The Effect of Nigella Sativa, and Metformin on the Changes in Liver, Heart, and Kidney Caused by DM in Experimental Animals

Metformin is a biguanide oral hypoglycemic drug used primarily in the treatment of DM. Nigella sativa (Activeingredient, Thymoquinone) has been found effective in lowering serum glucose levels and has protective effectspreventing the complications of Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Mellitus causes several complications, affectingalmost every organ of the body. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of DM on liver, heartand kidney and to observe the protective as well as curative effects of Metformin and Nigella sativa from thosecomplications. The results obtained indicate that DM causes inflammation in liver and kidney and also leads tohydropic changes. While no significant changes could be observed in the heart during the study, it was observedthat Both Nigella sativa and Metformin decrease the early inflammatory changes caused by STZ induced DM inthe rat liver and kidneys but the hydropic changes continue.

Preventive and Curative Effects of Metformin, Nigella sativa, Punica granatum and Zingiber officinale on Male Reproductive Dysfunction in Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder, that affects almost all the cells of the body. Well documented complications of DMinclude, neuropathy, nephropathy, microangiopathy, and retinopathy. The negative impact of the disorder is also found inother cells, including male reproductive system. In this study, fifty adult Wistar albino male rats were used. The rats weredivided into 10 groups, each group comprised of 5 rats. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ, effects ofDM were observed on the sperm producing cells then preventive as well as curative effects of Metformin, Punica granatum,Nigella sativa and Zingiber officinale were observed. It was found that all the substances prevent as well as repair/cure thedamage caused by DM to the seminiferous tubules and other structures. The results of this study show that Metforminthough prevented and caused repair to the damaged cells as well, but was not as effective as Punica granatum, Nigellasativa and Zingiber officinale.

Association of Dermatological Conditions of External Ear with the Use of Cotton Buds.

Background: The habit of cleaning the external auditory canal with cotton buds is a common practice of the masses. It has strong association with neurodermatitis and contact dermatitis of the external ear. It is also associated with acute otitis externa, rupture of tympanic membrane causing bleeding and temporary hearing loss in some cases. In many cases the injury will heal but damage to minuscule bones deep inside the ear can cause permanent deafness. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the association of dermatological condition of external ear with the use of cotton buds. Materials and Methods: This case control study was done from January to October 2012 in the Ear Nose Throat Department of Pakistan Level III Hospital, Darfur, Sudan. Sixty seven patients with dermatological diseases of external ear were cases and 83 subjects without dermatological diseases of external ear were selected as controls. Results: Among 67 cases, 58 were cotton bud users and among 83 controls only 29 were cotton bud users. Different types of dermatological diseases were neurodermatitis (34.32%), otitis externa (28.36%), contact dermatitis (26.87%) and wax impaction (8.95%). Ninety three percent of cotton bud users were ignorant of harmful effects of this bad habit. Conclusion: There is a strong association of dermatological diseases of external ear with the use of cotton bud which should be discouraged by fortifying the warning by manufacturers and health education at various educational levels.

new and novel treatment of opioid dependence: nigella sativa 500 mg

Opioid dependence is one of the major social and psychiatric problem of society. Unfortunately there is no non opiate treatment available. For centuries man has used plants for their healing proprieties. These plants play a fundamental part in all treatment modalities, both ancient and modern. This study was conducted to find non opiate treatment for opiate withdrawal. Total 35 known addicts of opiates were included in the study. This study was based on DSM IV criteria for opioid dependence. This study demonstrates that non opioid treatment for opioid addiction decreases the withdrawal effects significantly. It further demonstrates that there are no changes in physiological parameters of subjects during treatment [BP, Pulse rate etc.]. There is increased appetite but no significant weight gain in the subjects. Non opioid drug Nigella sativa is effective in long term treatment of opioid dependence. It not merely cures the opioid dependence but also cures the infections and weakness from which majority of addicts suffer

Role of Nigella Sativa in opioid dependence treatment

Opioid dependence is one of the major social and psychiatric problem of society. Unfortunately there is no non-opiate treatment available. This study was conducted to find out the role of Nigella Sativa as a potential non-opiate treatment for opiate withdrawal. The study was conducted at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Karachi and Drug Rehabilitation Centre, R.H.C., Murad Memon Goth, Karachi. The study was based on DSM IV criteria for opioid dependence. Nigella Sativa 250 mg is found effective in long-term management of opioid dependence

Association of leukocyte count with albumin excretion in type 2 diabetes mellitus

In type 2 diabetes Mellitus albumin excretion rate correlates with leukocyte count. One of the major components of chronic sub clinical inflammation associated with both insulin resistance and other sclerosis. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between leukocyte count and Albumin excretion in patients with type 2 diabetes Mellitus. A prospective study conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes during 2004 at BMSI Jinnah Post graduate Medical Centre Karachi. A total of 100 subjects of either sex were included, out of which 75 type 2 diabetics were selected from diabetic clinic Jinnah post graduate Medical Centre Karachi and 25 non diabetics as control from general population. Each subject was interviewed, examined and investigated for blood pressure measurements, body weight, fasting serum glucose urinary volume, urinary albumin, albumin creatinine ratio, urinary albumin excretion and leukocyte count. Patients having acute illness and proteinuria due to cardio vascular disease and other causes were excluded. Leukocyte count was significantly high [P<0.001] in all patient groups as compared to control group, also it shows significant increase in smoker diabetics as compared to non smoker diabetics. A strong relation ship was found between leukocyte count and albumin excretion r =0.786, P< 0.001 in type 2 diabetes Mellitus. Albumin excretion rate correlates with leukocyte count in patients with type 2 diabetes Mellitus

Effects of ciprofloxacin on secondary ossification centers in juvenile wistar albino rats

Administration of quinolone therapy is controversial during juvenile age as stated by earlier workers. The fluroquinolones are currently not indicated for young children, because of the arthropathy and adverse effect on growing cartilage shown by studies. However the effects of ciprofloxacin on secondary ossification centers has remained undocumented. This study is therefore aimed to determine the risk of Ciprofloxacin administration on neonatal skeletal differentiation by a prospective and comparative animal study model using Wistar albino rats. Ciprofloxacin was administered to newly born Wistar albino rat pups at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally twice daily from day-1 to day-14 after birth. These animals were killed by deep ether anaesthesia and fixed in 80% alcohol. They were then bulk stained with Alizarin red and Alcian blue. Finally they were cleared in 4% KOH and stored in glycerin. The fore and hind limbs were disarticulated from the axial skeleton and observed under stereomicroscope for evidence of skeletal differentiation in the form of presence of secondary ossification centers in long hones [left humerus and left femur]. The time of appearance of these centers were noted and compared statistically with those in control animals. The study revealed that the skeletal differentiation in long bones was delayed by 2.4 + 0.2 days at both proximal and distal ends in humerus and 2.4 + 0.2 days at proximal end and 2.2 + 0.2 days at distal end of femur in experimental animals as compared with controls. The ciprofloxacin administration during post-natally presents a risk to skeletal differentiation and therefore to its growth upto the age of six weeks is albino rate pups

Effects of diazepam and promethazine on uterine contractions induced by prostaglandin E2 [PGE2]

This study was conducted at Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Karachi. It was done to observe the inhibitory effects of diazepam and promethazine, on uterine contractions induced by prostaglandin E2 [PGE.2]. The drug interaction, in vitro, proved that both diazepam and promethazine are tocolytic in vitro

Trichobezoar and gastric polyps: a rare association

A 10 year old female child presented with upper abdominal pain and huge abdominal mass in epigastrium extending to both hypochondria and umbilical regions. Investigations revealed a trichobezoar with gastric polyps. At operation, a large trichobezoar occupying almost whole of the stomach was removed along with gastric polyps. Biopsy suggested hyperplastic polyps

In vitro characterization of repair synthesis initiated by T4 endonuclease V on a synthetic DNA substrate.

The size of the repair patch produced by E. coli DNA polymerase (Pol I) following the removal of a pyrimidine dimer from DNA in response to the nicking activity of T4 endonuclease (T4 endo V) was determined. A 48-bp DNA containing a pyrimidine dimer at a defined location was labelled in the damaged strand and incubated with T4 endo V and E. coli endonuclease IV. Subsequently, DNA synthesis by DNA Pol I was carried out in the presence of four dNTPs, ATP and DNA ligase. Analysis of the reaction products on a sequencing gel revealed a ladder of only 4-oligonucleotides, 1-4 nucleotides greater in length than the fragment generated by the combined nicking activities of T4 endo V and E. coli endonuclease IV. Thus we conclude that the in vitro repair patch size of T4 endo V is 4 nucleotides and that in some cases the repaired DNA is not ligated.

Homologous structural domains in chicken egg-white ovomucoid: Characterization and acid denaturation.

The primary structure of ovomucoid shows considerable sequence homology at three contiguous regions which form structural domains I, II and III. In order to see whether or not the three domains fold similarly and acquire similar overall native conformation/shape, two fragments A and C were obtained by controlled peptic digestion of ovomucoid. The two fragments were investigated for their chemical composition, molecular weight, anti-tryptic activity, hydrodynamic behaviour, optical properties and acid denaturation. Results on molecular weight, amino acid composition and inhibitory acitivity show that the fragments A and C correspond respectively to domain I-II and domain III. Optical data suggested more exposure of tyrosine residues in the fragments than in the intact molecule. Domain III exists in a compact and globular conformation under native conditions whereas domain I-II and ovomucoid appear to possess asymmetric conformation. Results on acid denaturation show that the process is thermodynamically reversible and that inter-domain separation probably precedes denaturation of domains during acidification of ovomucoid.