The beneficial effect of propolis on cerulein-induced experimental acute pancreatitis in rats.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress have a central role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. Propolis is a resinous hive product collected by honeybees from various plant sources and has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. The present work aimed to investigate the therapeutic role of ethanolic extract of propolis on a cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis model in rats. METHODS: Seventy male Wistar albino rats were used in the study. Acute edematous pancreatitis was induced by subcutaneous cerulein injection (20 microg/kg) four times at one-hour intervals. Ethanolic extract of propolis 300 mg/kg was given subcutaneously at the beginning of the procedure (ethanolic extract of propolis-1 group) or 12 h after the last cerulein injection (ethanolic extract of propolis-2 group). Serum amylase and lipase levels, white blood cell count and serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were measured and pancreatic tissue was evaluated histologically. RESULTS: In the acute pancreatitis group, serum amylase and lipase levels were found to be elevated and the histopathological evaluation of the tissue revealed massive edema and inflammation with less fatty necrosis when compared to the sham and control groups. Serum amylase and lipase levels and edema formation were significantly decreased in the ethanolic extract of propolis-treated groups (p<0.001). In the ethanolic extract of propolis-2 group, in particular, tissue edema was improved markedly (p=0.001). Tissue inflammation and fatty necrosis were decreased with ethanolic extract of propolis treatment; however, the improvement was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with ethanolic extract of propolis improved the biochemical and histopathological findings in a rat model of experimental pancreatitis. Although our findings suggest that ethanolic extract of propolis might be considered an effective agent for the treatment of acute pancreatitis, this notion should be supported with further experimental and clinical investigations.

Pill esophagitis caused by telithromycin: a case report.

A large number of oral drugs have been reported to cause pillinduced esophagitis in the medical literature. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case in which telithromycin was the cause of pill-induced esophagitis. In this report, we describe a male patient who admitted to the hospital with dysphagia and retrosternal pain after taking telithromycin (Ketek for acute sinusitis. He had a history of swallowing the film tablet with at least a glass of water and lying down immediately after taking the drug. An upper endoscopic examination demonstrated a deep ulceration of 1 cm diameter in the middle of the esophagus surrounded by relatively normal mucosa. Lansoprazole 30 mg was started. His symptoms improved seven days after cessation of the drug. The esophagus was completely normal in control endoscopy after two weeks. Telithromycin may cause esophageal lesions; therefore, patients should be educated by physicians about the drug's side effects and should drink at least 100 ml water after swallowing the medication. Drug administration should be in the upright position.

Plummer-Vinson syndrome and dilation therapy: a report of two cases.

Plummer-Vinson syndrome is known as the association of postcricoid dysphagia, upper esophageal web, and iron deficiency anemia. Although correction of iron deficiency may result in resolution of dysphagia and sometimes disappearance of the webs, dilation therapy is usually necessary to remove webs and relieve dysphagia. We report two cases of Plummer-Vinson syndrome. Both patients presented with significant and longstanding dysphagia, sideropenia, glossitis and koilonychia. Our two patients had occasional choking and aspiration episodes at eating and endoscope did not pass through at the level of the upper esophagus. Patients' esophagograms revealed the presence of webs in part of the post-cricoid region. Both patients were treated with esophageal bougienage or balloon dilation, and iron supplementation. The patients were examined periodically for two years after the initial treatment and found to be in good general condition.