Effects of metronidazole, tinidazole, captopril and valsartan on taste and serum levels of zinc and magnesium

To study the effect of metronidazole, tinidazole, captopril and valsartan on the levels of zinc and magnesium in the serum of rabbits and humans and the histology of taste buds in rabbits. We conducted this study in the College of Medicine and Teaching Hospital, Basrah, Iraq from April 2005 to September 2006. It was in 2 parts: a clinical observational study of 54 patients treated with one of these drugs. The second part involved oral administration of metronidazole [45mg/kg], tinidazole [40mg/kg], captopril [3mg/kg] or valsartan [3mg/kg] or normal saline to 42 rabbits randomly. Serum zinc and magnesium were measured, and histological sections of tongues were examined for taste buds. In rabbits, oral metronidazole [13.6%] or tinidazole [7%] resulted in a significant reduction in serum zinc. Reductions in captopril [6.7%] and valsartan [4.2%] were smaller and insignificant. Body weight increased by 15.5gm [1391 +/- 225.3 gm to 1407 +/- 223.2 gm] in the control group, a lesser increase of approximately 8 gm, was found in the metronidazole group [1452 +/- 222.6 gm to 1460 +/- 221.9 gm]. Rabbit tongues showed moderate degeneration of taste buds caused by tinidazole, severe degeneration of captopril and minimal changes of valsartan. In humans, the drugs did not result in significant changes in serum zinc or magnesium. Approximately 73.3% of patients in the metronidazole group and 11.1% in the valsartan group had taste changes. It is concluded that metronidazole and tinidazole, but not captopril or valsartan resulted in a significant reduction of zinc level in rabbit, but not in human. Captopril and not valsartan caused severe degeneration in taste buds. Serum zinc level seems not to be related to taste buds changes

Effect of the aqueous extract of matricaria chamomilla on stress-ethanol induced acute gastric ulceration in rabbits

The anti-ulcer effect of the aqueous extract of Matricaria chamomilla flowers [chamomile extract, CE] had been tested on stress- ethanol induced gastric ulceration in rabbits. The first part of the study was to induce acute gastric ulceration by stress or stress ethanol combinations. Stress alone teas unable to produce gastric ulcerations while ulcer was induced in the group of rabbits exposed to stress in the presence of ethanol [5ml / kg] with a mean value of ulcer index of 108.3mm +/- 29 [n=8]. Histopathological examination was done to confirm the effect of stress-ethanol combination on gastric mucosa. The second part of the study was performed to investigate the pharmacological effect of various concentrations of the aqueous extract of chamomile [1%, 4% and 8%] on gastric ulceration. The extract was given 15 minutes before ethanol administration. The results have shown a significant anti ulcer effect of chamomile extract with mean values of ulcer index of 76. 4mm +/- 14.2 [P< 0.01]; 11mm +/- 14.2 [P<0.005] and 53mm +/- 27.9 [P<0.01] for the concentrations 1%, 4% and 8% respectively as compared to the control value of 133.25 mm +/- 46.2 [n=8]. It is concluded that the extract of Matricaria chamomilla flowers has anti ulcer effect

Serum antiepileptic drugs monitoring

A total of 25 patients with grand mal epilepsy were included in the present study. Blood samples collected and assayed for phenytoin and carbamazepine by modified HPLC method. The total number of samples assayed for phenytoin were 14 samples and for carbamazepine 16 samples [6 samples contain both drugs]. In phenylion 4 patients show subtherapeutic level and one patient showed toxic level. For carbamazepine 3 patients have subtherapeutic level and 3 patients had toxic level. The dose range for both drugs were in the lower recommended limit, and 52% of the patients were on multiple drug therapy. It is concluded that treatment with phenytion and carbamazepine should be started with monotherapy accompanied by serum level monitoring and the dose gradually increased until we reach the upper therapeutic range, if no response is obtained another drug can be added

Acute poisoning in adults: a 4-year retrospective study of patients admitted to Basrah Al-Jumhorit Hospital

During the period of January 1983 to December 1986, there were 190 adult admissions to medical wards at Basrah AI-Jumhori Hospital as a result of acute poisoning [0.73% of total medical admission]. The overall male to female ratio was 1: 1.92 and about two thirds of patients were less than 20 years of age. Admissions were more common in the summer months and in 70% of poisoning cases, medicinal preparations were involved. Benzodiazepines were the main agents [22%], followed by analgesics [17.4%], while gases [5.8%] and organo-phosphorus compounds [4.7%] were the main non-medicine offenders [10.5%]. Patients who have ingested more than one substance accounted for 15. Poisoning was accidental in only 10.5%. High percentage of patients [42%] were given forced diuresis as a treatment and 18.4% had psychiatric assessment prior to discharge. The majority of patients were discharged in less than three days with an inpatient mortality mounting to 1.6%