Patterns of pituitary adenoma among adult Sudanese patients

The objective of this study is to determine the clinical presentation and hormonal secretions of patients with pituitary adenomas. This is a descriptive, prospective study on 53 adult Sudanese patients with pituitary adenoma. Only adults [16 years or more] were included. The study was conducted in Al-Shaab Teaching Hospital in the period from January 2001 to February 2007. Twenty eight [52.8%] patients were females and 25 [47.2%] were males. Their ages ranged between 16 -80 years [mean 40.8 +/- 15.6 years]. Twenty seven [50.9%] patients had functioning pituitary adenomas [FPA] and 26 [49.1%] patients had nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas [NFPA]. Hormonal secretion of the adenomas was found to be prolactin in 16 patients [14 females and 2 males], growth hormone in 8 patients [3 females and 5 males], ACTH in 2 patients [one female and one male] and TSH in one female. Macroadenoma was found in 44 patients [83%], while microadenoma was found in 9 patients. All non functioning adenomas were found to be macroadenomas, while functioning adenomas were found in 18 patients with macroadenoma and in 9 patients with microadenoma. In our series all NFPAS were macroadenomas. They were usually discovered late after assuming mass effect or incidentally on imaging for other reasons. Patients with functioning adenomas tend to present earlier with hormonal dysfunction and hence are diagnosed earlier before the tumors assume big sizes. Prolactin secreting tumors are the commonest among functioning pituitary adenomas and tend to predominate in females

Prolactin-producing adenoma. clinical presentation in adult Sudanese patients

To describe the clinical features of prolactin-producing pituitary adenoma [prolactinoma] in adult patients. In a prospective hospital-based study, adult patients with prolactinoma presenting to the National Center for Neurological diseases and the National Center for cancer in Khartoum, Sudan were enrolled in the period from January 2001 to February 2005. The diagnosis was based on finding a pituitary adenoma on cranial MRI and an associated elevated blood prolactin level above 200 micro g/L. The size of the adenoma was classified as either microadenoma [<10 mm without sellar enlargement or extrasellar extension] or macroadenoma [>/= 10 mm]. The hormone profile done on each patient included blood level of prolactin and other pituitary trophic hormones, free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine hormones. Sixteen [14 females and 2 males] were identified as having a prolactinoma. The female to male ratio was 7:1. Their mean age was 24 +/- 5.1 years. The prolactinoma was inacroadenoma in 9 cases and microademoma in 7. Galactorrhea, amenorrhea and infertility [primary or secondary] were the commonest presenting symptom followed by headache. Affection of the visual pathway, either as bitemporal hemianopia [41.2%] or optic atrophy [11.8%], was the major neurological deficit. The mean prolactin level in macroadenoma was 2053 +/- 442.6 micro g/L and in microadenoma was 853.6 +/- 77.8 micro g/L. Our prolactinoma patients, when reaching the appropriate medical attention, are more likely having an expanded macroadeoma that is compromising the visual pathway. Early recognition and referral to specialized clinics is necessary and that should have a favorable prognostic implication

Design and evaluation of prednisolone acetate eye drops with prolonged effect

The potentiality of interaction of prednisolone acetate with six cyclodextrins [CyDs], namely alph-, beta-, gamma-, dimethyl-beta-CyD [DM-beta-CyD], trimethyl-beta-CyD [TM-beta-CyD] and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin [HP-beta-CyD] was monitored by spectrophotometric measurements. The results revealed formation of equimolar complexes in these systems. The apparent solubility of prednisolone acetate in water was found to increase linearly with increasing CyD concentration or CyD combined with 0.25% polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP] or hydroxyethylcellulose [HEC]. The partition coefficient of prednisolone acetate and its complexes between n-octanol and phosphate buffer of pH 6.7 was determined. The effect of CyDs on the permeation of prednisolone acetate through semi-permeable membrane was also investigated. The results revealed that all investigated CyDs increase the permeation of prednisolone acetate. The effect of CyDs or CyDs combined with 0.25% PVP or HEC on the bioavailability of prednisolone acetate eye drops was assessed by measuring the intraocular pressure [IOP] in rabbits. The results indicated the possibility of utilizing a formula containing beta-CyD together with 0.25% PVP or HEC for preparing prednisolone acetate eye drops characterized by an increased biological availability of the drug as well as a marked prolongation of its effect extending up to a period of 18 hr

Compartive responses to salinity in wheat genotypes differing in salt tolerance 1-seeding growth and mineral relations

Caryopses of 2 Triticum estivum genotypes, differing in salt tolerance were grown hydroponically under natural environmental conditions [in the laboratory] with and without different concentrations of NaCl added to the growth medium. The effect of increasing NaCl levels on vegetative growth and mineral composition of shoot and root of the 2 cultivars has been studied. In general, 50 mM NaCl had no effect on the growth of shoot and root of both cultivars. NaCl at 100 mM significantly reduced fresh mass, dry mass and relative growth rate of shoot and root of Sakha 8 but only affected those of Giza 162 shoot, reduction was greater in Sakha 8. Salt treatment increased root/shoot, ratio in Giza 162 whereas it had no significant effect in Sakha 8. Shoot fresh mass/dry mass ratio was only decreased by high salt level in both cultivars. Increased salinity in the root medium significantly increased Na and Cl and decreased K levels in both shoot and root of Sakha 8 and Giza 162. At 100 mM NaCl, Sakha 8 shoot had greater Na concentration than that of Giza 162

Comparative responses to salinity in wheat genotypes differing in salt tolerance 2-cell permeability, osmotic potential and cytoplasmic viscosity

Caryopses of two Triticum estivum genotypes, differing in salt tolerance [Sakha 8, tolerant, Giza 162, sensitive], were hydroponically grown under natural environmental conditions [in the laboratory] in presence and absence of different concentrations of NaCl added to the growth medium. NaCl stress increased nonelectrolyte permeability of leaf sheath subepidermal cells in Giza 162 [sensitive], whereas no such effect of salt was found in Sakha 8 [tolerant]. Psi s of leaf sheath subepidermal cells of both cultivars was decreased with rising NaCl concentration in the external solution. At 100 mM NaCl, the decrease in psi s in Giza 162 was greater than that found in Sakha 8. Cytoplasmic viscosity of Giza 162 was decreased by NaCl addition to the growth solution, although viscosity was higher in Giza 162 than in Sakha 8 under control condition [O mM NaCl]. Cytoplasmic viscosity in Sakha 8, however, did not change by salt stress. The results confirmed and extended earlier data that cytoplasmic characteristics are different in wheat salt sensitive and tolerant genotypes, they may correlate with salt tolerance

Amelioration of salinity effect in salt sensitive wheat by choline chloride presoaking of caryopses

Caryopses of salt sensitive wheat cultivar were presoaked in 5 mM choline chloride and then subjected for 100 mM NaCl added to the 1/4-strength Hoagland solution for 21 days. The effect of salt stress in the presence and absence of choline was studied on the vegetative growth, mineral contents of shoot and root and cell permeability of leaf sheath subepidermal cells and root cortex cells. Choline presoaking of wheat caryopses alleviated the NaCl-induced growth reduction of shoot and root comparing with those received only salt treatment. Also, choline decreased cell permeability of shoot and root cells. NaCl stress increased root and shoot Na and Cl, and decreased K and Ca levels, whereas choline treatment decreased Na and Cl and increased K levels in relation to those that did not receive choline treatment. The results were discussed in terms of how choline induced salt tolerance in sensitive wheat cultivar under salt stress