No abstract

Generation of free radicals in kidney cortex plays an important role in the pathogenesis of gentamicin (GM) nephrotoxicity, and curcumin, the yellow curry pigment isolated from turmeric, has been confirmed to have a strong antioxidant action. Therefore, in the present work, we aimed at testing the possible protective or palliative effect of curcumin on GM nephrotoxicity. Curcumin was given to rats at an oral dose of 200 mg/kg/day for 10 days, and in some of these rats GM was also injected intramuscularly at a dose of 80 mg/kg/day during the last 6 days of the treatment. Nephrotoxicity was evaluated histopathologically by light microscopy, and biochemically by measuring the concentrations of creatinine and urea in serum, and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in renal cortex. The concentration of GM in renal cortex was measured microbiologically. GM significantly increased the concentrations of urea and creatinine (P < 0.05) by about 111 and 97%, respectively. GM treatment reduced cortical GSH concentration by about 31% (P < 0.05), and the activity of SOD by about 27% (P < 0.05). Curcumin significantly mitigated these effects. Sections from saline and curcumin-treated rats showed apparently normal proximal tubules. However, kidneys of GM-treated rats had a moderate degree of necrosis. The degree of necrosis appeared lessened when GM was given simultaneously with curcumin. The concentration of GM in the renal cortex of the rats given GM + curcumin was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than that found in rats treated with GM alone by about 39%. The results suggested that curcumin had ameliorated the histopathological and biochemical indices of nephrotoxicity in rats. Pending further studies, curcumin may potentially be useful as a nephroprotectant agent.

Clinico-pathological profiles were studied in adult and young Friesian cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. Sixty-two clinical cases of T. annulata infection in adult and young Friesian cattle were diagnosed during the period from August 1999 to July 2000. Symptoms observed were marked fever, swelling of superficial lymph nodes, inappetance, tachycardia, dyspnoea and weakness. The most prominent gross pathological features were jaundice, petechial and ecchymotic haemorrhages involving mucosal and serosal surfaces of many organs as well as body fat. A number of young and adult Friesian cattle undergoing lethal T. annulata infection developed lymphoma-like lesions in a manner similar to that of T. parva. The main histological findings were necrosis and severe lymphocytic infiltration. The spleen, lymph nodes and Peyer's patches were devoid of typical lymph nodules.

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis ( M. ap ) is the causative agent of paratuberculosis or Johne's disease (JD) in herbivores with potential involvement in cases of Crohn's disease in humans. JD is spread worldwide and is economically important for both beef and dairy industries. Generally, pathogenic ovine strains ( M. ap -S) are mainly found in sheep while bovine strains ( M. ap -C) infect other ruminants (e.g. cattle, goat, deer), as well as sheep. In an effort to characterize this emerging infection in dromedary/Arabian camels, we successfully cultured M. ap from several samples collected from infected camels suffering from chronic, intermittent diarrhea suggestive of JD. Gene-based typing of isolates indicated that all isolates belong to sheep lineage of strains of M. ap ( M. ap -S), suggesting a putative transmission from infected sheep herds. Screening sheep and goat herds associated with camels identified the circulation of this type in sheep but not goats. The current genome-wide analysis recognizes these camel isolates as a sub-lineage of the sheep strain with a significant number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between sheep and camel isolates (∼1000 SNPs). Such polymorphism could represent geographical differences among isolates or host adaptation of M. ap during camel infection. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to examine the genomic basis of this emerging infection in camels with implications on the evolution of this important pathogen. The sequenced genomes of M. ap isolates from camels will further assist our efforts to understand JD pathogenesis and the dynamic of disease transmission across animal species.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used in the study of the effect of microwave (MW) heating on the structural properties of cotton celluloses I and II and on the mercerization mechanism of cotton fibers. Samples of celluloses I and II were MW heated at 900 W for different times ranging from 10 to 40 min. The obtained data revealed that MW heating of cellulose II in opened glass tubes produces no significant effects on the resolution of its XRD patterns, whereas the most evident effects occur when cotton fibers (cellulose I) are heated in opened tubes at 900 W for 10 and 20 min. Also, mixtures of cotton fibers and aqueous solution of NaOH with different concentrations were exposed to MW radiation for different times and different powers. It was found that MW heating has no considerable effects on the mechanism of transformation of cellulose I into cellulose II during mercerization. On the other hand, MW heating of cotton fibers during mercerization reduces the values of concentration of NaOH in the aqueous solution and the time of treatment that are needed for the complete transformation of cellulose lattice type I into cellulose lattice type II without any heating. Also it was found that the magnitude of reductions depends on the applied power.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques were used in the study of the effect of microwave (MW) heating on the structural properties of cotton fibers and on the mercerization mechanism of these fibers. Samples of the fibers were microwave heated for different times and different microwave powers. Also, mixtures of cotton fibers and aqueous solution of NaOH with different concentrations were exposed to microwave radiation for different times and different powers. It was found that microwave heating of cotton fibers under these experimental conditions causes no observable changes in their spectral features apart from slight changes in the intensities of the absorption bands. The determined values of the absorbances ratio A1375 cm 21 /A2900 cm 21 revealed that microwave heating for short periods and at low powers decreases the crystallinity of cotton as the result of the drying effect of microwave heating, while microwave heating for longer periods and at higher power results in recristallyzation of the fibers. The analysis of the experimentally obtained data revealed that microwave heating that causes molecular motions by migration of ions and rotations of the dipoles produces no considerable effects on the mechanism of mercerization but only reduces the concentration of NaOH in the solution and the time of treatment which are needed for the complete transformation of cellulose lattice type I into cellulose lattice type II without any heating. Also it was found that the magnitude of reductions depends on the applied power. Moreover the results proved that the deconvolution and the second derivatives of the FTIR spectra of cotton fibers can be used as a useful tool for distinguishing cellulose lattice type II from cellulose lattice type I.

PurposeTo evaluate the surgical outcome and predictors of failure of substitution urethroplasty using either dorsal onlay buccal mucosal (BM) graft or ventral onlay penile skin flap (PS) for anterior urethral stricture ≥ 8cm.Patients and methodsBetween March 2010 and January 2016, 50 patients with anterior urethral stricture ≥ 8 cm were treated at our hospital. The surgical outcome and success rate were assessed. The predictors of failure were analyzed using multivariate analysis. Failure was considered when subsequent urethrotomy or urethroplasty were needed.ResultsDorsal onlay BM graft was carried out in 24 patients, while PS urethroplasty in 26 patients. There was no significant difference between both groups regarding patients demographics, stricture characteristics or follow-up period. One case in the BM group was lost during follow-up. Stricture recurrence was detected in 7 (30.4%) patients out of BM group while in 6 (23.1%) patients out of PS group (p value= 0.5). No significant differences between both groups regarding overall early and late complications were observed. Occurrence of early complications and the stricture length were the only predictors of failure in univariate analysis, while in multivariate analysis the occurrence of early complications was only significant.ConclusionOn short-term follow-up, both dorsal onlay BM graft and ventral onlay PS flap urethroplasty have similar success rates. However, BM graft has a potential advantage to reduce operative time and is also technically easier. The surgeon should avoid early local complications as they represent a higher risk for failure.

Camels are the prime source of meat and milk in many desert regions of the world including Saudi Arabia. Paratuberculosis of camels, locally called Silag, is a serious and invariably fatal disease in the Arabian camel. Six camels were used in this study. Five camels with clinical paratuberculosis were used to study the pathology of the disease and confirm its aetiology. The sixth camel was clinically healthy and used as a control. The camels were examined clinically and bled for haematological and blood chemistry analysis. They were then humanely killed with a high intravenous dose of thiopental sodium (10 mg/kg) for pathological studies as well as obtaining tissues for microbiological and molecular studies. The clinical signs of the disease were emaciation, diarrhoea, alopecia, wry neck and pale mucous membranes. Laboratory diagnosis showed reduced haemoglobin concentration, low haematocrit and high activity of the serum enzyme alanine aminotransferase. Serum creatinine concentration was normal. These results indicated the infected camels were anaemic and the function of their livers was affected. Postmortem examination showed thickened and corrugated intestinal mucosa, enlarged granulomatous mesenteric lymph nodes, miliary and diffuse granulomas in the liver (in four camels), generalized lymph node granulomas (in one camel), splenic granuloma (in one camel) and mediastinal lymph node granuloma (in two camels). Histopathological examination showed diffuse infiltration of macrophages in all organs showing lesions. Ziehl-Neelsen staining of tissue scraping and tissue sections showed masses of acid fast bacilli, except for the spleen. Infection with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis was confirmed by PCR by targeting the IS900 gene.