pancreas and the role of ghrelin in this context
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Doxorubicin (DOX), is a chemotherapeutic drug that has potent anti-neoplastic actions. It is for this reason that it remains one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic agents that has led ...
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Domesticating cancer : an evolutionary strategy in the war on cancer
(Frontiers Media, 2017)Since cancer shares the same molecular machinery as the host, most therapeutic interventions that aim to target cancer would inadvertently also adversely affect the host. In addition, cancer continuously evolves, streamlining ...
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Aspalathin protects the heart against hyperglycemia-induced oxidative damage by up-regulating Nrf2 expression
(MDPI, 2017)Aspalathin (ASP) can protect H9c2 cardiomyocytes against high glucose (HG)-induced shifts in myocardial substrate preference, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The protective mechanism of ASP remains unknown. However, as ...
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The transcription profile unveils the cardioprotective effect of aspalathin against lipid toxicity in an in Vitro H9c2 model
(MDPI, 2017)Aspalathin, a C-glucosyl dihydrochalcone, has previously been shown to protect cardiomyocytes against hyperglycemia-induced shifts in substrate preference and subsequent apoptosis. However, the precise gene regulatory ...
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Metabolic reprograming and cancer resistance : an investigation into the metabolic control of cancer-associated fibroblasts on breast cancer cell survival and metastasis
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) constitute the most abundant mesenchymal cell type present within the tumour microenvironment. Recent evidence suggests that nutrient deprived cancer ...
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Anti-inflammatory cellular targets on neutrophils elucidated using a novel cell migration model and confocal microscopy : a clinical supplementation study
(BioMed Central, 2018-01-05)Background In vivo studies have shown grape seed-derived polyphenols (GSP) to benefit in recovery from muscle injury by modulation of neutrophil infiltration into damaged tissue, thereby reducing secondary ...
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Introduction of sugar tax in South Africa : placebo or panacea to curb the onset of cardio-metabolic diseases?
(South African Heart Association, 2017)During 2016 an announcement was made that South Africans will be obliged to pay a 20% “sugar tax’’ that will soon be implemented in order to help curb the rising prevalence of cardio-metabolic diseases. This announcement ...
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Substantial fibrin amyloidogenesis in type 2 diabetes assessed using amyloid-selective fluorescent stains
(Biomed Central, 2017)Background: We have previously shown that many chronic, inflammatory diseases are accompanied, and possibly partly caused or exacerbated, by various coagulopathies, manifested as anomalous clots in the form of ‘dense ...
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An investigation into the potential cardioprotective effects of ghrelin in a rat model of chronic Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12)ENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline that has significantly improved the outcome of cancer patients since its discovery. However, its clinical success remains limited due to the dose-dependent ...
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Endocrine and immune effects of dexamethasone in unilateral total knee replacement
(SAGE Publications, 2006)The effect of acute pre-surgery dexamethasone treatment on the inflammatory immune and endocrine responses to orthopaedic surgery was investigated. Whole blood samples were obtained before and 5 days after surgery for ...
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Ageing-associated oxidative stress and inflammation are alleviated by products from grapes
(Hindawi, 2016)Advanced age is associated with increased incidence of a variety of chronic disease states which share oxidative stress and inflammation as causative role players. Furthermore, data point to a role for both cumulative ...
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Enhanced therapeutic efficacy in cancer patients by short-term fasting : the autophagy connection
(Frontiers Media, 2016)Preclinical studies suggest that fasting prior to chemotherapy may be an effective strategy to protect patients against the adverse effects of chemo-toxicity. Fasting may also sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy. It is ...
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Hyperglycaemia in critically ill patients : the immune system’s sweet tooth
(BioMed Central, 2017)There is an ongoing debate regarding the efficacy of glycaemic control in critically ill patients. Here we briefly highlight the key function of elevated glucose in critically ill patients, namely, to enable elevation of ...
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Limited role of culture conversion for decision-making in individual patient care and for advancing novel regimens to confirmatory clinical trials
(BioMed Central, 2016-02-04)Background: Despite recent increased clinical trials activity, no regimen has proved able to replace the standard 6-month regimen for drug-sensitive tuberculosis. Understanding the relationship between microbiological ...
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Bone mineral density in people living with HIV : a narrative review of the literature
(BioMed Central, 2017-07-26)Bone health status is largely absent in South Africa, the main reasons being the absence and cost-effectiveness of specific screening equipment for assessing bone mineral density (BMD). Various risk factors seem to play a ...
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Trimetazidine therapy for diabetic mouse hearts subjected to ex vivo acute heart failure
(Public Library of Science, 2017-06-20)Acute heart failure (AHF) is the most common primary diagnosis for hospitalized heart diseases in Africa. As increased fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) during heart failure triggers detrimental effects on the myocardium, we ...
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The stabilizing effect of an oligomeric proanthocyanidin on red blood cell membrane structure of poorly controlled Type II diabetes
(Nature Publishing Group, 2017)Type II diabetes (T2D) is a pandemic characterized by pathological circulating inflammatory markers, high-glucose levels and oxidative stress. The hematological system is especially vulnerable to these aberrant circulating ...
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Resveratrol co-treatment attenuates the effects of HIV protease inhibitors on rat body weight and enhances cardiac mitochondrial respiration
(Public Library of Science, 2017-01-20)Since the early 1990s human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) emerged as a global health pandemic, with sub-Saharan Africa the hardest hit. While the successful roll-out of antiretroviral ...
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