Protective effect of nanocurcumin on acetaminophen-induced hepatic and renal toxicities in pigeons.

In this study, the effects of nanocurcumin on acetaminophen-induced acute hepatorenal toxicity in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) were investigated. Fifteen pigeons were randomly assigned into three groups. Group I was served as a negative control group and received tap water as a placebo. Pigeons in groups II and III were administered acetaminophen at the beginning of the experiment (hr 0). Group III was further treated with nanocurcumin, at 12 hr after acetaminophen administration, being continued every 12 hr for two days. The birds were observed for clinical signs of acute drug toxicity. Blood samples were collected from the pigeons at hr 0, 12, 24 and 48 of the experiment for biochemical analysis of the serum. The results showed that acetaminophen toxicity increased the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, urea and uric acid in the pigeons. Nanocurcumin treatment of acetaminophen intoxicated pigeons attenuated increases in biomarkers of the liver and kidney functions towards control levels. Also, the consumption of nanocurcumin minimized histopathological changes in the liver and kidney. A mortality of 60.00% was seen in the acetaminophen-induced toxicity group; while, none of the birds treated with nanocurcumin died. It can be concluded that nanocurcumin alleviates the acetaminophen-induced acute toxic liver and kidney damages, which can lead to pigeon mortality.

Positive correlation between echocardiographic tricuspid E peak velocity and central venous pressure in dogs: A preliminary study.

In the absence of vascular obstruction, central venous pressure (CVP) is a hydrostatic pressure in the cranial and caudal vena cava, providing valuable information about cardiac function and intravascular volume status. It is also a component in evaluating volume resuscitation in patients with septic shock and monitoring patients with right heart disease, pericardial disease, or volume depletion. Central venous pressure is calculated in dogs by invasive central venous catheterization, which is considered high-risk and impractical in critically ill patients. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using echocardiographic tricuspid E/E' as a noninvasive method to estimate CVP in anesthetized healthy dogs under controlled hypovolemic conditions. Ten male mixed-breed dogs were included in the study after a thorough health assessment. For hypovolemia induction, blood withdrawal was performed, and echocardiographic factors of the tricuspid valve, including peak E and E' velocities, were measured during CVP reduction. Repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests were employed to compare the average difference between measured echocardiographic indices and CVP values derived from catheterization and intermittent measurement methods. Spearman's ρ correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between echocardiographic indices and CVP. E peak velocity had a significant negative correlation with venous blood pressure phases (r = -0.44, P = .001), indicating a decrease in peak E velocity with progressive CVP reduction. However, tricuspid valve E' peak velocity and E/E' did not correlate with CVP, suggesting that these parameters are not reliable for CVP estimation in dogs.

Process and outcome evaluation of directly observed treatment short course (DOTs) in Kerman city, Southeast of Iran.

BACKGROUND: Understanding tuberculosis (TB) treatment programs' process and the outcome is one of the critical strategies to prevent the disease's occurrence and accelerate achieving sustainable development goals to reduce TB cases. The present study aimed to evaluate directly observed treatment short-course (DOTs) for tuberculosis. METHODS: The present cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study extracted information from the tuberculosis surveillance system's recorded data by a researcher-made checklist with questions from patients and health system staff. We analyzed the data by SPSS version 20. RESULTS: The outcome of patients' treatment was 85.39% improved, and the rest were death and failure of treatment and absence from treatment. The mean and standard deviation of the onset of the first symptom and diagnosis and detection of the disease was 117 and 126 days, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of the interval between diagnosis and treatment was 5.53 and 8.03 days, respectively. Regarding the treatment length, 95.5% of the cases followed the treatment length, and the rest were not observed. The history of hospitalization was 45.3% among patients, and the rest had no history of hospitalization, and the mean and standard deviation of the day of hospitalization were 6.68 ± 9.50 days. CONCLUSIONS: The existence of an appropriate program for early diagnosis of tuberculosis, observing the length of treatment, training private and public centers to strengthen the care system, and strengthening the DOTs program to control tuberculosis seems to be necessary.

Effect of low dose nebulized morphine on respiratory function improvement in mustard gas-exposed patients: A double-blind crossover clinical trial study.

Background: Mustard is one of the most destructive chemical gases used in chemical warfare. Several studies showed effectiveness of inhaled morphine as a secondary treatment for the improvement of dyspnea. Therefore, this study aimed at determining the efficacy of low dose inhaled morphine for respiratory function improvement in patients who were exposed to the mustard gas. Methods: This study was designed as a cross-over double-blinded clinical trial. Patients exposed to mustard gas were randomly assigned into two groups: 1) received 0.4 mg of morphine by inhalation and 2) received 5 ml of normal saline serum as a placebo in the same manner. After a washout period of one week, the first group received the placebo and the second group received morphine for 5 days. Spirometric indices, expiratory flow peak, exercise test, severity of dyspnea, and quality of life were evaluated as respiratory function parameters. Data analysis was done using SPSS software Version 16. Results: The mean maximum expiratory flow was significantly higher among cases who used morphine in comparison with the placebo group (p<0.05). Moreover, the severity of dyspnea, quality of life, and the frequency of coughing during the day were significantly improved among the recipients of morphine (p<0.05) while the spirometric indices and exercise tolerance tests were similar between the two groups (p>0.05), but the mean peak expiratory flow (PEFR) was significantly higher among the patients receiving morphine than the placebo patients (p<0.001). Conclusion: The use of inhaled morphine had a significant positive effect on the respiratory system of people exposed to mustard gas. We can use low doses of inhaled morphine to improve the respiratory function of these patients as a secondary therapy.