Therapeutic efficacy of seaweed extract (Ulva Fasciata Delile) against invasive candidiasis in mice

@#Candida is the most frequent common causes of invasive fungal infections and associated with high morbidity and mortality. Most of available antifungal agents have side effects. This opened up new avenues to investigate the antifungal efficacy of active extracts from marine algae. So the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective and the curative effect of Ulva fasciata extract against an invasive candidiasis in mice and to study its underlying mechanism. The active ingredients of Ulva fasciata extract were evaluated using HPLC and GC/MS. Fifty mice were included in current work, and the level of inflammatory markers; Interleukin (IL)-4, IL-12, Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were determined using ELISA kits. Hematological, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters were determined using commercial kits. Moreover, the histopathological examinations were carried on liver, kidney and spleen for all groups. The results obtained showed that treatment with U. fasciata either before or after Candida infection significantly improved the hematological, biochemical alterations and antioxidant status caused by this infection. Furthermore, the U. fasciata reduced histopathological changes induced by Candida as well as it could increase the expression of IL-12 and IFN-γ while minimized the expression of TNF-α and IL-4 in all infected mice compared to infected untreated mice. These data propose that U. fasciata can ameliorate inflammatory reactions related to Candida albicans cytotoxicity via its ability to augment cellular antioxidant defenses by its active compounds.

Interventional angiography in management of liver neoplasms

30 patients with primary liver neoplasms were subjected to one or more settings of chemoembolisation using adriamycin with lipiodol ultrafluid and gelfoam powder. Chemoembolisation of primary liver neoplasms proved powder. Chemoembolisation of primary liver neoplasms proved to give better survival than the non-treated patients as well as to patients treated by ordinary chemotherapy, intraarterial infusion therapy and embolisation in all stages. Chemoembolisation gave rather better results than surgery in cases of stage II, yet surgical procedures proved to give the best results in patients of stage I

Evaluation of routine early pregnancy ultrasonography

Study of 750 pregnant woman who were subjected to routine early pregnancy sonography scan is presented. The ultrasonic scan calculated accurately [to within + 14 days] the date of delivery in about 90% of women who were unsure of their dates. Clinical estimation of gestational age compared well with ultrasonic calculation in singleton pregnancies. Sonography diagnosed all the lethal congenital anomalies met with in the early pregnancy sonography scan. The early pregnancy scan proved of value for the women who are uncertain of their last menstrual period and for those with known early pregnancy risks as well. Optimal information is obtained when the procedure is done between the 14th and 18th weeks of gestation

Evaluation of the fetal binocular distance as a new biometry for estimation of the gestational age

This study was carried out on 300 pregnant women, for the evaluation of a rather new fetal biometry, the binocular distance, in the prediction of the gestational age, to plot a curve and put a nomogram for its value at various weeks of gestation. Its accuracy was 76.3% to within + 1week