Compared with placebo, ondansetron administration for vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis can improve the efficacy of oral rehydration therapy.

No abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of a trans-galactooligosaccharide prebiotic (GOS) on the growth performance, biochemical blood parameters, and intestine morphometric parameters of common carp. The 60-day-long experiment was performed on one-year-old fish with a mean body weight of 180 g (±5 g). Three diets were used: control diet 1 (C) with no microbiota affecting feed additives, diet 2 (B1) with 1% of prebiotic, and diet 3 (B2) with 2% of prebiotic, in four replications (tanks) per treatment and 25 fish per tank. At the end of the trial, 16 individuals from each group were used for analyses. The study showed that GOS supplementation did not affect growth performance. In turn, the prebiotic had a positive effect on the development of the intestine, and increased the height, width, and surface of the villi in B1 and B2 groups. The content of phosphorus (P) was significantly higher in B1 group compared with B2 group, which indicated that 1% addition of prebiotic causes better absorption of P from the intestine. The other biochemical indicators—namely lipid, protein and hepatic parameters, insulin, and Ca—were not affected by GOS treatment, which may indicate similar metabolic balance of fish in each experimental group. Serum triiodothyronine (TT3) and glucose (stress markers) concentrations were not significantly different among treatments groups. GOS may be recommended as a feed additive for common carp due to its positive effects on fish physiology and development of the gastrointestinal tract. However, our results suggest that 1% diet supplementation causes satisfactory reactions for the abovementioned aspects in comparison to control or 2% supplementation.

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics administered in ovo on selected morphological parameters of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum) in broiler chickens (Ross 308) and native chickens (Green-legged Partridge, GP). On the 12th day of embryonic development (the incubation period), an aqueous solution of a suitable bioactive substance was supplied in ovo to the egg’s air cell: probiotic—Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (PRO), prebiotic—GOS, galacto-oligosaccharides (PRE) or symbiotic—GOS + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (SYN). Sterile saline was injected into control (CON) eggs. After hatching, the chicks were placed in pens (8 birds/pen, 4 replicates/group) and housed for 42 days. On the last day of the experiment, all birds were individually weighed and slaughtered. Samples for histological analysis were taken directly after slaughter from three sections of the small intestine. In samples from the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, the height and width of the intestinal villi (VH) were measured and their area (VA) was calculated, the depth of the intestinal crypts (CD) was determined, the thickness of the muscularis was measured and the ratio of the villus height to the crypt depth (V/C) was calculated. On the basis of the obtained data, it can be concluded that the applied substances administered in ovo affect the production parameters and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens and GP. The experiment showed a beneficial effect of in ovo stimulation with a prebiotic on the final body weight of Ross 308 compared to CON, while the effect of the administered substances on the intestinal microstructure is not unequivocal. In GP, the best effect in terms of villi height and V/C ratio was found in the in ovo synbiotic group. Taking into account the obtained results, it can be concluded that chickens of different genotypes react differently to a given substance; therefore, the substances should be adapted to the genotype.

Psoriasis, as the most common inflammatory skin disorder, affects about 2-3% of the world's population. Many non-dermatological conditions have been linked with psoriasis, including cardiovascular diseases, depression, inflammatory bowel disorders, and some cancers, i.e. lung, colon and kidney cancers. Among systemic factors are endocrine and metabolic disturbances as well as many drugs. Erythrodermic psoriasis, the most severe form of the disease, is characterized by diffuse erytrema and scaling, often accompanied by fever, chills, and malaise. A 57-year-old Caucasian man was admitted for curative radiation therapy of adenocarcinoma of the prostate after 3 months of initial hormonal therapy. The management comprised the combined androgen blockade (CAB). On admission the patient reported escalation of psoriasis symptoms, which he had been treated for since 2002. Due to a mild course of the disease he had not required any systemic treatment ever before, even during aggravation periods. The last exacerbation started appearing a month after hormonal therapy implementation. The cutaneous eruptions, already existing, become larger with new foci revealing, mainly on upper and lower limbs. During radiotherapy planning, there appeared a diffuse erythema and scaling on hands and feet with accompanying pruritis. We decided to start the previously planned radiation therapy which included the prostate gland with 1.5 cm margin and provided for the total dose of 72 Gy in 36 fractions. The irradiation was conducted with the four-field technique using a megavoltage linear accelerator. During radiotherapy we photo-documented skin lesions. To our best knowledge hormone therapy (androgen deprivation) of prostate cancer patients has not been reported as an aggravating factor. Thus, the aim of our work is to present the case of a prostate cancer patient who experienced psoriasis exacerbation after implementation of hormonal blockade as a neoadjuvant oncological treatment.

Risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) is relatively high in patients with advanced chronic diseases, particularly with malignancies. Most patients with cancer have blood coagulation test abnormalities indicative of up-regulation of the coagulation cascade, increased platelet activation and aggregation. Pulmonary thromboembolism is common in patients with any cancer and incidence is increased by surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and disease progression. Manifestations range from small asymptomatic to life-threatening central PE with subsequent hypotension and cardiogenic shock. Diagnostic algorithms utilizing various noninvasive tests have been developed to determine the pretest probability of PE results of D-dimer assay, chest radiography ECG and computed tomography. The mortality in untreated PE is high (30%) but appropriate treatment may decrease it to 2–18%. The current recommended treatment for massive pulmonary embolus is either thrombolytic therapy or surgical embolectomy.

Prostate cancer is one of most frequent malignant tumours at men. The androgen-deprivation therapy is the part of cancer treatment. It could be used both in the early stage of prostate cancer and in the bone metastates. From this reason the antiandrogen drugs waste systematically grows. Unfortunately androgen-deprivation therapy has numerous side effects such as: the inferior quality of live, sexual disturbances, the fatigue, the anaemia, the bone mineral density loss and the increase of the risk of breaks the bone, the increase of body mass, insulinresistance, hypercholesterolemia, the increase risk of cardiac disorders. The aim of this article is the introduction of the reader with possibly complications androgen-deprivation therapy and with possibilities in diagnosis and treatment.

No abstract