Gastrointestinal histoplasmosis: a case series from a non-endemic region in North India

No abstract available.

Telmisartan-induced sprue-like enteropathy: a case report and a review of patients using non-olmesartan angiotensin receptor blockers

Recent studies have identified sprue-like illness associated with the use of the antihypertensive agent olmesartan medoxomil. However, whether this condition is specific to the use of olmesartan or is associated with the use of drugs belonging to the class of “sartans” remains to be clarified. A 45-year-old woman with chronic kidney disease along with hypothyroidism and hypertension presented with chronic diarrhea and significant weight loss. Endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract showed scalloping and grooving of the duodenum, and histopathological examination showed subtotal villous atrophy. She was on telmisartan for hypertension, which was discontinued. Subsequently, diarrhea ameliorated dramatically, and she regained weight. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report telmisartan-associated sprue-like enteropathy. Further, we have reviewed the cases of patients with sprue-like enteropathy caused by valsartan, irbesartan, and eprosartan.

Amoebic liver abscess: Role for intervention?

Liver abscess complicates intestinal amoebiasis in 3-10% of the cases. Presented here is an interesting case of amoebic liver abscess which was diagnosed using ultrasound abdomen and CT scan showing compression of the right kidney. The patient was not responding to maximal medical management with intravenous Ceftriaxone and Metronidazole, underwent therapeutic and diagnostic aspiration of "anchovy sauce pus" and had relief of his symptoms of fever and abdominal pain after 6 days of admission. With this case we would like to highlight the use of therapeutic radiological intervention for the treatment of liver abscess and also discuss the indications, complications and role for the same in clinical practice

MicroRNAs: a new ray of hope for diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus has become one of the most common chronic diseases, thereby posing a major challenge to global health. Characterized by high levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia), diabetes usually results from a loss of insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreas, leading to a deficiency of insulin (type 1 diabetes), or loss of insulin sensitivity (type 2 diabetes). Both types of diabetes have serious secondary complications, such as microvascular abnormalities, cardiovascular dysfunction, and kidney failure. Various complex factors, such as genetic and environmental factors, are associated with the pathophysiology of diabetes. Over the past two decades, the role of small, single-stranded noncoding microRNAs in various metabolic disorders, especially diabetes mellitus and its complications, has gained widespread attention in the scientific community. Discovered first as an endogenous regulator of development in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, these small RNAs post-transcriptionally suppress mRNA target expression. In this review, we discuss the potential roles of different microRNAs in diabetes and diabetes-related complications.

Restorative therapy using autologous bone marrow derived mononuclear cells infusion intra-arterially in patients with cerebral palsy: An open label feasibility study

Cerebral Palsy is a common and devastating neurological disorder, with no medical treatment apart from physiotherapy regimes to alleviate the functional disability. Regenerative medicine using stem cells has gained momentum in recent years as a possible strategy to repair the injured brain. Present study was undertaken in a open label series to evaluate the safety, feasibility and observe for any benefi cial effects of intra-arterial infusion of autologous bone marrow derived mononuclear cells in patients with cerebral palsy with moderate disability. Functional improvement was assessed using the motor power and spasticity scales, dystonia and abnormal movements scale and the activities of daily living scales by modifi ed Barthel Index and modifi ed Rankin Scores. Serial structural imaging with MRI and functional imaging with FDG-PET scans were done. Of the 30 patients injected with an average of 10-30 million cells into each carotid artery, improvements were observed in all clinical scales, and predominantly in the disability scores. No adverse events were noted on a 12 months follow up.

Synthesis and evaluation of novel analogues of mangiferin as potent antipyretic

OBJECTIVE@#To screen different analogues of mangiferin pharmacologically for antipyretic activity.@*METHODS@#The naturally occurring xanthone glycoside mangiferin was isolated by column chromatography from the ethanolic extract of stem bark of Mangifera indica. Mangiferin was further converted to 5-(N-phenylamino methyleno) mangiferin, 5-(N-p-chlorophenylamino methyleno) mangiferin, 5-(N-2-methyl phenylamino methyleno) mangiferin, 5-(N-p-methoxy phenylamino methyleno) mangiferin, 5-(N, N-diphenylamino methyleno) mangiferin, 5-(N-α-napthylamino methyleno) mangiferin and 5-(N-4-methyl phenylamino methyleno) mangiferin analogues. The synthesized compounds were further screened for antipyretic activity along with mangiferin at a dose level of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Mangiferin and its analogues were characterized by melting point andR(f)value determination and through spectral technique like UV, IR, and NMR spectral analysis.@*RESULTS@#The antipyretic activity of mangiferin as well as all analogues was found to be more significant in at higher dose ie. 200 mg/kg which was depicted through a decrease in rectal temperature up to 3 h.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The antipyretic activity of mangiferin and its analogues may be attributed to inhibition in synthesis of TNF-α and anti-oxidant activity associated with amelioration of inflammatory actions of cytokines.

Biosorption of copper from aqueous solution by chaetomorpha antennina algae biomass

The adsorption study on removal of copper metal from aqueous solution using untreated marine green algae namely Chaetomorpha Antennina sp. was carried out under various experimental conditions. The effects of contact time, pH of the solution, average biosorbent particle size, biosorbent dosage and initial concentration of metal ion have been investigated by following the batch adsorption technique. 30 minutes of biosorption time was found to be sufficient to reach equilibrium rate of sorption for copper ion. The rate of copper removal was directly correlated to biomass amount and contact time. Biosorption of metal ion was pH dependent and the results indicated the optimum pH for the removal of copper as 6.0. The highest biosorption capacity was found to be 25.78 mg of metal ion per gram of biosorbent at initial concentration of 20 mg/L copper ion and increased for higher initial concentrations. The biosorption capacity increased with increase in the amount of biosorbent used for removal. Adsorption data was modled with Freundlich, Langmuir, Redlich- Peterson and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption isotherms. Isotherm studies showed that the data best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm model. The kinetic data corresponded well with the pseudo-first order equation, suggesting that the biosorption process is presumably chemisorption

Evaluation of capillary blood glucose versus a high-risk questionnaire for screening for undiagnosed diabetes mellitus in Eastern province, Saudi Arabia

This study compared 2 screening tests for detecting undiagnosed diabetes mellitus when applied in a mass-screening campaign in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia in 2004-05. Of 15 082 individuals screened, 65.8% were positive by the American Diabetes Association risk-score questionnaire and 71.3% by determination of capillary blood glucose [CBG] using a portable glucometer. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was confirmed in 20.3% of participants and pre-diabetes in 33.9% using fasting venous blood testing. The risk-score questionnaire did not perform well versus fasting and random CBG. Optimal cut-offs for fasting and random CBG were 120 mg/dL and 160 mg/dL respectively. Fasting CBG had higher sensitivity, specificity and discriminating ability than random CBG for detection of diabetes and pre-diabetes in this population

Traumatic renal artery occlusion

Von Recklinghausen first reported blunt renal artery trauma in 1861. Since then approximately 200 cases have been reported in the literature. Rohl performed the first successful revasculariwtion procedure in 1971 on a 25-year-old man with a traumatic thrombosis of the left renal artery. Even with the advent of prompt surgical revascularization, return of normal renal function is rarely achieved

Modulation of testicular lutropin receptors in the developing male rat.

In the developing male rat around 40 days of age, the testis appears to contain the maximum amount of lutropin receptors per unit weight. During this period, circulating levels of testosterone markedly increase without the concomitant major surges in lutropin levels. The increased sensitivity and responsiveness of tests to basal levels of circulating lutropin during this period is accompanied by enhanced serum prolactin levels suggesting that this hormone may be involved in this process. The finding that prolactin treatment of pubertal rats for 3 days induced the formation of more testicular lutropin receptors supports the above premise. However, shortterm immunoneutralisation of endogenous prolactin did not significantly alter the specific binding of [ 125 I ]-labelled lutropin to testicular membranes. Interestingly, during development, a close correction exists between receptor occupancy and capacity of the tissue to bind labelled lutropin. The apparent dissociation between serum lutropin levels, on the one hand and tissue occupancy and free receptor contents on the other, suggests that factors other than lutropin (presumably prolactin) are involved in the modulation of the sensitivity and the responsiveness of the testis to lutropin during early development.