Comparative status of oxidative damage and antioxidant enzymes in chronic tonsillitis patients

Comparative study of two modalities i.e. antioxidant therapy (by vitamin E) and tonsillectomy was done in chronic tonsillitis patients, the study included 80 cases. It was found that both modalities were affective than tonsillectomy. Thus the use of antioxidant may be a promising alternative for the tonsillectomy.     

Sport: assessing the risk

Studies on the incidence of sports injuries are an integral part of sports medicine. A survey of three sports medicine journals showed a paucity of information in this area. In view of the need for well designed studies, a series of guidelines for studies is presented.     

Psychoautonomic and neurovascular disorders in patients with autonomic vascular dystonia and the hyperventilation syndrome and methods for their correction

35 patients with vegetocirculatory dystonia and hyperventilation syndrome, but without the signs of organic lesion of nervous system were treated. The complex treatment included the breathing exercises with feedback mechanisms, the correction of psychovegetative and neurovascular disturbances, the massage of neck region and a head, psychotherapy, angioprotective, vegeto- and psychotropic drug therapy. The disappearance of acute vascular attacks and paroxysms of migrainous headache, the normalization of all breathing parameters and the improvement of vegetative status were observed in all patients.     

Circadian responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis

Five healthy men 25-38 years old were subjected to simultaneous composite intravenous stimulation tests of insulin hypoglycemia (0.1 U/kg), thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, 100 mug), and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH, 50 mug) at weekly intervals to study the circadian responsiveness of the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal axis at 0600, 1200, 1800, and 0000 hours. Blood sugar (BS), LH, follicle-stimulating hormone, TSH, prolactin, cortisol (C), growth hormone, and testosterone (T) levels were estimated before and after the administration of drugs. Comparisons were made between basal and delta values (difference between basal and peak or nadir levels) at different tests. Significant circadian variations in BS, GH, C, and, to a lesser extent PRL, responses were observed 0600 h basal and delta BS values were the lowest, delta BS was highest at 0000 h accompanied by maximal hypoglycemic symptoms; the delta values of both C and GH were significantly higher at 0600 h and 0000 h; highest mean delta PRL was observed at 0600; at 1800 h the basal plasma PRL level was maximum but the delta PRL was lowest. Plasma TSH, LH, and FSH responses did not show significant circadian variations. These results suggest that circadian variations are evident when stimuli act through central or hypothalamic mechanisms; however, direct stimulation of the adenohypophysis resulted in indentical responses at different periods tested.     

Cancer and dysplasia of the post-hysterectomy vaginal cuff

The localization of delta5-3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was demonstrated histochemically in the neonatal mouse ovary. Histochemical studies were also undertaken in an attempt to investigate the effects of gonadotropic deprivation from birth to age 7 or 14 days on the distribution of enzymatic activity. Between birth and the age of 2 weeks, delta5-3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity was observed in virtually all follicles. In the newborn mouse ovary, the activity was found in granulosa cells of follicles developing in the center of the organ. On the 14th day, the granulosa cells of some apparently normal follicles histochemically were relatively inert, while others, obviously atretic, demonstrated extensive, localized, diformazan granules. Deprivation of endogenous circulating gonadotropin by daily injections of anti-rat gonadotropin had specific effects on follicular development and histochemical patterns in animals deprived of gonadotropins for 14 days but not for only 7 days.     

Reductive cleavage of the disulfide bonds of the collagen IV noncollagenous domain in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulfate: absence of intermolecular nondisulfide cross-links

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to develop an accurate, simplified proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method for calculating volume flow rate using lower blue-red interface velocity produced by a color Doppler zero baseline shift technique. BACKGROUND: The Doppler color proximal isovelocity surface area method has been shown to be accurate for calculating the volume flow rate (Q) across a narrowed orifice by the formula Q = PISA x Blue-red interface velocity. A hemispheric model is generally used to calculate proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA = 2 pi a2, where a = the radius corresponding to the blue-red interface velocity). Although a hemispheric model is simple, requiring measurement of one radius, it may underestimate the actual volume flow rate because, in the general case, the shape of a proximal isovelocity surface area is hemielliptic. Although a hemielliptic model is generally more accurate for calculating proximal isovelocity surface area, it is more complex, requiring measurement of two orthogonal radii. METHODS: Sixteen in vitro constant flow model studies were performed using planar circular orifices (diameter range 6 to 16 mm). The blue-red interface velocity was changed from 3 to 54 cm/s using color Doppler zero baseline shift. RESULTS: 1) With decreasing blue-red interface velocity, the size of the proximal isovelocity surface area was increased, and its shape changed from hemielliptic to hemispheric. 2) With the blue-red interface velocity in the range 11 to 15 cm/s, the proximal isovelocity surface area became nearly hemispheric; however, it was difficult to determine the blue-red interface radius at a blue-red interface velocity < 10 cm/s because of interface fluctuations. 3) Calculated volume flow rate using the hemispheric proximal isovelocity surface area model with a single radius was relatively accurate at a blue-red interface velocity of 11 to 15 cm/s (mean percent difference from actual volume flow rate was -3.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Because the shape of the proximal isovelocity surface area is nearly hemispheric at a blue-red interface velocity of 11 to 15 cm/s, volume flow rate can be accurately calculated in this proximal isovelocity surface area interface velocity range (produced by zero baseline shift) by measuring a single-interface radius. This approach should be clinically useful for calculating the volume flow rate across stenotic and regurgitant valves and across shunt defects.     

Azithromycin in the treatment of periodontal disease. Effect on microbial flora

Azithromycin is an azalide antibiotic with excellent in vitro activity against a wide variety of oral bacteria. It has a long half-life, good tissue penetration and is preferentially taken up by phagocytes. We investigated the microbiological efficacy of azithromycin as an adjunct to the non-surgical treatment of adult chronic periodontitis; its clinical efficacy is dealt with in a separate paper. 46 patients were treated in a double-blind placebo controlled trial. Microbiological assessment of the same periodontal pocket (initially > 6 mm) was made at weeks 0, 2, 3, 6, 10 and 22. Either azithromycin 500 mg 1 x daily for 3 days or placebo was given at week 2. Particular attention was paid to the numbers of black pigmented anaerobes and spirochaetes present since these are the most commonly implicated pathogens in periodontal disease. Pigmented anaerobes were significantly reduced at weeks 3 and 6 in patients who received azithromycin compared to placebo and remained lower, although not significantly so, throughout the study. Counts of spirochaetes were significantly reduced throughout the study in patients who received azithromycin compared to placebo. Our microbiological study suggests that azithromycin may be useful as an adjunct in the treatment of periodontal disease.