Studies on preventive effects of diphenyl diselenide on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Organoselenium are compounds with important antioxidant activity and with many biological activities interesting from pharmacological point of view. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)₂ on hepatotoxicity caused by administration of acetaminophen (AA) in rats. Rats received (PhSe)₂ orally (31 mg/kg, dissolved in canola oil) for 2 days. After the second day of treatment, rats received AA orally (2 g/kg) in unique dose. Twenty-four hours after the last administration of AA, plasma was used for biochemical assays aspartate (AST) and alanine aminotransferases (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) activities. Glutathione-S-transferase (GST), δ-aminolevulinic dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) and catalase activities as well as ascorbic acid and TBARS levels were determined in the liver of rats. (PhSe)₂ protected against the increase in AST, ALT, ALP, LDH and γ-GT activities induced by AA exposure to rats. The histological data showed that sections of liver from AA-exposed rats presented intense cellular necrosis, characterized by the presence of Kupffer cells and other infiltrating cells, mainly around of the centrilobular vein. (PhSe)₂ significantly attenuated AA-induced hepatic histopathological alterations. Administration of (PhSe)₂ protected against the increase in TBARS levels and the decrease in δ-ALA-D and GST activities as well as ascorbic acid content induced by AA exposure in rats. Catalase activity remained unaltered in all treated groups. The protective effect of (PhSe)₂ against hepatotoxicity caused by AA exposure in rats was demonstrated.     

Neurological status predicts response to alpha-blockers in men with voiding dysfunction and Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES:To evaluate predictors of the response to doxazosin, a selective alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist, when used for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms in men with Parkinson''s disease.METHODS:In a prospective study, 33 consecutive men (mean age 59.2±7.0 years) with Parkinson''s disease and lower urinary tract symptoms were evaluated. Neurological dysfunction was assessed with the Unified Parkinson''s Disease Rating Scale. Urological assessment was performed at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment with 4 mg/day of extended-release doxazosin, including symptom evaluation with the International Continence Society male short-form questionnaire, an assessment of the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on quality of life and urodynamics. Clinical and urodynamic predictors of response were specifically evaluated.RESULTS:Compared with the score at baseline, the total International Continence Society male short-form score was reduced after doxazosin administration, from 17.4±7.5 to 11.1±6.9 (p<0.001). The impact of lower urinary tract symptoms on quality of life was also significantly reduced, from 1.8±1.1 to 1.0±1.0 (p<0.001) and the maximum urinary flow varied from 9.3±4.4 to 11.2±4.6 ml/s (p = 0.025). The severity of neurological impairment was the only predictor of the clinical response. Additionally, patients with a Unified Parkinson''s Disease Rating Scale score lower than 70 had a significantly higher chance of clinical improvement with doxazosin treatment than those with higher Unified Parkinson''s Disease Rating Scale scores did (RR = 3.10, 95% CI = [1.15 to 5.37], p = 0.011).CONCLUSIONS:Doxazosin resulted in the improvement of lower urinary tract symptoms and the maximum flow rate and was well tolerated in men with Parkinson''s disease. The response to treatment is dependent on the severity of neurological disability.     

Health Risk Behavior Among Justice Involved Male and Female Youth: Exploratory,Multi-Group Latent Class Analysis

Background: Youth involved in the juvenile justice system experience a disproportionate prevalence of serious mental health issues, substance abuse, and are at an increased risk of engaging in risky sexual practices. Gender differences exist, with girls at a markedly greater risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease. Objectives: The present study seeks to determine if there are subgroups of male and female youth who differ in their health risk behavior. If so, do any male or female subgroups at different levels of health risk differ in regard to their sociodemographic and psychological factors, and finally, what are intervention/service delivery implications of these differences. Methods: Youth were participants in an innovative health service at a centralized intake facility located in a large southeastern U.S. city. Latent class analysis and multinomial logistic regression is utilized to examine the heterogeneity of health risk behaviors across gender groups in a sample of 777 newly arrested youth. Results: Results indicate a three class solution provided the optimal fit with the data for each gender group: a Lower Health Risk group, a Higher Health Risk group, and a Highest Health Risk group. Multinomial logistic regression analysis identified significant sociodemographic and depression effects among both male and female youth. Conclusions/Importance: Youth characterized by risky sexually behavior, elevated depression, and drug involvement should be the focus of integrated intervention services. This study documents the critical need for front end, juvenile justice intake facilities to provide behavioral and public health screening, with treatment follow-up, on newly arrested youth.     

Bone dimensional variations at implants placed in fresh extraction sockets: a multilevel multivariate analysis

Aim: To use multilevel, multivariate models to analyze factors that may affect bone alterations during healing after an implant immediately placed into an extraction socket. Material and methods: Data included in the current analysis were obtained from a clinical trial in which a series of measurements were performed to characterize the extraction site immediately after implant installation and at re‐entry 4 months later. A regression multilevel, multivariate model was built to analyze factors affecting the following variables: (i) the distance between the implant surface and the outer bony crest (S‐OC), (ii) the horizontal residual gap (S‐IC), (iii) the vertical residual gap (R‐D) and (iv) the vertical position of the bone crest opposite the implant (R‐C). Results: It was demonstrated that (i) the S‐OC change was significantly affected by the thickness of the bone crest; (ii) the size of the residual gap was dependent of the size of the initial gap and the thickness of the bone crest; and (iii) the reduction of the buccal vertical gap was dependent on the age of the subject. Moreover, the position of the implant opposite the alveolar crest of the buccal ridge and its bucco‐lingual implant position influenced the amount of buccal crest resorption. Conclusions: Clinicians must consider the thickness of the buccal bony wall in the extraction site and the vertical as well as the horizontal positioning of the implant in the socket, because these factors will influence hard tissue changes during healing. To cite this article:
Tomasi C, Sanz M, Cecchinato D, Pjetursson B, Ferrus J, Lang NP, Lindhe J. Bone dimensional variations at implants placed in fresh extraction sockets: a multilevel multivariate analysis.
Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 21 , 2010; 30–36.     

Comparative study of the stability of bimatoprost 0.03% and latanoprost 0.005%: A patient-use study

Background  

The stability of ophthalmic preparations in multidose containers is influenced by the preservative as well as the stability of the active ingredient. Unstable drugs may require refrigeration to preserve their active ingredient level and they are more likely to degrade over time, therefore becoming more susceptible to degradation based on patient mishandling. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of molecular degradation that occurs in bimatoprost and latanoprost in a patient-use setting.     

Retinopathy of prematurity in a tertiary center in south of Brazil

AIM: To investigate the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) in the southern Brazil, the rate of treatment and outcomes in all premature infants born at Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, from October 2002 to October 2006. · METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 323 premature children born at Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, from October 2002 to October 2006 with birth weight equal to or less than 1 500g or a gestational age at birth of 32 weeks or less. All of the newborns were examined by indirect binocular ophthalmoscopy with the 28 diopters lens after pupil's dilation and a lid speculum after the sixth week of life with examinations repeated depending on the disease classification. The main clinical outcome was the occurrence of ROP at any stage. · RESULTS: ROP occurred in 82 infants with an incidence rate of 25.7%. Threshold disease occurred in only 17 of the patients (5.3%), all of them had the disease affecting posterior Zone II needing laser treatment. None of the treated children had Zone I or aggressive posterior disease despite that three of the treated children needed a second laser session. One patient of the re-treated group needed scleral buckling with an equatorial silicon band after progression to stage 4 of ROP. · CONCLUSION: The incidence of retinopathy and the threshold disease in this study was similar to the international results reported. This study showed a high survival rate (70.1%), high incidence of retinopathy, and high laser treatment necessity among newborns under 28 weeks of gestational age or under 1 000g of birth weight. This study drove attention about the no identification of any Zone I posterior disease in this cohort of patients.     

Thrombin inhibition by novel benzamidine derivatives: a free-energy perturbation study

Thrombin is a serine protease responsible for blood coagulation. Since thrombin inhibitors appear to be effective in the treatment and prevention of thrombotic and embolic disorders, considerable attention has been focused on the structure and interactions of this enzyme. In this work, to evaluate the relative free energies of hydration and binding to thrombin for some benzamidine derivatives, we used the finite difference thermodynamic integration (FDTI) algorithm within the Discover program of MSI. By this method, two possible orders of hydration for the candidates were obtained: p-amidinophenylpyruvate > p-(2-oxo-1-propyl)benzamidine > p-methylbenzamidine > p-ethylbenzamidine > p-(1-propyl)benzamidine > benzamidine and p-amidinophenylpyruvate > p-(2-oxo-1-propyl)benzamidine > p-methylbenzamidine > p-ethylbenzamidine > benzamidine > p-(1-propyl)benzamidine. We also obtained the following order for thrombin binding: p-(2-oxo-1-propyl)benzamidine > p-ethylbenzamidine > p-(1-propyl)benzamidine > p-methylbenzamidine > benzamidine > p-amidinophenylpyruvate.     

Effect of variable moderate chronic stress on ligature-induced periodontal disease in Wistar rats

The aim of this investigation was to study the impact of stress on ligature-induced periodontal disease in rats by means of a variable moderate chronic stress model. Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to six groups. Control groups received only ligatures around the second maxillary molars, while experimental groups were exposed to stress in additional. Stress was imposed by means of flashing light, isolation, rat blood smelling, new environment exposure, immobilization in cold temperature and immobilization at room temperature. Stress was applied randomly, thereby diminishing adaptation of the animals to the model. The animals were killed after 29, 43, and 57 days. The distance between the cementum-enamel junction and the alveolar bone (CEJ-AB) was measured. Alveolar bone loss was statistically different between stressed and control animals, whereas differences were not observed between experimental periods. The mean CEJ-AB distance in animals exposed to stress was 154.50 microm smaller than the corresponding distance in the controls. It might be concluded that variable moderate chronic stress decreased alveolar bone loss in a ligature-induced periodontal disease model.