Blood and tissue levels of diazinon in rabbit following a subacute dermal exposure to incremental doses

Uncontrolled application of diazinon [DZN] can cause environmental contamination and adverse health effects on humans or animals. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects and the level of DZN in serum and tissues of rabbits following a sub acute dermal exposure to toxicant. Different doses of DZN were applied daily to New Zealand rabbits through the ear skin in incremental doses for 4 weeks. Blood samples were collected at the beginning and the end of each dose-week period. Tissue samples were collected from brain, muscle, kidney and liver on day 28, after euthanizing the rabbits. DZN contents of the blood and tissue samples were measured using a reversed phase HPLC system. Clinical observations indicated signs of toxicity in the animals exposed to DZN as shown by diarrhea and body weight loss from day twenty. The level of DZN in the blood elevated with enhancing exposure time and reached the highest level at the end of the fourth week [0.620 +/- 0.26ppm]. The highest level of DZN was found in the brain tissue [0341 +/- 0.015 ppm]. The results of this study revealed the tissue accumulation and subsequent toxic effects of DZN following the subacute dermal exposure to the toxicant. It suggests that the determination of the toxicant level in the serum or tissue can be a monitoring method for the detection of the contamination rate

Is it worthwhile to fully evaluate the stomach in every ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity?

To evaluate the usefulness of abdominal sonography in the fasting state with no hypotonic agents in the detection and exclusion of gastric lesions. One-hundred patients with normal upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. 94 patients with a major gastric abnormality [including 59 intraluminal tumors, three submucosal masses, 29 ulcers, two polyps and one hypertrophied gastric mucosa] and 75 patients with minor gastric abnormalities [mainly gastritis] were enrolled into the study. Of the 100 normal patients, ultrasound showed four false positive results with 96% specificity of the examination. Within the major gastric lesion group, ultrasound was true positive in 55 of 59 tumors, 15 of 29 ulcers, three of three submucosal masses and the case of giant gastric mucosa. It was negative in the detection of gastric polyps. It could detect only 8% of minor gastric abnormalities. Abdominal sonography in the fasting state. If carefully performed, is sufficiently accurate in detection and exclusion of major gastric lesions. Therefore, although it cannot replace endoscopic and barium studies of the stomach, careful evaluation of the stomach is recommended in every sonographic evaluation of the abdominal cavity

[Local anesthesia in vitreoretinal surgery]

To compare general anesthesia [GA] with local anesthesia [LA] in terms of safety and patient satisfaction. In this interventional case series, 928 consecutive patients who underwent vitreoretinal surgery were included. Data for analysis were type of anesthesia and operation, patient compliance, operating conditions and pain scores. General anesthesia was provided with a standard method and local anesthesia was performed through peribulbar or retrobulbar routes. Selection of the type of anesthesia was determined by patient age and co-morbidities based on the surgeon's opinion. Patients were operated under local anesthesia in 343 [36.9%] and general anesthesia in 585 [63.1%] cases. Mean age was 68.8 +/- 7.3 [range 51-78] years in the LA group and 55.9 +/- 6.5 [range 43-70] years in the GA group [P= 0.041]. ASA [American Society of Anesthetics] physical status score in the LA group was higher than GA group. Patients were in appropriate condition in 96.4% and operating conditions were good or excellent in 98.8%. The majority of patients [97%] said they would choose local anesthesia for their next vitreoretinal procedures. Local anesthesia is a useful and flexible method of anesthesia for vitreoretinal surgery, with excellent patient tolerance, especially in old patients and those who suffer from concurrent diseases

Three different procedures in labeling of ubiquicidin with technetium 99m: a comparative study

UBI 29-41 [a derivative of antimicrobial peptide ubiquicidin] labelled with 99mTc is reported to discriminate between bacterial infections and sterile inflammatory processes. In this study, three lyophilized kit were performed, one of them based on the direct labelling with only SnCl[2] as reducing agent, and other two based on 6-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid [HYNIC] and tricine as a coligands with or without ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid [EDDA]. Synthesis of UBI 29-41 was performed on solid phase using a standard Fmoc strategy. BOC-HYNIC was conjugated with peptide in solution. Three lyophilized kits were prepared as follows: kit 1:40 micro g UBI 29-41, 5 micro g SnCl[2], pH = 9; kit 2: 40 micro g UBI 29-41, 40 micro g SnCl[2], 20 mg tricine, pH = 5.2; kit 3: 40 micro g UBI 29-41, 40 micro g SnCl[2], 15 mg tricine, 5 mg EDDA, pH = 7. With addition of 99mTcO[4]-solution, kits were labeled under specific conditions, and the radiochemical purity was evaluated by ITLC and HPLC methods. Stability and protein binding in human serum followed by in vitro binding to bacteria were assessed. Biodistribution of radiopeptides in staphylococcus aureus infected rats muscles were studied using ex vivo counting and scintigraphy. Radiochemical analysis indicated rapid and high labeling yield [>95%] for the three kits. Binding to bacteria for kit 2 was to some extent higher than that was obtained for the two other kits. Specific accumulation in infected thigh muscles, as indicated by T/NT ratios was 3.29, 4.6 and 3.77 for kit 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The HYNIC-UBI 29-41 labeled in presence of tricine as coligands [kit 2] showed the most promising results for further in vivo evaluation

[ relationship of the first/third trimester hematocrit level with the birth weight and preeclampsia]

Cells and the volume of blood separated by a centrifuge. Evaluation of hematocrit is one of the routine tests during pregnancy. Researches have shown that there is a significant relationship between both high and low levels of hematocrit and adverse outcomes of pregnancy. This study aimed at examining the relationship between first and third trimester hematocrit, and birth weight and preeclampsia. Hematocrit is defined as the relationship between the volume of pregnant women who referred to health centers in Esfahan during research period. Data were collected by questionnaire through interview with subjects and medical records. Data were analyzed with T-test and one-way ANOVA. A descriptive and analytic research was performed on 322 and preeclampsia was found [P < 0.001 and P < 0.04, respectively], but, there was not a statistically significant association between first and third trimester hematocrit and birth weight [P > 0.05]. A statistically significant relationship between first and third trimester hematocrit preeclampsia, so, further study is suggested. It seems that there is a U-shaped relationship between hematocrit level and preeclampsia, so, further study is suggested