Impact of zinc supplementation on subsequent morbidity and growth in Bangladeshi children with persistent diarrhoea.

This study was conducted to explore whether supplementation of zinc to children during persistent diarrhoea has any subsequent effect on morbidity and growth. A prospective follow-up study was conducted among children, aged 3-24 months, with persistent diarrhoea, who participated earlier in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. During persistent diarrhoea, children were randomly allocated to receive either zinc in multivitamin syrup or only multivitamin syrup for two weeks. After recovering from diarrhoea, 76 children in the multi-vitamin syrup and 78 children in the zinc plus multivitamin syrup group were followed up for subsequent morbidity and growth. Weekly morbidity and two-weekly anthropometric data were collected for the subsequent 12 weeks. Data showed that episodes and duration of diarrhoea were reduced by 38% and 44% respectively with supplementation of zinc. There was no significant difference in the incidence or duration of respiratory tract infection between the zinc-supplemented and the non-supplemented group. Improved linear growth was observed in underweight children (weight-for-age <70% of the National Center for Health Statistics standard) who received zinc compared to those who did not receive.

Protective role of Ocimum sanctum infusion against norethynodrel-induced genotoxic damage in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Synthetic progestins have wide spread use in medicine, but their side effects are often debatable. Norethynodrel is a synthetic progestin used either as single entity drug, or in combination with an estrogen such as ethinylestradiol in oral contraceptives. It induces chromosomal aberrations (CAs), sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs), and inhibits lymphocyte proliferation in the presence of metabolic activation (S9 mix) in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The genotoxic effects of steroids can be reduced by the use of various antioxidants and natural plant products. Aqueous extract of Ocimum sanctum L. (Sacred Basil) leaves have been used for the treatment of a variety of conditions since ancient times. Pharmacological evidence shows that Sacred Basil possesses immunomodulating, hepatoprotective, chemopreventive, anticancer, antioxidant, antimutagenic and antigenotoxic properties. Infusion concentrations of 1.075x10−4, 2.127x10−4 and 3.15x10−4 g/ml of culture medium were tested against 60 mg/ml of norethynodrel, separately in the presence of S9 mix. Aqueous plant infusion resulted in the reduction of the genotoxic damage by norethynodrel. Our study on other synthetic progestins such as ethynodioldiacetate, lynestrenol, and medroxy-progesterone acetate showed genotoxic effects only in the presence of S9 mix. Estrogens such as estradiol-17b and ethinylestradiol undergoes aromatic hydroxylation by cytochrome P450 and generates various forms of quinones. Quinones, via redox cycling in the presence of NADP generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). Pharmacologically active compounds of O. sanctum L. like eugenol, rosmarinic acid and epigenin are excellent antioxidants. Flavonoids, orientin and vicenin have shown a protective effect against radiation induced genotoxic damage in cultured human lymphocytes by scavenging free radicals. Infusion of medicinal plants can modulate DNA damage when combined with other substances.

Risk factors for mortality due to shigellosis: a case-control study among severely-malnourished children in Bangladesh.

To determine the risk factors for death of severely-malnourished Bangladeshi children with shigellosis, a case-control study was conducted at the Clinical Research and Service Centre of ICDDR,B: Centre for Health and Population Research in Dhaka, Bangladesh. One hundred severely-malnourished children (weight-for-age <60% of median of the National Center for Health Statistics), with a positive stool culture for Shigella dysenteriae type 1 or S. flexneri, who died during hospitalization, were compared with another 100 similar children (weight-for-age <60% and with S. dysenteriae type 1 or S. flexneri-associated infection) discharged alive. Children aged less than four years were admitted during December 1993-January 1999. The median age of the cases who died or recovered was 9 months and 12 months respectively. Bronchopneumonia, abdominal distension, absent or sluggish bowel sound, clinical anaemia, altered consciousness, hypothermia, clinical sepsis, low or imperceptible pulse, dehydration, hypoglycaemia, high creatinine, and hyperkalaemia were all significantly more frequent in cases than in controls. In multivariate regression analysis, altered consciousness (odds ratio [OR]=2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0-6.8), hypoglycaemia (blood glucose <3 mmol/L (OR=7.8, 95% CI 2.9-19.6), hypothermia (temperature <36 degrees C) (OR=5.7, 95% CI 1.5-22.1), and bronchopneumonia (OR=2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.5) were identified as significant risk factors for mortality. Severely-malnourished children with shigellosis having hypoglycaemia, hypothermia, altered consciousness and/or bronchopneumonia were at high risk of death. Based on the findings, the study recommends that early diagnosis of shigellosis in severely-malnourished children and assertive therapy for proper management to prevent development of hypothermia, hypoglycaemia, bronchopneumonia, or altered consciousness and its immediate treatment are likely to reduce Shigella-related mortality in severely-malnourished children.

Effects of age, parity and length of pregnancy on the morphology and histology of human placenta.

A great majority of death-in-utero in this country may be due to placental insufficiency. This problem may have some correlation between parity, maternal age and weight of placenta. The present work has been attempted towards determination of the morphological and histological aspect of human full-term placentae and their relation with different parity and age group of mothers. The weight, size and number of cotyledons of placentae were found to be directly proportional to the maternal age and parity. No definite change in histology was observed except for the increase in fibrinoid degenerations in the stem villi and calcium deposition on the septal region of the placentae. These changes may have some important bearing on the placental insufficiency in higher age group and parity of mother.