Metabolic and tissular effects of artemisinin supplemented diets in broiler chicken.

Artemisinin is a powerful antimalarial drug, useful in the treatment of many diseases, including chickens coccidiosis. Its toxic effects have been well studied in humans and experimental animals, but not sufficiently in broiler chickens. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to assess the side effects of artemisinin in chickens, by measuring the serum level of proteins and enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, CK), by histopathological examination and by the evaluation of relative weight of organs (liver, kidney, heart). Artemisinin was administered in the standard feed for chickens in three different concentrations: 5, 50 and 500 ppm. Each concentration of artemisinin increased the total serum proteins, gamma-globulins and the serum activity of CK and decreased the serum ALP level. The values of ALT and GGT were higher in the chickens treated with 50 and 500 ppm of artemisinin. Multifocal liver necrosis and inflammatory infiltrate were detected in the chickens that received the 50 and 500 ppm dosage of artemisinin. Minimal tubular necrosis, renal tubular epithelium vacuolation, multifocal interstitial nephritis and mild uric nephrosis were detected in chickens treated with the drug. Artemisinin administration produced no significant changes in the organs relative weight. Artemisinin, at a concentration of 5 mg/kg of feed is well tolerated by broiler chickens, but the concentrations of 50 and 500 mg/ kg feed can produce toxic effects.

Impact of pioglitazone on bone mineral density and bone marrow fat content.

Pioglitazone use is associated with an increased risk of fractures. In this randomized, placebo-controlled study, pioglitazone use for 12 months was associated with a significant increase in bone marrow fat content at the femoral neck, accompanied by a significant decrease in total hip bone mineral density. The change in bone marrow fat with pioglitazone use was predominantly observed in female vs. male participants. INTRODUCTION: Use of the insulin sensitizer pioglitazone is associated with greater fracture incidence, although the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. This study aimed to assess the effect of pioglitazone treatment on femoral neck bone marrow (BM) fat content and on bone mineral density (BMD), and to establish if any correlation exists between the changes in these parameters. METHODS: In this double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, 42 obese volunteers with metabolic syndrome were randomized to pioglitazone (45 mg/day) or matching placebo for 1 year. The following measurements were conducted at baseline and during the treatment: liver, pancreas, and femoral neck BM fat content (by magnetic resonance spectroscopy), BMD by DXA, abdominal subcutaneous and visceral fat, and beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: Results were available for 37 subjects who completed the baseline and 1-year evaluations. At 12 months, BM fat increased with pioglitazone (absolute change, +4.1%, p = 0.03), whereas BM fat content in the placebo group decreased non-significantly (-3.1%, p = 0.08) (p = 0.007 for the pioglitazone-placebo response difference). Total hip BMD declined in the pioglitazone group (-1.4%) and increased by 0.8% in the placebo group (p = 0.03 between groups). The change in total hip BMD was inversely and significantly correlated with the change in BM fat content (Spearman rho = -0.56, p = 0.01) in the pioglitazone group, but not within the placebo group (rho = -0.29, p = 0.24). Changes in BM fat with pioglitazone were predominantly observed in female vs. male subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Pioglitazone use for 12 months compared with placebo is associated with significant increase in BM fat content at the femoral neck, accompanied by a small but significant decrease in total hip BMD.

Capillary viscosimetry on ferrofluids.

Experiments performed for different ferrofluids under shear flow have shown that an increase of the magnetic field strength applied to the sample yields an increase of the fluid's viscosity, the so called magnetoviscous effect. It has been shown that the magnitude of the effect is strongly related to the modification of the microstructure of ferrofluids and can be influenced by varying both the dipole-dipole interaction between the particles and the concentration of large particles within the fluid. This result has been further used to synthesize new ferrofluids which, on one hand, are more compatible for technical applications but, on the other hand, led to difficulties for the experimenters in measuring the viscous behavior in the presence of a magnetic field. To overcome this problem, a specially designed ferrofluid-compatible capillary viscometer has been developed. Within this paper, the experimental setup as well as experimental results concerning the investigation of the magnetoviscous effect in both diluted and concentrated cobalt-based ferrofluids are presented.

Hypercatabolism of IgG in mice with lupus-like syndrome.

The metabolism of radioiodinated mouse IgG was studied in mice with lupus-like syndrome before and after the onset of the disease. Before the onset of the disease, the pharmacokinetic parameters of IgG in MLR-1pr and Pristane-primed Balb/c mice were within the normal range of values. After the onset of the disease a considerable increase in the catabolic rate of IgG was recorded abbreviating its half life to less than one third of the normal value. The increased catabolism of IgG could not be related to the concentration--catabolism effect or to the presence of rheumatoid factor and autoantibody or to the IgG loss through the kidney and gastrointestinal tract. The hypercatabolism of IgG was explained by disease-induced impairment of the function of the receptor FcRn, which regulates the homeostasis of IgG.

[The descriptive epidemiological aspects of bronchopulmonary neoplasms in Dolj County]. / Aspecte epidemiologice descriptive ale neoplasmului bronhopulmonar în judetul Dolj.

This study represents a descriptive epidemiologic analysis of the morbidity and mortality incidence by lung cancer in Dolj. The usual processing of the registered values in primary evidences (report of the new cases to 100,000 residents) is in accordance with the literature about the variation of the incidence depending on residential environment and sex greater values in urban environment and at man, beginning from the fifth decade of life. The epidemiologic analysis by indirect standardisation of the mortality and the morbidity emphasizes in Dolj higher incidence up to the media of the Dolj, specially in the rural environment, aspects that suggest the intervention of the environmental factors and behaviour factors in the etiology of the lung cancer.

[The diagnostic and treatment aspects in bronchopulmonary neoplasms in Dolj County]. / Unele aspecte ale diagnosticului si tratamentului în neoplasmul bronhopulmonar în judetul Dolj.

The study carried out during 1991-1995 concerns 50 subjects with lung cancer confirmed by microscopy registered in the Oncology Department of Craiova University Hospital. The patients were studied on terms of clinical stage which indicated the regime of treatment associations: surgery + chemotherapy + radiotherapy, chemo-radiotherapy, chemo-immunotherapy, in order to improve surviving. The treatment results were assayed for each group of patients according to the international criteria of treatment response evaluation. The efficiency of various cytostatics associations according to histopathologic form was finally evaluated on terms of asymptomatic period and survival duration.