ABSTRACT
30 adult albino rats were used in this study. They were divided Into 3 groups [10 rate each]: Aduit male, female and pregnant rats. Each group was subdivided Into control and treated ones. The treated rats were given 10% Mirazid emulsion [new natural schistosomicidal drug obtained from Myrrh], provided from Pharco Pharmacuticals, Alexandria, Egypt. It was given. Orally in a dose 200 g/Kg body weight, one hour before breakfast, for six successive days. The pregnant rats were given the same dose starting day 6 to day 11 of pregnancy and were observed for abortions, numbers of newly born fetuses which examined for any congenital abnormalities. No abortions were noted in the treated pregnant rats. The number of pups for each treated one was higher than those at control mothem Also. the pups of treated mothers were similar in weight to the control and no congenital anomalies were seen. The rats were sacrificed at one and seven days after administration of the last dose with Mirazid. They were thoroughly dissected for the liver, pancreas, kidney and testis or ovaries, which then fixed in 10% formaldehyde. Sections were prepared and stained by haematoxylin and eosin. Haematoxylin and eosin_ stained sections of the liver. one day after the administration of the last dose of the drug. showed little infiltration with lymphocytes, slight dilatation of liver sinusoids with scanty vacuolation of its cells. However actions at the liver seven days after treatment showed minor lymphocyttc tntittration wtth normal architecture. The sections of treated kidney one day after the last dose showed mild dilatation of its renal tubules with vacuolation of its lining cells, few R. B. Cs and intact glomeruli. These changes returned to normal in sections examined at seven days after the last dose. No detectable changes were seen in sections of the Pancreas, the testis and or the ovary at one and seven days after the treatment. So, Mirazid proved to be safe for liver, kidneys, pancreas and gonads
ABSTRACT
The Nitric Oxide [NO] is an essential regulatory molecule in vascular tone and integrity 2. previous studies has supported the role of NO in remodeling of axons arbors and acts as an activity dependent retrograde signal during the refinement of visual Connections 14, 4 and5. Recently, it was found that NO has been implicated in retinal pathogenesis of retinal vasculogenesis in development of retinal neovascularization [NV] in ischemic retinopathies 17, NADPH-diaphorase reaction reflects NOS activity in the retina and neural tissue 3, 17, 1, 2, 13, 6, 16, 20 and7. NADPH-diaphorase staining neurons, have been localized with neurons in the brain and peripheral tissue containing nitric oxide synthase, which generates NO. NADPH- diaphorase staining are localized in the pedunculopontine nucleus and colocalized in amacrine cells of the inner nuclear layer and ganglion cells of the retina. NADPH-diaphorase has been shown to be a reliable marker of nNOS activity in neuronal tissue 16 and1 NADPH-diaphorase reaction was, therefore used in this study for localizing the development of retinal vasculature as well as any related neuronal tissue
ABSTRACT
To examine the effect of antenatal Dexamethazone administration on healthy preterm fetuses using fetal biophysical profile, vibroacoustic stimulation and umbilical artery Doppler indices. Prospective study. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University 120 singleton pregnancies between the gestational ages of 30 and 34 weeks who received two consecutive doses of Dexamethasone 12 hours apart. Fetal biophysical profile, Vibroacoustic stimulation and Doppler measurement of the umbilical artery S/D and PI were performed at 0 [pre-steroid], 48, 96 hours after the administration of first dose. 109 of 120 fetuses [90.8%] displayed a startle response to vibroacoustic stimulation prior to Dexamethasone administration, in comparison to 37 of 120 fetuses [30.8%] at 48 hours after exposure [p<0.05]. At 48 hours after Dexamethazone administration, 83 fetuses [69.16%] displayed no startle response [p<0.05]. At 96 hours after Dexamethazone exposure, no significant differences in the number of fetuses with present or absent startle responses were observed in comparison to 0 hours. None of the Doppler indices was found to be affected by the steroid administration. Maternal Dexamethasone administration can cause a significant but transient, reduction in sonographically observed fetal startle response to vibroacoustic stimulation and biophysical profile scores, accordingly, these modalities cannot be used for the ascertainment of fetal well-being of steroid exposed fetuses. Doppler indices of the umbilical artery were found to be unaffected suggesting the reliability of this modality for the evaluation of the fetuses previously exposed to the antenatal steroids