Study on some prognostic criteria in cases of organosphosphate insecticides poisoning

The most common insecticides used worldwide are the organophosphate. They are used in the industrial, commercial and household fields. They act as irreversible cholinesterase inhibitors [organophosphate cholinesterase bond is not spontaneously reversible without pharmacology intervention]. The aim of the present work was to study some prognostic criteria in cases of organophosphate insecticides admitted to the Poisoning Unit of Alexandria Main University Hospital in order to assess the validity of each criterion. This work was carried out on 50 cases of OP insecticide poisoning that were admitted during the period from February to August 2002, All patients were clinically assessed by a full clinical sheet including. Socio demographic data, time lapsed since intake of poisoning, clinical examination including vital signs investigations, ECU, blood gases, pseudo cholinesterase level that have been estimated on admission and before discharge. Antidotal therapy has also been reported. The present study showed that organophosphate poisoning is a serious health and social problem because of it's using as a suicidal tool especially by females, also the wide using in the agriculture aggravate this problem. History of short-term exposure plays a role in prognosis The characteristics of clinical signs and symptoms are important on the outcome. Improvement of signs and symptoms after treatment with atropine is a good prognostic sign. Results of the present work revealed also that decrease in serum cholinesterase activity per se is not reliable in prognosis but could be used to monitor the proper management of the cases. Other alarming signs, which could give an idea about the severity and prognosis of the case, are the decreased conscious level, blood gases changes, as well as the prolongation of QTc interval in the ECG

Effect of variation in site and time on the level of ethanol and methanol in postmortem blood samples

It is well recognized that postmortem [PM] drug levels in blood may be unstable as a consequence of redistribution artifact. Whereby drugs diffuse from their binding sites of high concentration in tissues and major organs, such as liver and lung, into blood. Also drugs can be expected to diffuse from gastric contents into blood. When measuring drug concentrations after death, it is important to consider the phenomenon of PM drug redistribution. PM drug concentrations may not be a true reflection of the antemortem one and as a result, wrong conclusions could be made about the cause of death. There is few published evidence for most drugs and poisons to show the important differences in their PM concentrations in blood and tissues according to choice of sampling site, sampling time, handling of samples including containers, preservation and documentation and type of laboratory investigation carried out on PM samples. The present work was carried out to evaluate experimentally in rabbits PM behavior of ethyl and methyl alcohol in relation to their concentration in different blood sampling sites at different time intervals. Furthermore to assess the effect of site of PM blood sampling on the level of ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol at time of autopsy in human cadavers and compare it with the results from rabbit experiments. The study was conducted on ninety male rabbits as experimental animals, and the human cadavers that were positive on screening to ethanol [n = 4] and methanol [n = 3] during the period of the study. Rabbits were divided into three groups [30 rabbits each], two groups for each drug, which were given the LD50 of the drug. Blood samples [2ml] were drawn from right and left sides of the heart and femoral vein from each group of rabbits, immediately, twelve hours and twenty-four hours after death. As regards human cadavers, blood samples [5m1] were drawn from right and left sides of the beau and femoral vein at time of autopsy. Experimental and human blood sample extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography. The study showed that ethanol was detected in the control group after 12h PM. The highest mean value recorded was 681 g/ml in 24h PM Rt. cardiac. No significant changes could be detected in immediate PM blood concentration for ethanol and methanol from different sampling sites. The study also revealed that PM blood concentration for ethanol and methanol increased over time for different sampling sites. Where up to 24h PM femoral [peripheral] blood drug concentrations were the closest to the immediate PM values, followed by Rt. cardiac then Lt. cardiac blood. It was noticed also that up to 12h PM femoral [peripheral] blood methanol concentration could be used as a reliable indicator for the immediate PM values. Experimental animal studies, when interpreted carefully, are indicative of the PM drug changes observed in human, denoting that femoral [peripheral] blood is the best site for drug sampling

Protective effect of polyaspartic acid on apoptosis induced aminoglycoside nephrotoxicity in rats. an immunohistochemical study of cell regulatory proteins [p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen]

Aminoglycoside antibiotics as gentamicin can produce irreversible, cumulative nepbrotoxicity due to the toxic injury of the renal tubular epithelial cells resulting in acute or chronic renal failure due to the prolonged exposure to small amounts [Lieberthal and Levine, 1996]. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible protective effect of polyaspartic acid on apoptosis-induced gentamicin toxicity in albino rats. For this purpose 70 male albino rats were equally divided into seven groups: control group, gentamicin groups [rats treated with geritamicin alone at daily doses of 10, 20 or 40mg/kg of body weight intraperitoneally] and protected groups [rats treated with polyaspartic acid [250 mg/kg/day subcutaneously] concurrently with gentamicin at the different studied doses. All rats were treated for seven consecutive days. Kidney cortex apoptosis was detected by the p53 antibodies. The cortical proliferative activity was determined by the proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA] labeling index. The expression of p53 oncogene and the PCNA monoclonal antibodies were detected and quantitated using immunohistoehemical methods. The mean percentage of p53 positive cells in gentamicin treated rats at doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg/day for seven days was 41.3 +/- 2.21,47 +/- 2.26 and 53.5 +/- 2.42 respectively, while that of PCNA positive cells was 21.5 +/- 1.96, 27.7 +/- 2.31 and 35.7 +/- 3.97 respectively. The apoptotic figures as well as the cell proliferative activity were used for assessing the efficacy of polyaspartic acid [PAA]. The mean percentage of p53 positive cells in protected rats at doses of 10, 20 and 40mg/kg/day for seven days was 22.4 +/- 2.07, 24.7 +/- 2.41 and 28.7 +/- 3.27 respectively, while that of PCNA positive cells was 2.8 +/- 0.98, 5.05 +/- 0.90 and 6.65 +/- 0.94 respectively. Rats treated with gentamicin alone developed an apoptotic process as part of the various cortical alterations induced by this antibiotic. Also a relation between gentamicin-induced tubular apoptosis and cortical proliferative response has been established. The marked apoptotic reaction induced by gentamicin in proximal tubules was dose dependent. In low doses it occurred in the absence of necrosis and it was correlated with the proliferative response. Coadministration of polyaspartic acid [PAA] with gentamicin proved to reduce significantly gentamicin-induced apoptosis. Although the underlying mechanism for this reduction remains uncertain, yet the molecular mechanism of the protective effect of PAA is most likely related to its biochemical mechanisms, which include antioxidative activities

Age estimation by teeth examination

A total of 100 extracted incisors, canines and premolars were collected forthis study. The gender and age of the patient, as well as the cause ofextraction, were recorded. Only sound teeth were included in the study. Teeth were stored in 4% buffered formaldehyde solution. Using long coneparalleling technique with XCP film holder to facilitate standardization, eachtooth was embedded in wax and placed parallel to the film and perpendicular tothe X-ray beam. Measurements on dental radiography [to the nearestmillimeter] were done using a stereoscope with a measuring eyepiece [graduatedlens] and included pulp and root lengths and widths. Results showed thatratios presenting the size of the pulp cavity were negatively correlated withage, confirming the inverse relationship. It was also shown that sex madesignificant contribution in the regression formula [when using all variablesand when using densitometric measurements done] resulting in strongercorrelation with age [r 0.74 - 0.91, p <0.01 and 0.0001]. Yet, if sex was notknown still estimates of age based on dentition are more likely to be correctthan those based on osseous development

Personality traits, intelligence quotient and dactylography in juvenile delinquents

Sixty boys [30 delinquents and 30 control] were studied. All subjects underwent the following tests: Eysenck personality inventory to evaluate neuroticism [N] and extraversion [E], Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory to evaluate psychopathic deviation [PD], modification of draw a person test [DAP] to measure IQ, h and test to measure degree of aggression, acting out and violence, and dermatoglyphics of fingers of both h and s. Results showed that the 3 personality dimensions tested were significantly higher in juvenile delinquents than in the control group. Similarly, a significant difference existed for aggression and acting out at p <0.01 IQ was significantly lower among juvenile delinquents than among the control group [t = 3.77, p = 0.01]. As for the dermatoglyphics, radial loops were nearly absent in both h and s of juvenile delinquents. The only significant relationship elicited was in the right index for the drug abuse offense

Effect of pH on autolytic histological changes of liver cells

In the present work, rat liver tissue were incubated in different phosphatebuffer solution [pHs 4, 6, 7, 9 and 11] for different periods of times [2, 4and 12 hours]. Hematoxylin and eosin stained sections were studiedmicroscopically by oil immersion objective lens. The results showed that, atacidic PHs, the cells and their nuclei tend to shrink with relatively betterpreservation of structures and increased staining affinity even 12 hoursautolysis. At pH 11, the appearance of liver tissue was very deterioratedeven at 2 hours autolysis. At neutral PH, staining affinity of cells weremoderately low with less preservation of structure than at acidic ormoderately alkaline PHs. The study highly recommended the consideration ofunusual PH changes before any interpretation of antemortem or postmortemhistopathological changes or estimation of time of death. The study alsorecommended routine microscopic examination of liver tissue in autopsy cases, inwhom unusual PH deviation is expected such as some poisons or diabeticketoacidosis. In case of tissue fixation, whether by formalin orgluteraldehyde, it was recommended to adjust PH accurately to avoid artifactsdue to PH deviation