A Study of Changes in Lipid Profile among Pre-diabetics and Diabetics in Population of Lucknow

Introduction: Cardio vascular disease (CVD) is the leadingcause of mortality and morbidity in diabetes mellitus (DM)contributing to 65% of all deaths with diabetic complications.Detection of the deranged lipid profile in the pre-diabeticstate has been shown to be associated with increased risk ofatherosclerosis. This study was planned to compare changesin lipid profiles of patients with pre-diabetes and diabetes inpopulation of Lucknow, India.Material and Methods: A total of 236 cases (115 Pre-diabeticand 121 Diabetic) who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusioncriteria of this study were enrolled. The patients were evaluatedfor serum fasting blood sugar (FBS), post prandial blood sugar(PPBS), HbA1c, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), inthe two groups. The results were statistically analysed usingSPSS statistical package version 20.Results: The mean value of total cholesterol were179.21±8.12mg/dl in pre-diabetics and 182.31±7.99mg/dl indiabetics, which was statistically not significant (p=0.003).The mean value of triglyceride in pre-diabetics was134.43±5.21mg/dl and in diabetics 167.87±7.37mg/dl whichis statistically significant (p<0.001).Conclusion: The altered lipid profile in pre-diabetics signifiesan increased susceptibility to CVD in the long run. Therefore,screening of pre-diabetics for dyslipidemia is recommendedto arrest the development of cardiovascular complications.

Evaluation of antioxidant, immunostimulatory and antifatigue properties of Dashmularishta using in vitro and in vivo assays

Dashmularishta is an Ayurvedic formulation used widely as a health tonic. Since the mode of action of Dashmularishta has not been explored much in detail so far, we investigated its potential effects on antioxidant, antifatigue and immunostimulatory properties using in vitro as well as in vivo assays. The antioxidant potential was assessed by free radical scavenging (ABTS based) assay. Antifatigue potential was elucidated by DNA super coiling assay and swim endurance test model. Immunostimulatory effect on Natural Killer (NK) cells activity was evaluated using mouse splenocytes and YAC-1 based assay. Dashmularishta exhibited in vitro antioxidant and antifatigue potential and in vivo anti-fatigue properties in Swiss albino mice. Further, it also enhanced the in vitro NK cells activity at noncytotoxic concentrations.

Temporal changes of Japanese encephalitits virus in different brain regions of rat.

Background & objectives: Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection results in acute encephalitic illness. The affinity of JEV to different regions of brain and temporal changes in viral load have not been studied. This study was conducted to describe localization of JEV to different regions of the brain at different stages of disease in a rat model of Japanese encephalitis (JE). Methods: Twelve days old Wistar rats were inoculated intracerebrally with a dose of 3 x 106 pfu/ml of JEV. After 3, 6, 10 and 20 days post-inoculation, brains were dissected out and different regions of brain (cortex, striatum, thalamus and mid brain) were taken. Motor deficit was assessed by the rota rod and JEV RNA copies were evaluated using real-time PCR assay. Results: There was a significant increase in motor deficit in rats inoculated with JEV compared to the controls. JEV RNA copies were present in all studied regions of the brain on days 3, 6 and 10 post-inoculation. Maximum number of JEV RNA copies were present in the mid brain on days 3 and 10 post-inoculation. JEV RNA copies were not detected in any of the brain regions on day 20. Interpretation & conclusions: This study reports JEV RNA load in different brain regions of rat with higher affinity of JEV virus to thalamus and mid brain compared to other regions.

Chlorhexidine chip and tetracycline fibers as adjunct to scaling and root planing: a clinical study

Aim: Prevention of periodontal disease progression is the primary goal of periodontal therapy. When conventional therapy is found inadequate to attain periodontal health in chronic periodontitis, local antimicrobial agents have been used as adjunct to scaling and root planing, producing encouragingresults. Hence, a study was undertaken to evaluate clinically, the newly released sustained drugs, PerioColTMCG(Chlorhexidine - CHX- chip) with Periodontal Plus ABTM (Tetracycline fibers). Methods: Patients wereallocated in 3 experimental treatment groups, Group A- SRP + CHX Chip, Group B- SRP + Tetracycline fibers, and Group C- SRP alone (control group). Forty-five sites in 14 patients (9 females and 5 males) with chronic periodontitis (5-8mm probing depth), were evaluated clinically for probing depth (PD) and relative attachment level (RAL). Results: All the treatment groups were found to be efficacious in the treatment of periodontal disease as demonstrated by improvement in PD and RAL. Conclusion: Combination of SRP + CHX chip (Group A) resulted in added benefits compared to the other two treatment groups.