Response of Antioxidant System of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Following Exposure to Chromium and Copper in Differing Hardness

Tilapias (Oreochromis niloticus) were exposed to copper or chromium in soft water (SW) (~80 mg CaCO₃/L, conductivity 1.77 mS/cm) or hard water (HW) (~320 mg CaCO₃/L, conductivity 5.80 mS/cm) using 2 exposure protocols (20 μM for 48 h and 10 μM for 144 h). Following the exposures, antioxidant enzyme activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD); catalase (CAT); glutathione peroxidase; glutathione reductase; and glutathione S-transferase (GST)] and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured in the liver of fish. SOD and CAT activities of control fish kept in SW were significantly lower than control fish kept in HW. However, the other antioxidant indices (glutathione metabolism) of both control fish were unaffected from water hardness. Acute metal exposures did not alter the glutathione metabolism, whereas SOD activity in SW and CAT activity in both waters changed significantly. In subchronic duration, Cu exposure caused significant decreases in measured parameters, except for GST activity and GSH level. Similarly, GST activity and GSH level were unaffected from Cr exposure. This study showed that SOD and CAT were the most sensitive antioxidant indices, and that glutathione metabolism, in general, was not altered following metal exposures in different waters.     

Effect of short-acting inhaler beta2-agonists on serum cardiac troponin in wheezy infant.

Cardiac troponin (cTn) is highly specific for myocardial injury. However, effect of beta2-agonist therapy on cTn in wheezy infants is unknown. We aimed to assess serum troponin in children with wheezy infant treated by short-acting inhaler beta2-agonists. Twenty-four children, under 5 years old, with the diagnosis of wheezy infant with acute exacerbation were enrolled in the study. Subjects were treated three times by a standard dose of nebulized salbutamol (0.15 mg/kg per dose; maximum, 3 mg; Ventolin Nebules Ampule) therapy. The heart rate, respiratory rate, cTnI, creatine kinase (CK), CK-MB levels, and electrocardiogram were measured in wheezy infant before and after 60-minute nebulized salbutamol. In the control group the heart rate, respiratory rate, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), CK, CK-MB levels, and electrocardiogram were recorded at admission. For Seventeen boys (70.8%) and seven girls (29.2%) with wheezy infant, the mean age of the patients was 21.4 +/- 18.13 months and for control groups the mean age was 17.28 +/- 16.09 months (p = 0.419). There was no significant difference in serum troponin in patients before treatment, after treatment period, and in controls (mean +/- SD, 0.049 +/- 0.03, 0.043 +/- 0.048, and 0.044 +/- 0.034, respectively; p = 0.14, p = 0.72, and p = 0.35, respectively). Short-acting inhaler 32-agonists do not influence circulating troponin levels in wheezy infant with acute attack.     

The prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency and effects of ultraviolet light on Vitamin D levels in elderly Turkish population

Vitamin D deficiency is commonly found in the elderly and is associated with osteoporosis and hip fractures. In this study, Vitamin D status of 138 female and 87 male subjects living in old age homes (OAH) and 171 female and 24 male subjects living in own homes (OH) from Central Anatolia were assessed. A questionnaire was applied to collect information about wearing features and degree of sunlight exposure and benefiting from ultraviolet index calculated (BFUI). We have found Vitamin D deficiency in 33.4% among our subjects. Also, 40.1% of subjects living in OAH (54.1% of females and 18.4% of males) and 24.4% of subjects living in OH (27.9% of females and 4.2% of males) were Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher in subjects living in OAH than subjects living in OH (P = 0.001) and also higher in females than males (40.7% versus 15.3%, P < 0.001). Subjects with Vitamin D deficiency were older (P < 0.001), BFUI was lower (P < 0.001) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) was higher (P < 0.001) than those having normal level of 25(OH)D. There was a significant negative correlation between 25(OH)D levels and age (P < 0.001, r = -0.248) PTH and 25(OH)D (P = 0.004, r = -0.340), and positive correlation between 25(OH)D and BFUI (P < 0.001, r = 0.340). Vitamin D deficiency is very common in Turkish elderly subjects especially living in OAH and there is a significant low exposure to sunlight among them. Simply by asking clothing habits and exposure to sunlight, we can able to identify risk of Vitamin D insufficiency in elderly subjects.     

The effects of smoking in pregnancy on factors influencing fetal growth

AIM: To evaluate the influence of maternal smoking during pregnancy on factors influencing fetal growth. METHODS: Thirty newborns of smoking mothers were prospectively compared with 60 newborns of non-smoking mothers. Pre-albumin, albumin, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, IGF binding protein 3, pH, lactic acid, erythropoietin and hemoglobin concentrations were measured in umbilical cord blood. RESULTS: Infants of smoking mothers had a significantly lower birth weight (3418 +/- 533 vs. 3863 +/- 503 g; p < 0.001), length (50.5 +/- 2,6 vs. 52.3 +/- 1.9 cm; p < 0.001) and head circumference (34.6 +/- 1.8 vs. 35.8 +/- 1.1 cm; p < 0.001) than controls. They also had significantly lower insulin (3.2 (2.0-4.9) vs. 5.8 (4.6-7.1) mU/L; p = 0.008), insulin-like growth factor I (54.4 +/- 32.5 vs. 93.8 +/- 54.5 microg/L; p = 0.001) and IGF binding protein 3 (1664 +/- 432 vs. 1943 +/- 421 microg/L; p = 0.01) concentrations, than controls. Infants of smoking mothers also had significantly higher hemoglobin (167 +/- 14 vs. 157 +/- 13 g/L; p = 0.002) and erythropoietin (42.3 (25.1-72.4) vs. 26.3 (21.9-30.9) U/L; p = 0.03) than controls, but not pH or lactate concentrations. There was no significant difference in pre-albumin, albumin, triglycerides and glucose concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking during pregnancy causes symmetrical fetal growth impairment, possibly due to decreased oxygen transport to the fetus and decreased concentrations of fetal insulin, insulin-like growth factor I and IGF binding protein 3.     

Bacterial meningitis: diagnosis and initial antibiotic therapy

Despite advances in antibiotic treatment, bacterial meningitis remains a significant cause of mortality and morbidity among children. In population-based studies in the United States, the incidence of bacterial meningitis is estimated to be 4.6 to 10 per 100,000 population per year. Every year more than two thousand deaths due to bacterial meningitis are reported in the United States, most of these in previously healthy children. This article reviews diagnosis and management of this puzzling disease entity.     

The relationship between circulating catecholamines and ST waveform in the fetal lamb electrocardiogram during hypoxia

Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that changes in the ST waveform in the fetal electrocardiogram are a sign of fetal asphyxia. In the present study, seven chronically instrumented fetal lambs between 117 and 143 days' gestation were studied during 16 one-hour periods of maternally induced hypoxia. The aim was to test the hypothesis of a relationship between the concentration of circulating catecholamines and T-wave amplitude. The response to hypoxia was aged-dependent. Fetuses below 126 days of gestation did not react with electrocardiographic changes and output of epinephrine unless acidosis occurred. In more mature fetuses, hypoxia per se would induce a surge of epinephrine and changes in the ST waveform. Overall there was a strong correlation between the T/QRS ratio and the level of circulating epinephrine. During normoxia, epinephrine was undetectable (less than 0.1 nmol/L) in most fetuses; norepinephrine showed an increase at term. The analysis showed one fetus with chronic changes in the ST waveform (T/QRS ratio greater than 0.30) related to a marked increase in the plasma level of epinephrine in spite of normal blood gas values. These findings complement previous results in the acute and chronically instrumented fetal lamb and suggest that changes in the ST waveform expressed as T/QRS ratio identify a change to anaerobic myocardial metabolism mediated by beta-adrenergic stimulation.     

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia: improved surgical results should influence abortion decision making.

AIMS: To compare surgical results for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in two Scandinavian university hospitals and to evaluate the effects of abortions on the clinical profile of CDH in Iceland. METHODS: A retrospective study including all CDH-cases in Iceland 1983-2002 and children referred to Lund University Hospital 1993-2002. Aborted fetuses with CDH from a nation-wide Icelandic abort-registry were also included. RESULTS: In Iceland, 19 out of 23 children with CDH were diagnosed < 24 hours from delivery, one with associated anomalies. Eight fetuses were diagnosed prenatally and seven of them aborted, three having isolated CDH at autopsy. In Iceland, 15 of 18 children operated on survived surgery (83% operative survival). In Lund 28 children were treated with surgery, 23 of them diagnosed early after birth or prenatally. Four children did not survive surgery (86% operative survival) and 9 (31%) had associated anomalies. All the discharged children treated in Iceland and Lund are alive, 3-22 years postoperatively. CONCLUSION: CDH is a serious anomaly where morbidity and mortality is directly related to other associated anomalies and pulmonary hypoplasia. However, majority of CDH patients do not have other associated anomalies. In spite of improved surgical results (operative mortality < 20%), a large proportion of pregnancies complicated with CDH are terminated. We conclude that the improved survival rate after corrective surgery must be emphasized when giving information to parents regarding abortion of fetuses with a prenatally diagnosed CDH.     

Viscum album L. extract and quercetin reduce cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity, urotoxicity and genotoxicity in mice

Possible protective effects of a methanolic extract of Viscum album (VA) and quercetin (QE) against cyclophosphamide (CP) induced cardiotoxicity, urotoxicity and genotoxicity in mice were evaluated. Mice were administered orally VA (250 mg/kg/day) and QE (50 mg/kg/day) for 10 days alone or in combination with CP. After the same doses of VA and QE given for 7 days, rats were intraperitoneally administered CP (40 mg/kg) on days 8 and 9 of the experiment. Cardiotoxic, urotoxic and genotoxic effects were examined in serum, heart, bladder and bone marrow. Significant decreases in the levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase), glutathione-S-transferases, reduced glutathione and mitotic index were observed. QE completely and VA partly ameliorated almost of all the examined parameters when given together with CP. Higher total nitrate/nitrite levels were observed in the myocardial tissue treated with QE and VA in combination with CP. In addition, the pre-treatment with VA and QE together with CP significantly decreased chromosome aberrations and aberrant cells compared to CP alone. Results from the current study suggest that QE and VA supplementation attenuates CP induced cardiotoxicity, urotoxicity and genotoxicity through a mechanism related to their ability to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation, and at least in part to its protective effects on the cardiovascular system. In addition, VA and QE may play a role in reducing cytogenotoxicity induced by anti-neoplastic drugs during cancer chemotherapy.     

Long-term survival is improved by an extended lymph node dissection in potentially curable gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was planned to investigate the therapeutic value of performing an extended lymphadenectomy in potentially curable gastric cancer. METHODOLOGY: A prospective gastric cancer database was used. In total 114 gastric cancer patients (85 male, 29 female) who underwent a gastrectomy for curative intent from 1992 through 1999 were included to this study. Morbidity and mortality, survival rates and factors affecting survival were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-six (58%) patients had limited (D1) and 48 (42%) patients had extended (D2) gastric resections. The operative mortality rates were 12% and 8% and the postoperative complication rates were 33% and 25% in the D1 and D2 lymphadenectomy patients, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 34 (range: 8-94) months. The overall mean survival was 32 months (25 months in D1 group, 46 months in D2 group) (P < 0.05). The duration of symptoms, the presence of postoperative complications, the extent of lymphadenectomy, the operative curability and the site of the tumor were all found to be independent prognostic factors based on a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that an extended lymph node dissection improves long-term survival without increasing postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with potentially curable gastric cancer.