Serum Copper Level and Its Relation with Blood Pressure and Urinary Protein Level in Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a multifactorial disease of unknown etiology and is associated with oxidative stress. Some studies observed that alteration of essential trace element may contribute to the development of preeclampsia. The aim of the study was to assess the serum copper (Cu) level and its relation with blood pressure and urinary protein level in preeclampsia. This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2016 to June 2017. Thirty subjects with preeclampsia age ranging from 18 to 40 years were considered as the study group and 30 aged matched healthy pregnant women were considered as control group for comparison. The subjects were selected from Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Dhaka Medical College hospital, Dhaka. Serum copper (Cu) level was estimated in the Department of Soil, Water and Environment of University of Dhaka. For statistical analysis, unpaired Students "t" test and Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) test were performed. In this study serum Copper level was significantly (p<0.001) higher in preeclampsia patients as compared to controls. Serum copper level showed positive correlations with systolic & diastolic blood pressure and urinary protein level. This study concluded that serum copper level increases and is positively related with blood pressure and urinary protein level. Therefore, estimation of serum copper level in early pregnancy might be useful for prediction of future risk of developing preeclampsia.

Light delays synaptic deafferentation and potentiates the survival of axotomized retinal ganglion cells.

Knowledge of the cellular mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of stimulation and the optimal doses of such stimulation to maximize neuronal recovery is essential to guide clinical practice in neural rehabilitation. Using hamsters, we transected the optic nerve to demonstrate how light stimulation affects neuronal recovery. The c-fos protein was used as a neuronal connectivity marker. Here we show that: (a) in addition to cell death, a population of cells undergoes synaptic deafferentation and (b) light stimulation delays cell death and deafferentation. Among the three rearing conditions studied (6:18LD, 12:12LD, and 18:6LD), the 12:12LD condition appears to be the one achieving the optimal therapeutic effect. This study provides a solid base in the understanding of the neuroanatomical changes after traumatic brain injury and the need to establish an optimal level and timing for the environmental stimulation.