Cardiac affection during severe asthma exacerbation and epinephrine adminstration

Bronchial asthma is the commonest chronic illness in children. To study the cardiac effects of severe asthma exacerbations and subcutaneous epinephrine administration, serum total CPK and CPK-MB as well as ECG changes were studied in 60 children [6-12 years of age], twenty healthy controls [group III] and 40 with severe asthma attacks. Half the patients received subcutaneous epinephrine just before coming to hospital [group II] and the other half did not [group I], Both total CPK and CPK-MB were significantly elevated in group I Further significant elevations were found in group II. In both groups serum CPK-MB exceeded 6% of the total CPK denoting real myocardial damage aggravated by epinephrine therapy. ECG changes observed in group I included cardiac ischemia [15%], right ventricular hypertrophy [45%], left ventricular hypertrophy [20%] and pulmonary' hypertension [20%]. Subcutaneous epinephrine given to patients of group II increased the risk of cardiac ischemia to 55% and was accompanied by myocardial infarction in one patient [5%] and atriai premature beets in another one [5%]. The risk of right ventricular hypertrophy slightly increased to 50% while that of pulmonary hypertension remained the same [20%]. Left ventricular hypertrophy could not be detected in this group of patients. So, subcutaneous epinephrine may be beneficial, cheap and easy to use, but it may be seriously hazardous. Serum total CPK and CPK-MB as well as ECG monitoring are recommended for all children with severe asthma attacks especially those who received subcutaneous epinephrine

Serum laminin P1 and procollagen III peptide in egyptian children with chronic hepatopathies

Hepatic fibrosis, commonly present in chronic liver diseases, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality through the resultant portal hypertension and hepatocellular dysfunction. To study the diagnostic significance of serum procollagen III peptide [P III P] and laminin PI [Lam PI] in Egyptian children with chronic hepatopathies, these two fibrogenesis markers were measured in 80 children [6-12 years old], 10 healthy controls, 20 with pure bilharziasis [group 1], 15 with chronic active hepatitis [group 2], 20 with mixed bilharziasis and cirrhosis [group 3] and 15 with active cirrhosis [group 4]. Both parameters were significantly elevated in all the patients groups. In groups 3 and 4, they were. significantly higher than in groups 1 and 2. Although no significant differences were found between groups 1 and 2 or between groups 3 and 4, the study of one way analysis of variance [ANOVA] revealed that they had significantly high F-ratios that were not preceded except by serum albumin, reflecting their high ability to differentiate between our groups of patients. HBc Ab and Anti-HCV Ab were the only hepatitis markers with significantly elevated incidences of positivity found in groups 2, 3 and 4 denoting that HBV and HCV are important causes of chronic liver diseases in Egypt. We recommend serum Lam PI and PIIIP to be estimated repeatedly in every child with liver disease. Greater and persistent efforts are needed to combat bilharziasis, HBV and HCV

Purification and properties of ipomea batter B-amylase

Beta-amylase was prepared in a 33.4% yield from the homogenate of healthy, nongerminated sweet potato tubers. Beta-amylase in the cell-free extract was precipitated by ammonium sulfate fractionation [30-40%], chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and further purified by filtration on Sephadex-G 100. It has a specific activity of 1593.2 U/mg protein. No alpha-amylolytic activity was detected. The enzyme was active with starch, while being inactive towards sucrose, lactose and maltose. The Km value for beta-amylase was 2.63%. Optimal conditions for the action of potato amylase on soluble starch were at pH 5.5 and temperature 35-40C. The activity was completely inactivated by Fe 2+, Mg 2+ but EDTA, Ca 2+, Zn 2+, Cu 2+ and Co 2+ increase the activity of the enzyme by 2.1, 1.85, 1.75, 1.54, 1.51 fold, respectively. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated by gel filtration to be 64,000. The enzyme was relatively heat-stable, heating for 15 minutes at 40C resulted 14% loss of its activity

Physical and chemical characterization of exopolysaccharides isolated from Pichia pinus on fruit by-products

pichia pinua was grown using mango-peel and guava extracts as the sole carbon source in fermentor. The purified exopolysaccharides produced were 5.6 gL[-1] 3.1gL[-1] on both substrates [mango and guava extracts] respectively. Fractionation was done on the original polysaccharides showed that the major fraction obtained was respectively at 14, 26% ethanol concentration in case of mango and guava extracts. Physical and chemical analyses were done on the original polysaccharides and their major fractions for both substrates. The results revealed that the purified polysaccharide obtained from mango peel extract was nearly twice that obtained from guava extracts. Moreover, using the same substrate, the monosaccharide ratios obtained differed in the original polysaccharidde from that in its major fraction

Sugar composition of extra and intracellular polysaccharides produced by candida lipolytica [4124] grown on methanol media

Candida lipolytica [4124] was grown on different methanol culture conditions for single cell protein production. The extracellular polysaccharides amount produced in 3 different methanol media was found to be ranging between 141.0 and 185.0mg/L at the 3rd day of growth. The free monosaccharides of Candida lipolytica [4124] cells were identified and estimated. The chromatographic analysis of the hydrolysates of intracellular polysaccharides indicated the presence of glucose, galactose and mannose as dominant bound sugars; xylose was present only in media containing 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol