A Case of Bilateral Retinal Hemorrhage with Cotton Wool Spot Following Viper Bite.

A 38 years male, admitted in the department of Internal Medicine with a history of snake bite in his left lower leg during agriculture work. He was treated with anti snake venom after admission. He had history of dimness of vision in both eyes. On examination, swelling and subcutaneous hemorrhage was noted in his left leg. His best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 6/60 in the both eyes. Fundus examination with 90 D lens and Indirect Ophthalmoscopy of both eyes showed retinal hemorrhage with cotton wool spots. Blood tests revealed increased titers of D-dimer and fibrin degradation products. The patient was followed up regularly at 2 weeks interval and BCVA and Fundus examination was carried out. At the end of 10 weeks, retinal hemorrhages had significantly cleared in both eyes with improvement of vision in both eyes (BCVA of right eye at last follow-up 6/6 and left eye 6/9).

Cell cycle control protein p34cdc2 homologue and its phase specific accumulation in synchronized onion (Allium cepa L.) root meristem cells.

A key regulator of the cell cycle is a highly conserved protein kinase whose catalytic subunit, p34cdc2, is encoded by cdc2 gene. Immunoblotting with a polyclonal antibody raised against PSTAIRE sequence (found in the N-terminal region of all cdc2 and cdc2 related proteins throughout the phylogenetic scale including higher plants), was used to study the presence of p34cdc2 in onion scale leaves and root tip cells. p34cdc2 homologues are beyond the detection level in scale leaves. PSTAIRE antibody was used to estimate p34cdc2 kinase protein levels during cell cycle in highly synchronous population of Allium cepa L. root meristem cells. p34cdc2 kinase protein showed gradual increase in their levels from S phase to G2 phase boundary. Immunoprecipitation followed by in vitro histone H1 kinase assays also depicted that its kinase activity increased parallel to the increase in p34cdc2 level.

Effects of low concentrations of okadaic acid in HeLa cells.

HeLa cells treated for prolonged period with okadaic acid (OA; 5-10nM) inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and also protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) partially showed prolonged effects on mitotic progression. In the presence of OA cells progressed normally in mitosis almost upto 4 hr, then a progressive accumulation of mitotic cells could be noticed. Most of the mitotic cells seemed to be arrested at the metaphase-anaphase transition point. In arrested mitotic cells the chromosomes remained arranged at the equiatorial plate, but with prolonged treatment the chromosomes got either scattered or clumped. However, a slow release into anaphase could also be observed after 15 hr treatment. Immunofluorescence studies for microtubules and electron microscope investigations indicated the dearrangement of spindle fibres, and a prolonged treatment led to the formation of multipolarity. This was also confirmed by spread preparations of chromosomes and the formation of multinucleate cells in preparations released from the mitotic block. Chromosomes became highly condensed showing mostly nondisjunction, but separation of sister chromatids could be observed in many cells. Immunoblot assays indicated a degradation of cyclin A, but the cyclin B1 level was significantly higher in the arrested mitotic cells after 12 hr treatment. After 24 hr of treatment the cyclin B1 level was slightly lower in arrested cells. Possible roles of protein phosphatase 2A inhibition and a prolonged partial inhibition of PP1 on the mitotic progression and the cyclin degradation at the metaphase-anaphase transition have been discussed.

Effects of sex steroids on the concentrations of some brain neurotransmitters in male and female rats: some new observations.

Concentrations of some neurotransmitters, viz. noradrenaline (NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), histamine (H) and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in a part of brain consisting of medulla, pons, mid brain, thalamus and hypothalamus were measured in ovariectomized (OVx), intact (+Te) and castrated male (Tex) rats both without injecting estrogen (E) or E and progesterone (P) as well as after E and E+P administration. Some effects, (which, as far as we are aware of) have not been previously reported, were noted (in addition to other already documented observations). These include: (i) castration in males causes a fall of the level of GABA, NA, 5-HT and DA, (ii) E therapy also causes fall of the levels of GABA, NA and 5-HT and thus E therapy produces similar results like those of bilateral orchidectomy, (iii) P therapy not only reverses the fall of (GABA) but raises it more than the normal value, (iv) P therapy, it appears (although faintly), retrieve to some extent the fall of NA level due to E therapy, (v) Like the OVx rats, castrated as well as intact rats also showed a fall in the 5-HT level with E treatment but showed a rise when treated by E followed by P, (vi) In between the castrated males and castrated females, the concentrations of all these brain neurotransmitters differ. The probable significances have been discussed.

Some hitherto unreported findings on the extragenital effects of progesterone in human females--a clinical study.

40 women suffering from 'dysfunctional uterine bleeding' (DUB) were treated by progesterone (P) and signs and symptoms of 'extragenital effects' of P were noted. In addition to the previous ones reported from this laboratory, a new crop of effects, which, as far as we are aware of, have never been reported in the literature, were found and included: (i) Changes in the frequency of EEG waves, (ii) changes in the ECG (iii) changes in psychoanalytical scoring. Further (iv) with most of the parametres, the intensity of the changes showed considerable waning with passage time, despite the fact that the subjects were still receiving P. Blood P levels similarly fell considerably in the initial phase of the therapy, but recovered to some extent afterwards, despite the continuance of P therapy.

Effects of progesterone on some brain neurotransmitters in intact rats.

Effects of progesterone on four neurotransmitters (viz, noradrenaline, 5-HT, dopamine and histamine) of brain were seen in rats with intact ovaries. It was found that progesterone lowers the noradrenaline concentration in medulla, pons, midbrain, hypothalamus, thalami and pituitary, uniformly, when the rats were killed within 4 hours of progesterone injection. At longer intervals (48 hrs) effects of progesterone were seen when progesterone in heavy dose was administered to rats pretreated with estrogen. It is likely that one of the modes of action of the oral contraceptives may be the reduction of noradrenaline content in selected areas of brain, by progesterone. It is also suggested, therapeutic usage of progesterone carries the risk of development of depression in the user.

Immunomodulation with corticosteroids and levamisole in leprosy as gauged by in vivo lepromin and in vitro CMI responses.

Corticosteroids and Levamisole are known to be immuno suppressive and immuno stimulating agents respectively. Their effects on polar types of leprosy, tuberculoid and lepromatous have been studied using in vivo lepromin and in vitro lymphocyte count, rosette formation, L.T.T. and L.M.I.T. parameters. Immunosuppressive effect of corticosteroids on tuberculoid leprosy is marked with reduced and negative lepromin sensitivity but same does not hold true with other in vitro C.M.I. tests. Similar results are obtained with levamisole exhibiting its ineffectiveness in lepromin conversion in lepromatous cases although some improvement is observed in other in vitro C.M.I. tests. Evaluation of the results showed: lack of correlation between in vivo lepromin and in vitro other C.M.I. parameters with corticosteroids and levamisole lepromin sensitivity has some unknown influence other than thymic factors, prolonged corticosteroid therapy may produce permanent immunosuppression in tuberculoid cases making them more vulnerable towards lepromatous pole and lepromin sensitivity is more reliable, stable and easy to perform.

Altered lipid profile in liver amoebiasis and its emendation with metronidazole treatment.

Liver amoebic abscess was produced by introducing 16,000 trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica directly into the livers of growing hamsters. A group of the infected animals received orally 64 mg metronidazole/kg body weight for 5 days from the day of the infection. The treated group was autopsied 7 or 14 days after the treatment. Histologically, liquefaction of large parenchymal areas and biochemically, elevation in cholesterol, triglycerides, bile acids and decrease in phospholipids were observed in infected livers. The infected hamsters exhibited hyperlipidemia and hypocholesterolemia. With metronidazole treatment all the values tended to shift towards control levels. The magnitude of the shift was determined by the post-treatment period.