Effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on growth and proteolytic activity of different muscles in rats.

Fibre and non-fibre components and proteolytic activity of fore- and hindlimb muscles with different fibre composition and functions were examined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. From hindlimb, extensor digitorum longus (EDL), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus (SOL) were selected to represent muscles rich in fast oxidative-glycolytic, fast glycolytic and slow oxidative fibres, respectively. The biceps brachii (BB) and extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL), represented forelimb muscles having similar fibre composition but performing flexor and extensor functions respectively. Among the five muscles studied, all but SOL showed decrease in muscle weight and protein in diabetic rats indicating the atrophy of these muscles. Atrophy was greater in EDL and MG as compared to ECRL and BB. This differential atrophy could be negatively correlated to the percentage of slow oxidative fibres. Despite the loss of fibre mass in diabetic group, elevated fibre protein concentration was observed in BB (flexor) but not in ECRL (extensor). There was a significant reduction in non-fibre protein concentration with markedly enhanced alkaline proteolytic activity in EDL of diabetic rats. Non-protein solid concentration was also increased in EDL and MG. These observations showed that fast muscles are more susceptible to diabetes induced atrophic changes and diabetes affected various muscle components differently in muscles with different fibre composition and functions. Therefore, fibre composition and function of a muscle may be the factors in determining muscle growth in diabetes.

Repeated isolation of nocardia like organisms from multibacillary cases of leprosy.

Nocardia like organisms were isolated from all the 22 multibacillary cases of leprosy, on minimal media consisting of only mineral salts and supplemented with simple C-sources (e.g., liquid paraffin, tetradecane etc.) and N-sources (e.g. ammonium salts, urea, asparagine, gelatin etc.). Complex organic substances, e.g., xanthine, tyrosine, casein, peptone, meat extract, egg proteins, serum, blood, yeast extract as well as medium 199, did not support the growth of these organisms at all. Paraffin-urea minimal (PUM), paraffin gelatin minimal (PGM) and gelatin minimal medium, as well as the agar slants of these media, selectively allowed good growth of these organisms on which these could be serially propagated continuously, and isolated as pure cultures; these were acid-fast long slender rods which were seen to arise directly from fragmented or unfragmented long, slender hyphae, forming at places mycelial tufts many of which, on ageing, sporulated abundantly. Their acid-fastness was pyridine susceptible and these were DOPA-Oxidase positive; these grew best under reduced 02 tension, at pH 7.0-8.0 and temperature about 28 degrees C. Serologically, these appeared to be sufficiently related to, each other, 2 nocardiae (N. brasiliensis and N. caviae) and some mycobacteria.

Prothionamide and dapsone therapy in leprosy--a clinical study.

Combined therapy with prothionamide and dapsone was instituted in fifteen active untreated lepromatous leprosy cases for a period of 18 months. Clinical improvement was good with attainment of zero morphological index in about 66% cases. Bacteriological improvement was rather unsatisfactory as one case only reached zero level. Side effects were observed in few cases necessitating withdrawal of combined therapy and patients' prothionamide compliance was rather unimpressive.