Drissa Sanou

Effects of selenium deficiency on the response of cardiac tissue to ischemia and reperfusion

Over a 10-week period, female Wistar rats received a diet containing a low level of selenium, cofactor of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in order to examine the influence of deficiency of this trace element (i) on tissue antioxidant enzyme defence systems, and (ii) on the susceptibility of the myocardium to ischemia-reperfusion injury. At the end of the dietary treatment, hearts were perfused at constant flow (11 ml/min) before being subjected to 15 min of global normothermic ischemia, followed by 30 min of reperfusion. The effects of selenium deficiency were estimated by studying functional recovery of various cardiac parameters (left ventricular developed pressure LVDevP, heart rate HR, and the product HR x LVDevP), as well as ultrastructural tissue characteristics. Furthermore, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were measured at the end of the reperfusion period. Results suggest that: (a) the activity of GPx is decreased by selenium deficiency while SOD activity remains unchanged, (b) the recovery of cardiac function and myocardial ventricular ultrastructure during reperfusion are altered in the selenium-deficient group compared to controls. These results illustrate the crucial role that selenium, the co-factor of one of the major antioxidant enzymes of the myocardium, plays in determining the vulnerability of the heart to ischemia and reperfusion.

Enteric parasites prevalence at Saint Camille Medical Centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of parasitic infections among patients attending Saint Camille Medical Centre and to estimate co-parasitic infections rates. METHODS From January to December 2009, stool samples were collected from 11 728 persons, aged from five months to 72 years and suffering from gastroenteritis. After macroscopic description, the stools were examined by light microscopy to search for the presence of parasites. RESULTS From the 11 728 analyzed stools, 6 154 (52.47%) were infected with at least one parasite. Protozoan frequently encountered were: Giardia intestinalis (43.47%), Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar (30.74%) and Trichomonas intestinalis (21.72%), while Hymenolepis nana (2.25%) was the most common helminth. Co-infections occurred in 22.34% cases. Within the multi-infected samples, dual and triple infections accounted for 71.18% and 20.00%, respectively. Giardia intestinalis for protozoan and Hymenolepis nana for helminths were the most implicated co-infections. CONCLUSIONS This study confirms that intestinal parasites are still a public health problem in Burkina Faso. To reduce the incidence of parasitic infections, it is necessary to promote the education of people so that they practice the rules of individual and collective hygiene.

Imagerie échographique de la glande mammaire de la chèvre en lactation

L’echographie est appliquee a la mamelle. L’objectif est d’apprecier l’anatomie interne et le flux de lait des citernes mammaires pendant la lactation chez la chevre sahelienne. L’etude a porte sur 5 chevres multipares, d’âge compris entre [36-48] mois et de poids moyen de 32,5±7,3 kilogrammes. Les examens ont ete realises une fois par semaine pendant cinq semaines. Ils sont pratiques sur des femelles separees de leurs petits pendant au moins 12 heures. Le remplissage des citernes a ete realise a 2, 4, 6 et 8 heures apres la tetee. Sur la mamelle rasee, la sonde a ete appliquee longitudinalement a l’angle du trayon. Le volume moyen de lait apres 12 heures a ete de 59,13±37,63 millilitres. Apres la tetee le volume moyen de lait residuel a ete de 6,72±4,16 millilitres. Le remplissage des citernes au fil du temps apres la tetee a ete de 9,33±5,28, 15,01±8,10, 22,74±10,54, et 36,04±20,41 millilitres respectivement. La vitesse moyenne de remplissage des citernes mammaires a ete de 3,66±2,25 millilitre /heure. La vitesse de remplissage a ete plus elevee (5,26±1,97 millilitre /heure) pendant les quatre dernieres heures. En somme, l’echographie a permis d’apprecier les flux de lait des citernes mammaires de la chevre sahelienne en lactation. Mots cles : Chevre sahelienne, echographie, citerne mammaire.