Acute Onset of Intracerebral Hemorrhage due to Autonomic Dysreflexia

Autonomic dysreflexia is a clinical emergency syndrome of uncontrolled sympathetic output that can occur in patients who have a history of spinal cord injury. Despite its frequency in spinal cord injury patients, central nervous system complications are very rare. We report a man with traumatic high level incomplete spinal cord injury who suffered hypertensive right thalamic hemorrhage secondary to an episode of autonomic dysreflexia. Prompt recognition and removal of the triggering factor, the suprapubic catheter obstruction which led to hypertensive attack, the patient had a favorable functional outcome after the resorption of the hematoma and effective rehabilitation programme.

Effects of ovariectomy and ascorbic acid supplement on oxidative stress parameters and bone mineral density in rats

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of ovariectomy on bone mineral density [BMD] and oxidative state in rats, and the alterations in these effects that vitamin C supplementation may produce. Twenty female Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups: control [C, n=6]; ovariectomy [O, n=7]; and ovariectomy+vitamin C supplement [OV, n=7]. Oxidative stress [OS] was assessed 100 days postovariectomy by measuring the activity of several enzymes, including catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD], and glutathione peroxidase, as well as the concentrations of malondialdehyde [MDA], nitric oxide [NO], and total sulfhydryl groups in plasma and bone homogenates. A significant decrease in BMD was observed in O group compared with C group [p=0.015], and a significant increase was observed in OV compared with O group [p=0.003]. When groups were compared with respect to parameters of OS, MDA and NO levels in bone tissue were significantly higher in O than in C [p=0.032, p=0.022] and were significantly lower in OV than in O [p=0.025, p=0.018]. SOD activity was significantly higher in O than in C [p=0.032]. In plasma, MDA activity was significantly higher in O than in C [p=0.022] and NO level was significantly higher in O than in C and OV [p=0.017, p=0.018]. Our results suggest that ovariectomy may produce osteoporosis and OS in females, and vitamin C supplementation may provide alterations regarding improvement in OS and BMD values. We assume that studies including more subjects are needed to make a decisive conclusion about OS-BMD relation