Molecular approach for ante-mortem diagnosis of rabies in dogs

Background & objectives: The ante-mortem diagnosis of rabies is of great significance in establishing the status of infection in dogs, especially since they are involved in exposure to human beings. The present study was, therefore, undertaken to elucidate the most appropriate secretion/tissue for reliable diagnosis of rabies in 26 living dogs suspected to be rabid. Methods: In the present study 26 dogs suspected to have rabies were included for ante-mortem diagnosis of rabies in clinical samples of skin and saliva by molecular approach viz. heminested reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (HnRT-PCR). Skin and saliva samples were collected from 13 dogs each. Results: Of the 13 clinically suspected dogs, fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) confirmed rabies in nine cases of dogs. Of these nine true-positive dogs, eight cases could be confirmed by HnRT-PCR from skin. Of the other 13 dogs clinically suspected for rabies, FAT confirmed rabies in 10 cases. Of these 10 true-positive dogs, rabies was detected ante-mortem by HnRT-PCR from the saliva in seven dogs. Thus, rabies was detected from skin with 90 per cent sensitivity, 100 per cent specificity and 92.85 per cent accuracy. With saliva, rabies was detected with a sensitivity of 76.92 per cent, specificity of 100 per cent and accuracy of 62.50 per cent. The positive predictive values were 100 per cent for both skin and saliva samples while negative predictive values were 80 and 50 per cent, respectively. Interpretation & conclusions: Skin biopsy may be more appropriate clinical sample as compared to saliva for ante-mortem diagnosis of rabies in dogs. HnRT-PCR can be employed for molecular diagnosis of rabies from skin in live dogs.

Study of spermatozoa and their relationship with fertility in men of Arunachal Pradesh.

172 semen samples were collected from a cross section of the infertile population of North-East India, consisting mainly of tribal people and were analysed and evaluated for different parameters. Significant negative correlations were found between sperm count and motility, sperm count and morphology and between motility and abnormal morphology in this series. The percentage of abnormal morphology was very high and prospective study on the aetiology of this factor in these tribal people is warranted.

Effect of potash alum (aluminium potassium sulphate) on human semen and sperm.

25 normal and healthy human volunteers were engaged in this investigation. The different concentration of potash alum solution have different effects on sperm, motility/death and fructose level of the semen. Higher concentration have higher effects.

Effect of IUCD on human uterine fluid protein concentration throughout the menstrual cycle.

Uterine fluid of 96 Women implanted with IUCD was collected and processed for protein estimation. The results obtained in women having IUCD were compared with those of parous/normal women. The trend of fluctuation in protein concentration was the same in both parous and women with IUCD. But comparatively the protein concentration in it was so much higher in women having IUCD throughout the menstrual cycle. The increased concentration may be responsible for making the fluid environment unfavourable for blastocyst as well as sperm metabolism.

Cyclic variation in rats's uterine fluid phosphatase level after administration of lyndral (17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol).

An oral administration of antifertility drug Lyndral (17 alpha-ethinyl estradiol) at doses 5 micrograms/rat/a week for 3 consecutive weeks altered the internal biochemical milieu of uterus, showing a cyclic variation in both acid and alkaline phosphatase of the uterine fluid with high levels being present at proestrus and estrus in control rats. In Lyndral treated rats acid phosphatase showed a tendency to increase in estrus and metestrus rats, whereas alkaline phosphatase increased significantly during proestrus and estrus stages of the cycle. All these altered phosphatase levels in uterine fluid, after Lyndral treatment, gives some insight into the hormonal sensitiveness of these enzymes.