BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: OBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS is associated with overproduction of some materials such as endogenous opioids (EOP) and nitric oxide (NO) in the blood streams. Physiology of sex axis hormones could be affected by some of these changes. This study was done to investigate the relationship between OBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS and sex axis in adult male rats. METHODS: To study the topic, three groups of animals were used: no- surgery, sham- surgery, and surgical ligation of the bile duct. After 3 weeks, all animals were killed by ether. Serum concentration levels of inhibin B, FSH and LH were determined by ELISA and RIA, respectively. FINDINGS: The level of inhibin B was significantly higher in CHOLESTASIS than control and sham, and serum FSH and LH were significantly higher in control and sham than CHOLESTASIS (p<0.05).CONCLUSION: The results showed that OBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS decreased the levels of serum gonadotropins but it did not damage testicular functions.

Introduction & Objective: OBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS is associated with overproduction of endogenous opioids, nitric oxide and cytokins in the blood streams. These consequences may affect sex hormones since proper fertility will be resulted from physiological balance of sex hormones; we investigated the relationship between OBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS and gonadotropins and sperm parameters in adult male rats.Materials & Methods: To study this, we used three groups of animals: control (Nosurgery), Sham (surgical control), and cholestatic (surgical ligation of the bile duct). After 3 weeks all animals were killed by ether, and serum concentrations of FSH and LH were determined by radioimmunoassay, sperm parameters were evaluated by light microscope.Results: The findings of this study showed that LH and FSH levels decreased significantly in cholestatic compared to control and sham groups (p<0.05). On the other hand, we did not find any significant difference in sperm parameters between cholestatic and other groups (P>0.05).Conclusion: These findings indicated that OBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS lead to decrease in the levels of serum gonadotropins, but it has no significant effect on sperm parameters. We speculated that spermatogenesis, and sperm parameters were not dependent on gonadotropin hormones but other factors may involve.

Gastrointestinal amyloidosis is a condition caused by the deposition of extracellular protein fragments. It can be associated with complex and diverse pathways and can have numerous manifestations and etiologies. Hepatic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare disorder characterized by the deposition of the insoluble amyloid protein in the liver. The clinical presentations of AL amyloidosis are frequently non-specific. In this case report, we describe a patient with amyloidosis, who initially presented with an unusual case of severe intrahepatic CHOLESTASIS, which followed a rapidly progressive clinical course that was associated with the acute hypercalcemic crisis. The diagnosis of amyloidosis was made after the liver and bone biopsies were performed. Our findings revealed that AL amyloidosis should be considered, when a patient presents with cholestatic hepatitis, renal failure, and hypercalcemia.

Introduction: OBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS is associated with overproduction of endogenous opioids (EOP) ,nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines in the blood stream. These consequences can affect sex hormones. Sincefertility is a result of physiological balance of sex hormones, we investigated the relationship betweenOBSTRUCTIVE CHOLESTASIS and sex hormones and apoptotic germ cells in adult male rats. Material and Methods: To study this, we used three groups of animals: Control (No-surgery), Sham(surgical control), and cholestatic (surgical ligation of the bile duct). After 3 weeks all animal were killed byether, and serum concentrations of inhibin B , FSH and LH were determined by ELISA andRadioimmunoassay respectively. Testicular germinal cell apoptosis was evaluated by DNA fragmentationdetected by in situ terminal deoxynucloetidyl Transfrase-mediated dUTP nike end labeling (TUNEL). Results: The findings of this study showed that LH and FSH levels were significantly decreased incholestatic compared to control and sham groups (P<0.05). However, inhibin B level was significantly higherin CHOLESTASIS compared to control and sham (P<0.05). On the other hand, no statistically significant differencewas seen between germinal cell apoptotic index of cholestatic group and that of the other groups (P>0.19). Conclusion: These findings revealed that although the serum level change has no significant effect ontesticular germinal cell apoptosis. We speculate that testicular germinal cell apoptosis is not just dependent ongonadoteropin hormone and that other factors may be involved.        

Background: Neonatal CHOLESTASIS syndrome includes a wide spectrum of clinical conditions ranging from congenital malformations of the hepatobiliary tree, infections, and inborn errors of metabolism to some clinical conditions with or without genetic predilection. The aim of this study is the survey of epidemiological and clinical findings of CHOLESTASIS in our center for a better approach and management of cholestatic newborns. Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of the medical notes of all infants treated for cholestosis at our center between 1999-2004. Results: Male to female ratio of 61 analyzed cases of neonatal CHOLESTASIS syndrome was 2/1. Intrahepatic causes were responsible for 73.3 % of CHOLESTASIS cases consisting of neonatal hepatitis 2, inspissated bile syndrome 1, and histiocytosis 1 cases. Extrahepatic CHOLESTASIS was diagnosed in 20/3 % of cases as choledocal cyst in 2, and billiary atresia in 14 cases.Conclusion: Intrahepatic CHOLESTASIS is commonest form of neonatal CHOLESTASIS in our center. Early diagnosis and management of neonatal CHOLESTASIS is of great importance for good results of treatment. This can be achieved by instructing the parents and health personnel to refer the suspected newborns to neonatology center as soon as possible.