Descending thoracic aortic aneurysm presenting as left sided hemorrhagic pleural effusion.

Aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta, in majority of cases is diagnosed either by chance in routine chest imaging for some other reasons or rarely due to it's symptomatic presentation like chest pain and other mediastinal compression symptoms. In this case report we present a case of 69 year old smoker who presented with cough, hemoptysis and left sided massive painless hemorrhagic pleural effusion. Further investigation revealed a large aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta which infiltrated the left lung. We suggest descending thoracic aneurysm be included in the differential diagnosis of this sort of clinical presentation which otherwise imperative with the clinical scenario of bronchogenic carcinoma.

Influence of photoperiods on glycemic and adrenal catecholaminergic responses to melatonin administrations in adult male roseringed parakeets, Psittacula krameri Neumann.

Effects of daily (one hour prior to onset of darkness) injection of melatonin (25 micrograms/100 g body wt. for 30 days) on concentrations of blood glucose and adrenal catecholamines were studied in adult male roseringed parakeets, P. krameri under both natural (NP; about 12L:12D) and artificial long (LP; 16L:8D; lights were available in between 0600 and 2200 hrs) or short (SP; 8L:16D; lights were available between 0600 and 1400 hrs) photoperiodic conditions. The results indicate that neither LP, nor SP as such exerts any significant effect on blood glucose titre of control (vehicle of hormone administered) birds. Treatment with melatonin, however, induced hyperglycemia in both NP and LP bird groups, but hypoglycemia in SP birds. Unlike glycemic levels, amount of epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) in adrenals of control birds exhibited significant changes under altered photoperiods. A decrease in E and an increase in NE were noted in adrenals of both LP and SP birds. Exogenous melatonin in NP birds also caused a decrease in E and concomittant rise in NE levels. On the other hand, treatment of melatonin in both LP and SP bird groups resulted in an increase in the quantity of both E and NE compared to respective values in adrenals of melatonin injected NP birds. However, relative to the amount of E and NE in adrenals of placebo treated LP and SP birds, significant effect of melatonin treatment was observed only in SP birds. The results suggest that influences of exogenous melatonin on the levels of both blood glucose and adrenal catecholamines are largely modulated by short rather than long photoperiods.

Role of light in the mediation of acute effects of a single afternoon melatonin injection on steroidogenic activity of testis in the rat.

Young adult male rats, maintained either in an LD 12 : 12 or in continuous illumination (LL) for one week, were given a single injection of 25 microg melatonin/100 g body wt or ethanolic-saline (control) at 17.00 h. Animals from each group were sacrificed at 11.00 h on the following day. The activity of two important steroidogenic enzymes, 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta-HSD) and delta(5)-3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (delta(5)-3 beta-HSD), and serum concentrations of testosterone, were measured following highly specific and sensitive spectrophotometric techniques and RIA, respectively. A significant decrease in the activity of both the steroidogenic enzymes was noted in the testes of melatonin-treated rats maintained under normal light-dark schedules, but this response was found to be lacking in the LL rats. However, no significant changes in the level of serum testosterone were noted in either group of melatonin-treated rats from the values in respective groups of ethanolic saline-administered LD and LL rats. Exposure of ethanolic saline-injected rats to continuous light also did not cause any change in the steroidogenic activity of the testis from those in LD rats. The study indicates that continuous light as such does not affect the endocrine function of testis but abolishes suppressive effects of melatonin on the steroidogenic activity of the testis in rat.

Immune complex mediated lesions in experimental Kala azar: an ultrastructural study.

Immune complexes play an important role in causation of renal lesions in various diseases. Circulating immune comlexes (CIC) are described in Kala azar. Role of CIC in pathogenesis of Kalaazar is discussed in present study. BALB/C mice were experimentally infected with L. donovani promastigotes. After visceralisation of infection, sera and kidneys of infected mice were preserved. Leishmanial antigen specific CIC could be demonstrated in 100% of infected mice by PEG ELISA, while they were absent in control mice. Ultrastructural pattern of renal lesions in infected mice showed presence of focal small electron dense deposits in glomerular basement membrane and subepithelial space, resembling immune complexes (humps). Rarely subendothelial and mesangial hypercellularity was present. These findings point towards a definite role of CIC in pathogenesis of renal lesions in Kalaazar.

Multiple myeloma presenting as acute pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis is a very uncommon presenting feature of multiple myeloma. We report an elderly non-alcoholic man presenting with acute abdominal pain and rapidly progressing renal failure. Investigations revealed lytic lesions in the vertebrae and skull, M band on urine electrophoresis, and radiological and biochemical evidence of acute pancreatitis. The patient died despite conservative management of the pancreatitis.

Study of neonatal status after use of vecuronium as a muscle relaxant in caesarean section.

To define the effect of vecuronium on neonate, 25 elective caesarean sections were performed under general anaesthesia using vecuronium bromide as a muscle relaxant. No clinically appreciable depression was found in neonates following the use of this muscle relaxant.

Effects of progesterone on some brain neurotransmitters in intact rats.

Effects of progesterone on four neurotransmitters (viz, noradrenaline, 5-HT, dopamine and histamine) of brain were seen in rats with intact ovaries. It was found that progesterone lowers the noradrenaline concentration in medulla, pons, midbrain, hypothalamus, thalami and pituitary, uniformly, when the rats were killed within 4 hours of progesterone injection. At longer intervals (48 hrs) effects of progesterone were seen when progesterone in heavy dose was administered to rats pretreated with estrogen. It is likely that one of the modes of action of the oral contraceptives may be the reduction of noradrenaline content in selected areas of brain, by progesterone. It is also suggested, therapeutic usage of progesterone carries the risk of development of depression in the user.

Ultrastructural study on the antileishmanial effect of 1,2-dimethyl-3-methoxy carbonyl-4-(2-nitro-4,5-dimethoxyphenyl) pyrrole in hamsters.

An ultrastructure study was carried out on the effect of a standard drug sodium stibogluconate and a newly identified active CDRI compound 87/305 [1,2-dimethyl-3-methoxy carbonyl-4-(2-nitro-4,5-dimethoxyphenyl) pyrrole] on amastigotes of Leishmania donovani in macrophage cells of spleen of infected hamsters. While Na-stibogluconate exerted its effect by activating the digestion capacity of host macrophages, compound 87/305 was directly lethal to the parasites without, exerting any effect on the host cells.

Biochemical and ultrastructural studies induced by phanquone on Entamoeba histolytica NIH-200.

The action of phanquone on the incorporation of (14C)1-DL-valine and (14C)-8-adenine in TCA insoluble fractions of Entamoeba histolytica was examined as indices of RNA and protein synthesis respectively. The former was found to show greater sensitivity to the drug in terms of the effect manifested in the dose response curves for these parameters. Electron microscopic investigations with increasing concentrations of the drug demonstrated progressive vacuolization with concomitant dissolution of ribosomal helices. The drug had no significant effect on nucleus and plasma membrane even at concentration as high as 200 micrograms/ml.

Action of metronidazole on Entamoeba histolytica: an ultrastructural study.

Metronidazole (19 micrograms/ml) caused progressive increase in vacuolization in Entamoeba histolytica cells with disintegration of its plasma membrane leading to almost complete disappearance of the latter within 3 hours. The drug also induced formation of helical ribosomal aggregates in the cytoplasm and disappearance of button like structures inside the nucleus.

Clinical significance of IgE in bronchial asthma.

Total mean serum IgE levels of 63 patients (aged 16-49 years) suffering from bronchial asthma and 64 control subjects (aged 19-40 years) were estimated by RIA method. Mean serum IgE level of patients and control subjects was 1132 +/- 643 units/ml and 43 +/- 26 units/ml respectively. The difference between the two values was statistically significant (p less than 0.001). Four per cent of the patients had serum IgE levels within normal limits. No significant correlation was found between mean serum IgE level of the patients and the duration of the disease. Differences in mean serum IgE level of male and female patients and control subjects was not statistically significant. The mean serum IgE level of patients in the age group of 21-40 years was highest (F = 1.33, p less than 0.05). Significantly elevated levels of serum IgE were observed in patients with both personal and family history of atopic disease in comparison to patients with only personal or family history only (p less than 0.05). As such the estimated raised level of IgE was significant in view of the severity of atopic asthma.

Ontogeny of ookinete of Plasmodium berghei (NK 65): a scanning electron microscopic study.

The ontogeny of ookinete of Plasmodium berghei (NK 65) was studied in vector Anopheles stephensi fed on infected Mastomys natalensis. The round zygote transformed into an ookinete after passing through following stages-1 gram-seed shaped zygote, 2 comma-shaped stage, 3 semilunar and 4 banana shaped ookinete. Each fully formed ookinete had a 'Conule' at the anterior end of the body. In some ookinetes under SEM a depression was observed in the posterior half of the body. The function of the depression was not known.

Methyl 5(6)-(alpha-hydroxyphenyl methyl) benzimidazole-2-carbamate and cysticercosis: chemotherapeutic and electron microscopic studies.

Methyl 5(6)-(alpha-hydroxyphenyl methyl) benzimidazole-2-carbamate, a major metabolite of mebendazole was evaluated against Cysticercus fasciolaria (larval form of Taenia taeniaeformis) in rats. The metabolite was assessed in various doses. A regimen of 50 mg/kg x 10 (ip), given one day apart, was found to be most effective and killed all the mature cysticerci. On developing cysts, the treatment was initiated in two schedules; 5 days prior to (d-5 to d-1) and 5 days after (d + 6 to d + 10) administration of T. taeniaeformis eggs to rats. The later protocol with 100 mg/kg x 5 dose (ip) resulted in 95% inhibition in the establishment of cysticerci. Activity of mebendazole against mature cysts was parallel to metabolite whereas against developing cysts, it was inferior. The time related topographical changes that occurred in mature C. fasciolaris after treatment with metabolite (50 mg/kg x 10, ip, one day apart) were observed by scanning electron microscopy. There was loss of contractivity, gradual disappearance of microtriches and progressive degeneration of tegument. Similar changes were noticed with mebendazole. The possession of better efficacy and higher safety range [Indian J Exp. Biol, 25 (1987) 871], suggests that the metabolite can be a potential anthelmintic for man and animals.