Accumulation of potassium and calcium in rat myocardium exposed to alpha-1-adrenoceptor stimulation.

Net fluxes of potassium, calcium, sodium and chloride were examined in isolated perfused rat hearts during alpha-1-adrenoceptor stimulation. The ion measurements were performed in the non-recirculating perfusate. Hearts were exposed to alpha-1-adrenoceptor stimulation (phenylephrine 5 x 10(-5) mol/l in the presence of the beta-blocker timolol 10(-6) mol/l). During alpha-1-adrenoceptor stimulation perfusate potassium fell relatively rapidly by about 0.10 mmol/l after approximately 100 sec. followed by a slower rise. About 180 sec. after onset of alpha-1-adrenoceptor stimulation, the potassium level was about 0.06 mmol/l below the control concentration level. This reduction was eliminated by the alpha-1-adrenoceptor blocker prazosin (10(-7) mol/l). The effects on net calcium fluxes were measured at two different calcium concentrations. For both concentrations we found a small but statistically significant reduction of the calcium concentration in the perfusate after alpha-1-adrenoceptor stimulation. Neither sodium nor chloride perfusate concentrations showed statistical significant changes compared to control values. The present observations revealed the existence of alpha-1-adrenoceptor regulated mechanisms related to a net uptake of both potassium and calcium in rat heart.     

Correlation of corrected QT dispersion with the severity of coronary artery disease detected by SYNTAX score in non-diabetic patients with STEMI

Introduction

Determination of the QT interval dispersion by means of a standard ECG at rest has been widely used for cardiovascular risk assessment during the last 15 years as one of the recent explanations for the development of life threatening ventricular arrhythmias. However, little is known about the relation between QT dispersion and the severity of coronary artery atherosclerosis as defined by SYNTAX score.

Sonographic assessment of optic nerve and ophthalmic vessels in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Background: Early diagnosis and proper monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) could reduce morbidity.

Objectives: The objective was to explore and monitor reflection of raised ICP in IIH on optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), papillary height and ophthalmic vessels hemodynamics, using transorbital sonography (TOS).

Methods: The study included 24 IIH patients and 30 controls. Patients were compared to controls (phase I) then reassessed twice; 1 week and 4 weeks later (phase II). Both groups underwent clinical evaluation and TOS to measure ONSD, papillary elevation, and color Doppler indices of the ophthalmic vessels. Patients underwent lumbar puncture (LP) to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure.

Results: ONSD was significantly higher in patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). The cut-off value was 6.2 mm. Papillary elevation (p = 0.006) and ONSD (p = 0.006) were significantly reduced 4 weeks following LP. Baseline color Doppler indices of the ophthalmic vessels were comparable between both groups and the changes observed during the follow-up visits in the patients were insignificant.

Conclusion: Reflected ICP changes on ONSD and papilla, measured by TOS, could be a valuable noninvasive additional tool to diagnose and monitor IIH patients. IIH insignificantly influences ophthalmic vessels hemodynamics.

Abbreviation BMI: Body mass index. CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid. EDV: End diastolic velocity. ICP: Intracranial pressure. IH:intracranial hypertension. IIH: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension. LP: Lumbar puncture. MI: Mechanical index. MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging. MRV: Magnetic resonance venography. OA: Ophthalmic artery OND: Optic nerve diameter. ONSD: Optic nerve sheath diameter. OV: Ophthalmic vein. PIs: Pulsatility indices. PSV: Peak systolic velocity. ROC: Receiver operator characteristic. TOS: Trans-orbital sonography.     

Rapid diagnosis and follow up of bladder cancer patients using urinary high molecular weight cytokeratins

We have developed an office-based dot-EIA for the detection of a urinary high molecular weight cytokeratin (CK). Immunohistochemical staining and western blot based on CK1K10 monoclonal antibody were used to identify the CK. Urine of 192 patients with different types, grades, and stages of bladder tumor and 72 controls were evaluated using dot-EIA. An intense and diffuse cytoplasmic reaction was shown in bladder squamous cell carcinoma. The target epitope was identified in urine at 65, 56, and 40-kDa. The CK purified from urine showed single polypeptide at 65-kDa using SDS-PAGE and single peak at 7.4 min using capillary zone electrophoresis. The dot-EIA detected the CK with high sensitivity (97%) and specificity (94%). The CK was not detected in urine of bladder cancer patients showing response to radiotherapy. The sensitive and specific office-based detection of urinary cytokeratin would be helpful in rapid diagnosis and follow up of bladder carcinoma.     

An office-based immunodiagnostic assay for detecting urinary nuclear matrix protein 52 in patients with bladder cancer

OBJECTIVE: To report the rapid (5 min) and simple detection of a nuclear matrix protein (NMP) in the urine of patients with bladder cancer, using a newly developed office-based dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Western blot and specific immunoglobulin-G antibody were used to identify the urinary NMP marker. Urine samples from 149 patients with bladder cancer and 72 controls were evaluated using the developed dot-ELISA. The initial responses of 43 patients treated by irradiation were followed using the assay. RESULTS: The NMP marker was identified in the urine of patients with bladder cancer at 52 kDa (NMP-52) by Western blot. The dot-ELISA detected the urinary NMP-52 marker in 92% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma, 98% with transitional cell carcinoma, and all six of those with adenocarcinoma of the bladder, with a specificity of 94%. The positive and negative predictive values (97% and 94%, respectively) and efficiency (96%) of the dot-ELISA were high. In addition, the NMP-52 tumour marker was not detected in the urine of patients who showed a response after radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Detecting the urinary NMP-52 marker using dot-ELISA would be helpful in the rapid diagnosis and follow-up of patients with bladder cancer.     

Human cytochrome p450 enzyme specificity for bioactivation of safrole to the proximate carcinogen 1'-hydroxysafrole

In the present study, the cytochrome P450 mediated bioactivation of safrole to its proximate carcinogenic metabolite, 1'-hydroxysafrole, has been investigated for the purpose of identifying the human P450 enzymes involved. The 1'-hydroxylation of safrole was characterized in a variety of in vitro test systems, including Supersomes, expressing individual human P450 enzymes to a high level, and microsomes derived from cell lines expressing individual human P450 enzymes to a lower, average human liver level. Additionally, a correlation study was performed, in which safrole was incubated with a series of 15 human liver microsomes, and the 1'-hydroxylation rates obtained were correlated with the activities of these microsomes toward specific substrates for nine different isoenzymes. To complete the study, a final experiment was performed in which pooled human liver microsomes were incubated with safrole in the presence and absence of coumarin, a selective P450 2A6 substrate. On the basis of the results of these experiments, important roles for P450 2C9*1, P450 2A6, P450 2D6*1, and P450 2E1 were elucidated. The possible consequences of these results for the effects of genetic polymorphisms and life style factors on the bioactivation of safrole are discussed. Polymorphisms in P450 2C9, P450 2A6, and P450 2D6, leading to poor metabolizer phenotypes, may reduce the relative risk on the harmful effects of safrole, whereas life style factors, such as the use of alcohol, an inducer of P450 2E1, and barbiturates, inducers of P450 2C9, and polymorphisms in P450 2D6 and P450 2A6, leading to ultraextensive metabolizer phenotypes, may increase the relative risk.     

Anticancer activity of some [1,2,4]triazepino[2,3-<Emphasis Type="Italic">a</Emphasis>] quinazoline derivatives: monolayer and multicellular spheroids in vitro models

In this study, five derivatives of triazepino[2,3-a] quinazoline-2,7(1H)-dione were synthesized and their anticancer activities were investigated both in two-dimensional-monolayer and three-dimensional-multicellular spheroids cancer models. All the five compounds showed very high anticancer activities against the 11 cancer cell types that have been investigated in the monolayer model. Comparing the results of both monolayer and multicellular spheroids models of the anticancer activity of these five compounds, we can conclude that the meta-methyl derivative induced its anticancer activity through apoptosis to give the best results in the monolayer model. However, in the multicellular spheroids model its apoptotic activity induced moderate anticancer activity (64?% cytotoxicity). On the other hand, both two nitro-derivatives either in meta-position or para-position, did not show potent pro-apoptotic activities toward the monolayer model but showed very high cytotoxic activity toward the multicellular spheroids model (100?%). These results reveal that the cell death mechanism induced by both nitro-compounds is exerted via other path than the apoptosis. Interestingly, all the tested compounds were generally safe to normal cells spheroids when tested at the same concentration.     

Quality assessment of medical care in chest dispensaries in Alexandria

Eight million new cases of tuberculosis are merging annually, worldwide, of which an estimated three million are dying. The quality of medical care rendered by chest clinics (dispensaries) to tuberculous patients is crucial. The present study was conducted in order to assess quality of medical care rendered to tuberculous patients in all chest clinics in Alexandria (n=7). To achieve this aim, three checklists were developed in relation to the three dimensions of medical care, namely, structure, process of care and outcome. They were validated and rated by ten medical experts working in the field of tuberculosis and chest diseases. Accordingly for the process of care, each item was scored using weighted scores for physicians' performance. Unit weighted scoring was also used for physicians, nurses, as well as social workers. Direct observation was conducted for assessment of structure and process of care rendered by physicians, nurses and social workers. On the other hand, outcome was measured by cure or treatment completion rate, treatment failure rate, defaulter rate, as well as death rate. The results revealed that percentage of recommended structure items ranged between 77.8% and 94.4%. Regarding process of care, it was found that the overall weighted physicians' performance index (PPI) expressed in percentage was 36.97+/-13.65%, while the mean unit weighted PPI was 35.26+/-13.5%. For the different areas of care, the mean weighted and unit weighted PPI, respectively, were 27.86+/-20.83% and 28.6+/-21.7% in history taking, 54.65+/-11.92% and 42.83+/-13.83% for examination, 31.64+/-19.61% and 37.10+/-19.40% for educating patients, while it was 36.36+/-16.0% and 37.90+/-16.20% for measures applied to contacts. Moreover, assessment of nurses and social workers' performance revealed that they had carried out 91.86% and 86.60% of their recommended activities, respectively. Outcome indices among the different clinics showed that cure or treatment completion rate ranged from 47.48% to 81.51%, while treatment failure rate ranged between 1.71% and 11.54%. On the other hand, the defaulter rate showed a minimum of 13.70% and a maximum of 44.86%. From the present study it could be recommended that quality of medical care in chest clinics should be emphasized specially as regards process of care given by physicians.     

Fetal gender,serum human chorionic gonadotropin,and testosterone in women with preeclampsia

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Evaluation of the association between fetal gender, serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, and serum testosterone, and preeclampsia.