The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the feasibility of imaging inflammatory lesions with some renal agents such as 99mTc labeled gluconate (G), glucoheptonate (GH) and dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) in comparison to 99mTc-human immunogamma globulin (HIG).
The biodistributions of all the four radio-pharmaceuticals (RP's) were determined in mice with turpentineinduced abscesses at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hrs post-injection of 15 MBq in 0.1 ml solution of each RP. The % uptake/g tissues and abscess (A) over muscle (A/M), blood (A/B), liver (A/L), intestine (A/I) and kidney (A/K) concentration ratios were calculated. The scintigraphic images of all mice were obtained by a gamma camera.
The abscesses were well visualized with all the RP's. The excretion was mainly via the kidneys except for 99mTc-HIG which showed variable amounts of liver and kidney uptake. Similar A/M ratios were obtained, reaching a maximum at 6 hrs with 99mTc- DMSA and 24 hrs with the others. The maximum values were 5.21±1.24, 3.60±0.52, 4.19±1.39 and 5.98±1.17 with 99mTc-G, -GH, -DMSA and -HIG, respectively.
Our results indicated that 99mTc renal agents can be used in imaging inflammation. They are preferred to 99mTc-HIG, because of rapid blood clearance, excretion predominantly via the kidneys, no significant uptake by other organs, low cost and easy availability.

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The possible hypocholesterolemic effect of ascorbic acid feeding in mature and immature (up to one month old) male rats was investigated by the liver and the plasma cholesterol level determination together with the ascorbic acid concentration in plasma. The feeding period was six weeks. The mature and the immature rats were divided into three feeding groups. The first group of rats were exposed to regular feeding (the control group). The second group was given a diet consisting of 0.2 g ascorbic acid/100 ml of water whereas the third group was fed with 0.5 g ascorbic acid/100 ml of water. It was observed that, both ascorbic acid concentrations lowered the plasma and the liver cholesterol levels significantly (p<0.005) whereas in mature rats only the plasma cholesterol levels were significantly lowered (p<0.0005).

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One hundred and twenty clinical samples comprising of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood of 60 patients showing symptoms of meningitis were screened for the presence of L. monocytogenes. One out of 60 CSF samples was found to harbor L. monocytogenes, incidence being 1.66%. This sample was procured from an 18 year old girl. Symptoms were indicative of meningitis or meningoencephalitis. There was no history of immunosuppressive therapy or any other underlying disease. The pathogen seems to have been transmitted through food. Organism was confirmed as L. monocytogenes by cultural, biochemical and serological tests recommended for identification of Listeria. Antibiotic susceptibility test showed that the organism was sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin, gentamicin and tetracycline. Ampicillin and gentamicin demonstrated a synergistic effect. The patient did not suffer from bacterimia as L. monocytogenes was not found in her blood. Blood samples of other patients were also negative in this respect. A comprehensive review of literature indicates that this is the first report of listerial meningitis from this region. The need of through screening is emphasized.

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The increase in Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in Plasmodium falciparum malaria (PFM) has been shown at many previous studies. We aimed to investigate the TNF-alpha levels of Plasmodium vivax malaria (PVM).
The study consisted of 19 Plasmodium vivax (PV) patients and a control group of 18 healthy persons. The serum TNF alpha levels were measured by radio-immunoassay method.
The TNF alpha levels of the patients (mean=19.67, ± sd ±5.502 pg/ml) were statistically higher in relation to those of the control group (4.63±0.52 pg/ml; p<0.02).
Significant increase in TNF alpha in PFM has been shown. It is established that the increase in TNF in PVM is at a lower extent. It is necessary to investigate with further studies the relationship between the clinical signs at paroxysmal periods of PVM patients and serum TNF levels.

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Recently developed protein A-gold technique for detection of intracellular antigenic sites on thin sections was used to localize a secretory protein, insulin in the pancreatic B-cells of mouse. Treatment of thin sections of glutaraldehyde-fixed, osmium tetroxide-postfixed pancreatic tissue with saturated aqueous solution of sodium metaperiodate, followed by incubation with anti-insulin antibody and protein A-gold complex, restored the labeling without altering the structural preservation. The good ultrastructural preservation obtained led to superior resolution in the labeling. Pancreatic secretory protein, insulin was observed over perfectly preserved secretory granules of the pancreatic B-cells. The protein A-gold technique is proposed as general method for visualization of antigenic sites on thin sections.

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A case of cholestatic hepatitis occurring in a 50 year old woman treated with propylthiouracil for 1.5 months is presented. Physical examination showed generalized icterus and nodular goiter. Electron microscopic examination of liver biopsy revealed dilated smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial inclusions, excessive lipofuchsin granules and vacuolar formation both in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the hepatocytes. The ultrastructural changes in the liver have never been described in detail in propylthiouracil induced hepatitis previously. In this article the possible pathophysiology of the disease is discussed.

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Iron absorption by everted gut sac (EGS) and the effect of aluminium in this process has been investigated. Incubation of freshly prepared rat EGS in Earle's medium pH=7.4 containing either Fe (II) and or Fe (III) showed that maximum absorption occurred within 30 min of incubation time. The absorption of Fe (II) or Fe (III) by EGS was dose dependent. Maximum absorption was carried out in the presence of 8 mM of iron followed by a gradual reduction thereafter. Aluminium (400 ug/1) reduced iron uptake by 24%. Apo-transferrin when saturated with aluminium (30-90%) and inserted inside the sac caused reduction in iron uptake. The higher the percentage of saturation the lower the iron uptake by EGS. Suggesting the probable role of transferrin in iron uptake. The mechanism of iron absorption by EGS and the effect of aluminium in this process has been discussed.

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Color Doppler sonographic evaluations of penile vascularity of 50 impotent patients, 24 of them were known to have the Peyronie's disease, were done. Eight (33.2%) of the patients with Peyronie's disease had abnormal blood flow parameters consistent with the arterial insufficiency. One patient (3.8%) had normal results but prolonged erection. The remaining 15 (62.5%) had venous leakage. Whereas, 14 (53%) of the 26 impotent patients without Peyronie's disease had arterial pathology, 7 (26.9%) with venous insufficiency and 5 (19.6%) with psychogenic or neurogenic impotence. Our results indicate that veno-occlusive dysfunction is the principal cause of impotence.

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To investigate the physiological role of atrial natriuretic factor in highlanders with pulmonary hypertension, we studied 61 residents of Tien-Shan living at 2040-2800 m above sea level. According to the initial pulmonary arterial pressure levels the subjects were divided into 2 groups; Group 1 with initial normal pulmonary pressures and Group 2 with initially high pulmonary pressures at Highlanders of 2nd group with high pulmonary pressure the concentration of atrial natriuretic factor in plasma turmed out to be approximately twice higher, than at highlanders of 1st group with normal pulmonary pressure. Noteworthy in our data are the higher renin levels in subjects of 2nd group with normal initial plasma aldosterone concentrations. This could suggest dissociation of interaction in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system.

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Silent myocardial ischemia is proved to be a marker of unfavorable outcomes in coronary artery disease patients. However it has a predictive value in patients early after acute myocardial infarction and its relationship with left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction remains uncertain. The aim of the study is to evaluate the functional changes and specific course of myocardial infarction with symptomatic and silent myocardial ischemia.
119 patients with first Q wave myocardial infarction were included into the study. All of them underwent routine coronary angiography, 24-hour electrocardiographic monitoring, Doppler ECHO of transmitral and transaortal flows with assessment of diastolic and systolic left ventricular function on the 2nd day of disease.
Prospective follow-up was made during 1 year. Factorial and discriminate analysis were undertaken to estimate the most predictable criteria for complicated course of myocardial infarction.
Groups of patients with signs of mixed (symptomatic and silent) and only silent ischemia episodes have more severe coronary artery lesions, pronounced left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction in comparison with group of patients without signs of ischemia. Complicated course of myocardial infarction developed in 52.7%, 45.7% and 12% of patients, respectively (p<0.05).
The most predictable criteria for unfavorable prognosis in early post myocardial infarction patients were presence of silent myocardial ischemia, its overall duration more than 60 minutes/per 24 hour, mean number of injured coronary arteries, E value, Ei/ai, aortal flow mean acceleration and EF.

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Zinc deficiency may account for the persistence of gonadal dysfunction in a majority of uremic men despite adequate dialysis treatment. Twenty nine hemodialyzed men having sexual dysfunction were selected and randomly divided into control and treatment groups (12 and 17 patients) respectively. Zinc acetate at 200 mg and CuSO4 2 mg were given orally per day for 8 months to patients in the treatment group. At the end of the study, significant increases in the mean serum levels of serum zinc (54 ± 2 g/dL to 76 ± 3 g/dL p<0.01), serum copper (89 ± 3 g/dL to 123 ± 7 g/dL p<0.01) and testosterone (4.8 ± 0.39 ng/mL to 6.2 ± 0.45 ng/mL p<0.01) were observed. A significant increase in follicle-stimulating hormone-FSH (10.0 ± 1.80 mIU/mL to 6.0 ± 1.34 mIU/mL p<0.01) and in luteinizing hormone-LH (16.0 ± 3.17 mIU/mL to 6.7 ± 1.42 mIU/mL p<0.01) were observed in the zinc receiving group. Eight of 17 patients in the treatment group revealed an improvement in sexual activities (p<0.05), while no alterations were observed in their counterparts in the control group. Likewise no significant changes of the trace elements and hormones were not found in the latter group.

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The effect of the different successive extracts of the herb of Ambrosia maritima, L. family compositae wildly grown in Egypt on post-prandial and fasting blood glucose were tested in rats. The results showed that 1.5 hours post-prandial blood glucose was reduced significantly after administration of the total water, 50% alcoholic or petroleum ether extracts. The two hours post-prandial blood glucose was reduced significantly after the administration of either the petroleum ether or the ether extract. The fasting blood glucose was reduced only on giving either the total water or the alcoholic extract. Methylene chloride extract produced no significant change on post-prandial blood glucose. The effect of petroleum ether extract and 50% alcoholic extract on plasma insulin levels 2 hours and 1.5 hours respectively after glucose ingestion was determined. The results showed no significant change of insulin level in both cases. Phytochemical and chromatographic study of the extracts revealed the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids and coumarins.

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Forty-four Swiss albino rats aged two months, weighted 214.00 ± 31.68 g (mean ± SD), were used in these experiments. They were divided into four equal groups as control, alloxan-diabetic, diabetic+GbE and control+GbE groups. After the onset of experimental period, diabetic+GbE and control+GbE groups received ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) and the other groups were given saline solution for ten weeks. Diabetic and diabetic+GbE groups were made diabetic by injecting alloxan on the 16th day. At the end of the experimental period, number of particles ingested by hundred macrophages, was counted under light microscope. The mean phagocytic activity of diabetic group was significantly decreased compared with control group (p<0.05). But the mean phagocytic activities of diabetic+GbE and control+GbE groups were not significantly different from those of the control group.

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The anti-carcinogenic effect of virgin olive oil (VOO) on 7, 12-dimethyl benzanthracene (DMBA)-induced salivary glands carcinogenesis was studied histologically in Wistar rats. Experimental animals were prefed before, and postfed after, DMBA implantation a standard chow diet supplemented with 30% VOO. The histological observations on biopsied specimens of rats salivary glands showed delayed onset and decrease in the severity of carcinogenesis in the prefed group compared with the postfed group or control group of animals which clearly showed early onset and extensive carcinogenesis. This suggested that VOO can provide a dietary chemoprotective effect against DMBA-induced salivary glands carcinogenesis in rats. The probable mechanisms of this anti-tumorigenic effect of VOO is discussed implicating antioxidant functions and enhancement of cell-mediated immunity by the dietary components of VOO.

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The central and rate-limiting function in the cell cycle control is performed by p34cdc2 kinase in lower organisms, and by p33cdk2 and p34cdc2 in higher organisms. This control is highly conserved throughout evolution. The activities of these kinases are regulated by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation as well as interaction with the cyclins during different phases of the cell cycle. The product p34cdc2 regulates both G1/S and G2/M transitions in yeast. While it is generally accepted that cdk2 plays a critical direct role at G1/S transition in mammalian cells. However, the functions of human cdc2-related kinases, other than cdk2 and cdk3, remain obscure. Certainly the active kinase forms phosphorylate a large number of proteins and enzymes involved in nuclear and nucleolar structures, cellular cytoskeletal systems, and DNA spindle fiber associated relations during mitosis. All of these are logical targets for cell cycle control, or at least its last stage, mitosis.

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