Perception of a modular 3D print model in undergraduate endodontic education.

AIM: To evaluate a modular 3D print training dental model with embedded human teeth and electronic working length determination for undergraduate endodontic education. METHODOLOGY: Cone-beam volume tomography data of a human skull were transferred into stereolithographic (STL) data, and a customizable modular 3D print model with individually removable sextants and teeth was generated for the use in commercially available phantom heads. Each of sixty-eight students performed a complete root canal treatment on an extracted human tooth. Working lengths were determined with electronic apex locators (EAL) and verified radiographically. Subsequently, an evaluation was carried out with regard to the difficulty of the working steps access cavity preparation, working length determination, root canal preparation/irrigation and canal filling, and these steps were compared to commonly used benchtop models. Additionally, the agreement of electronic and radiographic working length determination was assessed and analysed statistically with the chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 68 teeth (20 incisors, 26 premolars and 22 molars) with 127 root canals were treated. In total, 87% of the students considered the modular 3D print model considerably more demanding than the conventional benchtop model. Overall, 96% felt better prepared for the clinical situation, 92% felt markedly reduced stress levels during endodontic practice in the subsequent clinical courses, and 93% of the students suggested the model should be used in future preclinical endodontic training. The preradiographic use of EAL resulted in 85% of the cases having radiographically acceptable working length determination within 0-2 mm from the radiographic apex. Readings more than 2 mm from the apex or beyond were significantly more common in molars than in premolars and incisors (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of students rated the modular 3D print training model positively despite it being more demanding. They also recommended its use in preclinical teaching and training. The model allowed a more realistic simulation of the clinical situation with a simultaneous use of EALs and led to reduced stress levels in endodontic treatment in the subsequent clinical courses.

Effects of age on the glucoregulatory response following acute glucoprivation induced by 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) in the adrenal medulla of Sprague Dawley rats.

OBJECTIVES: Impairment in glucose homeostasis is one of the factors that may alter the feeding drive, hunger and satiety signals, which essential to maintain a sufficient level of energy for daily activities especially among the elderly. Adrenal medulla is one of the important organs that involves in glucose homeostasis through secretion of catecholamines. The catecholamines biosynthesis pathway utilizes various enzymes and protein kinases. The aims of this study are to investigate the effects of age on the biosynthetic pathway of catecholamines in adrenal medulla by determining the level of blood glucose and blood catecholamines, the gene and protein expression of biosynthetic catecholamine enzymes (TH, DBH and PNMT) as well as protein kinase substrates that involved in the phosphorylation of TH in 2DG-induced rats. METHODS: Adrenal medulla from male Sprague Dawley rats at the age of 3-months (n=12) and 24-months (n=12) were further divided into two groups: 1) treatment group with 2DG to create glucoprivation condition and 2) the vehicle group which received normal saline as control. RESULTS: The results showed that the level of glucose, adrenaline and noradrenaline were increased in response to acute glucoprivation conditions in both young and old rats. No age-related differences were found in the basal gene expression of the enzymes that involved in the catecholamines biosynthesis pathway. Interestingly the expressions of TH and DBH protein as well as the level of TH phosphorylation at Ser40, PKA, PKC and ERK1/2 substrates were higher in basal condition of the aged rats. However, contradicted findings were obtained in glucoprivic condition, which the protein expressions of DBH, pERK1/2 and substrates for pPKC were increased in young rats. Only substrate for pCDK was highly expressed in the old rats in the glucoprivic condition, while pPKC and pERK1/2 were decreased significantly. The results demonstrate that adrenal medulla of young and old rats are responsive to glucose deficit and capable to restore the blood glucose level by increasing the levels of blood catecholamines. CONCLUSION: The present findings also suggest that, at least in rats, aging alters the protein expression of the biosynthetic catecholamine enzymes as well as protein kinase substrates that may attenuate the response to glucoprivation.

Perception of content and non-content expert facilitators of PBL according to students' performance levels.

OBJECTIVE: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centred learning system that involves multidisciplinary fields focused on problem solving. Facilitators of PBL are not necessarily content experts but little is known on how this concept has affected the outcomes of PBL sessions in learning Medical Biochemistry. We aimed to evaluate the impact of having the content expert as a facilitator in conducting PBL. METHODS: A total of 150 first and second year medical students from the University Kebangsaan Malaysia were interviewed with a validated set of questions to acquire their views on the roles of facilitators in PBL in learning Medical Biochemistry. Their achievement were evaluated through their essay marks derived from various PBL packages. RESULTS: All respondents agreed that PBL sessions associated with Medical Biochemistry are best appreciated when conducted by a content-expert facilitator. Their exam marks reflected well on their perception. CONCLUSION: PBL sessions related to Medical Biochemistry is best facilitated by Biochemistry lecturers as the content experts.

Expression plasticity of Phlebotomus papatasi salivary gland genes in distinct ecotopes through the sand fly season.

BACKGROUND: Sand fly saliva can drive the outcome of Leishmania infection in animal models, and salivary components have been postulated as vaccine candidates against leishmaniasis. In the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi, natural sugar-sources modulate the activity of proteins involved in meal digestion, and possibly influence vectorial capacity. However, only a handful of studies have assessed the variability of salivary components in sand flies, focusing on the effects of environmental factors in natural habitats. In order to better understand such interactions, we compared the expression profiles of nine P. papatasi salivary gland genes of specimens inhabiting different ecological habitats in Egypt and Jordan and throughout the sand fly season in each habitat. RESULTS: The majority of investigated genes were up-regulated in specimens from Swaymeh late in the season, when the availability of sugar sources is reduced due to water deprivation. On the other hand, these genes were not up-regulated in specimens collected from Aswan, an irrigated area less susceptible to drought effects. CONCLUSION: Expression plasticity of genes involved with vectorial capacity in disease vectors may play an important epidemiological role in the establishment of diseases in natural habitats.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as mortality predictor of advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with COVID-19 in Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the mortality rate between advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC) with and without COVID-19. This study also explores the possible laboratory characteristics used for prognostication in patients with NSCLC and COVID-19. Additionally, this study evaluated potential differences in laboratory values between the case and control groups. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective cohort study conducted in Dharmais National Cancer Hospital, Indonesia, enrolling patients with NSCLC undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy between May 2020 and January 2021. All patients with NSCLC and COVID-19 in these periods were enrolled into the case group. The control group was age-matched NSCLC patients without COVID-19 that was derived from the NSCLC cohort through randomization. RESULTS: There were 342 patients with NSCLC between May 2020 and January 2021. Twenty-seven (7.9%) of the patients were infected by COVID-19. To facilitate comparison, thirty-five age-matched controls with NSCLC were selected from the cohort. The mortality rate in patients with COVID-19 was 46.2%. Eleven patients (40.7%) had severe COVID-19, of which none survived. NLR >8.35 has a sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 92.9%, LR+ of 12, and LR- of 0.18. The AUC was 0.946 (95% CI 0.867-1.000), p<0.001. PLR >29.14 has a sensitivity of 75.0%, specificity of 71.4%, LR+ 2.62, LR- 0.35, and AUC 0.851 (95% CI 0.706-0.996), p=0.002. Both NLR and PLR were associated with shorter time-to-mortality in the unadjusted and adjusted model CONCLUSIONS: NLR and PLR are independent predictors of mortality in COVID-19 patients with NSCLC.

Unusual primary location of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the uterine body with compressive form: About case.

INTRODUCTION: Primary non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma (NHML) of the uterine body is an extremely rare localization since only eleven cases have been reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of primary NHML of the uterine body discovered during a hysterectomy performed for a uterine mass. The primary character of NHML of the uterine body was retained in view of the absence of extra-genital localization in the clinical, biological and radiological workup (Ann Arbor stage IE) and there were no signs of recurrence during follow-up. The patient received anti-CD20 immunochemotherapy (rituximab-CHOP and rituximab-VCAP combinations) and at 12 months follow-up, she is in complete remission. DISCUSSION: The diagnosis of primary and isolated NHML of the uterine body is based on a clinical and further examination and regular follow-up for several months. The treatment is not codified; surgery, poly-chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the different therapeutic modalities. Rituximab-CHOP immunochemotherapy is currently the reference treatment for primary malignant lymphomas of the uterine body particularly in young patients who wish to become pregnant. The prognosis depends mainly on two factors: age and Ann Arbor stage. CONCLUSION: Primary uterine lymphomas are rare tumors of unknown etiopathogeny and of non-specific clinical presentation, the role of the various treatments remains difficult to evaluate due to the small number of published cases.

Phlebotomus papatasi sand fly predicted salivary protein diversity and immune response potential based on in silico prediction in Egypt and Jordan populations.

Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies inject their hosts with a myriad of pharmacologically active salivary proteins to assist with blood feeding and to modulate host defenses. In addition, salivary proteins can influence cutaneous leishmaniasis disease outcome, highlighting the potential of the salivary components to be used as a vaccine. Variability of vaccine targets in natural populations influences antigen choice for vaccine development. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the variability in the predicted protein sequences of nine of the most abundantly expressed salivary proteins from field populations, testing the hypothesis that salivary proteins appropriate to target for vaccination strategies will be possible. PpSP12, PpSP14, PpSP28, PpSP29, PpSP30, PpSP32, PpSP36, PpSP42, and PpSP44 mature cDNAs from field collected P. papatasi from three distinct ecotopes in the Middle East and North Africa were amplified, sequenced, and in silico translated to assess the predicted amino acid variability. Two of the predicted sequences, PpSP12 and PpSP14, demonstrated low genetic variability across the three geographic isolated sand fly populations, with conserved multiple predicted MHCII epitope binding sites suggestive of their potential application in vaccination approaches. The other seven predicted salivary proteins revealed greater allelic variation across the same sand fly populations, possibly precluding their use as vaccine targets.

Polyphenols and Functional Foods from the Regulatory Viewpoint.

The aim of the present article is to give a bird's eye view of polyphenols in the European legislation and its applications according to the European Food Safety Authority, particularly regarding labeling for consumer protection in the European market. Polyphenols are given much attention by consumers because of their health effects and are exploited by food producers. Consequently, a study on cases relating to claims about polyphenols cannot leave out of consideration a panoramic about the legal framework regarding European Regulations on nutrition claims. In this ambit, the general framework is the European Commission Regulation No. 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods; it sets the basic legal rules about nutrition claims in the European Union. Because of the possible allowed use of health claims about polyphenols, many applications have been made by food business operators. At present, the use of health claims related to polyphenols in the European market is limited only to olive oil polyphenols. All other formulations so far proposed relating to other foods have been rejected by the European Authority, being judged as lacking substantial scientific evidence.

Molecular homogeneity in diverse geographical populations of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera, Psychodidae) inferred from ND4 mtDNA and ITS2 rDNA Epidemiological consequences.

An intraspecific study on Phlebotomus papatasi, the main proven vector of Leishmania major among the members of the subgenus Phlebotomus, was performed. The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS 2) of rDNA and the ND4 gene of mt DNA were sequenced from 26 populations from 18 countries (Albania, Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Yemen), and compared. Samples also included three other species belonging to the subgenus Phlebotomus: P. duboscqi, a proven vector of L. major in the south of Sahara (three populations from Burkina Faso, Kenya and Senegal), P. bergeroti, a suspected vector of L. major (three populations from Oman Sultanate, Iran and Egypt), and one population of P. salehi from Iran. A phylogenetic study was carried out on the subgenus Phlebotomus. Our results confirm the validity of the morphologically characterized taxa. The position of P. salehi is doubtful. Variability in P. papatasi contrasts with that observed within other species having a wide distribution like P. (Paraphlebotomus) sergenti in the Old World or Lutzomyia (Lutzomyia) longipalpis in the New World. Consequently, it could be hypothesized that all populations of P. papatasi over its distribution area have similar vectorial capacities. The limits of the distribution area of L. major are correlated with the distribution of common rodents acting as hosts of the parasites.

Discovery of diurnal resting sites of phlebotomine sand flies in a village in southern Egypt.

In an attempt to find diurnal resting sites of adult phlebotomine sand flies, potential phlebotomine adult habitats were aspirated in the village of Bahrif in Aswan, Egypt. During this survey, sand flies were aspirated from low (30-45 cm high) irregular piles of mud bricks found under high date palm canopies between the village and the Nile River. There were 5 males and 7 females of Phlebotomus papatasi and 3 males of Sergentomyia schwetzi. Six of the 7 aspirated females were engorged with blood. A total of 78 sand flies was captured on 3 glue boards placed overnight on the ground next to the mud bricks. Attempts to aspirate sand flies from adjacent walls and plants were unsuccessful. The identification of diurnal resting sites in less structured habitats may ultimately lead to more effective adult sand fly control.

Pretreatment with Ultrasonication Reduces the Size of Azelaic Acid-Chitosan Nanoparticles Prepared by Electrospray.

Nowadays, electrospray is becoming a favourable approach for preparing monodispersed nanoparticles. However, this approach is quite recent and requires further works to optimize control over physicochemical properties of its products. This study aimed to determine the possible effects of sonication as a pretreatment to reduce the size of azelaic acid-chitosan particle before using electrospray. The results showed that sonication treatment can produce submicron particles of azelaic acid-chitosan. By diluting the solution and increasing sonication time and amplitude, smaller particles were obtained with the smallest one at 516 nm, sized by dynamic light scattering. The pretreated solution was then electrosprayed to reduce the size of nanoparticles to 80 nm, indicating that sonication may play an important role in reducing the size of electrosprayed nanoparticles. The electrosprayed nanoparticles were nearly monodispersed and almost spherical in shape.

Behavioral Assessment and Blood Oxidative Status of Aging Sprague Dawley Rats through a Longitudinal Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive frailty emerges as one of the threats to healthy aging. It is in continuum with advancing of age with uncertain indicator between pathological and physiological changes. Alterations in pathways associated with the aging process have been observed including oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. However, the exact mechanisms leading to cognitive decline are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study was sought to assess the level of cognitive functions and linked with blood oxidative status during normal aging in rats. METHODS: A longitudinal study using male Sprague Dawley rats was performed starting from the age of 14 months old to 27 months old. Cognitive functions tests such as open field, Morris water maze and object recognition were determined at the age of 14, 18, 23, and 27 months old and were compared with group 3 months old. Blood was collected from the orbital venous sinus and oxidative status was determined by measuring the level of DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and antioxidant enzymes activity. RESULTS: Aged rats showed declining exploratory behavior and increased in the level of anxiety as compared to the young rats. The level of DNA damage increased with increasing age. Interestingly, our study found that both levels of malondialdehyde and plasma carbonyl content decreased with age. In addition, the level of superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased with age whereas catalase activity was significantly increased from 18 months of age. However, no significant difference was found in glutathione peroxidase activity among all age groups. CONCLUSION: The progressions of cognitive impairment in normal aging rats are linked to the increment in the level of DNA damage.

Population genetics analysis of Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies from Egypt and Jordan based on mitochondrial cytochrome b haplotypes.

BACKGROUND: Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies are major vectors of Leishmania major and phlebovirus infection in North Africa and across the Middle East to the Indian subcontinent. Population genetics is a valuable tool in understanding the level of genetic variability present in vector populations, vector competence, and the development of novel control strategies. This study investigated the genetic differentiation between P. papatasi populations in Egypt and Jordan that inhabit distinct ecotopes and compared this structure to P. papatasi populations from a broader geographical range. METHODS: A 461 base pair (bp) fragment from the mtDNA cytochrome b (cyt b) gene was PCR amplified and sequenced from 116 individual female sand flies from Aswan and North Sinai, Egypt, as well as Swaimeh and Malka, Jordan. Haplotypes were identified and used to generate a median-joining network, F ST values and isolation-by-distance were also evaluated. Additional sand fly individuals from Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Libya, Tunisia and Turkey were included as well as previously published haplotypes to provide a geographically broad genetic variation analysis. RESULTS: Thirteen haplotypes displaying nine variant sites were identified from P. papatasi collected in Egypt and Jordan. No private haplotypes were identified from samples in North Sinai, Egypt, two were observed in Aswan, Egypt, four from Swaimeh, Jordan and two in Malka, Jordan. The Jordan populations clustered separately from the Egypt populations and produced more private haplotypes than those from Egypt. Pairwise F ST values fall in the range 0.024-0.648. CONCLUSION: The clustering patterns and pairwise F ST values indicate a strong differentiation between Egyptian and Jordanian populations, although this population structure is not due to isolation-by-distance. Other factors, such as environmental influences and the genetic variability in the circulating Le. major parasites, could possibly contribute to this heterogeneity. The present study aligns with previous reports in that pockets of genetic differentiation exists between populations of this widely dispersed species but, overall, the species remains relatively homogeneous.

Bionomics of phlebotomine sandflies at a peacekeeping duty site in the north of Sinai, Egypt.

A longitudinal entomological survey for sandflies was conducted from 1989 to 1991 at a focus of enzootic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Northeast Sinai, Egypt, within the border region monitored by multinational peacekeepers. Standardized sampling with CDC light traps, oiled paper "sticky traps", and human landing collection was employed to determine monthly trends in species composition, density, sex ratio, and reproductive status of vector sandflies. Each collection method independently defined sandfly seasonality as the period May-November in 1990, and March-October in 1991. Plebotomus papatasi was the only anthropophagic species found and comprised more than 94% of the sandfly population. Two population peaks (May, July) were observed for this species in both survey years. Density of P. papatasi in underground bunkers was higher than outside but inflated by a greater proportion of male flies. During 1990, the proportion of gravid P. papatasi increased progressively during the 5 months period from May to September and averaged 29.5% and 29.7% for interior and exterior collections, respectively. Density of P. papatasi was greater during 1991, but proportions of gravid flies were significantly lower in each survey month and averaged 14.9% and 12.3% for interior and exterior collections, respectively. Seasonal rates of Leishmania-infected P. papatasi averaged 0.8% and 0.9% in 1989 and 1990, but fell to zero in 1991, suggesting an unstable focus of Leishmania major transmission. Proportions of gravid flies may be a valid indicator of the physiological age and epidemiologic importance of the vector sandfly population at this focus. The strong correlation of sticky trap indices to human-landing/biting rates shows that this is an accurate, inexpensive, and no-risk alternative to human bait collections.

Use of bioassay and microplate assay to detect and measure insecticide resistance in field populations of Culex pipiens from filariasis endemic areas of Egypt.

Insecticide and resistance bioassays and microplate assays were performed on Culex pipiens mosquitoes to determine the level and mechanisms of resistance. Culex pipiens larvae were collected from three filariasis-endemic areas of Egypt and reared to adults for subsequent production and testing of F1 generation larvae and adults. Bioassays were performed using World Health Organization (WHO) methods with the diagnostic doses of 6 organophosphate insecticides for larvae and 1 organochlorine (OC), 4 pyrethroid, 2 organophosphate, and 2 carbamate insecticides for adults. Microplate assays were performed to measure levels of beta esterase, acetylcholinesterase, insensitive acetylcholinesterase, oxidases, and glutathione-S-transferase enzymes. Larval bioassay results showed clear indications of resistance to organophosphate insecticides. Adult bioassays also showed widespread, significant resistance to many insecticides from all four classes, including the OC, DDT. The Qalubiya larval population was susceptible only to malathion, whereas Sharkiya larvae were susceptible to malathion, temephos, and chlorpyrifos. On the other hand, larval specimens from Assiut were resistant to all insecticides tested. Larval bioassay results were supported by those of microplate assays in showing elevated levels of glutathione S-transferase in populations from all three areas. In general, microplate results confirmed patterns of resistance observed using bioassays, and mechanisms of resistance were evident for all three areas sampled. Mechanisms of resistance are discussed in relation to microplate and bioassay results for the areas sampled and pesticides used.

Hydralazine administration activates sympathetic preganglionic neurons whose activity mobilizes glucose and increases cardiovascular function.

Hypotensive drugs have been used to identify central neurons that mediate compensatory baroreceptor reflex responses. Such drugs also increase blood glucose. Our aim was to identify the neurochemical phenotypes of sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPN) and adrenal chromaffin cells activated following hydralazine (HDZ; 10mg/kg) administration in rats, and utilize this and SPN target organ destination to ascribe their function as cardiovascular or glucose regulating. Blood glucose was measured and adrenal chromaffin cell activation was assessed using c-Fos immunoreactivity (-ir) and phosphorylation of tyrosine hydroxylase, respectively. The activation and neurochemical phenotype of SPN innervating the adrenal glands and celiac ganglia were determined using the retrograde tracer cholera toxin B subunit, in combination with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Blood glucose was elevated at multiple time points following HDZ administration but little evidence of chromaffin cell activation was seen suggesting non-adrenal mechanisms contribute to the sustained hyperglycemia. 16±0.1% of T4-T11 SPN contained c-Fos and of these: 24.3±1.4% projected to adrenal glands and 29±5.5% projected to celiac ganglia with the rest innervating other targets. 62.8±1.4% of SPN innervating adrenal glands were activated and 29.9±3.3% expressed PPE mRNA whereas 53.2±8.6% of SPN innervating celiac ganglia were activated and 31.2±8.8% expressed PPE mRNA. CART-ir SPN innervating each target were also activated and did not co-express PPE mRNA. Neurochemical coding reveals that HDZ administration activates both PPE+SPN, whose activity increase glucose mobilization causing hyperglycemia, as well as CART+SPN whose activity drive vasomotor responses mediated by baroreceptor unloading to raise vascular tone and heart rate.

Phlebotomus papatasi SP15: mRNA expression variability and amino acid sequence polymorphisms of field populations.

BACKGROUND: The Phlebotomus papatasi salivary protein PpSP15 was shown to protect mice against Leishmania major, suggesting that incorporation of salivary molecules in multi-component vaccines may be a viable strategy for anti-Leishmania vaccines. METHODS: Here, we investigated PpSP15 predicted amino acid sequence variability and mRNA profile of P. papatasi field populations from the Middle East. In addition, predicted MHC class II T-cell epitopes were obtained and compared to areas of amino acid sequence variability within the secreted protein. RESULTS: The analysis of PpSP15 expression from field populations revealed significant intra- and interpopulation variation.. In spite of the variability detected for P. papatasi populations, common epitopes for MHC class II binding are still present and may potentially be used to boost the response against Le. major infections. CONCLUSIONS: Conserved epitopes of PpSP15 could potentially be used in the development of a salivary gland antigen-based vaccine.

Integrated production and protection under protected cultivation in the Mediterranean region.

The article discusses some basic aspects of the integrated production and protection of horticultural crops, basically vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, beans, etc.) and fruit trees (bananas), as well as flowers grown under cover in the Mediterranean region, namely Morocco, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Cyprus, and Turkey.

Evaluation of 1-octen-3-ol and carbon dioxide as attractants for Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) in southern Egypt.

The effectiveness of 1-octen-3-ol (octenol) as an attractant for collecting medically important psychodids has never been reported. This study evaluated the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) and octenol released at 2 rates, individually and in combination, as attractants for adult sand flies in a small village in southern Egypt. Four sand fly species were collected: Phlebotomus papatasi, P. sergenti, Sergentomyia palestinensis, and S. schwetzi. Only P. papatasi was collected in numbers sufficient to allow statistical analysis. This study reaffirms that CO2 is an effective attractant for female P. papatasi and also demonstrates that neither male nor female P. papatasi respond to octenol alone. Additionally, no synergistic attractancy for either females or males was observed when CO2 and octenol were combined.

Lysine acetyl salicylic acid in acute renal pain.

The effect of repeated doses of 1.8 g lysine acetyl salicylic acid (LAS) i.v. on severe pain secondary to acute renal colic (ARC) was studied in 45 consecutive patients. Clinically acceptable analgesia was obtained in 65% of the cases. No additional pain relief was achieved with the combination of pethidine 100 mg i.v. + metoclopramide 10 mg, i.m. (narcotics). Pain relief occurred within five minutes in one third of the patients while in the rest within 30 minutes. Significant reduction of systolic blood pressure (mean +/- S.D.) 23.8 +/- 19.5, pulse rate (mean +/- S.D.) 19.5 +/- 10.1 and vomiting were noted in patients who had pain relief. The incidence of nausea has increased after LAS administration. No other side effects were observed. LAS might therefore be applied as a first-hand alternative to narcotics for the treatment of ARC.