Choroidal thickness changes following cataract surgery using swept source optical coherence tomography

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), measured using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT), after routine phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

Preoperative Localization of Mediastinal Parathyroid Adenoma with Intra-arterial Methylene Blue

CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology - Ectopic parathyroid is found in 16% of patients with hyperparathyroidism. 2% of ectopic parathyroid adenomas are not accessible to standard cervical...     

Allergy in systemic lupus erythematosus. IgE levels and reaginic phenomenon

Twenty-seven patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were investigated for the presence of allergic reactivity, and serum IgE levels were measured by immunoassay. Compared to controls, SLE patients had significant increases of only allergic rhinitis and drug allergy. Despite the usual hyperimmunoglobulinemia in SLE, IgE levels were not elevated (mean: 251 IU). Because recent reports have noted elevated IgE in rheumatoid arthritis, this finding may suggest basic immunologic differences between rheumatoid arthritis and SLE.     

Assessment of anti-HIV activity of some benzimidazolylthiazoles.

Benzimidazolylthiazoles 2 were synthesized by condensing 1H-benzimidazole-2-acetonitrile (1) with sulphur and isothiocyanates. The syntheses of the Schiff bases 3, thioureas 4, and thiazolopyrimido[1,6-a]benzimidazoles 5 and 6 are also described. Seven compounds were evaluated in vitro against human HIV, however, no significant activity was observed with any of these compounds.     

GABA Agonist "Muscimol" Is Neuroprotective in Repetitive Transient Forebrain Ischemia in Gerbils

The damaging effects from transient forebrain ischemia may be a result of excessive excitability or loss of inhibitory influences. In the brain, GABA acts as the major inhibitory neurotransmitter and its loss may be an important factor leading to delayed neuronal damage in the substantia nigra reticulata (SNr). In this study, we looked at the protective effects of muscimol, a GABA A agonist in a gerbil model of repetitive forebrain ischemia. For cerebral ischemia, we used three episodes of 2 min with a reperfusion period of 1 h between the insults. Histological evaluations were done 7 days after the insult using silver degeneration staining. Muscimol was infused into the third ventricle continuously for 7 days beginning just prior to the insult. There were a total of 20 animals, 12 treated with muscimol and the other 8 serving as controls. At 7 days, there was significant protection in the cortex (P = 0.007), hippocampus [CA1 (P = 0.01), CA4 (P = 0.015)], substantia nigra reticulata (P = 0.007), striatum (P = 0.049), and thalamus (P = 0.012). All statistical comparisons were done using nonparametric tests (Mann-Whitney U test). Our study shows that potentiation of inhibitory mechanisms may be important mechanisms of neuronal protection from the effects of repetitive ischemia and the effects are not limited to the SNr. Further studies are needed to better understand their mechanism of action.     

Synthesis andin vitro evaluation of some novel benzofuran derivatives as potential anti-HIV-1, anticancer, and antimicrobial agents

A novel series of 1-(1-benzofuran-2-yl-ethylidene)-4-substituted thiosemicarbazides (2a-d) along with some derived ring systems: substituted-2,3-dihydro-thiazoles (3a-c, 4a-f) and thiazolidin-4-ones (5a-d and 6a-d), were synthesized. In addition, cyanoacetic acid-(1-benzofuran-2-yl-ethylidene) hydrazide (7) was used to prepare another new series of compounds consisting of substituted pyridin-2(1H)-ones (8a-c); 2-thioxo-2,3-dihydro-thiazoles (9a-d) and 2-thioxo-2,3-dihydro-6H-thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7-ones (10a-c, 11a-c). The absolute configuration of compound 5c was determined by X-ray crystallography. The compounds prepared were evaluated for their in vitro anti-HIV, anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Among the tested compounds, compounds 5c and 9a produced a significant reduction [symbols, see text] the viral cytopathic effect (93.19% and 59.55%) at concentrations > 2.0 x 10(-4) M and 2.5 x 10(-5) M respectively. Compound 9a was confirmed to have moderate anti-HIV activity. Compounds 2a, 2d, and 5c showed mild antifungal activity. However, none of the tested compounds showed any significant anticancer activity.