Experimental studies on cortical bone xenografts clinical and radiographical assessment

An autoclaved cortical bone xenografts of goat cadavers [ACXG] as well as fresh cortical autograft [control FCAG] were successfully used in reconstruction of an experimentally induced segmental femoral defect in canine model. Clinical and radiological assessments were carried out at different periods post-operatively. The obtained results were encouraging and very promising in terms of early return to full limb function at 4-6 weeks post-operatively, cortical union with remodeling were completed at 6 months post-operatively and complete acceptance and incorporation of the graft into the host bone was recorded at 12 months post-operatively. Hence the autoclaved cortical bone xenografts of goat cadavers can offer a worthwhile alternative fo fresh cortical autografts to veterinary orthopedists

Schwann cells of peripheral motor nerve endings undergoing early apoptosis after a brief period of ischemia / reperfusion in wistar rats

Apoptosis is a gene-based programmed death of cells during physiological conditions such as development and aging. Also, apoptotic pathways can be activated in different kinds of tissues under different pathological background such as hormonal changes, toxic agents, or ischemia / reperfusion injury. In this study we tested the effect of ischemia / reperfusion injury for a brief period on terminal Schwann cells of peripheral motor nerve endings. We hypothesize that terminal Schwann cells are sensitive and undergo apoptotic changes under ischemic insult. Therefore, we subjected 8 Wistar rat left legs to 30 min ischemia followed by 15 min reperfusion. The right legs were used as controls. Extensor digitorum longus muscles were dissected and processed for transmission electron microscopic study. Results demonstrated apoptotic changes in terminal Schwann cells and disappearance of basal lamina of neuromuscular junctions. In contrast, muscle fibers did not show any concurrent pathological changes. This indicates that apoptotic changes in Schwann cells would trigger delayed pathological response in muscle fibers. Therefore, more attention would be paid to motor axon terminals as a starting point for pathogenesis and perhaps therapy of motoneuron and neuromuscular diseases

Localization of TGF-beta receptors [type II] in the adult rat muscles

To date, signal transduction of transforming growth factor-beta [TGF-beta] members is well known to occur through three main identified types of protein receptors. Type II receptors [T beta R-II] were found to be prime movers of the signaling process of TGF-beta candidates. Because TGF-beta 2 localizes a neuromuscular junctions [nmjs] of the adult Wistar rats, it would be expectable accumulation of TGF-beta receptors at the same location, i.e. nmjs. Two groups of six Wistar rats were subject to both confocal immunohistochemistry and immunoelectronmicroscopy studies. The main objective of this study was to localize T beta R-II particularly at the nmjs. The results do not prove a clear-cut evidence of T beta R-II accumulation at the nmjs. The receptors would rather scatter near and around the intracellular organelles such as mitochondria in a variable manner. Several assumptions were put forward to explain such variability

Comparative study of apoproteins A and B in diabetic and nondiabetic elderly

A clinical thesis was done to study the effect of diabetes mellitus on lipid profile of the elderly particularly apoprotein Al, being the major apoprotein of HDL, and apoprotein B, being the major apoprotein of LDL. The outpatient clinic of Geriatric department of Ain Shams University hospitals was chosen as a scene for this thesis. The lipid profile in diabetic elderly shown by this study is,. increase in cholesterol level, increase in triglyceride level, low HDL level, high LDL, low apo-Al level and increase in apoB as compared to non diabetic elderly. 25% of the diabetics in this study have high cholesterol level as compared to 10% in non diabetics. 15% of the diabetics have high level of'triglycerides as compared to only 5% of the non diabetics. 35% of diabetics have low HDL as compared to 10% in nondiabetics. As for LDL, 15% of the diabetics have high LDL level as comnpared to 5% of non diabetics, 20% of the diabetics tend to have low apo-Al level as compared to only 5% of the non diabetics. As for apoprotein B, 85% of the diabetics have normal level of apo-B, with only 10% of the diabetics having low level of apo-B as compared to 15% of non diabetics. However the mean level of apo-B among diabetics 96.4mg/dl was greater than among non diabetics 78. 7 mg/dl. There were sex variations of the lipid profile of both groups with the females having higher cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and apo-Al levels and lower LDL and apo-B levels than males

Cellular dynamics of transforming growth factor beta-2 [TGF-beta [2]] in the postnatal developing rat muscles

Transforming growth factor beta-2 [TGF-beta2] is a multifunctional superfamily. TGF-beta2 has been found to be involved in multiple cellular functions including; cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and death. However, the specific function of muscle-derived TGF-beta2 has not been determined. The localization as well as the study of time course of muscle-derived TGF-beta2 is a crucial step towards understanding the role of TGF-beta in the postnatal developing skeletal muscle. Extensor digitorum longus muscles of Wistar rats at ages 0,2,4,7,13,16,19,21,42 and 90 postnatal days were used. The muscles were processed for double labeling immunohistochemistry and confocal examination. Anti-TGF-beta2 antibodies and alpha-bungarotoxin were used to localize TGF-beta 2 in the muscle fibers of the different age groups. The results showed that TGF-beta2 localizes at the mature neuromuscular junction [nmj] after being diffuse throughout the immature muscle cell. The time curse of muscle derived TGF-beta2 can be divided into 3 phases; the first plateau phase, second fluctuant phase and third plateau phase. The second phase demonstrated a sudden increase of muscle derived TGF-beta2 ratio at the nmj coinciding with the timing of synaptic eliminate on phenomenon of the muscle fibers

Gentamicin and netilmicin residues in tissues and organs of treated rabbits

Thirty Balady rabbits of both sexes [weighing 1.5 - 2 kg] were used for studying gentamicin and netilmicin residues. The effects of heat treatment and freezing on the presence of these residues were also studied. The drugs were injected i.m. [6 mg/kg b. wt.] daily for 7 successive days. Animals were slaughtered at different intervals, and samples from shoulder, thigh and back muscles, heart, liver and kidneys were examined microbiologically for detecting the residues. Parts from samples of the animals containing the highest amount of residues [slaughtered at 12 hours after treatment] were boiled for 45 minutes and tested for the presence of residues, while the rest of these samples were frozen and examined weekly for the presence of the tested drugs. It was achieved that traces of gentamicin or netilmicin residues could be detected in the muscle samples up to 24 hours post last injection [0.17, 0.13 ppm, respectively]. The residues also disappeared by boiling the samples for 45 minutes and by freezing for one week. The least amount of residues were detected in the heart [0.07 ppm]. Liver samples of both drugs contained higher levels of residues that disappeared after 48 hours following drug injection [0.3 ppm]. Kidney samples of both drugs showed the highest level of residues which disappeared after 4 days for gentamicin [0.75 ppm] and 5 days for netilmicin [0.9 ppm]. Moreover, boiling of kidney or liver samples for 45 minutes did not destroy the residues completely. Furthermore, freezing for 3 months also failed to destroy the residues in the kidneys. It is concluded that gentamicin and netilmicin were highly concentrated in the kidneys followed by the liver, while traces were present in the muscles which disappeared after 24 hours of injection and by boiling

Study of C-reactive protein in bilharziasis and malignancy as causes of ascites

C-reactive protein titre was estimated in serum and ascitic fluid in 23 patients, 12 with cancer stomach accompanied by liver metastatases and 11 with bilharzial liver fibrosis. The results showed no statistically significant differences between the titre in serum and ascitic fluid in the group of cancer with mean of serum-ascitic level ratio 1.3, while in bilharzial group there was significant difference with ratio mean 6.3

Duodenoscopy in the tropics

Fiberoptic endoscopy was carried out in 520 patients with dyspepsia, the duodenum was examined in all these patients. The lesions found were as follows: duodentis in 226 [43.46%], duodenal ulcer in 154 [29.6%], duodenal diverticulum in 3 [0.57%], and duodenal polyp in one case [0.19%]. Aspiration of duodenal content through gastroduodenoscope was carried out in 20 cases of duodenitis; the trophozoite of Giardia lamblia was seen in one case, and the larvae of Strongtyloides stercoralis was seen in another case. The comments site of duodenal ulcer was on the anterior wall 82/154 [53.2%], the least was on the inferior wall 16/154 [10.4%]. The most common site for bleeding duodenal was on the anterior wall 35/53 [66%]

response of c-peptides and insulin to intravenous glucose load in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis

This work comprised 60 persons [40 with bilharzial hepatic fibrosis and 20 normal controls]. Blood sugar, C-peptide and insulin were measured after an I.V. glucose load and in the fasting state, as a measure of beta cell function. A defective beta cell function was detected in bilharzial hepatic fibrosis

response of insulin and proinsulin to IV glucose load in chronic renal failure

The response of insulin and proinsulin to I.V. glucose load in chronic renal failure cases was studied in this work. Its relationship to the aetiology of glucose intolerance in renal failure was also discussed