BackgroundGastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) defined as a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications. Many drugs are used for the treatment of GERD such as omeprazole (a proton pump inhibitor) which is a widely used antiulcer drug demonstrated to protect against esophageal mucosal injury. Melatonin has been found to protect the gastrointestinal mucosa from oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species in different experimental ulcer models. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of exogenous melatonin in the treatment of reflux disease in humans either alone or in combination with omeprazole therapy.Methods36 persons were divided into 4 groups (control subjects, patients with reflux disease treated with melatonin alone, omeprazole alone and a combination of melatonin and omeprazole for 4 and 8 weeks) Each group consisted of 9 persons. Persons were subjected to thorough history taking, clinical examination, and investigations including laboratory, endoscopic, record of esophageal motility, pH-metry, basal acid output and serum gastrin.ResultsMelatonin has a role in the improvement of Gastro-esophageal reflux disease when used alone or in combination with omeprazole. Meanwhile, omeprazole alone is better used in the treatment of GERD than melatonin alone.ConclusionThe present study showed that oral melatonin is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of GERD. It is an effective line of treatment in relieving epigastric pain and heartburn. However, further studies are required to confirm the efficacy and long-term safety of melatonin before being recommended for routine clinical use.Trial RegistrationQA13NCT00915616
Most children with tumors will require one or more surgical interventions as part of the care and treatment, including making a diagnosis, obtaining adequate venous access, performing a surgical resection for solid tumors (with staging and reconstruction), performing procedures for cancer prevention and its late effects, and managing complications of treatment; all with the goal of improving survival and quality of life. It is important for surgeons to adhere to sound pediatric surgical oncology principles, as they are closely associated with improved local control and survival. Unfortunately, there is a significant disparity in survival rates in low and middle income countries, when compared to those from high income countries.The International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology (IPSO) is the leading organization that deals with pediatric surgical oncology worldwide. This organization allows experts in the field from around the globe to gather and address the surgical needs of children with cancer. IPSO has been invited to contribute surgical guidance as part of the World Health Organization Initiative for Childhood Cancer. One of our goals is to provide surgical guidance for different scenarios, including those experienced in High-(HICs) and Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). With this in mind, the following guidelines have been developed by authors from both HICs and LMICs. These have been further validated by experts with the aim of providing evidence-based information for surgeons who care for children with cancer.We hope that this initiative will benefit children worldwide in the best way possible.
Menopause is an important physiological event associated with structural and functional changes in the kidneys. An animal model of bilateral ovariectomy was used to study the effects of estrogen depletion, replacement and antiestrogen on renal structure and endocrine function. Sixty female rats were divided into six groups; group I was the control group, the remaining five groups underwent ovariectomy: group II received no treatment. The other groups received estradiol in group III, tamoxifen in group IV, estradiol followed by tamoxifen in group V and tamoxifen followed by estradiol in group VI. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and endocrine functions of kidney were measured. Tissue samples were examined both microscopically for beta estrogen receptors and ultrastructurally for cell changes. Groups II, IV & VI showed a significant increase in creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, renal malondialdehyde, renal erythropoietin, plasma renin and plasma prostaglandin E2 and a significant decrease in renal antioxidants and serum vitamin D3. Groups III &V had a significant decrease in creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, renal malondialdehyde and renal erythropoietin with an increase in renal antioxidants, plasma prostaglandin E2 and serum vitamin D3. Histopathological and ultrastructural examinations revealed atrophic tubular changes in group II. The changes were less marked in groups III &V and more extensive in groups IV & VI. Estrogen receptor beta staining showed progressively increased expression in the absence of estrogen. Structural and most endocrine functions of the kidney were significantly affected by estradiol deficiency. Estradiol replacement exhibited a protective effect on renal tissue and endocrine functions.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex progressive disease characterized by hyperglycemia and a high risk of atherothrombotic disorders affecting the coronary, cerebral, and peripheral arterial trees. Oxidative stress is reported in diabetic patients. We investigated the hemostatic functions and oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and the effects of warfarin and L-carnitine on those parameters. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, DM, and DM received warfarin or L-carnitine. In all rats, blood glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fibrinogen, factor VII (FVII), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), fibrin degradation products (FDP), protein C, antithrombin III (ATIII), malondialdehydes (MDA), and antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione) were measured. Also, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), coagulation time, and platelet aggregation were evaluated. In diabetic rats, plasma glucose, HbA1c, MDA, fibrinogen, FVII, FDP, PAI-1, and platelet aggregation increased while insulin, PT, aPTT, coagulation time, protein C, ATIII, and antioxidants decreased. Warfarin administration to diabetic rats decreased FVII and FDP and increased PT, aPTT, and coagulation time with no effect on MDA, antioxidants, PAI-1, protein C, ATIII, and platelet aggregation. On the other hand, L-carnitine decreased fibrinogen, FVII, FDP, PAI-1, MDA, and platelet aggregation and increased PT, aPTT, coagulation time, protein C, ATIII, and antioxidants in diabetic rats. Therefore, we concluded that hyperglycemia plays an important role in hypercoagulation state and oxidative stress in STZ-induced DM. While L-carnitine improves oxidative stress and decreases the hypercoagulation state in DM, warfarin normalizes the hypercoagulation state with no effect on oxidative stress.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.