[ effect of Ramadan fasting on serum osmolraity, some electrolytes and hematological parameters]

During the month of Ramadan, 400 million adult Muslims all over the world fast during daylight hours. The effect of Ramadan fasting has been studied in various investigations conducted on normal healthy individuals world wide, but the changes of serum osmolarity and hematological parameters during Ramadan fasting are not known well. This cohort study was performed during Ramadan on 80 medical students [41 male and 39 female]. We evaluated weight, Body Mass Index [BMI], serum osmolarity, sodium and potassium, haemoglobin[Hgb], hematocrit [Hct], platelets, red and white blood cell count [RBC and WBC] and Hgb Index before and after Ramadan. The mean age of subjects was 22.7 years. Weight decreased significantly in both genders, and BMI decreased in female subjects after ramadan. While serum osmalarity and sodium increased and glucose decreased in both genders after ramadan, potassium decreased in males. RBC count increased in both genders, but WBC count and platelet count increased significantly in females. Hgb, Htc decreased after Ramadan Fasting in male subjects. We found no significant changes in levels of urea and creatinin in serum. This study indicated that Ramadan fasting leads to increased serum osmolarity, RBC count and some Hgb indices in both genders, but these changes remain within normal range. However, more investigations are suggested of patients with hematological and nephrological disorders

Lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activity is decreased in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase [LCAT] plays a major role in the removal of free cholesterol from tissues via assisting HDL-C maturation, and its activity has been proposed as the main indicator of HDL-C function. The aim of the study was to measure LCAT activity in type 2 diabetic patients and to elucidate whether LCAT is associated with metabolic control, and insulin resistance. A case-control study was conducted, recruiting 45 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 45 healthy subjects. Cases and controls were matched regarding gender, age and body mass index [BMI]. FBS, lipid profile, LCAT activity, HbA[IC], insulin were measured and insulin resistance [HOMA-IR] was calculated for both patients and controls. The studied variables were then compared between the two groups, and the association of LCAT activity with any of the variables was examined. Twenty-five subjects were female and 20 male both among patients and controls. Mean age of diabetics was 49.9 yrs and of controls 51.1 yrs. FBS, HbA[IC], HOMA-IR and TG in patients were significantly higher than controls, and HDL-C in controls was significantly higher than patients. LCAT activity of patients [73 +/- 9.1 nmol/L/h] was significantly lower than that in controls [88 +/- 4.5 |imol/L/h] [P < 0.001]. LCAT activity had significant inverse correlations with HbA[IC] and duration of diabetes. After multilinear regression analysis in patients, LCAT activity was only correlated with HbA[IC] level [B= -0.9, P < 0.001]. LCAT activity had no significant association with HDL-C and HOMA-IR in any of the groups. LCAT activity is significantly decreased in patients with type 2 diabetes compared with healthy controls, and has an inverse correlation with the magnitude of hyperglycemia

Thyroid function in patients with glaucoma

Ageing effects on the in vivo cyclic 3, 5'- adenosine monophosphate [cAMP] production by the adrenal cortex were studied in the rat. Eleven old [from 23 to 29 months] and 13 young [from 4 to 5 months], dexamethasone pre-treated Long-Evans female rats received 5.0 mu.i. [1-24] ACTH/100g b.w. by intravenous injection. The plasma concentration of corticosterone as well as the adrenal contents in cAMP and corticosterone were measured, by radioimmunoassay, just before and 45 min after the [1-24] ACTH injection. The basal plasma corticosterone level and the adrenal contents in corticosterone and cAMP were low and no group difference was observed. The [1-24] ACTH injection causes significant increases in the plasma corticosterone level and the glandular contents in corticosterone and cAMP, which were lesser in the old animals than in the young ones; the differences aged/young were approximately -37%, -18% and -55% respectively. These results suggest that the reduced stero‹dogene response of the adrenal cortex in the old rat, to an acute ACTH administration is at least partly due to a decrease in the cellular production of the principal second messenger of this hormone, i.e. the cAMP