Measurement of serum soluble Fas and soluble Fas ligand as markers of apoptosis in children with congestive heart failure

Apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the progression of the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases including heart failure. The aim of this study was to measure serum levels of soluble apoptosis mediators; Fas [sFas] and Fas ligand [sFasL] in children with congestive heart failure [CHF] of different etiologies, and their relation to each other and to the severity of heart failure in these patients. Sixty patients [29 males and 31 females, age; 6.73 +/- 3.18 years] complaining from congestive head failure [NYHA class III/IV] selected from the pediatric department in Al-Minya [university Hospital, from the period of February 2004 to July 2005. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the etiology of heart failure. Group 1, caused by congenital heart disease [CHD] in 18 cases, group 2 caused by rheumatic valvular head disease [RHD] in 29 cases, and group 3, caused by dilated cardiomyopathy [DCM], in 13 cases. Twenty healthy children, matched for age and gender, were used as controls. Serum levels of soluble Fas [sFas] and Fas-ligand in patients and controls were determined by Enzyme-Linked lmmuno-Sorbent Assay. The results showed that the serum levels of sFas and sFasL were significantly higher in patients with CHF compared to controls [p: 0.001 and p: 0.04, respectively]. Patients with CHF due to CHD had significantly higher levels of sFas and sFasL compared to controls [p: 0.001 and p: 0.002 respectively]. Also, patients with CHF due to RHD had significantly higher levels of sFas and FasL compared to controls [p: 0.001 and p; 0.04 respectively]. Similarly, patients with DCM had significantly higher levels of sFas and FasL compared to control group [p: 0.001 and p: 0.005 respectively]. Serum FasL correlated positively to sFas [r: 0.32, p: 0.049], and heart rate [r: 0.30, p: 0.044], and correlated negatively to ejection fraction [r: -0.46, p: 0.03], but had no significant correlation with ESR, or CRP. Serum levels of sFas and sFasL are increased in children with CHF of different etiologies suggesting a potential role of Fas and FasL in this setting. Levels of sFasL are increased in proportion to the severity of heart failure and may provide a useful marker for evaluating the severity and prognosis of heart failure

Some criteria and concepts about the taxonomic status of rhipicephalus sanguineous latr and R turanicus pomer and matik [ixodidae, acarina]

According to the species integral concepts, the Rhipicephalus sanguineus and R. turanicus are considered to be two different species. This is because they are phenetically different, geographically sympatric, reproductively isolated, and ecologically [considering the host as a microhabitat] different

Radiorespirometric determination of contribution of pentose phosphate cycle to metabolism of glucose in dermacentor andersoni

The contribution of both pentose phosphate cycle [PPC] and glycolytic-citric acid cycle [GCAC] to metabolism of glucose by different physiological states of Dermacentor andersoni female was evaluated. The radiorespirometric method was used after injection of glucose 3,4-[14]C [G[3,4]] glucose-1-[14]C [G[1]] and glucose-6-[14]C [G[6]] into the hemocoel of separate females of different physiological states and following by the expired [14]CO[2], was trapped for 7 hrs. at 1 hr. intervals. The contribution of PPC to glucose metabolism is 23, 50 and 84% in the unfed, unmated-partly fed, and ovipositing females respectively. Accordingly, the GCAC contribution is 77, 50 and 16% in the same physiological states respectively. The greatly increasing trend in PPC activity from the unfed to the ovipositing state is attributed to increasing need to requisite two-carbon unit intermediates for other metabolic processes. The metabolic products of PPC used in biosynthetic processes associated with feeding and oogenesis is a reliable reason for the active operation of this metabolic pathway

Studies on the water movements between the atmosphere and hyalomma dromedarii eggs during embryo genesis, using 13 HHO

Changes in water vapour sorption, wet weight, total water content of Hyalomma dromedarii egg were studied during embryogenesis at couples of 30°C and different ambient water vapour activities [A[v,s]] The results show that a continuous influx of atmospheric water vapour through the egg shell occur when the eggs are incubated in atmospheres containing tritiated water [HTO]. The daily rate of the water vapour influx increases steeply with age in the first few days and slowly in the rest of the incubation period. At the different ages the sorption rate increases as the atmospheric A[v] increases. The original egg water content remains constant when incubated at 0.96 A[v], increases above, and decreases below this value. At 1.00 A[v] the wet weight of both partially dehydrated and normal eggs of different ages remain constant at this value, and decreases continuosly at the lower A[v] as the age proceeds. The water content of the egg exhibits a dynamic state by a continuous exchange with the ambient water vapour

Induction of adult tick molting by ecdysoids

The fed female argasid tick Argas [Persicargas] arboreusmolts when topically applied with 1 micro g ecdysterone, inokosterone or cyasterone per tick. This is not observed in case of the female ixodid tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus even at 100 micro g amount per tick. This is suggested to be due to a difference in specific genetical instruction in their epidermal cells and also to a complementary state of their neurosecretions