Impact of locomotion restraint during the neonatal period on some hormonal and behavoural aspects in male rats

The early stage of neonatal life is considered a crucial period for the development and differentiation of the nervous system and any impairment in the neuro-developmental aspects may result in a life-long modification. Accordingly, this study was designed to investigate the impact of restraint from the 21st day to the 42nd day in rat's neonatal period on some biochemical, behavioural and emotionality _related aspects. At the age of three weeks, young rats were exposed to 21 days of locomotion restraint for 6 h/day after which, the rats of both the control unstressed group and those that were exposed to the stressful regimen were subjected to the behavioural assessments using the exploratory and aggressive behaviour tests. After completion of these tests, the rats were sacrificed to determine the tissue brain cortex acetylcholinesterase [AChE] activity and total protein content. Serum levels of glucose, total cholesterol, testosterone, luteinizing hormone [LH], prolactin [PRL], thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH], thyroxine [T4], triiodothyronine [T3] in addition to the plasma levels of adrenocorticotropin [ACTH] were estimated. The present findings revealed that rats exposed to restraint stress exhibited significant shortcomings in the exploratory test with high rates of emotionality and excitability as revealed by their aggressiveness. These behavioural deviations were concomitant with disturbances in the endocrine balance as indicated by a decline in the levels of serum T3, PRL, testosterone, LH and a rise in plasma ACTH as well as serum glucose and cholesterol levels. The present study explicitly indicates that exposure to stress during the early stage of life results in long-lasting behavioural and neuro-endocrine alterations in the adult rats

Effect of aluminum on some neural aspects of rat offspring and the possible amelioration with antioxidants

This study comprises two experiments, in the first one pregnant rats were administered a daily dose of 360 mg/kg aluminum chloride from the 8[th] to the 20[th] day of gestation. The aluminum [Al] was given either separately or in combination with 100 mg/kg a tocopherol [vitamin E] or with vitamin E plus 500 mg/kg ascorbic acid [vitamin C] via stomach intubation. In the second experiment, pregnant rats were treated with aluminum as in the previous experiment and the offspring born to aluminum-treated mothers were divided into three groups. The first was given the solvent vehicle; the second was treated with vitamin E and the third with vitamin E plus vitamin C. At the postnatal age of 105 days, the offspring of both experiments were sacrificed to determine the level of free amino acids, monoamine neurotransmitters, DNA, RNA and reduced glutathione [GSH], malondialdehyde [MDA], the activities of Na[+] K[+]-ATPase, superoxide dismutase [SOD] in the brain cortex. In addition, total protein content and acetyicholinesterase [AChE] activity in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus tissues were investigated to evaluate the impact of aluminum and the possible ameliorative effects of vitamin E and C. Aluminum residue was measured in the cerebral cortex of normal rats and those prenatally treated with aluminum. Aluminum caused severe physiological perturbation in the brain neurotransmitters. Vitamin E curtailed some of these aluminum-induced physiological perturbations, whereas vitamins E+C given together almost completely ameliorated these perturbations. The results highlight the importance of these two antioxidant vitamins in counteracting the aluminum damaging effect on the rat nervous system. Based on the present results, administration of vitamin E and C concomitantly is recommended to neonates whose mothers at high risk of aluminum contamination as a preventive and a protective measure against the neurological damage caused by aluminum

Predominance and quantitation of pulsus paradoxus in acute bronchial asthma

Pulsus Paradoxus was measured in 134 asthmatic patients presented to the medical emergency suffering from acute asthma. Pulsus Paradoxus was clinically detected in 103 [76.9%] patients. The magnitude of Pulsus Paradoxus showed significant negative correlation with Peak Expiratory Rate% [PEFR%, r = -0.66]. The correlation was better when PEFR% < 40% of predicted value [i.e. severe bronchospasm]. Data suggest the consideration of Pulsus Paradoxus as a sensitive and reliable indicator to assess severity of asthma

Relationship between allerglc response and cardiovascular changes in asthma

The role of the immune reaction in inducing some cardiovascular changes in asthma is uncertain. 55 asthmatic patients presented to the emergency department were selected for this study. The peripheral eosinophil count, the peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR] and vital parameters of the cardiovascular system [i.e. rate, rhythm and pressure] were measured and noted, measurements were repeated 24-72 hours after relief from bronchospasm and used as control. The peripheral eosinophil level correlated with PEFR [r = - 0.28, P < 0.05]. 27.3% of patients had normal eosinophnil level. No difference in% change [%] blood pressure [systolic, diastolic and mean] and incidence of arrhythmia were detected between eosinophilic and non-eosinphilic patients; whereas tachycardia was significantly higher in patients with eosinophilia. This extra rise in heart rate seems to be related to the direct effect of the immune mediated on the sino-atrial node. such mediators seem to have no effect on the myocardium and vascular smooth muscle

Effects of chronic caffeine administration on the platelets aggregation, blood coagulation and fibrinolytic activity in male rats

The effects of three caffeine doses [10, 20 or 40 mg/kg-1] given intravenously for seven consecutive days on platelets aggregation index, plasma fibrinogen and plasminogen levels, clotting time [CT], prothrombin time [PT] and activated partial thromboplastin time [APTT] were investigated in male albino rats. A decrease in PT and APTT was observed in the rats treated with the 10 mg dose, but no other changes were found in the rest of the studied parameters. The 20 and 40 mg doses caused a marked inhibition concentrations as well as prolonged CT, PT and APTT. The results suggest that long term administration of caffeine did not only inhibit the process of platelet aggregation, but also interfered with the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of coagulations. The mechanisms by which caffeine caused these alterations might have been related to its phosphodiesterase inhibitory action as well as its effect on the liver function

Ultrasonographic prediction of foetal age: the role of femur length [FL] biparietal diameter [BPD] and the FL/BPD ratio

Ultrasonographic measurement of foetal biparietal diameter [BPD] and femur length [FL] was done on 88 pregnant women, with sure dates between 1642 weeks' gestation. A real lime scanner with a 3.5 mHz transducer frequency was used. All cases had a single examination and all had uncomplicated pregnancy. A good correlation was found [r = 0.8506 and p < 0.025] between menstrual gestation age and that predicted from the BPD. An even better correlation [r = 0.8917 and p < 0.025] was found when we predicted fetal gestational age from FL. Gestational ages predicted from femur length were particularly more accurate than those predicted from BPD after 34 weeks' gestation. A linear relationship between the growth of FL and BPD after 16 weeks' gestation is described. FL/BPD ratio is almost constant over this age range. The ratio was found to be 0.81 +/- 0.13 [mean +/- 2 SD] in this study. This ratio can practically be used as a quality control check on femur length and BPD measarements. It can also help early diagnosis of short-limbed dwarfism, hydrocephalus and microcephaly