No abstract

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hematopoietic factor with multiple protective effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effect of EPO administration on renal functions and hypoxia inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1a) in diabetic rat kidneys. The current study was carried out on 40 male albino rats divided into four groups (n = 10 in each). Group I served as normal control, group II was the diabetic control, group III rats received EPO on the same day of diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM), while group IV received the first dose of EPO 2 weeks after the diagnosis of DM. The results showed that EPO supplementation leads to a significant decrease in serum urea, urinary protein and creatinine clearance as well as a significant increase in renal HIF-1a in group III and IV rats compared to the diabetic control group (group II). However, fasting blood glucose was significantly decreased in group III as compared to the diabetic control group in the third week, but no significant difference was reported in the fourth week among groups II, III and IV. Conclusion: EPO administration leads to the improvement of renal functions and increased levels of HIF-1a in diabetic rats.

No abstract

No abstract

We measured basal Cortisol levels in 15 children with kwashiorkor, 15 children with marasmic kwashiorkor, and 21 children with marasmus, before and after nutritional rehabilitation, as well as in 10 underweight and 8 normal Egyptian children. Cortisol levels are elevated in kwashiorkor, marasmic kwashiorkor, and marasmus groups, but returned to normal after nutritional rehabilitation. No differences in basal Cortisol were detected between the three severely malnourished groups before refeeding. The percent body weight deficit and the calculated muscle diameter correlated significantly with Cortisol levels in all the children before nutritional rehabilitation, but there was no significant correlation between serum albumin or glucose and Cortisol levels. Increased Cortisol levels appeared not to be related to the type of protein-energy malnutrition, but represent an attempt of the organism to adapt to decreased dietary protein and/or energy supply through breakdown of muscle protein to provide the liver with the necessary amino acids for gluconeogenesis and albumin synthesis. ATM Soliman, AEI Hassan, MK Aref, AD Rogol, Serum Cortisol Concentrations in Children with Protein-Energy Malnutrition. 1989; 9(6): 533-537 Adaption to nutritional deficiency depends substantially on the endocrine control of intermediary metabolism. Marasmus and kwashiorkor, the two major forms of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), result from proper adaptation and failure to adapt, respectively.