Escape from the renal actions of vasopressin is said to occur in rats with chronic hyponatremia. Our objective was to provide specific evidence to test this hypothesis. Hence the osmolality in the excised renal papilla and in simultaneously voided urine (U(Osm)) was measured in rats with and without hyponatremia. To induce hyponatremia, rats were fed low-electrolyte chow for 6 days. In the first 3 days, water was provided ad lib. On days 4 to 6, a long acting vasopressin preparation (dDAVP) was given every 8 hours to induce water retention. The hyponatremic rats drank 21 mL 5% sucrose on day 4 and 6 mL on day 5. On the morning of day 6, these rats were given 10 mL of 5% glucose in water (D5W) by the intraperitoneal route at 09:00 hour and at 11:00 hour. Analyses were performed in blood, urine, and the excised renal papilla at 13:00 hour on day 6. The concentration of Na+ in plasma (P(Na)) in rats without intraperitoneal D5W was 140+/-1 mEq/L (n=7) whereas it was 112+/-3 mEq/L in the hyponatremic group (n=12). The hyponatremic rats had a higher osmolality in the excised papillary (1,915+/-117 mOsm/kg H2O) than the U(Osm) (1,528+/-176 mOsm/kg H2O, P<0.05). One explanation for this difference is that the rats escaped from the renal action of vasopressin. Nevertheless, based on a quantitative analysis, other possibilities will be considered.
Animals ; Aquaporins ; Glucose ; Hyponatremia ; Osmolar Concentration ; Plasma ; Rats ; Retention (Psychology) ; Sucrose ; United Nations ; Vasopressins ; Water

When the concentration of sodium (Na+) in arterial plasma (P(Na)) declines sufficiently to inhibit the release of vasopressin, water will be excreted promptly when the vast majority of aquaporin 2 water channels (AQP2) have been removed from luminal membranes of late distal nephron segments. In this setting, the volume of filtrate delivered distally sets the upper limit on the magnitude of the water diuresis. Since there is an unknown volume of water reabsorbed in the late distal nephron, our objective was to provide a quantitative assessment of this parameter. Accordingly, rats were given a large oral water load, while minimizing non-osmotic stimuli for the release of vasopressin. The composition of plasma and urine were measured. The renal papilla was excised during the water diuresis to assess the osmotic driving force for water reabsorption in the inner medullary collecting duct. During water diuresis, the concentration of creatinine in the urine was 13-fold higher than in plasma, which implies that ~8% of filtered water was excreted. The papillary interstitial osmolality was 600 mOsm/L > the urine osmolality. Since 17% of filtered water is delivered to the earliest distal convoluted tubule micropuncture site, we conclude that half of the water delivered to the late distal nephron is reabsorbed downstream during water diuresis. The enormous osmotic driving force for the reabsorption of water in the inner medullary collecting duct may play a role in this reabsorption of water. Possible clinical implications are illustrated in the discussion of a case example.
Animals ; Aquaporin 2 ; Aquaporins ; Creatinine ; Diuresis ; Membranes ; Nephrons ; Osmolar Concentration ; Permeability ; Phenobarbital ; Plasma ; Polyuria ; Punctures ; Rats ; Sodium ; Vasopressins ; Water

Acanthamoeba is a free-living protozoa which causes serious ocular problem. Acanthamoeba keratitis is becoming more prevalent amongst contact lens wearers and it can cause loss of vision and blindness if not treated properly. The objective of this research is to determine the effectiveness of gentamicin against six Acanthamoeba spp. isolates, of which three were clinical isolates (HS 6, HKL 95, HTH 73) and three environmental isolates (SMAL 7, SMAL 8, TTT 9). Cyst suspension from the chosen isolates were exposed to gentamicin. After 48 hours of incubation at temperature of 30°C and 37ºC, each mixture was filtered and filtration membrane was put onto non-nutrient agar laid with Escherichia coli. The agar plates were incubated for three days at 30oC and 37oC and the plates were examined daily until day 14 to look for the presence of Acanthamoeba trophozoites under inverted microscope. The presence of trophozoites indicated the ineffectiveness of gentamicin. Gentamicin was found to be effective against Acanthamoeba cysts from all the test strains at both incubation temperatures. The minimum cysticidal concentration (MCC) mean value of gentamicin was 0.193 mg/mL at 30oC and 0.229 mg/mL at 37oC. So, we concluded that gentamicin has cysticidal potential towards Acanthamoeba.

Introduction: Acanthamoeba is an ubiquitous free-living protozoa which causes serious ocular problems. Acanthamoeba keratitis is becoming more prevalent amongst contact lens wearers. The disease can cause loss of vision and blindness if not treated properly. The objective of this research is to study the sensitivity of six Acanthamoeba spp. isolates, of which three were from the clinical isolates (HKL 95, HTH 40 and HS 6) and the remaining three from environmental isolates (TTT 9, TL 3 and SMAL 8) to antimicrobial agents. Methods: The antimicrobial agents chosen for this purpose were polyhexamethylene biguanide and chlorhexidine. Cyst suspensions from the chosen isolates were exposed to PHMB and chlorhexidine respectively. After 48 hours incubation time at 30°c,each mixture was filtered and filtration membrane was put onto non-nutrient agar laid with Escherichia coli. The agar plates were incubated for three days at 30°c and examined daily until day 14 to detect the presence of Acanthamoeba trophozoites under the inverted microscope. The presence of thropozoites indicated the ineffectiveness of the antimicrobial agents. Results: Both of the antimicrobial agents tested were found to be effective against Acanthamoeba cysts from all the test starins. Polyhexamethylene biguanide gave minimum cysticidal concentration (MCC) mean value of 2.848mg/mL while chlorhexidine showed MCC mean value at a concentration of 3.988mg/mL. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the Acanthamoeba were sensitive to polyhexamethylene biguanide and chlorhexidine.

Purpose: The cow’s milk-related-symptom-score (CoMiSS) tool was developed as an awareness tool for the assessment of cow’s milk-related symptoms in infants or children.Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a noninvasive biomarker of gut inflammation that can be measured in serum and stool. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between FC levels and CoMiSS scores in infants with cow’s milk protein allergy. Methods: Infants (aged 6–12 months) who were allergic to cow’s milk protein were enrolled prospectively. Following completion of the CoMiSS scoring, the infants were divided into group 1 (positive CoMiSS scores ≥12) and group 2 (negative CoMiSS scores <12). FC was measured using immunoassay. Results: Of the 120 infants enrolled in this study, 60 (50.0%) had positive CoMiSS scores (group 1), while 60 (50.0%) had negative scores (group 2). The mean FC level was higher in the infants in group 1 than those in group 2 (2,934.57 µg/g vs. 955.13 µg/g; p<0.001). In addition, there was a positive correlation between FC and CoMiSS scores (R=0.168, p<0.0001). A FC level of 1,700 µg/g provided a sensitivity of 98.3%, specificity of 93.3%, and accuracy of 95.8% for the diagnosis of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA). Conclusion FC measurement may have a role in the assessing infants with CMPA.

Objective: To examine the impact of telerehabilitation training on exercise capacity, lung function, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in comparison to no rehabilitation for post-COVID-19 symptoms in adult females. Methods: A randomized controlled trial of 48 females after mild to moderate COVID-19 survival were equally and randomly assigned to one of two groups: intervention group or control group. Three sessions per week for 6 weeks of a telerehabilitation program provided via a smartphone to the intervention group. Spirometry was used to quantify lung function, a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) measured in meters to measure exercise capacity, and the Short Form Health Survey-36 was used to assess HRQOL. Results: After treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in forced vital capacity (FVC) or forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) between groups (p>0.05), but the 6MWT of the intervention group increased significantly more than that of the control group (p=0.001). The percent of change in 6MWT for the intervention group and control group was 14.22% and 4.21%, respectively. After therapy, the intervention group’s HRQOL significantly improved when compared to the control group’s (p=0.001). Conclusion This study showed that a telerehabilitation programs improved exercise capacity and HRQOL in young females post-COVID-19 compared to no rehabilitation.

Evidence of the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and metabolic syndrome (MeS) remains uncertain and incongruent. This study aimed to determine the association between 25(OH)D and MeS among Jordanian adults. A complex multistage sampling technique was used to select a national population-based household sample. The present report deals exclusively with adults aged > 18 years who had complete information on all components of MeS (n = 3,234). A structured questionnaire was used to collect all relevant information. Anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory measurements were obtained. MeS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition. Of the total, 42.0% had MeS and 31.7% had 25(OH)D < 30 ng/ml. In a stratified analysis, the prevalence of MeS did not differ significantly between subjects with low and normal 25(OH)D levels for men and women in all age groups. In the multivariate analysis, the odds of MeS were not significantly different between subjects with low and normal 25(OH)D levels (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.05, P-value = 0.133). The association between 25(OH)D and MeS remained non-significant when 25(OH)D was analyzed as a continuous variable (OR = 1.004, 95% CI; 1.000, 1.008, P = 0.057) and when analyzed based on quartiles. None of the individual components of MeS were significantly associated with 25(OH)D level. This study does not provide evidence to support the association between 25(OH)D level and MeS or its individual components. Prospective studies are necessary to better determine the roles of 25(OH)D levels in the etiology of MeS.
Adult ; Aged ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Jordan ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vitamin D

Objective: To assess the nephroprotective potential of agmatine in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy. Methods: A single dose of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg) coupled with a fructose diet induced diabetes in Wistar rats. Agmatine (40 and 80 mg/kg) was administered to rats for 12 weeks. The body weight and fasting blood glucose were measured weekly. Insulin level, urine output, total protein, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and cystatin-C were also determined at the end of the experiment. Furthermore, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were evaluated in kidney tissue. Histopathological study was also performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: Agmatine at both doses significantly increased final body weight, and lowered fasting blood glucose, urine output, insulin, total protein, albumin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and cystatin-C levels compared with the diabetic group (P < 0.05). Inflammatory markers and antioxidant effect were significantly improved in agmatine-treated rats. Moreover, the histopathological changes in renal structure were ameliorated by agmatine treatment. Conclusions: Agmatine alleviates diabetic nephropathy by improving renal functions and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. The molecular mechanisms of its nephroprotective actions need to be investigated in future study.