Pulmonary Function Assessment in Young Female Medical Students Suffering from Anemia.

Introduction: Anemia is common problem in people of high socioeconomic status of all age group. Th is is usually seen with reduced work capacity, early fatigability, mental irritation, dyspnea etc. Despite of good and easy availability of food, young girls of high socioeconomic status still remain anemic mainly due to lack of self care in terms of nutritional diet, somewhat hate for green leafy vegetables, charm of junk foods devoid of nutritional substances including iron, inadequate physical exercise. Present study was conducted to assess the pulmonary functions in young anemic female medical students belonging to high socioeconomic status. Methods: Based on Hemoglobin level subjects were divided in to 2 groups. Group 1 comprised of obese students (Hb>12 gm/dl) and group 2 comprised of anemic students (Hb<12gm/dl). Age, height and weight, of all subjects were noted. Body mass index was calculated by dividing weight (in Kg) with height in meter2. Data obtained were analyzed using t-test. Result: Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Peak expiratory fl ow rate (PEFR), FEV1 and Maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) in anemic group subjects were signifi cantly lower in comparison to control group. However FEV1/FVC did not show any signifi cant diff erence. Conclusion: Anemia leads to decreased pulmonary functions which further hampers the oxygenation of the tissue and may worsen the physical and mental capabilities.

Effect of long term oral administration of L-arginine on experimentally produced myocardial ischemia in rabbits.

L-arginine a semi essential amino acid and a precursor of nitric oxide (NO) was orally supplemented in diet (standard rabbit feed) of hypercholesterolemic (n=6) and normal rabbits (n=6) for 16 weeks. Myocardial ischemia was produced in both groups of rabbits by subcutaneous single bolus injection of isoproteronol. Severity of myocardial ischemia was assessed by estimating the serum CPK and AST levels after 6 hour of ischemia-reperfusion. The result suggests that severity of ischemia was lesser in the L-arginine primed hypercholesterolemic group.

Study of heart rate and blood pressure changes under distension of right and left atrial appendages in dogs.

Fifteen healthy stray dogs of both sexes were employed in the present study. The effect of distension of right and left atrial appendages with normal saline was observed on heart rate and blood pressure under different situations. It has been found that distension of either appendages separately or simultaneously invariably evoked tachycardia without any appreciable change in blood pressure. Increase in heart rate was found to be of a same magnitude with 5 ml normal saline in both the atrial appendages. However, a higher response was obtained with 10 ml normal saline distension in case of right atrial appendage as compared to left one. Increase in the extent of distension causes more significant response, the receptors of which are stimulated and may be allied to stretch receptors. It is contended that tachycardia could be a reflex effect which is abolished by vagotomy. It is further contended that either afferent, efferent or both pathways exist in the vagi.