Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a pro-inflammatory lipid mediator that increases vascular permeability by simultaneous activation of two pathways, one dependent on the cyclooxygenase metabolite prostaglandin E2 and the other on the sphingomyelinase metabolite ceramide. The hypothesis that part of the PAF-induced oedema is mediated via the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) pathway or Rho ki...

Possible central noradrenergic and cholinergic modulation of acute peripheral inflammation was investigated in rats, adopting the formaldehyde-induced pedal inflammation as the experimental model. Intracerebroventricularly (icv) administered noradrenaline (NA), alpha-adrenoceptor agonist, L-phenylephrine, alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine and non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blocker, propr...

Massive vulval oedema is not common during pregnancy, but when it develops, it often is associated with patient discomfort and management challenges. Two pregnant women presented to Bugando Medical Centre in Mwanza, Tanzania, with massive swelling of the vulva at 39 weeks and 32 weeks of gestation. Both women were found to have multiple gestations. Despite medical management, there was no resol...

Roche, Silva and Antonio (3) showed that there is production of oedema in animals exposed to a temperature of 44°·45°C for twenty to thirity minutes and there is release of body bradykinin. The possibility of 5-HT and histamine being responsible for such an oedema is ruled out firstly by the fact that the mast cells get stablized at this temperature and secondly the antihistaminic and antiserot...

AIM To report the success of vitrectomy in eliminating cystoid macular oedema and improving vision in three eyes of two patients with diabetic cystoid macular oedema. In all of the eyes there was no ophthalmoscopic evidence of traction from a posterior hyaloid membrane or from proliferative tissue. METHODS Pars plana vitrectomy was performed on three eyes of two patients with diabetic cystoid...

Triethyl tin(TET)-induced cerebral oedema has been studied in cats by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the findings correlated with the histology and fine structure of the cerebrum following perfusion-fixation. MRI is a sensitive technique for detecting cerebral oedema, and the distribution and severity of the changes correlate closely with the morphological abnormalities. The relaxation t...