Effect of ascorbic acid on reproductive function of male rats exposed to lead acetate

Abstract Background: The anti-oxidant ascorbic acid [AA] is known as a chelating agent in treatment of lead [Pb] toxicity, and has been reported to protect the cells from oxidative stress

Objective[s]: This work aims to study the efficiency of ascorbic acid on semen quality, sex hormone, antioxidant parameters and testis histology in rats treated with lead acetate

Methods: A total of 50 male rats were divided into five equal groups; control group [received tap water only], Pb group [received 0.2% lead acetate/kg, BW] and the other three groups [received 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg BW AA along with 0.2% lead acetate/kg BW], respectively. Doses [as solutions] were orally administered every day for 8 weeks. Motility, validity, abnormal and dead sperm were assessed. Testosterone, luteinizing [LH] and follicle- stimulating [FSH] hormones were measured. Antioxidant activity [glutathione [GSH], thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS], total antioxidant capacity [TAC] and the level of nitric oxide [NO]] were determined. Histopathological examination was done for testis

Results: The results showed that Pb caused a significant increase in number of abnormal and dead sperms in Pb group [43.0%, 67.2%] comparing to the control group [6.0%, 18.6%] respectively. Motility and validity of the sperm were significantly decreased in Pb group [16.0%, 32.8%] comparing to the control group [84.2%, 81.4%] respectively. Pb caused a significant increase in FSH [1.99 mIU/L] and LH [1.2 mIU/L] and a decrease in Testosterone hormones [0.86 nmol/L] comparing to the control group [0.64 mIU/L, 1.2 mIU/L, 5.24 nmol/L] respectively. On the other hand, AA caused a significant decrease in numbers of abnormal and dead sperms than in Pb group. AA also caused an increase in motility and viability of the sperms at all levels. Testosterone hormone showed a marked increased with AA and the best effect was found with the high level [1500 mg /kg BW]. For antioxidant activity it was found that Pb caused a significant increase in NO and TBARS levels comparing to the control group, while it decreased significantly GSH and TAC levels. The significant effect for AA was found with the high level [1500 mg] on NO [28.5 micro mol/ml] and GSH [4.9 micro mol/ml]. Also, it was found that AA significantly affected TBARS and TAC at all levels. Histopathological examination showed the presence of AA reduced the harmful effect of lead acetate on testis

Conclusion: High daily intake of AA from rich sources or from supplementation can protect reproductive system of male rats from lead toxicity

Rotational versus standard quantitative coronary angiography: a comparative study

Standard coronary angiography [SA] has some limitations and complications. Technology has been developed to perform rotational coronary angiography [RA] that may overcome SA limitations and complications while keeping the diagnostic accuracy. RA is a technique that provides with one contrast injection, a panoramic or dynamic cineangiogram of the coronary tree, during up to 180 rotation of the gantry. The purpose was to compare RA and SA regarding diagnostic accuracy and patient safety. Our study included 20 patients with a clinical indication for diagnostic coronary angiography [CA] at Cardiology Department, El Minia University Hospital. Patients were subjected to: SA [4 fixed projections for LCA and 2 for RCA] and RA [2 projections for LCA [RAO 60- LAO 60- caudal and cranial] and [1 projection for RCA [RAO 30- LAO 90- cranial]]. Acquisition of additional static angiographic projections was done for better diagnostic assessment whenever needed after SA and/or RA. QCA analyses were performed on two views [first from SA and second from RA] showing a significant lesion. Radiation dose [RD], contrast volume [CV], total number of frames [TNF], total number of image acquisitions [TNIA], additional projections [AP], reference vessel diameter [RVD], minimal lumen diameter [MLD], lesion percent stenosis [LPS] and lesion length [LL] were evaluated and compared between the two angiographic techniques. We analyzed 38 lesions. Their distributions were: 19[50%] in LAD, 9[23.68%] in RCA, 7[18.42%] in circumflex and 3 [7.89%] in the diagonals. There were no statistically significant differences between SA and RA derived QCA data in MLD[1.197 +/- 0.651 Vs 1.175 +/- 0.642], RVD[2.8l9 +/- 0.961 Vs 2.752 +/- 0.99], LPS [65.495 +/- 16.225 Vs 64.989 +/- 16.426], and in LL [12.575 +/- 6.392 Vs 12.406 +/- 6.338], p ns for all. At the same time, RA derived QCA data strongly correlated with SA derived QCA data with correlation coefficient, 0.99 1, 0.975, 0.994, and 0.996 respectively. On the other hand, RD was 44% less [245.83 +/- 132.17 Vs. 442.23 +/- 272.55 mGy], CV was 45% lower. [24.28 +/- 10.78 Vs. 43.98 +/- 20.77 ml], TNF was 45% fewer [162 +/- 65.54 vs. 293.21 +/- 142.83], TNIA was 59% lower [1.82 +/- 0.67 vs. 4.46 +/- 1.88], and AP was 82% lower beyond the pre specified protocol [0.21 +/- 0.49 vs. 1.179 +/- 1.249] in the RA compared to the SA technique, p<0.0001 for all. RA-derived QCA has similar diagnostic accuracy and strongly correlates with SA derived QCA. Furthermore, RA has better safety as it leads to a significant reduction in radiation exposure and contrast use. In the future therefore, RA may replace SA and should be compared with MSCT CA in diagnosis of CAD especially if coupled with minimally invasive approaches such as radial access and use of 4 French devices

Effects of circadian blood pressure variability on aortic distensibility in untreated and treated hypertensive individuals

Background: Blood Pressure [BP] exhibits a circadian periodic variation with lower values during the night and higher values during the day. Blunted BP decline during nighttime, which is called non-dipping pattern, in hypertension [HTN], is associated with higher cardiovascular [CV] morbidity and mortality, however, this association has not gone undisputed. Furthermore, the influences of non-dipper BP on aortic elastic properties have not yet been widely studied

Objectives: the aim was to evaluate the effect of circadian BP changes [dipping and non-dipping state] on aortic dispensability in untreated and treated hypertensive subjects using standard Doppler echocardiography

Patients and Methods: this study included 87 out of 180 subjects classified according to their BP profile and clinical status into 3 groups. Group [1]: 28 patients with untreated HTN, Group [2]: 34 patients with treated HTN, and Group [3]: 25 normal controls. Each group was further classified into 2 subgroups: [a: dippers and b: non-dippers]. We excluded every patient with any systemic disease or CV risk factor that may affect aortic structural and/or functional characteristics apart from HTN. All study populations were subjected to thorough history taking, clinical examination, laboratory work up, ECG, 24h ABPM, standard echo Doppler

Results: the study included 44 [51%] males and 43 [49%] females; their mean age was 42 +/- 8, and ranging between 29-55 years. In untreated hypertensives, systolic and diastolic aortic diameters [SAD, DAD] [aortic anatomical parameters] were similar in both dippers and non dippers, while functional parameters [aortic strain distensibility and stiffness index] [AS, AD, and ASI] showed only trends for more impairment in non dippers than dippers, however, these did not reach statistical significance. In treated hypertensives, also aortic anatomical parameters were similar in both dippers and non dippers, while aortic functional parameters were significantly more impaired in non-dippers than in both dippers and controls. We also found that both aortic anatomical and functional parameters and so elastic properties showed significant correlations mainly with systolic load in untreated hypertensives, while correlated mainly with nighttime ABP measurements in treated hypertensives

Conclusion: this study confirmed that, in untreated hypertensive, aortic distensibility was slightly more impaired in non-dippers compared to dipper ones, but this difference did not reach statistical significance and it correlated positively mainly with systolic load. While in treated hypertensives, AD was significantly more impaired in non-dippers compared to dippers and it correlated positively mainly with nighttime measurements

Virtual colonoscopy as a new diagnostic tool in cancer colon

Virtual reality imaging is a new technology that combines helical computed tomography and magnetic resonance [MR] data and advanced three-dimensional graphics software to generate endoluminal perspective images of hollow organs. Computed tomography colonography [Virtual colonoscopy] is an imaging procedure in which a series of helical CT scans of the patient's colon are rendered by computer into slices that can be visualized as serially combined images to provide a three-dimentional tour of the colon. So, this technique has been evaluated, mostly conducted in diagnostic [rather than screening] setting in higher-risk patients. In this work, we try to evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of virtual colonoscopy as a new modality for colorectal evaluation in patients subjected to traditional colonoscopy and double-contrast barium enema study who are diagnosed as having cancer colon and to correlate the findings of virtual colonoscopy with those of conventional colonoscopy and barium study. This work was conducted on twenty [20] patients, selected among 91 patients of different colonic illness admitted in Mansoura and Banha Gastroenterology Centers. They were thirteen [13] males and seven [7] females with age ranging form 49-75 years; mean age [59.5 +/- 8.6] years. All patients were subjected to complete medical history, thorough clinical examination, routine laboratory tests and special laboratory investigations as carcino-embryonic antigen [CEA] and occult blood in stool. Abdominal ultrasonography, barium double-contrast enema, traditional colonoscopy and virtual colonoscopy were done for all patients. Colonoscopic biopsies were obtained as routine in every case in addition to biopsy from any suspected areas or detected masses. Histopathological examination was done also for every sample. From this study, we concluded that CT colonography [Virtual Colonoscopy] is feasible for the detection of colorectal cancer with high success in sizes more than 10mm and further technical advances will improve the performance of CT colonoscopy and will allow patients available imaging modality for full structural examination of the colon

Acute local bacteria infection is a source for blood stream infection in leukemia patients

The study included to leukemia patients has septicemia and any acute local bacterial infection in any local of their bodies. Our study may detect the bacteria which associated with septicemia by culturing blood sample that taken from each patient in this study and culture the sample which took from acute local bacterial infection to isolate the bacteria that responsible on this local infection. The results of this study show the similarity between bacterial isolates from blood stream and local infection, therefore confirmed the importance of acute local bacterial infection in transfer the pathogenic bacteria to blood stream in leukemia patients

Plasma alpha glutathione S - transferase in chronic hepatitis C infection in Egypt

Chronic hepatitis C [CHC] infection is a progressive disease whose activity must be regularly assessed. alpha -Glutathione S-transferase [alpha -GST] has been suggested as a better marker of hepatocellular damage than aminotransferases in toxic and autoimmune hepatitis. The present study assessed alpha -GST as a biochemical marker of hepatocellular damage in 50 Egyptian patients with CHC [seropositive for anti-hepatitis C virus [HCV] and HCV-RNA]. They were evaluated for conventional liver biochemistry, plasma alpha -GST, serum HCV-RNA levels and liver biopsy. Plasma alpha -GST was significantly higher in CHC patients than the reference values [p < 0.01] Sixteen patients [32%] had normal values for alanine aminotransferase [ALT], plasma alpha -GST was elevated in 11 of them [3 with minimal hepatitis; 6 mild and 2 moderate hepatitis]. Elevated plasma alpha -GST levels may indicate a hepatocellular damage even when ALT level is normal in CHC infection. Plasma alpha -GST was significantly higher in cirrhotic than non-cirrhotic patients [p < 0.01] suggesting that alpha -GST measurement is probably a sensitive test detecting liver damage occurring in association with cirrhosis. Plasma alpha -GST was significantly correlated with ALT [r = 0.67, p < 0,01] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST] [r = 0.62, p < 0.01] suggesting that alpha -GST may be a potential indicator of chronic hepatocellular damage due to HCV. Furthermore, plasma alpha -GST was significantly correlated with histologic grading score of hepatitis activity [r = 0.94, p < 0.01] and staging score of architectural alterations [r = 0.65, p < 0.01] indicating that plasma alpha -GST may be a sensitive and non invasive marker for detecting hepatitis activity and hepatocellular damage in CHC patients. There was a non-significant correlation between alpha -GST and serum HCV-RNA level indicating that plasma alpha -GST could not reflect the degree of viremia in these patients. The present data showed that alpha-GST has the highest sensitivity, specificity and accuracy [84%, 90% and 90%, respectively] for the diagnosis of parenchymal disintegrity and hepatocellular damage associated with chronic HCV infection followed by ALT [68%, 85% and 80%, respectively] then AST [62%, 75% and 68%, respectively]. This may indicate that alpha -GST gives better results than ALT and AST and may be preferred to them for monitoring hepatocellular damage associated with HCV infection. In conclusion, plasma alpha-GST determination appeared to be a sensitive, specific and non-invasive biochemical marker for detecting hepatocellular damage and may have a role in the follow up of CHC patients

Serum myoglobin: a marker for successful thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction

The material of this study comprised 30 patients with acute myocardial infarction as a test group and 10 normal cases with matched age and sex as a control group. The patients were divided into two groups. Group I, 15 patients [10 males and 5 females] with ages ranging between 41-72 years with a mean of 52.8 + 10.04 years, and group II, 15 patients [9 males and 6 females] with ages ranging between 50-62 years with a mean of 55.7 + 3.68 years. Both groups I and II received the usual treatment of myocardial infarction, in addition group II patients received IV streptokinase as a thrombolytic therapy. All patients were subjected to thorough history and full clinical examination, the serum myoglobin levles were determined using the immunoturbidimetric method, serum CPK and SGOT, fasting and postprandial blood sugar and serum creatinine. A 12 leads ECG was done for every patient on admission, just after therapy and 6 hours after therapy [for streptokinase group]. This study illustrates the values of immunoturbidimetric assay of serum myoglobin as a sensitive marker for early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction and follow up of thrombolytic therapy for these patients

Serum iron and type III procollagen peptide [PIIINP] in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and their relation to the disease activity

We studied thirty patients with chronic viral hepatitis [15 had hepatitis B virus and 15 had hepatitis C virus infection] and 10 normal healthy volunteers as a control group. They were investigated by procto-sigmoidoscopy, abdominal ultrasonography, liver biopsy and fasting blood samples were taken to assess, serum iron, total iron binding capacity [TIBC], serum type III procollagen [PIIINP], Alanine aminotrransferase [ALT], Asparate aminotransferase [AST], alkaline phosphatase and serum bilirubin. The results did show a high level of both serum iron and PIIINP in patients with chronic as compared to the control group. No correlation was found between serum iron and either PIIINP or aminotransferases, but significant correlations were found to both alk. phos. and bilirubin. A positive correlation was found between PIIINP and ALT indicating that PIIINP a know marker for liver fibrogenesis might be a maraker for disease activity. inspite on the finding of absent relation between serum iron and disease activity in patients with chronic viral hepatitis, the high serum levels of iron in these patients needs further studied to evaluate its clinical significance

Study of T-cell count in uremic patients with HBs antigenemia

This work was carried out on 10 healthy volunteers who served as a control group [Gl]. and 50 patients with chronic renal failure. The uremic patients were divided into 5 groups, each consisted of 10 patients. Group 2 [G2] comprised patients with negative HBsAg. Group 3 [G3] comprised patients treated with conservative measures who are chronic healthy carrier for HBsAg. Group 4 [G4] comprised patients treated with conservative measures who suffered from chronic active hepatitis due to HBV infection. Group 5 [G5] comprised dialyzed patients who are chronic healthy carrier for HBsAg. Group 6 [G6] comprised dialyzed patients who suffered from chronic active hepatitis due to HBV infection. The following laboratory investigations were performed to all subjects: complete blood picture, counting of T-lymphocytes, HBsAg, blood urea, serum creatinine, serum bilirubin and serum transaminases. Diagnosis of chronic active hepatitis was confirmed by liver biopsy. Our study showed that chronic renal failure as well as haemodialysis decreased significantly both total lymphocytic count and absolute T-cell count. Total lymphocytic count and absolute T-cell count showed significant negative correlation with blood urea, serum creatinine, duration of dialysis, and the age of patients. HBsAg positive uremic patients showed siginificant reduction in absolute T-cell count, but didn't show significant change in total lymphocytic count, when compared with HBsAg negative uremlc patients. No significant difference could be found in both total lymphocytic and absolute T-cell count between chronic active hepatitis uremic patients and chronic healthy carrier uremic patients. Finally, no significant correlation was detected between the biochemical parameters of liver function [total serum bilirubin, SGOT and SGPT] and both total lymphocytic count and absolute T-cell count

Lipoprotein pattern with chronic hemodialysis

The study was conducted on 10 adult male patients with chronic renal failure on regular hemodialysis as well as 10 normal healthy control subjects with matching age and sex. All patients were subjected to complete clinical and laboratory investigation to diagnose renal failure and exclude other diseases that alter lipid metabolism. All patients and controls were subjected to the estimation of urea and creatinine in serum, and estimation of serum levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, VLDL-c and apolipoprotein B. Results of this study showed that chronic renal failure patients on regular hemodialysis had disturbed lipid metabolism. They had their serum cholesterol within normal levels. The serum levels of their triglycerides [TG], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], very low-density lipoprotein [VLDL] and apolipoprotein-B [Apolipo-B] were higher than normal control cases, while their high density lipoproteins [HDL] serum levels were below that of the normal control cases. Hemodialysis appears to modify lipoprotein abnormalities observed in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing maintenance hemodialysis as only serum levels of low density lipoproteins [LDL] showed return to normal levels by continuity of the dialysis. It was concluded that these abnormalities in lipoprotein composition may be responsible for increasing risk for cardiovascular atheromatous disease in regular hemodialysis patients

Monitoring the asthmatic patients: Role of the mini peak flow meter

31 patients with bronchial asthma were submitted to the study from October, 1988 to April, 1990. 21 patients were using mini peak meters in monitoring their condition [G 1]. 10 asthmatic patients were used as control [not using mini peak flow meters]. Statistical analysis of all patients ventilatory functions before and after solbutamol inhalation showed a highly significant change which means reversibility of airways obstruction. In G 1 patients, there was a good correlation between chest symptoms [wheeze, dyspnea and cough] and PEFR measurements. PEFR records of the patients helped to define the possible precipitating factors for their asthmatic attacks, 9 cases [42.85%] respiratory tract infections, 4 cases [19.04%] dust and smoke, 1 case [4.76%] insecticide spray and another one due to volatile oils and 6 cases [28.57%] remained unknown. PEFR monitoring in G 1 has a significant effect [P <0.01] on decreasing the number of visits to the doctor and a highly significant effect [P <0.005] on decreasing the number of severe attack. So, regular objective observation of some aspects [PEFK] of respiratory functions is just as necessary in the management of asthma as regular blood sugars are in the management of diabetes