Dr Mohammed Mahmoud Youssif

n/a

Medicines, food packaging, personal care products, and cosmetics extensively use polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics (PET-NaPs). However, they also have harmful impacts on several organs. Betaine demonstrates potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics. Our goal was to investigate the detrimental impact of PET-NaPs on the mouse brain and evaluate the neuroprotective properties of betaine. We allocated 40 completely mature male Swiss albino mice into four distinct groups: control group, betaine group, PET-NaPs group, and betaine-co-treated group. Following a 30-day duration, euthanasia was performed on the mice, and analyzed tissue samples were obtained from the cerebrum, cerebellum, and hippocampus. PET-NaPs resulted in an elevated level of malondialdehyde and upregulated cyclooxygenase-2 and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) expression while significantly reducing the levels of glutathione and downregulating acetylcholinesterase. The PET-NPs also caused significant changes in the histopathology of the brain tissue, and there was a demonstrable rise in the immunostaining of IL-1β and glial fibrillary acidic proteins. Consequently, betaine effectively alleviated the negative consequences of PET-NaPs. Therefore, betaine possesses the capacity to mitigate the neurotoxic consequences induced by PET-NaPs.

RATIONALE: Umbilical vein catheterization (UVC) is a common procedure in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) but carries risks of severe complications such as portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA), a leading cause of neonatal cholestasis, often progresses to end-stage liver disease. This case report discusses the rare coexistence of PVT and EHBA in a 3-month-old infant, highlighting the critical need for timely diagnosis and intervention.

PATIENT CONCERNS: A 3-month-old female presented with jaundice, dark-colored urine, and clay-colored stools. She had a history of NICU admission for neonatal sepsis during which a UVC was inserted.

DIAGNOSES: Physical examination revealed jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly. Abdominal ultrasonography identified hepatosplenomegaly, mild ascites, and portal cavernoma. A liver biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of EHBA.

INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent Kasai portoenterostomy. Postoperatively, she developed complications including ascites, systemic hypertension, and hyperammonemia. Initial improvements were observed with decreased bilirubin levels.

OUTCOMES: Despite initial stabilization, the patient's condition deteriorated, and she succumbed on day 15 postoperation.

LESSONS: This case underscores the significant risks of PVT associated with UVC and the importance of monitoring NICU graduates for early detection of complications. The early onset of portal hypertension and esophageal varices in this case challenges existing beliefs about EHBA's clinical progression. Greater awareness and routine follow-up imaging are essential to improve outcomes in similar scenarios.

BACKGROUND: Aflatoxins are highly potent mycotoxins that can seriously harm the health of humans and a variety of animal species. On the other hand, camel milk and silymarin offer a variety of positive effects for many animal species. In addition, camel milk and silymarin reduce the impact of AFB1 on the hematology, serum biochemical markers, histopathology of the liver and testes, and expression of the inflammatory, antioxidant, and male reproductive genes.

METHODS: 40 rats were used to evaluate the beneficial effect of silymarin and camel milk against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) toxicity in rats. The classified treatments were the control negative (no treatment) and the control positive (supplied with 1.4 mg aflatoxin/kg diet) for 28 days. Camel milk group (supplied with 1.4 mg aflatoxin/kg diet) for 28 days and camel milk (1 milliliter of camel milk per kilogram of body weight) orally, from day 29 to day 43). Silymarin (supplied with 1.4 mg aflatoxin/kg diet) for 28 days and silymarin (20 mg silymarin/kg b.wt), orally, from day 29 to day 43). The evaluation was done through measuring leukocyte count, liver function tests, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), ferritin, and testosterone. Moreover, the histopathology of the liver and testes was done along with expression levels of specific genes in the liver and testes.

RESULTS: The outcomes showed that the post-treatment with silymarin and camel milk improved biochemical markers in serum and ability to reproduce.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, post-treatment with camel milk and silymarin could mitigate the negative effect of AFB1 on rats.

OBJECTIVES: The use of stem cells is a promising strategy for seizure treatment owing to their unique characteristics. We investigated the role of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in a pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)‍-induced rat seizure model. A selected panel of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which maintain an elaborate balance in brain neural regulatory networks as well as the autophagy pathway, was also targeted.

METHODS: The impact of intravenously administered EPCs on PTZ-induced kindling in rats was evaluated by measuring the expression of neuronal damage markers, neurotrophic factors, and relevant lncRNA genes. Rat behavior was assessed using Y-maze test and open field test (OFT).

RESULTS: EPCs mitigated seizure-associated neurological damage and reversed PTZ-induced working memory and locomotor activity deficits, as evidenced by improved performance in the Y-maze test and OFT. EPC treatment reversed the downregulation of the expression of the lncRNAs , , , , , and . EPCs also boosted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. The ameliorative effect achieved by EPCs was comparable to that produced by valproate.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that EPCs ameliorate kindling epileptic seizures and their associated abnormalities and that the effect of EPCs may be mediated via the upregulation of certain regulatory lncRNAs.