The Prevalence of Neurological Complications among Adult Sudanese Diabetic Patients

"The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of neurological complications among adult Sudanese diabetic patients attending the outpatient clinics of El Shaab Teaching Hospital in Khartoum. Methods: This is a descriptive cross sectional hospital based study; it was conducted at El Shaab Teaching Hospital; Khartoum; Sudan during the period from ebruary !!"" to #ctober !!$.esultset '!! diabe(c pa(ents were included in the study; $ were male and )* females. +ore than *;- were above the age of ); years and ;$- were in the age group );- $"". The pa(ents were from di/erent tribes and di/erent states. Sixty percent of the patients were from the northern Sudanese states while the rest of patients were from eastern and western states. Seventy seven percent of the patients had type diabetes mellitus and 7*.""- of them had diabetes for more than one year. Hypertension was found in *- of our pa(ents. The study revealed that $!- of the diabe(c pa(ents have neurological manifesta(ons. The main neurological complication found was peripheral sensory-motor neuropathy. Conclusion: There is significant positive correlation between age; duration of diabetes; glycaemic control and occurrence of the neurological complications."

Production of 11alpha-hydroxyprogesterone using Aspergillus terreus immobilized on polytetrafluoroethylene

In attempt to immobilize the mycelial fungi on a new hydrophobic matrix, Aspergillus terreus mycelia were immobilized into polytetrafluoroethylen (PTFE) and used for selected conversion of progesterone to 11alpha-hydroxyprogesterone. The immobilized cells exhibited higher yields than the free cells. Different parameters that can affect the cell activity were measured. The optimum pH was 6 and the optimum temperature was 30°C. Higher transformation activities were achieved with matrix contained 40 percent PTFE. No considerable loss in yield was observed with storage of the cells at 4°C for 30 days. Utilization of the immobilized cells in repeated batch processes indicated that the cells retained about 84 percent of their activity after reuse for eight successive cycles.

Com o objetivo de imobilizar o micélio fúngico em uma nova matriz hidrofóbica, o micélio de Aspergillus terreus foi imobilizado em politetrafluoretileno (PTFE) e usado para a conversão de progesterona em 11alfa-hidroxiprogesterona. As células imobilizadas apresentaram rendimento melhor que as células livres. Diferentes parâmetros que afetavam a atividade celular foram avaliados. O pH ótimo foi 6 e a temperatura ótima foi 30°C. Verificou-se que a atividade de transformação era mais elevada quando a matriz continha 40 por cento de PTFT. Não houve perda significativa de atividade após o armazenamento das células a 4°C por 30 dias. Utilizando-se as células imobilizadas em partidas repetidas, verificou-se que mantinham cerca de 84 por cento da atividade após oito ciclos sucessivos.

Antischistosomal efficacy study on praziquantel, its alkaline hydrolysis and the sun-decomposed products

Praziquantel [PZQ] administered in a dose of 40 mg /kg body weight to S. mansoni infected albino mice, was not active enough to cause a significant reduction in the mean worm recovery 16.6%. The reduction caused by the alkaline hydrolysis product, [PZQ-HP] 28.6%, and the sun decomposed product, [PZQ-SDP] 47.6% of PZQ suggested higher antischistosomal activity of these two products compared to PZQ. There were no significant differences in liver and intestine tissue egg count carried on the infected-treated groups, and the infected-untreated group. The granulomas observed in the livers of the experimentally S. mansoni infected-untreated mice were mainly cellular existing within the portal tract and subcapsular parenchyma. Schistosome pigments were observed in the Kuffer cell with thickening of the portal tract. The vascular lesions comprised granulomatous occlusions, periphelebitis, perivascular cuffing of the central vein and sinusoidal dilatation. The hepatic histopathological changes observed in the PZQ, and the PZQ-HP-treated groups were similar. characterized by the scattering of the granulomas in the portal tract and intralobular parenchyma. The vascular lesions in these groups [PZQ and [PZQ-HP]] comprised periphelebitis of some portal radicles, granulomatous occlusions and rarely the perivascular cuffing of the central vein. These results indicated comparable efficacy of the two compounds. The granulomas of the PZQ-SDP treated group were found distributed between the portal radicles and parenchyma in equal manner with central egg and/or shell or necrosis. Schistosome pigments were less intense than in the infected-untreated mice with infrequent leucocytic foci, perivascular cuffing of the central vein and periphlebitis of the portal vein. The number of granulomas in the SP-treated group was less than in the infected-untreated mice with greater size whereas that of PZQ- and PZQ-HP-treated groups were comparable in number and size but significantly different in number [p= 0.01] in comparison with the infected-untreated mice. These variations were interpreted and justified. Despite of the death of half the group treated with PZQ-SDP compound within the first and second week post treatment; there were no signs of hepatotoxic effects as revealed by the histopathological study conducted at our laboratories