The effect of pramlintide, an antidiabetic amylin analogue, on angiogenesis-related markers in vitro.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Irregularities of angiogenesis may participate in the pathogenesis of diabetes complications. Pramlintide is an amylin analogue administered for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The present investigation aimed at surveying the effect of pramlintide on angiogenesis-related markers in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The proliferation of cells was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. The effect of pramlintide on migration was estimated by Transwell® assay. in vitro evaluation of angiogenesis was performed by tube formation assay. The secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to the supernatant of HUVECs was measured by an enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. All experiments were performed in triplicate. FINDINGS / RESULTS: Pramlintide exhibited no inhibitory effect on HUVECs proliferation. It significantly increased cell migration at the concentration of 1 µg/mL. Pramlintide (1 µg/mL) also enhanced average tubules length, size, and the mean number of junctions. However, there was not any significant change in VEGF release from HUVECs. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Findings of this research revealed the effect of pramlintide on angiogenesis- related markers via enhancing migration and tubulogenesis in vitro, suggesting a worthwhile proposition for further clinical researches on improving vascular complications and healing of diabetic wounds.

Risks of on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to sulfur mustard.

Sulfur mustard (SM) is a toxic chemical agent that belongs to a class of vesicant compounds. In the 1980s it was used by the Iraqi army against Iranian forces. Sulfur mustard severely irritates the skin, eyes and lungs. The highest side effects seen in patients affected by this gas are pulmonary complications including different types of lung diseases such as bronchiolitis. It has also led to a certain type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease called mustard lung. Similar extra-pulmonary, molecular and hormonal effects can be observed in these patients and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Here cardiovascular complications may be one of the most dangerous visible effects. And atherosclerosis is probable following the direct effects or consequential long-term effects of SM. The development of atherosclerosis in these patients is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and coronary artery disease. Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery is the treatment of coronary artery disease. Doing this surgery by bypass pump has its own morbidity and due to local and systemic inflammation changes in patients with SM pulmonary disorders it may have more side effects. Therefore, detailed knowledge of inflammatory diseases as well as the serum level or even the local lung fluid of the inflammatory factors in these patients before surgery are needed so that it would be possible to reduce the rate of morbidity and mortality by normalizing the inflammatory conditions of the patients before cardiac surgery.

Prevention of nausea and vomiting: methods and utility after surgery in cancer patients?

Most cancer patients experience nausea and vomiting after surgery. Today, many methods of treatment have been developed and used for the control of such symptoms. The most important are drug therapy, relaxation, oxygen therapy and gas therapy. In addition, dexamethasone, massage therapy and using a Venturi mask have also proven effective. Due to the nature of gas consumption which leads to nausea it is recommended that use of N2O in the operating room be avoided or applied in combination with oxygen or other gases with fewer complications.

Sonographic fetal weight estimation using femoral length: Honarvar equation.

BACKGROUND: Fetal growth is the result of interactions between various factors and can be estimated by ultrasonic measurements. Fetal femur length is a scale for estimating the fetal weight in individual races because fetal growth patterns differ among different races. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study involving 500 pregnant women at 36 weeks of gestational age. Real-time sonography was done to measure the femoral length and then the weight of the fetus was estimated by the Honarvar 2 equation. The correlation between estimated fetal weight (EFW) and real weight was tested by Pearson correlation coefficient and relationships with the age and BMI of the mother, the sex of the neonate and parity were tested by multiple regression. RESULTS: EFW by the Honarvar 2 equation correlated significantly with the actual birthweight. Therefore, this equation is valid for fetal weight estimation. It also does not depend on the age and BMI of the mother, sex of neonate, or parity. CONCLUSION: Ethnicity potentially plays an important role in the fetal weight estimation. The Honarvar formula produced the best estimate of the actual birthweight for Iranian fetuses, and its use is recommended.