The preventive role of wheat germ oil against sertraline‐induced testicular damage in male albino rats

Sertraline is an antidepressant medication used extensively in the therapy of depression. The present investigation was intended to estimate the actual protective role of wheat germ oil on sertraline‐caused testicular injury in albino rats. Sertraline (human therapeutic dose, 15.63 mg/kg) was orally administrated to rats for 28 successive days. Sertraline‐administered rats were concurrently supplemented with wheat germ oil (human therapeutic dose, 68.75 mg/kg) for 28 successive days. Sertraline administration induced an elevation in testicular DNA damage and acute testicular damage illustrated by the histopathological alterations including marked degeneration and necrosis of germ cells lining seminiferous tubules, as well as interstitial oedema, congestion of interstitial blood vessel. Wheat germ oil administration potentially mitigated the histopathological alterations of sertraline‐administered rats. Lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress biomarker, showed a significant elevation in testicular tissue of sertraline‐administered rats. Furthermore, glutathione content and catalase activity were decreased in testicular tissue of sertraline‐administered rats. Serum testosterone level was elevated in sertraline‐administered rats. Wheat germ oil significantly reduced lipid peroxidation of testicular tissue and improved the antioxidant defences. Finally, wheat germ oil has a preventive role against testicular damage induced by sertraline in rats probably via its potential to prevent reactive oxygen species.     

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF): a second-generation platelet concentrate. Part I: technological concepts and evolution.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) belongs to a new generation of platelet concentrates geared to simplified preparation without biochemical blood handling. In this initial article, we describe the conceptual and technical evolution from fibrin glues to platelet concentrates. This retrospective analysis is necessary for the understanding of fibrin technologies and the evaluation of the biochemical properties of 3 generations of surgical additives, respectively fibrin adhesives, concentrated platelet-rich plasma (cPRP) and PRF. Indeed, the 3-dimensional fibrin architecture is deeply dependent on artificial clinical polymerization processes, such as massive bovine thrombin addition. Currently, the slow polymerization during PRF preparation seems to generate a fibrin network very similar to the natural one. Such a network leads to a more efficient cell migration and proliferation and thus cicatrization.     

The effect of topical parasympathomimetics on corneal epithelial healing in rabbits

Corneal wound healing is an important process that involves interaction between the different corneal cell layers, growth factors, and environmental conditions. More powerful therapies for the treatment of delayed epithelial wound healing are still being proposed. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of the direct-acting parasympathomimetic agents on the healing process of corneal epithelium in rabbits. The corneal epithelial defects, 10 mm in diameter, were created in 32 eyes of 16 island rabbits by combination of chemical debridement using n-heptanol and mechanical scraping. Animals were randomly divided into four groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were treatment groups; each group consisted of four rabbits (8 eyes). The animals in these groups were treated with topical 1% acetylcholine (ACh), 2% pilocarpine, and 0.75% carbachol drops respectively. In group 4, four rabbits (8 eyes) were used as control group and left for spontaneous healing. The length and area of the defect were measured at days 3,6,9,12,15,18 and 22 after wounding. Areas of the photographically documented fluorescein-stained defects were measured by planimetry. All eyes in the treatment groups reepithelialized completely. The duration for reepithelialization in Groups 1 and 2 was 12 days, and 18 days for Group 3. In the control group reepithelialization occurred within 22 days. The healing rates of corneal epithelium were statistically significantly faster in all treatment groups as compared with the control group at all times (p=0.0001 to 0.0279). Although the rates of wound healing varied, all of the parasympathomimetics used in the present study were found to facilitate wound healing. Our results indicate that direct-acting cholinergic agents, especially ACh and pilocarpine, may have an important therapeutic role in the treatment of severe corneal epithelial injury.     

An XPS and SEM evaluation of six chemical and physical techniques for cleaning of contaminated titanium implants

The purpose of the present study was to analyse clinically failed and retrieved implants prior to and after cleaning by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as compared to unused controls. Six different chemical and physical techniques for cleaning of contaminated titanium implants were evaluated: 1) rinsing in absolute ethanol for 10 min, 2) cleaning in ultrasonic baths containing trichloroethylene (TRI) and absolute ethanol, 10 min in each solution, 3) abrasive cleaning for 30 s, 4) cleaning in supersaturated citric acid for 30 s, 5) cleaning with continuous CO2-laser in dry conditions at 5 W for 10 s, 6) cleaning with continuous CO2-laser in wet conditions (saline) at 5 W for 10 s. SEM of failed implants showed the presence of contaminants of varying sizes and XPS showed almost no titanium but high carbon signals. XPS of unused titanium implants showed lower levels of titanium as previously reported, probably due to contamination of carbon which increased with time in room air. Cleaning of used implants in citric acid followed by rinsing with deionized water for 5 min followed by cleaning in ultrasonic baths with TRI and absolute ethanol gave the best results with regard to macroscopical appearance and surface composition. However, as compared to the unused implants the results from an element composition point of view were still unsatisfactory. It is concluded that further development and testing of techniques for cleaning of organically contaminated titanium is needed.     

Peripheral seventh nerve palsy due to transorbital intracranial penetrating pontine injury

The case of a child injured by a knitting needle penetrating transorbitally and intracranially, resulting in carotid cavernous fistula and pontine injury, is reported. After receiving medical and endovascular treatment, the only remaining abnormal neurological manifestation was right peripheral facial nerve palsy. The clinical sequences of events and the demonstration of a pontine lesion leading to peripheral facial palsy are presented. Facial nuclear injury with a penetrating trauma is an extremely rare condition. It is important to identify the anatomical regions injured in penetrating traumas. The lesions must be identified by computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, clinical and laboratory investigation.     

Recombinant VP9-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of immunoglobulin G antibodies to Banna virus (genus Seadornavirus)

Banna virus (BAV, genus Seadornavirus, family Reoviridae) is an arbovirus suspected to be responsible for encephalitis in humans. Two genotypes of this virus are distinguishable: A (Chinese isolate, BAV-Ch) and B (Indonesian isolate, BAV-In6969) which exhibit only 41% amino-acid identity in the sequence of their VP9.The VP7 to VP12 of BAV-Ch and VP9 of BAV-In6969 were expressed in bacteria using pGEX-4T-2 vector. VP9 was chosen to establish an ELISA for BAV, based mainly on two observations: (i). VP9 is a major protein in virus-infected cells and is a capsid protein (ii). among all the proteins expressed, VP9 was obtained in high amount and showed the highest immuno-reactivity to anti-BAV ascitic fluid.The VP9s ELISA was evaluated in three populations: French blood donors and two populations (blood donors and patients with a neurological syndrome) from Malaysia, representing the region where the virus was isolated in the past.The specificity of this ELISA was >98%. In mice injected with live BAV, the assay detected IgG-antibody to BAV infection 21 days post-injection, which was confirmed by Western blot using BAV-infected cells.The VP9 ELISA permits to determine the sero-status of a population without special safety precautions and without any requirements to propagate the BAV. This test should be a useful tool for epidemiological survey of BAV.     

Molecular characterisation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. isolates at a tertiary-care centre in Lebanon

The prevalence of bla _CTX-M, bla _TEM and bla _SHV genes among extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing clinical isolates of Escherichia coli ( n  = 50) and Klebsiella spp. ( n  = 50) from Lebanon was 96%, 57% and 67%, and 40%, 82% and 84%, respectively. Genotyping revealed that the clonal diversity was unrelated to the presence of bla genes. Sequence analysis of 16 selected isolates identified the bla _CTX-M-15, bla _TEM-1, bla _OXA-1 and six bla _SHV genes, as well as the gene encoding the quinolone-modifying enzyme AAC(6')-Ib-cr. The genes encoding CTX-M-15 and AAC(6')-Ib-cr were carried on a 90-kb plasmid of the pC15-1a or pCTX-15 type, which transferred both ESBL production and quinolone resistance from donors to transconjugants.     

Immunogenic and antigenic epitopes of immunoglobulins--VII. The topographical distribution of Fc gamma epitopes and the relationship of an iso-allotypic specificity to the presence of histidine 435

Epitopes recognised by a panel of 23 anti-Fc gamma monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) have been subdivided into three groups each having a distinct topographical distribution. One group of mutually inhibitory McAbs are reactive with epitopes expressed on the fy "surface" of the C gamma 2 domain. A second group recognises epitopes in the region of arginine 355 of the C gamma 3 domain whilst the third group recognises epitopes expressed in the inter C gamma 2/C gamma 3 domain region--as evidenced by inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus protein A binding. An antibody of the latter group reactive with IgG1, 2, 4 and IgG3m(15,16) proteins but not IgG3m(5) or IgG3m(21) proteins allows histidine 435 to be identified as a critical residue for expression of the epitope recognised by this antibody.     

Anaemia during pregnancy in rural Kelantan

A retrospective study of anaemia in pregnancy in rural Kelantan was conducted. The study sample consist of 9,860 mothers who had antenatal care at one of the 102 rural health clinics selected and had delivered a live baby. Anaemia in pregnancy was determined by reviewing the antenatal records for the haemoglobin level recorded at the first and last antenatal visit. Estimation of haemoglobin was done either by photocalorimetric methods or the Sahli's method in these rural clinics. At the time of booking, 47.5% of the mothers were anaemic by WHO criteria (Hb < 11.0 g/dl), with 1.9% having less than 9.0 g/dl. Age of mother, parity and late gestational age at the first antenatal visit were associated with anaemia during pregnancy at the time of booking. However, practise of contraception by the mother did not show any association with anaemia in pregnancy. There were 594 mothers (6.0%) who delivered a baby weighing less than 2.5 kg. There was no association between the low birth weight of the child and the status of anaemia in the mother at the last antenatal visit.     

Concurrent optic disc pit and retinal cavernous hemangioma

Letter to the editor