short-term effects of insulin, metformin and insulin-metformin combination on the liver morphology in high fat diet / streptozotocin induced diabetic albino rats

Objective: To evaluate the histological effects of insulin, metformin and insulin-metformin combination on liver morphology in high fat diet [HFD] / Streptozotocin [STZ] induced diabetic albino rats

Study Design: Experimental and comparative study

Place and Duration of Study: Institute of Basic Medical Sciences [IBMS], Dow University of Health Sciences [DUHS], Ojha Campus, Karachi, from January to August 2012

Methodology: The study was conducted on 50 HFD/STZ induced diabetic albino wistar rats which were randomized into 5 groups. One of the groups was treated with insulin, one with metformin, and the other group with insulin-metformin combination for 4 weeks. One of the groups was left untreated. One group was control group. After the treatment period, the rats were sacrificed and livers were isolated, weighed, processed and stained to analyse the difference in hepatic morphology in each treated and untreated groups, then the results were compared with control rats

Results: Statistically significant difference [p < 0.0001] was seen between the groups by using Kruskill Wallis Test. To further investigate the effectiveness of insulin, metformin and insulin-metformin combination, Mann-Whitney U-test was applied. Statistically significant difference was noticed when diabetic rats were given insulin-metformin combination [p < 0.0001]

Conclusion: The combination therapy was observed to have better effects on liver morphology than insulin and metformin used separately

Prevalence of pharyngitis and tonsilitis among children

Tonsillitis and pharyngitis are very common medical problems especially among the children. Tonsillitis affects mostly children between the age of 3-5 years because this is when their tonsils are in their most active stage, fighting infectious. When the child grown older, the tonsils will shrink and infection will become less common. Tonsillopharyngitis is one of the most common infections worldwide especially in children and young adults. Viruses are often involved in children younger than 5 years of age and a bacterial etiology is more usual after this age. Cross Sectional Study. This study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi from Dec. 2008 to June 2009. A total of 300 subjects [250 suspected children and 50 healthy children as control] of age /= 5-8 years, it was 13 [13.7%], among the age of 9-12 years it was 6 [6.2%] and among the age group of 13-15 years it was 5 [8.6%]. Distribution of tonsillitis and pharyngitis among 166 male children, 4 [2.4%] were positive for tonsillitis, while 11 [6.6%] were positive for pharyngitis, while in female children, which 84 in total, 3 [3.65] were positive for tonsillitis and 6 [7.1%] were positive for pharyngitis. Group A beta hemolytic Streptococcal infection of throat constitute one of the major public health problems due to its post infectious complications. The data obtained provides information about the commonly prevalent bacteriological agent in pharyngitis and tonsillitis. Furthermore, it helps to outline the strategy towards appropriate therapy. It has also been concluded from this study that pharyngitis is more prevalent than tonsillitis

Incidence of liver cirrhosis in infancy and childhood

Cirrohsis is the end result of chronic liver disease caused by the different pathological factors including congenital malformation, inflammation [hepatitis] and metabolic /storage disorders, leading to liver cell damage. To determine the incidence of liver cirrhosis and childhood with chronic hepatitis, we studied 41 biopsies of children for the presence of cirrhosis. To provide an overview of current childhood statistics of hepatitis and liver cirrhosis to facilitate analysis of the impact of past research discoveries on outcome and provide essential information for prioritizing future research directions. Retrospective study. This study was conducted at the Department of Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC, Karachi from Jan.2000 to Dec. 2007. Slides/ paraffin blocks of liver biopsies from patients under 15 years of age. The cases were of two categories i.e. retrospective and prospective. The distribution of 41 cases of hepatitis was according to Age and Sex. Total 22 [53.7%] cases were encountered in the youngest of 0-5 years age group, 13 [13.7%] cases in 6-10 years and only 6 [14.6%] cases in 11-15 years age group. The distribution of 41 cases of cirrhosis of liver, according to age and sex. The maximum 22 [53.7%] youngest case in 0-5 years, 13 [31.7%] cases in 6-10 years and 6 [14.6%] cases were found in 11-15 year age group. It is observed that the tendency of liver inflammation was decreased with increasing age and sexual differentiation shows male predominance with male to female ratio of 2.4:1. Liver cirrhosis discovered with increasing age in children. It is found to be a common cause for enlargement of liver with associated hepatitis and chronic liver diseases in infants and children. It can lead to higher risks of acute or chronic responses in adulthood and will require new treatment paradigms building on an increased understanding of the molecular processes for infancy and childhood liver cirrhosis

role of vitamin 'C' on the thickness of the epidermis after x-irradiation of the guinea pigs a morphological study under light microscope

To study the role of vitamin 'C' on X-irradiated epidermis of Guinea pigs under light microscope. A prospective experimental study. This study was conducted at the Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi 2008 to 2009. Twenty seven animals were taken and were divided in to three groups. Each group was further subdivided into three subgroups containing three animals each according to the time of sacrifice i.e. 48 hours, 15[th] day and 45[th] day respectively. A single whole body x-irradiation in a dose of 5 Gy was given. Group C animals were also given injection of vitamin-C intraperitoneally in the dose of 1mg/G/day. Animals were sacrificed under ether anaesthesia after completion of their respective periods. Tissues were processed and 4-5 micron thick paraffin embedded sections were cut and stained with Hematoxylin and eosin. Decrease in epidermal thickness was observed in Group B1 animals. Which is highly significant [P <0.001] when compared to control. Results of animals of Group B2, and B3 were non significant [P>0.05] when compared to control. Non significant results were obtained when Group C was compared to control group. X-irradiation damages the epidermis and vitamin 'C' minimizes the damaging effects

Lead induced effects on renal alkaline phosphatase with role of zinc in albino rats

Kidneys are adversely affected by a wide variety of therapeutic agents and chemicals including the environmental pollutants such as Lead. The nephrotoxic effects of lead have been widely studied. The proximal tubular cells are especially vulnerable to lead induced damage to membrane structure and function, characterized by enzymuria and inhibition of certain renal enzymes. Alkaline phosphatase activity is also known to be suppressed which has been evaluated in the present study by enzyme histochemistry. Moreover Zinc, an essential micronutrient has been used to minimize the effects of lead