The relationship between blood pressure and serum parathyroid hormone with special reference to urinary calcium excretion: the Tromsø study

The aim of the present cross-sectional epidemiological study from Troms?, Northern Norway, was to evaluate the relation between blood pressure and serum PTH, and to examine whether this relation can be explained by a blood pressure-induced increase in urinary calcium. Ten thousand-four hundred and nineteen subjects were invited to participate and 8,128 attended. Those with serum calcium outside the reference range (2.20-2.60 mmol/l), with increased serum creatinine (upper limit 120 micromol/l for men and 100 micromol/l for women) and those using antihypertensive medication were excluded. Three thousand- six hundred and twenty subjects had complete data on outcome measures. Height, weight, blood pressure, serum calcium, PTH, and creatinine were measured and smoking status recorded. A morning urine sample was collected and urinary calcium, sodium and creatinine measured. The urinary calcium/urinary creatinine ratio (Uca/Ucr) and urinary sodium/urinary creatinine ratio (Una/Ucr) were calculated. There was a significant association between both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and serum PTH. The Uca/Ucr increased with increasing blood pressure. However, the Uca/Ucr did not affect the association between blood pressure and serum PTH in a multiple linear regression model. The relationship between blood pressure and serum PTH was also seen in subjects with similar Uca/Ucr, and a negative association between serum PTH and the Uca/Ucr was found. In conclusion, blood pressure and serum PTH are associated. This association cannot be explained by the urinary calcium excretion alone.     

Anomalous Inferior Vena Cava Drainage to the Left Atrium With Successful Staged Repair in a 32-Year-Old Woman With Arthritis

This report describes a case involving anomalous drainage of inferior vena cava (IVC) to the left atrium diagnosed when the patient was 32 years old. The tricuspid valve and the right ventricle were small. Successful surgical repair was performed, with significant improvement of the patient’s clinical status. The use of exercise testing with pulse oxymetry monitoring aided in the decision of timing for closure of the iatrogenically created atrial septal defect.     

Dimensional stability and weight changes of tissue conditioners

The dimensional stability of tissue conditioners characterizes the ability of the materials to yield accurate functional impressions of oral mucosa. This study evaluated the linear dimensional changes with time of six tissue conditioners (COE Comfort, FITT, GC Soft-Liner, Hydro-Cast, SR-Ivoseal and Visco-Gel) using a travelling microscope, and relationship between these changes and weight changes. The absorption and solubility of these materials were also determined. The percentage changes in dimension and weight in water storage were measured at 2 (baseline), 8 and 24 h, and 2, 4, 7, 14 and 21 days after specimen preparation. All materials except SR-Ivoseal exhibited shrinkage and weight loss during water storage, whilst SR-Ivoseal exhibited expansion and an increase in weight. The percentage solubility for all materials except SR-Ivoseal was higher than the percentage absorption. A positive linear relationship was found between the percentage changes in linear dimension and those in weight (r=0.797 - 0.986, P < 0.05). Water absorption and solubility of the materials were found to be associated with dimensional changes. The results suggest that the period recommended for forming functional impressions would be 24 h after insertion in the mouth. In addition, it is important to select tissue conditioners suitable for functional impressions because of the wide ranges of dimensional stability among the materials.     

Uranium mineralization in the two mica granite of Gabal Ribdab area, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Among the different rock units in the Gabal Ribdab area, the two-mica leucogranite and muscovite pegmatitic granite are the most favourable host rocks for uranium and thorium mineralization. The muscovite pegmatitic granite shows evidence of post-magmatic alteration, e.g. Na- and K-metasomatism, whereas the two-mica leucogranite could be regarded as being fresh. The spectrometric survey revealed the presence of three enriched zones with a maximum eU content of 140 ppm and the maximum eTh is 36 ppm. Uranophane, zippeite and becquerelite are the most abundant uranium minerals. The origin of these secondary minerals is mainly related to alteration of primary minerals by the action of oxidizing fluids, mobilization of uranium and then redeposition in other forms. Redistribution by circulating meteoric waters might have taken place.     

Anticandidal activity of the extract and compounds isolated from Cyperus conglomertus Rottb

The phytochemical screening of Cyperus conglomeratus showed that carbohydrates and/or glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, sterols and/or triterpenes, and proteins and/or amino acids are present. The fatty acid profile comprised major; palmitic, oleic, heptadecanoic, linoleic and minor; arachidonic, lignoceric, stearic, and myristic acid. Two compounds; namely, α-amyrin and β-sitosterol were isolated by the fractionation of unsaponifiable matter.The acute toxicity study showed that the reported after oral administration of the alcohol extract (TAE) showed that the plant was highly safe as the LD₅₀ was more than 4000?mg/kg. These results were well supported by the sub-chronic toxicity, as the TAE administrated to rats for 15 consecutive days at dose 1000?mg/kg showed no alteration in the liver and kidney functions. Moreover, the extract of the plant exhibited anti-candidal activity against different Candida species. The most potent activity, (23.1?±?2.1, 0.98?µg/ml) and (22.3?±?0.53, 0.98?µg/ml), was obtained by the chloroform and total extract, respectively against Candida albicans.     

Guanosine protects against reperfusion injury in rat brains after ischemic stroke

After ischemic stroke, early thrombolytic therapy to reestablish tissue perfusion improves outcome but triggers a cascade of deleterious cellular and molecular events. Using a collaborative approach, our groups examined the effects of guanosine (Guo) in response to ischemic reperfusion injury in vitro and in vivo. In a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats, Guo significantly reduced infarct volume in a dose‐dependent manner when given systemically either immediately before or 30 min, but not 60 min, after the onset of the 5.5‐hr reperfusion period. In a separate experiment, Guo significantly reduced infarct volume after 24 hr of reperfusion when administered 5 min before reperfusion. Western blot analysis did not reveal any significant changes either in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress proteins (GRP 78 and 94) or HSP 70 or in levels of m‐calpain. In vitro oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) significantly increased production of both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) in the primary astrocytes. Guo did not alter ROS or IL‐8 production when given to the astrocytes before OGD. However, Guo when added to the cells prior to or 30 min after reperfusion significantly reduced IL‐8 release but not ROS formation. Our study revealed a dose‐ and time‐dependent protective effect of Guo on reperfusion injury in vitro and vivo. The mechanisms by which Guo exerts its effect are independent of unfolded proteins in ER or the level of intracellular calcium or ROS formation. However, the effect may be induced, at least partially, by inhibiting IL‐8, a marker of reperfusion‐triggered proinflammatory events. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effect of ascorbic acid on chicken semen quality during liquid storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of ascorbic acid on Ross-308 chicken sperm quality. The semen was collected from eight teen Ross-308 broiler breeder roosters and mixed together. The mixed semen was diluted with modified Ringer’s solution and supplemented with five treatment levels (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) of ascorbic acid (w/v). Treatments were evaluated for sperm motility, viability, and morphological defect rates at 0, 3, 6, 10, and 24?h after storage at 4°C. At 0, 3, and 6 of storage, no significant differences were observed between treatments with ascorbic acid and controls for all spermatozoa quality parameters. At 10?h, sperm viability in treatment added with 1% ascorbic acid was significantly higher than control and other treatments. In this time, there were not significant differences among treatments with 0%, 0.5%, 2%, and 3% ascorbic acid. At 24?h, sperm motility in treatment with 1% ascorbic acid and sperm viability in treatments contain 1% and 2% ascorbic acid were higher than controls and other treatments. In this period, morphological defect percent of spermatozoa in treatment with 1% ascorbic acid was significantly lower than control and other treatment groups. Also, at 24?h, sperm morphological defect percent in treatment added with 3% ascorbic acid was significantly higher than that in control and other treatments.     

Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Manifestations of Primary Immune Deficiency Diseases

Primary immune deficiency diseases (PIDs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited diseases characterized by variable genetic immune defects, conferring susceptibility to recurrent infections. They have a vast array of manifestations some of which involve the gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary systems. These complications can be the consequence of five different factors, namely, infection, autoimmune process, unregulated inflammation, malignancies and complications of therapeutic intervention. They may precede the PID diagnosis and, once developed, they pose high risk of morbidity. Untrained clinicians may treat these manifestations only at the level of their presentation, leaving the PIDs dangerously undiagnosed. In fact, early diagnosis of PIDs and accompanied gastrointestinal and hepatic complications clearly require appropriate treatment, and in-turn lead to an improved quality of life for the patient. To improve the awareness of gastroenterologists and related health care providers about these diseases, we have reviewed herein the complications of different PIDs focusing on gastrointestinal and hepatic manifestation.