Sympathetic skin response in patients with systemic sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Sympathetic skin response (SSR) is a technique to assess the sympathetic cholinergic pathways. Sympathetic dysfunction may participate in the development of pain, which is the major complaint in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to assess the autonomic dysfunction in patients with (SSc) and (RA) using SSR as a simple neurophysiologic test. METHODS: Palmar SSR to median nerve electrical stimulation was recorded in 21 patients with SSc, 39 patients with RA, and in 60 healthy age and sex-matched control subjects. RESULTS: Palmar SSR to median nerve stimulation (of SSc patients and RA patients) shows significantly delayed latency and reduced amplitude in comparison to the control group. SSR of SSc patients has significantly delayed latency and reduced amplitude when compared to RA patients. Moreover, six SSc patients have delayed SSR in spite of the absence of manifestations of polyneuropathy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with SSc and RA have features of autonomic dysfunction with more affection of SSc patients.

Epidemiology of major neurological disorders project in Al Kharga district, New Valley, Egypt.

BACKGROUND/METHODS: A door-to-door ('every door') study was carried out to assess the incidence and prevalence rates of epilepsy, stroke, Bell's palsy and cerebral palsy, as well as the prevalence of dementia, extrapyramidal syndromes, muscle and neuromuscular disorders, cerebellar ataxia and primary nocturnal enuresis among the urban and rural populations of Al Kharga district, New Valley, Egypt. The study was carried out in 3 stages from June 1, 2005 to May 31, 2009. A door-to-door screening including every door was carried out using a standardized questionnaire, which was administered by 3 neurologists to all inhabitants (62,583) of Al Kharga district. The study was designed to assess the prevalence, incidence and risk factors of major neurological disorders in Al Kharga district and aimed to reduce the burden of these neurological disorders in the entire region. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: This study clarified that dementia, primary nocturnal enuresis, epilepsy, stroke and cerebral palsy are the most common neurological disorders. On the other hand, Bell's palsy, extrapyramidal syndromes, cerebellar ataxia, muscle dystrophies and myasthenia gravis are less common neurological disorders in Al Kharga district.

Door-to-door survey of major neurological disorders in Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt: methodological aspects.

Epidemiology of neurological disorders is still lacking in Egypt. The door-to-door method is the most suitable one to screen neurological disorders in our country. Over a 4-year period (June 1, 2005 to May 31, 2009), screening and examination had been carried out to ascertain the incidence and prevalence rate of epilepsy, stroke, cerebral palsy and Bell's palsy, as well as the prevalence of dementia, extrapyramidal syndromes, muscle and neuromuscular disorders, cerebellar ataxia and primary nocturnal enuresis among the urban and rural population of Al Kharga District, New Valley, Egypt. A total of 62,583 people were screened by 3 neurologists in a door-to-door manner, including every door, using a standardized Arabic questionnaire to detect any patient with a neurological disorder. This was a project study of neurological disorders including 3 stages: first stage (June 1, 2005 to May 31, 2006) for data collection, designing a standardized questionnaire and screening; second stage (June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2008) for case ascertainment, classification of neurological disorders and investigations, and third stage (June 1, 2007 to May 31, 2009) for data entry and statistical analysis. The results of this study revealed that the total prevalence rate of neurological disorders in Al Kharga District, New Valley was 2.4/100 with no significant difference among both sexes. The highest prevalence rate was recorded among elderly people (60+ years; 9.25%) and among children (≤18 years; 2.9%).

Carbon tetrachloride changes the activity of cytochrome P450 system in the liver of male rats: role of antioxidants.

The cytochrome P-450 enzymes are responsible for the oxidation of xenobiotic chemicals including drugs, pesticides, and carcinogens. These enzymes include cytochrome P450, cytochrome b(5), arylhydrocarbon (benzo[a]pyrene) hydroxylase (AHH), NADPH-cytochrome C reductase and dimethylnitrosamine N-demethylase I (DMN-dI). Changes in the activities of the above mentioned enzymes were studied in the liver microsomes of rats treated with antioxidants (ascorbic acid (AA), DL-a-tocopherol (vitamin E, VE), garlic) as single- and repeated doses prior to the administration of a single dose of CCl(4). Pretreatment of rats with single doses of AA, VE, or garlic prior to the administration of CCl(4) was found to decrease the hepatic content of cytochrome P450, and the activities of DMN-dI and AHH. On the other hand, these treatments induced the hepatic content of cytochrome b(5) and the activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. Pretreatment of rats with repeated doses of AA, VE, or garlic for 12 consecutive days prior to the administration of CCl(4) as single dose was potentially decreased the activities of cytochrome P450, DMN-dI and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase. Also, the activity of AHH decreased after treatments of rats with repeated doses of garlic prior to the administration of CCl(4). It was noted that repeated doses of antioxidants are more effective than single dose in decreasing the activity of drug-metabolizing enzymes. It is concluded that repeated doses of antioxidants or garlic could reduce the toxic effects exerted by CCl(4) upon the liver, and probably other organs, through inhibition of cytochrome P450 system that activates CCl(4) into its active metabolite, trichloromethyl radical. Moreover, inhibition of cytochrome P450 system could also reduce the toxic and carcinogenic effects of chemical carcinogens such as benzo(a)pyrene and dimethylnitrosamine. The mechanisms of antioxidant protection were discussed in the text.

Carbon tetrachloride-induced changes in the activity of phase II drug-metabolizing enzyme in the liver of male rats: role of antioxidants.

Glutathione S-transferases and glutathione play an important role in the detoxification of most toxic agents. In the present study, the protective effects of some antioxidants (L-ascorbic acid (AA), vitamin E (VE) or garlic) on carbon tetrachloride-induced changes in the activity of alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the level of glutathione (GSH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were studied. The activities of ALT, and AST were assayed in plasma, whereas the activity of GST and the levels of GSH and TBARS were determined in the livers of rats. The current study included two experiments. In the first experiment, animals received single oral dose of CCl4 (400 mg/kg body weight) after administration of AA (100 mg/kg b.w.), VE (100 mg/kg b.w.) or garlic (800 mg/kg b.w.) as single oral doses. In the second experiment, rats received repeated oral doses of antioxidants for 12 consecutive days followed by a single oral dose of CCl4 on the 13th day and killed after that by 24 h. Treatment of male rats with CCl4 significantly increased the activity of ALT and AST in plasma, and the levels of both GSH and TBARS in the liver. On the other hand, CCl4 inhibited the activity of GST after single dose treatment. Single-dose treatments of rats with AA, VE or garlic prior to the administration of CCl4 could not restore the alterations in the activity of ALT and AST caused by CCl4 to the normal control level. However, repeated dose treatments with these agents restored such alterations to the normal level. We observed that VE is more effective than AA and garlic in restoring the inhibition of GST activity caused by CCl4 to the normal level after single dose treatments. On the other hand, AA and VE are more effective than garlic in restoring the induced TBARS level caused by CCl4 to the normal control level after repeated dose treatments. It has been observed that the tested antioxidants were able to antagonize the toxic effects of CCl4, and such counteracting effects were more pronounced when they were administered as repeated doses prior to administration of CCl4.