African Journal of Internal Medicine

Key words: QTc, type 2 diabetes, insulin therapy.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 2 (8), pp. 107-111, September, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Tissue level antioxidant activity of leaf extract of Syzygium jambos linn. In paracetamol intoxicated Wistar rats

Nataraja Thamizh Selvam¹*,  Venkatakrishnan V² and Damodar Kumar S³

¹Research Scholar, Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

²Assistant Professor, Central University, Pondicherry,

³Professor and Head, Department of Chemistry, Pachaiyappa’s College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Email:[email protected]

Accepted 3 June, 2014.

Abstract 

In recent years, oxidative stress and free radicals have been implicated in various diseases.  Syzygium jambos, is a plant used by traditional physicians in Kerala, India for various ailments including wounds, ulcers and dermatopahty. The present study was undertaken to assess the antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of S. jambos leaf in paracetamol intoxicated Wistar albino rats. The rats were divided in to five groups of six animals each, categorized as healthy control group, disease control, standard group and two test groups. The test extract was administered in two difference doses as 100 and 200 mg/kg/ b.wt. The biochemical parameters SGOT, SGPT levels in blood and antioxidant profiles including of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione levels in blood and different tissues (liver, kidney, heart) were evaluated. The results showed elevated levels of antioxidant enzymes in blood and tissues in treatment groups suggesting significant antioxidant activity.

Key words:  Syzygium jambos, antioxidant activity, liver intoxication, oxidative stress, herbal medicine.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 2 (8), pp. 098-106, September, 2014.  © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Post-streptococcal Glomerulonephritis: Immunopathological aspects and perspectives for in silico experiments

¹Carlos Antônio Bastos, ²Emerson de Paula Santos, ³Alcione de Paiva Oliveira, ⁴Andréia Patrícia Gomes, ⁵Fábio Ribeiro Cerqueira, ⁶Luiz Alberto Santana, ⁷Ricardo Santos Ferreira, ⁸Rodrigo Siqueira-Batista

Department of Computer Science, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Brazil, Department Medicine and Nursing, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Brazil. Email: [email protected]

Accepted 13 December, 2013

Abstract 

Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) is an acute inflammatory disease involving the kidney glomeruli that causes diffuse proliferative lesions, oropharyngeal or skin infections. Clinically, it is a typical example of nephritic syndrome, with the occurrence of hematuria, edema, and hypertension, which may evolve to acute renal failure. Besides the consultation of important textbooks in the field, this article was based on a literature review using DeCS (Health Sciences Descriptors) web tool, which included searches in the databases LILACS (Latin American Literature in Health Sciences), PubMed (U. S. National Library of Medicine), and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online). This simulator was constructed with the main objective of investigating autoimmune diseases, and it has been consistent with results presented in the literature. For the investigation of APSGN, our work comprises the extension of AutoSimmune to include important environments such as the kidney tissue as well as agents representing S. pyogenes and also the complement system. There are still many unclear points relevant to medical treatment of APSGN. In this context, in silico research might open important new possibilities of how to observe and test the immune response to S. pyogenes and their multiple interactions and outcomes. This review presents the current comprehension on APSGN and provides an important basis for the development of the proposed computational approach for the disease scrutiny.

Key words: Autoimmune diseases, AutoSimmune, Glomerulonephritis, in silico, Streptococcus pyogenes. 

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 2 (7), pp. 095-097, July, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Prevalence of glomerular nephropathies in HIV infection in a Department of Internal Medicine in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

¹Ouattara B, ²Yao KH, ³Kra O, ²Konan S, ¹Kouassi L, ¹Kone S, ²Diallo DA, ¹Kadjo KA, ⁴Niamkey EK.

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Alassane Ouattara University, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire.

²Department of Nephrology, Felix Houphouet Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

³Department of Infectious Diseases, Alassane Ouattara University, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire.

⁴Department of Internal Medicine, Felix Houphouet Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted May, 2014

Abstract

HIV-associated glomerular nephropathy is a cause of chronic kidney failure increasingly described since the advent of HIV infection. The aims of this study was to determinate its prevalence in chronic kidney failure in a Department of Internal Medicine. It was a retrospective transversal study conducted from January 2007 to December 2012 in the Department of Internal Medicine of the University Teaching Hospital of Treichville on medical data of the patients admitted for chronic kidney failure with HIV-associated glomerular nephropathy. Of 335 patients followed up, 74 of them exhibited HIV-associated glomerular nephropathy (17%). The median age was 36±8 years and the sex-ratio was 0.23. A positive retroviral status was discovered in the regression of glomerular nephropathy in 44 patients (59.5%). For 48.3% of cases, chronic kidney failure was the hospitalization cause. Clinical signs at admission were dominated by clinical anemia (80.6%) and edemas of lower limbs (51.6%). The average proteinuria was 7.86 ±5.5 grams per 24 hours. According to the K/DOQI, kidney failure was at stage V in 64.5% of the cases. The mortality was 32.5%.  HIV-associated glomerular nephropathy was a frequent cause of chronic kidney failure in our study and of poor prognosis.

Key words: Proteinuria, chronic kidney failure, glomerular nephropathy, HIV, prevalence, HIVAN, GNCI, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

African Journal of Internal Medicine ISSN: 2326-7283 Vol. 2 (6), pp. 085-094, June, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The role of hostility in the risk of cardiovascular diseases in open population of 25–64-year-old men in Russia/Siberia (WHO MONICA-Psychological Program)

Valery Gafarov,^1,2 Mikhail Voevoda,^2,3 Elena Gromova,^1,2 Vladimir Maksimov,^2,3 Igor Gagulin,^1,2 Nikolay Yudin,³ Almira Gafarova^1,2 and Tatiana Mishakova³

¹FSBI “Research Institute of Internal Medicine” SB RAMS, Novosibirsk, Russia.

²Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology, Novosibirsk, Russia.

³Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAMS, Novosibirsk, Russia.

Accepted 18, April 2014

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate prevalence of hostility, risk of arterial hypertension (AH), myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke, and genetic traits in open male population in Novosibirsk (Siberia, Russia). Random representative sample of 25–64-year-old men was examined in the WHO MONICA-Psychosocial program in 1994. Hostility level was assessed by Cook-Medley test. Genotyping of VNTR polymorphisms of DRD4 and DAT genes was performed. From 1994 to 2008, all first-time cases of AH, IM, and stroke were registered among individuals without previous CVD. The level of hostility was 76.9%. Compared with control, 5-year MI risk was by 2.57 times higher (95%CI 1–6.1; p<0.05) in men with hostility; hostility led to 3.2-fold increase of IM risk in older age group (95%CI 1–10; р<0.05). Hostility did not increase AH and stroke risks. Dopamine receptor subtype D4 (DRD4) genotypes 4/6 and 4/7 were associated with high hostility levels; genotype 4/4 was associated with moderate and low hostility levels. No associations with DAT genotypes and alleles were found. Open population of 25–64-year-old men of Novosibirsk showed high hostility prevalence predictive of IM risk. Hostility did not affect AH and stroke risks and was associated with certain VNTR polymorphisms of DRD4 gene.

Key words: Hostility, risk, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, DRD4 gene, DAT gene.

African Journal of Internal Medicine Vol. 3 (3), pp. 081-084, May, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Different types of cancers and their frequency in the Department of Internal Medicine of the University Teaching Hospital of Treichville Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

¹Ouattara B, ² Kra O, ¹Kone S, ¹Kouassi L, ¹Touré HK, ¹N’Zué KS, ¹Kadjo K and ³Niamkey EK

¹Department of Internal Medicine, Alassane Ouattara University, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire.

²Department of Infectious Diseases, Alassane Ouattara University, Bouaké, Côte d’Ivoire.

³Department of Internal Medicine, Felix Houphouet Boigny University, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

*Corresponding author. [email protected]

Accepted May, 2014

Abstract

Cancer has been marginalized in sub-Saharan Africa for many years due to the presence of major endemics such as Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The aim of this study was to contribute to a better knowledge of cancers in the Department of Internal Medicine in Africa. It was a descriptive retrospective transversal study conducted from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2012 in the Department of Internal Medicine of the University Teaching Hospital of Treichville on data of the patients with cancers. Of 6534 inpatients admitted into hospital, 116 had cancer (1.8%). The median age was 54± 15.5 years and the sex-ratio was 1.6. The main motives of admission were deterioration of general condition (60.3%) and long-term fever (28.4%). The medical histories were chronic viral hepatitis B (35%) and chronic alcoholism (15.5%). Primary liver cancer accounted for 48.3% of the cases followed-up pancreatic cancers (10.3%). The mortality rate was 34.5%. Cancers were less frequent in our study, but the prognosis was poor.

Key words: Cancers, epidemiology, mortality, internal medicine, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.