healing effect of Arnebia Euchroma in second degree burn wounds in rat as an animal model

Finding more efficient agents with fewer side effects for treatment of burns has always been a concern for researchers. Silver sulfadiazine [SSD], apparently due to its antimicrobial effect, is still one of the most common prescribed agents. Previous studies suggested that Arnebia euchroma [AE] has shown antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. This study investigates the healing effect of AE extract in comparison with SSD in second degree burn wounds. Forty eight female Wistar rats [220 +/- 20 g] were divided into four groups. Standard second degree burn wounds were induced on the back of their necks. One group was treated with SSD; two groups were treated with AE cream at concentrations of 10% [AE10] and 20% [AE20] and the control group which received no treatment. The duration of treatment was 28 days. This study revealed that AE and SSD noticeably improved re-epithelization, fibroblasts proliferation, and collagen bundle synthesis and had a noticeable anti-inflammatory effect compared with the control group. Results of the present study revealed that Arnebia euchroma herbal extract was an effective treatment for second degree burn wounds when compared with SSD

Can stereological studies be helpful in differentiating biliary atresia from neonatal hepatitis?

Cholestatic jaundice is a potentially dangerous condition which is often misdiagnosed by paediatricians as physiological or breast milk jaundice. The two most common causes of neonatal cholestasis [NC] are biliary atresia [BA] and neonatal hepatitis [NH]. Early and accurate differentiation of these two entities is very important as early surgery in BA improves the biliary drainage but the delay leads to irreversible hepatocellular damage. There has been much discussion over the value of hepatobiliary radioisotopic scans, liver histopathological features, serum g-glutamyl transpeptidase [GGTP] levels, and other tests which are widely used for differentiation of BA from NH. Stereology provides practical techniques for extracting quantitative information about a threedimensional material from measurements made on two-dimensional planar sections of the tissues. We suggest that the stereological study of different components of liver tissue may be useful in determining the function of liver and differentiating some liver diseases such as biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis

Effect of betamethasone with or without gentamicin on renal scarring in rat model of pyelonephritis

To evaluate the effect of betamethasone in preventing renal scarring in rat model of pyelonephritis. Material and Sixty three female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into seven equal groups [A-G]. After exposing the left kidney under general anesthesia, direct inoculation of colonies of mannose-sensitive E.coli was done in groups C-G and normal saline in group B. No injection was done in group A. After 48 hours of bacterial inoculation, intramuscular [IM] injections of gentamicin [3 mg/kg/ day for 10 days] was used in groups C, E and F. Betamethasone [0.3 mg/kg/day IM] was used after two days [group D and E] and 5 days [group F] of bacterial inoculation. Normal saline as daily IM injections for 10 days in group B and no IM injection in group G was done. After 8 weeks of bacterial inoculation, the rats were sacrificed and the volume of renal scar was determined using a point- counting technique. Changes in the weight and volume of the kidneys were not statistically significant. No scar was detected in group A, but all the other groups with intrarenal injections [including group B with no bacterial inoculation] had scarring. The volume density and absolute volume of the scar in groups C-G were significantly more than group B [p < 0.001], but no statistically significant difference was observed in groups C-G. Betamethasone with or without gentamicin, when used 48 hours or more after induced pyelonephiritis is not effective to prevent renal scar

stereological study on the liver in the early stages of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in rats

Diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of certain complications including those involving the liver. However, most studies have focused on the biochemical, physiological and qualitative pathologic alterations of the liver in diabetes and the quantitative aspects of liver structure has received less attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative changes in liver volume, volume-weighted mean volume of hepatocytes and their nuclei, and proportional and absolute volumes of liver sinusoids in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, using Stereological methods. Streptozotocin was injected to male rats and their livers were removed after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Liver volume and weight were measured and uniform isotropic random sections of the liver were obtained using the orientator method and stained with Feulgen periodic acid schiff. Microscopic fields were chosen and volume-weighted mean volume of the hepatocytes and their nuclei were estimated using the point-sampled intercepts method in three histological zones of the liver acini. Proportional and absolute volumes of liver sinusoids were measured using point counting. The results showed that liver volume and weight and mean volume of the hepatocytes were mainly decreased 4 and 8 weeks after diabetes induction. The mean volume of hepatocytes nuclei decreased at 4, 8 and 12 weeks in diabetic rats. The absolute volume of liver sinusoids decreased 4 weeks after diabetes induction but no significant differences were noted after 8 and 12 weeks. From this study it can be concluded that induced diabetes mellitus in rats can alter liver volume, morphology of hepatocytes and their nuclei and sinusoids in the early stages of the disease