Therapeutic effect of captopril, pentoxifylline, and cordyceps sinensis in pre-hepatic portal hypertensive rats

Portal hypertension is an important and potentially fatal complication of liver disease whereby cellular and fibrotic alterations manifest to increase portal venous pressure. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of captopril, pentoxifylline [PTX], and cordyceps sinensis in pre-hepatic portal hypertensive rats. Wister male rats were divided at random into 3 main groups: the first group: control rats. The second group: sham-operated rats and the third group: prehepatic portal hypertensive rats [PHPHT] induced by regulated pre-hepatic portal vein ligation. After 14 days, Group 3 was subdivided into 5 subgroups. Subgroup [1]: portal vein-ligated [PVL] was killed at once; Subgroup [2]: received distilled water for 30 days [untreated PVL group]; subgroups 3-5 were treated with captopril [60 mg/kg, orally]; PTX [100 mg/kg, orally]; and C. sinensis [200 mg/kg, orally], respectively, as a single daily dose for 30 days. Portal pressure, nitric oxide [NO], antioxidant enzymes, Liver enzymes, and creatinine levels were measured to evaluate the status of the liver state. Portal vein ligation produced significant increments in liver enzymes, NO, creatinine and portal pressure concomitant with significant decrements in glutathione content and superoxide dismutase activity. Treatment with captopril, PTX, and C. sinensis resulted in a significant reduction in liver enzymes, NO, creatinine and portal pressure and observable increase in antioxidant enzymes. Captopril, PTX, and C. sinensis have promising effect in controlling PHPHT and reducing hyperdynamic circulatory state through reduction of portal pressure and NO level

Role of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha in wheezy infants

To identify the role of macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha [MIP-lalpha], a member of CC-chemokine subfamily, in the pathogenesis of bronchial hyper-reactivity, peri-bronchial cell infiltration and airway obstruction in bronchial asthma and acute viral bronchiolitis and to correlate its level with the severity of the disease process. 15 asthmatic children and 15 children with acute viral bronchiolitis compared to 15 normal children with matched age and sex. Measurement of plasma MIP-lalpha level by ELISA and Quantitative estimation of total serum IgE by I MX Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay. The mean plasma MIP-l alpha was significantly higher in asthmatic and acute bronchiolitis cases [93.4 +/- 46.3 pg/mL and 80.7 +/- 34.49 pg/mL, respectively] than in the controls [15.71 +/- 3.3 pg/mL], p value < 0.01. Mean while, MIP-lalpha level showed significant elevation with advanced severity of asthma where it was 64.0 +/- 20.07 pg/mL, 90.86 +/- 30.35 pg/mL and 157.33 +/- 54.55 pg/mL in the intermittent, mild persistent and moderate persistent subgroups. In addition, when the sample member was classified according to the seventy of the attack, MIP-la level was significantly higher in the severe attack [132.7 +/- 48.5 4 pg/mL] than in moderate [72.14 +/- 18.55 pg/mL] and mild attacks [50.0 +/- 4.24 pg/mL], p value < 0.01.In cases of acute bronchiolitis, the mean plasma MIP-lalpha showed positive correlation with the grade of respiratory distress where it was 49.0 +/- 5.70 pg/mL, 83.67 +/- 4.80 pg/mL and 116.0 +/- 46.01 pg/mL in mild, moderate and severe cases, respectively, p value < 0.01. Mean plasma IgE level in asthmatics [195.24 +/- 191.53 IU/mL] was also significantly elevated compared to the controls [12.20 +/- 10.56 IU/mL]. Within the asthmatic group, the mean plasma IgE level correlates positively with the degree of severity of the asthmatic attack. Plasma MIP-lalpha participates in creation of bronchial hyper-reactivity, airway inflammation and obstruction in wheezy infants during asthmatic and acute bronchiolitis attacks. Inhibition of such chemokine effects might be beneficial for designing new therapeutic strategies directed at immunomodulation of bronchial asthma and respiratory syncytial viral bronchiolitis

Sero-prevalence of helicobacter pylori infection in congenital heart disease patient and asthmatics versus normal infants and young children

This study was conducted on 112 children with congenital heart diseases [CHD] [53 cyanotic and 59 acyanotic] attending Cairo University Children's Hospital [CUCH], cardiology outpatient clinic. They were taken over a period of 8 months. Fifty-nine asthmatics were also included, they were recruited from the chest clinic [CUCH,] during the same period. One hundred normal controls were taken from the well-baby clinic Al-Azhar University. All infants and children studied were 6 to 36 months of age. The aim of the study was to estimate the sero-prevalence of Helicobacter pylon in children with CHD and comparing them to another group of sick children like asthmatics then versus normal controls. 28.2% of the whole number of children studied [171] were sero-positive. The 100 normal controls showed 18% sero-positiveness for Helicobacter pylari. 32.1% of the cyanotic group were sero-positive compared to 18.6%of the acyanotics. Asthmatics scored 35.6%. There was a highly positive correlation between age and Helicobacter pylon infection. We concluded that Helicobacter pylon infection showed high prevalence in chronically ill children. It has to be considered as a risk for development of ulcer disease in CHD especially that these children may eventually undergo surgery, which is another risk factor for peptic ulcers. Those children may also need anticoagulation in the post-operanve period