Lipid peroxides in essential hypertension

Plasma lipid peroxide [assessed as plasma malondialdehyde, [MDA]] was estimated chromatographically in 10 patients with essential hypertension, 10 normotensives with positive family history of hypertension, and 10 normotensives with positive family history of hypertension, and 10 normotensives with negative family history of hypertension serving as a control group. There was a highly significant increase in mean plasma MDA level in hypertensives as compared to both normotensives with positive family history and the control group, with significant positive correlation between plasma MDA level and each of systolic and distolic arterial pressure in patients with essential hypertension. No significant difference was detected in plasma MDA level between normotensives with positive family history of hypertension and the control group. These results suggest that lipid peroxides may play a roIe in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension

Bacterial overgrowth in the upper gastrointestinal tract in diabetes mellitus

The study was conducted on 70 diabetics [36 males and 34 females] and 10 healthy subjects [9 males and 1 female] as a control group. All were complaining of gastrointestinal symptoms. Abdominal sonography was done. Gastric and duodenal lavage, and gastric biopsies were taken and were cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, fungi and Helicobacter pylori 70% of diabetics were positive for bacterial overgrowth while only 10% of controls were positive. Significantly higher incidence of bacterial overgrowth was detected in uncontrolled diabetics especially those with abnormal endoscopic findings and those with autonomic neuropathy and in diabetic females. Bacterial overgrowth was not correlated with the age, the duration of diabetes or the type of gastrointestinal symptoms. The most frequent organisms were enterococci [48%], helicobacter pylori [42%] and candida [40%]

Serum procollagen peptide III in diabetes mellitus

Serum levels of procollagen peptide type III [P-Ill-P] were estimated in 65 diabetics of both types [I and II] with and without complicating macro - and / or microangiopathy. There was a significant increase in the mean serum level of P-Ill-P in patients with diabetic macroangiopathy compared to those without macroangiopathy denoting increased collagen deposition in the large arteries by the time of development of macroangiopathy. Mean serum level of P-Ill-P was significantly higher in patients with type II diabetes who had macroangiography and were under insulin than in patients who were under oral hypolycaemics. As insulin stimulates glycogen synthetase activity, which enhances collagen synthesis by fibroblasts, the insulin dependent fibroblast sensitization may play a role in the progression of macroangiopathy. A correlation was found between mean serum P-Ill-P and the duration of type I diabetes suggesting that serum P-Ill-P may represent a marker for the presence of long term complications in diabetics, particularly macroangiopathy