■ Abstract BACKGROUND:Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a powerful antioxidant that may have a protective role in diabetic cardiac dysfunction. AIM: We investigated the possible beneficial effect of alpha-lipoic acid on diabetic left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in children and adolescents with asymptomatic type 1 diabetes (T1D). SUB-JECTS AND METHODS: Thirty T1D patients (aged 10-14) were randomized to receive insulin treatment (n = 15) or insulin plus alpha-lipoic acid 300 mg twice daily (n = 15) for four months. Age and sex matched healthy controls (n = 15) were also included. Patients were evaluated with conventional 2-dimensional echocardiographic examination (2D), pulsed tissue Doppler (PTD), and 2-dimensional longitudinal strain echocardiography (2DS) before and after therapy. Glutathione, malondialdhyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), Fas ligand (Fas-L), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), and troponin-I were determined and correlated to echocardiographic parameters. RESULTS: Diabetic patients had significantly lower levels of glutathione and significantly higher MDA, NO, TNF-alpha, Fas-L, MMP-2, and troponin-I levels than control subjects. The expression of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was also increased in diabetic patients. Significant correlations of mitral e'/a' ratio and left ventricular global peak systolic strain with glutathione, MDA, NO, TNF-alpha, and Fas-L were observed in diabetic patients. Alpha-lipoic acid significantly increased glutathione level and significantly decreased MDA, NO, TNF-alpha, Fas-L, MMP-2, troponin-I levels, and TGF-beta gene expression. Moreover, alphalipoic acid significantly increased mitral e'/a' ratio and left ventricular global peak systolic strain in diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that alpha-lipoic acid may have a role in preventing the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy in type 1 diabetes.

Objectives: Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are dietary factors with several beneficial cardiovascular effects. This study aimed to assess the possible protective effect of omega 3 fatty acids on early doxorubicin-induced cardiac toxicity in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).Patients and methods: Sixty children of newly diagnosed ALL were randomized into two groups: group I (n = 30) who received omega 3 fatty acids 1000 mg/day for 6 months in addition to their usual protocol of chemotherapy including doxorubicin; and group II (n = 30) who received their usual doxorubicin protocol during the period from February 2020 till August 2021. Echocardiographic examinations were performed before and after the treatment. Glutathione, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), troponin I, creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured also before and after omega 3 treatment.Results: After 6 months of omega 3 administration, group I had a significantly lower MDA level and a significantly higher glutathione and SOD levels than group II. Similarly, the levels of troponin I, CK-MB, and NT-proBNP were significantly high in group II, whereas they were unchanged in group I after treatment. Similarly, systolic function (presented with peak mitral annular systolic velocity and two-dimensional global longitudinal strain) of the heart was preserved in omega 3-treated patients, unlike the control group that showed significant impairment of left ventricular function after 6 months. Conclusion:Omega 3 fatty acids may decrease early cardiac injury and doxorubicininduced cardiotoxicity in children with ALL.

Sildenafil is the first oral therapeutic agent for the management of male erectile dysfunction. Its oral bioavailability is only 40% due to extensive presystemic elimination, mainly by CYP3A4. This study examined the effect of coadministration of ciprofloxacin or clarithromycin, which inhibit CYP3A4, on the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of sildenafil. Twelve healthy male volunteers received sildenafil alone or after pretreatment with the inhibitors in a balanced three-way crossover design. The pharmacokinetic analysis showed that ciprofloxacin coadministration with sildenafil significantly increased the AUC from 1407 +/- 380 to 2986 +/- 917 microg h/l (90% confidence interval 119%-159%) and the Cmax from 287 +/- 67 to 623 +/- 192 microg/l (90% confidence interval 127%-152%). Similarly, clarithromycin coadministration increased sildenafil AUC from 1407 +/- 380 to 3209 +/- 762 microg h/l (90% confidence interval 127%-161%) and Cmax from 287 +/- 67 to 694 +/- 259 microg/l (90% confidence interval 132%-157%). Ciprofloxacin coadministration and clarithromycin coadministration with sildenafil did not affect the rate of sildenafil absorption significantly. These results indicate that coadministration of ciprofloxacin and clarithromycin significantly increased sildenafil bioavailability which can be attributed to the inhibitory effect of ciprofloxacin and clarithromycin on CYP3A4. Dose adjustment of sildenafil is thus necessary when administered with such drugs.

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Background Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) is common in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, oral iron supplements are commonly associated with poor compliance due to gastrointestinal side effects. We compared the effect of lactoferrin versus oral ferrous sulfate for the treatment of IDA in children with IBD. Methods Ninety-two IBD children with IDA were included but only 80 children completed the study and they were randomized into two groups: ferrous sulfate group (n = 40) who received ferrous sulfate 6 mg/kg/day for 3 months and lactoferrin group (n = 40) who received lactoferrin 100 mg/day for 3 months. Complete blood count, serum iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), transferrin saturation (TS), serum ferritin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hepcidin 25 were measured before and after the treatment. Results Hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume, serum iron, TS, and serum ferritin significantly increased, while TIBC decreased significantly after the administration of either ferrous sulfate or lactoferrin compared to their baseline data. In addition, lactoferrin significantly increased Hb, serum iron, TS, and serum ferritin compared to ferrous sulfate. Moreover, lactoferrin significantly decreased IL-6 and hepcidin levels. Conclusion Lactoferrin is a promising effective treatment with fewer side effects than oral elemental iron in children with IBD and IDA. Clinical trial registration The study was registered at www.pactr.org (PACTR202002763901803). Impact Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is treated with oral iron therapy; however, oral iron supplements are commonly associated with poor compliance due to gastrointestinal side effects. To the best of our knowledge, our study was the first in pediatrics that compared the effect of lactoferrin versus oral ferrous sulfate as an iron supplement for the treatment of IDA in children with IBD. We found that lactoferrin is a promising effective treatment with fewer side effects than oral elemental iron in children with IBD and IDA.