Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Lavi.
In order to define the impact of needle type on post-lumbar puncture headache (PLPH), we performed a prospective, randomized trial comparing the incidence of PLPH in patients undergoing lumbar punctures (LPs) with traumatic vs atraumatic 22-gauge needles. Fifty-eight patients underwent 85 LPs. The incidence of PLPH was 36% in the traumatic vs 3% in the atraumatic group (p = 0.002).
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OBJECTIVE: The effects of visible light irradiation on sperm motility, fertility, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were investigated and compared in ram and fish (tilapia). BACKGROUND DATA: Low-energy visible light has previously been found to modulate various processes in different biological systems. In the literature, it is accepted that the first step following visible light irradiation is the formation of ROS by endogenous cellular photosensitizers. METHODS: Sperm of ram and tilapia were irradiated with various light sources (400-800 nm white light, 660 nm red light, 360 nm blue light, 294 nm UV), and their motility and fertility rates were measured. The amount of ROS generated by irradiation was estimated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique. RESULTS: Sperm taken from tilapia showed higher motility and fertility following red and white light irradiation. In contrast, the motility and fertility of ram sperm were slightly increased only by red light. A negative effect on motility and fertility of sperm of both species was obtained following irradiation with UV and blue light. The amount of ROS produced in irradiated tilapia sperm was much higher than that of ram sperm. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that different wavelengths differentially affect tilapia and ram sperm motility and fertilization. The difference in response to the various light sources might be explained by the different amounts of ROS formation by ram and tilapia, which are in agreement with the physiology of fertilization appropriate to each of these species. Based on these results, it is suggested that in vitro fertilization in mammals should be performed in darkness or at least under red light.
In an attempt to quantify the difference in tissue damage between open cholecystectomy (OC) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), we have compared in a prospective manner the pre- and post-operative concentrations of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in 17 patients undergoing LC and 13 patients undergoing OC. In addition, we measured the pre- and postoperative white blood cell counts (WBC), the postoperative body temperature, and the postoperative duration of hospitalization. There were no differences in the preoperative serum CRP concentrations--5.9 +/- 2.62 mg/l (mean +/- SD) for the LC group and 6.12 +/- 2.38 mg/l for the OC group. Serum CRP rose markedly following OC compared to that of patients who underwent LC (128.6 +/- 45.1 mg/l vs 26.8 +/- 10.5 mg/l) (P < 0.001). There were also significant differences in the postoperative WBC count (14,000 +/- 2,900 cells for the OC group vs 10,600 +/- 3,000 cells for the LC group), the postoperative body temperature (37.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C vs 37.0 +/- 0.3 degrees C), and the postoperative hospital stay (5.5 +/- 1.5 days vs 1.9 +/- 0.9 days). There was no correlation between serum CRP concentrations and the other postoperative parameters. These results provide us with biochemical evidence supporting the clinical observation that LC is far less traumatic to the patient than OC.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the influence of laparoscopic procedures on perisinusoidal cell function. METHODOLOGY: In 31 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis, the serum levels of beta-N-acetyl hexosaminidase (beta-NAH) and hyaluronic acid (HA) were measured. Six female patients, who underwent other laparoscopic procedures, not involving the hepatobiliary system, served as controls. RESULTS: HA serum levels increased significantly in both study and control groups, while beta-NAH serum levels remained within normal values. Post-operative AST and ALT serum levels increased significantly only in the study group. No elevation of serum ALP was noted in any of our patients, and post-operative bilirubin levels did not increase in patients with normal pre-operative levels. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic procedures caused detectable damage to Kupffer and endothelial cells as reflected by elevation of post-operative HA serum levels. The damage to the liver hepatocytes and perisinusoidal cells has no clinical significance and the laparoscopic procedure itself is the probable cause of the Kupffer and endothelial cells damage, while other mechanisms caused damage to the hepatocytes.