Effects of L-arginine and L-carnitine in hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced intestinal injury

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to show the role of oxidative stress, nitric oxide and glutathione-related antioxidant enzymes in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced intestinal injury model in mice and to evaluate the potential benefits of arginine and carnitine supplementation. METHODS: A total of 28 young Balb/c mice were divided into four groups: Group 1 (untreated) was given physiological saline before the experiment; group 2 H/R mice were supplemented with L-arginine; group 3 H/R mice were given L-carnitine for 7 days; and group 4 mice served as controls. At the end of day 7, H/R injury was induced and intestinal tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrate levels and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were measured. RESULTS: MDA levels were higher in the untreated animals than in the other three groups. MDA levels were higher in the L-arginine-treated animals than in the L-carnitine-treated animals. Nitrate levels were found to be increased in the L-arginine-treated group when compared to the controls. GSH-Px and GR activities were increased in the untreated, the L-arginine and the L-carnitine-treated H/R groups when compared to the control group. GST activities were indifferent between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of H/R-induced intestinal injury. The glutathione redox cycle may have a crucial role in the H/R-induced intestinal injury. L-arginine and L-carnitine supplementations ameliorate the histological evidence of H/R-induced intestinal injury and decrease lipid peroxidation but do not alter the glutathione-related antioxidant enzyme activities.     

Low Dose Ketoconazole is an Effective and a Relatively Safe Alternative in the Treatment of Hirsutism*

Summary: Efficacy, clinical and hormonal effect of ketoconazole in 400 mg/day dose was tested in a prospectively-designed study. Twenty four patients with hirsutism according to the Ferriman and Gallwey score (>8) and elevated blood androgen levels were administered 400 mg/day ketoconazole for 6 months. Basal and posttherapy early follicular phase androgens and biochemical parameters were evaluated. In 22 patients significant improvement and in 2 slight improvement was seen in subjective complaints. No side-effects were observed in these patients other than 2 cases of pruritus (transient), 2 mild gastric upset and 1 mastodynia. All patients completed the study. Low dose ketoconazole seems to be effective in the treatment of hirsutism with relatively few side-effects but still should be reserved as an alternative choice due to the potential for deleterious hepatic effects.     

Efficacy of Conventional Radiotherapy for Recurrent Meningioma

Results of radiation therapy for 20 patients with recurrent meningioma were analyzed. The patients included 8 men and 12 women, with a median age of 55 years. All of the patients had undergone at least one operation prior to the reoperation preceding radiotherapy. Ten patients had benign meningiomas, while 4 and 6 patients had atypical and malignant meningiomas, respectively, at the time of radiotherapy. The median radiation dose was 59.4Gy (range: 50–61.2Gy). The local control rate at 5 years was 36% for all 20 patients (41% for benign meningiomas and 30% for atypical or malignant meningiomas). The 5-year survival rate was 47%. Excluding 2 patients whose follow-up period was shorter than the preradiotherapy interval from the previous operation, the postradiation recurrence-free period was longer than the preradiotherapy interval in 50% (9/18) of the patients. No serious complications of radiotherapy were observed. Radiotherapy seemed to be effective in controlling the tumor or delaying recurrence in at least half of the patients. However, higher doses of radiation, using sophisticated radiation techniques, may be necessary to obtain higher control rates.     

Head-and-neck stages I and II extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: real classification and selection for treatment modality

PURPOSE: We re-evaluated histopathological specimens of head and neck early-stage extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) using the revised European and American lymphoma (REAL) classification, and also investigated the relationship between the clinical characteristics and histopathological classification in an attempt to evaluate the usefulness of this new classification system in selecting treatment modalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1979 and 1995, 117 patients with histologically confirmed stages I and II NHL of head-and-neck extranodal regions were treated. Of these patients, 110 specimens were available for re-evaluation. Sixty-four patients had Stage I, and 46 had Stage II diseases. All but 3 had received radiation therapy, and 59 patients were also treated with intensive combination chemotherapy. RESULTS: There were 32 extranodal marginal-zone B-cell lymphomas, 57 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, 11 peripheral T/NK-cell lymphomas, and 10 others. The 5- and 10-year cause-specific survival rates for all patients were 72% and 62%, respectively. Patients with extranodal marginal-zone B-cell lymphoma or other low-grade B-cell lymphomas demonstrated higher survival rates than patients with other lymphomas. Patients with peripheral T/NK lymphomas showed the lowest survival rate. CONCLUSION: The REAL classification accurately indicated the prognosis of patients with NHL. These results suggest that appropriate treatment modalities can be selected using this classification.     

TRANSSCLERAL DIODE LASER CYCLOPHOTOCOAGULATION IN REFRACTORY GLAUCOMA

Purpose: To evaluate the effecacy of contact transscleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulationfor patients with refractory glaucoma Methods: Thirty-five eyes of 35 patients were treated by diode laser cyclophotocoagulation (DLCPC). Intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity, glaucoma medications and complica-     

Effect of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) on non-specific defence mechanisms in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Linear alkylbenzene sulphonate (LAS) is among the most widely disseminated xenobiotics to enter waste streams and the aquatic environment. In the present investigation, we present a novel approach to evaluate in toxicity of LAS. The effects of sublethal levels (0.2 and 0.4 mg/l) of LAS on non-specific immune system, phagocytosis, respiratory burst and lyzosyme activity, and specific growth rate in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, during a 54-day exposure were examined by a static bioassay test procedure. The phagocytic activity of leukocytes from fish exposed to 0.4 mg/l LAS statistically decreased compared with the control fish values. No significant reductions were observed in the extra-intracellular respiratory burst and lysozyme activities after exposure to LAS at any of the concentrations tested. The final body weight in fish groups exposed to the LAS were found to be significantly lower than in the control. The specific growth rate results also supported the result above. The results of this study showed sublethal doses (0.2-0.4 mg/l) of LAS caused to statistically insignificant suppression of non-specific immune system mechanisms excluding phagocytosis in fish at laboratory conditions. These doses of LAS may produce potential synergism on immune system when presented with other environmental pollutants.