study of the anti-inflammatory activity of Nigella sativa L. and thymoquinone in rats

The anti-inflammatory activity of the volatile oil [v.o.] of Nigella sativa L. seeds and its active principle thymoquinone has been examined using carrageenan-induced oedema in rat hind paws and cotton seed pellet granuloma in rats. Both the v.o. and thymoquinone were found to produce a significant dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effect as evidenced by the significant inhibition of oedema formation and reduction of the granuloma weight. The v.o. [0.66 ml and 1.55 ml/Kg, Lp.] inhibited rat hind paw oedema formation by 64.12% and 96.26%, while thymoquinone [0.5, 1.0, 5 mg/Kg, Lp.] caused a reduction of38.85%, 56.63% and 104.88%, respectively. Indomethacin [3 and 9 mg/Kg, Lp.] inhibited the oedema by 46.90% and 67.83%, respectively. In addition, the v.o. [0.33 ml and 0.66 ml/Kg, Lp.] inhibited granuloma formation by 17.64% and 46.86%, while thymoquinone [3 and 5 mg/Kg, i.p.] reduced granuloma weight by 13.04% and 48.09%. These effects were nearly comparable to indomethacin [3 mg/Kg, i.p.] which reduced granuloma weight by 34.37%. It was suggested that the anti-inflammatory activity of the v.o. of Nigella sativa seeds may be due to inhibiting the generation of eicosanoids and lipid peroxidation

Management of traumatic liver injuries

In this series 90 patients with liver injury with variable severity were studied; 50 retrospectively [1985-1990] were reviewed and 40 prospectively [1990-1995] were reviewed and 40 prospectively [1991-1995] were managed according to special protocol. Surgical intervention was performed in unstable patients and nonoperative treatment was used for those who were hemodynamically stable on admission. Increasing experience resulted in fewer indications for resection in the prospective group and the nonoperative management rate was 37%. The overall mortality rate was 13% [16% in the retrospective and 10% in the prospective group]

Chronic cholecystitis subjected to cholecystectomy in chronic salmonellosis

In this study the presence of Salmonilla faecal carriers in 30 cases of chronic cholecystitis, 25 chronic calcular and 5 chronic non calcular, subjected to cholecystectomy, was evaluated. All the patients had history suggestive of having typhoid before the operation which was confirmed by repeated stool examination. Stool cultures as well as bile and gall bladder tissue cultures gave negative results for salmonilla isolation. This may be due to the fact that faecal carrier state is much less common than the chronic urinary carriers of salmonilla. Another factor is that chronic cholecystitis is more common than chronic salmonilla faecal carriers