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Background: Sudden and unexpected deaths are increasing drastically. The main cause of sudden death is cardiovascular disease, out of which coronary artery disease predominates forming 80% of the cases. Most of the time, detecting early changes in myocardial infarction during the autopsy is challenging since gross infarct changes do not appear until after 24 to 48 hours of myocardial ischemia injury. So, the aim of this study was to compare two test to detect early changes of Myocardial Infarction one by using Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride (TTC) staining of the myocardial tissue, during autopsy and other by histopathological examination. Methods: The sample size of 60 hearts taken from all the sudden deaths cases brought to Mortuary with suspected cause of death due to cardiac origin. The heart was obtained from the deceased by standard post-mortem technique. Serial full-thickness transverse sections of the heart were taken at 2 cm intervals from the apex to the atrioventricular groove. All the serial slices of heart are taken for histochemical staining and TTC staining. Results: In histopathological examination 34 hearts were diagnosed with myocardial infarction and 26 hearts reported non myocardial infarction. With TTC 40 hearts remained unstained suggestive of myocardial infarction and 20 hearts were stained suggestive of non-infarcted hearts. TTC staining in our study shows an accuracy of 88.33%. Conclusion: The result of this study shows that the Triphenyl Tetrazolium Chloride test, a histochemical staining technique of heart, is reliable approach for forensic pathologists to diagnose early myocardial infarction during the post-mortem examination.

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Glioma coined as 'butterfly tumor' exhibits intense heterogeneity at the molecular and cellular levels. Although, Temozolomide exerted a long-ranging and prevailing therapeutic effect against glioma, albeit it has provided modest survival outcome. Fucoidan, (marine brown algal derivative) has demonstrated potent anti-tumor effects including glioma. Nevertheless, there is paucity of studies conducted on Fucoidan to enhance the anti-glioma efficacy of Temozolomide. The present study aimed to explore the plausible synergistic anti-glioma efficacy of Fucoidan in combination with Temozolomide in an in vivo experimental model. The dual-drug combination significantly inhibited tumor growth in in vivo and prolonged the survival rate when compared with the other treatment and tumor-control groups, via down-regulation of inflammatory cascade- IL-6/T LR4 and JAK/STAT3 as per the immunohistochemistry findings. Furthermore, the ultrastructural analysis indicated that the combinatorial treatment had restored the normal neuronal architecture of glioma-induced rats. Overall, the dual-drug cocktail might enhance the therapeutic outcome in glioma patients.

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In the present study, silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were synthesized using Azadirachta indica extract and evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity efficacy against MCF-7 and HeLa cells. The silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were formed within 40 min and after preliminary confirmation by UV-visible spectroscopy (peak observed at 375 nm), they were characterized using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The TEM images showed the spherical shape of the biosynthesized Ag-NPs with particle sizes in the range of 10 to 60 nm, and compositional analysis was carried out. The cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of various concentrations of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles, Azadirachta indica extract, and a standard ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 mg/mL were evaluated. The 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity of the biosynthesized Ag-NPs and aqueous leaf extract increased in a dose-dependent manner, with average IC50 values of the biosynthesized Ag-NPs, aqueous leaf extract, and ascorbic acid (standard) of 0.70 ± 0.07, 1.63 ± 0.09, and 0.25 ± 0.09 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, higher cytotoxicity was exhibited in both the MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. The average IC50 values of the biosynthesized Ag-NPs, aqueous leaf extract, and cisplatin (standard) were 0.90 ± 0.07, 1.85 ± 0.01, and 0.56 ± 0.08 mg/mL, respectively, with MCF-7 cell lines and 0.85 ± 0.01, 1.76 ± 0.08, 0.45 ± 0.10 mg/mL, respectively, with HeLa cell lines. Hence, this study resulted in an efficient green reductant for producing silver nanoparticles that possess cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity against MCF-7 and HeLa cells.

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Mucormycosis is a rare opportunistic infection, usually seen in diabetics, immunocompromised, or those with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Gastrointestinal involvement is uncommon but often deadly. We report a case of gastrointestinal mucormycosis causing intestinal perforation in a non-diabetic, COVID-19 negative, immunocompetent woman, associated with puerperal sepsis. A 22-year-old woman presented to our center on post-natal day five, following delivery with insertion of an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD). She had complaints of breathlessness, fatigue, and giddiness. Examination revealed tachycardia, tachypnea, hypotension, and bilateral pedal edema. Following appropriate investigations, she was diagnosed with puerperal sepsis with pre-renal acute kidney injury. Imaging was suggestive of retained products of conception, and she subsequently underwent dilation and evacuation (D&E) on day eight of admission. Following brief symptomatic improvement, on day 10 of admission, she developed vomiting, abdominal distension, and pain, with obstipation. Erect X-ray showed air under the diaphragm, suggestive of perforation. She emergently underwent laparotomy with limited right hemicolectomy, ileostomy with mucous fistula. Intraoperative findings revealed a closed-loop obstruction involving terminal ileum, with two perforations. The biopsy report later revealed colonization of Mucor and hemorrhagic necrosis along the entire length of the resected specimen. She was started on amphotericin B, and after a slow recovery, was discharged. Gastrointestinal mucormycosis is rare and has a mortality rate of 94%. It is usually seen in those with predisposing factors for mucormycosis. This is the first report of mucormycosis associated with puerperal sepsis. It is typically acquired via ingestion and may cause perforation, where mortality is further increased. Diagnosis can only be confirmed by histopathology demonstrating the characteristic morphology of Mucor. Treatment requires resection of necrotic tissues, intensive treatment with amphotericin B, and correction of predisposing factors. Our case highlights the need for a high degree of suspicion for mucormycosis in patients with intestinal perforation, even if immunocompetent, and its potential association with puerperal sepsis.

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BACKGROUND: Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and their functional derivatives are of great interest because of their many biomedical applications. GNPs are increasingly being incorporated into new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in medicine. Consequently, there has been a strong push to fully understand their interactions with blood components. The agglomeration of cells reflects the interaction of nanoparticles with blood components. METHODS: The main aim of this study was to compare the effects of poly-ethylene-glycol (PEG)-oated and uncoated GNPs on the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); on the actions of distinct hepatotoxicity biomarkers such as alanine (ALT) and aspartate (AST) aminotransferases, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP); and on the histology of liver tissues in the rat model. Four distinct doses of PEG-coated and uncoated GNPs (12.5, 25, 50, and 100 µg/kg body weight) were used. Each group consisted of three rats receiving an oral administration of PEG-coated and uncoated GNPs for 5 days with one dose per 24 hours. The control group consisted of three rats that received deionized water. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment, samples were collected following standard procedures. RESULTS: PEG-coated and uncoated GNPs enhanced the generation of ROS and the activity of serum aminotransferases (ALT/AST) and ALPs relative to the negative control. A liver histology assessment of GNP-exposed rats revealed statistically significant responses in the variation of the morphologies of tissues relative to those of the negative control. Nonetheless, uncoated GNPs demonstrated enhanced hepatotoxic outcomes relative to those of PEG-coated GNPs. The results demonstrated that both GNPs may be able to promote hepatotoxicity in Sprague Dawley rats through mechanisms of oxidative stress. However, uncoated GNPs have more harmful effects than PEG-coated GNPs relative to the negative control. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the results of this study indicate that PEG-coated GNPs may be safer to use in nanomedicinal applications than uncoated GNPs. However, more studies must be performed to confirm the outcomes of PEGylation.

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The present study was conducted to evaluate the response of kidneys in Wistar rats following long-term exposure to Al2O3 nanomaterials (NMs). To achieve this objective, Al2O3 of three different sizes (30 nm, 40 nm and bulk) was orally administered for 28 days to 9 groups of 10 Wistar rats each at the dose of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg/rat. A tenth group of 10 rats received distilled water and served as control. After 28 days of exposure the animals were sacrificed and the serum was collected and tested for the activity levels of creatinine and urea following standard methods. Induction of oxidative stress was also investigated by assessing thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (MDA), protein carbonyl, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. A histopathological evaluation was also performed to determine the extent of kidney damage. The results showed that both serum creatinine and serum urea levels increased significantly in the treated rats compared to control animals. The increase was found to be more in Al2O3-30 nm treated rats followed by Al2O3-40 nm and Al2O3-bulk treated rats in a dose-dependent manner. Further administration of Al2O3 significantly increased the activities of TBARS, protein carbonyl, catalase and decreased the activities of GSH and SOD in a dose-dependent manner in the kidney of rats compared with the control group. Histopathological evaluation showed significant morphological alterations in kidney tissues of treated rats in accordance with biochemical parameters. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that Al2O3 is nephrotoxic and its toxicity may be mediated through oxidative stress. Further, the results suggest that prolonged oral exposure to Al2O3 NMs has the potential to cause biochemical and histological alterations in kidney of rats at high concentration.

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Recently, graphene and graphene-related materials have attracted a great deal of attention due their unique physical, chemical, and biocompatibility properties and to their applications in biotechnology and medicine. However, the reports on the potential toxicity of graphene oxide (GO) in biological systems are very few. The present study investigated the response of kidneys in male Sprague-Dawley rats following exposure to 0, 10, 20 and 40 mg/Kg GO for five days. The results showed that administration of GOs significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in a dose-dependent manner in the kidneys compared with control group. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were also significantly increased in rats intoxicated with GO compared with the control group. There was a significant elevation in the levels of hydrogen peroxide and lipid hydro peroxide in GOs-treated rats compared to control animals. Histopathological evaluation showed significant morphological alterations of kidneys in GO-treated rats compared to controls. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that GO is nephrotoxic and its toxicity may be mediated through oxidative stress. In the present work, however, we only provided preliminary information on toxicity of GO in rats; further experimental verification and mechanistic elucidation are required before GO widely used for biomedical applications.

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The present study was designed to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of aluminium oxide (Al2O3). To achieve this objective, Al2O3 of three different sizes (30nm, 40nm and bulk) was orally administered for 28 days to 9 groups of 10 Wistar rats each, at the dose of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/Kg/rat. A tenth group of 10 rats received distilled water and served as control. After 28 days of exposure, the animals were sacrificed and the serum was collected and tested for the activity levels of aminotransferases (AST or GOT and ALT or GPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymes following standard testing methods. Reduced glutathione (GSH) content was also measured in the liver tissue to study the oxidative stress. A histopathological evaluation was also performed to determine the extent of liver injury. Study results indicated that the activity of both the aminotransferases (AST and ALT), ALP and LDH increased significantly in Al2O3 treated rats compared to control animals. The increase was found to be more pronounced with Al2O3 - 30nm followed by Al2O3 - 40nm and Al2O3 - bulk treated rats in a dose dependent manner. However reduced glutathione content showed a decline in the activity. Ultra structural assessment showed significant morphological changes in the liver tissue in accordance with biochemical parameters. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrated that Al2O3 is hepatotoxic and the smaller size of this nanomaterial appeared to be the most toxic while the compound in the bulk form seemed to be the least toxic.

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AIM: The aim of this study was to examine in vitro penetration depth of two resin-based sealers (AH plus and Resino Seal) and Zinc Oxide Eugenol sealer into the dentinal tubules after removing smear layer by passive ultrasonic irrigation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty freshly extracted maxillary central incisors were used. The teeth were decoronated, working length established and prepared upto size 40 file. Each root was subjected to passive ultrasonic irrigation with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite. Three different sealers and gutta-percha were used for obturation. Roots were sectioned using hard tissue microtome. These sections were gold sputtered and examined under scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: Statistical analyses of the data were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Statistically significant difference was found between AH Plus sealer and Resino Seal sealer and Zinc Oxide Eugenol sealer. CONCLUSION: The results showed that AH Plus had maximum penetration depth into dentinal tubules.

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Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of various irrigating solutions on calcium hydroxide (Apex cal andRC cal) removal with the use of ultrasonics. Methods: The root canals of 120 single-rootedmaxillary central incisors were prepared using the stepback technique. The teeth were decoronatedand split longitudinally. After filling, the two halves of roots were reassembled with sticky wax andeach group was further divided into four subgroups according to the irrigating solution: SmearClear, 10% citric acid, 5% EDTA and 3% NaOCl. Evaluation for cleanliness was done under amicroscope with ×12.5 magnification. Statistical analysis was done with Kruskal Wallis and MannWhitney tests at 5% level of significance. Results: There was no statistically significant difference(p>0.05) for calcium hydroxide (Apex Cal and RC Cal) removal by different irrigants. There weremore residues in the apical groove than in the coronal groove (p<0.05). Conclusions: Whenthe different irrigants were compared at coronal and apical levels, Smear Clear and citric acidwere more effective in calcium hydroxide removal than EDTA and NaOCl.

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[Structure: see text]. Molecular devices incorporating azobenzene units represent active components of smart systems, as they are capable of exhibiting photoregulated cooperative molecular motion. Herein, we describe the synthesis, X-ray crystal analysis, and photochemical and thermal studies of a xanthene based cyclic azobenzene dimer and its precursor. The trans-trans isomer of the azobenzene dimer upon photoirradiation transforms to the cis-cis isomer through an intermediate trans-cis isomer. The X-ray crystal structures of the trans-trans isomer (open) and the cis-cis isomer (closed) provide unambiguous proof for the hinge-like molecular motion in this class of molecules. The inferences drawn from photochemical and thermal studies shed light on the effect of varied substitution and cyclic structures on the different transitions. The lifetime of the cis-cis isomer is estimated to be 6.43 years, whereas the trans-cis isomer is short-lived (2.73 min) at 303 K. A rational explanation for the relative stability of the different isomers is derived from the isokinetic plot and theoretical calculations.