Influence of pneumatic tube delivery system on laboratory results.

INTRODUCTION: The pneumatic tube system (PTS) is an automated and fast modality of transportation of biological samples, but it has been reported to induce preanalytical errors. AIM: To study the influence of transportation by PTS on biochemistry tests which are particularly sensitive to haemolysis and atmospheric pressure variation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared laboratory results of arterial blood gas, sodium, potassium, chloride, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, glucose and haemolysis index of samples conveyed simultaneously by PTS and by courier. RESULTS: We recruited 30 patients from the sampling room and 40 patients from the intensive care unit. Transport through PTS resulted in a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase and potassium without exceeding the limits of acceptability. Potassium was significantly more increased for samples transported in a higher speed line (p = .048) but without exceeding the limits of acceptability. No significant impact was noted on haemolysis indices. The pO2 variations due to PTS transportation exceeded the limit of acceptability with significant intra-individual variations. CONCLUSION: Our PTS is validated for biochemistry tests results. It reduces turnaround times without affecting sample quality. However, the interpretation of arterial blood gas results should be careful for samples transported by PTS.

The anti-Müllerian hormone: A useful tool for diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most frequent endocrine disorder that affects reproductive-age women with important long-term health implications. As such, the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was proposed as a helpful test to identify women with PCOS. The aim of this study was to determine an AMH cut-off value for the diagnosis of PCOS. METHODS: This was a two-year cross-sectional study including women of reproductive age, diagnosed with PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria (2003). The control group of healthy women was age-matched. AMH was performed using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. AMH levels were compared and evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: A total of 130 women were enrolled in this study. Of these, 65 were diagnosed with PCOS, and 65 were healthy. No significant difference was detected in body mass index between the two groups. AMH levels were significantly higher in women with PCOS (p = < 0.001). No significant difference in AMH levels was detected between PCOS phenotypes. A cut-off of 25.1 pmol/L (3.5 ng/mL) could discriminate women with PCOS from controls with a sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 72.3%. The area under the curve was 0.811 (95% CI: 0.73-0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that AMH had good diagnostic potential as a complement to Rotterdam criteria for PCOS diagnosis in reproductive-age women of Tunisian origin.

Modulatory Effect of Chaetomorpha gracilis on Erythrocytes Functions and Metabolic Disorders in Mice Fed a High-cholesterol Diet.

The current study was carried out to estimate the protective effect of methanolic extract of Chaetomorpha gracilis (MECG) against High Cholesterol Diet (HCD) induced erythrocyte damage in mice. The results of the in vitro assay showed that MECG have higher antioxidant capacities in the DPPH, TAC, ABTS, NBT, NO. inhibition assays. The HPLC analysis confirmed that this potential antioxidant seems to be due to the active compounds, in particular polyphenols, flavonoids. HCD promoted oxidative stress with a rise the level of malonaldehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) levels and a significant decrease of the Vitamin C content, as well the antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. In addition, HCD treatment caused significant lipid profile disorders via increase the cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels and reduction HDL-Ch level. A statistically significant decrease of Mg2+ and Ca2+ ATPase activities accompanied with a severe damage in the erythrocytes structure and hematological parameters alterations were also noted in hypercholesterolemic mice. Pre-treatment with MECG significantly restored biochemical markers and pathological lesions. It can be suggest that supplementation of MECG displays high potential to quench free radicals and attenuates high cholesterol diet induced erythrocytes oxidative stress and related damages.

Anti-oxidant and hepatoprotective effects of Salvia officinalis essential oil against vanadium-induced oxidative stress and histological changes in the rat liver.

The present study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of Salvia officinalis essential oil (SOEO) against vanadium-induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar rats. Animals were divided into three groups: the first group served as the control (C), where rats received daily 0.5 mL of saline solution (0.9%) given by intraperitoneal (i.p.) way. Rats in the second group (V) received daily by i.p. way 5 mg/kg BW of NH4VO3 (V). Rats in the third group (SV) received daily V (5 mg/kg BW) by i.p. way and SOEO (15 mg/kg BW) by gavage. Animals were sacrificed after 4 or 10 days of treatment. Administration of V increased plasma ALT, AST, ALP, and LDH activities, and cholesterol, bilirubin, triglyceride, and NO levels in rats and reduced anti-oxidant enzyme activities in the liver. Treatment with SOEO significantly attenuated these changes. Moreover, the histopathological changes and the overexpression of Hsp72/73 proteins induced by V were significantly improved by SOEO. Therefore, our results suggested that SOEO could protect against V-induced oxidative damage in rat livers. The hepatoprotective effect of SOEO might be attributed to its modulation of detoxification enzymes and/or to its anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging effects.

Protective effect of essential oil of Cinnamomum verum bark on hepatic and renal toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats.

The inner bark of cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is widely used as a spice. Cinnamon plants are also a valuable source of essential oil used for medicinal purposes. The present study aimed to investigate the composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of essential oil of C. verum bark (CvEO) and its protective effects in vivo on CCl4-induced hepatic and renal toxicity in rats. Groups of animals were pretreated for 7 days with CvEO (70 or 100 mg/kg body weight) or received no treatment and on day 7 a single dose of CCl4 was used to induce oxidative stress. Twenty-four hours after CCl4 administration, the animals were euthanized. In the untreated group, CCl4 induced an increase in serum biochemical parameters and triggered oxidative stress in both liver and kidneys. CvEO (100 mg/kg) caused significant reductions in CCl4-elevated levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, urea, and creatinine and increased the level of high-density lipoprotein compared with the untreated group. Moreover, pretreatment with CvEO at doses of 70 and 100 mg/kg before administration of CCl4 produced significant reductions in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and protein carbonyl levels in liver and kidney tissues compared with the untreated group. The formation of pathological hepatic and kidney lesions induced by the administration of CCl4 was strongly prevented by CvEO at a dose of 100 mg/kg. Overall, this study suggests that administration of CvEO has high potential to quench free radicals and alleviate CCl4-induced hepatorenal toxicity in rats.

Protective effect of Chaetomorpha gracilis aqueous extract against erythrocytes oxidative damage induced by high fat diet in treated mice.

High fat diet (HFD) exposure is associated with various pathological dysfunctions, including haematological disorders and oxidative stress. The in vitro analysis of AECG revealed the presence of important levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, and denoted antioxidant capacities confirmed by nitric oxide radical (NO•), reducing the power and HPLC chemical components' determinations. The animals exposed to HFD revealed a severe damage in the blood cells structure and haematological parameters accompanied with a significant decrease in serum Mg2+ and Ca2+ ATPase activities. Furthermore, malondialdehyde (MDA) and the advanced oxidation of protein products (AOPP) levels were significantly increased, while vitamin C level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were markedly reduced in the erythrocytes and platelets of HFD-treated mice. However, the co-administration of AECG with HFD-treated animals restored the parameters cited above to near-normal values. Therefore, our investigation revealed that Chaetomorpha gracilis extract was a useful element preventing HFD-induced blood cells damage.

Evaluation of colistin nephrotoxicity administered at different doses in the rat model.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the usefulness of plasma Cystatin C (pCysC) along with urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferase to monitor colistin nephrotoxicity. METHOD: Male rats were given intramuscular (i.m.) injections of colistin in doses of 150,000 (G1), 300,000 (G2) and 450,000 IU/kg/day (G3) or normal saline (Control), every 12 h for 7 days. After the 14th injection, animals were placed in metabolic cages and urine samples were collected in the next 12 h. Thereafter, animals were euthanized, blood samples were collected and kidneys were removed for histological assessment. RESULTS: Nephrotoxicity was completely dose-dependent according to pathologic findings. The major insults were acute tubular necrosis in the tubules of G3. No significant change in pCr was observed in all treated groups, but pCysC increased in the G3 compared to the control. In urinary markers, uNGAL level showed a dose dependant increase with significant change in the G2 and G3 groups compared to the control. However, there was no significant change in the AST, ALT, LDH or ALP activities but only GGT increased in the G3 compared to the control. CONCLUSION: Based on colistin doses used in our experimental study on rat model, histopathologic assessment remains the most accurate way to diagnose colistin nephrotoxicity. pCysC appears to be more reliable than pCr, and uNGAL seems to be the most sensitive factor of colistin nephrotoxicity.

Oxidative damage in erythrocytes of adult rats and their suckling pups exposed to gibberellic acid.

Gibberellic acid (GA(3)) is a plant growth regulator used in agriculture worldwide. The present study investigated the propensity of GA(3) to induce hematological disorders. Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups: group I served as controls; group II received orally GA(3) (200 ppm) from the 14th day of pregnancy until day 14 after delivery. GA(3) reduced the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit in suckling rats, while these parameters remained unchanged in their mothers. White blood cells increased in mothers and were unchanged in their pups. Several studies have associated these hematological disorders with oxidative stress. In fact, GA(3) treatment revealed in erythrocytes a significant increase in malondialdehyde levels and a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. Moreover, a significant decline was observed in acetylcholinesterase activity, glutathione, nonprotein thiols, and vitamin C levels.

Combined vitamins (C and E) and insulin improve oxidative stress and pancreatic and hepatic injury in alloxan diabetic rats.

The aim of the present study is to determine if a combination of vitamins (C and E) has any advantage over insulin therapy on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant activity, liver dysfunction parameters, and histological changes in the alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The enzymatic activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) and the lipid peroxidation product, thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS) were measured in liver and pancreas as indicators of antioxidation in these tissues. The liver dysfunction parameters: the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), phosphatase alkalines (PAL), aspartate and lactate transaminase (AST and ALT) were measured in serum. In diabetic rats, the TBARS contents of the liver and pancreatic tissues were found to have significantly increased as compared to non-diabetic rats (P < 0.001). The SOD, CAT, and GPX activities in the liver and pancreas in diabetic rats significantly decreased as compared to normal rats (P < 0.001). AST, ALT, LDH, GGT, and PAL activities increased in the diabetic rats (p > 0.05). In diabetic rats treated with insulin or with combined vitamins (C and E), an ameliorative effect was observed. This amelioration was more pronounced in the group of rats treated with combined vitamins (C and E).