Radioiodination and bioevaluation of nitrofurantoin for urinary tract imaging

Nitrofurantoin (NF) was labeled with iodine‐125 via electrophilic substitution reaction. Some factors affecting the radiochemical yield of ¹²⁵I‐NF, such as NF concentration, chloramine‐T (CAT) concentration, pH of the reaction mixture, reaction time, temperature, and reaction medium, were studied. The maximum yield of ¹²⁵I‐NF (90%) was obtained by using 3.7 MBq of Na¹²⁵I, 1 mM CAT, 1 mM NF in DMF, at pH 2 and 60 °C within 5 min. The specific activity of ¹²⁵I‐NF reaches 33.3 MBq/0.2 mmol, and the ¹²⁵I‐NF was completely separated and purified by means of high pressure liquid chromatography. The biological distribution in normal mice indicates the suitability of radioiodinated NF for urinary tract imaging. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The PROPKD Score: A New Algorithm to Predict Renal Survival in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease

The course of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) varies among individuals, with some reaching ESRD before 40 years of age and others never requiring RRT. In this study, we developed a prognostic model to predict renal outcomes in patients with ADPKD on the basis of genetic and clinical data. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1341 patients from the Genkyst cohort and evaluated the influence of clinical and genetic factors on renal survival. Multivariate survival analysis identified four variables that were significantly associated with age at ESRD onset, and a scoring system from 0 to 9 was developed as follows: being male: 1 point; hypertension before 35 years of age: 2 points; first urologic event before 35 years of age: 2 points; PKD2 mutation: 0 points; nontruncating PKD1 mutation: 2 points; and truncating PKD1 mutation: 4 points. Three risk categories were subsequently defined as low risk (0–3 points), intermediate risk (4–6 points), and high risk (7–9 points) of progression to ESRD, with corresponding median ages for ESRD onset of 70.6, 56.9, and 49 years, respectively. Whereas a score ≤3 eliminates evolution to ESRD before 60 years of age with a negative predictive value of 81.4%, a score >6 forecasts ESRD onset before 60 years of age with a positive predictive value of 90.9%. This new prognostic score accurately predicts renal outcomes in patients with ADPKD and may enable the personalization of therapeutic management of ADPKD.     

Antioxidant properties and xanthine oxidase inhibitory effects of Tamus communis L. root extracts

This study was conducted to search for xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitors from the root extracts of Tamus communis L. traditionally used in folk medicine in Algeria. Root extracts with different solvents were screened for purified milk xanthine oxidase inhibition. The root extracts (methanol, chloroform and ethyl acetate) and proteins, obtained in distilled water, inhibited bovine, sheep and human milk XO from three species in a concentration-dependent manner, with an additional superoxide scavenging capacity, which reached its highest level with ethyl acetate extract (IC(50) = 0.15, 0.04 and 0.09 g/L) for bovine XO, sheep XO and human XO, respectively. The antioxidant potential was confirmed with the non-enzymatic method, total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) assay, which showed that the Tamus communis L. extracts have a potential antioxidant activity in the same order obtained by using the reduction of cytochrome c, an enzymatic method, in which the antioxidant activity followed a decreasing order: ethyl acetate extract > chloroform extract > protein.     

Improved purification and yield of the Egyptian snake Cerastes cerastes antitoxin by the use of caprylic acid

The aim of this study was to obtain anti-snake antiserum by optimizing the conditions of extraction and purification and test its ability to neutralize local myonecrosis. Extraction and purification was achieved through adjustment of the pH, pepsin concentration, time of digestion, and caprylic acid concentration. Our results indicate that the best conditions to obtain anti-snake antiserum from ammonium sulfate fractionated plasma are pH 3.3, 3.5 g/l pepsin, digestion for 90 min at 37 degrees C, and 0.5% caprylic acid. Antiserum purified using this method has greater neutralizing ability of myonecrosis than ammonium sulfate (ammSO4) fractionated product.     

Endoscopy in the diagnosis of diseases of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum]

The results of endoscopic studies in 948 patients with various diseases of the upper digestive tract are reported. It is the author's opinion that esophago-gastrointestinal endoscopy is the most informative method of diagnosing diseases of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum.     

Corelease of GABA/glycine in lamina-X of the spinal cord of neonatal rats

Spinal-cord slices from neonatal rats were used to record lamina-X neurons using the patch-clamp technique under whole cell recording configuration. Lamina-X surrounds the central canal of the spinal cord and contains sympathetic preganglionic neurons of the central autonomic nucleus. Miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents were recorded in the presence of tetrodotoxin and kynurenic acid to block action potential-dependent transmitter release and glutamatergic transmissions, respectively. We recorded mixed gamma-amino-n-butyric acid/glycine miniature synaptic currents suggesting that gamma-amino-n-butyric acid and glycine can be coreleased from the same single synaptic vesicles, and that this corelease can be detected by the postsynaptic cell. In addition, acetylcholine can induce the release of gamma-amino-n-butyric acid/glycine by acting presynaptically at nicotinic receptors located on the gamma-amino-n-butyric acid ergic/glycinergic terminals.     

Utility of joint distension during arthrography in treatment of adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder in a study of 20 patients

AIM: The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy of joint distension during arthrography followed by an intra articular corticosteroid injection. METHODS: This procedure associated to a physical therapy started immediately after joint distension and performed during 3 months in the treatment of 20 patients suffering from adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder were assessed. RESULTS: Patients were evaluated on D 90:90 % of them have regression of pain, 70 % have an improvement of deficiency and ranges of motion of the shoulder. Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder is a disabling pathology but, generally, with good evolution. It is a clinical diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Joint distension associated to physical therapy has an interest in treatment because of therapeutic and antalgic effect and also restoration of range of movement.