Pulmonary ventilatory functions and obesity in Kuwait

To study the relationship between obesity and pulmonary ventilatory functions in Kuwaiti adults. A total of 200 male and 180 female Kuwaiti adults aged 20-65 years were investigated in six medical centers from April 2004 to March 2006. Parameters measured included forced expiratory volume in 1 s[FEV[1]], forced vital capacity [FVC], FEV[1] as a percentage of FVC [FEV%]; body mass index [BMI in kg/m[2]] and waist-to-hip ratio [W/H]. For the whole group, males or females, BMI [kg.m[2]] and W/H were poor individual predictors of pulmonary ventilatory functions. However, central adiposity [W/H] was associated with restrictive respiratory impairment [10.6-13.9% decrease in FEV[1] And 10-12.3% decrease in FVC], independent of sex, age or height. In obese females and males [BMI >30], increasing severity of obesity was significantly associated [p < 0.05, R[2] >0.06] associated with increasing restrictive respiratory impairment [8.7-14.4% decrease in FEN[1] And 8-11.7% decrease in FVC], with no evidence of obstructive disease [FEV[1]/FVC >0.8]. In adult Kuwaiti males and females, increase in body fat at BMI >30 or W/H >1 was associated with a restrictive effect on pulmonary ventilation

Role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy in adult male albino rats

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of TNF- alpha on liver regeneration after seventy percent partial hepatectomy of male rats. Rats were divided into three groups: control, untreated partially hepatectomised group and Pentoxifylline [a drug which blocks TNF-alpha] treated hepatectomised group. Each group had thirteen rats. Rats were killed on the 1[st], 3[rd], 5[th] and 7[th] days posthepatectomy. The removed part of the liver was weighed to detect the increase of the total liver weight on the previous days. A sample of the liver was taken for histological and immunohistochemical studies. The weight of liver in the untreated group showed gradual increase up to more than ninety nine per cent of the original liver weight on the7[th] day posthepatectomy. In the treated group, it reached only fifty five per cent of the original liver weight on the 7[th] day posthepatectomy. Mitotic activity in the untreated group was sharply increased on the 1[st] day then gradually decreased and disappeared on the 7[th] day. Treated group showed a decreasing in mitotic activity from the1[st] day and disappearing on the 3[rd] day. Immunohistochemical studies in untreated group showed intense cytoplasmic overexpression for TNF- alpha on the 1[st] and the 3[rd] days, moderate overexpression on the 5[th] day and mild overexpression on the 7[th] day. Treated group showed mild overexpression on the 1[st] day and no expression on other day posthepatectomy. The study demonstrated that TNF- alpha promoted the regenerative changes that occur in the liver after partial hepatectomy