Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. augments cardioprotection via antioxidant and antiapoptotic cascade in isoproterenol induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Worldwide, Ischemic heart disease (IHD) affects a large population. Implication of myocardial infarction (MI) and its multiple pathophysiology in cardiac function is well known. Further, isoproterenol (ISP) is known to induce MI. Today, there is an urgent need for effective drug that could limit the myocardial injury. Therapeutic intervention with antioxidants has been shown useful in preventing the deleterious changes produced by ISP. Here, we investigated the protective effects of oral pre-treatment of hydroalcoholic extract of bark of Terminalia arjuna (HETA) on biochemical and apoptotic changes during cardiotoxicity induced by isoproterenol (ISP) in rats. HETA was orally administered at a dose of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body wt., for 30 days with concurrent administration of ISP (85 mg/kg body wt.) on days 28th and 29th at an interval of 24 h. ISP caused deleterious changes in the myocardium and significantly increased (P <0.05) malondialdehyde, serum glutamate oxaloacitate transaminase, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase and troponin-I. However, it significantly decreased (P <0.05) glutathione and superoxide dismutase compared to healthy control. Oral pre-treatment of HETA for 30 days significantly decreased (P <0.05) the biochemical parameters of oxidative stress and cardiac markers as compared to ISP control. Histopathological findings also revealed that architecture of the myocardium was restored towards normal in HETA pre-treated group. Overall, the present study has shown that the hydroalcoholic extract of bark of T. arjuna (HETA) attenuates oxidative stress, apoptosis and improves antioxidant status in ISP-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Molecular Characterization of MAP30 Gene from Momordica Charantia L.

Natural products especially from plants have been used for the treatment of various diseases. Momordica charantia or bitter melon, grows in the tropical area is popularly consumed as vegetables and has high medicinal values .It is one of the most promising alternative medicines used as anti-HIV, anti-ulcer, antiinflammatory, antileukemic, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and anti-tumor. Proteins like momordin, alpha- and betamomorcharin and cucurbitacin B of Momordica charantia were also tested for possible anticancerous effects .Chemical analogs of these proteins have been developed, patented, and named MAP30.The MAP30gene was amplified from Momordica charantia leaves by Polymerase Chain Reaction .The resultant product was amplified approximately 861 bp.

Partial Characterization of Replicase Gene of Tobacco Streak Ilarvirus in Onion (Allium Cepa.L).

Tobacco streak virus (TSV) is an important emerging virus belongs to the genus Ilarvirus and family Bromovidae. The Onion crop is infected by Tobacco streak ilar virus and it is major problem in different places of Andhra Pradesh in South India and also transmitted by thrips vector. TSV suspecting onion samples were identified by direct antigen coating enzyme linked immunosorbent assay using TSV polyclonal antiserum. The Replicase gene from each isolate was amplified using TSV replicase gene specific primers by using the RT-PCR. The ~530 bp product was amplified, cloned, sequenced and determined its length as 534 nucleotides and codes for 178 amino acids. The partial sequence of TSV-Rep shared identity of 87.6 -99.8% at nucleotide levels and 67.8- 99.4% at amino acid levels respectively with other reported TSV isolates. The phylogenetic tree relationship based on the nucleotide sequence of present study isolate (AP-Onion-Chittoor) from different geographical regions was also analyzed in this study.

Primary canaliculitis: The incidence, clinical features, outcome and long-term epiphora after snip-punctoplasty and curettage

Purpose: To study the incidence, clinical features and outcome of primary canaliculitis with special reference to long-term epiphora after Snip-punctoplasty and curettage

Methods: Single center, retrospective, telephonic questionnaire study. The medical records of patients who visited Orbit and Oculoplasty clinic, Tertiary Eye Hospital, India from 01 July 2011 to 31 June 2012 were analyzed. Records of the patients with primary canaliculitis were reviewed for clinical profile and management. Post-surgical patients thus identified were telephonically contacted in December 2012. Questionnaire was used to assess the postsurgical epiphora. Symptomatic patients were given clinic appointment, reassessed and managed

Results: 2245 patients visited Orbit and Oculoplasty clinic during the study period. The incidence of primary canaliculitis was 1.4% [31 patients]. The median age of the patients with canaliculitis was 65 years [range, 14-80 yrs]. Sixteen patients were male. All cases were unilateral and four eyes showed both upper and lower canalicular involvement. The commonest clinical presentations were pus or concretion from punctum [28], mucous discharge [23], epiphora [18] and conjunctival injection [18]. Three snip punctoplasty and canalicular curettage was performed in 30 of these patients. Twenty of the 25 available culture results were positive and streptococcus species was the most common isolated organism. Records revealed that five [22%] of these patients had persistence of symptoms. Twenty-three patients could be contacted telephonically. The median follow-up of these patients was 11 months. On telephonic communication we found that two [8.7%] patients had epiphora. Munk epiphora score in these patients was three and one respectively

Conclusions: Incidence of canaliculitis was 1.4%. Most common isolate was streptococcus species. Snip-punctoplasty and curettage is a safe and efficacious modality of treatment of canaliculitis. Post-operative epiphora occurred in 8.7% patients

Penetrating orbital injuries from plant material during pond and river diving.

Diving into lakes and ponds is a common activity of rural children. We present two cases of penetrating orbital injuries from plant matter sustained in this manner. Such injuries pose a particular challenge because wooden foreign bodies are often missed during orbital exploration, and current imaging modalities cannot reliably identify retained organic material. When a patient presents with orbital penetration after a high-risk mechanism of injury, such as freshwater diving, the clinician must maintain a very high index of suspicion for retained wooden foreign body.

Molecular modeling and conformational analysis of native and refolded viral genome-linked protein of Cardamom mosaic virus.

The viral genome-linked protein (VPg) of Potyviruses is covalently attached to the 5’ end of the genomic RNA. Towards biophysical characterization, the VPg coding region of Cardamom mosaic virus (CdMV) was amplified from the cDNA and expressed in E. coli. Most of the expressed VPg aggregated as inclusion bodies that were solubilized with urea and refolded with L-arginine hydrochloride. The various forms of CdMV VPg (native, denatured and refolded) were purified and the conformational variations between these forms were observed with fluorescence spectroscopy. Native and refolded CdMV VPg showed unordered secondary structure in the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum. The model of CdMV VPg was built based on the crystal structure of phosphotriesterase (from Pseudomonas diminuta), which had the maximum sequence homology with VPg to identify the arrangement of conserved amino acids in the protein to study the functional diversity of VPg. This is the first report on the VPg of CdMV, which is classified as a new member of the Macluravirus genus of the Potyviridae family.

Clinical features and management of posttraumatic subperiosteal hematoma of the orbit.

Traumatic subperiosteal hematoma (SpH) usually presents late, after the initial trauma. It is generally seen in young males. Computed tomography is the best mode of imaging and helps to rule out orbital fracture or associated subdural hematoma. We present the clinical features and management of four patients seen at the orbit clinic with SpH. Management is based on time of presentation, visual acuity and any communicating bleed. The prognosis of traumatic SpH is excellent if treated with an individualized patient approach.

Perioperative anesthetic management of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for noncardiac surgery: A case series.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with or without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction is characterized by asymmetric hypertrophy of the interventricular septum causing intermittent obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract. Because Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common genetic cardiovascular disease, it may present to the anesthesiologist more often than anticipated, sometimes in undiagnosed form during routine preoperative visit. Surgery and anesthesia often complicate the perioperative outcome if adequate monitoring and proper care are not taken. Therefore, a complete understanding of the pathophysiology, hemodynamic changes and anesthetic implications is needed for successful perioperative outcome. We hereby describe the perioperative management of three patients with Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for different surgical procedures.

Atypical presentation of an unusual foreign body.

A 14-year-old boy presented with intractable diplopia for 10 days following an assault. A thorough history revealed that he was unaware of any penetrating injury. However, imaging demonstrated a radiolucent foreign body between the globe and the orbital floor. On surgical exploration, it was found to be the proximal part of a ball point pen. Its removal resulted in complete resolution of diplopia. Thorough clinical and radiological examination is recommended when a foreign body is suspected in pediatric patients. Prompt diagnosis will aid in early intervention and prevention of long-term complications.

Multimodality treatment approach in management of primary peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the orbit.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor is a small round cell malignancy which rarely involves the orbit. We report a case of a two-year old male child presenting as unilateral eccentric proptosis with extraconal and intraconal mass, diagnosed as primary peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPPNET) on histopathology and immunohistochemistry. There is no defined consensus in the management of these tumors due to its rare presentation. We describe its distinguishing features with emphasis on multimodal and aggressive treatment approach which ensures appropriate management of these cases.

Delleman Oorthuys syndrome: ‘Oculocerebrocutaneous syndrome’.

Delleman Oorthuys syndrome (oculocerebrocutaneous syndrome) is a rare, congenital sporadic disorder affecting the skin and central nervous system. We present the case of a one-month-old male who presented with an orbital cyst in the left eye since birth along with other manifestations of this syndrome. The manifestations of this syndrome resemble other developmental disorders like Goldenhar and Goltz syndrome. Conservative management of the orbital cyst in these cases have been described. The need to diagnose this rare congenital anomaly with cerebral malformations as a separate entity is crucial in the management of these children.

Ophthalmic complications including retinal detachment in hyperimmunoglobulinemia E (Job's) syndrome: Case report and review of literature.

Hyperimmunoglobulinemia E (Job's) syndrome is characterized by markedly increased levels of immunoglobulin E, recurrent cutaneous and systemic pyogenic infections, atopic dermatitis, and peripheral eosinophilia. Although ocular involvement in Job's syndrome is rare, there are reports of keratoconus, staphylococcal chalazia with blepharitis, and Candida endophthalmitis by various authors. We present the first case report of retinal detachment with complicated cataract in Job's syndrome.

Sequence and recombination analyses of the geminivirus replication initiator protein.

The sequence motifs present in the replication initiator protein (Rep) of geminiviruses have been compared with those present in all known rolling circle replication initiators. The predicted secondary structures of Rep representing each group of organisms have been compared and found to be conserved. Regions of recombination in the Rep gene and the adjoining 5' intergenic region (IR)of representative species of Geminiviridae have been identified using Recombination Detection Programs. The possible implications of such recombinations on the increasing host range of geminivirus infections are discussed.

Freshwater lakes--a potential source for aquaculture activities--a model study on Perumal Lake, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu.

The freshwater Perumal lake located at Cuddalore was assessed for its suitability and potential for aquaculture practices. Various hydrobiological parameters determined reveals that the various physicochemical characteristics are with in normal range of values. The DO level, BOD and COD values determined in the lake revealed the consequences of community activities and pollution possibilities. The primary productivity data revealed maximum productivity during March which infer that the lake is unaffected by anthropogenic disturbance and community contamination. The bacterial count remained higher during the monsoon periods, which characterize profuse rainfall and storm water discharge into the lake. The microfauna includes zooplankter such as cladocerans, copepods, rotifers and ostracods. Benthos include carps, catfishes, mullets and prawns. The above study revealed that the various parameters in the lake conform to the levels suited for freshwater fish culture and represents a resource for scientific management.

Changes in lipid peroxidation and free radical scavengers in kidney of hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats.

Kidney weight was significantly decreased in hypothyroidism (induced by Na131I administration) and increased in hyperthyroidism (induced by thyroxine treatment) as compared to control in female Wistar rats. The tissue lipid peroxidation level remained unchanged in hyperthyroid rats but significantly increased in hypothyroid rats. Superoxide dismutase was decreased in both experimental groups but more so in hyperthyroid rats. Catalase was reduced significantly in hyperthyroid rats but remained unaffected in hypothyroid rats. Tissue glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity was increased while reduced glutathione levels remained unaltered in both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats. Plasma GPx activity was significantly low in both the hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats. The results suggest alterations in the oxidative stress in hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rat kidneys with concomitant changes of free radical scavengers.

High genetic diversity in the coat protein and 3 untranslated regions among geographical isolates of Cardamom mosaic virus from south India.

A survey was conducted to study the biological and genetic diversity of Cardamom mosaic virus (CdMV) that causes the most widespread disease in the cardamom growing area in the Western Ghats of south India. Six distinct subgroups were derived based on their symptomatology and host range from the sixty isolates collected. The serological variability between the virus isolates was analysed by ELISA and Western blotting. The 3 terminal region consisting of the coat protein (CP) coding sequence and 3 untranslated region (3 UTR) was cloned and sequenced from seven isolates. Sequence comparisons revealed considerable genetic diversity among the isolates in their CP and 3 UTR, making CdMV one of the highly variable members of Potyviridae. The possible occurrence of recombination between the isolates and the movement of the virus in the cardamom tract of south India are discussed.

Effect of antioxidants (vitamin C, E and turmeric extract) on methimazole induced hypothyroidism in rats.

The study was to investigate the protective effect of antioxidants against methimazole (MMI) induced hypothyroidism in rats. Male Wistar rats were fed MMI, MMI plus vitamin C, MMI plus vitamin E and MMI plus turmeric extract (TE) supplemented diet. At the end of the experiments, thyroid weights, thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and cholesterol levels were determined. It was observed that MMI treated rats showed increase in thyroid weights, very low levels of circulating T4, T3 and increased levels of total cholesterol as compared to controls (P< 0.001). However, rats which received Vit. C, Vit. E or TE along with MMI showed reduced weights (38-55% less) in thyroid glands (P < 0.01), less suppressed T4 and T3 levels (2-6% and 7-35% respectively) and less increase in total cholesterol levels (19-52%) which are statistically significant. The data suggest the positive effect of antioxidants on thyroid gland which could be due to direct involvement of antioxidants on thyroid gland.

Molecular modelling of epitope presentation using membrane protein OmpC.

Three-dimensional models of the chimeric S. typhi OmpC protein carrying an epitope from rotavirus VP4 capsid protein on either of two exposed loops (fourth and sixth) were constructed separately, using computer-aided homology modelling. The theoretical model of S. typhi OmpC was used as a template. The monomers were initially energy minimized. The trimers were generated for both the chimeric S. typhi OmpC proteins and the structures were optimized after several cycles of minimization. The surface accessibility calculations for the resulting models show that epitope recognition should be more effective in the fourth loop than in the sixth loop, in accordance with the experimental results on the immunogenic nature of the rotaviral epitope inserted into the two putative loops of S. typhi OmpC.

Empty sella syndrome presenting as galactorrhoea.

A prolactin secreting tumour is the commonest cause of the amenorrhoea-galactorrhoea syndrome. Galactorrhoea is a rare presentation of an empty sella syndrome. The empty sella syndrome commonly presents with headache and visual impairment and occasionally with endocrine disturbances in hypertensive middle aged women. The authors present a case of hyperprolactinemia resulting in galactorrhoea in a middle aged lady associated with a primary empty sella syndrome.

Direct donations: benefits and risks, a two-year analysis of donations at the dept. of blood services, Al-Wattayah

A retrospective analysis of records of the donor population from 1st January 1995 to 31st December 1996 was performed at the department of blood services, with the aim of highlighting the benefits and risks of directed or replacement donations. Of a total of 18,254 donations, 8,059 units were collected in the year 1995, and 10,195 units were collected in the year 1996. Of these, 15,782 [86.5%] were voluntary donations and 2,472 [13.5%] were directed donations. 61.5% of our donors were Omani nationals and 38.5% were non-Omani donors. The male: female ratio was 9:1 in these two years. Donor selection criteria established by our standard operating procedures manual were followed. All donations were screened for transfusion transmissible diseases, besides ABO grouping and Rh typing. The results show that the department of blood services has received more donors [an increase of 26.5%] in 1996 as compared to 1995. It was found that the directed donations show a significantly higher percentage of positive tests for the surface antigen of hepatitis B virus [HBsAg] and antibody to hepatitis C virus [anti-HCV] than voluntary donations [5.9% vs 4.25%, P < 0.001]. This study discusses the benefits and risks of directed donations, and stresses the need to improve the voluntary donor base which is a healthy indicator of the attitude of the community towards the sick