Vitamin D Status in Neonates with Hyperbilirubinemia

Background: Physiological Jaundiceis more common in neonates. While causes such as incompatibility of blood groups or polycythemia can be easily identified, most are still undiagnosed. Phototherapy is an effective way to reduce the accumulation of bilirubin. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in bone remodeling. It is also considered a steroid hormone, plays an important role in the main function of various organ systems, and can be a risk factor for changing the risk of many chronic diseases. There is a link between vitamin D and jaundice. Newborns with hyperbilirubinemia have low serum vitamin D levels. Conclusion: There is an association between indirect hyperbilirubinaemia and vitamin D levels in neonates with jaundice at the level necessary for phototherapy

Role of Aminoguanidine and Nicorandil in Oxidative Stress in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Mellitus in Rats

The effect of aminoguanidine, nicorandil and their combination against oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ) - induced diabetes mellitus was assessed in rats by determining changes in blood glucose level, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in healthy and experimentally induced diabetic rats. Besides, histhopathological examination of kidney and liver tissues was performed. Diabetic rats were randomized into groups of six rats and received 50mg/kg, intraperitoneally of aminoguanidine (an anti- advanced glycation end products (AGE) which prevents the formation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation in cells), 0.1mg/kg, orally of nicorandil (nicotinamide derivative which is efficacious in the treatment of hypertension and angina pectoris and a potassium channel opener) and their combination once daily for one month. Blood glucose level was significantly elevated in plasma of diabetic rats. SOD, CAT and GSH levels were significantly reduced, while MDA and NO levels were significantly elevated in plasma of diabetic rats. Abnormalities in both kidney and liver structures of diabetic rats were observed. Treatments of the diabetic rats with aminoguanidine, nicorandil and their combination led to improvement of the abnormalities in SOD, CAT, GSH, MDA, NO and also the histhopathological abnormalities of kidney and liver. From these results it can be concluded that aminoguanidine, nicorandil and their combination have the ability to attenuate oxidative stress induced by streptozotocin. This effect is positively correlated with their anti-oxidant activities

Evaluation of hepatocyte-derived microRNA-122 for diagnosis of acute and chronic hepatitis of dogs

Aim: This study was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of hepatocyte-derived microRNA (miRNA)-122 in acute and chronic hepatitis of dogs. Materials and Methods: A total of 26 dogs presented at Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, 16 dogs out of 26 showing clinical signs of hepatic insufficiency were subjected to clinical, ultrasonographic, hematobiochemical and ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy for cytological and histopathological investigations. On the basis of these results, 7 dogs out of 16 dogs were found to be suffering from acute hepatitis and 9 dogs suffering from chronic hepatitis. 10 clinically healthy dogs were kept as control. Serum hepatocyte-derived miRNA-122 was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in all dogs. Results: The dogs suffering from acute hepatitis manifested jaundice, vomiting, and depression while dogs with chronic hepatitis manifested anorexia, abdominal distension, weight loss, and melena. Hematological parameters showed normocytic normochromic anemia and thrombocytopenia in both acute and chronic hepatitis groups. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin were significantly higher than control values in acute hepatitis. In chronic hepatitis, total protein and albumin were significantly lower than control values with normal ALT, AST, ALP, and gamma-glutamyltransferase values. Ultrasonography revealed a diffuse decrease in hepatic echogenicity in acute hepatitis while the increase in hepatic echogenicity and anechoic ascetic fluid in chronic hepatitis. Cytology revealed hepatic vacuolar degeneration and histopathology revealed necrosis and apoptosis of hepatocyte in acute hepatitis while revealed massive fibrous tissue proliferation in hepatic parenchyma in chronic hepatitis. Serum miRNA-122 analysis, normalized for glyceraldehyde-3- phosphate dehydrogenase expression revealed a significant increase in acute hepatitis accompanied with elevation in ALT and AST, while in chronic hepatitis, elevation of serum miRNA-122 was accompanied with ALT and AST of the normal range. Conclusion: Serum hepatocyte-derived miRNA-122 is of diagnostic value and highly stable blood indicator for the detection of hepatocellular injury in dogs than aminotransferases, especially in cases where aminotransferases do not exceed normal serum level

Recent updates of marine antimicrobial peptides

Antimicrobial peptides are group of proteins showing broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that have been known to be powerful agents against a variety of pathogens. This class of compounds contributed to solving the microbial resistance dilemma that limited the use of many potent antimicrobial agents. The marine environment is known to be one of the richest sources for antimicrobial peptides, yet this environment is not fully explored. Hence, the scientific research attention should be directed toward the marine ecosystem as enormous amount of useful discoveries could be brought to the forefront. In the current article, the marine antimicrobial peptides reported from mid 2012 to 2017 have been reviewed

Nephroprotective effects of Acacia senegal against aflatoxicosis via targeting inflammatory and apoptotic signaling pathways

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a common environmental pollutant that poses a major hazard to both humans and animals. Acacia senegal (Gum) is well-known for having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactive compounds. Our study aimed to scout the nephroprotective effects of Acacia gum (Gum) against AFB1-induced renal damage. Four groups of rats were designed: Control, Gum (7.5 mg/kg), AFB1 (200 µg/kg b.w) and AFB1-Gum, rats were co-treated with both Gum and AFB1. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was done to determine the phytochemical constituents in Gum. AFB1 triggered profound alterations in kidney function parameters (urea, creatinine, uric acid, and alkaline phosphatase) and renal histological architecture. Additionally, AFB1 exposure evoked up-regulation of mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and nuclear factor kB p65 (NF-κB/P65) in renal tissue. The oxidative distress and apoptotic cascade are also instigated by AFB1 intoxication as depicted in down-regulated protein expression of the nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) and superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1) along with upregulation of cytochrome c (Cyto c), and cleaved Caspase3 (Casp3–17 and 19) in renal tissue. In conclusion, current study obviously confirms the alleviating effects of Gum supplementation against AFB1-induced renal dysfunction, oxidative harm, inflammation, and cell death. These mitigating effects are suggested to be attributed to Gum's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Our results recommend Gum supplementation as add-on agents to food that might aid in protection from AFB1-induced nephrotoxicity

Damage in rheumatic diseases: Contemporary international standpoint and scores emerging from clinical, radiological and machine learning

In rheumatic diseases, damage is a major concern and reflects irreversible organ scarring or tissue degradation. Quantifying damage or measuring its severity is an indispensable concern in determining the overall outcome. Damage considerably influences both longterm prognosis and quality of life. Rheumatic diseases (RD) represent a significant health burden. Organ damage is consistently associated with increased mortality. Monitoring damage is critical in the evaluation of patients and in appraising treatment efficacy. Proper assessment and early detection of damage paves way for modifying the disease course with effective medications and regimens may reduce organ damage, improve outcomes and decrease mortality. With the exception of systemic lupus erythematosus and vasculitis, most RDs lack an established damage index making it an ongoing demand to develop effective scores and prediction models for damage accrual early in the disease course. A better understanding of machine learning with the increasing availability of medical large data may facilitate the development of meaningful precision medicine for patients with RDs. An updated spectrum of clinical and radiological damage scores and indices as well as the role of machine learning are presented in this review for the key RDs

Anticipated time to seek medical advice for possible lung cancer symptoms and barriers to timely presentation in Palestine: a national cross-sectional study.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank all participants who took part in the survey.BACKGROUND: Lung cancer (LC) has poor survival outcomes mainly due to diagnosis at late stages. This study explored the anticipated time to seek medical advice for possible LC symptoms and barriers to early presentation in Palestine. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited adult participants from hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and public spaces of 11 governorates using convenience sampling. A modified, translated-into-Arabic version of the validated LC awareness measure was used to assess LC symptom awareness, the time needed to seek medical advice and barriers to early presentation. RESULTS: A total of 4762 participants were included. The proportion that would immediately seek medical advice for possible LC symptoms varied according to the symptoms' nature. For respiratory symptoms, this ranged from 15.0% for 'painful cough' to 37.0% for 'coughing up blood'. For non-respiratory symptoms, this ranged from '4.2% for 'unexplained loss of appetite' to 13.8% for 'changes in the shape of fingers or nails'. Participants with good LC symptom awareness were more likely to seek medical advice within a week of recognizing most LC symptoms. About 13.0% would delay their visit to see a doctor after recognizing an LC symptom. The most reported barriers were emotional with 'disliking the visit to healthcare facilities' (59.8%) as the leading barrier. CONCLUSION: LC respiratory symptoms were more likely to prompt early seeking of medical advice. Good LC symptom awareness was associated with a higher likelihood of help-seeking within a week. Educational interventions are needed to promote LC awareness and address the perceived barriers to early presentation in low-resource settings, such as Palestine

Anticipated time to seek medical advice for possible lung cancer symptoms and barriers to timely presentation in Palestine: a national cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Lung cancer (LC) has poor survival outcomes mainly due to diagnosis at late stages. This study explored the anticipated time to seek medical advice for possible LC symptoms and barriers to early presentation in Palestine. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited adult participants from hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and public spaces of 11 governorates using convenience sampling. A modified, translated-into-Arabic version of the validated LC awareness measure was used to assess LC symptom awareness, the time needed to seek medical advice and barriers to early presentation. Results A total of 4762 participants were included. The proportion that would immediately seek medical advice for possible LC symptoms varied according to the symptoms’ nature. For respiratory symptoms, this ranged from 15.0% for ‘painful cough’ to 37.0% for ‘coughing up blood’. For non-respiratory symptoms, this ranged from ‘4.2% for ‘unexplained loss of appetite’ to 13.8% for ‘changes in the shape of fingers or nails’. Participants with good LC symptom awareness were more likely to seek medical advice within a week of recognizing most LC symptoms. About 13.0% would delay their visit to see a doctor after recognizing an LC symptom. The most reported barriers were emotional with ‘disliking the visit to healthcare facilities’ (59.8%) as the leading barrier. Conclusion LC respiratory symptoms were more likely to prompt early seeking of medical advice. Good LC symptom awareness was associated with a higher likelihood of help-seeking within a week. Educational interventions are needed to promote LC awareness and address the perceived barriers to early presentation in low-resource settings, such as Palestine

Echocardiography and strain analysis in Malaysian elite athletes versus young healthy adults

Background: Athletes have changes that can mimic pathological cardiomyopathy. Methods: Echocardiographic study of 50 male, female athletes (MA, FA) and non-athletes (MNA, FNA) age 18 to 30 years. These athletes participate in sports with predominantly endurance component. All participants exhibit no known medical illnesses or symptoms. Results: MA have thicker wall (IVSd) than MNA. No MA have IVSd > 1.2 cm and no FA have IVSd > 1.0 cm. Left ventricle internal dimension (LVIDd), left ventricle end diastolic volume index (LVEDVi) is bigger in athletes. None have LVIDd > 5.8 cm. Right ventricle fractional area change (FAC) is lower in athletes. (MA vs MNA, p = 0.013, FA vs FNA, p = 0.025). Athletes have higher septal and lateral e’ (Septal e’; MA 13.57 ± 2.66 cm/s vs MNA 11.46 ± 2.93 cm/s, p  1.2 cm and/or LVIDd > 5.8 cm. There is no difference in GLS, RVFWS and GCS but athletes have smaller LArS and LAbS