Some Published Papers by Dr. Khidir Adam Abdel Galil
Department of Physiology
1. Document Type: Paper (1)
2. Document Title: Galil, K.A.A. (2009). Heart Rate Variability in Obese Subjects
in Response to Short-Term Exercise. Sci. Med. J. Vol. 21, 9 – 16.
3. Subject: HRV in Obese Subjects.
4. Language: English
5. Abstract:
Background: Heart rate variability (HRV), a marker used to evaluate the
autonomic nervous system, has been used for many years due to the significant
relationship common in developed countries and is associated with an increased
risk of heart disease.
Aim of the Work: Our objective was to evaluate the effect of short – term
exercise, on the interaction of the ANS with the cardiovascular system in the
obese subjects compared to the thin normal subjects.
Subjects and Methods: The Effects of short-term exercise was investigated on 20
volunteers Saudi male students aged between 22-24 years old, at the Department
of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz University. The short-term
exercise was done by asking all the students to jog up and down stairs from the 4th
floor to the ground floor and back. HRV was measured before and after the
physical exercise.
Results: Our results demonstrated that, not only the high-frequency waves that
indicates the vagal activity to the heart was decreased in the obese-subjects during
the basal resting condition, but also the sympathetic activity in the obese-subjects
was increased, as evident by the significant increase in the low-frequency waves
compared to the thin-subjects group. Also, short-term exercise of the normalsubjects showed a significant tachycardia that was lost in the obese subjects
indicating a significant decrease in the chronotropic reserve in the obese subjects.
The chronotropic incompetence to exercise could be associated with a high risk
for the coronary artery disease.
Conclusion: Heart rate variability study of the short-term exercise can serve as a
simple method for assessing the cardiac autonomic modulation on the
cardiovascular response to exercise.
6. Publisher: Scientific Medical Journal
7. Journal Name: Scientific Medical Journal
8. Volume: 21
9. Issue Number: 2
10. Publishing Year: 2009
11. Pages: 9 – 16
12. Article Cited By: Dr. Khidir A. A. Galil
Department of Physiology
1. Document Type: Paper (2)
2. Document Title: Al-Khatim, A.A., Suliman, M.I. & Abdel Galil, K.A. (2006)
Silicone Rubber Nipples: Effects of Sesame Oil Extract on Reproduction in Mice.
Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health. 60, 270-275
3. Subject: Effects silicone extracts on reproduction
4. Language: English
5. Abstract: The authors investigated a type of silicone rubber (SR) nipple for
toxicity, caused by chemical migrants, on reproduction and pregnancy outcomes.
They followed an extraction method (set forth in the 20th revised edition of the
United States Pharmacopeia) in which sesame oil was a vehicle. They prepared
the extract daily and administered it orally (50 ml/kg of body weight) into
pregnant Swiss albino mice from gestation Day 0 until delivery. They gave a
control group of mice the pure vehicle that was subjected to the same conditions.
The authors recorded pregnancy weight gain, gestation period, litter size,
stillbirths, and offspring sex ratio. They performed an enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay for pregnancy hormones (progesterone, estradiol, and
prolactin) for each trimester and monitored birth weight, growth rate, and sex
hormone levels (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol
in females; testosterone in males) in offspring. The authors detected SRextractable chemicals by means of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.
The decrease in weight gain from Day 6 of gestation until delivery and the
shortness in the gestation period were significant in dams (p < .05). Newly born
pups demonstrated a significantly (p < .05) lower body weight that continued with
age, and this became highly significant (p < .01) from Day 6. Blood hormone
levels in dams and offspring indicated no significance. In conclusion, the studied
SR nipples indicated leachability, which could affect reproduction, without a
manifest endocrine modulation.
6. Publisher: Heldret Publication (2006)
7. Journal Name: Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health.
8. Volume: 60
9. Issue Number: 5
10. Publishing Year: 2006
11. Pages: 270 – 275
12. Article Cited : Dr. Khidir A. A. Galil
Department of Physiology
1. Document Type: Paper (3)
2. Document Title: Khidir A. Abdel Galil & Awdah M. Al-Hazimi (2004). Effect
of Snake Venoms from Saudi cobras and Vipers on Hormonal Levels in
Peripheral Blood. Saudi Med. J. 25, 447 – 452.
3. Subject: Effects of Venoms on Hormone Levels of Blood.
4. Language: English
5. Abstract:
Objective: Knowledge about the effects of snake venoms on endocrine glands in
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is meager. The aim of the present study is to
investigate the acute and chronic envenomation from 4 snakes out of 8 species of
Saudi Cobras and Vipers on the tissues of endocrine glands and peripheral
hormonal levels in male rats.
Methods: The peripheral blood levels of 4 hormones mainly testosterone,
cortisol, insulin and thyroxin were investigated in male Wistar rats following
acute and chronic treatment of the rats with poisonous snake venoms at the
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdul-Aziz Univeristy,
Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between September 2000 to May 2001.
Results: Using radio immunoassay for hormonal analysis, a rise in testosterone
levels in peripheral blood was obtained following acute treatment, which is due to
the effect of the venoms on vascular permeability and increased blood flow. In
contrast, the chronic treatment with venoms resulted in a delayed effect on
vascular permeability and testicular degeneration resulting in a decreased blood
flow and a significant drop in testosterone concentration. Cortisol levels were no
different than from the controls during acute treatment but it demonstrates gradual
rise following chronic treatment to withstand the stress imposed the animals.
Similar results were obtained for insulin, which showed normal values with acute
treatment but decreased levels of chronic treatment suggesting insulin
insufficiently. Likewise, the thyroxin levels were decreased chronic treatment
suggesting a toxic effect of the poison on the rich blood supply of the thyroid
follicles with a subsequent decrease in blood flow to the tissues and therefore,
decreased thyroid hormone levels.
Conclusion: The effects of venom toxicity on testosterone levels were either
normal or stimulatory with acute treatment or inhibitory with chronic treatment
depending in the vascular blood flow and testicular degeneration. Cortisol levels
were normal at acute treatment but showed a gradual rise reflecting the stress
imposed on the animals. The rise in cortisol levels was visualized to potentiate the
cardiovascular and metabolic changes. The effects on insulin and thyroxin were
similar to those of testosterone level showing normal or stimulatory effect with
acute treatment followed by decreased levels of hormones with chronic treatment.
6. Publisher: Saudi Medical Journal
7. Journal Name: Saudi Medical Journal
8. Volume: 25
9. Issue Number: 8
10. Publishing Year: 2004
11. Pages: 447 – 452
12. Article Cited By: Dr. Khidir A. A. Galil
Department of Physiology
1. Document Type: Paper (4)
2. Document Title: Al-Hazimi, A., & Galil, K.A.A. (2003). Spectral Analysis of
Heart Rate Variability in Diabetic Patients. A study of 20 Cases from King
Abdul-Aziz University Hospital. Ann. Saudi Med. 23, 212 – 215.
3. Subject: HRV in Diabetic Patients
4. Language: English
5. Abstract: Recent advances in technology enable accurate recordings and
automated analysis of 24-hour ECG for detection of beat-to-beat variability,
providing not only more detailed, but much more accurate and precise
information than earlier tests. Heart rate variability (HRV) decreases with age and
shows a circadian variation, with maximum variability during sleep. It is also rate
dependant; the heart rate shows more variability at lower heart rates. The loss of
this beat-to-beat variability is a sign of disease.
It has long been known that cardiovascular autonomic diabetic neuropathy
(CADN) is associated with a loss of heart rate variability. These patients have a
poor cardiovascular prognosis, with a 5-year mortality greater than 50%. Some of
this may be attributed to microvascular or macrovascular disease. However, a
more recent study has shown a relatively poor prognosis for patients with CADN
in a sense of clinically detectable microvascular and macrovascular conditions.
Clinically detectable autonomic failure is usually evident many years or decades
after the onset of diabetes. It is likely that these patients develop subtle deficits in
HRV much earlier, and these may include diminution in spectral domain analysis.
Detection of such changes may be used as markers of pathology, particularly for
study of the benefits of therapeutic interventions. Thus, the aim of this work was
to study HRV in diabetic patients with clinical and sub-clinical autonomic
neuropathy (AN), using spectral analysis, and to determine whether HRV in
patients with sub-clinical AN is abnormal in comparison to normal subjects.
6. Publisher: Annual of Saudi Medical
7. Journal Name: Annual of Saudi Medical
8. Volume: 23
9. Issue Number:
10. Publishing Year: 2003
11. Pages: 212 – 215
12. Article Cited By: Dr. Khidir A. A. Galil
Department of Physiology
1. Document Type: Paper (5)
2. Document Title: Al-Hazimi, A., Al-Ama, N., Syiamic, A., Qosti, R. & Galil, K.
A. A. (2002). Time-domain Analysis of Heart Rate Variability in Diabetic
Patients With and Without Autonomic Neuropathy. Ann. Saudi Med. 22,
400 – 403..
3. Subject: HRV in Diabetic Patients
4. Language: English
Abstract: The normal heart rate is determined by dynamic interaction between the
spontaneous cardiac impulse generated by the sinoatrial (SA) node and conflicting
influences of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems on the conducting
tissue of the heart. The rate of spontaneous depolarization of the SA node is itself
affected by its metabolic milieu and in the longer term, by hormonal influences.
Normal resting heart rate is maintained by the tonic influence of the parasympathetic
vagus nerve, and acceleration of the heart rate is affected both by the inhibition of
vagal influence and the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The activity
of the autonomic is also governed by moment-to-moment changes in blood pressure
and respiration, which alter heart rate continuously. The resultant heart rate is the
summation of all these influences and thus inherently unpredictable on a beat-to-beat
basis.
Recent advances in technology have enabled accurate recordings and the
automated analysis of 24-hour ECG to detect beat-to-beat variability, providing not
only more detailed, but much more accurate and precise information than the earlier
tests. Heart rate variability (HRV) decreases with age, and shows a circadian
variation, being maximum during sleep. It is also rate dependant, the heart rate
showing more variability at lower heart rates. The loss of this beat-to-beat variability
is a sign of disease.
It has long been known that cardiovascular autonomic diabetic neuropathy
(CADN) is associated with a loss of heart rate variability. These patients have a poor
cardiovascular prognosis, with a 5-year mortality greater than 50%. Some of this may
be attributed to micro- or macrovascular disease, however, a recent study has shown
the relatively poor prognosis of patients with CADN in the absence of clinically
detectable micro- or macrovascular conditions. Clinically detectable autonomic
failure is usually evident many years or decades after the onset of diabetes. It is likely
that these patients develop subtle deficits in HRV much earlier, and these may include
diminution in time-domain analysis. Detection of such changes may be used as
markers of pathology, particularly to study the benefits of therapeutic interventions.
Thus, the aim of this work was to study HRV in diabetic patients with clinical and
sub-clinical autonomic neuropathy (AN), and to determine whether HRV in patients
with sub-clinical AN is abnormal in comparison to normal controls.
5. Publisher: Annuals of Saudi Medicine
6. Journal Name: Annuals of Saudi Medicine
7. Volume: 22
8. Issue Number: 5 – 6
9. Publishing Year: 2002
10. Pages: 400 – 4003
11. Article Cited By: Dr. Khidir A. A. Galil
Department of Physiology
1. Document Type: Paper (6)
2. Document Title: Galil, K.A.A., & Setchell, B.P. (1988). Effects of Local Heating
of the Testes on the Concentration of Testosterone in Jugular and Testicular
Venous Blood of Rats and on Testosterone Production in vitro. Intern. J. Androl.
11, 61072.
3. Subject: Effect of Heat on Testosterone Production
4. Language: English
5. Abstract: Heating both testes of rats to between 39oC and 41oC for 30 min was
apparently without effect 21 days later, but heating to between 41.5oC and 43oC
for 30 min resulted in a significant drop in testis weight accompanied by
significant rises in the serum levels of LH and FSH. There were no changes in
serum testosterone concentration in the peripheral circulation although there were
increases in the concentration in testicular venous blood. The ability of the heated
testis to secrete testosterone in vivo in response to maximal stimulation by hCG
was reduced, as judged by testosterone levels in peripheral blood, while there was
a supranormal increase in testosterone levels in testicular venous blood.
Maximally stimulated testosterone production in vitro by the heated testis was
supranormal whereas the basal production of testosterone per testis was not
different from control values. Therefore, it appears that the testosterone produced
by Leydig cells from heated testes may not be secreted as effectively as in normal
testes.
6. Publisher: International Journal of Andrology
7. Journal Name: International Journal of Andrology
8. Volume: 11
9. Issue Number:
10. Publishing Year: 1988
11. Pages: 61 – 72
12. Article Cited By: Dr. Khidir A. A. Galil
Department of Physiology
1. Document Type: Paper (7)
2. Document Title: Galil, K.A.A., & Setchell, B.P. (1988). Effect of Local Heating
on Testis & Testicular Blood Flow & Testosterone Secretion in Rats. Intern. J.
Androl. 11, 73 – 85.
3. Subject: Effect of Heat on Testicular Blood Flow.
4. Language: English
5. Abstract: Exposure of one or both testes of rats to heating at 43oC for 30 min
resulted in a significant reduction in blood flow per testis, as measured using
microspheres. The effects on the testes of unilateral and bilateral heating were
similar, although the changed in FSH levels in peripheral blood were in general
less marked after unilateral heating. Testicular blood flow fell, along with
testicular weight, beginning at 2-4 days and reaching minimum values 14 – 21
days after heating. Both blood flow per testis and testicular weight were
beginning to recover 35 days post-heating and blood flow per testis was normal
by 56 days following heat treatment, although testicular weight was still slightly
reduced at that time. Heating one or both testes to 42oC produced similar but
smaller responses 21 days later, whereas temperatures of 41oC or lower were
without effect on the parameters measured, except for some rises in serum LH and
FSH. With slight reductions in blood flow, there were corresponding increases in
testicular venous testosterone concentration so that testosterone secretion was
unaffected. Further reductions in blood flow at 14 and 21 days after heating to
43oC were not fully compensated by an increase in the concentration of
testosterone in testicular venous blood, with the result that testosterone secretion
fell.
6. Publisher: International Journal of Andrology
7. Journal Name: International Journal of Andrology.
8. Volume: 11
9. Issue Number:
10. Publishing year: 1988
11. Pages: 73 – 85
12. Article Cited By: Dr. Khidir A. A. Galil
Department of Physiology