Effect of nimesulide, rofecoxib and celecoxib on gastric tissue glutathione level in rats with indomethacin-induced gastric ulcerations

Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide and a superoxide radical scavenger and it protects thiol protein groups required for maintaining the integrity of cell against oxidation. GSH is present in the stomach at high concentrations and plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the gastric mucosa. We investigated whether oral administration of nimesulide, rofecoxib and celecoxib, selective COX-2 inhibitors, changed GSH level in the gastric tissue of indomethacin-treated rats. Thirty albino Wistar rats were used in this study. Animals were randomly assigned to five groups as follows: control group received only distilled water (group I). Nimesulide at a dose of 100 mg/kg (group II), rofecoxib at a dose of 25 mg/kg (group III) and celecoxib at a dose of 100 mg/kg (group IV) were intragastrically administered 5 min before indomethacin (25 mg/kg) treatment. Equal volume of distilled water was given to the indomethacin-administered group (group V). Indomethacin was administered intragastrically. Gastric tissue mean GSH level was significantly higher in nimesulide-given rats than in rofecoxib- and celecoxib-treated groups, there was not any significant difference between the nimesulide and control groups. Our study showed that although nimesulide prevented the indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers completely, rofecoxib and celecoxib did not prevent the indomethacin-induced ulcer formation. In conclusion, we propose that nimesulide exerts a prophylactic effect on the indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers by enhancing gastric GSH level.     

Effectiveness of sirolimus-eluting stent for treatment of left main coronary artery disease

The present study reports on the clinical outcome of 31 consecutive patients with left main coronary artery disease treated with a sirolimus-eluting stent. The implantation of this stent was associated with abolition of post-discharge fatal events and percutaneous reintervention.     

Effect of haemodialysis on visual-evoked potential parameters

SUMMARY: Different papers have emphasized the presence of visual-evoked potential (VEP) abnormalities in metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to perform pattern VEP (PVEP) recordings in patients with chronic renal failure just before and 24 h after dialysis to test the effect of this procedure on visual pathway generated parameters. Twenty-four haemodialysis patients (M/F:14/10; mean age: 48.8 ± 14.1 years) were examined. None of them were complaining from visual difficulties or from visual loss. The recording sessions were performed just before and 24 h after dialysis. The control group consisted from 27 healthy subjects matched for age and sex. Eight (33%) patients demonstrated abnormal P100 latency prolongation in at least one tested eye (six patients in one tested eye, two in both eyes) in the recording session just prior to dialytic treatment. In the post-treatment session, it was found that the abnormal P100 latencies that were present in six patients (75%) before dialysis had returned to normal, while in the remaining two (25%), the latency abnormality persisted. No correlation was found between VEP parameters and dialysis duration, serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, parathyroid hormone and haematocrit levels. However, a positive correlation in the intradialytic percentage variation of bodyweight with P100 latencies was found . Visual evoked potential is a reliable, simple and non-invasive technique that can be used for the investigation and follow up of subclinical involvement of visual pathways in patients with chronic renal failure. Detected abnormalities in some uraemic patients are reversible by using dialysis.     

Chronic Cigarette Smoking Affects Left and Right Ventricular Long-Axis Function in Healthy Young Subjects: A Doppler Myocardial Imaging Study

Objective: Cigarette smoking is one of the major risk factors for coronary artery disease. However, chronic smoking has additional cardiac adverse effects independent of coronary atherosclerosis. We assessed the possible effects of chronic smoking on left and right ventricular (LV, RV) long-axis function using Doppler myocardial imaging (DMI). Methods: Forty otherwise healthy smokers (mean age = 26 ± 3 years) and 40 age-matched nonsmoking controls enrolled. Standard echocardiography protocol was followed by DMI. Peak systolic (V_S), early (V_E) and late diastolic (V_A) velocities, peak systolic strain (S), and strain rate (SR) were measured from septal, lateral, and RV free walls. Results: The baseline characteristics of two groups were similar. There were significant differences regarding Doppler myocardial velocity, S, and SR indices. Septal V_E (P < 0.04), S (P < 0.0001) and SR (P < 0.02) were significantly reduced in smokers. For both lateral and RV free wall, V_S (P < 0.003, P < 0.002, respectively), V_E (P < 0.0001, P < 0.002, respectively), S (P < 0.0001 for both), and SR (P < 0.0001, P < 0.002, respectively) were significantly reduced in smokers. There were significant correlations between the amount of smoking and septal, lateral, and RV free wall S and SR. Conclusions: Chronic cigarette smoking causes alterations in long-axis systolic and diastolic functions of right and left ventricles in healthy young subjects. These changes can be accurately detected with Doppler myocardial velocity and SR imaging.     

The effect of cromoglycate on time-dependent histamine and serotonin concentrations in stored blood products.

Biogenic amines, having vascular and inflammatory effects, are accepted as a potential threat for some non-hemolytic transfusion reactions. The aim of this study was to investigate time-dependent histamine/serotonin levels in stored blood products and to see whether cromoglycate has any effect on these mediators. Either for platelet or whole blood, 10-fold concentrations of cromoglycate (1 microg ml(-1), 10 microg ml(-1), 100 microg ml(-1)) with controls prepared as pairs of replicate bags collected from two healthy subjects, separately. By using enzyme immunoassay, histamine and serotonin levels were determined in platelet or blood replicates. Histamine levels increased significantly with time but serotonin remained unchanged during the storage of platelet or blood specimens. Cromoglycate had no effect on these biogenic amines except an increase of serotonin in whole blood specimens containing 100 microg ml(-1) of it. So, cromoglycate cannot protect blood products against rising levels of histamine or serotonin.     

Assessment of efficiency levels of training and research hospitals in Turkey and the factors affecting their efficiencies

ObjectivesThis study's aim was to compare the efficiency levels of training and research hospitals in Turkey during 2014–2017 and find the factors affecting their efficiency scores.MethodsTo achieve the above objective, input oriented and variable returns to scale (VRS), data envelopment analysis (DEA), and Tobit regression model were used. The number of beds (BD), the number of intensive care beds (IBD), and the number of specialist doctors (SD) were used as the input variables of DEA while the number of polyclinic admissions (PA), number of inpatients (InP), and number of A, B, and C type surgeries as the output variables. The Tobit regression model was created by using some control variables as independent variables and transformed DEA scores as dependent variables. Average length of stay (ALS), bed turnover rate (BTR), bed occupancy rate (BOR), surgery number per specialist doctor (SNSD), polyclinic admission number per specialist doctor (PANSD), and metropolitan city status (MCS) were used as control variables.ResultsStatistically significant control variables of BTR (p < 0.001), SNSD (p = 0.001), and MCS (p = 0.015) affect the transformed DEA score while ALS, BOR, and PANSD do not (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe research revealed that efficiency increased as BTR and SNSD increased, and that MCS also had a positive effect on efficiency. Policy makers should therefore consider the province's MCS status while allocating resources to relevant educational research hospitals for improving their efficiency. Likewise, policy makers should pay more attention to increasing BTR and SNSD compared to other variables.     

Electrochemical ionization and analyte charging in the Array of Micromachined UltraSonic Electrospray (AMUSE) ion source

Electrochemistry and ion transport in a planar array of mechanically-driven, droplet-based ion sources are investigated using an approximate time scale analysis and in-depth computational simulations. The ion source is modeled as a controlled-current electrolytic cell, in which the piezoelectric transducer electrode, which mechanically drives the charged droplet generation using ultrasonic atomization, also acts as the oxidizing/corroding anode (positive mode). The interplay between advective and diffusive ion transport of electrochemically generated ions is analyzed as a function of the transducer duty cycle and electrode location. A time scale analysis of the relative importance of advective vs. diffusive ion transport provides valuable insight into optimality, from the ionization prospective, of alternative design and operation modes of the ion source operation. A computational model based on the solution of time-averaged, quasi-steady advection–diffusion equations for electroactive species transport is used to substantiate the conclusions of the time scale analysis. The results show that electrochemical ion generation at the piezoelectric transducer electrodes located at the back-side of the ion source reservoir results in poor ionization efficiency due to insufficient time for the charged analyte to diffuse away from the electrode surface to the ejection location, especially at near 100% duty cycle operation. Reducing the duty cycle of droplet/analyte ejection increases the analyte residence time and, in turn, improves ionization efficiency, but at an expense of the reduced device throughput. For applications where this is undesirable, i.e., multiplexed and disposable device configurations, an alternative electrode location is incorporated. By moving the charging electrode to the nozzle surface, the diffusion length scale is greatly reduced, drastically improving ionization efficiency. The ionization efficiency of all operating conditions considered is expressed as a function of the dimensionless Peclet number, which defines the relative effect of advection as compared to diffusion. This analysis is general enough to elucidate an important role of electrochemistry in ionization efficiency of any arrayed ion sources, be they mechanically-driven or electrosprays, and is vital for determining optimal design and operation conditions.     

Prognostic value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide in patients with active infective endocarditis

Our aim was to determine whether N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels are valuable for predicting prognosis in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). We analyzed measured plasma NT-pro-BNP levels at admission in 45 patients with definite IE. The primary end point was early surgery or in-hospital death. The other data recorded were baseline clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory parameters. Thirty patients underwent early surgery, and 9 died in hospital. Univariate analysis revealed that log NT-pro-BNP, cTnI > or =0.03 ng/ml, New York Heart Association functional class III to IV symptoms, left atrial diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, and severe valvular regurgitation were associated with increased risk of reaching the primary end point. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis identified log NT-pro-BNP (hazard ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 1.9, p <0.001) as the only independent predictor of the primary end point. The log NT-pro-BNP cut-off value with the highest sensitivity (97%) and specificity (92%) for predicting primary end point was 7.2 (1,500 pg/ml). Patients with NT-pro-BNP level > or =1,500 pg/ml had significantly lower event-free survival than others. In conclusion, admission NT-pro-BNP is of prognostic value in patients with IE. The combination of admission NT-pro-BNP and cTnI levels appears to have even greater value for risk stratification in this patient group.     

Postpartum sacral stress fracture: an unusual case of low-back and buttock pain

Low-back and buttock pain is a common complaint during pregnancy and the postpartum period and is usually attributable to mechanical lesions of the pelvis. Sacral stress fractures are unusual but important causes that should be considered in differential diagnosis. To date, only eight postpartum sacral stress fractures have been reported in the literature. A 32-yr-old woman presented with low-back and right buttock pain that started 15 days after uneventful cesarean section delivery. Imaging studies revealed a right sacral stress fracture. Lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral density were normal and, except for pregnancy and lactation, no risk factors for osteoporosis were identified. There was no history of trauma, excessive weight gain, strenuous physical activity, or contribution of mechanical factors. The question remains whether this is an insufficiency fracture or a fatigue fracture. Clinicians should consider sacral fracture during pregnancy and the postpartum period as a diagnostic possibility in patients with low-back and/or buttock pain.