Blood chemical changes and renal histological alterations induced by gentamicin in rats.

Gentamicin is an effective widely used antibiotic, but the risk of nephrotoxicity and oxidative damage limit its long-term use. Hence, the current study aims to elucidate such hazardous effects. To achieve the study aim male Wistar albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) were exposed to gentamicin to investigate the resultant blood chemical changes and renal histological alterations. In comparison with control rats, gentamicin produced outstanding tubular, glomerular and interstitial alterations that included degeneration, necrosis, cytolysis and cortical tubular desquamation together with mesangial hypercellularity, endothelial cell proliferation and blood capillary congestion. Compared with control animals significant blood chemical changes (P < 0.05) including free radicals, ALT, AST, ALP, serum creatinine and serum urea were recorded in gentamicin-injected animals. The findings revealed that exposure to gentamicin can induce significant histological alterations in the kidney as well as remarkable blood chemical changes that might indicate marked renal failure.

Four new species of Ceratomyxa Thelohan 1892 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae) infecting the gallbladder of some Red Sea fishes.

Four new Ceratomyxa species were described from the gallbladder of four Red Sea fishes at Suez and Hurghada, Egypt. These species are Ceratomyxa bassoni sp. n. from Plectorhinchus gaterinus (Forsskal 1775) at Suez and Hurghada, Ceratomyxa entzerothi sp. n. from Valamugil seheli (Forsskal 1775) at Suez and Hurghada, Ceratomyxa swaisi sp. n. from Saurida undosquamis (Richardson 1848) at Suez only and Ceratomyxa hurghadensis sp. n. from Fistularia commersonii Ruppell 1838 at Hurghada only. Their taxonomic affinities to other species are discussed.

Zschokkella helmii n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea), a new parasite of marbled spinefoot Siganus rivulatus (Forsskal 1775), Red Sea, Egypt: light and transmission electron microscopy.

Zschokkella helmii n. sp., a new parasite of Siganus rivulatus from the Red Sea, Egypt, was described using light and transmission electron microscopy. However, the infection was severe; single "histozoic" plasmodium was encountered in the gallbladder wall. Spores are ellipsoid with 9-11 valvar striations. Spore mean length is 10.8 microm (10.0-11.0), while the spore mean width is 7.5 microm (7.0-8.0). Polar capsules are nearly round with a diameter of 2.2 microm (2.0-3.0) and have five filaments. Ultrastructure of the plasmodial wall and sporogenesis of the present species followed the usual pattern valid for most studied myxosporean species.