Clomipramine modulates the effects of codeine, dextromethorphan and dextropropoxyphene on neurotransmitters of normal rats

The effect of chronic treatment with dextromethorphan [DM], codeine or dextropropoxyphene [DP] individually or in combination with clomipramine [CIM] on brain gamma aminobutyric acid [GABA], serotonin [5-HT] and cyclic adenosine monophosphate [cAMP], serum transaminase [ALT and AST] and serum electrolytes [Na+, K+ and Ca2+] was studied in this work. Treatment with CIM or DP for 30 days induced a significant reduction in the rat brain GABA content. On the other hand, treatment with codeine induced a significant increase in rat brain GABA content. The concurrent administration of CIM with DM or codeine caused a significant increase in rat brain GABA content. The administration of CIM alone or concomitantly with DM, codeine or DP caused a significant increase in brain 5-HT content. On the other hand, treatment with CIM induced a significant increase in brain cAMP content. However, the administration of DM, codeine or DP individually or in combination with CIM induced a significant decrease in brain cAMP content. All drugs used in the present study alone or in combination induced a significant increase in serum transaminase levels [ALT and AST]. The administration of DP or co-administration of CIM with codeine or DP induced a significant increase in serum sodium level. While, co-administration of CIM with DM induced a significant decrease in serum sodium level. The administration of DM or DP individually or co-administration of CIM with DM codeine or DP induced a significant increase in serum potassium level. In addition, serum calcium level was significantly increased as a result of co- administration of CIM with DM. The results revealed that CIM has the ability to modulate the effects of DM and codeine on brain GABA and 5-HT contents, while it causes an increase in brain GABA and 5-HT content during its use with DP

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [ICAM-1] in neonatal sepsis

Neonatal sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in preterms. The signs of neonatal sepsis are clinically non-specific. ICAM-1 is one of the group of intercellular adhesion molecules. It has an important role in the early recognition of inflammation. So, this study was performed to find out any relation between neonatal sepsis and serum ICAM-1 for possible use as a diagnostic or prognostic parameter in such cases. This study comprised 28 neonate, admitted to the NICU of Maternity Hospital of Ain Shams University due to neonatal sepsis. They were 10 males and 18 females. Their ages ranged between 2-23 days. mean 7.57 +/- 5.54 days at the time of sampling. Their gestational ages ranged between 30-42 weeks, mean was 37.07 +/- 3.15 weeks. Fourteen were pretems [less than 37 weeks of gestation], 13 were fullterms [37-40 weeks of gestation] and one was post-term [42 weeks of gestation]. Their birth weights ranged between 1100-4115 g mean was 2795.1 +/- 820.39 g. Twenty-four were delivered by normal vaginal delivery, 3 by caesarian section and one by ventouse extraction. Eighteen cases were diagnosed as neonatal sepsis within the first week of life and 10 cases beyond the first week of life. Fifteen cases had risk factors predisposing to sepsis. Thirteen healthy normal neonates, age and sex matched were also included in this study, serving as control group. They were selected from neonates of normal deliveries accompanying their mothers during their follow up visits to maternity Hospital of Ain Shams University. They were 5 males and 8 females. Their ages ranged between 2-24 ways, mean 6.62 +/- 6.02 days at sampling time. Their gestational ages ranged between 37-40 weeks, mean was 39.2 +/- 12 weeks. Their birth weights ranged between 2600 - 4100 g, mean was 3338.5 +/- 524.1 g. Cases and control were subjected to medical history, clinical examination, complete blood count, quantitative C-reactive protein, blood culture and sensitivity test, estimation of serum ICAM-1 level by ELISA. As regards the group of cases, the clinical manifestations were, in descending order of frequency, lethargy, sluggish Moro's reflex, poor suckling, hypothermia, bleeding tendency, tachypnea, organomegaly, abdominal distension and fits. Haemoglobin% and RBCs count of cases were not significantly different from control [P>0.05]. Total leucocytic count of cases was highly significantly higher than control [P>0.01], 71,43% of cases had neutrophilia, 3.57% were neutropenic and 25% of cases had normal absolute neutrophil count, 85.71% of cases had bandaemia and 89.29% of cases were thrombocytopenic. Serum ICAM-1 was highly significantly higher in cases than control group, i.e., mean was 959.36 +/- 415.19 and 381.54 +/- 173.05 ng/ml respectively and P<0.001. It was significantly positively correlated with total leucocytic count among patient's group [r = 0.5655 and P<0.05]. Mean serum ICAM-1 of fullterms was 900.71 +/- 408.26 ng/ml, while for preterms, it was 1018.00 +/- 428.97, P>0.05 [non-significant]. As regards comparison to control, p was <0.001 for fullterms and p was <0.001 for preterms [both are highly significant]. Mean serum C-reactive protein [CRP] of cases was 39.86 +/- 49.45 mg/l and mean serum CRP of control was below 6 mg/l [P<0.01]. The serum CRP was not correlated with serum ICAM-1. The blood culture was positive in all cases, 14 klebsiella, 5 beta- Streptococci, 3 Staph aureus, 3 E. coli, 2 Staph. epidermidis and one Pseudomonas. No correlation was found between serum ICAM-1 and type of organism. Serum ICAM-1 is a very useful tool in diagnosis of neonatal sepsis in fullterms and preterms

study of fibronectin in malnourished children

Three groups were studied herein. The first group comprised 22 malnourished infants. The second group comprised 10 infants selected from the first group and followed up after treatment. The third group comprised 12 healthy infants as control. After taking a full clinical history and doing a thorough clinical examination, cases and control were subjected to the following investigations: Complete blood picture, serum albumin, the estimation of plasma fibronectin level by single radial immuno-diffusion, which was repeated twice for the second group, then statistical analysis of the data obtained. Plasma fibronectin showed a marked decrease in cases of malnutrition, which was reversed by treatment of malnutrition. The plasma fibronectin showed a positive correlation with serum albumin which also showed a marked decrease in cases of malnutrition. The lowering of plasma fibronectin in cases of malnutrition showed a statistically significant difference from that of the control, while the rise after treatment showed an insignificant difference from the control i.e. it reached to the normal level

study of the coagulopathy of nephrotic syndrome and its relation to quantitative estimation of protein C

Ten children were having nephrotic syndrome during relapse, ten were during remission and the other twenty were normal children, age and sex matched as control. After good history taking and thorough clinical examination, complete urine examination was done, serum albumin, serum cholesterol, ESR, partial thrombo plastin time [PTT], and protein C antigen level in plasma. None of the children had any evidence of thrombo-embolic manifestations on clinical grounds. There was a significant rise of PC% in nephrotic children during relapse than in the remission group and the control. No significant difference was present between the nephrotic group in remission and the control group. A negative correlation was shown between serum albumin and protein C level, while there was a positive correlation between serum cholesterol and protein C level.As regards PTT there was a significant decrease in group A as compared to both group B and C although group A cases were showing no thromboembolic manifestation, yet still they have got the tendency to thrombosis