Selenium administration improves lipid profiles and hemodynamic parameters in immobilized rats

Immobilization stress is thought to increase pro-oxidants that may contribute to the development of lipid peroxidation, atherosclerosis and hypertension. Thus, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of oral administration of selenium [Se] on fasting serum lipids [triglycerides; TG, total cholesterol; TC, low-density lipoproteins; LDL, and Highdensity lipoproteins; HDL] and some hemodynamic [systolic blood pressure; SBP and vascular reactivity of aortic strips to norepinephrine; VRNE] and blood parameters [serum sodium; Na [+] and potassium; K [+]] in rats exposed to immobilization stress. Forty adult male albino rats were used in this study and divided into 5 equal groups [n = 8]; Normal nontreated group [NNT] served as control and given daily distilled water orally for 3 weeks [wks]; Normal Se-treated group [NST] given distilled water for 1 wk, then oral sodium selenite [Se; 1.5 mg/kg] daily for another 2 wks; Immobilized non-treated group [INT] given distilled water for 3 wks, and concomitantly immobilized [6 hs/d for 1 wk] during wk 2; Immobilized Se pre- and concomitant-treated group [ISPC] given Se for 2 wks and concomitantly immobilized during wk 2, then given daily distilled water during wk 3; Immobilized Se concomitant- and post-treated group [ISCP] daily given distilled water for 1 wk, then Se during the last 2 wks with concomitant immobilization during wk 2. INT group showed significant increase of TG, TC, LDL, SBP, VRNE, and Na [+] levels, but significant decrease of HDL and K [+] levels when compared to the corresponding parameters in NNT group. Se supplementation to normal rats did not change significantly any of the tested parameters. On the other hand, ISPC rats revealed significant lower levels of TG, TC, LDL, SBP, VRNE, and Na[+], but significant higher levels of HDL and K[+] when compared to the corresponding parameters in INT group. Moreover, ISCP rats revealed significant lower levels of TG, TC, LDL, SBP, VRNE, and Na[+], but significant higher levels of HDL and K[+] when compared to the corresponding parameters in INT and ISPC groups. From this study, it is concluded that selenium administration in cases of immobilization stress can improve the accompanied state of hyperlipidemia and hypertension specially if supplemented concomitantly and after the immobilization period

Topical capsaicin-curcumin combination: an effective therapy for chronic painful distal symmetric polyneuropathy in diabetic patients

Chronic distal symmetric polyneuropathy [CDP] is the most common form of diabetic neuropathy. In chronic [lasting>12 months] painful CDP, the patient suffers from paresthesia and pain, that may lead to disability with daily activities and even sleep. In this work, evaluation of the efficacy of topical application of a curcumin cream formula [0.05%], as a novel indication for treatment of CDP, was guarantied. The efficacy of a capsaicin-curcumin combination [CCC] cream was also tested. Subjects and This study included 120 known diabetic patients coming for follow up, aged 23-63 years, 37 with type 1 and 83 with type 2 DM. The patients were randomly allocated into 4 groups: group 1 applied topical cream base and served as controls. Group 2 applied topical 0.075% capsaicin cream. Group 3 applied topical 0.05% curcumin cream and group 4 applied topical cream containing 0.075% capsaicin plus 0.05% curcumin [combination]. All groups were given the medication as water washable cream, applied topically, 4 times daily for 2 months. The two cream formulas showed a remarkable relief of CDP associated symptoms. As compared to a standard capsaicin cream [0.075%] and a cream base that served as placebo. At the end of study period of 2 months, the overall percentage of patients showing improved and 89.3% for placebo, capsaicin, curcumin and neuropathic symptoms was 20.7%, 70%, 78.5% curcumin-capsaicin combination, respectively [P<0.0001]. The percentage of patients without neuropathic symptoms was 3.4%, 20%, 26% and 42.9% for the four groups, respectively [P<0.0001]. Moreover, pain score declined from 4.2 +/- 0.5, 4. 3 +/- 0.3, 3.9 +/- 0.6 and 4.2 +/- 0.4 [P>0.05] before treatment to 4.0 +/- 0.5, 3.1 +/- 0.3, 2.9 +/- 0.5 and 1.2 +/- 0.3 [P<0.0001] after treatment with placebo, capsaicin, curcumin or their combination, respectively. The onset of gaining pain relief was evident from the first week of treatment, with the highest number of patients reporting pain relief with the combination therapy. Conclusions: Our clinical observations report, for the first time, that topical application of curcumin cream [0.05%] has a beneficial effect in alleviating symptoms associated with CDP. The clinical observations also suggest that a cream containing a combination of 0.075% capsaicin plus 0.05% curcumin is an effective, noninvasive treatment modality for the management of CDP

Propagation and fruiting of pineapple [ananas comosus L. Merr.] throuth tissue culture techniques

Pineapple [Ananas comosus L. Merr. CV. Queen] was propagated through in vitro culture using stem-tip explants. The produced plantlets were hardened-off for 2 months and acclimatized for 3 months in peatmoss and sand mixes, then grown for 13 months [fruiting stage] under greenhouse conditions. In a preliminary experiment; it was indicated that NaOCL was the most efficient microbicidal and soaking explants in solutions of NaOCL [1.0 percent] for 20 min, HgCl2 [0.1 percent] for 30 sec and ethanol [70 percent] for 5 sec resulted in totally microbial-free explants [i.e., the best surface-sterilization method]. Culturing the microbial-free explants on MS [Murashige and Skoog]-basal media [liquid and solid] supplemented with different doses of benzyl-adenine [BA] showed that both media supplemented with BA [1.0 mg/1] were the best for multiplication, but the liquid medium appeared to be better than the solid. Transferring shootlets, regenerated on the best multiplication medium, to solid MS-basal medium contained MS salts at a half strength and supplemented with different doses of indole-butyric acid [IBA] or a-naphthalene-acetic acid [NAA] demonstrated that the medium supplemented with NAA [2 mg/1] was the best for rooting. The ex vitro growth of the rooted plantlets in different mixes of peatmoss and sand for 2 months under hardening-off conditions [hardening-off stage], revealed that the mix of 3 peatmoss and 1 sand was the best for growth and development. Therefore, plants were further grown for 3 months in this mix [acclimatization stage], then transplanted in the greenhouse soil under controlled conditions where flowers and fruits [1.65 +/- 0.45 kg/fruit] were developed after 11 and 13 months, from transplanting, respectively

Does helicobacter pylori share in superior mesenteric artery syndrome?

An association between superior mesenteric artery syndrome [SMAS] and peptic ulcer disease has been observed, the reason was unclear. Therefore we studied Helicobacter Pylori [HP] by rapid urease test [CLO] in endoscopic antral and duodenal biopsies of 21 dyspeptic patients with SMAS. All were asthenic, 18 females and 3 males, aged: 19.48 +/- 2.8 years suffering from postprandial epigastric pain, distention, nausea and vomiting. Diagnosis of SMAS was made by barium meal with single and double contrast study under the screen to show the vascular compression of the third part of duodenum and by ultrasonography to measure the aortomesenteric space in comparison with 10 healthy controls. Patients with SMAS had typically narrow aortomesentric space compared with controls [2.5 +/- 0.29 Vs 15.8 +/- 3.22 mm, P 0.001]. Nineteen [90.5%] patients had associated endoscopic acid peptic disease [6 had duodenal ulcer with antral gastritis and 13 had duodenitis with or without antral gastritis. Only 2 patients [9.5%] had normal endoscopy. Eighteen patients [85.7%] had positive [+ve] CLO for HP; 6 had +ve both antral and duodenal biopsies and 12 had only +ve duodenal biopsy. Only 3 patients were negative [-ve] for HP. Of the 19 patients having endoscopic acid peptic disease, 18 showed +ve CLO, only one had a-ve test. The 2 endoscopically normal patients showed -ve CLO. We conclude that HP could be a reason for the associated acid peptic disease with SMAS. There is a rationale for anti-HP therapy in the management plan of dyspeptic patients with SMAS

Study of the prevalent infecting agents in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

For identification of the prevalent infecting agents in ALL, 50 patients were chosen for the study, which showed most of the patients [42%] lies in the age group [3 - 10 years] males were more common than females approximately 2.3: 1, L[2] [FAB] morphology [74%] include most of the patients and more frequent [24%] in the age group [11 - 20 years], L[1] [24%]more common in the age group [3 - 10 years] and L[3] include only 2% of the patients. The immunophenotyping of the patients population in this study was [38%] c-ALL, [12%] pre-B, [2%] B-ALL and [48%] T-ALL [the most frequent immunophenotype]. Immunoglobulin concentration assay for the patient population at presentation and during chemotherapy inducing neutropenia period, in comparison to control group showed no significant difference. Cell mediated immunity was impaired in patient populations. In vivo delayed hypersensitivity reaction showed [6%] positive with candidin and [8%] positive with PPD in comparison to control group [70%] positive with candidin and [90%] positive with PPD. Infection is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with ALL particularly during period of neutropenia that frequently attend the induction phase of chemotherapy. The severity of infections were directly related to the duration of neutropenia and inversely to the number of circulating granulocytes. The total unmber of the isolated pathogen was 78 exceed the number of the patients 50 as a result of mixed infection. Septicemia was microbiologically documented in 30% of the patients. Hickmen catheter entry line was the most common site of coagulase - negative staph-infection. Candida albicans were the most prevalent fungal infecting agents isolated in mouth and throat cultures. HSV was the only types of herpes family detected in neutropenic ALL patients more frequent in prolonged neutropenia in ALL patients cell mediated immunity was impaired, the established humoral immunity was less impaired during treatment with chemotherapy, but the secondary immune response were much disturbed

Biochemical studies on some copper containing enzymes in rats administered ketamine and thiopentone

Thiopentone and Ketamine were selected for this study since they are most frequently used as intravenous anaesthetics and could possess free radical production. 64 albino rats [200 gm +/- 10] have been administered an anaesthetic dose of the two drugs, control groups were treated similarly with saline. Blood and tissues samples were collected after 2, 12, 24 hours from administration of drugs. Determination of superoxide dismutase in blood, caeruloplasmin in plasma and cytochrome oxidase in liver and heart tissues revealed that: 1- Superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased after 2 hours following Ketamine and showed a highly significant decrease after 12 hours with thiopental and Ketamine and the activity returned to normal after 24 hours with both anaesthetics. 2- Caeruloplasmin level showed a significant decrease after 12 and 24 hours from Ketamine administration and only after 24 hours with thiopentone. 3- Cytochrome oxidase activity in liver tissue was decreased significantly 2 hours following thiopentone and after 12 and 24 hours following Ketamine administration. 4- Cytochrome oxidase activity in heart tissue showed no significant change at any time following administration of both drugs. It might be concluded from these results that the relation between thiopentone, Ketamine and the studied copper containing enzymes by production of free radicals during metabolism of both drugs. Thiopentone was less hazardous than Ketamine of given within 12 hours from the first exposure to anaesthesia

Urinary calcium, phosphate, and uric acid excretion before and after stone surgery

In a prospective study, 24-hours urinary excretions of calcium, phosphate, and uric acid were compared in two groups of male patients with renal stones before and after surgical treatment. Group A comprised 39 patients who had complete surgical clearance of the stones. Group B consisted of 15 patients with residual stones. 24-Hours urinary collections were obtained in each patient before and after stone removal. In Group A, the mean [ +/- SEM] urinary excretions of calcium and phosphate rose significantly [P< 0.05] after surgery but uric acid levels did not changes significantly. In Group B, the mean [ +/- SEM] postoperative urinary excretions of calcium, phosphate, and uric acid were not significantly different [P> 0.05] from preparative values. The findings in this study suggest that, in view of the utilization of these urinary solutes in the process of stone growth, preoperative urinary estimation is misleadingly low. It is therefore advisable to carry out the 24-hours urinary estimations of calcium, phosphate, uric acid, and perhaps other risk factors only after complete surgical clearance of the stones, because at this time urinary excretion of these solutes will not be modified by the presence of the stones in the kidneys

Some biochemical and bacteriological alterations associated with transported pneumonic friesian calves

The present study was conducted to determine the influence of transportation of pneumonic Friesian calves upon some biochemical parameters, together with isolation and identification of the bacterial agents. Furthermore, treatment with the specific antibiotics was applied according to the obtained results of sensitivity test of isolated organism. The obtained data revealed a highly significant decrease in ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione and copper contents in sera of diseased animals, while level of ceruloplamin was decreased. Many types of pathogenic organisms were isolated from the affected animals. The total number of isolates, percentage of isolation and percentage of infection were recorded. Clinical improvement of the affected animals as well as correction of the biochemical values and the lowered percentage of infection were obtained after treatment