Calcium dobesilate reduces endothelin-1 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein serum levels in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

PURPOSE: To determine the benefits of calcium dobesilate (CaD) administration on endothelial function and inflammatory status in patients with diabetic retinopathy through measurement of serum levels of endothelin-1 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). METHODS: In a double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 90 patients with either severe nonproliferative or proliferative diabetic retinopathy and with blood glucose level of 120-200 mg/dl were randomly allocated to treatment with either CaD tablets (500 mg daily) or placebo for 3 months. Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and macular status were performed before the study. The serum levels of endothelin-1 and hsCRP were evaluated in both groups before and at the third month of the trial. RESULTS: The median serum level of hsCRP significantly differed between the groups 3 months following the CaD or placebo administration (2.2 mg/l in the CaD group versus 3.7 mg/l in the placebo group, p=0.01). The mean endothelin-1 serum level was 0.69±0.32 pg/ml in the CaD group and 0.86±0.30 pg/ml in the placebo group (p=0.01). Furthermore, in the CaD group, the serum levels of both endothelin-1 and hsCRP were significantly decreased 3 months after administration of CaD (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of the CaD in the patients with diabetic retinopathy may reduce the serum levels of endothelin-1 and hsCRP. This might imply amelioration of the endothelial function and inflammatory status following CaD therapy in these patients.

The effect of quince leaf (Cydonia oblonga miller) decoction on testes in hypercholesterolemic rabbits: a pilot study.

Current medical literature lacks any evidence of the protective effects of quince leaf on testes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) leaf decoction on testicular injury and impaired spermatogenesis induced by hypercholesterolemia in rabbits. Eleven mature New Zealand white male rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: group 1 (hypercholesterolemia, n=3), group 2 (hypercholesterolemia plus quince treatment, n=6), and group 3 (control, n=2). Groups 1 and 2 received a cholesterol-enriched diet for six weeks. Group 2 received C. oblonga leaf decoction as drinking supplement as well. After six weeks, a normal diet was substituted in groups 1 and 2 for another six weeks. Group 3 (control group) was maintained throughout the study on a regular diet. At the end of the 12(th) week, the left testes of the animals were resected for light microscopic study with particular attention to the maturity of germ cells in seminiferous tubules using Johnsen's score. Increase in intertubular connective tissue and diameter of vessels, abundant spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes along the reduced germinal epithelium were noted in all rabbits of the group 1. The remaining animals in groups 2 and 3 had no significant changes in their testicular sections. The mean Johnsen's score of group 1 (4.20 ± 1.92) was significantly lower than that of group 2 (7.33 ± 0.52) and group 3 (7.05 ± 0.07). (P=0.01). In conclusion, quince leaf decoction (C. oblonga Miller) protected rabbit testes and spermatogenesis from damage induced by hypercholesterolemia.

Associated congenital anomalies between neonates with short-gap and long-gap esophageal atresia: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Predicting the presence of long-gap esophageal atresia (EA) prior to the surgery is of clinical importance. No comparison between short-gap and long-gap EA for the prevalence of VACTERL and non-VACTERL-type anomalies has yet been performed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare VACTERL and non-VACTERL-type anomalies between patients with short-gap and long-gap EA. METHODS: Retrospectively, medical records of all newborns managed for EA/tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) in Tabriz Children's Hospital and Tehran Mofid Hospital between 2007 and 2010 were evaluated. Demographic data and associated anomalies including both the VACTERL and non-VACTERL-type defects were listed. The VACTERL spectrum defects covered vertebral/costal, anorectal, cardiovascular, TEF, and renal- or radial-type limb anomalies. The non-VACTERL-type anomalies included hydrocephalus, orofacial defects, respiratory system anomalies, gastrointestinal anomalies, genital anomalies, and non-VACTERL limb defects. Demographic data, and the VACTERL and non-VACTERL-type anomalies were compared among children with long-gap EA and those with short-gap EA. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy-six children were included in the study: 230 (83.3%) in the short-gap EA group and 46 (16.7%) in the long-gap EA group. Although prevalence of the VACTERL spectrum anomalies did not differ between the two groups, the non-VACTERL anomaly was more common in the long-gap EA group (P = 0.02). Among the VACTERL-type defects, TEF was detected in 30 (65.2%) and 218 (94.7%) patients in long-gap and short-gap EA groups, respectively (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The non-VACTERL-type anomalies, but not the VACTERL spectrum defects, are more frequent in patients with long-gap EA than those with short-gap EA.