Role of Nigella sativa seed oil on corneal injury induced by formaldehyde in adult male albino rats.

Formaldehyde is frequently used in occupational environments, its toxicity concerns to all who work closely with it such as anatomists. Nigella sativa is an amazing herb with a rich historical and religious background; its seeds are the source of its active ingredients. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of Nigella sativa oil on corneal injury induced by formaldehyde in adult male albino rats. Forty adult male albino rats were divided randomly to four groups 10 rats each: I - Control group, II - Formaldehyde exposed group, III - Nigella sativa oil group (40 mg/kg/day) via intragastric tube daily for 2 weeks and IV - Formaldehyde and Nigella sativa group. Rats were sacrificed with ether, the corneas were extracted, one processed for haematoxylin and eosin stain and the other was used for transmission electron microscopic examination. Our results in group II revealed marked disorganisation, erosion, vacuolation and necrosis of epithelial cells with loss of parts of epithelial layer. Large congested invasion of blood vessels with separation and disorganisation of stromal fibrils. The corneas of group IV showed intact layers of epithelial cells with appearance close to control group. Star shaped cells (limbal stem cells) were obviously noticed in basal and intermediate layer with intact Bowman's membrane. Stroma showed regular parallel collagen, limbal stem cells were also noticed in group III. We concluded that Nigella sativa oil can ameliorate the toxic changes of formaldehyde on rat corneas. (.

Long term effects of maternal protein restriction on postnatal lung alveoli development of rat offspring.

Poor nutrition of women during pregnancy causes reduction in foetal growth and can adversely affect the development of the foetal lungs. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of maternal protein restriction on the postnatal lung development in neonatal period, and on lung structure in adult rat offspring. Female virgin Sprague-Dawley albino rats (more than 200 g) were used. One male rat was introduced into a cage with one female for matting. Once the pregnancy was confirmed, pregnant rats were divided into two main groups; each consists of 6 female as follow: 1 - normally nourished group; 2 - protein deficient group. After delivery, offspring were subdivided into three groups: 1 day after delivery, 2 weeks and 2 months postnatal. Rat body and lung weight were recorded and ratio of lung weight to body weight was assessed. Total plasma protein and serum albumin were assessed for all groups. Lung tissue stained with H&E for histological and morphometric analysis. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the number of cells positive for pulmonary surfactant protein A. Our results showed that protein restriction interfere with neonatal and postnatal lung development resulting in morphological and morphometric changes of normal lung development. We concluded that protein deficiency lead to developmental retardation of lung.

Protective effect of propolis on manganese chloride neurotoxicity of olfactory bulb in adult male albino rat.

BACKGROUND: Manganese (Mn) is widely used for industrial purposes and exposure to high levels of Mn may cause an irreversible brain disease. Propolis is a natural plant product; it acts as a powerful reactive oxygen species scavenger and improves the neurodegeneration process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study 40 adult male albino rats were divided randomly into four groups 10 rats each: group I (control group), group II manganese chloride (MnCl2) received 10 mg/kg/day/orally for 4 weeks by intra-gastric tube, group III (propolis group) received 50 mg/kg/day/orally for 4 weeks by intra-gastric tube, and group IV (MnCl2 + propolis group) received the same doses with the same duration and route as in groups II and III. Rats were sacrificed after 24 h of last dose. The olfactory bulbs removed, the right bulb cut to be processed for haematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemical staining and the left cut for electron microscopic studies. RESULTS: Results revealed that rat olfactory bulb from MnCl2 group showed darkly stained mitral cells with dark pyknotic nuclei, some show pericellular spaces and vacuolation, dark apoptotic cells in granular cells, neuropil vacuolation and pyknotic astrocyte. Electron microscopic examination showed abnormal granular cell with irregular damaged nuclear membrane, rupture of myelin fibre. Mitral nerve cell with destructed nucleus, many cytoplasmic vacuoles, swollen rough endoplasmic reticulum, vacuolated mitochondria and neuropil were observed. Manganese chloride + propolis group showed improvement compared to MnCl2 group. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that propolis can ameliorate the toxic changes of manganese chloride on rat olfactory bulb.

Isolation and characterization of Mycoplasma arginini from camels (Camelus dromedarius) with pneumonia.

Post-mortem examinations of 100 camels with pneumonic lesions were made at a local abattoir for Mycoplasma species. Sixteen isolates with indistinguishable biochemical and immunological characters were identified. The biochemical profile of these isolates showed that they were sensitive to digitonin, negative for urease production, glucose fermentation, and phosphatase activity but were positive for arginine hydrolysis. The identity of these isolates was further confirmed by disk growth inhibition test using a panel of specific antisera against selected reference Mycoplasma spp. Based on the biochemical profile and growth inhibition results, the camel isolates were identified as M. arginini. The pathological findings associated with M. arginini isolation consisted mostly of chronic interstitial pneumonia. The isolation rate of M. arginini from these specimens was 8.8%. These results suggest that the role of M. arginini in pneumonia in camels should be explored in greater detail.

Hepato-biliary coccidiosis in a dairy goat.

Hepato-biliary coccidiosis is reported in a diary goat that died of liver failure. Two types of lesions were seen in the liver. In the biliary type, coccidial oocysts, schizonts, gametes and gametocytes were seen in the epithelium of the bile duct, the wall of which was highly fibrosed. The hepatic type was in the form of granuloma, composed of oocysts and macrophages encapsulated in a fibrous capsule. Hepatic lymph nodes were diffusely scattered with oocysts and macrophages. Liver coccidiosis was found to be unresponsive to oral sulphamethazine treatment.

An outbreak of neurofilariosis in young goats.

An outbreak of cerebrospinal microfilariosis in 23 kids, representing a whole kid crop, occurred on a farm in Qassim, Central Saudi Arabia. The morbidity and mortality rates were 100%. Clinical signs, in kids from the fourth to sixth week of age, manifested as weakness in the hind legs followed by incoordination of movement and feet dragging. Seven to ten days later, the hind legs were completely paralyzed, and within a week the front legs were also paralyzed. The animals continued to feed, drink and suckle normally, and were in good health. Paralyzed kids were helped to suckle by the farm attendants. With time, loss of control of motor functions occurred and the ability to hold the head in upright position was lost, ability to eat or drink was lost. The infected kids health deteriorated and they eventually died. Two dead kids were postmortemed. With the exception of a meningeal haemorrhage seen in one kid, no obvious macroscopic lesions were seen in any of the autopsied animals. Histopathological examination of the spinal cord and brain showed different microfilaria of different sizes between the meninges and the nervous tissue. This indicated that development of the parasite occurred in the nervous tissue. The larger microfilaria contained black deposits, most likely to be digested blood, in their guts. It is likely that the parasites are haematophagus. The main lesions caused by the microfilaria were migratory traumatic haemorrhagic tracts in the spinal cord and the brain. These sometimes contained parts of the microfilariae. In the brain malacic lesions and sporadic aggregates of lymphocytes were also noted.

Haematological profiles in pure bred cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata in Saudi Arabia.

The Abbott Cell Dyn 3500 haematology analyzer was employed to study haematological parameters in 41 adult and young Friesian cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Comparison was made with clinically healthy adult and young Friesian cattle. Changes in blood parameters in T. annulata-infected cattle indicated severe macrocytic hypochromic anaemia, panleukopenia, lymphocytopenia, eosinopenia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia but no reticulocytosis.

Absorption and excretion of organic compounds of copper by sheep.

When sheep are injected subcutaneously with copper calcium edetate or copper oxyquinoline sulphonate there is a rapid increase in the concentration of copper in whole blood, serum and urine within the first 24 h. When sheep are injected with copper methionate the concentration of copper in whole blood and serum rises slowly over a period of about 10 days and there is no detectable increase in urinary copper. After the injection of each of the three compounds, there was a steady increase in the caeruloplasmin activity in serum over a period of 10 to 20 days, followed by a slow fall to pre-injection activity by 40 days. There was a marked increase in the beta-globulin fraction of serum 9 days after the injection of copper methionate but not after the other 2 compounds and the amounts of 2 copper containing proteins in liver were greater 60 days after the injection of copper methionate than after the injection of the other two compounds. The copper content of the 3 organic compounds is absorbed and excreted at different rates by sheep. The amounts of copper-containing protein produced in the liver also differ according to the organic component of the compound injected. The results suggest that the lower toxicity of copper injected as methionate compared with that injected as copper calcium edetate or copper oxyquinoline sulphonate is due to the slower absorption and transport of the copper to the liver and kidney.

Serum enzyme changes in calves experimentally infected with Schistosoma bovis.

The activities of the enzymes SD, GD, AAT, 5'NT, GGT, LDH and CPK were determined weekly in sera of two calves each infected with 10,000 S. bovis cercariae and in two controls. In infected animals, LDH activity increased from the first week of exposure and remained high throughout the experiment (22 weeks). GGT activity increased nine weeks after exposure and remained high. CPK activity was elevated during weeks 8-15 of infection. No change was detected in the activity of the other enzymes, nor in any enzymes of the controls.

Zinc deficiency in Sudanese desert sheep.

Reduced appetite, skin lesions and deaths occurred in sheep feeding on Rhodes grass (Chloris gayama) at a farm near Khartoum North. The concentration of zinc in the grass and in the serum and liver of affected animals was low. These findings, the skin lesions and the favourable response to the injection of zinc (to be reported) suggest that the clinical condition was due to a deficiency of zinc in the diet of the sheep.

Serum enzyme activity and bilirubin concentration in sheep experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica.

Fasciola gigantica infection in sheep produced liver and lung lesions characterized by damage to blood vessels and parenchymal necrosis. In the lungs, the lesions were those of parasitic bronchopneumonia. The damage to the liver and lung tissues was accompanied by increased activity in serum of AST after 2 weeks, GD and SD after 4 to 5 weeks and GGT and 5'-NT from 8 weeks onwards. Bilirubin concentration was not affected.

The toxicity of Cassia senna to Nubian goats.

Ten Nubian goats were given oral doses of the fresh fruits and leaves of Cassia senna at 1, 5, and 10 g/kg/day. Eight goats died within 30 days and two others were slaughtered in a moribund condition on days 18 and 29. The clinical signs of diarrhoea, inappetence, loss of condition, and dyspnea were well correlated with the pathological findings. There was an increase in G.O.T., ammonia, urea, and total cholesterol and a decrease in total protein in the serum of Cassia-poisoned goats. Blood sugar level was reduced and the increase in the values of Hb, PCV, and RBC was due to haemoconcentration.

The activity of diagnostic enzymes and the concentration of lipids in the blood vessels of cattle.

Blood vessel walls are shown to contain creatine phosphokinase, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase and aspartate transaminase activity. The activity of these enzymes in the serum may be enhanced by leakage from damaged blood vessels. The activity of the enzymes alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase as well as the content of triglycerides, cholesterol and lipoproteins are very low in the vascular tissue and are unlikely to be of diagnostic value in vascular tissue injury.

A preliminary study on the anthelmintic activity of Calotropis procera latex against Haemonchus contortus infection in Najdi sheep.

The anthelmintic activity of Calotropis procera latex was investigated in sheep that had been infected with single oral doses of 12000 infective Haemonchus contortus larvae. Inappetence, dullness, erosive abomasitis, decreased haemoglobin concentration and increased eosinophils were the main features of haemonchosis in the sheep. In the sheep treated with single oral doses of 0.01 ml or 0.02 ml/kg body weight of C. procera latex, egg production was significantly reduced, but not completely suppressed, and fewer adult Haemonchus worms were found in the abomasum. Although the appetite improved, the haemoglobin concentration and serum copper, iron and zinc levels were still reduced after therapy with Calotropis latex. Calotropis latex showed a concentration-dependent larvicidal activity in vitro within 20 min of application.

The haematological and biochemical effects of the gastrointestinal nematodes prevalent in camels (Camelus dromedarius) in central Saudi Arabia.

Coprological examinations on 1200 Najdi camels (Camelus dromedartus) in the Gassim region of central Saudi Arabia between October 1992 and September 1993 revealed the presence of strongyle-type, Nematodirus and Strongyloides eggs. In addition, examination of the gastrointestinal tracts of 240 camels slaughtered in different abattoirs in the Gassim region from March to August 1994 revealed 11 species of helminths. Infection with gastrointestinal trichostronglyes resulted in normocytic, normochromic anaemia. Adult infected camels showed leukocytosis, a decrease in total serum protein concentration and increases in blood urea concentration and in serum creatine phosphokinase activity.

Biochemical profiles in Friesian cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata in Saudi Arabia.

The biochemical parameters were studied in adult and young Friesian cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulatta in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. Forty-three clinical cases of tropical theileriosis were studied, together with 40 clinically healthy Friesian cattle. Cattle clinically infected with T. annulata had significantly lower serum total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron and copper concentrations and significantly higher AST activity and bilirubin concentration than the healthy cattle.

FOLFOX (oxaliplatin and 5 fluorouracil/leucovorin) in patients with untreated metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma Phase II study.

BACKGROUND: Oxaliplatin has shown promising activity in metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) and has synergism with 5 fluorouracil. This phase II study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FOLFOX4 regimen in MGC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with MGC, aged 18-70 years, performance status ≤2, no prior chemotherapy, received FOLFOX4 regimen every 2 weeks as oxaliplatin 85 mg/m 2 IV infusion on day 1 and leucovorin 200 mg/m 2 IV infusion followed by fluorouracil 400 mg/m 2 IV bolus and 600 mg/m 2 22-hour continuous infusion on days 1 and 2. Treatment was administered until progression, unacceptable toxicity, patient's refusal or for a maximum of 12 cycles. RESULTS: From August 2007 to June 2010, 34 patients were prospectively enrolled. The median age was 52 years (28-69). In total, 293 cycles were administered with a median of 8 cycles per patient (range 1-12 cycles) and 33 of 34 patients were assessable for treatment response. The overall response rate were 53% with one patient(3%) had complete response, 17 patients (50%) had partial responses and 6 patients (18%) had stable disease. The median survival of all patients was 12.1 months and the median time to progression was 9.4 months. The most common grade 3/4 toxic effects were neutropenia in four patients (12%), diarrhea in three patients (9%), vomiting in two patients (6%) and peripheral neuropathy occurred in three patients (9%). CONCLUSIONS: The FOLFOX4 combination chemotherapy showed a very promising antitumor activity and was generally well-tolerated as a first-line treatment of patients with MGC.