Effect of swimming exercise on lipid peroxidation, leptin-insulin axis and brain Na+-K+-ATPase enzymatic activity in rats

Several authors suggest that the leptin-insulin axis functions as the afferent limb of a negative feed-back loop that provides sensory input to the hypothalamus about energy balance and body weight. Aim: The objective of this work was to study the effect of acute swimming exercise versus chronic swimming exercise program on blood glucose, adiposity and insulin resistance indices, and lipid peroxides levels as an important effect of exercise is the production of lipid peroxides which can modulate insulin and leptin action. Also, brain sodium-potassium-adenosine triphosphatase [Na[+]-K[+]-ATPase] was determined as it is an important modulator of leptin and insulin action in the hypothalamus. 36 adult rats were used in this study divided into 3 groups, each of 12 rats. Group I is the control sedentary group, group II acute swimming rats and group III chronic swimming rats. Mean serum glucose, insulin and leptin levels, insulin resistance and adiposity indices were significantly decreased while serum lipid peroxides was significantly elevated in group Ill compared to both groups I and II. Brain Na[+]-K[+]-ATPase enzymatic activity was significantly decreased in both groups II and III. Insulin was positively correlated with insulin resistance index in both groups [I and II] and leptin in group III. chronic swimming exercise training exerted beneficial effects by reducing body fat index, blood glucose and leptin, improving insulin sensitivity, brain Na[+]-K[+]-ATPase enzymatic activity and hence cognitive function. On the other hand, short strenuous exercise increased serum lipid peroxides [MDA], Serum glucose, thereby inducing oxidative stress

Role of soluble e and p-selectinsadhesion molecules as markers ofendothelial cell activationin systemic sclerosis

Objective:The aim of this study is to determine the serum levels of soluble E-selectin [sE] and P-selectin adhesion molecules [sE and sP-selectin] as markers of endothelial cell activation in patients with system-ic sclerosis [SSc] and to determine their relationship to clinical featuresand laboratory parameters of this disease

Methodology: Serum levels of sE and sP-selectins were measured us-ing an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] in 15 patients withSSc and 15 matched healthy subjects as a control group. All patientswere subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination andlaboratory investigations with stress on disorders of the gastrointestinal,pulmonary, renal and cardiac systems. Skin thickness was evaluated according to the modified Rodnan score

Results:There were highly significant elevation in the serum levels ofsE and sP-selectins in SSc patients in comparison with the control group[P<0.001]. Also sE and sP-selectins were significantly higher in SSc patients with Raynaud's, esophageal dysmotility or pulmonary fibrosis ascompared to SSc patients without Raynaud's, esophageal dysmotility orpulmonary fibrosis [P<0.05]. Serum levels of sE and sP-selectins werefound to be higher in patients with diffuse SSc in comparison to limitedSSc [P<0.05]. There were significant positive correlations of serum levelsof sE and sP with the skin score and with serum creatinin level [P<0.05]while there were no significant correlations with age, antibodies anddisease duration [P>0.05]

Conclusion: Soluble E and P-selectins through endothelial cell activation may have a pathogenic role in SSc disease and may help in evalu-ation of progression and remission of the disease. These markers mayalso represent a promising serological parameter for theraputical consid-erations and decisions. Further more, the use of selectin antagonists maybe a strategy for reaching clinical improvement and remission

Study of antioxidants defense system, lipid pattern and left ventricular geometry in hypertensive patients

Free radical activity oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of human diseases. In an attempt to define the role of oxidative stress, dyslipidemia and geometric changes in hypertensive patients [HT], we studied 44 patients, 20 [45.5%] Essential hypertensive [EH], 14 [31.8%] diabetic hypertensive [DH] and 10[22.7%] renal hypertensive [RH]. They were assessed by measurement of some free radicals and antioxidants, serum lipids and echocardiography, the data was compared with 10 age and sex matched normal subjects. There was a significant decrease in important natural antioxidant vitamins C, E, A and reduced glutathione [RG] and a significant increase in lipid peroxide level [LPO] in all groups of hypertensive patients as compared to control. The mean value of cholesterol [C] concentrations in all the hypertensive patients was significantly higher than in controls [P<0.001] Triglycerides [TG] were significantly higher in diabetic hypertensive patients in comparison to controls [P<0.001], HDL-C mean values were reduced significantly in [EH], [RH] groups. LDL-C mean values in all groups of hypertensive were significantly increased [P<0.01]. 38.6% of our patients had concentric left ventricular hypertrophy [CLVH], 13.6% had eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy [ELVH], 13.6% had concentric remodeling [CR] and 34% had normal geometry. We conclude that oxidative stress was observed in all groups of hypertensive patients and we recommend the use of antioxidants as an adjunct to antihypertensive therapy

Participation and hours of work of married females in Egypt

This paper explained differences in the labour force behavior of females. This study also provided some information of the importance of fertility decisions on the participation decision. Joint determination models of fertility and participation were examined, applying two models to date from the 1980 Egyptian fertility survey. These studies gave a greater underst and ing of fertility decisions of Egyptian females

Serum human placental lactogen [hpl] in normal, toxaemic and diabetic pregnant women, during pregnancy and its relation to the outcome of pregnancy

Human placental lactogen [HPL] levels in serum were measured by radial immunodiffusion plates and immunoelectrophoresis in twenty normal, nineteen toxaemic and fourteen diabetic pregnant women, followed up during the first trimester [10-12 w.], the second trimester [20-22 w.], the 28th week, the 32nd week, the 36th week and two weeks after delivery. Serum human placental lactogen concentration showed progressive increase with the advance of pregnancy in all groups. It was not detected when measured two weeks after delivery in normal, toxaemic and diabetic pregnant women. Comparing the mean serum concentration in toxaernic pregnant patients with that in the normal group, the toxaemic group had lower mean serum hpl concentration throughout the period of pregnancy. On the other hand, diabetic pregnant women showed higher serum hpl concentration than normal pregnant women throughout the period of pregnancy. There was a positive correlation between infant weight, infant length and serum hpl levels at the 28th, 32nd weeks of gestation. Our results indicate that serial determination of serum hpl may he a valuable complement to other diagnostic aids in the supervisior of pregnancies, complicated by pre-eclampsia or diabetes