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Dietary molybdenum may stimulate the growth of colonic sulfur reducing bacteria, increasing hydrogen sulfide levels in the human colon and the possible health effects of an excess of colonic sulfides
Get PDFMolybdenum is a trace mineral needed in small quantities by most life forms. In living organisms, a molybdenum atom is found within molybdenum-dependent enzymes or molybdoenzymes. Molybdoenzymes catalyze reactions in carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen metabolism. Only four molbdoenzymes have been identified in humans. Most of the known molybdoenzymes are found in bacteria. Dietary molybdenum can be administrated to humans, to treat Wilson disease and tungsten poisoning; and it may be useful in arthritis. Sulfur-reducing bacteria are the bacterial group that reduces certain sulfur molecules to hydrogen sulfide. These bacteria can inhabit anaerobic parts of the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and are the predominant producer of hydrogen sulfide in the human colon. Hydrogen sulfide plays a major role in the malodor of human flatus. Some individuals have reported an increase in foul odoriferous gases from the colon after molybdenum supplementation. The underlying mechanism as to how this occurs is currently not known. Possible bacteria that are involved could be sulfur-reducing bacteria and methionine dissimilating bacteria. Supplementing sheep with molybdenum and with sulfur exclusively in the form of methionine can stimulate the growth of sulfur-reducing bacteria and increase the level of sulfides in the rumen. The molybdoenzyme, thiosulfate reductase, is found in sulfur-reducing bacteria and catalyzes the reduction of thiosulfate to hydrogen sulfide. The source of thiosulfate could be from ruminal epithelial cells detoxifying methanethiol, produced by methionine dissimilating bacteria, degrading the dietary methionine to methanethiol. Therefore, the molybdenum could be activating thiosulfate reductases of sulfur-reducing bacteria in the rumen of these animals. The human colon can also harbor sulfur-reducing bacteria, and dietary molybdenum and methionine can reach this organ. Therefore, dietary molybdenum may be stimulating the growth of sulfur-reducing bacteria in some individuals. Sulfides in the human colon could have beneficial and detrimental effects on health. Such effects could include the already mentioned malodor of flatus, the stabilizing of the microbiome-mucosa interface in an intestinal dysbiosis, the treatment of hypertension and the promotion of inflammation in ulcerative colitis.</p
Effect of smoking on status of hearing: A cross-sectional study
Get PDFIntroduction: Smoking is a common tendency among all social classes around the globe, especially in the working population. Objective: To assess the significant link between tobacco and cigarette smoking and its effect on hearing among smokers as there is limited study on this aspect of the Indian population particularly with a high-frequency hearing threshold. Methodology: Cross-sectional study carried out on patients attending the OPD in ENT and Head & Neck Surgery Department of Rohilkhand Medical College & Hospital. The sample size came to be 90. Results: In smokers, there were 72 (80%) males and 18 (20%) females while in the non-smoker group, there were 53 (58.8%) males and 37 (41.11%) females, and 39 (43.3%) subjects belonging to the rural population while 51 (56.7%) subjects belong to an urban population. out of 90 subjects, 43 (30.3%) had cochlear deafness followed by 40 (28.2%) who had normal hearing and 7 (4.9%) had retrocochlear deafness. Conclusion: Tobacco has the power to reduce the ability to hear, mainly causing a sensorineural hearing loss at higher frequencies.</p
Establishment and validation of a rodent model of endometriosis to evaluate the effect of new therapeutic strategies
No full textObjectives: Endometriosis is a common disease that affects about 10% - 15% of women in their reproductive years worldwide with no curative treatment. The most common symptom of endometriosis is debilitating pelvic/abdominal pain. Current therapeutic options have limited insight into the disease mechanism and include drugs and/or surgery, which may be ineffective over the long term with unwanted side effects. We aimed at establishing a translational rodent endometriosis model that can be used to identify novel therapies. The validity of the model was confirmed by investigating the effect of the clinically-used GnRH agonist, leuprolide.Methods: Endometriosis was induced by a surgical procedure in adult non-pregnant female Sprague Dawley rats in the diestrus or estrus stage (cycle determination by vaginal smear). One group of rats received a subcutaneous injection of leuprolide at 1mg/kg, every 4 weeks. Following the treatment period, we performed a direct assessment of the endometriosis-induced abdominal pain using the Von-Frey method and spontaneous pain using the abdominal licking test. Then, the lesions were excised and measured.Results: Abdominal pain threshold was decreased by more than 2 fold in rats with surgically-induced endometriosis compared to sham rats. Leuprolide treatment significantly increased the threshold force required to elicit a behavioral withdrawal response in rats suffering from endometriosis. The observed pelvic floor mechanical hyperalgesia has not been correlated to the growth of endometriosis lesions. The hormonal cycle at the surgery induction influenced the endometriosis lesions growth. Leuprolide significantly inhibited the growth of endometriosis-like lesions.Conclusions: we have established, based on previously reported rodent models, a model of endometriosis-associated pain that responds to clinically active drugs and can, therefore, be used to identify novel therapies and investigate some of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in endometriosis.</p
ACS-NSQIP – Surgical risk calculator accurately predicts outcomes of laparotomy in a prospective study at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania
No full textIntroduction: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) surgical risk calculator is excellent in predicting postoperative complications. Validation in resource-limited settings and applicability in gastrointestinal surgery is still unclear. Objective: The study aimed to determine the accuracy of the ACS-NSQIP surgical risk calculator in predicting the 30days postoperative adverse outcomes among patients who underwent laparotomy.Methods: A Single hospital-based, prospective cohort study was done at Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania from April 2021 to December 2021 recruiting patients aged 18 and above who underwent primary laparotomy. SR calculator variables were obtained from patients and entered manually to categorize patients into low and high-risk. Patients were followed up for thirty days for the outcome. The predicted risk was compared with actual occurrence to obtain personal risk ratios. The c-statistics of > 0.7, Brier of score < 0.25 and Index of Prediction Accuracy score were used for discrimination, accuracy, and usefulness of the model respectively. Results: ACS -NSQIP SR-Calculator discriminated well the risks of cardiac complications, re-laparotomy, Anastomotic leak, and death (c-statistic > 0.7) Poor discrimination was observed for the length of hospital stay (c-statistics 0.518). However, SR-calculator shows high calibration potential for all complications with a Brier score < 0.25 (0.002 - 0.144) and an IPA score ranging from 0.225 - 0.969. Conclusion: The ACS -NSQIP SR-calculator accurately predicted postoperative outcomes for patients requiring laparotomy. SR-Calculator is a reliable tool for preoperative shared decision-making and counseling. The model should be adopted to strengthen the healthcare system in a low-income country.What is already known about this subject?➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> The ACS NSQIP surgical risk calculator is accurate
in predicting the outcome of the Surgical procedure.
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:1.0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:-14.15pt">➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Roboto;
mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto">ACS NSQIP surgical risk calculator was validated
in the USA
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:1.0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:-14.15pt">➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Roboto;
mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto">The SRC is associated with surgical care
improvement whenever applied.
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:14.15pt">What are the new findings?
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:1.0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:-14.15pt">➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Roboto;
mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto">The SRC accurately predicted the 30-day outcomes
associated with primary laparotomy except for the length of hospital stay,
discharge for other services, and veno-thromboembolic events.
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:1.0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:-14.15pt">➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Roboto;
mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto">The risk ratio (RR) provides a preliminary
estimation of specific complications for a single patient.
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:1.0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:-14.15pt">➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Roboto;
mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto">Index of prediction Accuracy (IPA) reliably
summarizes the discrimination and calibration of the ACS-NSQIP-SR-Calculator.
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:1.0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:-14.15pt">➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Roboto;
mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto">The SRC can be validated in a resource-limited
setting and can be a source of surgical care improvement.
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:14.15pt">How might these results
affect future research or surgical practice?
<p class="bodyText" style="margin-top:4.25pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:4.25pt;
margin-left:1.0cm;text-align:justify;text-indent:-14.15pt">➢<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto"> <span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Roboto;
mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto">The results of this study will provide a
comparison between our institution and other international situations where a
calculator had been tested and surgical service improvement locally. Our
findings will provide insights into our loco-regional surgical institutions in
the low-income country to conduct cross-specialties and institutional research
toward the adoption of ACS-NSQIP-SRC into National surgical improvement
programs. Informative to the surgical community on the performance of the
SR-calculator outside the USA.<span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;line-height:120%;
font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto;color:black;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:
black;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%"> <span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
9.0pt;line-height:120%;font-family:Roboto;mso-bidi-font-family:Roboto;
color:black;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:black;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:
100.0%">
</span
Herbo-dentistry- A review
No full textPhytotherapy is the study of the use of extracts from the natural origin as medicines or health-promoting agents. Plant products have long been used in dentistry as part of various dental materials right from impression materials to eugenol, which forms an integral part of the dental clinic. The use of herbs in dental practice is not limited to only material sciences. A single herb shows a variety of effects like anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal activity, and many more. Hence the incorporation of these herbs in dental practice will prove to be a valuable adjunct to dental treatment.</p
Evaluation of clinical efficacy and safety of Bibrocathol 2% eye ointment in the treatment of Chronic Blepharoconjunctivitis
No full textPurpose: To assess the efficacy and safety of bibrocathol 2% eye ointment in patients with chronic blepharoconjunctivitis. Materials and methods: This was a multi-center, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase III study. Patients with chronic blepharoconjunctivitis were randomized to apply either bibrocathol 2% (n = 100) or placebo (n = 100) three times a day for 14 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline to Day 15(+1 day) in the total score of signs summarizing the investigators’ assessment of the severity of lid oedema, lid erythema, debris, hyperemia, and pouting of Meibomian glands based on slit-lamp examination (modified Intention-to-treat (mITT) set). Safety endpoints included visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and adverse events. Investigators and patients performed an overall assessment of treatment tolerability.Results: On Day 15(+1 day) the least square (LS) mean change from baseline in the total sum score of signs was -8.62 (95% CI: -9.16; -8.08) in the bibrocathol group and -6.00 (95%CI: -6.54; -5.45) in the placebo group. The LS means the difference between treatment groups was statistically significant in favor of bibrocathol (-2.63 [95% CI: -3.36, -1.89], p < 0.001). Bibrocathol was statistically significantly superior to placebo in reduction of the individual ocular signs scores and the patient’s-assessed ocular discomfort severity (p < 0.001). No safety issues were observed concerning visual acuity, intraocular pressure, and the occurrence of adverse events.Conclusions: The study showed superior efficacy of two weeks of treatment with bibrocathol versus placebo in reducing signs and symptoms of chronic blepharoconjunctivitis. Treatment with bibrocathol 2% eye ointment was safe and well-tolerated.</p
Cerebral Palsy: A Mini-Review updating the briefings of role of physiotherapy
No full textOne of the most prevalent developmental disabilities is Cerebral Palsy (CP). CP is a term for a group of neurological disorders characterized by mobility and posture problems that limit activities and are caused by a static disruption in the growing brain, which is typically accompanied by other impairments and health problems. CP is not a single diseased entity; it comprises problems with body movement, muscle control, muscle coordination, muscle tone, reflex, fine motor abilities, gross motor skills, oral motor functioning, posture, and balance, to name a few. Approach to promoting the functional and psychological independence of the child with a disability, as well as improving the child’s and family’s quality of life. Physiotherapists, who are known as “movement experts,” play an important part. The goal of this review is to clarify current thinking and physiotherapy practice in the treatment and management of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).</p
Pneumomediastinum following dental extraction – a case report in a tertiary hospital
No full textPneumomediastinum is a rare complication described following dental extraction, especially of the third molar. 212 case reports were described in the English literature since 1960. We describe a case report of a 19-year-old girl who presented to the emergency department with subcutaneous emphysema. Investigations showed the presence of pneumomediastinum. The patient was admitted for surveillance with no antibiotic therapy given due to the improvement seen the following day. </p
Evaluation of the effect of total saponins and tannins isolated from Dialium guineense stem bark on CCl4 - Induced hepatotoxicity in wistar rats
No full textThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of total saponins and tannins of Dialium guineense stem bark in Wistar rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Adult male Wistar rats (n = 25) weighing 160 – 180 g (mean weight = 170 ± 10 g) were randomly assigned to five groups (5 rats per group): normal control, CCl4 control, silymarin, total saponins, and total tannins groups. With the exception of normal control, the rats were exposed to CCl4 (a single oral dose of 1.0 mL/kg body weight, bwt). Rats in the silymarin group were administered 100 mg/kg bwt silymarin (standard hepatoprotective drug), while those in the two treatment groups received 150 mg/kg bwt of total saponins or tannins orally. Treatment lasted 28 days. Activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), as well as levels of Total Protein (TP), bilirubin, and albumin, were measured in plasma. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the concentrations of TP among the groups (p > 0.05). The activities of the liver enzymes, as well as levels of bilirubin and albumin, were significantly higher in the CCl4 control group than in the normal control group, but they were reduced by extract treatment (p < 0.05). These results indicate that CCl4 negatively impacted the integrity of the liver cells, and total saponins and tannins of D. guineense stem bark conferred some level of protection on the organ. </p
Cardiac arrest due to intentional yew tree (Taxus baccata) ingestion
No full textA 22-year-old woman with a history of bulimia, depression, and one suicidal attempt was admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) after out of hospital cardiac arrest. Her co-workers were proceeding with basic life support with an automated external defibrillator. After the arrival of the emergency service, advanced life support proceeded and ventricular fibrillation was the first rhythm recorded.</p