Sapporo Medical Journal

Abstract : Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an ancient fruit that is still part of diet all over the world. Health-promoting effects have long been attributed to this fruit; modern research supports the use of pomegranate as a folk remedy for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and many other ailments. Many interactions have been reported between different food substances and drugs that would alter the effect of the drug, and some are known to cause serious consequences on the health. The importance of diet-drug interactions has prompted the study of the effect of concurrent admiration of different food substances to determine drugs’ dosing, timing, and formulation for new drug candidates before being marketed. This review provides an overview of current knowledge of the effect of pomegranate juice on different enzymes and transporters that modulate the pharmacokinetic parameters by using different liquid chromatographic bioanalytical methods.

Abstract : The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of patients with anorectal anomalies (ARA) associated with CHD at a tertiary care hospital in a 5 years period. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the filling system of all children who underwent surgical correction for ARA either of high or low type in a 5 years period from January 2012 until December 2017. Various assessment measures were evaluated and reported including; clinical examination, electrocardiography (ECG), chest radiography, and color Doppler echocardiography. Results: Sixty-three patients with ARA were studied. They were 44 males and 19 females with a male to female ratio of (2.3: 1). Out of the total patients, 41 showed CHD with a percentage of 65.1%. CHD types varied from atrial-septal defect (ASD) in 28 patients (68.3%), coarctation of the aorta in 2 patients (4.9%), mixed anomalies of ASD associated with ventricular-septal defect (VSD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in 8 patients (19.5%). Two patients (4.9%) showed multiple CHD that were ASD + PDA while the remaining one (2.4%) were having VSD. Conclusion: The frequency of CHD in patients with ARA was very high. The commonest CHD encountered presentation was ASD. The current reported data indicate the needs to establish larger scale studies at national or international levels for accurately determine the frequency of CHD in ARA patients.

Abstract : Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract (GI). The Major symptoms of CD are diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Smoking is one of the environmental factors that play an essential role in CD development and severity. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge of population about the relationship between Crohn's disease and smoking. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Eastern province, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a multiple-choice questionnaire composed of 13 questions assessing individual's risk factors of CD and the awareness of its relation with smoking. The total number of participants enrolled in this study was 904 participants. 84.3% of participants are free of CD, and only thirteen participants (1.4%) are diagnosed with it. The participants were asked about whether they are smokers or not, and most of the participants (85.7%) were not smokers. Data showed that general non-smoker people are aware of the relationship between smoking and CD. On the other hand, most smokers are unaware of the relation between their habit and the disease.

Abstract : Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the ability of topical use of autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) to improve success rate of myringoplasty. Patients and Methods: This investigation was led to the ENT Department at Minia University Hospital and included 30 patients with different sizes, dry, central tympanic membrane perforation, attending the E.N.T. outpatient clinic. Half the patients underwent fat graft myringoplasty (group A), while others received the fat graft with PRP (group B). Results: The graft was taken in 13 patients (86.7%) in group A, and in 14 patients (93.3%) in group B. Healing time was shorter in group B (2 months) than in group A (3 months). There was insignificant different between the two graft types in hearing gain, but in each graft type there was significant decrease in the mean ABG postoperatively. Conclusion: Effective autologous PRP application during myringoplasty has favorable healing results in small, medium sized and large central perforations

Abstract : Introduction: Stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking and lack of physical activity are all modifiable risk factors that can prevent stroke. BE-FAST, an acronym for balance, eyes, face, arm, speech and time, can be used to recognize more than 95% of ischemic strokes. Objective: This study aims to assess the general knowledge of university students in Saudi Arabia regarding the common symptoms of stroke as well as their awareness of when to present to a medical facility. Methodology: A cross-sectional study conducted as an online survey distributed amongst university students from King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from September-October 2020.Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20. Results: A total of 321 volunteers participated in the study. Facial asymmetry and hemibody weakness were the least symptoms to be recognized among the studied sample (29% and 40.8% respectively). The awareness of the urgency to seek medical help was very high as 90.7% said that they need to seek medical help as soon as symptoms appear and 92% said that they would go to the Emergency Room rather than outpatient clinics. Conclusion: Awareness of stroke symptoms is associated with better prognosis however current knowledge of university students is still suboptimal especially regarding some of the common early symptoms/signs like facial and hemibody weakness.