Crocetin reduces TNBS-lnduced experimental colitis in mice by downregulation of NFkB

Ulcerative colitis [UC] is characterized by oxidative and nitrosative stress, leukocyte infiltration and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. In this study, we aim to investigate the effects of crocetin and its protective mechanism on 2, 4, 6- trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid [TNBS]-induced colitis in mice model. Intestinal lesions [judged by macroscopic and histological score] were associated with neutrophil infiltration [measured as increase in myeloperoxidase [MPO] activity in the mucosa], and high levels of malondialdehyde MDA [an indicator of lipid peroxidation]. Dose-response studies revealed that treatment of mice with crocetin [50 mg/kg/day] i.g. for 8 days] significantly ameliorated diarrhea and the disruption of colonic architecture. Higher and lower doses [100 and 25 mg/kg/day] did not exhibit comparable effects. In crocetin-treated mice, a significant reduction was noted in the degree of both neutrophil infiltration [measured as decrease in myeloperoxidase activity] and lipid peroxidation [measured as decrease in malondialdehyde activity] in the inflamed colon. Crocetin also reduced the levels of nitric oxide [NO] associated with the favorable expression of TH1 and TH2 cytokines and inducible NO synthase along with the down regulation of nuclear factor-kB [NFkB]. These findings suggest that crocetin exerts beneficial effects in experimental colitis, and therefore we propose that this carotenoid may have therapeutic implications for human UC and can be administered along with the conventional therapy of UC

Quality assessment and impact of parent literacy on national immunization days campaign in district Jamshoro Sindh-Pakistan

This study was designed to assess quality of National Immunization Days [NIDs] for Oral Polio Vaccination campaign by specific indicators like age, sex day wise attendance of children, their parents literacy level and distance from house to reach the camp. The arrangements for social mobilization and publicity material were also inspected. The study is descriptive and cross sectional carried on 187 under five children who were brought at fixed oral polio vaccination centre opened in EPI centre in OPD department of Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro branch. Study was conducted from 7[th] August to 11[th] August 2007 during NIDs round of five days. Data was analyzed on SPSS version 14. Children who were brought to OPV Centre were included in study. Children who were given drops by mobile teams at homes were excluded. The five day NIDS campaign data showed that 187 children of under five years were registered and vaccinated with oral polio drops, the mean number of children per day was 37.4 with Standard Deviation +/- 30.4 and Median was 33 children. 51.8% children were male and 49.2% were female. 9.1% in the age of 1 to 29 days and 25.1% in age between one month to 11 months. Majority of parents who brought children were illiterate and came from distance more than 5km. Quality of physical arrangements, like publicity material, social mobilization, site and furniture as well cold chain and vaccine supply was satisfactory. Study concluded that it was high quality NIDs campaign in Jamshoro District of Sindh and pointed that in 2008 Pakistan may he polio free country

Development of a stress scale for pregnant women in the South Asian context: the A-Z Stress Scale

Stress in pregnancy can lead to low-birth-weight and preterm babies and to psychological consequences such as anxiety and depression during pregnancy and the puerperium. Previous scales to measure stress contain items that overlap with the symptoms of pregnancy. A stress scale was developed based on in-depth interviews with pregnant women in Pakistan. Construct validity, test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability were carried out. Cronbach alpha was 0.82 for the 30 short-listed items, with item-total correlations of 0.2-0.8. Multidimensional scaling determined 2 dimensions: socioenvironmental hassles and chronic illnesses. This was the first scale developed for pregnant women based on stressors in a developing country in South Asia

Maternal and newborn care: practices and beliefs of traditional birth attendants in Sindh, Pakistan

Maternal mortality, infant mortality and neonatal mortality are high in Pakistan where maternal health services depend upon traditional birth attendants [TBAs]. We examined the practices of TBAs in Dadu district in rural Sindh from September to November 1998 by interviewing and hosting focus group discussions with 17 TBAs. Health care personnel and other important members of the community were also interviewed. TBAs worked in areas demarcated by extended families, ethnicity or geographical access and a system of seniority was observed. Only one TBA was formally trained and antenatal and postnatal care concepts, cleanliness and equipment were inadequate. Communities trusted the TBAs and remunerated them according to factors particular to each birth. TBAs need training and to be linked with the formal health sector to effect change and to decrease maternal and neonatal mortality

Intra-articular bupivacaine plus opioid for chronic joint pain

Traditionally opioids are considered to exert their analgesic effects within the central nervous system. There are receptors in joints also, which are sensitive to minimal doses of opioids. We have injected combined of local anaesthetic and minimal doses of Pethedine/Nubain [Nalbuphine] to see result in chronic osteoartritic knee pain and other small joints pain. The results were compared with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation [TENS], Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs [NSADIAs] and Intra-Articular Steroids. We have observed that twice-a-week injection of 10 mg Pethedine or 5mg Nubain plus 10 ml of 0.25% Bupivacaine in a 70kg patient had much longer analgesic effect

Post herpetic neuralgia: use of streptomycin preliminary report

Many treatment modalities have been tried for post-herpetic neuralgia without proving to be specific or reliable. Aminoglycosides, due to their different effects on cellular functions, have been successfully tried in trigeminal neuralgia and various neuropathic pains. At the Pain Centre, Combined Military Hospital, Karachi, intercostal block with 1g streptomycin in 2ml of 2% lignocaine was used on alternate days in 16 patients of post-herpetic neuralgia with favourable results. Of the 16 patients, 9 found the treatment helped to reduce the severity of pain, while in 7 complete pain relief was achieved. These initial results are encouraging and worthy of further investigation