Evaluation of some parameters of the stress response in patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery using either protofol or isoflurane as the anaesthetic maintenance agent

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of both propofol and isoflurane on several parameters of the stress response in patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery. This work studied 30 patients ASA I or II divided randomly into two groups to receive either propofol or isoflurane as a maintenance agent for anaesthesia for their surgical procedures. The rest of the anaesthetic protocol including a remifentanil infusion was similar between the two groups. The two groups experienced haemodynamic stability with no significant differences between mean values of heart rate, systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures of the two groups during the surgical procedure. Studies on osmotic stress induced haemolysis of red cells, agonist induced platelet aggregation and serum levels of ceruloplasmin at the end of the operation showed significant differences between the two anaesthetic agents on parameters of stress at cellular level. Propofol reduced the extent of red cell haemolysis at 0.45%. 0.4%, 0.35% and 0.3% concentrations of phosphate buffered saline when compared to corresponding values of the isoflurane group. Propofol produced a significant increase in ADP threshold of platelet aggregation at the end of surgical procedure when compared to corresponding values in the group maintained on isoflurane [3.6 +/- 0.8 uM versus 1.8 +/- 0.7 uM] suggesting a significant inhibition of platelet aggregation. Propofol also reduced the increase in serum level of ceruloplasmin at the end of the operation [25% over control values] when compared to corresponding increase in the group maintained on isoflurane [75% over control values]

Evaluation of the effect of calcium supplementation in experimentally hypertensive diabetic rats and its relation to ACE inhibitors and insulin

The aim of this work was to study the efficacy of dietary calcium supplementation [CED] [2% CaCO3, 8 weeks] as a non- pharmacological approach for the control of blood pressure, serum glucose concentration, cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels in diabetic hypertensive rats. The study also compared the effect of lisinopril [5mg/kg/day, p.o., 2 weeks] and insulin [1 U/kg/day, s.c., 2 weeks] on the previous study parameters. All rats were considered as control group at the start of the experiment with their blood pressure and blood samples taken and considered as control then the rats were rendered diabetic with streptozotocin and hypertensive by unilateral nephrectomy, followed by DOCA 25 mg/kg/week, s.c., 5 weeks. Diabetic hypertensive rats were classified into group [Gp] 1 receiving normal diet and group 2 receiving CED. During the last 2 weeks, they were further classified into 3 subgroups: Gp1a and 2a were maintained on their experimental diet; while other subgroups in addition to normal diet or CED, Gp1b and 2b were treated with insulin and Gp1c and 2c were treated with lisinopril. The results showed that administration of either CED, insulin or lisinopril significantly reduced the blood pressure, serum glucose, cholesterol and LDL in diabetic hypertensive rats; whereas the combination of either CED and insulin or CED and lisinopril exhibited a more significant antihypertensive, antiglycemic and antidyslipidemic effect in the diabetic hypertensive model