Impact of treatment with praziquantel supplemented by silymarin on schistosoma mansoni-induced fibrosis in mice

Schistosomiasis caused by S. mansoni continues to be the most common fibrotic disease resulting from inflammation and deposition of scar tissue around parasite eggs trapped in the liver. Because of the hepatic importance and its ability to regenerate, treating liver fibrosis is of vital significance. Silymarin, a flavinoid complex of Silybum marianum from a plant of the family Asteracea, has received much attention as a potential anti-fibrotic and hepatoprotective agent. To investigate the effect of combining silymarin with praziquantel [PZQ] in the treatment of liver fibrosis in mice infected with S. mansoni. The study was carried out on 120 mice; 96 of which were infected with 100 S. mansoni cercariae and the rest served as non infected controls. Mice were classified into 5 groups, 24 each. G1: Normal control; G2: Infected untreated control; G3: Infected and treated with PZQ, started 6 weeks post infection [PI]; G4: Infected and treated with silymarin, started 4 weeks PI and G5: Infected and treated with silymarin, 4 weeks PI followed by PZQ 6 weeks PI Eight mice from each group were sacrificed on the 10[th], 14[th] and 18[th] week PI. Parasitological, histopathological and biochemical parameters that reflect the disease severity and morbidity were studied. Deposition of extra-cellular matrix [ECM] was determined by estimation of trans-4 hydroxy-L-proline [Hyp] in hepatic cells. PZQ alone showed a significantly high reduction in the mean egg count/gm stool, liver and intestines and was associated with significant increase in the percentage of dead eggs all over the period of the experiment. Silymarin administered alone resulted in slight improvement of parasitological parameters. All the treated groups revealed significant decrease in granuloma diameter especially those after 18[th] week PI Groups treated with silymarin or when combined with PZQ revealed the highest decrease in granuloma diameter at all periods of sacrifice. All treated groups revealed a significant decrease in the Hyp hepatic content. However, the groups treated with silymarin alone or combined with PZQ revealed the most significant decrease in Hyp levels at all periods of sacrifice.The best results obtained, with most of the parameters studied, were in the groups of mice treated with silymarin in combination with PZQ. The use of silymarin combined with PZQ did not affect the chemotherapeutic effect of the latter, and can be safely used with PZQ in patients infected with S. mansoni. Co-administration of silymarin with PZQ reduced the granulomatous inflammatory reactions in the acute and chronic stages of infection. It also had the ability to attenuate liver fibrosis induced by S. mansoni infection. Silymarin can be safely used as an adjuvant with PZQ in the treatment of schistosomiasis mansoni

use of soy hydrolysate for tetanus toxin production

The present work was planned to develop a modified system for the growth of C. tetani and production of tetanus toxin, the system includes growth media that contain no meat or dairy by-products using non-animal based products. Hydrolyzed soy proteins have been found to replace the meat/dairy product for growth of C. tetani and the production of its toxin, these replacements resulted in production of high tetanus toxin titer and of low side effects

Serum adiponectin in newborns and in one and two years old infants: relationship with body weight, leptin and insulin

Adiponectin is the only adipose-specific hormone that, despite its exclusive production by adipose tissue, is reduced in obesity and is inversely correlated with leptin levels in adults. It plays a critical role in the control of energy balance in adult life. However, its functions and relations to other hormones are not yet fully understood in infants. The aim of this study is to assess adiponectin levels in newborns at birth, one and two years of life and to define its association with weight, serum leptin and insulin. Serum adiponectin, leptin and insulin levels were investigated in 48 newborns [24 small for gestational age [SGA] and 24 appropriate for gestational age [A GA]]. Infants aged one year [n=20] and two years [n=20] were also included in this study. The levels of serum adiponectin were significantly decreasing while serum leptin and insulin were significantly increasing at one and two years. Serum adiponectin was correlated positively with weight [r=0.509, p<0.001] and leptin [r=0.355, p<0.05] but not correlated with serum insulin in all newborns. At one and two years adiponectin was correlated positively with insulin [r=0.444, p<0.05 and r0.448, p<0.05 respectively]. The correlation between adiponectin and weight at one year [r=-0.056, p=0.816] and between it and leptin at two years [r=-0.171, p=0.471] changed into negative but did not reach a statistically significant level. Serum leptin was correlated positively with weight in all newborns [r=0.935, p<0.001]. At two years it was positively correlated with weight [r=0. 721, p<0.001] and insulin [r=0.641, p<0.01]. Serum adiponectin and leptin levels were significantly lower in SGA than AGA infants [30.08 +/- 9.54 micro/ml and 4.33 +/- 3.20 microg/L, p<0.001 respectively] but there was no difference in serum insulin. In conclusion, adiponectin is higher in newborns than at one and two years. The change in correlation of adiponectin with weight and leptin from positive in newborns to negative in adults might occur at the first 2 years of life

Coagulation defects and platelets function in splenectomized and non-splenectomized beta-thalassemic children

The aim of this work is to evaluate the coagulation defects and platelet function in beta-thalassemic children before and after splenectomy. Also to evaluate the effect of L-carnitine therapy on the coagulation events and platelet function in these patients. The study included 56 beta-thalassemic children who were admitted at the Hematology Unit in the Pediatric University Hospital - Assiut with 20 sex and age matched children as controls. They were subjected to clinical examination and laboratory investigations in the form of: screening tests for coagulation: PT, APTT TT, PC and fibrinogen, natural anticoagulants studies like protein S, protein C and antithrombin III activity and platelet response to adinosindiphosphate [ADP], ristocetin [Rist], collagen and arachidonic acid [AA]. Nineteen children did splenectomy and these studies were done after 2 months of this manover. L-Carnitine therapy in a dose of 3 gm orally daily for 2 months was given to 20 non-splenectomized beta-thalassernic children and the previous follow up laboratorial studies were done. It was found that platelet response to ADP, Rist, collagen and AA was significantly decreased in non-splenoctomized patients and significantly increased in the splenectomized ones in comparison to controls. The coagulation screen tests showed significant defect in the form of prolonged PT, APTT, TT and low PC with decrease fibrinogen levels in both splenectomized and nonsplenecloinized beta-thalassemic children in comparison to controls with no significant difference between before and after splenectomy. Natural anticoagulants except protein S were significantly lower in both non-splenectomized and splenectomized beta-thalassemic children than those of the controls with no difference between before and after splenectomy. L-Carnitine therapy improved the platelet aggregation in the non splenectomized beta-thalasseinic children with no affection on the coagulation tests and natural anticoagulants. In conclusion, thalassemia major can be complicated by defective platelet aggregation and bleeding tendency. Splenectomy causes increased platelet aggregation which with the decreased levels of natural anticoagulants lead to the liability to thromboembolic complications. L-Carnitine might affect and improve platelet aggregation in non-splenectomized children but it could aggravate the thromboembolic complications in the non-splenectomized ones. Iron overload prevention with iron celation and antioxidants is recommended to prevent platelet aggregation and coagulation defects. Salicylates therapy to cases with thromboembolic complications might decrease thrombus formation and dangerous events

Study of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in short children with growth hormone deficiency

A total of 100 children with GHD of both sexes were included in this study. They were 29 females [29%] and 71 males [71%], and age ranged from 6.5-14 years. They were below 3 SDS for age and sex, growth velocity [cm/year] below the tenth centile for age and sex, growth hormone level below 10ng/ml [by two provocative tests]. Another 100 of normal children of both sexes, 25 females [25%] and 75 males [75%] and age ranged from 7-15 years as a control group. Both groups were subjected to the following: Full history taking and clinical examination, full anthropometric assessment that include the following: Target height, midparental height, height and growth velocity in cm/year. Skeletal maturity and bone age determination. Thyroid profile [free T3, T4. TSH], CBC, renal and liver function tests, karyotyping and cranial CT or MRI was done to exclude other causes of short stature. GH secretion by two provocative tests [clonidine and insulin tolerance tests] at one-week interval. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were determined at diagnosis and after GH therapy for one year. Height SDS improved from -3.69 to-3.12 after GH therapy. The correlation between GH basal or peak and IGF-l or IGFBP-3 were not significant. We found also that IGF-l was highly specific for GH specially in the age groups [6-8 Y], [8-10Y] and [12-14 Y] and were 100%, 100% and 94.6% respectively, but on the other hand it was less sensitive in all age group except age group [10-12 Y] it was 75%. As regard IGFBP-3 it was highly specific in age group [12-14 Y] and [6-8 Y], 97.3% and 91.7% respectively and moderate to less specific in other age group, but it was less sensitive in all age group. we concluded that GH dose and schedule of GH injections used in the study for GHD patients is associated with a catch up growth followed by a period of steady growth. Both IGF-I and IGFBP-3 have high specificity in most age groups and this means that they can rule in GHD, but they can not rule out GHD because of low sensitivity. Combined screening for GHD using both IGF-l and IGFBP-3 may add some diagnostic information in comparison with the use of either test alone

Incidence of hepatitis A, B, and C in Embaba fever hospital among acute hepatitis patients

This work was conducted on 107 adult Egyptian patients with acute viral hepatitis as well as ten normal age and sex matched subjects taken as a control group. The patients were divided into HAV, HBV, HCV, combined HBV and HCV and seronegative groups. The results indicated that among 107 patients diagnosed as acute viral hepatitis, 55 patients were positive for HbsAg, 28 patients were positive for HCV antibodies and seven patients were positive for HAV. Also, six patients were positive for both HBV and HCV and 11 patients were seronegative. The incidence of bilharziasis was higher in the seronegative group. It was concluded that the most frequent cause of acute viral hepatitis among the studied Egyptian patients was HBV, followed by HCV infection; while HAV represented the least one to cause acute viral hepatitis among adults

Cardiovascular changes after org NC 45 [vecuronium] and pancuronium during halothane anesthesia

The heart rate and arterial blood pressure were monitored after the administration of vecuronium and pancuronium in patients anesthetized with halothane while surgical stimulation was absent to compare the cardiovascular effects of the two drugs. This study was carried out on 28 patients, all of them were premedicated with 10 mg of diazepam pre-operatively. Induction, of anaesthesia was done using thiopental and the patient was intubated after the administration of succinylcholine. Anaesthesia was maintained with halothane and nitrous oxide in oxygen [7:3 L/min]. Ventilation was controlled to maintain normocarbia. ECG [Lead II] was monitored continuously, the heart rate and blood pressure were measured every two minutes. After 15 minutes of halothane anaesthesia, 0.1 mg/kg body weight of either vecuronium or pancuronium was administered as a bolus and the H.R. and BI. P. were measured every 2 minutes for another 10 minutes. Blood gas analysis was performed before the relaxant administration and at the end of the study period, then surgery was allowed to start. Patients were classified into 2 groups each contains 14 patients. Group I received vecuronium that produced insignificant cardiovascular effects while pancuronium given to patients in group II increases the heart rate significantly at different times of the study period whereas systolic and diastolic pressures showed insignificant increase

neuromuscular blocking effect of full and half equipotent doses of d-tubocurarine and vecuronium combinations versus d-tubocurarine alone

This study was carried out on 30 patients [17 males and 13 females] undergoing elective surgical procedures under general anaesthesia. No patient had neuromuscular [NM], renal, cardiovascular, respiratory or hepatic diseases. All patients were premedicated with 10 mg of diazepam orally and 1 mg of atropine intramuscular 1 hour pre-operatively. Anaesthesia was induced with thiopental 4-5 mg/kg, while the equipment for monitoring the neuromuscular function [The Myograph 2000-Biometer], being attached to the patient. Succinuyl-choline in a dose of 1 mg/Kg was used to facilitate tracheal intubation Anaesthesia was maintained with nitrous oxide [N2O] in oxygen [7:3 L/min] and 0.5% Halothane with increments of 20 mg pethidine given if needed. After stabilization of twitch response of train-of-four [TOF], the muscle relaxant under study was given and patients were classified into 3 groups. The first group received 0.3 mg/Kg of d-Tubocurarine [dtc], the second group received 0.03 mg/Kg of dtc plus 0.005 mg/Kg of vecuronium [Vecu.] The third group received 0.015 mg/Kg of dtc plus 0.0025 mg/Kg of vecu. At the end of the surgical procedure, spontaneous recovery was allowed to occur and the residual blockade was antagonized. The onset times and 5% to 25% recovery times were estimated. This study was carried out to evaluate the NM blocking effect of combinations of dtc and vecu. in full and half equipotent doses of each drug versus dtc alone. It was found that full equipotent doses of dtc plus vec. can produce 95% depression of NM function as dtc alone; while Half equipotent doses can not produce more than 60% depression of NM function and all patients received the combinations of the two drugs recovered significantly more quickly than patients received dtc alone

Effect of thiopental and succinylcholine on serum potassium concentration in children undergoing surgery

The effect of thiopental and succinylcholine on serum K[+] concentration in children undergoing surgery was studied in 90 medically free, children undergoing a variety of elective surgical procedures for which general anaesthesia was required. Patients were classified according to their ages into 3 groups each of them contains 30 patients. Furtherly, each group was divided according to the anaesthetic technique into 2 subgroups each contains 15 patients. This study was undertaken to compare the effect of thiopental without a muscle relaxant and the use of thiopental and succinylcholin on serum potassium concentrations in medically free children undergoing elective surgeries. It was found that, thiopental alone produces a significant decrease in serum K[+] levels in all groups of patients regardless their ages. And the use of thiopental before succinylcholine also produces a significant decrease in serum K[+] to a level below the control level in groups I and II, but in group III of patients there was non significant changes in serum K[+] after the use of thiopental and succinylcholine

Biometrical and hitomorphological studies on the cervix of the owasi ewes in Iraq

The biometrical and histomorphological studies of the Owasi ewe's cervix revealed that the length, diameter and weight ranged 5.2-6.7 cm, 0.9-2.1 cm and 6.3-13 g, respectively. The cervical mucosa has two types of folds, longitudinal and transverse folds, 2-5 in number. The cervical mucus varies in amount and color in different phases of the estrous cycle. The cervical mucosa is arranged into primary and secondary folds. The lumen is lined with simple columnar epithelium during the estrous cycle