Assessment of adreno pulmonary toxicity of Dicofol in adult male albino rats

Dicofol is an organochiorine insecticide. The possible toxic effect of dicofol on the rats adrenal glands and lungs was investigated when it was given daily per oral route at two dose regimens according to LD50 for three different durations [4, 7 and 21 months]. The study was carried out on 72 adult male albino rats. They were divided into 4 main groups. Group I, the negative control group, was I subdivided into three subgroups. Group II was the 4 month duration group, which was subdivided into subgroup ha given dicofol 4.19 mg/kg daily and subgroup IIb given 16.75 mg/kg. The third group was the 7 month duration group, which was also subdivided into subgroup IIIa given the former dose and subgroup IIb given the later dose of dicofol. In the fourth group, the animals were divided into two subgroups, subgroup IVa given the former dose of dicofol for 21 months and subgroup IVb given the later dose of dicofol for the same duration. At the end of each experimental period, the animals were sacrified. Serum Nat K[+] and cortisol levels were investigated. Histopathological examination of the adrenal glands and the lungs was also carried out. The results showed that dicofol had obvious toxic effects on the adrenal glands and lungs. The toxicity was time and dose dependent. Such toxicity was in the form of an increase in the serum levels of Na[+] and K[+] in addition to decrease in serum level of cortisol. Histopathological examination of adrenal glands showed cytoplasmic vaculation in the cells of zone glomerulosa and fasiculata together with capsular thickening and haemorrhage in zona fasiculata and cortical damage. As regards the lung tissues, there were hyperplasia and lymphoid aggregation in the epithelial cells lining of the alveoli, as well as collapse and emphysema in the alveoli. Also, there were cellular infiltration, with foamy cytoplasm and large nuclei. In conclusion, prolonged administration of dicofol to adult male albino rats can affect both adrenals and lungs. Further wide-scaled experimental study is recommended

Serum zinc level in children with intestinal parasitic infections

Zinc is very important for growth, development and cognitive function in children. Its deficiency has deleterious consequences on children's health. Zinc deficiency is a serious health problem worldwide affecting developed as well as developing countries. To detect a relation between intestinal parasitic infection and serum zinc level is not an easy task. Early detection and treatment of intestinal parasitosis could avoid or treat the possible serum zinc deficiency. The aim of this study was to find out the relationship between intestinal parasitic infection and serum zinc level. Serum levels of zinc were prospectively measured in 80 Egyptian intestinal parasitic positive children and 20 age, sex and socioeconomic class matched controls. Samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. Serum zinc evaluation revealed no statistically significant difference between mean values of controls and patients [P> 0.05]

Chronic unclassified arteritis, a non-arteriosclerotic arterio-occlusive disease with a distinct clinicohistopathological entity

9 patients with characteristic clinical and histopathological features which are different from the known types of arteritis in literature were described. All the patients were non-diabetic males [mean age = 42.2 years]. The commonly affected arterial segment was the ilio-common femoral and the femoro-popliteal segments, with otherwise angiographically healthy arterial tree. Angiographically normal run-off arteries were always present. Operatively, the arteries has a fleshy thick wall which was rather friable with a variable degree of periarterial fibrosis. Immunohistopathological findings included a thick internal and external elastic lamina with variable patterns of chronic inflammatory cell infiltration and immune deposits of IgG and complement [C3] mainly