Nicotine, one of the thousands of chemicals in cigarette smoke has a highly debated effect on cell proliferation and tissue healing. Recent studies documented its proangiogenesis effects by stimulating endothelial cell a7-nonneronal nicotinic acetyl choline receptors (a7 N-nACHR). It is well known that individuals who smoke or have diabetes experience impaired wound healing although for different reasons. This review evaluates several current studies relating to nicotine's ability to mediate cellular activation, migration and angiogenesis in attempts to correlate these data with nicotine's ability to repair wounds in ischaemic tissue. While its beneficial effects are still under investigation, important findings regarding nicotine's acceleration of atherosclerosis, tumor angiogenesis, cell proliferation e and resistance to apoptosis put its systemic use into question. Based on the good and bad sides of nicotine, it is recommended to restrict its utility to local applications.
Although herpes simplex virus (HSV) has been detected in the peripheral blood of immunocompromised patients and in neonates with disseminated disease, the extent to which the virus may be present in the blood during a localized infection in otherwise healthy patients is still unknown. Literature on patterns of HSV shedding into the oral cavity at the prodromal stage of the disease, during recurrences, and also during asymptomatic periods is still lacking. The present study aims at the detection of HSV DNA in the serum and oral secretions during acute herpes labialis using a highly sensitive technique, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The study included 10 patients with acute herpes labialis and five healthy controls. Using PCR, herpes simplex virus DNA was detected in the serum of seven patients (70%) and in the saliva of nine patients (90%). One of the control cases showed positive HSV DNA in the saliva (20%). There was good statistical agreement between the presence of HSV DNA in the serum and saliva. Frequency of attacks, patient's age, and gender had no statistically significant effect on the presence of the virus in serum or in saliva. It is concluded that HSV viremia during attacks of recurrent herpes simplex is more frequent than previously appreciated.
Background It has been reported that Moringa oleifera (MO) has different medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective role of Moringa oleifera extract on acetaminophen-induced liver fibrosis in albino rats on a biochemical and histological basis. Forty male albino rats were divided into four groups: group I (control group), healthy rates; group II (acetaminophen group), rates received acetaminophen for induction of liver fibrosis; group III (treated group), liver fibrosis of rates treated with Moringa oleifera extract; and group IV (prophylactic group), rates treated with Moringa oleifera extract before and after induction of liver fibrosis. Serum liver function parameters were quantified using a spectrophotometer, while tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and transformed growth factor beta (TGF- β) in liver tissue homogenate by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and expression of liver tissue TNF-α and TGF-genes was measured by real-time PCR after extraction and purification. Hepatic tissue was also evaluated under a microscope for histopathological changes. Results Our results showed a significant decrease in liver enzymes, TNF-α, and TGF-β in the treated and prophylactic groups compared to the acetaminophen group, and our biochemical data were consistent with the histopathological findings confirming the hepatoprotective effect of Moringa oleifera extract. Conclusions Biochemical parameters and histopathology results provide evidence that Moringa oleifera ethanolic extract has a great potential to prevent and improve liver damage due to its protective activity.
This study aim is to assess the prevalence of occult HCV infection among Egyptian patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with elevated AST and ALT, and to correlate presence of occult HCV with severity of liver disease. Patients and Methods: After informed consent 27 patients with elevateed liver enzymes diagnosed as NAFLD were examined for demographic, clinical, laboratory data and Ultrasonography. Liver biopsy was done and tested for HCV RNA in tissue. Genotyping using RFLP analysis of PCR products in the 5'NCR was done for positive cases. Results: HCV RNA in tissue was positive in 11/27 patients (40.7%); genotype was 4a in all positive cases. AST and ALT values showed significantly lower values in occult HCV than the non HCV NAFLD group. Liver biopsy of studied patients showed no significant difference as regard inflammation and fibrosis according to METAVIR score. Conclusions: Occult HCV is highly prevalent among Egyptian NAFLD patients. It seems to induce a mild liver disease. Patients with elevated ALT and negative HCV RNA in sera might be investigated for tissue HCV RNA. Follow up is recommended for the occult HCV patients to monitor progression to overt disease.
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