Is there any relationship between red blood cell distribution width and prognosis of brain death?

Background: Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that RDW (red blood cell distribution width) may independently predict clinically important outcomes in many populations. However, the role of RDW has not been elucidated in brain death. We conducted this study with the aim of evaluating the predictive value of RDW in brain death. Methods: A retrospective study of seventy-seven of brain death cases during 36 months were evaluated at university hospitals, affiliated in Tehran, Iran. Demographical data include age, sex, BMI and cause of brain death, also laboratory results (red blood cell distribution, mean corpuscular volume, hemoglobin) collected by checklists from patient records. Having the three RDW measurements (days of hospital admission, day of brain death, and day of cardiac arrest) required. Results: Time interval from hospital admission until brain death was 5.27±4.07. The mean age of brain death cases was 32.65±16.53. The mean RDW values on days of hospital admission, the day of brain death, and the day of cardiac arrest were 14.53±1.98, 15.12±1.93 and 15.18±2.07, respectively. Results of the repeated-measures ANOVA test reveal that RDW level was constantly higher in the traumatic patient group compared to the non-traumatic ones (P=0.008). Conclusion: The frequency of brain death was high in patients with high RDW values. RDW might be a prognostic biomarker for brain death. More prospective studies with large sample size and long follow-up period should be carried out to determine the prognostic significance of RDW and brain death in future.

Anti-diabetic effects of fullerene C60 nanoparticle mediated by its anti-oxidant activity in the pancreas in type 1 diabetic rats

Abstract The present study aims to examine the anti-diabetic effects of fullerene C60 nanoparticle, as an anti-oxidant compound, on serum glucose level, body weight, food and water intake, and pancreatic oxidative stress in the rats with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes mellitus was induced by single intravenous injection of streptozotocine (45 mg/kg) into the tail vein of the rats. Four groups of rats were divided as follow: normal, normal treatment, diabetic, and diabetic treatment groups. Normal treatment and diabetic treatment groups received intra-orally fullerene (1 mg/ kg/daily) up to day 60 following streptozotocine injection. Oxidative stress markers in the pancreas were evaluated on day 60 after inducing diabetes mellitus. Injection of streptozotocine significantly increased serum glucose level as well as food and water intake on all experimental days; it decreased body weight on day 60. Streptozotocine increased MDA level and decreased GSH level and SOD activity in the pancreas. Fullerene significantly decreased food and water intake and increased body weight as compared with the diabetic group. Fullerene also could normalize the pancreatic MDA and GSH markers. The present study suggested that fullerene can decrease diabetic symptoms via its anti-oxidant activity in the pancreas in the rats with type 1 diabetes mellitus.