Effects of Locally Delivered Morin Hydrate on Iodoacetate-induced Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis in Rats / Efeitos locais da indução de Hidrato de Morina na articulação temporomandibular de ratos com osteoartrite induzida por Iodoacetato

Objectives: morin hydrate has been reported to possess many beneficial pharmacological potentialities including antioxidant and anti-osteoarthritic effects. The anti-osteoarthritic properties of locally administrated morin have not been investigated. The objective of this study is to evaluate the locally delivered morin on the temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis in rat. Materials and methods: thirty young adult female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly arranged into three groups; control, osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis with morin. Both the iodoacetate for osteoarthritis induction and morin hydrate therapy were delivered unilaterally via intra-articular route. Results: morin reduced osteoarthritis manifestations with prominent thickening of both condylar fibrous layer and articular disc accompanied with discal cells hypertrophy that ultimately acquired chondrocytes features. The condylar cartilage matrix showed enhancement of extracellular matrix production with morin administration. Discussion: the present studyhas elucidated antiosteoarthritic effect of intra articular injection of morin hydrate. Although morin has managed to prevent the propagation and advancing some of the recorded osteoarthritic manifestations; however, it showed some failure in managing others. The administration of morin hydrate modulated the structure of the joint rather than restore it back to its typical configuration. Conclusion: the morin hydrate administration to osteoarthritic animals showed relieve in some of osteoarthritic features and modulated the structure of some joint components to compensate the unhandled manifestations (AU)

Objetivo: Relata-se que o Hidrato de Morina possui diversas potencialidades farmacológicas benéficas, incluindo efeitos antioxidantes e anti-osteoartríticos. As propriedades antiosteoartríticas da morina administrada localmente não foram investigadas. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a Morina administrada localmente sobre a osteoartrite da articulação temporomandibular em ratos. Material e métodos: Trinta ratos adultos jovens de linhagem Sprague Dawley foram dispostos aleatoriamente em três grupos: grupo controle, grupo com osteoartrite e grupo com osteoartrite e Morina. Tanto o Iodoacetato para a indução da osteoartrite como a terapia com Hidrato de Morina foram administrados unilateralmente por via intra-articular. Resultados: A Morina reduziu as manifestações da osteoartrite com espessamento proeminente tanto da camada fibrosa condilar como do disco articular acompanhado de hipertrofia das células discais que acabaram por adquirir características condrócitas. A matriz da cartilagem condilar mostrou um aumento da produção de matriz extracelular com administração de Morina. Discussão: O presente estudo elucidou o efeito antiosteoartrítico da injeção intra-articular de Hidrato de Morina. Apesar da Morina ter impedido a propagação e o avanço de algumas das manifestações osteoartríticas registadas, mostrou algumas falhas na manipulação de outras. A administração de Hidrato de Morina modulou a estrutura da articulação em vez de restaurar à sua configuração típica. Conclusão: A administração de Hidratode Morina em animais osteoartríticos mostrou alívio em algumas das características osteoartríticas e modulou a estrutura de alguns componentes da articulação em compensação às manifestações não tratadas. (AU)

Evaluation of serum level of 25-hydroxy vitamin d in vitiligo patients

Introduction: Vitiligo is an acquired skin disease characterized by loss of functional melanocytes from the epidermis. Despitethe several factors studied, the pathogenesis of vitiligo remains unclear. Vitiligo could be associated with low vitamin D levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum 25(OH) D levels in vitiligo patients in comparison of normal controls. Methods: After meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria, serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels were assayed, in all subjects included in this case control study (21 patients and 21 age and sex matched healthy individuals). Vitiligo disease activity index (VIDA), affected body surface area (BSA),site of lesion, age of patients and duration of vitiligo were evaluated in relation to vitamin D level. Results: A total of 42 participants were enrolled in our study, 21 patients with vitiligo and 21 who served as controls. The mean serum level of vitamin D were significantly decreased in the patients group as compared with the control group ( 17.3ng ̸ml ± 5.3 vs 25.8 ng/ml ±7.9, P = 0.006). There was non-significant correlation between vitamin D level with age, duration of vitiligo, and affected body surface area (P>0.05), but there was significant difference in 25(OH)D levels between different grades of VIDA. Conclusion: In this study, we found a significant 25(OH) D deficiency in patients with vitiligo, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency may plays a role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo

Immunohistopathological evaluation of hepatic cd14 expression in murine schistosomiasis mansoni

Bilharziasis is one of the most common parasitic diseases, mostly affecting the liver by causing the formation of granuloma and hepatic fibrosis, and historically endemic diseases in Egypt. Hundreds of studies examined the hepatic schistosomiasis pathogenesis to find out points for possible drug interference with disease progression and complications. The macrophages are the major source of CD14 in liver granulomas of S. mansoni-infected mice and CD14 might have regulatory roles during infection. The current study evaluated the cellular expression of CD14 in livers of S. mansoni infected mice in comparison with healthy controls, for assessment of its potential regulatory role in schistosome-induced hepatic fibrosis. Histopathological study of livers of S. mansoni infected mice after 12 weeks of infection was conducted using routine H and E stain and M.T stain for tissue fibrosis. Immunohistochemical evaluation of CD14 positive cells was also performed using DAB as a chromogen. The results showed upregulation of CD14 expression in infected mice, compared to healthy control mice, with variable percentage and different distribution in relation to granuloma type

Evaluation of ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir for treatment of compensated and decompensated HCV cirrhotic patients

Background: unlike human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] and hepatitis B virus [HBV], hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection is a curable disease. Current direct acting antiviral agent [DAA] targets are focused on HCV NS3/4A protein [protease], NS5B protein [polymerase] and NS5A protein. The first generation of DAAs includes boceprevir and telaprevir, which are protease inhibitors and were approved for clinical use in 2011. The cure rate for genotype 1 patients increased from 45% to 70% when boceprevir or telaprevir was added to standard PEG-IFN/ribavirin. More effective and less toxic second generation DAAs supplanted these drugs by 2013. The second generation of DAAs includes sofosbuvir, simeprevir and fixed combination medicines containing ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir and Viekira Pak. These drugs increase cure rates to over 90% without the need for interferon and effectively treat all HCV genotypes. With these drugs the "cure HCV" goal has become a reality. The aim of this study was to assess of ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir as treatment of HCV infection in patients with advanced liver disease including cirrhotic patients with child B and C

Patients and methods: in this prospective study, seventy five HCV PCR positive patients were classified into three groups according to child score. Each group included twenty five patients. All patients received ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir for six months. For all patients thorough medical history, clinical examination, kidney function tests, liver function tests, complete blood count, pelvi-abdominal ultrasound, HCVantibodies, hepatitis C viral RNA, quantitative, HbsAg, alpha fetoprotein as baseline screening. HCV PCR done for all patients at end of treatment and three months later to detect sustained virological response [SVR12]. Patients with combined HCV and HBV infection, hepatic or extrahepatic malignancies and late child C were excluded

Results: showed that no statistical significant difference were detected in patients of group A as regard liver function tests before and after treatment and SVR12 achieved by 96%. Patients of group B showed significant statistical difference as regard liver function tests before and after treatment with SVR12 achieved by 88%. In patients of group C there were significant statistical difference in liver function tests with SVR12 achieved by 80%. Also there were clinical improvement in patients of group B and C after end of treatment

Conclusion: it could be concluded that there will be a dramatic improvement in HCV therapy followed the introduction of oral medicines that directly inhibiting the replication cycle of HCV. The combination pill contains a fixed-dose of ledipasvir 90 mg and sofosbuvir 400 mg, two direct-acting antiviral agents against HCV. Ledipasvir is an inhibitor of the NS5A protein, which is required for HCV replication. Sofosbuvir inhibits the HCV NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, which is also required for viral replication. Sofosbuvir is a nucleotide prodrug that undergoes intracellular metabolism to form a pharmacologically active triphosphate that can incorporate into the HCV RNA. Ledipasvir plus sofosbuvir can be used safely in treatment of compensated and decompensated post hepatitis C liver cirrhosis. SVR12 can be achieved by 96% in patients with early cirrhosis [child A], 88% in patients with child B cirrhosis and 80% in patients with child C with subsequent improvement in liver functions

Towards Better Understanding of Medical Students: Learning Styles of Preclinical and Clinical Medical Students.

Introduction: Medical students represent a broad spectrum of diversity that presents a challenge for instructors to meet their educational needs. Four sensory modalities of learning have been described: visual, auditory, read-write, and kinaesthetic (VARK). In order to strengthen students' non preferred learning styles, their preferred styles must be identified. This study aims at understanding the learning styles of medical students in order to develop appropriate learning approaches. Materials and methods: The English version of the VARK questionnaire was distributed to preclinical and clinical students. Students were classified into Uni-, Bi-, Tri- or Quadri-modal. Results: There were statistically significant differences between preclinical and clinical students in the means of different VARK styles. The Quadri-modal preference (VARK) was the most preferred followed by Kinaesthetic. The most common in bimodal was Auditory-Kinaesthetic while in tri-modal Auditory-Read-Kinaesthetic and Visual-Auditory-Kinaesthetic. There were statistically significant differences between Preclinical and Clinical students in (Visual-Read) preference and (Auditory-Read-Kinaesthetic) and (Visual-Auditory-Kinaesthetic) preferences. Conclusion: A hypothesis that medical students had higher preference for Kinaesthetic learning compared to average students, was confirmed in this study. Further studies are recommended to investigate the correlation between different learning styles and performance of students in different types of exams.

Influence of prenatal protein malnutrition and low doses caffeine administration on pregnancy outcome and on growth and development of albino rat fetuses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent and combined effects of prenatal protein malnutrition and caffeine administration on the outcome of pregnancy and on the growth and development of the 20-day albino rat fetuses. Twenty-four pregnant albino rats were divided equally into 4 groups; control group [20% protein], caffeine group [20% protein + caffeine], protein malnourished group [6% protein] and combined group [6% protein + caffeine]. Protein malnutrition started from the first day of gestation, while low dose caffeine [25 mg/kg BW, IG] was given daily from day 6-12 of gestation. Fetuses were collected by caesarian section at the 20th day of gestation. External examination was done before and after their fixation in Bouin's solution. Internal examination was done using Wilson's hand razor blade technique. The results revealed that prenatal protein malnutrition alone increased pre-implantation loss, decreased placental weight, delayed growth of the fetuses leading to intra uterine growth retardation [IUGR] as revealed from the reduction in fetal weight, crown rump length, head length and biparietal diameter. It also led to high incidence of internal hematomas in the fetuses. These findings became more pronounced in the fetuses of the combined group that showed also some abnormal findings like loss of the wrinkled skin, mild micrognathia, presence of small cranial subcutaneous hematomas and kinky tail. However, low doses caffeine administration in the caffeine group produced mild suppressive effects on fetal growth and reduction in placental weight

Skeletal ossification of 20-day albino rat fetuses under the influence of maternal protein malnutrition and low doses caffeine administration during pregnancy

The purpose of the present work was to study skeletal ossification of the 20-day albino rat fetus under the influence of maternal protein malnutrition and the administration of low subtoxic doses of caffeine which are known to produce minimal effects on the fetus. Twenty-four pregnant albino rats were divided equally into 4 groups; control group [20% protein], caffeine group [20% protein + caffeine], protein malnourished group [6% protein] and combined group [6% protein + caffeine]. Maternal protein malnutrition started from the first day of gestation, while low dose caffeine [25 mg/kg BW, IG] was given daily to the mothers from day 6-12 of gestation. Fetuses were collected by caesarian section at the 20th day of gestation. Bones were stained by alizarin red using Dawson's then ossification was assessed. The results revealed that low doses of caffeine administration have mild effects on ossification of fetal bones, while maternal protein malnutrition delayed ossification markedly. The combination of caffeine and protein malnutrition increased the delaying of ossification in the combined of caffeine and protein malnutrition increased the delaying of ossification in the combined group as compared to all other studied group. A significant delay in ossification was especially noticed in sternum, cervical and sacral vertebrae, pubis and metacarpal bones of the fetuses of the combined group as compared to the caffeine group which indicates that caffeine has a synergistic role to protein malnutrition in the combined group

Glomerular changes in the fetal kidneys of diabetic rat treated with insulin and melatonin

Free oxygen radicals, easily formed in the diabetic patients, were thought to play an important role in the development of diabetic complications. This study investigated the effects of the diabetic milieu on the weight and renal glomeruli of the fetuses of the pregnant diabetic albino rats. It also evaluated the protective role of melatonin, as an antioxidant, and the insulin on the fetal developing glomeruli. Diabetes was induced in the virgin adult female rats by a single dose of alloxan [160 mg / Kg BW] intraperitoneally. The study was done on five groups of pregnant albino rats: 1] control group, 2] diabetic untreated group, 3] diabetic group treated with insulin [crystalline insulin, 2 - 6 IU / day, subcutaneously, from the start of pregnancy to GD 20], 4] diabetic group treated with melatonin [9 mg / Kg BW / day, intragastrically, from the start of pregnancy to GD 20] and 5] diabetic group treated with both melatonin and insulin. Thirty-eight fetuses were collected randomly form each group on GD 20; their weights were recorded then their renal glomeruli were evaluated histologically, immunohistochemically and morphometrically. The results revealed that in group 2 there was a significant increase in fetal weight accompanied by an increase in the glomerular number and surface area. Also the incidence of thickening of glomerular basement membrane, expansion of mesangial matrix and deposition of collagen IV in the fetal kidney were the highest in this group. In group 3, all the above mentioned parameters were shifted towards the control side. In group 4, only the number of glomeruli and the incidence of glomerular basement membrane thickening were improved. In group 5, the addition of melatonin to insulin did not improve, as expected, the evaluated parameters when compared to insulin alone in group 2. These results indicate that a mechanism rather than free radical pathway leads to the pathogenesis of fetal nephropathy and that melatonin antagonizes the beneficial effects of insulin

effects of triton X-100 [nonethylene glycol octylphenol ether] on the osteoninduction capacity of the demineralized bone powder [experimental study]

The present study tested the hypothesis that Triton X-100 [non-ethylene glycol octylphenol ether] as a detergent would expose the host cells to the demineralized bone powder [DBP] by dissolving their membranes and subsequently increase the osteoinductive capacity of the DBP of the rat long and cranial bones. Allogenic DBP was prepared according to the methods described by Reddi and Huggins. Half of the DBP either the cranial and the long bone origins were incubated with Triton X-100. The other halves were used as control. Rats were divided into four groups [five each]. The DPB with different origins and treatment modalities was implanted between the rectus abdominus muscle and its fascia. Few DBP particles were processed for electron microscopy. The results showed that the amounts of newly formed bone in the cranial DBP implants treated in the control cranial DBP implants. The amounts of the newly formed bone in the cranial DBP implants in general was greater than that found in the long DBP implants. The osteoinductive capacity of the Triton X-100 treated cranial DBP is superior to the cranial DBP alone, long DBP treated with Triton X-100 and long DBP alone. The present study recommended the clinical use of Triton X-100 treated DBP in ridge augmentation and repair of facial defects

Comparative study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of high dose tamoxifen and dexamethasone versus dexamethasone alone in the management of recurrent malignant gliomas

This study included 19 [15 males and 4 females] evaluable patients with recurrent malignant gliomas who failed treatment with external radiotherapy, they were randomly assigned into two arms [A and B] by a simple toss test. Arm A included ten patients [eight males and two females] treated with tamoxifen in an escalating dose to reach the target dose of 160 mg/day in the third week of treatment and dexamethasone in a dose of 12 mg/day. Arm B included nine patients [seven males and two females] treated with dexamethasone only in the same dose. In arm A, a clinical improvement was detected in three patients and radiological improvement was detected in one of them and two patients had a stable disease. The remaining five patients had a rapid progressive disease despite of treatment. In arm B, two patients had clinical improvement of a short duration and one patient had a stationary course and no radiological improvement was detected in any patients. The remaining six patients deteriorated rapidly. No major side effects were reported in both arms apart from one patient in arm A who developed deep venous thrombosis [DVT] and responded to medical treatment