Phytochemical studies and effect on urine volume of Glossostemon bruguieri Desf. constituents.

Two new flavonoids, takakin 7-O-glucoside (1) and (2) bucegin 7-O-glucoside, and six other known compounds (3-8), takakin, isosctullarien, its 7-O-glucoside, takakin 8-O-glucoside, xanthotoxin and esculetin, were separated and identified from Glossostemon bruguieri. The new compounds were characterized using modern spectroscopic techniques, including UV spectroscopy, proton nuclear resonance (1HNMR), carbon thirteen nuclear resonance (13CNMR), homomolecular quantum coherance (HMQC), heteromolecular bonding connectivity (HMBC) and chemical ionization mass spectra (CI). The effect on rats urine volume of the plant powder, its ethanolic extract, (500 mg kg(-1)) along with four of the purified compounds (1,4-6), (100 mg kg(-1)) are described. Eight groups of albino rats (200-300 g body weight) (n=5 for each group) were used in the tests for a one-time treatment, and other seven groups (150-180 g body weight) (n=5 for each group) were tested using the same dose with repeated administration for 15 days. The rat sera were collected and used to determine liver and kidney functions based on alanine amino transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) for both single and repeated administration. Levels of urea, creatinine and uric acid were determined for both sets of experiments. The toxic effects of both the powder and its alcoholic extract were also studied on mice to determine their LD50, both materials proved to be non-toxic up to 2500 mg kg(-1) body weight.

Malnutrition among pre-school children in Alexandria, Egypt.

The study was conducted in Alexandria, Egypt, to assess the current status of malnutrition among 1,217 pre-school children aged 6-71 months. A two-stage cluster-sampling technique was used for selecting the sample. Data on sociodemographic and environmental characteristics of the family, morbidity profiles, and breast-feeding patterns were collected from mothers of the children. Anthropometric measurements were performed, and the prevalence of malnutrition was assessed using three indicators, such as stunting, under-weight, and wasting, following the WHO guidelines and cut-off points. Simple and multiple regression analyses were done for examining the factors associated with the occurrence of malnutrition using principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation. Stunting, under-weight, and wasting were observed in 15%, 7.3%, and 3.6% of the children respectively. High-socioeconomic condition was associated with low prevalence of stunting and underweight (OR = 0.67, confidence interval (CI) = 0.55-0.8 and OR = 0.75, CI = 0.58-0.96 respectively). Good environmental condition was associated with a lower stunting rate (OR = 0.83, CI = 0.72-0.96). Increased age of child and living in a non-squatter area were associated with wasting (OR = 1.02, CI = 1.001-1.03 and OR = 0.38, CI = 0.15-0.97 respectively). Interventions to improve socioeconomic and environmental situations are recommended to reduce the already low level of protein-energy malnutrition further.

Treatment of chronic anal fissure with isosorbide dinitrate and its cost versus open lateral sphincterotomy

Internal anal sphincterotomy for treating chronic anal fissure can irreversibly damage anal continence. Reversible chemical sphincterotomy may be achieved by topical application of nitric oxide donors [isosorbide dinitrate]. This study was undertaken to compare local application of isosorbide dinitrate with lateral internal sphincterotomy. A sample of 153 patients with chronic anal fissure was allocated to treatment with sphincterotomy [69 patients] or local isosorbide dinitrate tablets [84 patients]. Patients were followed-up for one year. Common age group was 30-40 years. The healing rate was 97% in surgical group and 47.8% in medical group. The recurrence after healing in last group was 44.4%. The cost of treatment by sphincterotomy under local anesthesia is nearly equal to treatment by topical application of isosorbide dinitrate tablet. Lateral internal sphincterotomy under local anesthesia is considered the operation of choice in surgically fit patients in treatment of chronic anal fissure. Topical application of isosorbide dinitrate can be used for those who are surgically unfit or refuse operation

Conserving surgery of early breast carcinoma

Conservation surgery of the breast implies the resection of minimal volumes of diseased breast tissue to achieve control rates equivalent to those accomplished by mastectomy, it has the goal of preservation of cosmoses and function. This limited resection is followed by axillary lymph nodes clearance followed by radiation and systemic therapy in breast cancer stage 1 and II. This study included 50 female patients having carcinoma of the breast as proved by lump biopsy true cut needle or excisional biopsy, these patients were selected from all the cases of cancer breast who attended the outpatient clinic of EL-Minia University hospital and National Cancer Institute in the period from January 1998 till march 2001.The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of breast conservation surgery plus radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy for early stage breast cancer patients to determine mortality and recurrence rates and to evaluate prognostic factors for these outcomes. Locoregional recurrence was detected in 3 patients out of 50 [6 percent], distant metastases was detected in one patient to the liver after 18 months [2 percent]. As regards the overall survival 2 patients out of 50 [4 percent] died because of; one due to distant metastases to the liver and the other due to heart failure. Breast conservation therapy could be a suitable option for the Egyptian woman with early breast cancer of stage I and II and from the previous results and owing to the satisfactory documented efficacy of radiation and chemotherapy to prevent or at least delay local recurrence and the fact that 95 percent of local recurrences in the breast are salvageable with no effect on survival, are encouraging factors although a longer follow up and a large number of patients are required for more accurate results, also a regular close follow up is recommended to detect any late relapse especially in the presence of high risk factors for local recurrence

Methyl alcohol retinotoxicity in rats: a biochemical and ultrastructural study

The effects of methyl alcohol poisoning on blood gases and serum electrolytes, in addition to its effect on the ultrastructure of the retina were estimated in male albino rats. A significant increase in potassium level and pCO2 was accompanied by depletion in pO2. Sodium and chloride levels were unchanged. A calculated increase in anion gap was due mainly to the increase of potassium level. Methyl alcohol also affected edema of all layers of the retina, fragmentation and ultrastructural changes of the photoreceptor outer segments, agglomeration of chromatin, dissolution of Nissl granules, swelling and degeneration of mitochondria. These necrotic changes were attributable mainly to the hypoxic state caused by the toxin and possibly aggravated by the resultant acidosis