Effect of combined gliclazide/metformin treatment on oxidative stress,lipid profile,and hepatorenal functions in type 2 diabetic patients

Background

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that requires pharmacotherapy interventions. Metformin and gliclazide are widely used drugs in monotherapy. However, their complementary action made utilization of the combination of these drugs an appealing approach.

Improving the accuracy of vascular testing in impotent men: correcting hemodynamic alterations using a vasoactive medication re-dosing schedule

PURPOSE: Arteriogenic or venogenic vascular insufficiency is the most common pathophysiology of organic erectile dysfunction. While vascular insufficiency may be suspected on history and physical examination, the definitive diagnosis is made by vascular testing. Dynamic infusion cavernosometry is a recognized technique for evaluating the hemodynamics of erection. Assigning the correct vascular diagnosis during testing is important. Complete corporeal smooth muscle relaxation is essential for obtaining accurate data. Previously others have suggested that repeat dosing with vasoactive medication may improve the diagnostic accuracy of vascular testing. We investigated the hemodynamic effect of repeat doses of medication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were prospectively obtained on men undergoing dynamic infusion cavernosometry. When veno-occlusive parameters were abnormal, the intracavernous vasoactive agent dose was repeated to a maximum of 3 doses. Standard dynamic infusion cavernosometry criteria were used for diagnosing arteriogenic and venogenic erectile dysfunction. We analyzed the proportion of men in whom the vascular diagnosis was altered using this regimen. RESULTS: Of 420 men undergoing dynamic infusion cavernosometry, 70% warranted re-dosing based on abnormal veno-occlusive parameters. Of these 294 men veno-occlusive values were corrected by repeat medication in 32% and, therefore, they would have been falsely diagnosed with venous leakage during vascular evaluation. Half of all corrections occurred with the second dose, while half of the patients required a third dose of medication. CONCLUSIONS: These data should encourage clinicians to consider re-dosing during the vascular evaluation of men in whom incomplete corporeal smooth muscle relaxation is suspected. In this way a false diagnosis of venous leakage may be avoided in a significant number of cases.     

Sequence diversity of the haemagglutinin open reading frame of recent highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 isolates from Egypt

Archives of Virology - The sequences encoding the haemagglutinin (HA) of twelve H5N1 isolates obtained in 2006 and 2007 from different avian species in backyard holdings and poultry farms in Egypt...     

HSP70 as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker in Egyptian Women With Breast Cancer

BackgroundHeat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is a significant cellular stress response protein that has intrinsic and extrinsic pathways to protect cells against apoptosis. It is one of the most induced proteins in cancer cells. The aim of the present study is to investigate the significant role of the HSP70 expression in Egyptian patients with breast cancer (BC) and its potential to be as a diagnostic and prognostic marker.Materials and MethodsHSP70 was examined in 155 cases in this prospective study; patients were subdivided into 3 groups: 60 patients with malignant metastatic disease, 60 patients with malignant non-metastatic disease, and 35 patients with benign lesions as control. HSP70 expression was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC).ResultsMost cases of breast cancer expressed HSP70 in both serum (98.3%) and tumor tissue (90%). A strong positive correlation was found between HSP70 IHC and ELISA (r = 0.811). The mean HSP70 levels, as detected in both patients’ serum by ELISA and tumor tissue by IHC, was significantly higher in patients with BC than in benign cases (P = .001). HSP70 was significantly higher in patients with metastatic BC than in those with non-metastatic BC (P = .001). HSP70 showed positive correlation with tumor size (pT stage) and number of lymph node metastases (P ≤ .001).ConclusionHSP70 is over-expressed in patients with metastatic and non-metastatic BC than in benign cases. A high level of HSP70 either in patient’s serum or in tumor tissue correlated significantly with advanced disease in patients with BC. This present study suggests that HSP70 can serve as a BC biomarker for early screening, diagnosis, and follow-up.     

Gallic acid and p-coumaric acid attenuate type 2 diabetes-induced neurodegeneration in rats

The brain of diabetics revealed deterioration in many regions, especially the hippocampus. Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of gallic acid and p-coumaric acid against the hippocampal neurodegeneration in type 2 diabetic rats. Adult male albino rats were randomly allocated into four groups: Group 1 served as control ones and others were induced with diabetes. Group 2 considered as diabetic, and groups 3 and 4 were further orally treated with gallic acid (20 mg/kg b.wt./day) and p-coumaric acid (40 mg/kg b.wt./day) for six weeks. Diabetic rats revealed significant elevation in the levels of serum glucose, blood glycosylated hemoglobin and serum tumor necrosis factor-α, while the level of serum insulin was significantly declined. Furthermore, the brain of diabetic rats showed a marked increase in oxidative stress and a decrease of antioxidant parameters as well as upregulation the protein expression of Bax and downregulation the protein expression of Bcl-2 in the hippocampus. Treatment of diabetic rats with gallic acid and p-coumaric acid significantly ameliorated glucose tolerance, diminished the brain oxidative stress and improved antioxidant status, declined inflammation and inhibited apoptosis in the hippocampus. The overall results suggested that gallic acid and p-coumaric acid may inhibit hippocampal neurodegeneration via their potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. Therefore, both compounds can be recommended as hopeful adjuvant agents against brain neurodegeneration in diabetics.