Hearing in Children with Otitis Media with Effusion – Clinical Retrospective Study

Hearing loss accompanied with middle ear effusion was analyzed according to audiometric frequencies for different age group. Results for left and right ears were compared in/ and between study and control group. Pure tone audiometry for bone and air conduction and tympanometry was performed in study group of ninety-eight children with conductive hearing loss and otitis media with effusion Control group included fifty-seven children with hearing loss, enlarged adenoids, dysfunction of Eustachian tube and no present middle ear effusion served. Means of hearing loss thresholds for 250 Hz – 4 kHz were established and compared between groups of right vs. left ears of tested vs. control ears according to age subgroups: 1–3 yr, 4–6 yr, 7–9 yr, 10–12 yr, 13–15 yr. At age 1–3 yr otitis media with effusion children showed no ear side difference in hearing loss. Age groups of 4–6 and 7–9 yr otitis media with effusion children showed left ears with higher threshold of hearing loss across all of the tested frequencies than right ears in study and control ears. Right ears showed smaller hearing loss in study and control group and no age group predicted for hearing impairment. Higher hearing loss threshold for 4 kHz in adolescence in otitis media with effusion ears is early sign of sequels after repetitive episodes of middle ear effusion. Control groups showed no ear side or age group dependent difference of hearing loss threshold. Age group of 4–6 and 7–9 y have faster craniofacial structural change in soft tissue than bone base so ear side differences suggest being developmentally determined

BPC 157 as a Therapy for Retinal Ischemia Induced by Retrobulbar Application of L-NAME in Rats

Providing NO-system importance, we suggest that one single application of the NOS-blocker L-NAME may induce retinal ischemia in rats, and that the stable pentadecapeptide BPC 157 may be the therapy, since it may interact with the NO-system and may counteract various adverse effects of L-NAME application. A rat retinal ischemia study was conducted throughout 4 weeks, including fundoscopy, behavior presentation, tonometry, and histology assessment. Retrobulbar L-NAME application (5 mg/kg; 0.5 mg/0.1 ml saline/each eye) in rats immediately produced moderate generalized irregularity in the diameter of blood vessels with moderate atrophy of the optic disc and faint presentation of the choroidal blood vessels, and these lesions rapidly progressed to the severe stage. The specific L-NAME–induced vascular failure points to normal intraocular pressure (except to very transitory increase upon drug retrobulbar administration). When BPC 157 (10 μg; 10 ng/kg, as retrobulbar application, 1 μg; 1 ng/0.1 ml saline/each eye) is given at either 20 min after L-NAME or, lately, at 48 h after L-NAME, the regular retrobulbar L-NAME injection findings disappear. Instead, fundoscopy demonstrated only discrete generalized vessel caliber irregularity with mild atrophy of the optic disc, and then, quite rapidly, normal eye background and choroidal blood vessels, which remain in all of the subsequent periods. Also, histology assessment at 1, 2, and 4 weeks shows that BPC 157 counteracted the damaged inner plexiform layer and inner nuclear layer, and revealed normal retinal thickness. The poor behavioral presentation was also rescued. Thus, while further studies will be done, BPC 157 counteracted L-NAME–induced rat retinal ischemia

Hematocrit-corrected platelet counts (X) before, and after bleeding period.

<p>Hematocrit-corrected platelet counts (X) before, and after bleeding period: (a) in normal rats, BPC 157 (10 μg/kg, 10 ng/kg), L-NAME (5 mg/kg), L-arginine (100 mg/kg) given alone and/or together,applied intraperitoneally, at 30 minutes before amputation while controls received simultaneously an equivolume of saline (5ml/kg intraperitoneally); (b) in heparin (10 mg/kg intravenously) challenged rats when treated with BPC 157 (10 μg/kg, 10 ng/kg), L-NAME (5 mg/kg), L-arginine (100 mg/kg) alone or combined, intravenously, immediately after intravenous heparin while controls received simultaneously an equivolume of saline (0.5 ml/kg intravenously); (c) in warfarin rats (warfarin given intragastrically (1.5 mg/kg) once daily for 3 consecutive days, with the last challenge was at 3 hours before the bleeding procedure). BPC 157 (10 μg/kg, 10 ng/kg) was given immediately after any warfarin challenge, intragastrically while controls received simultaneously an equivolume of saline (5.0 ml/kg intragastrically). We applied L-NAME (5 mg/kg), L-arginine (100 mg/kg) alone or combined, intraperitoneally, at 30 minutes before amputation. Mean ± SD, *P<0.05 at least vs. control, 10 rats at least per group.</p