CNS depressive role of aqueous extract of Spinacia oleracea L. leaves in adult male albino rats.

Treatment with Spinacia oleracea extract (SO; 400 mg/kg body weight) decreased the locomotor activity, grip strength, increased pentobarbitone induced sleeping time and also markedly altered pentylenetetrazole induced seizure status in Holtzman strain adult male albino rats. SO increased serotonin level and decreased both norepinephrine and dopamine levels in cerebral cortex, cerebellum, caudate nucleus, midbrain and pons and medulla. Result suggests that SO exerts its CNS depressive effect in PTZ induced seizure by modulating the monoamines in different brain areas.

Prevention of type 2 diabetes in the prediabetic population.

Prevention of diabetes has been tried by several groups with varying degree of success. Prediabetic population are the ideal target for the purpose. In this study, prediabetic subjects are selected from the high-risk groups, like those having obesity, family history of diabetes, past history of gestational diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia; and are included in the study when their fasting plasma glucose was found to be below 110 mg/dl and 2 hours postglucose (75g) plasma glucose remained between 110 and 200 mg/dl. After giving advice for lifestyle changes to all for a period of 3 months, those who had their blood glucose values in the impaird glucose tolerance (IGT) range were given either metformin, rosiglitazone or acarbose, the rest continued with diet and exercise only. Total follow-up period was 3 years. All groups maintained blood sugar in the euglycaemic range till the end of the 3-year period.

Prevalence of diabetes in various habitats of West Bengal, India.

The epidemiological profile data were collected for diabetes mellitus from the people living in three habitats (rural, industrial and urban) having considerable difference in their lifestyle and socio-economic status. Every 5th (occasionally 4th or 6th) member from each habitat was sampled; no restriction regarding age was kept during screening; OGTT (oral glucose tolerence test) was performed 2 hours after 75 g glucose, in those whose FBS (fasting blood sugar) was >90 mg/dl. Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was ascertained, if the FBS was >120 mg/dl and/ or postglucose value was >200mg/dl. The per cent prevalence (among all aged people) of diabetes mellitus in rural, industrial and urban habitats were found to be: 1.66 +/- 0.58 (male 1.99 +/- 0.88, female 1.3 +/- 0.75); 3.00 +/- 0.74 (male 3.17 +/- 1.04, female 2.80 +/- 1.04) and 4.8 +/- 0.98 (male 5.31 +/- 1.43, female 4.27 +/- 1.32) respectively.

Mason diabetes--report of a family.

A 48-year-old Hindu housewife was presented with increased appetite, thirst, frequency of micturition, weakness, cramps in the legs, tingling in the fingers, decline in bladder-bowel control and dimness of vision. She was a patient of diabetes. On investigations and history, she was diagnosed as a case of type 2 diabetes transmitted in three generations as an autosomal dominant trait.