Oncogenic effect of some environmental pollutants and some possible protective agents

Objective: to study the effects of some environmental pollutants [lead, nitrate, noise stress and tobacco smoke] as well as a chemical substance [estrogenic oral contraceptive pills] on the incidence of malignant transformation among offspring rats through transplacental transfer from mother to fetus. The protective effect of Nigella sativa and vitamin A against the possible cellular transformation in the offspring rats was also studied

Subjects and Methods: five groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats [30 rats /group] were fed standard commercial diet. The first four groups were exposed to noise [100 decibel] and tobacco smoke for half an hour, three times weekly and received contraceptive pills daily. Group I received low doses of lead and nitrate, group I1 and group I11 were treated as group I but they were protected by adding to the diet crushed N. sativa to group I1 and vitamin A to group 111, while group IV received normal diet mixed with high doses of lead and nitrate. The fifth group served as untreated control. After three months no more contraceptive pills were added to the diet to prepare the female rats for meeting. After labour, mothers and their offspring were no more exposed to noise or tobacco smoke. The rats were sacrificed 45 days after labour, sera and tissues were saved for the biochemical and histopathological investigations

Setting: National Cancer Institute [NCI], Cairo University

Results: results showed an increase in the levels of mutant p53 protein, alpha-fetoprotein [AFP], ferritin and gamma glutamyl transferase [GGT] in the sera of both mothers and their offspring rats in the unprotected groups [I and IV] compared to the control group. On the other hand, the addition of N.sativa and vitamin A to the diet, led to a decrease in the levels of mutant p53, AFP and ferritin. Histopathological changes ranging from mild to severe dysplasia were found in both the mothers and their offspring rats in the two unprotected groups, while mild and moderate dysplasia were found to a less degree in the vitamin A protected group and disappeared from those fed N. sativa

Conclusion: the combined effects of the tested pollutants caused liver cells injury, ranging from mild to severe dysplasia, and raised the levels of serum mutant p53 protein, AFP, ferritin and GGT in both mothers and their offspring rats, which may lead on the long-term exposure to malignant transformation. On the other hand, N. sativa and vitamin A have a good protective effect which decreased both abnormal biochemical and histopathological changes

Assessment of some factors affecting the outcome of high risk pregnancy in Zagazig University Hospitals, Egypt

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of some socio-economic and biological factors as well as medical care on the outcome of pregnant females

Methodology: Two hundred and fifty pregnant females, attending Emergency Obstetric Unit in Zagazig University Hospitals were allocated as cases and controls according to their pregnancy outcome, type of delivery and the presence or absence of complications. Data were collected about their biological, socio-economic and medical status. An observation check-list was used for recording the provided medical care

Results: The factors that were found to affect significantly the outcome of high risk pregnancy were: mother’s extreme age [below 20 and 30+] low socio-economic class, high parity [more than 5], short inter-pregnancy spacing, insufficient antenatal care and residency in rural areas. Anthropometric measurements and Apgar score were significantly lower among newly born of cases than controls. Nevertheless, adverse pregnancy outcome was associated with high level of medical care and good performance of physicians

Conclusion: Unfavorable outcome among high risk pregnancy is attributed to the presence of many biological, socio-economic factors as well as quality of health care

Insulin resistance in uremia

In chronic renal failure the abnormal carbohydrate metabolism is characterized by normal or slightly elevated fasting plasma glucose level, significantly increased plasma glucose concentration following glucose administration, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. The present study was conducted on 20 uremic patients, 10 of them were under hemodialysis and 10 were not. 10 normal individuals served as control subjects. For each the following was done: Blood urea and serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, oral glucose-insulin tolerance test extended for 2 hours serum K+ during OGTT. From the analysis of data obtained by the study, it was concluded that there was a significant state of insulin resistance which was manifested by significant increase in the blood glucose samples following glucose administration with simultaneously elevated plasma insulin level in all samples. There was no significant difference in the state of insulin resistance as regard the progress of renal failure, this was shown by the findings of nonsignificant differences in the indices that measure insulin resistance among patients under dialysis and those who are not. There was no significant improvement of the state of insulin resistance after dialysis

Sequential histopathological, histochemical and surface ultra-structural changes of incised wounds

In this study, incised wounds were experimentally inflicted in the abdomen of Swiss albino rats. Some animals were sacrificed immediately while the other were sacrificed 12 hours, 2, 4 and 14 days after wound infliction. The specimens, taken from the wound area, were processed for histological, histochemical and scanning electron microscopic [SEM] examinations. Inflammatory cellular infiltration appeared in the wound area as early as 12 hours, followed later on, by epithelial thickening and restoration of the epidermal continuity. The activities of adenosine triphosphatase, acid and alkaline phosphatase enzymes were markedly increased in the wound area after 12 hours and up to 2 days of wound infliction. Whereas, succinic dehydrogenase enzyme showed a diminished activity during the same periods. The sequential SEM study revealed a loss of angulation of the wound edge, appearance of deformed red blood cells [RBCs], fibrin threads, macrophages and thick communicating irregular structures, together with new epithelial formation, these changes may be valuable in determining the age of the incised wound