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Purpose: The objective of this study is to provide evidence that primary hyperuricemia is associated with cochlear dysfunction as other metabolic diseases that interfere with cell metabolism. Materials and Methods: Cochlear function was evaluated in 25 subjects with asymptomatic hyperuricemia using routine diagnostic audiometry along with transient evoked and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE and DPOAE, respectively). To support the notion that vascular compromise was a significant underlying factor for such cochlear dysfunction, we assessed vascular anatomical and functional states through measuring the common carotid artery intima-media thickness and flow velocity of the basal intracranial vessels. Results: Compared with control subjects, reduced response levels of TEOAEs (P < .01) and amplitudes of DPOAEs (P < .001) were detected at higher frequencies. The reduced DPOAE levels at 5 kHz and TEOAEs at 4 kHz correlated significantly with uric acid (P < .05; P < .01), patients' age (P < .06; P < .05), duration since diagnosis of hyperuricemia (P < .05; P < .001), common carotid artery intima-media thickness (P < .05), mean flow velocities of middle cerebral arteries (P < .05), and vertebral arteries (P < .01). Multivariate analysis showed that the abnormalities at higher frequencies were significantly correlated with the duration and degree of hyperuricemia. Conclusions: These data suggest that subclinical changes in cochlear function are associated with hyperuricemia. They support the usefulness of otoacoustic emissions in early detection of cochlear dysfunction. It is possible that hyperuricemia could be accompanied by increased stiffness and/or compromise of blood supply of the outer hair cells, which will impair their electromotile response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Paraoxon, an organophosphate metabolite of the insecticide parathion inhibits the enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (Achase). Organophosphates affect the heart, visual system, nervous system and muscles. In this present study, we investigate the effects of the chronic consumption of paraoxon on gastric acid and pepsin secretion in N-mari rats. Materials and Methods: This study was performed from April 2003 to May 2004 in the Physiology department of Baghiatalah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. It was performed on three groups of female N-mari rats (10 /group) each weighing 200-250 g. The first group received 0.05 mg/kg/day paraoxon subcutaneously for one month. The second group received the same chronic doses of ethyl alcohol (96%) (solvent of paraoxon) and the third group (control) received no drugs. After tracheostomy and laparatomy, gastric secretions were collected with a tube via the duodenum. Pentagastrin (25 µg/kg, i.p.) was used as a gastric stimulator. Acid and pepsin secretions were measured by titration and the Anson method, respectively. The stages of the measurements were basal (first and second), stimulated and returned-basal. Results: Basal acid secretion in the paraoxon group was greater than those in the alcohol and control groups (14.61 ± 1.46, 7.18 ± 0.28 and 7.88 ± 0.26 µmol/15 min, respectively, P < 0.001)). Although pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion in all the three groups was greater than that of the basal state, there were no significant differences among the three groups. Basal pepsin secretions in the paraoxon group were greater than those in the alcohol and control groups (2.97 ± 0.32, 1.19 ± 0.25 and 0.55 ± 0.06 µg/15 min, respectively). Pentagastrin-stimulated pepsin secretion in the paraoxon group was significantly greater than those in the alcohol and control groups (3.22 ± 0.38, 2.22 ± 0.46 and 1.09 ± 0.66 µg/15 min, respectively, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Chronic exposure to paraoxon results in the increased secretion of gastric acid and pepsin.

The present study was designed to evaluate the influence of alpha-lipoic acid treatment in rats exposed to malathion. Forty adult male rats were used in this study and distributed into four groups. Animals of group 1 were untreated and served as control. Rats of group 2 were orally given malathion at a dose level of 100 mg/kg body weight (BW) for a period of one month. Experimental animals of group 3 were orally given alpha-lipoic acid at a dose level of 20 mg/kg BW and after 3 hours exposed to malathion at the same dose given to group 2. Rats of group 4 were supplemented with alpha-lipoic acid at the same dose given to group 3. The activities of serum glutamic oxaloacetic acid transaminase (GOT), glutamic pyruvic acid transaminase (GPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and acid phosphatase (ACP), and the values of creatinine, urea, and uric acid were statistically increased, while the values of total protein and total albumin were significantly decreased in rats exposed to malathion. Moreover, administration of malathion for one month resulted in damage of liver and kidney structures. Administration of alpha-lipoic acid before malathion exposure to rat can prevent severe alterations of hemato-biochemical parameters and disruptions of liver and kidney structures. In conclusion, this study obviously demonstrated that pretreatment with alpha-lipoic acid significantly attenuated the physiological and histopathological alterations induced by malathion. Also, the present study identifies new areas of research for development of better therapeutic agents for liver, kidney, and other organs' dysfunctions and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The effectiveness of postoperative pain control following a Cesarean section influences mother-child attachment, improves early healing, and undoubtedly hastens discharge. Transverse abdominis plane (TAP) and ilioinguinal iliohypogastric (ILIH) blocks have been used to minimize postoperative opioid intake, although their relative effectiveness is unknown. The study aims to determine which procedure was more effective at reducing the need for postoperative rescue analgesics after lower segment Cesarean section (LSCS). TAP block or I TAP (TAP block plus ilioinguinal iliohypogastric nerve block). Both procedures used the same amount of local anesthetic., Methods: A sealed envelope technique was used to randomly assign 210 patients who received LSCS into two equal groups to receive either ultrasound (US)-guided TAP block or US-guided ILIH nerve block with US-guided TAP block at the conclusion of the procedure. As per the study protocol, the charge nurse in the postoperative ward gave rescue analgesics to patients who complained of discomfort. At hours 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 24 following surgeries, a blinded observer checked on the patient and noted the effectiveness of pain management, the quantity of rescue analgesics used, and patient satisfaction., Results: While there was a substantial decrease in pain score while resting at 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 postoperative hours in the ITAP group, there was not a significant change in visual analogue scale (VAS) score at the first postoperative hour. However, there was a large delay in the first request for analgesia in the ITAP group (13.15 ± 1.85) as opposed to the TAP group (10.06 ± 1.61) and there was a significant decline in nalbuphine use as well as a higher satisfaction score in the ITAP group., Conclusions: Following LSCS, ITAP block offered better postoperative analgesia than TAP block in terms of quality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Carbendazim (CBZ) is a widely used fungicide that is used to control the unwanted growth of fungi on fruits and vegetables. Sixty male rats were divided into six groups, each having ten. Group one served as control, animals belonging to group two were exposed to CBZ in the measure of 200 mg/kg body weight (BW). In the third and fourth groups, rats were administered 800 mg/kg BW of Moringa oleifera (moringa oil) and Linum usitatissimum L. (flaxseed oil), plus CBZ with the same dose given to group two. Groups five and six were administered with moringa and flaxseed oils respectively for six weeks. A marked decline was seen in oxidative stress markers, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and a rise in malondialdehyde (MDA) level in group two with severe histological disruptions. Moringa oil and flaxseed oil were used to alleviate these changes. In addition, a biocomputational molecular docking analysis of three proteins found in male rats was performed. In relation to CBZ (CID:10584007) the screened proteins namely testis-expressed protein (TX101&#95;RAT), EPPI&#95;RAT, and glutathione peroxidase 5 (GPX5&#95;RAT) were docked, and their docking score were obtained (-5.9 kcal/mol), (-5.8 kcal/mol) and (-5.6 kcal/mol) respectively. By examining these interactions in 2D and 3D structures, a detailed understanding of the unique and specific binding affinity, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, ionic bonds, and water bonds were obtained. Structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) molecular docking analysis showed that protein interaction with CBZ causes reproductive complications in protein expression and functions by hampering their normal function and blocking active sites., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.)

Malathion (MAL) is an organophosphate insecticide that disrupts the body's antioxidant system; it is one of the earliest organophosphate insecticides extensively used as dust, emulsion, and vapor control a wide variety of insect pests under different conditions. This experimentation aims to evaluate the influence of Arabica coffee oil and olive oil on MAL-induced nephrotoxicity in male rat. 6 sets bearing the same number of animals were applied to this experiment. Each set comprised 10 rats. The first set of rats was used as the control group; rats in the second set were exposed to MAL measured at 100 mg/kg body weight for 7 weeks. Animals in the third and fourth set were treated with 400 mg/kg body weight of Arabica coffee oil and olive oil, and 100 mg/kg body weight of MAL. The fifth, together with the sixth set, were fed with a similar proportion of Arabica coffee oil and olive oil as administered to the third set of rats. After the experimental duration, rats of group 2 showed severe biochemical alterations, including significant increases of creatinine, uric acids, and urea nitrogen (BUN), resulting in marked decreases in serum albumin values and total protein (TP). Severe histopathological and immunohistochemical alterations of kidney tissues were observed in exposed MAL-intoxicated rats. Administration of these oils reduced the detected biochemical, histopathological modifications caused by MAL intoxication. Two active ingredients in Arabica coffee oil (oleic acid) and olive oil (hydroxytyrosol) showed good cyclooxygenase-2 (COX 2) interaction. Moreover, oleic acid from coffee oil and olive oil exhibited impressive association with xanthine oxidase (XO). The current finding showed that coffee oil and olive oil could be appraised as possible and a likely deterrence component against nephrotoxicity brought about by MAL., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Malathion (MAL) is an insecticide that has been linked to reproductive system damage in both humans and animals. In the present investigation, the antitoxic effects of coffee and olive oils on MAL-induced testicular dysfunctions were evaluated. MAL-intoxicated rats were supplemented with coffee and olive oils (400 mg/kg) for 7 weeks. Exposure to MAL resulted in statistically altered antioxidant enzymes and histopathological findings of necrotic seminiferous tubules and spermatogenetic arrest in rats after seven weeks of treatment. The effects of MAL intoxication on physiological and histopathological changes were improved by the use of these oils. Murine double minute 2 (MDM2) was found to interact well with chlorogenic acid and oleuropein, two compounds from coffee and olive oils, respectively. Coffee oil and olive oil were found to be promising therapeutic agents for MAL-induced testicular toxicity and oxidative damage.

Currently, living organisms are increasingly exposed to many toxic chemicals in the environment. These substances pose a threat to human life, other living organisms and ecosystem. In fact, there is an increasing requirement to search for safe therapeutic sources today. Medicinal plants and natural products have become of great importance globally because of their therapeutic potential and medicinal properties, as well as their availability and the absence of harmful side effects for most of them. The present study was designed to explore the potential protective effect of curcumin (CUR) and thymoquinone (TQ) in male rats exposed to thioacetamide (TAA). The experimental mice were divided into eight groups. Group 1 was served as control. Group 2 was exposed to 50 mg/ kg body weight of TAA. Group 3 was exposed to CUR and TAA. Mice of group 4 were treated with TQ and TAA. Mice of group 5 were exposed to CUR plus TQ and TAA. Group 6 was supplemented with CUR. Group 7 was subjected to TQ. Mice of group 8 were treated with CUR and TQ. Hematological and biochemical alterations were evaluated after one month. Significant increases of white blood corpuscles (WBC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) values were observed in group 2, while the values of red blood corpuscles (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb(, hematocrit (Hct), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were statistically decreased. Treatment with CUR, TQ and their combination inhibited the hematological and biochemical alterations induced by TAA toxicity. Moreover, the most protective effect was observed in mice treated with CUR plus TQ. These new results suggested that the protective effect of CUR and TQ attributed to their antioxidant properties., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Author.)

The community health plans commonly use malathion (MAL), an organophosphate pesticide (OP), to eliminate pathogenic insects. The objective of the present research is to evaluate the consequences of Coffea arabica L. oil and Olea europaea L. oil on MAL-intoxicated male rats. Six equal groups of animals were used for conducting this study ( n = 10). Animals in group one were designated as control, animals belonging to group two were exposed to MAL in the measure of hundred mg per kg BW (body weight) for forty-nine days (seven weeks), rats in the third and fourth groups were administered with 400 mg/kg BW of Coffea arabica L. and Olea europaea L. oils, respectively, and the same amount of MAL as given to the second group. Groups five and six were administered with the same amount of Coffea arabica L. oil and Olea europaea L. oil as given to group three. Exposure of rats to 100 mg/kg body weight of MAL resulted in statistical alteration of the serum lipid profile. A marked decline was noticed in the severe changes of these blood parameters when MAL-intoxicated rats were treated with Coffea arabica L. oil and Olea europaea L. oil. Two compounds from Coffea arabica L. oil (Chlorogenic acid) and Olea europaea L. oil (Oleuropein) demonstrated good interaction with xanthine oxidase (XO) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) enzymes that are associated with cholesterol production. The present study indicated that Coffea arabica L. oil and Olea europaea L. oil could be considered prospective and potential healing agents against metabolic conditions induced by MAL.

Background / Purpose . In the literature, no consensus about the duration of orthodontic treatment has been reached out. This study aimed to identify orthodontist's and patient's perception about the time of orthodontic treatment and their willingness to undergo and pay for various acceleration techniques and procedures. Materials and Methods . An electronic survey was conducted from August to October 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 20 multiple choice questions which was designed and emailed to members of the Iraqi Orthodontic Society and self-administered to patients in several orthodontic centers in Baghdad. The questionnaire included questions about the perception toward the duration of orthodontic treatment, approval of different procedures used to reduce treatment time, and how much fee increment they are able to pay for various techniques and appliances. Descriptive and chi-square test statistics were used, and the level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results . The response rate was 78.7%. The willingness for additional techniques and procedures was rated in the following order: customized appliances: 50.8% orthodontists and 38.4% patients, followed by intraoral vibrating devices: 49.2% orthodontists and 38.1% patients, piezocision: 10.2% orthodontists and 8.2% patients, and corticotomies: 8.1% orthodontists and 5.9% patients. Most orthodontists were willing to pay up to 40% of treatment income for the acceleration procedure, while the payment of patients was up to 20%. Conclusion . Both orthodontists and patients were interested in techniques that can decrease the treatment duration. Noninvasive accelerating procedures were more preferable by orthodontists and patients than invasive surgical procedures., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ali M. Al-Attar et al.)

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the trends in the use of fixed appliance and accelerated orthodontics to decrease the treatment duration. Further, this study aimed to assess the effect of demographic factors on the participant's choice of treatment modality., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in the form of questionnaire-based online survey especially designed and distributed to 265 orthodontists via email. The questions aimed to collect basic information about the participants and respondents' choices for decreasing the treatment duration. The data were analyzed according to gender, level of academic education and years of clinical experience using Chi-square test., Results: A response rate of 85.2% was reported. Most of the orthodontists aimed to reduce the treatment duration by the biomechanical (66.8%) and surgical approaches (27.4%). The use of sliding mechanics (69.4%) and one-step retraction was more common (66.3%). MBT bracket prescription was more prevalent (51.7%), followed by Roth (41.1%). Conventional brackets were used more than self-ligating brackets, and aesthetic brackets were avoided by one third of the respondents. NiTi wires were the most commonly used wires during the alignment stage (44.2%). However, the effect of gender, years of clinical experience and specialty level of education showed some effects on the use of certain techniques and clinical practice of the respondents., Conclusions: Most of the orthodontists aimed to decrease orthodontic treatment duration by using biomechanical and surgical approaches. Gender and clinical experience to a certain extent affected the participants' choice during orthodontic treatment., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Journal of Orthodontic Science.)

Background and Purpose: Radicals produced by Fenton and Haber-Weiss reactions play detrimental roles in our body. Some oxidized proteins as toxic configurations are identified in amyloid-β deposits. These deposits mostly occur in conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. Here, we report the synthesis, evaluation of the antioxidant activity, and implementation of density functional theory (DFT) calculations of some4- [(benzo[ d ]thiazol-2-ylimino) methyl]phenol derivatives. The aim of this study was to provide a comparative theoretical-experimental approach to explain the antioxidant activities of the compounds., Experimental Approach: Compounds were synthesized by the reaction between para hydroxybenzaldehyde and aminobenzothiazole derivatives. The scavenging activity of the compounds was evaluated. Various electronic and energetic descriptors such as high occupied molecular orbital and low unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps, bonding dissociation enthalpy of OH bond, ionization potential, electron affinity, hardness, softness, and spin density of the radical and neutral species were calculated. DFT calculations with B3LYP hybrid functional and 6-311++ G** basis set in the polarizable continuum model were utilized to obtain these descriptors., Findings/results: Ascorbic acid showed the best DPPH scavenging activity. However, 4d and 4c showed promising antioxidant activity. The values of EHOMO for 4c and 4d were closer to zero, thus, they showed the best scavenging activities. The computational results were in accordance with the experimental ones. The energetic descriptors indicated that the sequential proton loss-electron transfer mechanism is preferred over other mechanisms., Conclusion and Implication: Antioxidant activity of 4-[(Benzo[ d ]thiazol-2-ylimino) methyl]phenol derivatives confirmed by experimental and theoretical documents proves them as novel antioxidants against amyloid-β based disease., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflicts of interest in this study., (Copyright: © 2021 Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences.)

Background and Purpose: Reactive oxygen species (ROSs) are continuously produced as byproducts of cell metabolism. Free radicals are an unstable form of ROSs with the tendency to react readily with biomolecules such as amino acids, lipids and DNA. These reactions lead to oxidative damages to the cell. Oxidative stress occurs when the concentration of the ROSs exceeds the capacity of antioxidative protection systems of the body. 5-Hydroxypyridin-4-one derivatives can chelate Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ due to their α-hydroxyketone moiety. Also, tautomerism in hydroxypyridinone ring leads to enough level of aromaticity resulting in a catechol-like behavior that provides them with good chelating and radical scavenging properties., Experimental Approach: Different compounds were synthesized with 5-hydroxypyridine-4-one moiety as the core. The antioxidant properties of molecules were evaluated experimentally by DPPH scavenging method and theoretically using DFT/B3LYP with a 6-31++G (d,p) basis set. Electronic properties were investigated using frontier molecular orbital theory calculations. Furthermore, global descriptive parameters were obtained to find the chemical reactivity of molecules. The natural bond orbital analysis was performed to investigate charge distribution and hydrogen bonding., Findings/results: Structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed using IR, 1 H-NMR, and 13 C-NMR spectral analyses. Among all the synthesized compounds, Va and Vb showed the best antioxidant effect experimentally and computationally., Conclusion and Implications: Results of this study were valuable in terms of synthesis, in silico , and in vitro antioxidant evaluations and can be useful for future investigations about the design of novel 5-hydroxypyridin- 4-one derivatives possessing iron-chelating and radical scavenging abilities., (Copyright: © 2020 Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences.)

Background: To identify the most common retention protocols practiced by Iraqi orthodontists using a specially designed e-survey. Furthermore, this study aimed to assess the effect of sociodemographic factors on the participant's choice., Methods: Two hundred and twenty-five questionnaires with 23 multiple choice questions were sent to members of the Iraqi Orthodontic Society. The questionnaire was organized into four sections representing information about sociodemographic status of the orthodontists, factors affecting the selection of the retention system, commonly used retainers in the upper arch and lower arch, and duration of the retention system. The chi-square test was used to test the significant association between different variable and sociodemographic factors., Results: The response rate was 87.5%. The majority of the respondents considered the original malocclusion (80.2%) and clinical experience (49.7%) as the main factors for choosing the retention protocol. In the maxillary arch, a combination of vacuum-formed retainer and fixed retainer (35%) was mostly applied; in the mandibular arch, a fixed retainer was mainly used (46.7%). Most of the respondents recommended initial full-time wearing of a removable appliance (78.2%), especially in the first 3-6 months (47.2%). According to the respondents, bonding a fixed retainer to all anterior teeth was most common (79.7%), fabricated, and adapted directly inside the patient's mouth (75.1%). More than half used flowable composite (54.8%) and recommend leaving the retainer forever (53.8%). Most of the variables showed a statistically significant association between the sociodemographic factors and type, duration, and fabrication of the retainer used., Conclusions: A combination of removable and fixed retainers was commonly used in orthodontics retention, and sociodemographic factors significantly affected retainer choice., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Mushriq F. Abid et al.)

DJ-1, a 20.7 kDa protein, is overexpressed in people who have bladder cancer (BC). Its elevated concentration in urine allows it to serve as a marker for BC. However, no biosensor for the detection of DJ-1 has been demonstrated. Here, we describe a virus bioresistor ( VBR ) capable of detecting DJ-1 in urine at a concentration of 10 pM in 1 min. The VBR consists of a pair of millimeter-scale gold electrodes that measure the electrical impedance of an ultrathin (≈ 150-200 nm), two-layer polymeric channel. The top layer of this channel (90-105 nm in thickness) consists of an electrodeposited virus-PEDOT (PEDOT is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)) composite containing embedded M13 virus particles that are engineered to recognize and bind to the target protein of interest, DJ-1. The bottom layer consists of spin-coated PEDOT-PSS (poly(styrenesulfonate)). Together, these two layers constitute a current divider. We demonstrate here that reducing the thickness of the bottom PEDOT-PSS layer increases its resistance and concentrates the resistance drop of the channel in the top virus-PEDOT layer, thereby increasing the sensitivity of the VBR and enabling the detection of DJ-1. Large signal amplitudes coupled with the inherent simplicity of the VBR sensor design result in high signal-to-noise ( S / N > 100) and excellent sensor-to-sensor reproducibility characterized by coefficients of variation in the range of 3-7% across the DJ-1 binding curve down to a concentration of 30 pM, near the 10 pM limit of detection (LOD), encompassing four orders of magnitude in concentration.

Globally, human exposure to heavy metals has risen dramatically. Lead (Pb) is one of the most toxic heavy metals to human and other living organisms. Pb affects certain biochemical and physiological activities of the body. Many scientific investigations have documented the therapeutic and antioxidant properties of natural products which isolated from plant sources. The present study was therefore undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic influence of almond oil against Pb toxicity in male rats. The experimental rats were distributed into four groups. The first group was served as control. The second group was treated with 100 mg/kg body weight of Pb. The third group was subjected to almond oil (800 mg/kg body weight) and Pb. The fourth group was supplemented with almond oil. After six weeks, blood serum specimens were analyzed. In the second group, Pb produced a marked increase of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin, glucose, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, while the levels of total protein, albumin, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were significantly decreased. In contrast, the treatment with almond oil notably improved the biochemical changes and showed antioxidative effect. The present study disclosed the therapeutic influence of almond oil on the basis of its antioxidant effect against Pb toxicity. Moreover, these new findings indicated that the constituents of almond oil have a promising significant potential in biomedical and pharmacological studies., Competing Interests: The author has declared that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.)

Medicinal plants have always been an important source of new alternative effective compounds for human therapy. Currently, there are many of scientific evidences indicate that the medicinal plants contain a lot of hypoglycemic chemical compounds. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of olive leaves extract on hepatorenal injury in diabetic male rats. Experimental diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ). The levels of serum glucose, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid and malondialdehyde were significantly increased, while the levels of serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione and catalase were statistically decreased in untreated diabetic rats. Moreover, the histopathological examination showed several alterations in the structure of liver and kidney in untreated diabetic rats. Treatments with low dose and high dose of olive leaves extract in diabetic rats showed remarkable reducing and protecting influences of physiological and histopathological alterations. Moreover, the highly treatment efficiency was noted in diabetic rats treated with high dose followed by low dose of olive leaves extract. Additionally, the results of this study proved that the antioxidant activities of olive leaves extract played a vital role against the hepatorenal injury induced by diabetes. Finally, this study indicates to the importance of the use of olive leaves extract as promising alternative and complementary therapeutic agent against diabetes and its complications., (© 2017 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.)

Chemical structures derived from marine foods are highly diverse and pharmacologically promising. In particular, chitooligosaccharides (COS) present a safe pharmacokinetic profile and a great source of new bioactive polymers. This review describes the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic properties of COS from recent publications. Thus, COS constitute an effective agent against oxidative stress, cellular damage, and inflammatory pathogenesis. The mechanisms of action and targeted therapeutic pathways of COS are summarized and discussed. COS may act as antioxidants via their radical scavenging activity and by decreasing oxidative stress markers. The mechanism of COS antidiabetic effect is characterized by an acceleration of pancreatic islets proliferation, an increase in insulin secretion and sensitivity, a reduction of postprandial glucose, and an improvement of glucose uptake. COS upregulate the GLUT2 and inhibit digestive enzyme and glucose transporters. Furthermore, they resulted in reduction of gluconeogenesis and promotion of glucose conversion. On the other hand, the COS decrease inflammatory mediators, suppress the activation of NF- κ B, increase the phosphorylation of kinase, and stimulate the proliferation of lymphocytes. Overall, this review brings evidence from experimental data about protective effect of COS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Ilias Marmouzi et al.)

Medicinal plants have played an important role in the treatment of many diseases. Medicinal plants are believed to be well appropriate with the human body and to produce less side influences than the pharmaceuticals. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has abundant and wide variety of medicinal plants whose therapeutic effects have not been adequately studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic activities of the extracts of three plant species collected from Albaha region of Saudi Arabia including Olea oleaster (Oleaceae family) leaves (OLE), Juniperus procera (Cupressaceae family) leaves (JLE), and Opuntia ficus - indica (Cactaceae family) stems (OSE) on streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic male rats. The animals were distributed into eight groups. The first group was used as normal control. The second group was diabetic control. Diabetic rats of the third, fourth, and fifth groups were supplemented with OLE, JLE, and OSE, respectively. Normal rats of the sixth, seventh, and eighth groups were treated with OLE, JLE, and OSE, respectively. As expected, the mean of body weight was significantly decreased in rats of the second group. Significant increase in the value of serum glucose and decline of insulin value were observed in rats of the second group. Several alterations of lipid and protein profile and oxidative stress markers were noted in diabetic control rats. Severe histopathological alterations of pancreatic tissues were observed in untreated diabetic rats. The obtained results showed that OLE, JLE, and OSE attenuated the physiological and histopathological alterations. These new data indicate that the attenuation influences of OLE, JLE, and OSE attributed to their antioxidant properties confirmed by oxidative stress markers evaluation.

A polymer-based electrode capable of specific detection of human serum albumin, and its glycated derivatives, is described. The sensor is constructed from a glass microscope slide coated with a synthesized, polythiophene film bearing a protected, iminodiacetic acid motif. The electrode surface is then further elaborated to a functional biosensor through deprotection of the iminodiacetic acid, followed by metal-affinity immobilization of a specific and high-affinity, albumin ligand. Albumin was then quantified in buffer and synthetic urine via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Glycated albumin was next bound to a boronic acid-modified, single-cysteine dihydrofolate reductase variant to quantify glycation ratios by square-wave voltammetry. The platform offers high sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility in an inexpensive arrangement. The detection limits exceed the requirements for intermediate-term glycemic control monitoring in diabetes patients at 5 and 1 nM for albumin and its glycated forms, respectively.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of olive ( Olea europaea ) leaves extract on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic male rats. The experimental rats were divided into six groups. Rats of the first group were served as normal controls. Rats of the second group were diabetic control. The third and fourth groups were diabetic rats, treated with olive leaves extract at low and high doses respectively. The fifth and sixth groups were non diabetic rats, subjected to olive leaves extract at the same doses given to the third and fourth groups respectively. The minimum of body weigh gain was noted in diabetic rats of the second group. the levels of serum glucose, insulin, total protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly increased, while the levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), superoxide dismutase, (SOD) glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) were statistically decreased in diabetic rats of the second group. The levels of liver insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and insulin receptor A (IRA) were significantly declined in diabetic rats of the second group. The diabetic pancreatic sections from diabetic rats of the second group showed several histopathological changes. Administration of low and high doses of olive leaves extract improved the observed physiological, molecular and histopathological alterations. Collectively, the obtained results confirmed that the protective effects of olive leaves extract are attributed to the antioxidant activities of olive leaves extract and its active constituents.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Phoenix dactylifera L. (Ajwa date) has high nutritive value and are consumed in Arabian Peninsula as an essential diet. Phoenix dactylifera L. have been mentioned in folk remedies of traditional Egyptian medicine and alternative medicine, for numerous health benefits including cancer treatment. The aim of the study is to evaluate the anticancer effects of the extract of Ajwa Date on human Prostate cancer cell line (PC3)., Materials and Methods: Antiproliferative effect was measured using MTT assay. The long-term effect of EAFAD was determined using colony assay. Different stains like Giemsa and fluorescent stains (DAPI and acridine orange / Ethidium bromide) measured morphological changes. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased oxidative stress were measured using JC-1 and DCFH-DA dyes. DNA degradation was analyzed by comet assay. Cell cycle distribution was measured by flow cytometer. The apoptotic cell was quantified by annexin V-FITC and Propidium iodide dual staining using flow cytometer., Results: PC3 cell line was treated with ethyl acetate fractions of Ajwa dates (EAFAD) to study their morphological and cellular changes and induction of apoptosis. MTT assay showed the strong inhibitory effect of EAFAD on PC3 cells. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increased oxidative stress were observed in EAFAD treated cells, which suggested mitochondrial involvement in apoptosis. Comet assay proved DNA fragmentation induced by EAFAD. Flow Cytometer results demonstrated that Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide staining showed that EAFAD induced apoptosis and arrest the cell cycle in S phase., Conclusion: Our results suggested EAFAD has potential therapeutics properties for prostate cancer., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study was aimed to evaluate the influence of olive, sesame and black seed oils on levels of some physiological parameters in male rats exposed to diazinon (DZN). Body weight changes, and levels of serum total protein, albumin, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), atherogenic index (AI), atherogenic coefficient (AC), cardiac risk ratio (CRR), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MAD) were selected as physiological parameters. The experimental animals were distributed into nine groups. Rats group exposed to DZN and fed with normal diet resulted in pronounced severe changes including reduced body weight gain rate, significantly increase in levels of serum albumin, glucose, cholesterol, LDL-C, AI, AC, CRR and MDA while levels of HDL-C, GSH and SOD were decreased. In rats treated with DZN, the supplementation of the olive, sesame and black seed oils showed remarkable lowering influences of physiological alterations. Moreover, the present results confirmed that these oils possess antioxidative effects against DZN toxicity. Finally, the present findings suggest that these oils are safe and promising agents for the treatment of physiological disturbances induced by DZN and may be also by other pollutants, and toxic and pathogenic factors.

Environmental pollution and exposure to environmental pollutants are still some of the major global health issues. Pesticides have been linked to a wide range of health hazards. The toxicity of pesticides depends on several factors such as its chemical properties, doses, exposure period, exposure methods, gender, genetics, age, nutritional status and physiological case of exposed individuals. Medicinal plants, natural products and nutrition continue to play a central role in the healthcare system of large proportions of the world's population. Alternative medicine plays an important role in health services around the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of olive, sesame and black seed oils on hepatorenal toxicity induced by diazinon (DZN) in male rats. The experimental animals were divided into nine groups. The first group served as control. The second group was exposed to DZN. The third group was treated with olive oil and DZN. Rats of the fourth group were subjected to sesame oil and DZN. Rats of the fifth group were exposed to black seed oil and DZN. The sixth, seventh and eighth groups were supplemented with olive, sesame and black seed oils respectively. Rats of the ninth group were treated with corn oil. Levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, total bilirubin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and malondialdehyde were significantly increased in rats exposed to DZN. Moreover, levels of serum glutathione and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased. Several histopathological changes were observed in the structures of liver and kidney due to DZN exposure. This study showed that these oils attenuated the physiological disturbances and histopathological alterations induced by DZN intoxication. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of these oils support the bioactive roles of its protective effects on DZN toxicity. This study therefore suggests that these oils could be used as preventive factors against the toxicity of DZN due to its antioxidant properties.

Background: Operative hysteroscopy is accompanied by the use of distention medium. Its absorption can lead to volume overload and hemodynamic disturbances that can lead to serious complications. We investigated the impact of the type of anesthesia on decreasing these complications with the use of noninvasive thoracic bioimpedance., Design: A prospective, randomized, blind study., Method: Sixty women, with American Society of Anesthesiologists classifications I-III, undergoing operative hysteroscopy were randomly allocated into 2 groups. Spinal anesthesia group received intrathecal 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 12.5 mg and 25 μg fentanyl; the other group received general anesthesia with intravenous analgesia, propofol, and rocuronium followed by endotracheal intubation. Total glycine absorption, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, thoracic fluid content (noninvasive thoracic bioimpedance), and serum sodium were measured., Results: Women in the general anesthesia group showed more significant changes in the total glycine absorption, thoracic fluid content, and hemodynamic parameters. Serum sodium decreased significantly postoperatively in the general anesthesia group., Conclusion: Spinal anesthesia is associated with less glycine absorption, less thoracic fluid load, better control of hemodynamics, and better patient satisfaction in operative hysteroscopy., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The current study was designed to investigate the possible protective effect of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil on hepatic fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) in male rats. The experimental animals were divided into four groups. The first group was received saline solution and served as control. The second group was given 250 mg/kg body weight of TAA. The third group was treated with omega-3 fatty acids and TAA. The fourth group was given saline solution and supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids. Treatment of rats with TAA for three and six weeks resulted in a significant decrease in body weight gain, while the value of liver/body weight ratio was statistically increased. Furthermore, the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase and total bilirubin were significantly increased. After three weeks of exposure to only TAA, liver sections showed an abnormal morphology characterized by noticeable fibrosis with the extracellular matrix collagen contents and damage of liver cells' structure. Liver sections from rats treated with only TAA for six weeks revealed an obvious increase in extracellular matrix collagen content and bridging fibrosis. Treating TAA-intoxicated rats with omega-3 fatty acids significantly attenuated the severe physiological and histopathological changes. Finally, the present investigation suggests that omega-3 fatty acids could act against hepatic fibrosis induced by TAA due to its antioxidant properties, thus supporting its use in hepatic fibrosis therapy.

This study, for the first time, evaluates the effect of olive and juniper leaves extracts and their combination on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced nephrotoxicity in male mice. The experimental mice were divided into eight groups. Group 1 was served as control. Group 2 was exposed to TAA. Group 3 was treated with TAA and olive leaves extract. Group 4 was subjected to TAA and juniper leaves extract. Group 5 was exposed to TAA and olive and juniper leaves extracts. Groups 6, 7 and 8 were treated with olive, juniper, and olive and juniper leaves extracts respectively. In mice treated with only TAA, significant increases of blood urea nitrogen and uric acid were observed after six weeks. Moreover, levels of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid were statistically increased in mice administrated with only TAA for twelve weeks. Insignificant alterations in levels of these haematobiochemical parameters were noted in other treated groups after six and twelve weeks. Histopathological evaluations of renal sections from mice treated with only TAA for twelve weeks showed severe damage of the renal corpuscles. Furthermore, the renal sections from mice treated with TAA and olive leaves extract, TAA and juniper leaves extract, TAA and olive and juniper leaves extracts, olive leaves extract, juniper leaves extract, and olive and juniper leaves extracts showed normal structures. In addition, it is conceivable therefore, that these extracts exhibit protective influences against TAA-induced nephrotoxicity, probably mediated through the antioxidative pathway roles.

The effect of Olea oleaster and Juniperus procera leaves extracts and their combination on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatic cirrhosis were investigated in male albino mice. One hundred sixty mice were used in this study and were randomly distributed into eight groups of 20 each. Mice of group 1 served as controls. Mice of group 2 were treated with TAA. Mice of group 3 were exposed to TAA and supplemented with O. oleaster leaves extracts. Mice of group 4 were treated with TAA and supplemented with J. procera leaves extracts. Mice of group 5 were subjected to TAA and supplemented with O. oleaster and J. procera leaves extracts. Mice of groups 6, 7 and 8 were supplemented with O. oleaster, J. procera, and O. oleaster and J. procera leaves extracts respectively. Administration of TAA for six and twelve weeks resulted in a decline in body weight gain and increased the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin. Histopathological evaluations of hepatic sections from mice treated with TAA showed severe alterations including increase of fibrogenesis processes with structural damage. Treatment of mice with these extracts showed a pronounced attenuation in TAA induced hepatic cirrhosis associated with physiological and histopathological alterations. Finally, this study suggests that the supplementation of these extracts may act as antioxidant agents and could be an excellent adjuvant support in the therapy of hepatic cirrhosis.

Objectives: We aimed to determine erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation levels and Na/K-ATPase activity in patients with and without coronary artery disease (CAD) documented by coronary angiography., Design and Methods: A total of 144 patients who had undergone coronary angiography were divided into a CAD group (n=82) and a non-CAD group (control group, n=62) according to the results of coronary angiography. Lipid peroxide levels in plasma and the erythrocyte membrane were measured using a fluorimetric method. Total antioxidant status and Na/K-ATPase activity in plasma were determined using spectrophotometric methods., Results: Lipid peroxidation levels were significantly higher in the erythrocyte membrane of CAD patients compared with controls, whereas Na/K-ATPase activity was significantly lower in the erythrocyte membrane of CAD patients compared with controls. The coronary artery scores were correlated positively with membrane lipid peroxidation (r=0.324, P<0.001) and negatively with Na/K-ATPase activity (r=-0.302, P<0.001)., Conclusion: This study shows that the levels of membrane lipid peroxidation and Na/K-ATPase activity are correlated with the severity of CAD.

The pollution of environment by toxic chemicals is a global and chronic problem. Human health risk due to exposure to chemical pollutants is constantly increasing. Pesticides form major toxic chemicals in environment. Scientifically, there is an obviously correlation between the exposure to pesticides and appearance of many diseases. Currently, the significance of natural products for health and medicine has been formidable. The present study investigated the effect of grapeseed oil in male rats exposed to diazinon. The experimental rats were divided into five groups. The rats of the first group were served as control. The experimental animals of the second group were exposed to diazinon (DZN). The animals of the third group were supplemented with grapeseed oil and treated with DZN. The rats of the fourth group were supplemented with grapeseed oil. The experimental rats of the fifth group were supplemented with corn oil. Hematobiochemical and histopathological evaluations were chosen as indicators of DZN toxicity and protective role of grapeseed oil. In rats exposed only to DZN, the levels of serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatinine, urea nitrogen, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were statistically increased, while the level of serum total protein was significantly decreased. Moreover, the histopathological evaluations of the liver, kidney and testis showed that DZN causes several severe alterations. Pretreatment with grapeseed oil exhibited a protective role against DZN toxicity which confirmed by the inhibition of hematobiochemical and histopathological changes due to DZN exposure. Additionally, the present study suggests that the effect of grapeseed oil supplementation against DZN toxicity may be attributed to the antioxidant role of its constituents.

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the protective activity of olive and rosemary leaves extracts on experimental liver cirrhosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) in Wistar male rats. Highly significant decline in the values of body weight gain and highly statistically increase of liver/body weight ratio were noted in rats treated with TAA. Furthermore, the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin were statistically increased. Additionally, light microscopic examination of liver sections from rats treated with TAA showed a marked increase in the extracellular matrix collagen content and bridging fibrosis was prominent. There were bundles of collagen surrounding the lobules that resulted in large fibrous septa and distorted tissue architecture. Interestingly, the findings of this experimental study indicated that the extracts of olive and rosemary leaves and their combination possess hepatoprotective properties against TAA-induced hepatic cirrhosis by inhibiting the physiological and histopathological alterations. Moreover, these results suggest that the hepatoprotective effects of these extracts may be attributed to their antioxidant activities.

Physiologically, it is known that thioacetamide (TAA) toxicity is generally associated with hepatic fibrosis induction, complicated metabolic disorders and health problems. The capability of extracts of olive and rosemary leaves to attenuate the severe physiological disturbances induced by thioacetamide (TAA) intoxication in male rats has been evaluated. Healthy male Wistar rats were used in the present study and were divided randomly into eight groups. Rats of the first group were served as normal control. Rats of the second group were administrated with TAA. Rats of the third, fourth and fifth groups were exposed to TAA plus olive leaves extract, TAA plus rosemary leaves extract and TAA plus olive and rosemary leaves extracts respectively. The sixth, seventh and eighth groups were supplemented with olive leaves extract, rosemary leaves extract, and olive and rosemary leaves extracts respectively. After 12 weeks of experimental treatments, the levels of serum glucose, total protein, albumin and high density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly decreased, while the levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were statistically increased in rats exposed to TAA. Administration of the studied extracts inhibited the hematobiochemical parameters and improved the physiological disturbances induced by TAA intoxication. Additionally, most improvements were noted in rats administrated with rosemary leaves extract followed by olive and rosemary leaves extracts and olive leaves extract. These results suggested that the effect of these extracts might be due to their antioxidant activities against TAA toxicity.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of tea and olive leaves extracts and their combination in male mice intoxicated with a sublethal concentration of diazinon. Exposure of mice to 6.5 mg/kg body weight of diazinon for seven weeks resulted in statistical increases of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, creatinine, glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol, while the value of serum total protein was declined. Treating diazinon-intoxicated mice with tea and olive leaves extracts or their combination significantly attenuated the severe alterations in these hematobiochemical parameters. Moreover, the results indicated that the supplementation with combination of tea and olive leaves extracts led to more attenuation effect against diazinon toxicity. Additionally, these new findings suggest that the effect of tea and olive leaves extracts and their combination against toxicity of diazinon may be due to antioxidant properties of their chemical constituents. Finally, the present study indicated that the extracts of tea and olive leaves and their combination can be considered as promising therapeutic agents against hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and metabolic disorders induced by diazinon and maybe by other toxicants and pathogenic factors.

Exposure to heavy metals has been associated to a higher incidence of multiple sclerosis. In this work, we present a possible relationship between serum mercury levels and development of multiple sclerosis in Isfahan, the third largest city in Iran. Seventy-four patients affected by multiple sclerosis were retrieved from multiple sclerosis (MS) clinic in Isfahan, Iran. By matching sex and age, 74 healthy volunteers were chosen as control group. Blood samples were collected and serum mercury content was determined. Serum mercury level in MS patients was significantly higher than controls (9.6 ± 10.17 vs. 5.7 ± 8.6, P = 0.037). Concerning all MS patients, serum mercury value was significantly higher than the mercury concentration founded in control subjects {odd ratio: 2.39 (CI, 1.96-2.94), P = 0.00}. Serum mercury level is higher in MS patients with odd ratio equal to 2.39 compared with healthy individuals. It may reveal that high mercury levels in serum might help MS development in susceptible individuals. More studies with larger sample size are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Background: Recurrent Herpes Labialis (RHL) is one of most common infective vesiculoulcerative lesions. According to some studies administration of topical and/or systemic zinc compositions has been effective in treatment and prevention. This article aims to comparison of zinc level in healthy subjects and RHL patients in acute and convalescent phases., Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective case - control study, carried on 80 individuals (40 normal and 40 RHL patients) mean age=34.5 and 34.4, respectively. Saliva samples were taken in patients in acute phase once and after healing of lesions in convalescent phase (averagely 21 days later) and in normal individuals. Salivary zinc level concentration was measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer by dry digestion method. The results were statistically analyzed with SPSS software by t-test (α=0.05)., Results: Results showed that salivary zinc level in case group in acute and convalescent phases were 160.8 (ngr)/(ml)and 205.7 (ngr)/(ml) respectivly and significant differences between them were existed (P <0.05). Also significant differences were existed between zinc concentration in healthy subjects and patient groups (in both phases) (P=.001 and .002 for acute and convalescent phases respectively)., Conclusion: According to the results, zinc level is significantly lower in acute phase than in convalescent phase and significantly lower in both phases compared to healthy individuals,so determination of serum zinc level and prescribing zinc complement in low serum status has both treatmental and preventive effects in RHL patients.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Ginkgo biloba leaves extract on experimental liver fibrosis induced by thioacetamide (TAA) in male albino mice. The experimental mice were divided into four groups. The mice of the first group were served as control. The experimental animals of the second group were given 150 mg/kg body weight of TAA by intraperitoneal injection, twice weekly, for 9 weeks. The mice of the third group were exposed to TAA and supplemented with G. biloba leaves extract. The animals of the fourth group were supplemented with G. biloba leaves extract. The levels of plasma alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were statistically increased while the levels of plasma total protein, albumin, glucose, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly decreased. The levels of liver superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glycogen and total protein were notably declined, whereas the level of total lipid was increased in mice of the second group. Furthermore, microscopic examination of liver sections from mice treated with TAA showed an abnormal morphology characterized by nodular transformations in liver parenchyma which surrounded by fibrous septa. Administration of G. biloba leaves extract reduced extent and development of fibrous septa, liver cells change, and biochemical alterations in mice exposed to TAA. This study showed that G. biloba leaves extract has a potential activity against TAA-induced liver fibrosis and suggested that the chemical constituents of G. biloba are effective in modulation of oxidative stress induced by TAA.

Water pollution is the contamination of water resources by harmful wastes or toxins. Both community and private sources of drinking water are susceptible to a myriad of chemical contaminants. Heavy metals pollution of surface water can create health risks. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on male mice exposed to a mixture of some heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium and copper) in their drinking water for seven weeks. Significant increases of blood alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were detected in heavy metals-treated mice. Histopathologically, the liver sections from heavy metals-treated mice showed severe changes including disarrangement of hepatic strands, rupture in hepatocytes, advanced hepatocellular necrosis, dilation and congestion of blood vessels with hemorrhage, dense lymphocytic infiltration round the central vein and dark stained hepatocytic nuclei indicating cell pycnosis. Administration of vitamin E at a dose of 50 IU/kg body weight, five times weekly improved the observed biochemical and histopathological changes induced by these heavy metals intoxication. Hence, the results of this study suggest that vitamin E protects against these heavy metals-induced liver injury and the attenuating effect of vitamin E may be due to its antioxidant activity.

Objectives: The present study was carried out to establish the possible protective effects of administration of olive leaves extract on carbendazim induced physiological and histopathological alterations in male rats., Materials and Methods: The experimental rats were divided randomly into five groups and kept at ten rats per group. The first group was untreated and served as a control. The second group was orally administered with carbendazim (200 mg/kg) for one month. The third group was supplemented with olive leaves extract and exposed to carbendazim at the same dose given to the second group. Rats of the fourth group were supplemented with olive leaves extract at the same dose given to the third group. Rats of the fifth group were supplemented with only corn oil., Results: Carbendazim induced statistically declines in the values of red blood corpuscles (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, hematocrit (Hct) and the level of plasma and liver total protein, while the value of white blood cells (WBC) count, the levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and liver glycogen and total lipid were elevated. Moreover, after one month of carbendazim exposure, there were severe changes in the structures of liver, kidney and testis. Pretreatment of carbendazim-exposed rats with olive leaves extract showed marked improvement in both physiological and histopathological alterations., Conclusions: We conclude that olive leaves extract is a promising chemotherapeutic agent for reducing the toxicity of carbendazim and may be for other pesticides and toxicants.

Toxic heavy metals in water, air and soil are global problems that are a growing threat to humanity. Heavy metals are widely distributed in the environment and some of them occur in food, water, air and tissues even in the absence of occupational exposure. The antioxidant and protective influences of vitamin E on a mixture of some heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cd and Cu)-induced oxidative stress and renal and testicular injuries were evaluated in male mice. Exposure of mice to these heavy metals in drinking water for seven weeks resulted in statistical increases of plasma creatinine, urea and uric acid concentrations. The levels of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutases (SOD) in kidney and testis tissues were significantly declined. Moreover, the histopathological evaluation of kidney and testis showed severe changes in mice treated with these heavy metals. Administration of vitamin E protected the kidney and testis of mice exposed to heavy metals as evidenced by appearance of normal histological structures, insignificant changes in the values of plasma creatinine, urea and uric acid, and the levels of kidney GSH and SOD, while the levels of testis GSH and SOD were notably decreased. These data suggest that the administration of vitamin E protects against heavy metals-induced renal and testicular oxidative stress and injuries.

Natural remedies from medicinal plants are considered to be effective and safe alternative treatment for diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to investigate the hypoglycemic activity of the crude tea leaves extract on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. The average body weight of animals with diabetes and their percentage changes of body weight gain after 15 and 30 days were significantly lower than that of the normal control mice. In diabetic mice, supplementation with tea leaves extract decreased the loss of body weight. After 15 and 30 days, significant increases in the levels of serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, creatinine, urea, uric acid, glutamic pyruvic acid transaminase (GPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic acid transaminase (GOT) were noted in STZ-diabetic mice fed with normal diet. Also, the values of total protein in this group were statistically declined after 15 and 30 days. The levels of serum glucose and GPT were significantly elevated after 15 and 30 days in diabetic mice supplemented with tea leaves extract. Moreover, the level of serum GOT was notably increased after 30 days. Insignificant alterations were observed in the levels of serum triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein, creatinine, urea and uric acid in diabetic mice supplemented with tea leaves extract. Thus, the present results have shown that tea leaves extract has the antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and antihyperproteinemic effects and consequently may alleviate liver and kidney damage associated with STZ-induced diabetes in mice.

The lowest tidal volume delivered by most of the pediatric anesthesia ventilators could be large for neonates, and may generate unacceptably high peak airway pressures. The effective tidal volume can however be reduced by connection of a small rubber bag between the ventilator and the expiratory limb of the Ayre's T-piece circuit to divide the delivered gas mixture between the added bag and the neonate's lungs. The delivered tidal volume by the ventilator can then be manipulated to achieve the desired peak inspiratory pressure; 18-20 cm H2O in neonates with normal lung compliance. The modification was found to be simple, safe and convenient.

Thirty six patients ASA 1 or 2, undergoing surgery that required tracheal intubation, were allocated randomly into three groups of twelve each. Before induction of anesthesia, they received either saline, 10 mg, nifedipine sublingual, or fentanyl 1.5 micrograms.kg-1 IV. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SAP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean blood pressure (MAP), were recorded automatically every minute for 5 minutes before induction of anesthesia, and for 5 minutes after intubation. Nifedipine was better than fentanyl in blocking the pressor response. The fentanyl dose was too small to abolish this response completely. The increase in HR and blood pressure were most evident in the control group, followed by fentanyl, and the least increase was seen with nifedipine.

Closed circuit coasting after high flow isoflurane-N2O anesthesia was used in 30 patients undergoing operations expected to last more than one hour. Near the end of the operation, the circuit was closed by shutting off anesthetics and reducing oxygen flow to that necessary to maintain constant end-tidal circuit volume throughout the duration of coasting (Tc). End-tidal isoflurane concentration of 0.5% was a safe target for coasting. Good correlation was found between Tc and anesthetic delivery duration (TAD). An adequate TC for the first hour of TAD was 15 minutes followed by 11 minutes more for each subsequent hour of TAD. The technique is safe, simple, economic, predictable and practical.

Twenty-six patients undergoing middle ear surgery were anaesthetised using a completely closed circuit into which liquid isoflurane was injected using a syringe pump. The injection rate was guided by a table of calculated rates of isoflurane uptake, utilising the square root of time principle, at succeeding time intervals in different weight groups. A constant alveolar concentration of 1.3 MAC was aimed for. The injection rate was changed to that for the higher or lower weight group appropriate to the time interval whenever clinical signs indicated inappropriate depth of anaesthesia. A mean of 10.3 ml liquid isoflurane was used to maintain anaesthesia for a mean of 82.3 minutes. Blood pressure was maintained at 75% of the pre-operative value. Mean arterial blood gas data and changes in plasma catecholamine levels were within the normal range. The mean recovery time was 10.5 minutes. Syringe pump delivery of liquid isoflurane avoided fluctuations that result from bolus injections of unit dose. The implemented injection rate table, working as a therapeutic window, guided redosing, reduced calculation time and served as a record. The technique is safe, economic and adaptable to variations in uptake and response to inhalational anaesthetics.

Thirty six patients, ASA I or II, undergoing surgery that required tracheal intubation, were allocated randomly into three groups of twelve. Before induction of anesthesia, they received either saline, nifedipine sublingual 10 mg or fentanyl 1.5 micrograms.kg-1 i.v. Heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean blood pressure (MAP) were recorded automatically every minute for 5 minutes before induction of anesthesia, and for 5 minutes after intubation. Nifedipine was better than fentanyl in blocking the pressor response to intubation. The fentanyl dose was too small to abolish this response completely. The increase in HR and blood pressure were most evident in the control group, followed by fentanyl, and the least increase was seen with nifedipine.

This study was carried on two groups each of 10 patients undergoing major maxillofacial or orthopedic operations. Hypotensive anesthesia was conducted using SNP and labetalol. Labetalol produced hypotension without tachycardia which was evident in the SNP group. Blood sugar increased significantly in both groups. Serum insulin level decreased significantly in the SNP group, while in the labetalol group it showed an insignificant increase.

The clinical, light, and ultrastructure features of a myoepithelioma occurring on the hard palate of a 24-year-old woman are presented and compared with 41 myoepithelioma of the head and neck described in the English literature. These 42 tumors (39 benign and 3 malignant) occurred in individuals from 14 to 81 years of age, affected both sexes about equally, and most often presented as a slowly enlarging, asymptomatic mass. The parotid gland and palate were the most common sites of occurrence. The tumors are typically circumscribed and encapsulated, vary from 1 to 5 cm in the greatest dimension, and are composed of spindled and/or plasmacytoid myoepithelial cells. Prognosis correlates with histologic appearance and parallels that of the pleomorphic adenoma. Conservative excision with a margin of uninvolved tissue is curative. The differential diagnosis and histogenic relationship with other closely related neoplasms are discussed.