Comparaive studies on antisickling properties of thiocyanate, tellurite and hydroxyurea

Thiocyanate, hydroxyurea and tellurite are among chemical agents being used as antisickling drugs and currently receiving attention for research. The antisickling properties of these drugs was investigated and compared in this study. Human sickle blood was incubated with the drugs in vitro at concentrations related to the dose used by patients in vivo. Haemoglobin function and specific aspects of the sickling process were then measured by employing standard methods used in screening potential antisickling agents. All the drugs significantly inhibited [P<0.05] sickling of deoxygenated sickle blood and formation of irreversibly sickled cell in a dose and time-dependent manner. Thiocyanate, hydroxyurea and tellurite inhibited sickling optimally at 20mM, 40mM and 50mM respectively. Thiocyanate and hydroxyurea prolonged sickle red blood cell life span as indicated in the significant decrease in haemolysis and osmotic fragility while tellurite increased these blood parameters. The three drugs also caused significant prolongation of delay time of haemoglobin S [HbS] polymerization while thiocyanate and hydroxyurea significantly increased [P<0.05] both solubility ratio and oxygen affinity of HbS. Results obtained in this study suggest that the three drugs have remarkable antisickling potential in vitro with thiocyanate being the most efficient followed by tellurite

Changes in serum electrolytes and lipid profile in diabetes subjects in freetown Sierra Leone

Measurement of blood electrolytes level and lipid profile usually give good indications of the disease progression in a number of non communicable diseases. To investigate the effect of diabetes on electrolyte and lipid status of male and female diabetics in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Subjects and Serum concentrations of electrolytes and lipids in one hundred and twenty [120] adult diabetics attending some diagnostic centers in Freetown Sierra Leone were measured and compared with those of one hundred and twenty [120] non-diabetic individuals. Total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and coronary heart disease [CHD] risk ratio in diabetic patients were significantly higher [P<0.05] than those of non-diabetics. Diabetic subjects also have low HDL-cholesterol compared with the non-diabetics. Analysis of serum electrolytes in diabetic individuals also shows significant reduction in serum K[+], Na[+] and HCO[3] while Cl[-] was significantly elevated compared with non-diabetics. There was no significant difference between the sexes in all parameters studied. We conclude that lipid abnormalities and electrolyte imbalance contribute towards complications observed in diabetes