Renal effects of Mammea africana Sabine (Guttiferae) stem bark methanol/methylene chloride extract on L-NAME hypertensive rats

Objective:

The present study aims at evaluating the effects of methanol/methylene chloride extract of the stem bark of Mammea africana on the renal function of L-NAME treated rats.

Material and Methods:

Normotensive male Wistar rats were divided into five groups respectively treated with distilled water, L-NAME (40 mg/kg/day), L-NAME + L-arginine (100 mg/kg/day), L-NAME + captopril (20 mg/kg/day) or L-NAME + M. africana extract (200 mg/kg/day) for 30 days. Systolic blood pressure was measured before and at the end of treatment. Body weight was measured at the end of each week. Urine was collected 6 and 24 h after the first administration and further on day 15 and 30 of treatment for creatinine, sodium and potassium quantification, while plasma was collected at the end of treatment for the creatinine assay. ANOVA two way followed by Bonferonni or one way followed by Tukey were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

M. africana successfully prevented the rise in blood pressure and the acute natriuresis and diuresis induced by L-NAME. When given chronically, the extract produced a sustained antinatriuretic effect, a non-significant increase in urine excretion and reduced the glomerular hyperfiltration induced by L-NAME.

Conclusions:

The above results suggest that the methanol/methylene chloride extract of the stem bark of M. africana may protect kidney against renal dysfunction and further demonstrate that its antihypertensive effect does not depend on a diuretic or natriuretic activity.     

安徽省结核病结核杆菌耐药状况的调查

目的为了解安徽省新发涂阳肺结核病人的耐药状况。方法随机选择安徽皖南、皖中和皖北的6个县结核病项目门诊,收集项目门诊的初治涂阳病人的结核杆菌;采用WHO／IUATLD推荐的比例法,对异烟肼（H）、链霉素（S）、利福平（R）、乙胺丁醇（E）等4种抗结核药敏试验。结果449株结核分枝杆菌中对4种抗结核药物全部敏感者248例,占55．23％;201例耐药,总原发耐药率为44．77％,以耐S为最高,占31．4％。结论安徽省结核病耐药水平是较严重省份,对结核病控制工作将是一个大的挑战,耐药结核杆菌的控制将是下一步结核病控制重点之一。     

A survey on clinical presentation and nutritional status of infants with suspected cow' milk allergy

Background  

Cow's milk is the most common food allergen in infants and the diagnosis of cow's milk allergy is difficult, even with the use of several diagnostic tests. Therefore, elimination diets and challenge tests are essential for the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder. The aim of this study is to report the clinical presentation and nutritional status of children evaluated by pediatric gastroenterologists for the assessment of symptoms suggestive of cow's milk allergy.     

Anti-ulcerogenic properties of the aqueous and methanol extracts from the leaves of Solanum torvum Swartz (Solanaceae) in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Solanum torvum (Solanaceae) is a plant currently used in Cameroon ethnomedicine for the treatment of stomach ailments. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was undertaken to determine the anti-ulcer potential of the aqueous and methanol extracts from the leaves of Solanum torvum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aqueous and methanol extracts from the leaves of Solanum torvum were tested orally at the doses of 250, 500 and 750mg/kg, on gastric ulcerations experimentally induced by HCl/ethanol, indomethacin, pylorus ligation and stress. The fractionation of the methanol extract through silica gel column chromatography produced seven different fractions (A-G) which were tested orally at the dose of 100mg/kg against HCl/ethanol-induced ulceration. RESULTS: The methanol extract at the dose of 750mg/kg produced 98.12, 99.16, 98.70 and 96.03% inhibition when gastric ulcerations were induced by HCl/ethanol, indomethacin, pylorus ligation and stress, respectively. The aqueous extract at the same dose produced 96.55, 96.86, 98.63 and 98.63% inhibition on ulcerations induced respectively by HCl/ethanol, indomethacin, pylorus ligation and stress. All the fractions of the methanol extract significantly inhibited ulcer formation. Fraction F which contains flavonoids and triterpens was the most active and exhibited an inhibitory percentage of 84.74. Both extracts significantly increased mucus production and reduced gastric acid secretion. CONCLUSIONS: The aqueous and methanol extracts of the leaves of Solanum turvum possess anti-ulcerogenic properties that may be due to cytoprotective mechanism. These results support the ethnomedical uses of the plant in the treatment of gastric ulcer.     

Contribution of genetic and nutritional factors to DNA damage in heavy smokers

Prior epidemiological evidence suggests that genes controlling the metabolism of carcinogens and antioxidant/nutritional status are associated with lung cancer risk, possibly through their ability to modulate DNA damage by carcinogens. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 159 heavy smokers from a cohort of subjects enrolled in a smoking cessation program. A total of 159 blood samples were analyzed to determine the relative contributions of genetic polymorphisms [CYP1A1 MspI and exon 7 and glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1)] and plasma micronutrients to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA (PAH-DNA) adduct levels. DNA damage in smokers was affected by genetic polymorphisms and nutritional status. Smokers with the CYP1A1 exon 7 valine polymorphism had significantly higher (2-fold, P < or = 0.03) levels of DNA damage than those without. In parallel models, PAH-DNA adducts were inversely associated with plasma levels of retinol (beta = -0.93, P = 0.01), beta-carotene (beta = -0.18, P = 0.09), and alpha- tocopherol (beta = -0.28, P = 0.21) in 159 subjects. The association between smoking-adjusted plasma beta-carotene levels and DNA damage was only significant in those subjects lacking the GSTM1 detoxification gene (beta = -0.30, P = 0.05, n = 75). There was a statistical interaction between beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol; when beta- carotene was low, alpha-tocopherol had a significant protective effect (beta = -0.78, P = 0.04) on adducts, but not when beta-carotene was high (beta = -0.16, P = 0.57). Plasma alpha-tocopherol was significantly correlated with beta-carotene (r = 0.36, P = 0.0005) and less strongly with retinol (r = 0.20, P = 0.0005). These results suggest that several micronutrients may act in concert to protect against DNA damage and highlight the importance of assessing overall antioxidant status. In conclusion, a subset of smokers may be at increased risk of DNA damage and possibly lung cancer due to the combined effect of low plasma micronutrients and genetic susceptibility factors. The use of biological markers to assess efficacy of interventions and to study mechanisms of micronutrients is timely given the current debate regarding the use of chemopreventive agents in high risk populations.      

Pitfalls in the diagnosis of ventricular shunt dysfunction: radiology reports and ventricular size

INTRODUCTION: The diagnosis of shunt malfunction can be difficult even for the experienced clinician and may lead to disastrous circumstances when misinterpreted. Less experienced physicians may rely more on radiographic reports as a primary diagnostic modality. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of using these reports without accurate clinical assessment. METHODS: All shunt revisions seen at Children's Hospital (Birmingham, AL) between January 1996 and August 1996 were reviewed, excluding patients with brain tumors, supratentorial extraaxial fluid collections, and infections. Sixty-eight patients underwent 100 operations for shunt malfunction. All patients had evidence of shunt blockage, disconnection, catheter malposition, or valve pressure incompatibility. The prospective radiographic interpretation of preoperative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans was reviewed in each case. RESULTS: Twenty-four percent of the reports made no mention of shunt malfunction. In this group, the ventricular system was described as "unchanged," "stable," "normal," "unremarkable," "small," "smaller," "slit," "negative," and "no hydrocephalus," with no other comment to support a diagnosis of shunt malfunction. An additional 9% of reports contained the same terms, while also hinting at some other clinical or radiographic data that suggest the possibility of shunt failure (e.g., a shunt disconnection seen on plain radiographs), despite the scan findings. In all patients in this group, symptoms improved after surgery. CONCLUSION: We conclude that as many as one third of patients presenting with shunt malfunction will not have the diagnosis of shunt malfunction supported by a prospective radiologic interpretation of brain imaging. Although the neurosurgical community can assess the clinical situation to determine the need for surgery, other clinicians can be easily reassured by a radiographic report that does not mention or diagnose shunt malfunction. Today, more than ever, nonneurosurgeons are being called on to evaluate complex clinical situations and may rely on radiographic reports.     

Renal abscess: a complication of ethanol embolization

The authors describe a previously unreported complication of ethanol ablation of a renal tumor in one case. A renal abscess developed in a patient with preexisting silent urosepsis 5 weeks following ablation. Routine urinalysis, Gram stain, and urine culture are recommended as preprocedure tests to avoid such complications.     

Hospital control and multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in female patients, Lima, Peru

We examined the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB), rate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, and characteristics of TB on a female general medicine ward in Peru. Of 250 patients, 40 (16%) were positive by sputum culture and 27 (11%) by smear, and 8 (3%) had MDRTB. Thirteen (33%) of 40 culture-positive patients had not been suspected of having TB on admission. Six (46%) of 13 patients whose TB was unsuspected on admission had MDRTB, compared with 2 (7%) of 27 suspected cases (p = 0.009). Five (63%) of 8 MDRTB patients were smear positive and therefore highly infective. In developing countries, hospital control, a simple method of reducing the spread of MDRTB, is neglected.     

河南省活动性肺结核病人发现状况分析

目的　反映河南省活动性肺结核病人发现水平。方法 根据河南省2000年第四次全国结核病流行病学抽样调查数据中病人发现情况进行分析。结果 结防机构仅登记、管理了5.1%的活动性肺结核病人;88.6%的肺结核病人在非结防机构确诊,其中93.6%未转诊、登记。结论 加强各级综合医疗机构结核病归口管理是提高病人发现水平的关键。