Adrenocortical involvement during diverse stress in soft-shelled turtle Lissemys p. punctata Bonnoterre.

Adrenocortical responses to diverse stressful situations (dehydration, formaldehyde treatment and salt loading) were studied in the adult female soft-shelled turtle, Lissenmys p. punctata. Dehydration, formaldehyde treatment (formalin, 1%: 0.1 ml/100 g body weight daily) or salt loading (NaCl, 1%: 0.1 ml/100 g body weight daily) treatments consecutively for 7 days caused hypertrophy of the adrenocortical cells with their nuclear diameter increased, and depletions of adrenal cholesterol and ascorbic acid concentrations followed by decreased acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities in turtles. Corticosterone levels were elevated in both the adrenal gland and serum of turtles after dehydration and formalin stress, but the hormone level remained unaltered after salt loading in turtles. The results suggest active involvement of adrenal cortex in stress for homeostasis in Lissemys turtles.

Interrenal responses to high ambient temperature in soft-shelled turtle, Lissemys punctata punctata.

An exposure to ambient temperature of 25 degrees C had no perceptible effect on interrenal function but further increase of temperature to 35 degrees C caused nuclear hypertrophy with increase of nuclear diameter, RNA concentration, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities, accompanied by quantitative depletions of cholesterol (free, esterified and total) and ascorbic acid levels in the interrenal gland of the soft-shelled turtle Lissemys p. punctata. Similar manifestations of stimulation, except in the nucleus, were marked after exposure to 38 degrees C, but the degree of response in respect of esterified and free cholesterol levels was higher at 38 degrees C than at 35 degrees C. Moreover, withdrawal of 38 degrees C temperature and subsequently maintaining at 25 degrees C for 15 days showed reverse manifestations to those of 35 degrees C/38 degrees C, leading to a tendency towards normalcy. It is suggested that high a ambient temperature of 35 degrees C significantly stimulates interrenal function of Lissemys turtles, but further increase of 38 degrees C does not cause further overall stimulation, and withdrawal of higher temperature (38 degrees C) shows a tendency towards normalcy. It is also suggested that (a) high ambient temperature causes thermal stress, (b) it is reversible and (c) it acts on interrenal activity presumably via CRF-ACTH-axis in turtles.

Osteoblastoma of dorsal spine: a case report.

A case of benign osteoblastoma affecting posterior element of spine with pain and paraplegia in a female is being presented with brief review of literature. Early diagnosis and surgical excision remains the mainstay of treatment.

Clinical profile of myasthenia gravis.

Seventy three patients with myasthenia gravis were studied over 9 years period (1987-1995) in departments of neuromedicine, respiratory care unit, cardiothoracic unit of Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research and Bangur Institute of Neurology, Calcutta, with reference to their clinical presentations, laboratory findings and various modes of treatment. Commonest age of presentation was 5th decade in men and 3rd decade in women. Fifty five percent of patients belong to type 2A myasthenia gravis (Osserman classification). Presentation was insidious (67.2%) and course was slowly progressive (65.7%) in majority of cases. Fatigability and ptosis were commonest clinical presentation and diurnal variation was noticed in 60% of cases. Edrophonium test was positive in 90.4% of cases and repetitive nerve stimulation showed 93.5% positivity in 30 cases. 27 patients (36.9%) underwent thymectomy and out of these, 89% of patients showed hyperplastic change and thymoma in 11% of cases. Mortality rate including both operated and nonoperated patients was recorded to be 9.6%. We observed earlier onset of myasthenia in male, higher incidence of oculo-bulbar involvement and lower incidence of respiratory problem and thymoma.

Effects of gonadotropins and prolactin on ovarian activity of a wild avian species, the tree pie Dendrocitta vagabunda.

Ovine FSH (40: g per bird daily for 10 days) increased ovarian weight, follicular size, phosphatase activities, and RNA and protein levels in tree pie (Dendrocitta vagabunda), but exogenous ovine LH (40 micrograms per bird daily for 10 days) with the same dose and duration caused depletion of ovarian cholesterol and ascorbic acid concentrations with a rise in sialic acid and glycogen levels of the ovary. In contrast, prolactin (LTH: 5 I.U. per bird daily for 10 days) administration showed reverse biochemical changes to those of FSH. The findings suggest that FSH induces mainly ovarian follicular growth and LH stimulates ovarian steroidogenesis, but LTH is antigonadal in this wild avian species.

Hepatoprotective effect of Swertia chirata on rat.

Present work was undertaken to ascertain the hepatoprotective effect of Swertia chirata in albino rats. Intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (1 ml/kg body wt on every 72 hr. for 16 days) significantly increased serum aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and bilirubin level in rat, but liver glycogen and serum cholesterol levels were decreased. Histologically it produced hepatocytic necrosis especially in the centrilobular region. Simultaneous treatments with S. Chirata (in different doses, viz, 20, 50 and 100 mg/kg body wt daily) and CCl4 (similar dose to that mentioned earlier) caused improvement at both biochemical and histopathological parameters compared to that of CCl4 treatment alone but it was most effective when S. chirata was administered in a moderate dose (50 mg/kg body wt).