Acinar cell ultrastructure after taurine treatment in rat acute necrotizing pancreatitis

To evaluate the organelle-based changes in acinar cells in experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis [ANP] after taurine treatment and the association of electron microscopic findings with histopathological changes and oxidative stress markers. The study was performed in February 2005 at Gulhane School of Medicine and Hecettepe University, Turkey. Forty-five rats were divided into 3 groups. Acute necrotizing pancreatitis was induced in groups II and III. Groups I and II were treated with saline and Group III with taurine 1000 mg/kg/day, i.p, for 48 hours. Histopathological and ultrastructural examinations were determined using one-way analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Histopathologic findings improved significantly after taurine treatment. Degree of injury in rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulums, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and nucleus of acinar cells also decreased with taurine in correlation with biochemical and histological results. Taurine improves acinar cell organelle structure, and ultrastructural recovery in ANP reflects histological improvement

Magnesium decreases cardiac injury in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery

The calcium-channel blocking effect of magnesium might have protective effects in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. We assessed the effects of magnesium on hearts undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery with intermittent warm blood hyperkalemic cardioplegia in the antegrade fashion. Patients and Twenty patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery were randomly divided into two groups, a control group who received intermittent antegrade warm blood hyperkalemic cardioplegia for myocardial protection, and a study group who received the same solution with the addition of magnesium to the cardioplegia. Extracellular substrates [creatinine phosphokinase, creatinine phosphokinase-MB group, lactate dehydrogenase, c-reactive protein, and cardiac troponin I were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. There were significant differences in the post-operative concentrations of creatinine phosphokinase, creatinine phosphokinase-MB group, c-reactive protein, and lactate dehydrogenase after cardiopulmonary bypass [P<0.001] in the study group compared with the control subjects. Cardiac troponin I levels were also significantly lower in the study group after cardiopulmonary bypass [P<0.005]. Conclusions: Our study indicates that if magnesium is added to intermittent antegrade warm blood hyperkalemic cardioplegia, blood levels of many markers of cardiac myocardial injury after cardiopulmonary bypass are lowered. This finding may have implications for myocardial protection