Effects of certain antibilharzial and contraceptive drugs on liver functions in rats

Effects of single and combined administration of contraceptive drug (microvlar-30) and anti-urinary bilharzial drug (metriphonate) as well as anti-intestinal bilharzial drug (oxamniquine) on the liver functions of female albino rats were studied. Metriphonate increased serum globulin content and caused no change in the hepatic cells. Oxamniquine significantly increased the activities of serum transaminases and alkaline phosphatase and caused necrosis in some liver cells. Microvlar-30 exhibited no change on the serum enzymes, while marked increase was found in serum triglyceride and protein levels. The combined administration of metriphonate or oxamniquine with microvlar-30 prevented the increase in the levels of serum triglycerides and proteins. Histopathological examination confirmed the results obtained by chemical analysis.     

Gentamycin in cardiac surgery

Gentamycin concentration in the serum, pericardial fluid, auricle, valve and papillary muscles of 14 patients subjected to cardiac surgery was determined after intramuscular administration of 80 mg of the drug. Fifty to 140 minutes after administration the mean level in the serum was 6.0 mcg/ml, in the pericardial fluid 0.6 mcg/ml, in the auricle 5.8 mcg/g, while after 120 to 240 minutes in the valve 1.2--9.6 mcg/g and in the papillary muscles 2.0--3.6 mcg/g of gentamycin was measured. Consequently, an efficacious gentamycin concentration can be achieved in the cardiac tissues but not in the pericardial fluid which makes gentamycin excellently suited for the prevention and treatment of the infectious complications of heart operations.     

Use of hypothermia for traumatic brain injury: point of view

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of disability in modern society. The World Health Organization has predicted that, by 2020, traffic accidents will represent the greatest burden of global disease and injury. Brain injury after trauma occurs in two stages. Primary injury is directly associated with the biomechanical effects of the trauma, whereas secondary injury occurs later and can be attributed to processes that develop within the brain. Currently, there is no consensus for the use of hypothermia in the treatment of secondary injury after TBI. Until the results of ongoing studies are published, maintaining normothermia and avoiding hyperthermia should be used in managing patient with TBI.     

Rapid and efficient synthesis of 4-substituted pyrazol-5-one under microwave irradiation in solvent-free conditions

New heterocyclic compounds containing pyrazol-5-one coupled with benzimidazole, benzothiazole, benzoxazole, quinoline, naphthyridin, and pyrazole were synthesized. Comparative investigations to synthesize these interesting classes of heterocyclic compounds through conventional heating or under microwave-irradiation conditions were presented. Synthesized compounds 1a, 2a, 4k, 3a, c, 5a, b, 6b, 7a, b, d, 8a, and 9a were evaluated for their antitumor activity. Some of these compounds exhibited promising antitumor activity.     

Risk assessment induced by knapsack or conventional motor sprayer on pesticides applicators and farm workers in cotton season

Fakous Province in the Sharkia Governorate constitutes one of the largest agricultural areas in Egypt. The majority of people in this province rely on subsistence agriculture. In the cotton cultivation season the continuous application of pesticides is commonly used to increase agricultural productivity, using different types of spraying equipment. In this study a cohort of 210 intensive agricultural pesticide applicators and farm workers from Sawada and Akyad Elkepplia villages in Fakous Province were assessed according to the type of spraying equipment they used. Conventional motor (300l/feddan or 0.42ha) and knapsack motor sprayer (20l/feddan) were commonly used by farmers. Contamination on applicators was detected on head, body (thorax/abdomen) and legs at different percentages according to the spraying tools. The recorded results revealed that contamination with pesticides due to knapsack motor sprayers 0.76% on head, 4.8% on body and 5.8% on legs; however, conventional motor sprayers induce contamination of 3.6% on head, 23.7% on body and 29.1% on legs. Several criteria for estimating pesticide contamination by previous delivery systems were used. The most important reference biomarker was serum acetyl cholinesterase (AchE) depression. Sprayers showed changes in serum glucose levels as well as reduced erythrocytic glutathione levels (GSH). However, an increase in both total serum protein and albumin was recorded also, alongside elevation in lipid peroxidation biomarker malondialdehyde (MDA). Changes in serum biochemistry regarding enzymes reflecting cytotoxicity were also recorded, such as inhibition of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST). An increase in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and glutathione reductase (GR) was observed particularly in conventional motor sprayers. Changes in enzymes activities found in this study are linked to the adverse health effects related to chronic pesticide toxicity that may lead to pathophysiological diseases, cancer or neurodegenerative disorders, which warrants further investigation.