Effect of acute antioxidant overdose on blood hemostasis: experimental study

The current study was carried out to investigate the effects of the excessive use of large doses of the most widely used antioxidants, d-alpha-tocopherol [vitamin E], retinol acetate [vitamin A], and l-ascorbic acid [vitamin C], on the blood hemostasis. 140 albino rats were divided into 4 experimental groups of 40 animals each as follows: Group I: A control group [negative and positive]; Group II: Each animal of this group received a daily oral dose of 24 mg of d-alpha-tocopherol; Group III: Each animal of this group received a daily oral dose of 1mg of Trans-retinol acetate, and; Group IV: Each animal of this group received a daily oral dose of 20 mg of l-ascorbic acid. The results of the current study have revealed that both d-alpha-tocopherol and retinol acetate produced a significant prolongation of prothrombin time [PT] and activated partial thromboplastine time [PTT] with a significant reduction of factor X activity. On the contrary, l-ascorbic acid produced no significant effect on these parameters. Histopathological examination of liver, kidney, and brain specimens of the different treated animal groups revealed the presence of significant hemorrhages in most samples of both d-alpha-tocopherol- and retinol acetate-treated animals, while the specimens of l-ascorbic acid-treated animals showed no hemorrhage in nearly all samples. These histopathological changes were confirmatory to the biochemical ones. It could be concluded that the excessive use of large doses both d-alpha-tocopherol and retinol acetate alters the blood hemostasis with increased bleeding tendencies, while l-ascorbic acid doesn't. In fact, l-ascorbic acid could be considered a safe drug even in excessive doses for long periods

Activated protein-C resistance [APC] as a risk factor for thrombosis in cerebral and myocardial infarction

Activated protein-C. [APC] resistance is referred to poor anticoagulant response to activated protein C. It is a strong risk factor for the genesis of venous thrombosis. To evaluate its role in the pathogens is of arterial thrombosis, APC sensitivity ratio [APC-SR] was estimated in 40 healthy control subjects without history of thrombosis, and in 40 subjects with arterial thrombosis before the age of 45 years. [20 subjects with myocardial infarction and 20 with cerebral infarction]. In addition, protein C, protein S, antithrombin III activity, thrombomodulin [TM], prothrombin time [PT] and partial thromboplastin time [PTT] were also measured.The study revealed that the lower limit of normal APC-SR was 1.8, below which we found 15 positive cases for APC resistance among our patients [9 cases with myocardrial infarction and 6 cases with cerebral infarction] and non in control subjects. A statistically significant decrease in APC-SR [P < 0.01] was found in all patients with arterial thrombosis [2.18 +/- 0.22] as compared to control group [2.84 +/- 0.52] and in APC positive patients [1.69 +/- 0.44] as compared to each of APC negative patients [2.67 +/- 0.62], all patients with thrombosis [2.18 +/- 0.22] and control group [2.82 +/- 0.52]. There was no significant difference in APC-SR between APC positive stroke and APC positive myocardial infarction. PTT was significantly decreased in APC positive patients as compared to control and APC negative subjects [P <0.01]. Other parameters of study did not show any siginificant difference between different groups and subgroups of study. Significant positive correlation was found between APC-SR and PTT in all patients of this study [r = 0.408, P < 0.05].Smoking was found to increase the relative risk of thrombosis among APC positive cases by about 2 folds, while hypertension increases this relative risk by 3 folds than normotensive APC positive cases. We can conclude that APC resistance may be a strong risk factor for premature arterial thrombosis [before 45 years] and the risk of thrombosis among APC positive cases increases with smoking and hypertension

Effect acute administration of fish oil [omega-3 fatty acids] on aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in rats

Fish oils are eicosapentenoic acid [EPA]-rich oils. In the present study, fish oils were investigated for their possible ability to protect the gastric mucosa against the well known aspirin- induced gastric ulceration. The results showed that fish oil [95% EPA] at a dose of 1 or 2 ml/kg body weight provided a significant protection in such conditions. These findings showed that fish oils, rich in eicosapentenoic acid [EPA], have a significant antiulcerogenic effect

Effect of synanthic and ivomec on trichinella spiralis with reference to their serological evaluation

Three groups, each of 10 rats, were experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis larvae [250/rat]. On the 5th week post-infection animals of two groups were treated with a single dose of synanthic [oxfendazole] and ivomec MK-933 at a dose of 5 mg and 0.2 mg/kg b.w., respectively. Efficacy rate of the former was 84.2% and for the later was 72.5% depending on the number of living larvae in the diaphragm. Anti Trichinella spiralis hemagglutinative antibodies were monitored before and after treatment. They were markedly declined two weeks after treatment. This makes passive hemagglutination test a feasible test to evaluate the drug efficacies either in laboratory or field studies

field evaluation of Stronglinject L against gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants

One hundred and seven ruminant animals were found to harbour trichostrongy1, ascarid and trichurid nematodes. They were I/M injected with Stronglinject L [Levamisole hydrochloride, virbac] at a dose of 1 ml/10kg B.W. The drug caused a markedly significant drop in the mean feacal egg count particularly that of trichostronglyl worms. The efficacy rates were 85-100% against Haemonchus sp., Bunostomum sp., Cooperia sp., Nematodirus sp. and Trichostrongylus sp. while stronglinject L proved to be highly effective against toxocara vitulorum in buffalo calves [91.7%] it was ineffective against Trichuris sp., in sheep or camels where the efficacy rates were 13.7% and 15.7% respectively. The drug was non ovicidal and there was no any untoward effect on the treated animals but unexpected improvement in the health conditions has been noticed