Diagnostic reliability of FNAC for salivary gland swellings: a comparative study.

A prospective study was conducted to see the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for 100 salivary gland swellings in comparison with biopsy. These randomized samples were submitted and reported at the department of pathology, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore. The male to female ratio was 1:1.

Intravesical foreign body-induced bladder calculi resulting in obstructive renal failure.

We report the case of a 30-year-old man who presented with obstructive renal failure and urosepsis due to bladder outlet-obstructing bladder calculi that formed around 3 copper wires that were self-inserted into his urinary bladder 15 years previously. We present the evaluation, imaging and management of the unique complications resulting from the self-insertion of an intra-vesical foreign body. Our patient's case was unique for 2 reasons.

Chymase inhibition reduces the progression to heart failure after autoimmune myocarditis in rats.

Chymase has been known as a local angiotensin II-generating enzyme in the cardiovascular system in dogs, monkeys, hamsters, and humans; however, recently it was reported that chymase also has various other functions. Therefore, we decided to examine whether the inhibition of chymase improves disease conditions associated with the pathophysiology of dilated cardiomyopathy in rats and its possible mechanism of action as rat chymase is unable to produce angiotensin II. We examined the effect of TY-51469, a novel chymase inhibitor (0.

Factors affecting the outcome of methadone maintenance treatment in opiate dependence.

This study aimed to measure the rates of ongoing heroin abuse among patients on methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and sought to identify patient and treatment characteristics associated with poorer outcome. The study was carried out at an outpatient drug treatment clinic and included all patients who were on the MMT during a three month period in 2004. Treatment response was measured from analysis of opiate positive urine samples.

Temporal and spatial control of transgene expression using laser induction of the hsp70 promoter.

Background: Precise temporal and spatial regulation of transgene expression is a critical tool to investigate gene function in developing organisms. The most commonly used technique to achieve tight control of transgene expression, however, requires the use of specific DNA enhancers that are difficult to characterize in non-model organisms. Here, we sought to eliminate the need for this type of sequence-based gene regulation and to open the field of functional genetics to a broader range of organisms.

C6-(N,N-butyl-methyl-heptanamide) derivatives of estrone and estradiol as inhibitors of type 1 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: Chemical synthesis and biological evaluation.

A series of estrone and estradiol derivatives having an N-butyl,methyl heptanamide side chain at C6-position were synthesized, tested as inhibitors of type 1 17beta-HSD and assessed for their possible estrogenic activity. A better type 1 17beta-HSD inhibition was obtained for the 6beta-side chain orientation over 6alpha; the C17-alcohols are more potent inhibitors than the corresponding ketones; introducing a 2-methoxy group decreased the inhibitory potency; and the replacement of a C-S bond by a C-C bond in the C6beta-side chain is not detrimental to inhibition. Interestingly, the new inhibitors were also found less estrogenic than the lead compound in two breast cancer cell lines, T-47D and MCF-7.

Comparative effects of pranidipine with amlodipine in rats with heart failure.

The aim of the present study was to compare the cardioprotective properties of long-acting calcium channel antagonist pranidipine with amlodipine in rat model of heart failure induced by autoimmune myocarditis. Twenty-eight days after immunization the surviving rats were randomized for the oral administration of low-dose amlodipine (1 mg/kg/day), high-dose amlodipine (5 mg/kg/day), pranidipine (0.3 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (0.

Effects of angiotensin II receptor blocker (candesartan) in daunorubicin-induced cardiomyopathic rats.

Background: Daunorubicin is an anthracycline anti-tumor agent; anthracycline chemotherapy in cancer can cause severe cardiomyopathy leading to a frequently fatal congestive heart failure; the first-line treatment is diuretics and digoxin. Recently, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors have been shown to be effective in the treatment of such toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of angiotensin II type-1 receptor antagonist (candesartan) in a rat model of daunorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.

Hemodynamic effects of carvedilol infusion and the contribution of the sympathetic nervous system in rats with heart failure.

We investigated the contribution of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) in maintaining the blood pressure and in regulating the cardiac function during and after carvedilol administration in rats with heart failure (group F). Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, percent functional shortening, and rates of intraventricular pressure rise were significantly changed by carvedilol infusion as compared with the basal values in group N (normal rats), but not in group F. The left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was elevated, corresponding to the enhancement of the plasma norepinephrine (NE) concentration caused by carvedilol infusion, in group N.

Non-specific colitis, is it a justifiable diagnosis?

Objective: The terms non-specific and chronic colitis are often used by histopathologists. The aim of this study is to look into the validity of the label non-specific chronic colitis (NSCC), the consistency of its reporting, as well as its clinical usefulness in patients who, on review, have shown to have normal biopsies.

Methods: Colonic and rectal biopsies from 35 patients who presented with acute onset diarrhoea, were initially diagnosed as nonspecific chronic colitis (NSCC) by a number of pathologists in one Department, and were reviewed by an outside pathologist (NYH) without the knowledge of the clinical details.

Synthesis and in vitro antimicrobial evaluation of 5-(1-methyl-5-nitro-2-imidazolyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazoles.

The increasing clinical importance of drug-resistant pathogens has lent additional urgency to antimicrobial research. Various 5-(1-methyl-5-nitro-2-imidazolyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazoles (4a-6f) were synthesized and tested in vitro for their antibacterial and antifungal activities. Compounds 4a and 4b exhibited significant effects against Bacillus subtilis at MIC ranges of 0.

Factors affecting fertility following radical versus conservative surgical treatment for tubal pregnancy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the fertility prognosis after conservative or radical surgery for ectopic pregnancy. Also, to identify any biological factors that may influence the fertility outcome after an ectopic pregnancy.

Methods: A retrospective study which was carried out by collating information from the patient's hospital records was performed on 137 cases of confirmed ectopic pregnancy between January 1990 and December 1995 at the Security Forces Hospital Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Biosynthesis of trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline by Streptomyces griseoviridus.

Radioisotopic experiments have revealed that free trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline is an intermediate synthesized from L-proline during formation of the peptide-bound cis-4-hydroxy-D-proline residue in the antibiotic, etamycin. This conclusion was based on the fact that 1) both radiolabeled L-proline and trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline are precursors of the bound D-imino acid as noted previously by Hook and Vining ((1973) J. Chem.

Studies of etamycin biosynthesis employing short-term experiments with radiolabeled precursors.

The biosynthesis of etamycin by Streptomyces griseoviridus was investigated with the precursors, 14C-L-leucine and 14CH3-L-methionine, during short-term incubations. Both radiosotopes are rapidly incorporated into the antibiotic without significant lag. D-Leucine,but not L-leucine,inhibits etamycin formation.