Diagnostic orientation values for ACTH and other parameters for clinically healthy donkeys and mules (insulin, triglycerides, glucose, fructosamines, and ɣ‐GT)

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is the most prevalent endocrine disease in horses. Although donkeys and mules may also be affected, only a few data have been published. Reference values for diagnostic parameters, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), are especially scarce or even lacking. Therefore, in the present study, available data from the literature have been verified and completed to facilitate a reliable diagnosis. Clinical inspections and haematological and biochemical examinations were carried out four times in a three‐month interval (February to November) in 44 donkeys and 31 mules. Data from clinically healthy animals were used as an orientation. Plasma ACTH concentrations showed seasonal changes in both animal groups. However, it was generally higher in donkeys than mules. Although blood glucose (EDTA plasma) showed no difference between groups, serum insulin concentrations were consistently higher in donkeys. Serum fructosamine levels were slightly higher in mules, whereas, in some cases, serum triglyceride levels were considerably higher in donkeys. Serum gamma‐glutamyltransferase showed a striking peak in mules in August, whereas the remaining gamma‐glutamyltransferase values were lower compared to donkeys. By comparing donkeys and mules, the present work reveals differences in various blood parameters which should be considered for diagnoses and future studies

Foreign body in vagina: a cause of persistent vaginal discharge in children

Vulvovaginitis and vaginal discharge in pediatric patients, while not uncommon, is commonly believed to be due to such causes as absence of the protective effect on the vaginal mucosa. However, other causes need also to be kept in mind. We report a case of chronic vaginal discharge in a 5 yr old, who had retained a foreign body in her vagina for 6-7 months

A cross sectional study of depression during pregnancy and its risk factors among pregnant women attending a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry, India

Background: Depression during pregnancy is a recognized global health issue which can lead to wide range of maternal and neonatal complications to extremes like maternal suicide to infanticide. This study was done to estimate the magnitude of depression during pregnancy and its risk factors among pregnant women attending a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was done among 220 pregnant women attending routine antenatal checkup in outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry, using a systematic random sampling technique. A semi structured questionnaire using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to screen the mothers for antenatal depression.Results: 220 pregnant women were evaluated for antenatal depression. Mean age of the study participants was 25.02±3.13 years. Using PHQ-9 authors found that 19.5% pregnant women were having risk for antenatal depression, of which the mild, moderate and moderately severe levels of depression were 16.4%, 1.4% and 1.8% respectively. The risk of antenatal depression was statistically significant among the women age more than 30 years, husband’s educational status as higher secondary and below, residence in rural area, multigravida, having a male child, strained relationship, no support during pregnancy and pressure for a male child. Logistic regression analysis revealed age ≥30 years (aOR 3.03, 95% CI 1.04-8.82), and no support during pregnancy (aOR 3.30, 95% CI 1.10-9.90) were the significant factors.Conclusions: Since the risk for antepartum depression is huge in this region, there is a need for screening for antepartum depression as a routine antenatal checkup in the out patient department. Reinforcing the importance of appropriate for conception and support for the mother during pregnancy plays a vital role in reducing the magnitude of this depression

Analgesic activity of allopurinol and febuxostat in experimental animals

Background: Currently, two classes of analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioid analgesics are used to manage pain in different clinical situations. Chronic uses of these drugs have various adverse effects like gastric ulceration/bleeding, analgesic nephropathy and respiratory depression, physical dependence, addiction, respectively. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors, used for chronic gout, might have a role in alleviation of pain, as per literature survey. Hence, the present study was carried out to evaluate the potential analgesic activity of allopurinol and febuxostat in different experimental models.Methods: The analgesic activity of allopurinol and febuxostat was assessed by employing two different experimental pain models-tail flick latency model in rats for central analgesia and acetic acid induced writhing model in mice for peripheral analgesia and was compared with tramadol and aspirin.Results: Allopurinol and febuxostat produced significant central and peripheral analgesic effects as is evident from increase in reaction time in tail flick test and inhibition in number of writhes in acetic acid induced writhing test.Conclusions: The results of the present study demonstrate marked analgesic effect of allopurinol and febuxostat

Ovarian primary or secondary: cracking the nut

Ovarian cancer is one of the commonest gynecological cancers and ranks among the top five deadliest cancers in most countries. Tumors of the ovary are majority of the time primary with a small percentage of secondary malignancy. Metastasize to the ovaries can occur from many organs, including the stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, gall bladder, appendix, pancreas, breast, uterus, fallopian tube, and peritoneum. Stomach is the primary site in 70% of cases. Carcinomas of colon, appendix, and breast are the next most common primary sites. These are referred to as Krukenberg tumor, accounting for 1% to 2% of all ovarian tumors. We report a case of 40 year old female presenting with bilateral solid and cystic ovarian tumor with small primary tumor located in sigmoid colon. The case report highlights the importance of preoperative workup needed to search for primary tumor, as Krukenberg’s tumors are known for poor outcome

Effectiveness of circuit interval training and physiotherapy health education on anthropometric measurements and quality of life among obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome- a randomised controlled trial

Background: The objective was to assess the effectiveness of circuit interval training and physiotherapy health education on anthropometric measurements and quality of life (QOL) among obese women with PCOS. Methods: The study is a parallel group randomised controlled trial   among 40 obese women diagnosed with PCOS based on Rotterdam criteria and conducted in obstetrics and gynaecology Physiotherapy centre, IGMC&RI, Puducherry. Allocation of participants to group A and group B done using permutated block randomization by an independent physiotherapist. Group A(n=20) received the conventional treatment and Group B (n=20) received the circuit interval training for 6 weeks. Results: The outcome values obtained were calculated by the software SPSS 26. The power of the study is 80%. P<0.05 was considered a significant difference and 95% confidence. There was a significant improvement in the pre and post-test values of anthropometric measurements (BMI and WHR) within the experimental group. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of 1.03 points in BMI, 0.019 in WHR, and 0.018 in WHtR, which was higher than the MCID of the control group was observed between the groups. The results show that circuit interval training is effective in improving the anthropometric measurements and quality of life obesity was found to have a negative correlation with the quality of life, implying that increased weight reduces the quality of life in PCOS women. Conclusions: Circuit interval training along with physiotherapy health education, has a positive impact on improving anthropometric measurements such as BMI, waist circumference, and metabolic parameters over time

Ultrasound estimates of visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal adipose tissues in infancy.

Other imaging techniques to quantify internal-abdominal adiposity (IA-AT) and subcutaneous-abdominal adiposity (SCA-AT) are frequently impractical in infants. The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to validate ultrasound (US) visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal depths in assessing IA-AT and SCA-AT from MRI as the reference method in infants and (b) to analyze the association between US abdominal adiposity and anthropometric measures at ages 3 months and 12 months. Twenty-two infants underwent MRI and US measures of abdominal adiposity. Abdominal US parameters and anthropometric variables were assessed in the Cambridge Baby Growth Study (CBGS), n = 487 infants (23 girls) at age 3 months and n = 495 infants (237 girls) at 12 months. US visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal depths correlated with MRI quantified IA-AT (r = 0.48, P < 0.05) and SCA-AT (r = 0.71, P < 0.001) volumes, respectively. In CBGS, mean US-visceral depths increased by ~20 % between ages 3 and 12 months (P < 0.0001) and at both ages were lower in infants breast-fed at 3 months than in other infants. US-visceral depths at both 3 and 12 months were inversely related to skinfold thickness at birth (P = 0.03 and P = 0.009 at 3 and 12 months, resp.; adjusted for current skinfold thickness). In contrast, US-subcutaneous-abdominal depth at 3 months was positively related to skinfold thickness at birth (P = 0.004). US measures can rank infants with higher or lower IA-AT and SCA-AT. Contrasting patterns of association with visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal adiposities indicate that they may be differentially regulated in infancy

Intake of n-3 fatty acids and long-term outcome in renal transplant recipients:a post hoc analysis of a prospective cohort study

Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids may improve long-term outcomes of renal transplant recipients (RTR). Recent evidence suggests that EPA and DHA have different outcomes compared with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). We examined the prospective associations of EPA-DHA and ALA intakes with graft failure and all-cause mortality in 637 RTR. During 3.1 years (interquartile range 2.7, 3.8) of follow-up, forty-one developed graft failure and sixty-seven died. In age-and sex-adjusted analyses, EPA-DHA and ALA intakes were not associated with graft failure. EPA-DHA intake was not significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 0.79; 95% CI 0.54, 1.15 per 0.1 energy% difference). ALA intake was significantly associated with mortality (HR 1.17; 95% CI 1.04, 1.31 per 0.1 energy% difference). This association remained following adjustments for BMI, proteinuria and intakes of fat, carbohydrate and protein. RTR in the highest tertile of ALA intake exhibited about 2-fold higher mortality risk (HR 2.21; 95% CI 1.23, 3.97) compared with the lowest tertile. In conclusion, ALA intake may be associated with increased mortality in RTR. Future RCT are needed to confirm these results

Ultrasound estimates of visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal adipose tissues in infancy.

Other imaging techniques to quantify internal-abdominal adiposity (IA-AT) and subcutaneous-abdominal adiposity (SCA-AT) are frequently impractical in infants. The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to validate ultrasound (US) visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal depths in assessing IA-AT and SCA-AT from MRI as the reference method in infants and (b) to analyze the association between US abdominal adiposity and anthropometric measures at ages 3 months and 12 months. Twenty-two infants underwent MRI and US measures of abdominal adiposity. Abdominal US parameters and anthropometric variables were assessed in the Cambridge Baby Growth Study (CBGS), n = 487 infants (23 girls) at age 3 months and n = 495 infants (237 girls) at 12 months. US visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal depths correlated with MRI quantified IA-AT (r = 0.48, P < 0.05) and SCA-AT (r = 0.71, P < 0.001) volumes, respectively. In CBGS, mean US-visceral depths increased by ~20 % between ages 3 and 12 months (P < 0.0001) and at both ages were lower in infants breast-fed at 3 months than in other infants. US-visceral depths at both 3 and 12 months were inversely related to skinfold thickness at birth (P = 0.03 and P = 0.009 at 3 and 12 months, resp.; adjusted for current skinfold thickness). In contrast, US-subcutaneous-abdominal depth at 3 months was positively related to skinfold thickness at birth (P = 0.004). US measures can rank infants with higher or lower IA-AT and SCA-AT. Contrasting patterns of association with visceral and subcutaneous-abdominal adiposities indicate that they may be differentially regulated in infancy.Peer Reviewe