Effect of quinine therapy on plasma glucose and plasma insulin levels in pregnant women infected with Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Gezira state

To determine if quinine has a metabolic effect during treatment of severe or complicated malaria, we studied its effects on plasma glucose and plasma insulin levels in 150 pregnant women with malaria referred to Madani maternity teaching hospital, Gezira state and 50 healthy pregnant controls. Levels were determined at baseline [day 0] before the start of quinine treatment, after 2 days of treatment [2 hours after the 4th dose] and after 7 days of treatment [day 8]. There was a statistically significant increase in plasma insulin concentrations during the quinine infusion and fall in plasma glucose concentration [P<0.001]. Quinine administered at the recommended dose and rate can disrupt plasma glucose homeostasis although it is still the drug of choice for severe and complicated malaria in Sudan

effect of gum Arabic oral treatment on the iron and protein status in chronic renal failure patients under regular hemodialysis in central Sudan

Objective: To assess the effect of gum arabic [Acacia Senegal] oral treatment on the iron and protein status in chronic renal failure patients

Material and Methods: Thirty-six chronic renal failure [CRF] patients [under regular hemodialysis], and 10 normal subjects participated in this study. The patients were randomly allocated into the following groups: Group A [n=12]: CRF patients under low protein diet [LPD] [less than 40 gram/day], and gum arabic [50 g/day] treatment; Group B [n=14]: CRF patients under LPD, gum arabic, iron [ferrous sulphate 200 mg/day] and folic acid [5 mg/day] treatment; Group C [control group, n=10]: CRF patients under LPD, iron and folic acid treatment; Group D [n=10]: normal volunteers who were kept on normal diet beside a daily dose of 50 gm gum arabic. Each of the above treatments was continued for three consecutive months. Predialysis blood samples were collected from each subject before treatment, and twice per month for three months. Hemoglobin [Hb], hematocrit, total protein, albumin, globulin and 24-hour urine volume as well as serum iron, total iron-binding capacity [TIBC],transferrin saturation, packed cell volume [PCV] and, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [MCHC] were determined

Results: Following administration of gum arabic oral treatment for three months, serum iron increased by 5.85% and 4.81% for groups A and B, respectively. These increases were significantly different from the baseline [P<0.05], and control group C [P<0.01]. TIBC was significantly decreased in group A [4.44%] and in group B [4.31%] as compared with the baseline and control group C [P<0.05]. Transferrin saturation was significantly increased by 7.77%, and 9.59% for groups A and B, respectively, compared with the baseline [P<0.05] and control group C [P<0.01]. Hb, PCV, MCHC, serum total protein, albumin and globulin, and 24-hour urine volume showed no statistically significant differences from the baseline and control groups

Conclusion: The improvement in iron status due to oral administration of gum arabic could reduce the need for oral iron prescription