Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: The Significant Impact of Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Their Quantification.

Globally, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major threat to the public's health, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by the gut microbiota has been reported to have the potential to reduce the prevalence of T2DM, particularly in LMICs where the disease is becoming more common. Dietary fibers are the primary source of SCFAs; they can be categorized as soluble (such as pectin and inulin) or insoluble (such as resistant starches).

Association of Carboxyhemoglobin Levels with Peripheral Arterial Disease in Chronic Smokers Managed at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital.

Chronic cigarette smokers (CCS) are known to have elevated levels of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). However, it is not known whether increased levels of COHb are associated with endothelial dysfunction (ED), and therefore the development of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The aim of the study was to investigate the association of blood COHb and plasma nitric oxide (NO) levels, and whether it is an independent risk factor in the development of PAD among CCS at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital (DGMAH).

The use of liver slices from the Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) to better understand the role of liver toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in vultures.

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) was responsible for the death of millions of vultures on the Asian subcontinent, following the consumption of diclofenac contaminated carcasses. The aim of this research was to establish if liver slices could serve as an alternate means of predicting the toxicity of NSAIDs in Gyps vultures. The Cape vulture liver slices was prepared and incubated with four NSAIDs for 6 h.

Technique for the collection of clear urine from the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus).

Urine samples can be a very useful diagnostic tool for the evaluation of animal health. In this article, a simple technique to collect urine from the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) was described, based on a similar unpublished technique developed for the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) using a canine urinary catheter. With this technique, it was possible to collect relatively clean urine samples from Nile crocodiles of different sizes using canine urinary catheters or small diameter stomach tubes.

Removing the threat of diclofenac to critically endangered Asian vultures.

Veterinary use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug diclofenac in South Asia has resulted in the collapse of populations of three vulture species of the genus Gyps to the most severe category of global extinction risk. Vultures are exposed to diclofenac when scavenging on livestock treated with the drug shortly before death. Diclofenac causes kidney damage, increased serum uric acid concentrations, visceral gout, and death.