Increased nitric oxide is accompanied by lipid oxidation in adolescent varicocele

Summary One of the mechanisms of injury in varicocele has been proposed to be elevated nitric oxide (NO). We aimed to determine the association between the elevation of NO and lipid oxidation in varicocele compared with peripheral venous levels of these two substances as it has not been studied before. The study group consisted of 13 adolescents with left idiopathic varicocele of grades II-III. Blood specimens were obtained from dilated spermatic and peripheral veins simultaneously. Peripheral samples were also collected from 13 healthy children as controls. Nitrite/nitrate levels (NO(x)) and levels of malonedialdehyde (MDA) were determined using Griess reaction and thiobarbituric acid test, respectively. Results were compared with Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Peripheral NO(x) and MDA were the same in the study and control groups (p = 0.069 and p = 0.27, respectively). Spermatic vein NO(x) and MDA levels were elevated significantly compared with the peripheral levels in the study group (p = 0.005 and p = 0.048, respectively). Increased NO(x) levels with lipid oxidation occur locally in adolescent varicocele, implying that these events could be reversed by early treatment.     

Relationships Between Tensile Strength, Ascorbic Acid, Hydroxyproline, and Zinc Levels of Rabbit Full-Thickness Incision Wound Healing

Purpose This work was carried out to follow up the healing of full-thickness incision wounds opened on the back skin of rabbits in order to gain insight into the periodical correlation among such factors as ascorbic acid, collagen (hydroxyproline), the zinc content, and tensile strength of wound tissue. The need to provide vitamin C or zinc supplements after such wound incisions is also discussed.Methods Full-thickness incision wounds and the ascorbic acid and hydroxyproline levels were measured in 24 rabbits by spectrophotometric methods on day 0 and on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 15th days after operation. The tensile strength was measured by a polygraph using a force displacement transducer. The zinc levels of the wounds were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.Results The zinc and hydroxyproline levels reached the peak levels on the 5th day, but the tensile strength of wound increased sharply on the 7th day after wounding while the zinc levels did not change. These results indicated that in the first 7 days of wound healing, high levels of ascorbic acid, hydroxyproline, and zinc cumulation occurred in the wound tissue, and the tensile strength reached its highest level on the 15th day without any supplementation.Conclusion The supplementation of zinc and/or ascorbic acid should therefore be given just at the beginning of the wounding period, especially if there is deficiency of these nutrients.     

Immobilization of catalase by entrapping in alginate beads and catalase biosensor preparation for the determination of hydrogen peroxide decomposition

In this study, catalase enzyme was immobilized by entrapping in alginate beads in the presence of gelatin. In the optimization studies of the bioactive layer immobilized some parameters such as enzyme amount, alginate, gelatin, and crosslinking agent glutaraldehyde amount were determined as 700 U/mL, 2.0%, 18 mg/mL, and 5.0%, respectively. Effects of pH and temperature on the immobilization were also investigated. In the characterization studies of the immobilized enzyme storage and thermal stability experiments were done. The immobilized enzyme was used for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in milk samples and also by using a catalase biosensor prepared by the decomposition level of hydrogen peroxide was detected.     

Spectrophotometric determination of nizatidine and ranitidine through charge transfer complex formation

Two Spectrophotometric procedures are presented for the determination of two commonly used H2-receptor antagonists, nizatidine (I) and ranitidine hydrochloride (II). The methods are based mainly on charge transfer complexation reaction of these drugs with either p-chloranilic acid (rho-CA) or 2, 3 dichloro-5, 6-dicyanoquinone (DDQ). The produced colored products are quantified spectrophotometrically at 515 and 467 nm in chloranilic acid and DDQ methods, respectively. The molar ratios for the reaction products and the optimum assay conditions were studied. The methods determine the cited drugs in concentration ranges of 20-200 and 20-160 microg/mL for nizatidine and ranges of 20-240 and 20-140 microg/mL for ranitidine with chloranilic acid and DDQ methods, respectively. A more detailed investigation of the complexes formed was made with respect to their composition, association constant, molar absorptivity and free energy change. The proposed procedures were successfully utilized in the determination of the drugs in pharmaceutical preparations. The standard addition method was applied by adding nizatidine and ranitidine to the previously analyzed tablets or capsules. The recovery of each drug was calculated by comparing the concentration obtained from the spiked mixtures with those of the pure drug. The results of analysis of commercial tablets and the recovery study (standard addition method) of the cited drugs suggested that there is no interference from any excipients, which are present in tablets or capsules. Statistical comparison of the results was performed with regard to accuracy and precision using student's t-test and F-ratio at 95% confidence level. There is no significant difference between the reported and proposed methods with regard to accuracy and precision.     

The vitro efficacy of beta-lactam and beta-lactamase inhibitors against multidrug resistant clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

In vitro activity of beta-lactam antibiotics and their beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations were evaluated for their activity against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. tuberculosis H37Ra. Agar dilution, the BACTEC 460 system and beta-lactamase activity tests were used. Results using the BACTEC 460 and enzyme activity tests showed the best beta-lactamase inhibitor for M. tuberculosis H37Ra to be clavulanic acid. Cefazolin-clavulanic acid gave the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values using dilution tests and M. tuberculosis H37Ra. beta-Lactam antibiotics were combined with clavulanic acid and tested for in vitro activity against 50 selected multidrug-resistant (MDR) and 50 susceptible clinical isolates. Seventy-four percent of the isolates were inhibited by cefazolin-clavulanic acid combination. These results suggested that an appropriate combination of beta-lactam and beta-lactamase inhibitors might be useful in the treatment of tuberculosis due to multidrug-resistant strains.     

Continuous wavelet transformation applied to the simultaneous quantitative analysis of two-component mixtures

In this paper we developed a graphical method based on Haar (HA) and Mexican (MEX) one-dimensional continuous wavelet transforms and we applied it to a mixture of hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) and spironolactone (SP) in the presence of strongly overlapping signals. Keeping in mind to obtain an appropriately transformed spectrum, we tested several values of the scaling parameter a and the point number of the analysed spectrum in the concentration range of 2-22 microg/ml for both active compounds. The optimal values of the scale parameters and the corresponding frequencies were found to be a = 32 and 0.031 for HA and a = 30 and 0.008 for MEX corresponding to 400 points. HA and MEX methods based on a zero crossing technique were applied to the analysed signal and their regression lines at the selected points were obtained. The validation of the above methods was carried out by analysing different synthetic mixtures containing HCT and SP. MATLAB 6.5 software was used for one-dimensional wavelet analysis and the basic concepts about wavelet method were briefly explained. The method developed in this paper is rapid, easy to apply, inexpensive and is suitable for analysing the overlapping signals of compounds in their mixtures without any chemical pre-treatment.     

Klippel-trenaunay-Weber syndrome with hydronephrosis and vesicoureteral reflux: an unusual association

The Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by congenital vascular hamartomas, limb hypertrophy, cutaneous manifestations, lymphangiomas and atresia of lymph vessels with non-pitting edema. A three-year-old boy was referred to our clinic for progressive hypertrophy of leg and feet with 32-month history. We diagnosed Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, and determined vesicoureteral reflux in our patient. To our knowledge, hydronephrosis and vesicoureteral reflux have not been described previously in the KTWS.