Synergetic effect of aged garlic extract and methotrexate on rheumatoid arthritis induced by collagen in male albino rats

33-38Aged garlic extract (AGE) exhibit anti-inflammatory effect in many diseases, and methotrexate (MTX) as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment drug shows adverse hepatotoxicity effect. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of AGE treatment alone or with MTX in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats to diminish the hepatotoxicity. The study used eight groups of rats as one control non treated group and seven treated groups with CIA, AGE (200 mg/kg/PO), MTX (1.5 mg/kg/2 days/subcutaneous), CIA-AGE, CIA-MTX, AGE-MTX and CIA-MTX-AGE. All treatments started from day 21 after the symptoms of arthritis appeared to day 50. The CIA-AGE and CIA-MTX-AGE groups showed significantly decreased serum liver function markers ASAT, ALAT and ALP enzymes activities. In line with the significantly increased antioxidants, total glutathione and SOD and CAT enzymes activities and decreased MDA levels as compared to CIA and CIA-MTX treated groups' values. In addition, the CIA-AGE and CIA-MTX-AGE groups recorded significant decrease in the measured cytokines (CRP and TNF) and interleukins (IL-17, IL-6, and IL-1) values as compared to the corresponding values in CIA and CIA-MTX groups. Results suggested the safety of AGE for achieving a better control in treatment of RA with the conventional drug MTX to diminish its hepatotoxicity

Superconducting Quantum Point contacts and Maxwell Potential

The quantization of the current in a superconducting quantum point contact is reviewed and the critical current is discussed at different temperatures depending on the carrier concentration as well by suggesting a constant potential in the semiconductor and then a Maxwell potential. When the Fermi wave length is comparable with the constriction width we showed that the critical current has a step-like variation as a function of the constriction width and the carrier concentration.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, some figures are clarified; scheduled to appear in an issue in MPLB Vo.21, (2007

Biochemical and histological study on the effect of levetiracetam on the liver and kidney of pregnant albino rats

Background: Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiseizure agent and one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for epilepsy. The aim of this work was to assess the effect of levetiracetam at its therapeutic range on the liver and kidney of pregnant albino rats. Materials and methods: Forty pregnant rats were divided equally into two groups (I–II), Rats in the group I were gavaged 1.5 mL/day distilled water in two divided doses throughout pregnancy. Rats in the group II were gavaged 1.5 mL/day distilled water (containing 36 mg levetiracetam) in two divided doses throughout pregnancy. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were taken and the sera were separated and used for biochemical analysis. The kidneys and livers of both groups were excised and used for light and electron microscopic examination. Results: Treatment with levetiracetam induced undesirable histopathological changes in the liver and kidney of pregnant albino rats. These changes were in the form of distortion of the hepatic architecture, dilatation of the central and the portal veins, widening of the Bowman’s spaces, thickening and disruption of the glomerular basement membrane, fusion and effacement of secondary foot processes, cytoplasmic vacuolation, and swollen mitochondria with loss of their cristae. Such changes were confirmed by alteration of certain biochemical parameters related to the liver and kidney functions. Conclusions: Levetiracetam induced deleterious effects on the liver and kidney of pregnant albino rats. Further investigations are recommended to clarify the mechanism of levetiracetam toxicity

Design, synthesis and potential anti-proliferative activity of some novel 4-aminoquinoline derivatives

Novel nineteen compounds based on a 4-aminoquinoline scaffold were designed and synthesized as potential anti-proliferative agents. The new compounds were N-substituted at the 4-position by aryl or heteroaryl 1-9, quinolin-3-yl 10, 2-methylquinolin-3-yl 11, thiazol-2-yl 12, and dapsone moieties 13, 14 and 18. Bis-compounds 15, 16 and 19 were also synthesized to assess their biological activity. All the newly synthesized comounds were tested for in vitro antiproliferative activity against the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Seventeen of the novel compounds showed higher activity than the reference drug doxorubicin. The corresponding 7-(trifluoromethyl)-N-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)quinolin-4-amine 1, N-(7-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-4-yl)quinolin-3-amine (10), 2-methyl-N-(7-trifluorome-thyl)quinolin-4-yl)quinolin-3-amine (11) and N-(4-(4-aminophenylsulf-onyl)phenyl)-7-chloroquinolin-4-amine (13) were almost twice to thrice as potent as doxorubicin

Synergetic effect of aged garlic extract and methotrexate on rheumatoid arthritis induced by collagen in male albino rats

Aged garlic extract (AGE) exhibit anti-inflammatory effect in many diseases, and methotrexate (MTX) as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment drug shows adverse hepatotoxicity effect. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of AGE treatment alone or with MTX in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats to diminish the hepatotoxicity. The study used eight groups of rats as one control non treated group and seven treated groups with CIA, AGE (200 mg/kg/PO), MTX (1.5 mg/kg/2 days/subcutaneous), CIA-AGE, CIA-MTX, AGE-MTX and CIA-MTX-AGE. All treatments started from day 21 after the symptoms of arthritis appeared to day 50. The CIA-AGE and CIA-MTX-AGE groups showed significantly decreased serum liver function markers ASAT, ALAT and ALP enzymes activities. In line with the significantly increased antioxidants, total glutathione and SOD and CAT enzymes activities and decreased MDA levels as compared to CIA and CIA-MTX treated groups' values. In addition, the CIA-AGE and CIA-MTX-AGE groups recorded significant decrease in the measured cytokines (CRP and TNF) and interleukins (IL-17, IL-6, and IL-1) values as compared to the corresponding values in CIA and CIA-MTX groups. Results suggested the safety of AGE for achieving a better control in treatment of RA with the conventional drug MTX to diminish its hepatotoxicity

A new approach for solving systems of fractional differential equations via natural transform

In this paper, A new method proposed and coined by the authors as the natural variational iteration  transform method(NVITM) is utilized to solve linear and nonlinear systems of fractional differential equations. The new method is a combination of natural transform method and variational iteration method. The solutions of our modeled systems are calculated in the form of convergent power series with easily computable components. The numerical results shows that the approach is easy to implement and accurate when applied to various linear and nonlinear systems of fractional differential equations

Concurrent Acquisition of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Diverse Influenza H5N1 Clade 2.2 Sub-clades

Highly pathogenic Influenza A H5N1 was first identified in Guangdong Province in 1996, followed by human cases in Hong Kong in 1997 1,2. The number of confirmed human cases now exceeds 300 and the associated Case Fatality Rate exceeds 60% 3. The genetic diversity of the serotype continues to increase. Four distinct clades or sub-clades have been linked to human cases 4-7. The gradual genetic changes identified in the sub-clades have been attributed to copy errors by viral encoded polymerases that lack an editing function, thereby resulting in antigenic drift 8. We report here the concurrent acquisition of the same polymorphism by multiple, genetically distinct, clade 2.2 sub-clades in Egypt, Russia, Kuwait, and Ghana. These changes are not easily explained by the current theory of “random mutation” through copy error, and are more easily explained by recombination with a common source. The recombination role is further supported by the high fidelity replication in swine influenza 9 and aggregation of single nucleotide polymorphisms in H5N1 clade 2.2 hemagglutinin 10

Impact of body composition analysis on male sexual function: A metabolic age study

Introduction: Metabolic Age (MetAge) and body composition analysis may reflect an individual’s metabolic status, which is believed to influence male sexual and gonadal functions. Although erectile dysfunction (ED) and hypogonadism are increasingly prevalent with age, they are also detected among younger men. This study aims to assess the impact of MetAge and body composition on male sexual and gonadal status overall, and particularly in men younger than 40 years of age. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 90 male healthcare workers, between the ages of 18-55, randomly selected based on their corporation numbers. In addition to Bioelectric Impedance Analysis, subjects were requested to fill the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire (IIEF-5) and to provide an early morning serum testosterone (T) sample. Results: The mean participants’ age was 39.4 ± 9.4 years, MetAge was 45.54 ± 10.35 years, serum T level was 13.68 ± 4.49 nmol/L and BMI was 28.8 ± 4.7 kg/m2. Significant negative correlations were obtained between serum T, MetAge, body weight and fat composition. Significant negative correlations between the IIEF-5 score, MetAge, and fat composition, were only reported in subjects <40 years of age. Significantly lower T levels (p=0.002), significantly older MetAge (p=0.034), and higher BMI (p=0.044) and degree of obesity (p=0.042) were observed in participants <40 years with erectile dysfunction (ED) compared to their counterparts without ED. Discussion: MetAge and body composition parameters significantly impact the androgenic state. ED in men <40 years is associated with lower T levels, older MetAge and higher BMI and degree of obesity

Efficacy of antioxidant supplementation on conventional and advanced sperm function tests in patients with idiopathic male infertility.

Antioxidants are used in the empirical treatment of infertile men. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of antioxidant therapy on conventional semen parameters and advanced sperm function tests in men seeking fertility treatment. A total of 148 infertile men of unknown etiology were divided into idiopathic (n = 119) and unexplained male infertility (UMI; n = 29). All participants were treated with the antioxidant supplement 'FH PRO for Men' for a period of three months. Compared with pretreatment results, there was a significant improvement in conventional semen parameters including sperm concentration, total and progressive motility and normal morphology, and seminal oxidation reduction potential (ORP), and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in idiopathic infertile men. The changes were more prominent in idiopathic infertile men positive for ORP and SDF. UMI patients showed an improvement in progressive motility, ORP, and SDF after antioxidant treatment. Statistical analysis revealed that the efficacy of FH PRO for Men was significant in idiopathic male infertility compared with UMI. Treatment of idiopathic male infertility patients with the FH PRO for Men antioxidant regimen for three months resulted in a significant improvement in conventional semen parameters and sperm function. Therefore, FH PRO for Men offers promise for the medical treatment of idiopathic male infertility

A New Chaotic System with Line of Equilibria: Dynamics, Passive Control and Circuit Design

A new chaotic system with line equilibrium is introduced in this paper. This system consists of five terms with two transcendental nonlinearities and two quadratic nonlinearities. Various tools of dynamical system such as phase portraits, Lyapunov exponents, Kaplan-Yorke dimension, bifurcation diagram and Poincarè map are used. It is interesting that this system has a line of fixed points and can display chaotic attractors. Next, this paper discusses control using passive control method. One example is given to insure the theoretical analysis. Finally, for the  new chaotic system, An electronic circuit for realizing the chaotic system has been implemented. The numerical simulation by using MATLAB 2010 and implementation of circuit simulations by using MultiSIM 10.0 have been performed in this study