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Objectives: To find out the relation between homocysteine levels in peripheral blood and the effectiveness as well as the safety of haloperidol and olanzapine in schizophrenia treatment. Materials and Methods: A prospective randomized parallel-group open-label interventional clinical trial was conducted on 40 mild to moderate schizophrenia patients. To compare the efficacy of olanzapine and haloperidol Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score was used. Homocysteine levels of peripheral blood and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale scores were evaluated. Results: BPRS score improved in both groups on day 14 and day 28. But significantly more with olanzapine (P value =.001). The olanzapine group showed a higher reduction (13.91±0.47 to 9.74±0.5) in homocysteine levels than the haloperidol group. Also, the BPRS scores negatively correlated (r = –0.66) to homocysteine levels. Conclusion: Therefore, our study shows that peripheral blood homocysteine levels can be used to predict and assess the treatment outcome in schizophrenia patients. Biomarker driven approach in schizophrenia will allow the patients to be treated promptly with the right drug. In this light, personalized treatment holds great potential in the future.
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@#Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and the stability of the monoclonal antibodies (Aa3c10, b10c1), against truncated Histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2), developed using smart polymer, poly N-isopropylacrylamide, as adjuvant for malarial diagnostic applications in comparison with the available commercial antibodies. Methods: Two hybridoma clones (Aa3c10, b10c1) were used for the production of ascites in BALB/c mice. Purification of monoclonal antibodies from the ascites was carried out using affinity columns. The thermal stability study of monoclonal antibodies was done by storing it at 37°C and 45°C for thirty days. The stored antibodies were analyzed using SDS-PAGE and flow-through device where the antigenantibody interaction was visualized by Protein A colloidal gold solution. Sensitivity was determined by endpoint dilution ELISA and the dissociation constant by competitive ELISA. Sensitive pair optimization was done by sandwich ELISA using biotinylated antibodies. Prototype preparation for lateral flow assay had a colloidal gold-based detection system. Results: Thermal stability experiments showed that both mAbs (Aa3c10; b10c1) are stable up to thirty days at 45°C while the commercially available mAbs were stable up to fifteen days only. Compared to commercial antibodies, the mAb Aa3c10, showed the highest sensitivity in end-point titre. In sensitive pair optimization, it was observed that the mAb, b10c1, as a detector and the mAb, Aa3c10, as a capture antibody showed the highest absorbance to detect 50pg/ml PfHRP2 antigen. The prototype formulation of lateral flow assay using the mAbs (Aa3c10; b10c1) showed good reactivity with WHO panel and no false-positive results were observed with twenty clinically negative samples and five P. vivax positive samples. Conclusions: The novel monoclonal antibodies (Aa3c10, b10c1) against truncated PfHRP2, could be a strong potential candidates that can be included in making RDTs with better sensitivity and stability.
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Background: Mental health is the foundation for wellbeing and effective functioning for an individual. When people consult clinicians to determine the cause and treatment for such illness, they may also seek answers to questions that medical science can’t answer. Many patients rely on a religious or traditional framework to help answer these questions that often hinder medical treatment and affect its prognosis. This study aim to estimate the practices adopted by the community for cure of mental illness and estimates the time delay that occurred to initiate medical treatment because of these practices.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 103 patients and their caretakers undergoing treatment in the Psychiatry Department of a tertiary care hospital using a semi structured questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed for mean and statistical significance between proportions.Results: Among the 103 patients, 54.4% were males and 45.6% females. 54.3% of patients suffered from psychosis and 45.6% from neurotic illness. About 60.1% of the patients had experienced some form of traditional and religious practices for treating their illness before approaching medical treatment causing an average time delay of 2.6 years to initiate regular medical treatment.Conclusions: The high rate of religious and traditional practices followed by the community for psychiatric illness leads to significant time delay in initiating evidence based management of illness resulting in significant reduction in the quality of life of these patients. Hence mental health awareness initiative at community level and strengthening mental health services at primary care level is the need of the hour.
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Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) causes pathophysiological changes at multiple organ system. With evoked potential techniques, the brain stem auditory response represents a simple procedure to detect both acoustic nerve and central nervous system pathway damage. Aim: To find the evidence of neuropathy and retinopathy in diabetes patients by analyzing brainstem audiometry electric response obtained by auditory evoked potentials. Methods: The study was carried out on 28 diabetic patients both insulin requiring and oral hypoglycemic agents. Patients were divided into 2 groups, with neurological disorder and without neurological disorder. Results: 14 patients were male (Mean age: 45 yrs) and 14 female (Mean age: 41.2 yrs). The duration of illness since diagnosis, ranged from 5 years – 20 years. There was no significant change in nephropathy whereas in patients without retinopathy the amplitude and interpeak latency in wave III and V showed significant change. Conclusion: BERA is a simple, non-invasive procedure to detect early impairment of acoustic nerve, and CNS pathways, even in the absence of specific symptoms. This study suggests that if BERA is carried out in diabetic patients; involvement of central neuronal axis can be detected earlier.
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Aims: The present work is aimed to find out the enzymatic activities and phosphate solubilizing efficiency of indigenous rhizobia confined to rice fallows. Study Design: In this experiment we maintained random block design (RBD). Place and Duration of Study: This work was carried out in the Department of Botany and Microbiology, Acharya Nagarjuna University between October 2012 and December 2013. Methodology: In this study, we have isolated 19 Rhizobium strains collected from the healthy root nodules of Vigna mungo cultivated in rice fallows on yeast extract mannitol agar (YEMA) medium. The strains were confirmed as Rhizobia by using Gram staining, growth on YEMA with congo red, growth in Hofer’s alkaline broth, growth on glucose peptone agar, acid production, ketolactose test and nodulating ability was tested on homologous hosts by plant infection tests. Phosphate solubilization ability of the isolated Rhizobium strains were carried out Pikovskaya’s agar medium. Results: Eight out of 19 strains tested for phosphate solubilizing ability on Pikovskaya’s agar medium containing tri calcium phosphate (TCP) as insoluble phosphate source showed zone of TCP solubilization. The strain VM-2 exhibited maximum solubilization after 48h of incubation, while least activity was found with VM-11. Effect of different carbon and nitrogen sources on phosphate solubilizing ability of Rhizobial strains was tested and maximum phosphate solubilization (799μg/ml) by VM-2 was observed when glucose and ammonium sulphate were used as carbon and nitrogen sources. Conclusion: In this study it is concluded that along with symbiotic nitrogen fixtation, some Rhizobium species were found to be involved in phosphate solubilization and this ability of phosphate solubilization by the Rhizobium strains can be exploited as PGPR.
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Pancreas plays an important role in maintaining the glucose homeostasis. The deterioration of β-cells in the pancreas is a crucial factor in the progression of diabetes mellitus; therefore, the restoration of β-cell mass and its function is of vital importance for effective therapeutic strategies. The precise mechanism for increase in functional β-cell mass is still unknown. This review focuses on the importance of certain genes which are involved in the rejuvenation of pancreas. These genes are divided according to their functions into three categories: participate either in proliferation (mitotic division of differentiated β-cells), neogenesis/transdifferentiation (development from precursor cells) or inhibition of β-cell apoptosis (programmed cell death). The rate of β-cell rejuvenation is the balance among the rates of β-cell proliferation, neogenesis and apoptosis. Understanding these genes and their pathways may lead to the discovery of new drugs, target based gene delivery and development of safer antidiabetic drugs.
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Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis were chronic inflammatory disorders of the bowel categorized as inflammatory bowel diseases. Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis was one of the most common methods for studying inflammatory bowel disease in animal models. Several factors may, however, affect its reproducibility, rate of animal mortality, and macroscopic and histopathological outcomes.The current study was undertaken with the objective to validate the main contributing factors to this method and compare the effects of different reference drugs upon better amelioration of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis. With the above objectives, ulcerative colitis was induced by intrarectal administration of TNBS in male Wistar rats at a dose rate of 20 mg in 0.5 mL of ethanol per animal for all groups except the negative control group, which received 0.5 mL of normal saline. Different reference drugs like dexamethasone (1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.) and 2 mg/kg, orally (p.o.)), hydrocortisone acetate (20 mg/kg, i.p.; 20 mg/kg, enema) and sulfasalazine 500mg/kg ,p.o.were administered daily once from Day 3 to 9 except the negative and positive controls which received normal saline at the rate of 10 mL/kg body weight. All the animals were sacrificed on Day 10; the colons were excised and the colon morphology and net weight of the colon segment were graded and measured, respectively. The intestinal damage had improved significantly in the experiment groups that received different reference drugs which is comparable with sulfasalazine treated group. The experimental observations, gross pathology of intestinal lesions and statistical analysis reveals no significant difference among the different reference drugs treated groups.
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β-galactosidases enzyme have been used in the dairy industry for the improvement of lactose intolerance. The aim of the present study was to isolate β-galactosidase enzyme produced by isolated lactobacillus from milk and cheese. Isolated lactobacilli were cultured on MRS agar. Lactobacilli were identified by Gram staining and standard bacteriological and biochemical methods. Their ability to hydrolyze 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-Dgalactopyranoside (X-Gal) and O-nitrophenyl- β-Dgalactopyranoside (ONPG) was determined. β-galactosidase enzyme activity was also detected by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) method. The colonies that produced blue green color on X-Gal plates were lactobacillus with β-galactosidase enzyme which had ONPG positive results. By adding Lactobacillus producing β-galactosidase enzyme as probiotic to dairy products, could help lactose intolerant infants.
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The objective of this study was to determine the influence of natural biowaste substrates such as banana peel powder and coir powder at varying environmental parameters of pH (4-9) and temperature (20-50oC) on the cellulase enzyme production by Aspergillus niger. The cellulase enzyme production was analyzed by measuring the amount of glucose liberated in IU ml-1 by using the dinitrosalicylic acid assay method. The substrates were pretreated with 1% NaOH (alkaline treatment) and autoclaved. The maximum activity of the enzyme was assayed at varying pH with temperatures being constant and varying temperatures with pH being constant. The highest activity of the enzyme at varying pH was recorded at pH 6 for banana peel powder (0.068 + 0.002 IU ml-1) and coir powder (0.049 ± 0.002 IU ml-1) and the maximum activity of the enzyme at varying temperature was recorded at 35oC for both banana peel powder (0.072 ±0.001 IU ml-1) and coir powder (0.046 ±0.003 IU ml-1). At varying temperatures and pH the high level of enzyme production was obtained at 35oC and pH 6 by using both the substrates, respectively. However among the two substrates used for the production of cellulases by Aspergillus niger banana peel powder showed maximum enzymatic activity than coir powder as substrate.
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Marine-life scientists around the world are already carrying out investigative trials to obtain higher yields under in-captive breeding conditions, on both edible varieties and ornamental fishes with optimal inputs. However, for such trials to succeed there is a need for genetic improvement. The idea that fish production can be enhanced by genetic manipulation is gaining acceptance, as there is a strong possibility that qualitative improvement of economically important traits can be achieved by identifying and utilizing more effective genotypes. In the present communication a tentative plan for genetic manipulation of fresh water fish using controlled, pulsed magnetic fields, is being discussed. Chromosome preparations of Labeo rohita were made using Colchicine-Methanol-Acetic acid air drying technique, using tissue from gills. The fish were exposed to Pulsed Magnetic Field (PMF)with intensity 0.2 Gauss, pulsing at 50 Hz frequency (sine wave) for 6 hours / day for a total period of 30 days inside specially designed magnetic field enclosures. The karyological investigations revealed no distinct difference between "test" and "control" groups.