Effect of buspirone on fetuses of the pregnant rats

Aim of the work: the purpose of this study was to detect effect of buspirone hydrochloride [Buspar] on the structure of cerebellum cortex of the fetuses of the pregnant rats

Material and methods: buspirone hydrochloride tablets are an antianxiety. Buspirone hydrochloride [buspar] tablets were obtained from Smith Kline Beecham-Haram-Giza- Egypt. Thirty pregnant female rats were randomly categorized into three groups [Ten pregnant female rats in each group]. Group I [control group] pregnant rats were administered oral doses of distilled water, group II: in this group pregnant rats were treated with buspirone hydrochloride, they were administered oral doses of drug in the distilled water equivalent to 0.27 mg/100g. body weight/day respectively for 15 days from the 6[th] day to the 20[th] day of gestation., group III: pregnant rats were treated with to oral doses of buspirone hydrochloride in the distilled water equivalent to 0.41 mg/100g. body weight/day respectively for 15 days from the 6[th] day to the 20[th] day of gestation. Pregnat rats of all groups were sacrificed on the 20[th] day of gestation and their fetuses were obtained for the histopathological and histochemical studies

Results: treatment of pregnant rats with buspirone hydrochloride [buspar] showed many dystrophic changes in brain of their fetuses; these changes were more obvious in case of the toxic dose of buspirone which resulted in some sorts of neurotoxic structural changes in the cerebellum of fetuses of pregnant rats as evident by deformity in the cerebellar layers and degeneration of Purkinje cells

Conclusions: buspirone hydrochloride [buspar] has many adverse effects on the fetal cerebellum tissue

Chronic exposure to MDMA [ecstasy] induces DNA damage, impairs functional antioxidant cellular defenses, enhances the lipid peroxidation process and alters testes histopathology in male rat

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA or "ecstasy"] is consumed mainly by young population. For this reason, it is especially relevant to take into consideration the effects on the reproductive system. The influence of MDMA on the fertility and reproduction of the male rat was assessed in this study

Material and methods: MDMA was administered orally at 0 mg/kg [control], 10 and 30 mg/kg to male rats for 15,30,45 consecutive days followed by 15 days withdrawal. Hormonal, biochemical, histological and testicular were evaluated in the rats. The present study aimed to investigate if daily oral administration of ecstasy at low doses [10mg] for 45 days has any deleterious effects on reproductive functions of male rats. Animals were randomly divided into four groups of ten rats each, assigned as control rats, or[0mg ecstasy], rats treated with 10mg ecstasy for, [15,30,45] days, rats treated with 30mg/kg body weight ecstasy for[,15,30,45]days by oral gavage. The third group[45 days] was followed by 15 withdrawal period[W15]

Results: The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase in testicular homogenate were decreased while the levels of lipid peroxidation increased significantly in the treated rats as compared with the corresponding group of control animals. In group 30mg, only, arachidonic acid was significantly elevated in the testicular homogenate while linoleic acid was decresed when compared to control. Testis DNA fragmentation was observed in 30mg group, but not 10.mg. It is concluded that low doses of ecstasy exposure[10 mg/Kg] had moderate detrimental effects on reproductive organ system and more severe effects are likely to be observed at higher dose levels. These results indicate that ecstasy is directly toxic to primary Leydig cells, and that the decreased percentage of normal cells and the increased level of DNA damage in ecstasy-exposed Leydig cells may be responsible for decreased testosterone secretion. The results suggested that graded doses of ecstasy elicit depletion of antioxidant defence system and induce oxidative stress in testis of rats

In conclusion: the adverse effect of ecstasy on male reproduction may be due to induction of oxidative stress

Parvovirus B19 infection in patients with hematological malignancies receiving multiple courses of chemotherapy

Human parvovirus B19 [B19] exhibits a marked tropism to bone marrow, replicating exclusively in erythroid progenitor cells. Persistent B19 infection tends to occur in immunocompromised hosts and may manifest as pure red cell aplasia and chronic anemia. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of B19 infection in patients with hematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy, and to highlight the relation between B19 infection and unexplained cytopenia[s]. The study included 30 adults and 18 children suffering from a variety of hematological malignancies and receiving chemotherapy. In addition, 10 healthy adults and 10 healthy children [age and sex matched as the studied patients] were included as controls. All patients had unexplained anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia and/or thrombocytopenia and had received a minimum of 4 courses of systemic chemotherapy. B19 infection was investigated both by serologic determination of specific IgG and detection of viral DNA in serum by nested PCR. IgG was detected in 24 [80%] adults and 11 [61.1%] children, while viral DNA was found in 16 [53.3%] adults and 5 [27.8%] children. Only one adult patient [3.3%] was positive for viral DNA and negative for IgG denoting an acute infection. Significant association was detected between unexplained anemia and IgG seropositivity in children. Meanwhile, unexplained thrombocytopenia was significantly associated with the presence of viral DNA in adults. In conclusion, patients with hematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy are at particular risk of persistent B19 infection. Moreover, it is important to consider B19 infection as a possible cause of unexplained cytopenia[s] in these patients. In such cases, administration of intravenous human immunoglobulin can reduce the viremia and correct the cytopenia[s]. Prospective studies are needed to define the serologic and clinical consequences of B19 infection in this group of patients

Protective role of dispercam against adverse effects of cefotaxime on lipid peroxidation and the activities of lipoxygenase and some antioxidant enzymes

Malondialdehyde [MDA] level and the activities of superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase and lipoxygenase were determined in liver of guinea pigs treated with: 1-Cefotaxime, 2-[Cefotaxime plus dispercam], 3- dispercam, and compared their results with the control data. Cefotaxime increased both the level of MDA and the activities of SOD, catalase and lipoxygenase enzymes as compared with the normal control data. However, the treatment of guinea pigs with cefataxime plus dispercam decreased both level of MDA and the activities of SOD, catalase and lipoxygenase enzymes as compared with the data of cefotaxime treatment, i.e., Dispercam treatment decreased the side effects of cefotaxime treatment. The results also showed that, the treatment with dispercam only decrease the activities of SOD, catalase and lipoxygenase and also the level of MDA as compared with the normal control data

Effect of sulphur compounds on the rat brain and liver monoamine oxidase-B

Rat brain and liver monoamine oxidase-B is inhibited when incubated with sulphur compounds [thiourea, sulphanilamide, sulphagunidine and sulphadiazine]. These compounds inhibit the monoamine oxidase-B enzyme reversibly with time and concentration dependent response. However, methionine has no effect on the enzyme. The values of K[m] and V[max] were determined from the lineweaver-Burk plot

Effect of antimicrobial compounds of some lactic acid bacteria on growth and aflatoxins production by Aspergillus flavus

Effect of antimicrobial compounds of Lc. Thermophilus, Cit+ Lc. lactis, Lact. bulgaricus and Lact. casei on aflatoxins production and growth of Aspergillus flavus beside pH changes in growth media during 8 days incubation were determined. Addition of the antimicrobial compounds of lactic acid bacteria strains inhibited aflatoxins M1 and M2 completely and the total aflatoxins decreased markedly in the presence of these antimicrobial compounds. The increase in the antimicrobial compounds was correlated with increase in total aflatoxins inhibition. The effect of antimicrobial compounds ratios and intervals of incubation time had significant differences on aflatoxins production