Coronary artery disease; pattern of clinical and angiographic findings in young males

This study was designed to evaluate the pattern of clinical presentation, risk factors and angiographic findings in young males representing with acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Cardiology Department, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore from May 2005 till February 2006. After fulfilling the inclusion criteria 200 male patients

Morphological changes induced by cottonseed flour in rat testes

Gossypol, a component of the cottonseed, has anti-fertility effects. The present study was planned to determine whether diets containing whole cottonseed flour could produce morphological changes in the rat testes similar to pure gossypol. Sixteen animals were randomly divided into two groups, Control [C] and Test [T] groups. Each group comprised of 08 animals. Control group received standard diet, while test group received 70% standard diet and 30% cottonseed flour. A significant decrease in body weight, testicular weight and diet consumption was seen in the test group. Histological sections were stained in serial order by three different stains, H and E, PAS and Masson's Trichrome. Microscopic examination revealed significant increase in luminal diameter [P<0.0001] and decrease in wall thickness of seminiferous tubules [P<0.0007] of test group. Cell count per tubule was significantly decreased in test group [P<0.002]. Degenerative changes in the epithelium were seen in 78.8% and degenerative cells in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules in 41.23% of tubules were observed in test group. Sertoli and leydig cell counts were not different from those of control. No disruption of basement membrane was observed. Pigment laden cells in the interstitial tissue were observed in the test group. The observed morphological changes induced by cottonseed flour suggest that cottonseed flour, by virtue of its contents of the compound gossypol is equally toxic to rat testes like pure extract of gossypol

Measurements of the normal adult lumbar spinal canal

To assess the normal dimensions of the lumbar spinal canal, 100 normal healthy subjects of either sex between 25 and 45 years age were x-rayed for lumber vertebral column in both posteroanterior and lateral views and the canal was measured by Jones and Thomson method1. The lumbar spinal canal showed constant dimensions in both sexes in all age groups when studied separately in the male and female subjects. However, no change in relative dimensions was observed between 25 and 45 years. The canal showed gradual decrease in measurement from L1 to L5 vertebral levels in both sexes but relative width of the canal was more in the females than in the males of the same age group. The normal values of the canal to vertebral body ratio [C/B] varies between 1:2.0 and 1:5.0. The ratio 1:2.0 indicates a wider canal whereas any ratio beyond 1:5.0 would be conclusive of stenosis of the lumbar vertebral canal