Clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of Commiphora muku (Muqil) on thyroid function in hypothyroidism

Background: Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine disorder in which there is deficient production of thyroid hormone. Even though hormone replacement therapy is the mainstay treatment of hypothyroidism, but due to adverse effects on long term use, safe and effective Unani herbal drugs need to be researched. A decrease in serum concentrations of thyroid hormone causes an increased secretion of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thus resulting in elevated serum TSH concentration. Methods: The methods used to determine thyroid dysfunction are still serum thyroid stimulating hormone and the main circulating thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine either as total or estimated free concentrations, and it is indeed the improved assay sensitivities and specificities that have made it possible to diagnose these milder forms. TSH, T3 and T4 with safety parameters tests were done before treatment and after completion of treatment in both the groups in order to make the proper diagnosis, to exclude other systemic ailments and to assess the efficacy/safety of the proposed herbal drug. Results: The effects of test drug on lowering the raised serum TSH are attributed to the thyroid activities of the test drug which shoes highly significance p<0.01 before and after intervention. In respect of thyroxin there were no significant results between the test and control group. Conclusions: The study concluded that the efficacy of Commiphora mukul (Muqil) on thyroid function was designed to explore the role of Unani herbal drugs in the management of hypothyroidism on Unani principles is effective, safe and cost effective.

Long-term control of refractory follicular lymphoma after treatment of secondary acute promyelocytic leukemia with arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃) and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)

No abstract available.

Influência da própolis sobre os perfis leucocitário e proteico de camundongos e tempo de fechamento de feridas excisionais limpas e infectadas por Staphylococcus aureus / Influence of Propolis on leukocyte and protein profiles of mice and closing time of excisional wounds clean and infected by Staphylococcus aureus

RESUMO Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar os efeitos da própolis sobre os perfis leucocitário e protéico de camundongos e sobre o tempo de fechamento de lesões de pele confeccionadas experimentalmente, limpas e infectadas com Staphylococcus aureus. No primeiro, foram utilizados 48 animais divididos em quatro grupos, sendo um tratado com solução hidroalcóolica pura e três tratados com própolis a 10%, nas dosagens de 20 mg, 40 mg e 80 mg por animal de 25 gramas de peso, em única aplicação intraperitoneal. Foram coletadas amostras de sangue no segundo, 10º, 18º e 26º dias após o tratamento para realização de leucograma, proteinograma e fracionamento eletroforético das proteínas. Na avaliação da atividade cicatrizante, também foram utilizados 48 camundongos divididos em seis grupos, nos quais realizou-se a confecção cirúrgica de feridas na dimensão de 1cm2, após anestesia dissociativa. Dois grupos serviram como controle para feridas limpas e infectadas. Dois grupos de feridas infectadas por S. aureuse dois grupos de feridas limpas foram tratados com própolis a 5% e 10%, sendo a escolha destas concentrações baseada em um estudo piloto realizado. Os resultados mostraram que o tratamento com própolis influencia o leucograma e o proteinograma, de forma dose-dependente, sendo que a maior dose utilizada desencadeou leucocitose com linfocitose e aumento de proteínas da fração gamaglobulínica, no 10º dia após o início do tratamento. Também mostraram que a concentração da solução influenciou o tempo de cicatrização das feridas infectadas, ocorrendo em menor tempo no grupo tratado com a solução a 5%.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the propolis effects on both the leukocyte and protein profiles of mice and on the closing time of skin lesions made experimentally, clean and infected with Staphylococcus aureus. The first 48 animals were divided into four groups, one treated with pure alcohol solution and three treated with propolis 10% at dosages of 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg per 25 g of animal weight in an intraperitoneal single application . Blood samples in the second, and then 10º, 18º and 26º days after treatment were collected in order to perform WBC, proteins and electrophoretic fractionation of proteins. Regarding the healing activity, also 48 mice divided into six groups were used, in whom surgical wounds in the size of 1cm2 were purposely inflicted , after the dissociative anesthesia were applied . Two groups served as control ones, for clean and infected wounds. Two groups of S. aureus with infected wounds and two groups with clean sores were treated with 5% and 10 % propolis, being this concentration choice based on a pilot study previously performed. The results showed that treatment with propolis influences leukocyte and protein concentrations in a dose- dependent manner, with the highest dose triggering leukocytosis with lymphocytosis and increasing the protein fraction of gamaglobulínica, on the 10th day after the start of treatment. It also indicated that the concentration of the solution influence the time of healing of infected wounds, since the process on the group treated with 5% solution happened faster.

Male infertility in Kuwait. Etiologic and therapeutic aspects

To evaluate the pathological patterns associated with male infertility in Kuwait and to characterize treatment outcome after varicocele repair using percutaneous varicocele embolization. We carried out a prospective study of 64 infertile men in Kuwait between 2001 and 2005. All patients included had proven non-obstructive azoospermia or oligospermia [sperm count <20 million/ml]. All patients underwent ultrasonographic evaluation of the scrotum. Fine needle aspiration of the testes was performed on all azoospermic patients. A total of 24 [38%] patients were azoospermic while 40 [62%] were oligospermic. Sertoli- cell-only pattern was the most common cytopathology associated with primary testicular failure. Among the oligospermic patients, 50% had small to moderate varicocele. Spermatic vein embolization resulted in a significant rise in the mean sperm count from 10.6 +/- 3.8 million/ml to 30.2 +/- 6.8 million/ml [p<0.05] in 5 treated oligospermic patients, followed by spontaneous pregnancy in 2 couples. No effect was seen on azoospermic patients. From an etiological point of view, we believe that the high incidence of Sertoli cell-only-syndrome among nationals and residents of a country that underwent a major environmental insult strengthens the chances of an environmental role in the development of this syndrome. From a management point of view, in cultures where in vitro fertilization is either still not widely acceptable or is unaffordable, oligospermia with clinical or subclinical varicocele deserves a trial of a low risk, out patient procedure, namely, spermatic vein embolization that could improve fertility

Isolation and characterization of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria from Nsukka soils in Nigeria

Twenty-four bacteria capable of utilizing naphthalene, as their sole source of carbon and energy for growth were isolated from three different sites in Nsukka, Nigeria. By standard bacteriological methods, these bacteria were characterized taxonomically as belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, Burkholderia or Actinomycetes. Two of the isolates, which showed the highest growth during screening as demonstrated by an increase in their optical densities [OD[600]] and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia respectively, were also able to grow in anthracene and carbazole, but not very much so in 2,4-dichlorophenol and D-camphor. The isolates showed a concentration-dependent growth in all the compounds they grew in. There were visible changes in the colour of the growth medium of the isolates during their incubation, suggesting the production of different metabolites. There were also changes in their medium pH during growth. These studies demonstrate the possession by the bacterial species of novel degradative systems