Oestrogen and cortisol producing adrenal tumour

A 14 year old boy is presented who was admitted to the psychiatric ward because of delirium. He also had gynaecomastia, facial oedema, striae, and hypertension. He was finally proved to have a mixed oestrogen and cortisol producing adrenal tumour which was removed surgically with complete improvement and no relapse.     

Burning mouth complaints: clinical characteristics of a Brazilian sample

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the clinical characteristics of burning mouth complaints (BMC) in a series of Brazilian patients referred to a large teaching hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 66 patients with burning mouth complaints were evaluated through a standardized protocol. RESULTS: 56 women and 10 men were examined, ranging in age from 35-83 years. The primary location of the complaints was reported to be the tongue. Thirty-six patients reported a precipitating event. The mean VAS pain levels were 7.5 in women and 6.11 in men. The average estradiol levels in women were low (<13 pg/ml); 80% of all patients reported a concomitant chronic disease, 55% of all patients wore total dentures, 54% of all patients reported subjective xerostomia, 48% of all patients reported sleep disturbances and 66% reported phantom taste. No statistical differences were found between groups with or without a precipitating event in VAS: (p=0.139), in the Number of Words Chosen (NWC) (p=0.259) and Pain Rating Index (PRI) (p=0.276) sections of the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). CONCLUSION: The existence of systemic comorbidities, self-reported sleep disturbances and taste alterations indicates possible correlations and the need for a careful systemic evaluation of each patient; there were no differences between patients with and without precipitating events.     

Trophic restructuring (Wieser 1953) of free-living nematode in marine sediment experimentally enriched to increasing doses of pharmaceutical penicillin G

Trophic structure of free living nematode from Bizerte lagoon was tested by a microcosmic study after 30 days of exposure with 5 increasing doses of pharmaceutical penicillin G (D1: 3 mg L^?1, D2: 30 mg L^?1, D3: 300 mg L^?1, D4: 600 mg L^?1, D5: 700 mg L^?1). Results showed significant differences between nematode assemblages from undisturbed controls and those from penicillin G treatments. Selective deposit-feeders (1A) or nonselective deposit-feeders (1B), very abundant in the control microcosm, were significantly affected and their dominance declined significantly. Epistrate feeders (2A) were significantly gradual increase for all microcosms treated with penicillin G, appeared to be more tolerant to the antibiotic and to take advantage of the growing scarcity of other trophic groups. Compared to the control microcosms, omnivorous-carnivorous (2B) was found to be higher in all treated microcosms, with the exception of those treated with D5. Trophic index (Σθ²) was significantly reduced in all microcosms treated whereas trophic ratio 1B/2A appears to be insignificant.     

Could hydroxyethyl starch be a therapeutic option in management of acute aluminum phosphide toxicity?

Acute aluminum phosphide poisoning is a serious toxicity and results in high mortality rate despite the progress of critical care. After ingestion, phosphine gas is released and absorbed quickly, causing systemic poisoning and cell hypoxia. Excessive thirst, severe hypotension, arrhythmias, tachypnea, and severe metabolic acidosis are the common clinical manifestations. We think acute metabolic response which characteristically occurs in severe injury also happens in aluminum phosphide poisoning. Necropsy examinations indicate congestion in almost all vital organs because of leakage of fluids from intravascular to extravascular space. The most favorable type of fluid for intravascular volume resuscitation persists and is disputed. Colloids remain in the intravascular space rather than crystalloids, and provide more rapid hemodynamic stabilization. Furthermore, hydroxyethyl starch solution may have other benefits e.g. it can reduce the extra vascular leak of albumin and fluids from an endothelial injury site. As refractory hypotension and cardiovascular collapse, because leakage of fluids from intravascular to extravascular space are common cause of death in this toxicity, we propose that hydroxyethyl starch can dominate this refractory hypotension and consequently acute metabolic response.     

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Autophagy Markers in Soleus Muscle Disuse-Induced Atrophy of Rats Treated with Fish Oil

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and autophagy pathways are implicated in disuse muscle atrophy. The effects of high eicosapentaenoic (EPA) or high docosahexaenoic (DHA) fish oils on soleus muscle ERS and autophagy markers were investigated in a rat hindlimb suspension (HS) atrophy model. Adult Wistar male rats received daily by gavage supplementation (0.3 mL per 100 g b.w.) of mineral oil or high EPA or high DHA fish oils (FOs) for two weeks. Afterward, the rats were subjected to HS and the respective treatments concomitantly for an additional two-week period. After four weeks, we evaluated ERS and autophagy markers in the soleus muscle. Results were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc test. Gastrocnemius muscle ω-6/ω-3 fatty acids (FAs) ratio was decreased by both FOs indicating the tissue incorporation of omega-3 fatty acids. HS altered (p < 0.05) the protein content (decreasing total p38 and BiP and increasing p-JNK2/total JNK2 ratio, and caspase 3) and gene expressions (decreasing BiP and increasing IRE1 and PERK) of ERS and autophagy (decreasing Beclin and increasing LC3 and ATG14) markers in soleus. Both FOs attenuated (p < 0.05) the increase in PERK and ATG14 expressions induced by HS. Thus, both FOs could potentially attenuate ERS and autophagy in skeletal muscles undergoing atrophy.