African Journal of Medical Case Reports

African Journal of Medical Case Reports Vol. 7 (2), pp. 001-012, February, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Adiponectin biochemical and histopathological effects on obesity/type-II diabetes mellitus and pancreatic ß-cell dysfunction in experimental rats

Ibrahim Al-Zahrani¹, Ahmed Elgendy², Saad El-Shafey³, Abdelnaser Badawy⁴ and Nermin El-Morshedi⁵*

¹Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Applied Medicinal Science, Northern Borders University, KSA.

²Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Borders University, KSA.

³Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Borders University, KSA.

⁴Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Northern Borders University, KSA.

⁵Histology Department, Faculty of Applied Medicinal Science, Northern Borders University, KSA.

Accepted 10 December, 2018

Abstract

A comparison was done for serum lipid profile, glucose, adiponectin and insulin levels with/without hyperlipidemia; and with/without diabetes mellitus-II Wistar rat; with histopathological and immunohistochemical studies on pancreatic Langerhans islets and ß-cells (endocrine secretary portion of insulin). Sixty four adult Wistar rats were divided into 8 groups with 14 weeks study duration. The study is an elevation of serum glucose levels and decrease in insulin and adiponectin levels in diabetic groups. Serum lipid profile: triacylglycerol and low density lipoprotein were elevated and high density lipoprotein was decreased in obesity groups. However, these items were in demanded balance after adiponectin treatments. Histopathological alterations were found in diabetic groups severely and moderately in obesity/without diabetes groups. Also, insulin investigation content showed strong immune-reaction in pancreatic β-cells in the control groups and light to null insulin immune-reaction in obesity and diabetic groups when stained with anti-insulin antibody. After adiponectin administration, there was a β-cells dysfunction recovery and moderate insulin immune- reaction.

Key words: Glucose, insulin, adiponectin, diabetes mellitus type-II, pancreatic ß-cells.

African Journal of Medical Case Reports Vol. 7 (1), pp. 001-007, January, 2019. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Comparative study between the effect of Coccinia cordifolia (leaf and root) powder on hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity of alloxan induced type 2 diabetic Long- Evans rats

Ezazul Haque¹*, Subbroto Kumar Saha¹, Dipa Islam² and Rezuanul Islam¹

¹Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh.

²Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), BCSIR, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh.

Accepted 07 August, 2018

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Coccinia cordifolia leaf and root powder on alloxan induced type 2 diabetic Long-Evans rats. Oral feeding of the C. cordifolia leaf and root powder slightly decreased serum total cholesterol, triglyceride levels and LDL-cholesterol as compared with leaf, root and standard drug. C. cordifolia leaf showed more significant (p < 0.05, 0.01 and 0.001) effect on blood glucose level when compared with root and standard drug (glibenclamide, 5 mg/kg). At the mean time, rats’ serum insulin level markedly increased; leaf does showed more significant (p < 0.05, 0.01 and 0.001) effect than glibenclamide control group and root powder feeding group. But C. cordifolia did not show any significant effect on HDL-cholesterol and liver glycogen after 21^st day feeding. Thus, the results of the experimental study suggest that C. cordifolia possesses hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects and is able to ameliorate the diabetic state and can be served as a source of potent antidiabetic agent. In this comparative study, it was shown that leaf was better than root in the effects of hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic status.

Key words: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Coccinia cordifolia, alloxan, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, LDL-cholesterol and glibenclamide.

African Journal of Medical Case Reports Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-008, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Sex hormones and free androgen index in non-diabetic male hemodialysis and renal transplanted patients

Hamoud H. Al-Khallaf¹*, Sherif S. El-Shazly², Mohamed Y. El-Sammak¹, Abdullah K. Al-Hwiesh³ and Fadwa I. Al-Swaidan¹

¹Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemical Genetics, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

²Multi Organ Transplantation Center, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

³Department of Nephrology and Internal Medicine, Dammam University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Accepted 22 November, 2017

Abstract

Ageing and diabetes mellitus (DM) are known to affect sex hormones. Several studies have reported on sex hormones in male hemodialysis patients (HDPs) and renal transplant recipients (RTRs). None of those studies had excluded the effect of either ageing or DM, which might be one of the reasons why those studies had contradicting results. The aim of this study was to calculate free androgen index (FAI), assess the level of sex hormones in non-diabetic male (NDM) HDPs and RTRs whose ages were below 50 years, and to compare our findings with those of the others. In this study, NDM HDPs and RTRs had equal total testosterone (TT) level that was not significantly different from that of the controls; however, their FAI was significantly lower than that of the controls. Levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, prolactin, and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were higher in those two patients groups than in the control group. In conclusion, NDM HDPs and RTRs had TT level that was not different from that of the controls, but they had abnormally low FAI level and abnormally elevated levels of LH, FSH, estradiol, prolactin, and SHBG.

Key words: Free androgen index, sex hormones, hemodialysis, transplantation.

Key words: Hypothyroidism, thyroid gland, deficiency.

African Journal of Medical Case Reports Vol. 6 (1), pp. 001-004, January, 2018. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A comparative study on the anti-diabetic activity of extracts of some Algerian and Sudanese plants

Chahinez Houacine¹, Abdalla Omer Elkhawad² and Saad Mohamed Hussein Ayoub²*

¹Faculty of Pharmacy, the University of Medical Sciences and Technology, P. O. Box 12810, Khartoum, Sudan.

²Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, the University of Medical Sciences and Technology, P. O. Box 12810, Khartoum, Sudan.

Accepted 20 October, 2017

Abstract

The present comparative study was undertaken to determine the hypoglycemic effect of 96% ethanolic extracts of Eucalyptus globulus (Myrtaceae) leaves, Salvia officinalis (Lamiaceae) leaves growing in Algeria and Guiera senegalensis (Combretaceae) leaves growing in Sudan in glucose loaded albino rats and to assess their toxicity. Preliminary phytochemical screening of leaf extracts of the three plants revealed the presence of carbohydrates, tannins, flavonoids, sterols and triterpenes, alkaloids and terpenoids. Graded doses of the aqueous ethanolic leaf extracts of the three plants, 200 to 400 mg/kg were separately administered orally to groups of glucose loaded rats. The hypoglycemic effect of the extracts was compared to glibenclamide 10 mg/kg in fasted normal rats. Following the treatment, relatively moderate to high doses of the three extracts produced a dose-dependent significant reduction in blood glucose levels which was most significant at the dose 400 mg/kg. The median lethal concentration LC₅₀ in brine shrimps was 55.95 mg/ml for E. globulus; 37.20 mg/ml for S. officinalis and 26.94 mg/ml for G. senegalensis compared to a standard antitumor drug Etopside. The results clearly demonstrated that the 96% alcoholic leaf extracts of the three plants had a significant blood-glucose lowering potential in glucose loaded rats with minimum toxicity.

Key words: Sudan, Algeria, leaf extracts, Eucalyptus globulus, Salvia officinalis, Guiera senegalensis, hypoglycemic effect, toxicity.

African Journal of Medical Case Reports Vol. 5 (12), pp. 001-003, December, 2017. © International Scholars Journals

Case Report

Does critical illness cause reversible Cushing’s like syndrome? A case study of two case reports and review of the literature

M. M. Brzozowska* and P. M. Davoren

Gold Coast Hospital, Southport 4215, Australia.

Accepted 27 February, 2017

Abstract

An activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and elevated cortisol levels are common during critical illness. Clinically evident Cushing’s syndrome, triggered by life threatening illness, has not been previously reported. We describe two patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent Cushing’s syndrome, which developed during the life threatening illness and later spontaneously remitted. The impact of the acute and prolonged phase of critical-illness on the function of HPA axis with its complex neuroimmunoendocrine dynamics has been reviewed.

Key words: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent Cushing's syndrome, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, critical illness.