AIM: To translate the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ) Long-Term Catheter Quality of Life (LTCqol) questionnaire (ICIQ-LTCqol) from English to Arabic and evaluate its psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND: Currently, no tool for Arabic-speaking patients is available to measure the quality of life in patients using long-term urinary catheters.

DESIGN: Translation and psychometric assessment of questionnaire.

METHODS: The internal consistency and construct validity of the translated Arabic version of the ICIQ-LTCqol were evaluated in a convenience sample of 141 participants recruited from a hospital in Egypt from April to September 2017. Test-retest reliability was assessed for a sample of 15 participants who completed this version at two time points. Construct validity was assessed by factor analysis.

RESULTS: The translated Arabic version of the ICIQ-LTCqol showed satisfactory test-retest reliability and internal consistency, with the Cronbach α = .75. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the same two factors ("catheter function" and "lifestyle") structure as found in the English version of the tool supporting the construct validity of the translated questionnaire.

CONCLUSION: This original and significant study allows, for the first time, researchers and clinicians working with Arabic-speaking patients, the opportunity to evaluate the quality of life in long-term urinary catheter users.

Our previous publications and the data presented here provide evidences on the ability of plant-based culture media to optimize the cultivability of rhizobacteria and to support their recovery from plant-soil environments. Compared to the tested chemically-synthetic culture media (e.g. nutrient agar and N-deficient combined-carbon sources media), slurry homogenates, crude saps, juices and powders of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) and succulent plants (Aloe vera and Aloe arborescens) were rich enough to support growth of rhizobacteria. Representative isolates of Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Bacillus spp. and Azospirillum spp. exhibited good growth on agar plates of such plant-based culture media. Cell growth and biomass production in liquid batch cultures were comparable to those reported with the synthetic culture media. In addition, the tested plant-based culture media efficiently recovered populations of rhizobacteria associated to plant roots. Culturable populations of >106-108 cfu g-1 were recovered from the ecto- and endo-rhizospheres of tested host plants. More than 100 endophytic culture-dependent isolates were secured and subjected to morphophysiological identification. Factor and cluster analyses indicated the unique community structure, on species, genera, class and phyla levels, of the culturable population recovered with plant-based culture media, being distinct from that obtained with the chemically-synthetic culture media. Proteobacteria were the dominant (78.8%) on plant-based agar culture medium compared to only 31% on nutrient agar, while Firmicutes prevailed on nutrient agar (69%) compared to the plant-based agar culture media (18.2%). Bacteroidetes, represented by Chryseobacterium indologenes, was only reported (3%) among the culturable rhizobacteria community of the plant-based agar culture medium. © 2015.

Present study was aimed to investigate in vitro antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of the ethanolic extracts of Astragalus subrobustus (A. subrobustus) and Astragalus woronowii (A. woronowii) on PCM induced liver damage in rats. The antioxidant activities of both extracts were assayed and their activities were compared to standard antioxidants, ascorbic acid and pyrogallol. Liver injury was induced by PCM administration (2 g/kg, orally) as a single dose. The results revealed that the EC50 values of A. subrobustus and A. woronowii extracts, ascorbic acid and pyrogallol were calculated to be 2535, 0.8408, 75.62 and 0.0000248 μg/mL, respectively. PCM administration showed hepatic damage and oxidative stress in rats as indicated by elevated serum activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) and serum level of total bilirubin (BRN). At the same time, PCM decreased the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes, content of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver homogenates. A. subrobustus (400 mg/kg) and A. woronowii (200 and 400 mg/kg) extracts or silymarin administration prevented the toxic effect of PCM on the above parameters. Liver histopathology supported the biochemical findings. The data obtained in the present study suggests that A. subrobustus and A. woronowii have potent antioxidant activities and afford significant hepatoprotective activity against PCM induced hepatotoxicity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Allium paniculatum L. (A. paniculatum) and Capparis spinosa L. (C. spinosa) extracts in rats. Adult rats were divided into seven groups (n=6). The 1st (control) and 2nd (hepatotoxic) groups received the vehicle. The 3rd group received silymarin. The 4th - 7th groups received A. paniculatum and C. spinosa extracts at 2 dose levels (200 and 400mg/kg, respectively). Rats were administered the vehicle, silymarin or extracts orally for 21 days and simultaneously administered thioacetamide (TAA), one h after the respective assigned treatments(except the 1st group), every 72 h. At the end of the experimental period, all animals were sacrificed, blood samples were collected and serum was separated. Livers were dissected out for determination of their antioxidant status and for histopathological examination. Injection of thioacetamide elevated serum activities of liver enzymes; alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and ã-glutamyl transferase (ã-GT) in hepatotoxic group compared to normal controls. In the liver, significantly elevated level of malondialdehyde (MDA), lowered levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were observed in hepatotoxic group. Treatment of rats with both extracts displayed hepatoprotective effect as evident by reduced serum activities of liver enzymes, as well as higher CAT, GPx, SOD activities and GSH concentration. The histopathological analysis suggested that both extracts obviously alleviated the degree of liver damage induced by TAA. In conclusion, A. paniculatum and C. spinosa attenuate hepatotoxicity induced by TAA.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to investigate the modulatory effects of pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC; 100 mg/kg) on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis (5 mg/kg; intratracheal) in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were randomly assigned to three groups: normal control, bleomycin control, and PDTC-treated groups. Lung injury was evaluated through histological examination, immunohistochemical detection of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lung tissue and evaluating the total and differential leucocytes count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Lung tissue was used for biochemical assessment of lung content of hydroxyproline, transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) as well as analysis of lipid peroxides, reduced glutathione (GSH), and total nitrite contents.

RESULTS: PDTC attenuated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis as evidenced by histological observations, decreased iNOS expression and prevention of bleomycin-induced altered total and differential leukocytes count. Additionally, PDTC caused a significant decrease in lung contents of hydroxyproline, TGF-β1, TNF-α, lipid peroxides, and total nitrite coupled with increase in lung GSH content as compared to bleomycin control group.

CONCLUSION: PDTC attenuated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats via its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antifibrotic activities.

INTRODUCTION: Sorafenib, an FDA-approved standard chemotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, is associated with numerous adverse effects that significantly impact patients' physiological well-being. Consequently, identifying agents that mitigate these side effects while enhancing efficacy is crucial. Hesperetin, a flavone present in fruits and vegetables, possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. This study aimed to investigate the hepatotoxic and neurotoxic effects of sorafenib and the potential protective role of hesperetin.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Swiss albino mice were orally administered sorafenib (100 mg/kg) alone or in combination with hesperetin (50 mg/kg) over 21 days. Behavioral assessments for anxiety and depressive-like behaviors were conducted. Additionally, evaluations encompassed apoptotic activity, mitochondrial integrity, liver enzyme levels, proliferation rates, and histopathological changes.

RESULTS: Combining hesperetin with sorafenib showed improvements in behavioral alterations, liver damage, brain mitochondrial dysfunction, and liver apoptosis compared to the sorafenib-only group in mice.

CONCLUSION: Hesperetin exhibits potential as an adjunct to sorafenib, mitigating its side effects by attenuating its toxicity, enhancing efficacy, and potentially reducing the occurrence of sorafenib-induced resistance through the downregulation of hepatocyte growth factor levels.