Development of amyloidosis in Behçet's syndrome with isolated mucocutaneous involvement

Development of secondary amyloidosis is an infrequent complication in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS). It has been reported that multiple systemic involvement, long disease duration, and male gender are major clinical factors accompanying the development of amyloidosis in BS. We report a case of secondary amyloidosis in a patient diagnosed as having BS with a positive pathergy test 9 years previously and who had isolated mucocutaneous involvement. Regular use of colchicine since the diagnosis and somewhat mild progress of the disease could not prevent the development of secondary amyloidosis in this patient. He is alive and receives hemodialysis regularly.     

Antioxidative effect of melatonin, ascorbic acid and N-acetylcysteine on caerulein-induced pancreatitis and associated liver injury in rats

AIM: To investigate the role of oxidative injury in pancreatitis-induced hepatic damage and the effect of antioxidant agents such as melatonin, ascorbic acid and N-acetyl cysteine on caerulein-induced pancreatitis and associated liver injury in rats. METHODS: Thirty-eight female Wistar rats were used. Acute pancreatitis (AP) was induced by two i.p. injections of caerulein at 2-h intervals (at a total dose of 100μg/kg b.wt). The other two groups received additional melatonin (20 mg/kg b.wt) or an antioxidant mixture containing L( )-ascorbic acid (14.3 mg/kb.wt.) and N-acetyl cysteine (181 mg/kg b.wt.) i.p. shortly before each injection of caerulein. The rats were sacrificed by decapitation 12 h after the last injection of caerulein. Pancreatic and hepatic oxidative stress markers were evaluated by changes in the amount of lipid peroxides measured as malondialdehyde (MDA) and changes in tissue antioxidant enzyme levels, catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Histopathological examination was performed using scoring systems. RESULTS: The degree of hepatic cell degeneration, intracellular vacuolization, vascular congestion, sinusoidal dilatation and inflammatory infiltration showed a significant difference between caerulein and caerulein melatonin (P=0.001), and careulein and caerulein L( )-ascorbic acid N-acetyl cysteine groups (P=0.002). The degree of aciner cell degeneration, pancreatic edema, intracellular vacuolization and inflammatory infiltration showed a significant difference between caerulein and caerulein melatonin (P=0.004), and careulein and caerulein L( )-ascorbic acid N-acetyl cysteine groups (P=0.002). Caerulein-induced pancreatic and liver damage was accompanied with a significant increase in tissue MDA levels (P=0.01, P=0.003, respectively) whereas a significant decrease in CAT (P=0.002, P=0.003, respectively) and GPx activities (P= 0.002, P=0.03, respectively). Melatonin and L( )-ascorbic acid N-acetyl cysteine administration significantly decreased MDA levels in pancreas (P=0.03, P= 0.002, respectively) and liver (P=0.007,P=0.01, respectively). Administration of these agents increased pancreatic and hepatic CAT and GPx activities. Melatonin significantly increased pancreatic and hepatic CAT (P=0.002, P=0.001, respectively) and GPx activities (P= 0.002, P=0.001). Additionally, L( )-ascorbic acid N-acetyl cysteine significantly increased pancreatic GPx (P=0.002) and hepatic CAT and GPx activities (P=0.001, P=0.007, respectively) CONCLUSION: Oxidative injury plays an important role not only in the pathogenesis of AP but also in pancreatitis-induced hepatic damage. Antioxidant agents such as melatonin and ascorbic acid N-acetyl cysteine, are capable of limiting pancreatic and hepatic damage produced during AP via restoring tissue antioxidant enzyme activities.     

Toxic effects of anatoxin-a on testes and sperm counts of male mice

Anatoxin-a, a potent neurotoxin, is one of a number of toxins produced by cyanobacteria especially some strains of Anabaena. Toxic cyanobacteria are found worldwide in inland and coastal water environments. The present study was performed to evaluate the toxicity of anatoxin-a on testes and sperm counts of male mice. The animals of the treatment groups were administered with 50, 100 and 150microg/kg/day anatoxin-a for seven consecutive days by intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. Although there were no significant changes in body weight gain, and absolute and relative testes weights, absolute and relative weights of cauda epididymis reduced significantly in the 100 and 150microg/kg groups when compared with control group. The number of sperm count in cauda epididymis was reduced dose dependently in all treatment groups compared with control animals. Anatoxin-a caused dose-dependent histopathological changes in the testes of mice such as degenerations in seminiferous tubules, intercellular disassociation of spermatogenetic cell lines, sloughing of germ cells into tubular lumen, vacuolisation in Sertoli cells and loss of germ cells. The epithelial thickness of seminiferous tubules decreased significantly in all treatment groups in a dose-dependent manner.     

Aerosol delivery to young children by pMDI-spacer: Is facemask design important?

This study aimed at identifying in a daily-life setting the influence of facemask design on drug delivery via a spacer to young children. In a 4-week randomized crossover study, 24 children (7-23-months old) with recurrent wheeze tested the AstraZeneca, Galemed, and Hans Rudolph facemask combined with the NebuChamber at home. Each mask was tested twice daily for seven consecutive days. Filters positioned between the NebuChamber and facemask trapped the budesonide aerosol (200 microg, Pulmicort). Parents were asked to score the child's degree of cooperation during administration on diary cards. The administration procedure was evaluated through video recordings. Mean filter dose (standard deviation (s.d.)), expressed as % of nominal dose, was 39% (14), 47% (12), and 42% (11) for the AstraZeneca, the Galemed and the Hans Rudolph mask, respectively. Irrespective of the degree of cooperation, the Galemed mask gave significantly higher mean filter doses than the other masks (level of significance) (p < 0.045). Median (range) within-subject dose variability, expressed, as coefficient of variation (CV), was 37% (19-255), 32% (9-114), and 30% (9-115) for the AstraZeneca mask, the Galemed mask and the Hans Rudolph mask, respectively, not significant. Dose variability increased with decreasing cooperation for all three masks (p = 0.007). Drug delivery to young children with recurrent wheeze by means of the NebuChamber can be enhanced using the Galemed facemask. Dose variability seems to be independent of facemask design but mainly depends on cooperation.     

Changes in blood-brain barrier permeability during hot water-induced seizures in rats

Abstract. Hot water epilepsy (HWE) was induced in freely moving Wistar rats by applying hot water jets over the head region. The status of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) during the seizures and during hot water-induced hyperthermia without seizures was examined using Evans blue dye. In order to investigate the contribution of concomitant factors to this process, synchronized body temperature and blood pressure recordings were also made. Tonic-clonic seizure activity was observed within an average of 3.9 min (SE=0.6 min) in the rats exposed to the hot water jets; this treatment induced BBB opening in the cortical and deep brain areas. Body temperature and blood pressure increased from 36.5°±0.3°C to 40.0°±0.2°C, and from 91±3 mmHg to 153±4 mmHg, respectively. In the group of animals exposed to hot water application without inducing seizures, there were significant increases both in blood pressure and body temperature; however, the extravasation of Evans blue was not pronounced in the brains. Hot water-induced seizures, increased cerebrovascular permeability. Although high blood pressure and hyperthermia contribute to this permeability, the seizure activity is the major factor in this change.