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This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical, structural, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of chitosan-coated (0.5 and 1% CH) nanoliposomes containing hydrolyzed protein of Spirulina platensis and its stability in simulated gastric and intestine fluids. The chitosan coating of nanoliposomes containing Spirulina platensis hydrolyzed proteins increased their size and zeta potential. The fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) test showed an effective interaction between the hydrolyzed protein, the nanoliposome, and the chitosan coating. Increasing the concentration of hydrolyzed protein and the percentage of chitosan coating neutralized the decreasing effect of microencapsulation on the antioxidant activity of peptides. Chitosan coating (1%) resulted in improved stability of size, zeta potential, and poly dispersity index (PDI) of nanoliposomes, and lowered the release of the hydrolyzed Spirulina platensis protein from nanoliposomes. Increasing the percentage of chitosan coating neutralized the decrease in antibacterial properties of nanoliposomes containing hydrolyzed proteins. This study showed that 1% chitosan-coated nanoliposomes can protect Spirulina platensis hydrolyzed proteins and maintain their antioxidant and antibacterial activities.
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Intramural hematoma of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can present as abdominal pain or obstruction, can be a rare complication of oral anticoagulants, in particular Warfarin. In this case report, we describe an 81-year-old female patient presenting with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting with a previous history of rectorrhagia. The patient was receiving Warfarin therapy due to cardiac valve replacement for the past 8 years. Laboratory workup revealed elevated INR and anemia. Diagnosis of ileal intramural hematoma was based on ultrasound and CT scan findings. The patient was treated by conservative approaches including administration of fresh frozen plasma, cessation of oral intake, and fluid resuscitation. In CT images, a mass on the left breast and lymphadenopathy on the left axilla were also noticed. Given that most GI intramural hematomas caused by over-anticoagulation are treated non-surgically, considering a patient's drug history, especially in older patients with abdominal pain and obstruction symptoms, is of particular importance.
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INTRODUCTION. After kidney transplantation, patients appear to have vitamin D deficiency due to the use of immunosuppressive treatment and prevention of sunlight. This study was designed to determine vitamin D serum levels in kidney transplant patients in comparison with healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Forty-six kidney transplant patients with a creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min and 46 healthy individuals with normal kidney function were tested for serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and parathyroid hormone at the end of the summer. RESULTS. Thirty-one participants were men and 15 were women in each group. The mean age was 41.0 ± 14.2 years in kidney transplant recipients and 41.4 ± 13.7 years in the control group. Inadequate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was seen in 93.5% of the transplant patients and in 89.1% of the controls. There was a 26.1% [corrected] vitamin D insufficiency (20 ng/mL to 30 ng/mL) and a 67.4% [corrected] deficiency (lower than 20 ng/mL) in the patients, and these rates were 21.7% [corrected] and 67.4% [corrected] in the control group, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in kidney transplant patients. Lack of a significant difference between our two groups may be attributable to the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in general population and the use of vitamin D supplementation in transplant patients. Indeed, adequate doses of vitamin D in these patients are undetermined. They may need higher doses for normalization of serum vitamin D and metabolic requirements.
