ABSTRACT
The effect of daily oral administration of aqueous extract (600 mg/kg b.wt.) and methanol extract (200 mg/kg b.wt.) of Murraya koenigii Spreng leaves for a period of eight weeks was studied on blood glucose and plasma insulin level in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Blood glucose levels of diabetic rats treated with aqueous and methanol extracts of Murraya koenigii Spreng showed significant reduction (P<0.05) as compared to diabetic control groups. Plasma insulin showed significantly high on 43rd and 58th days of treatment in aqueous and methanol extracts of Murraya koenigii treated groups. This suggests that the hypoglycemic effect may be mediated through stimulating insulin synthesis and/or secretion from the beta cells of pancreatic islets of Langerhans.
Subject(s)
Animals , Blood Glucose/drug effects , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/blood , Female , Insulin/biosynthesis , Islets of Langerhans/drug effects , Male , Murraya , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Leaves , Rats , Rats, Sprague-DawleyABSTRACT
Acidosis is a major contributing factor towards spread of the ischaemic focus in the brain. Drugs that increase pyruvate dehydrogenase activity could decrease the formation of lactic acidosis. The sodium salt of dichloracetic acid (DCA) has been found to be effective in reducing lactate. This study was undertaken to study the efficacy of DCA in reducing infarct size in experimental focal ischaemia in monkeys. Macaca radiata monkeys in the treatment group were given 35 mg per kilogram of dichloracetate intravenously immediately before occluding and interrupting the middle cerebral artery, and the control group was given saline as placebo under similar conditions. Mean infarct size expressed as a percentage of the size of the hemisphere in all the three brain slices was 35.38 in the control group as against l2.06 in the treated group (p=0. 0008).
Subject(s)
Acidosis, Lactic/drug therapy , Animals , Brain Ischemia/drug therapy , Cerebral Cortex/blood supply , Dichloroacetic Acid/pharmacology , Disease Models, Animal , Female , Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery/drug therapy , Macaca radiata , Male , Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex/metabolismABSTRACT
A four year old girl manifested with seizures, raised intracranial tension and altered consciousness. Laboratory investigations suggested Reye's syndrome. Later she developed fatal hypothermia. Rarity of such a case is highlighted. Probable pathogenesis of hypothermia in Reye's syndrome is discussed.