Successful removal of a penile constriction wedding ring in a rural area

Background. Penile strangulation is a rarely described medical emergency. Removal of the strangulating object is challenging, with a lack of proper guidelines.Objective. To describe the challenges faced during an attempt to urgently remove a metal object (wedding ring) constricting an erect penis.Method. We report a case of penile strangulation with a wedding ring in an adult man who presented at Van Velden Hospital casualty department, Limpopo, South Africa, and review the related literature.Result. The ring was successfully removed using an aspiration technique (via a pink needle).Conclusion. No proper guidelines exist for the treatment of this condition, so the ‘best method’ is the one with a successful outcome

Novel Synthesis of Histidine Derivative for Effective Treatment of Industrial Wastewater Containing Cadmium and Lead

International audienceIn this study, we evaluated the efficacy of ligand, 2-{[(2-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]amino}-3-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)propanoic acid, in removing heavy metal ions from wastewater. To investigate the adsorption and/or complexation of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions in aqueous solutions, we varied the conditions such as contact time, temperature, and pH. We characterized the ligand using different techniques such as FTIR, H-1 NMR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. We used atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine the concentration of metal ions in the aqueous samples. The adsorption process was fast, with maximum adsorption achieved within 10 minutes for Pb2+ and Cd2+. The results revealed that at pH 2-8.92.62% of lead and 100% of cadmium were removed. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that physical forces predominantly drive the adsorption process of heavy metals onto the ligand. Our findings indicate that the ligand is capable of effectively reducing the concentration of the two heavy metals in wastewater to below 0.5 ppm, with an efficiency of 95.64% for lead and 100% for cadmium

Ferulenol specifically inhibits succinate ubiquinone reductase at the level of the ubiquinone cycle

The natural compound ferulenol, a sesquiterpene prenylated coumarin derivative, was purified from Ferula vesceritensis and its mitochondrial effects were studied. Ferulenol caused inhibition of oxidative phoshorylation. At low concentrations, ferulenol inhibited ATP synthesis by inhibition of the adenine nucleotide translocase without limitation of mitochondrial respiration. At higher concentrations, ferulenol inhibited oxygen consumption. Ferulenol caused specific inhibition of succinate ubiquinone reductase without altering succinate dehydrogenase activity of the complex II. This inhibition results from a limitation of electron transfers initiated by the reduction of ubiquinone to ubiquinol in the ubiquinone cycle. This original mechanism of action makes ferulenol a useful tool to study the physiological role and the mechanism of electron transfer in the complex II. In addition, these data provide an additional mechanism by which ferulenol may alter cell function and demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction is an important determinant in Ferula plant toxicity

Biological properties of propolis extracts: Something new from an ancient product.

International audienceNatural products are an interesting source of new therapeutics, especially for cancer therapy as 70% of them have botany origin. Propolis, a resinous mixture that honey bees collect and transform from tree buds, sap flows, or other botanical sources, has been used by ethnobotany and traditional practitioners as early in Egypt as 3000 BCE. Enriched in flavonoids, phenol acids and terpene derivatives, propolis has been widely used for its antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Even though it is a challenge to standardize propolis composition, chemical analyses have pointed out interesting molecules that also present anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative properties that are of interest in the field of anti-cancer therapy. This review describes the various geographical origins and compositions of propolis, and analyzes how the main compounds of propolis could modulate cell signaling. A focus is made on the putative use of propolis in prostate cancer

Disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential by ferulenol and restoration by propolis extract: Antiapoptotic role of propolis

This paper reports an investigation of the ability of propolis extract (a resinous substance collected by honeybees from various plant sources) to restore the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential induced by ferulenol, a sesquiterpene prenylated coumarin derivative isolated from the plant Ferula vesceritensis . We show that ferulenol was able to induce the permeability transition pore (PTP) opening. This effect is caused by the interaction of the compound with the mitochondrial respiratory chain, more particularly by the fall of membrane potential and the inhibition of complex II. We have previously demonstrated that this inhibition results from a limitation of electron transfers involved in the respiratory chain and initiated by the reduction of ubiquinone. We hypothesized that the protective effect of propolis could be due to a direct action on mitochondrial functions. So we have investigated in vitro the mitochondrial effects of Algerian propolis using rat liver mitochondria, by analysing their effects on membrane potential, mitochondrial respiration and mitochondrial swelling. We show that propolis extract was able to restore the fall of mitochondrial membrane potential. Taken together these data reveal that propolis extract may be an interesting inhibitor of PTP and provide an additional mechanism by which the natural product propolis extract may restore the mitochondrial membrane potential and to prevent apoptotic process

Schwannome du nerf facial intraparotidien: a propos d\'un cas

No Abstract. Journal Tunisien d\'ORL et de chirurgie cervico-faciale Vol. 17 2006: pp. 51-5