Antischistosomal effects of praziquantel, its alkaline hydrolysis and sun decomposed products on experimentally S. mansoni infected albino mice. [A] efficacy assessment based on clinicopathological findings

The antischistosomal activity of praziquantel [PZQ], its alkaline hydrolysis product [HP] and its sun decomposed [SD] products was investigated in S. Mansoni experimentally infected mice. The evaluation depended on the degree of the clinicopathological changes. The obtained results revealed that, PZQ, HP and SD induced a partial suppression of worm fecundity as judged by the significant reduction in eggs per gram of feces in comparison with the infected untreated control. The effect on tissue egg deposition in the treated groups was comparable with the infection of the untreated control. Worm recovery showed a great reduction in the number of worms for SD [47.6%] and HP [28.6%] compared with PZQ [16.6%] treated groups. So, the former two compounds have the superior antischistosomal activities. Glutamate pyruvate transaminase [GPT] and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase [GOT] concentrations were measured. The GOT values for all treated groups were significantly higher than those for the healthy control group. The SD group enzyme concentration was even higher than the infected untreated control. The GPT values of all groups were greater than the uninfected control and the difference was significant for the infected untreated, PZQ and the SD treated groups

Acute peripheral arterial embolism: a 3-year experience with 81 cases

The clinical course of 81 patients, who had acute peripheral arterial embolism who were treated at Ain Shams University Hospitals between January 1989 and January 1992, was reviewed. There were 52 females and 29 males. The average age of female patients was 47.6 years and that of the male patients was 52.5 years. The incidence of rheumatic heart disease as a source of embolism in our patient population is still high accounting for 40 percent of the embolic episodes. Atherosclerotic coronary disease with its sequelae was responsible for 58 percent of the embolic episodes upper limb emboli were less common than lower limb emboli constituting 18.5 percent. Acute peripheral embolism, in this study, was diagnosed mainly on clinical basis and treated with prompt balloon catheter embolectomy. Pre-operative arteriography is indicated when the diagnosis of local thrombosis is questioned. Completion intra operative angiography is mandatory to assess the completeness of the procedure and to plan further exposures if necessary. Multiple emboli occurred in 22 patients and embolism recurred in 10 patients. All patients were permanently anticoagulated to reduce the recurrence rate. Seventeen patients died in the postoperative period [immediate mortality rate: 21 percent]. Of the surviving 64 patients, above knee ampulation was required in 3 cases

molluscicidal properties of the crude steroidal saponins of agave heteracantha and agave utahensis

The comparative susceptibility of the schistosome snail Biomphalaria alexandrina and the fascioliasis snail Lymnaea cailliaudi to the action of the crude saponins in A. heteracantha and A. utahensis was determine whereas extending the exposure period from 24 hrs to 48 affected a significant increase in the mortality percentage of the treated Lymnaea snails, no change could be observed Biomphalaria snails. The increase in the activity of the active saponins by increasing the temperature from 10 to 30 was significant towards Lymnaea snails, but lower with Biomphalaria snails. Whereas the activity of the active saponins showed stability under the effect of sun radiation, it was slightly depressed by mud and significantly faded by storage of their aquous solutions. The use of water for extraction, the stability of the active saponins under some simulated field conditions and the easy propagation of Agaves in both hemispheres as well as in mud and sandy soils render them worthy for field application