Levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), gamma amino butyric acid transaminase (GABA-T), glutamic acid dehydrogenase (GLDH) and proteins in cerebrospinal fluid of certain neurological disorders.

Important glutamic acid metabolising enzymes in brain namely GAD, GABA-A and GLDH have been studied in the CSF of tuberculous meningitis (TBM), pyogenic meningitis (PM) and brain tumor (BT). The levels of GAD were reported as picomoles of GABA formed/mg of protein/hour. The control levels of the enzymes were GAD = 129 +/- 54, GABA-T = 533 +/- 146 and GLDH...O. 198 +/- 0.097. The levels of GAD were significantly increased (P < 0.001), in both TBM and PM, the values were 302 +/- 81 and, 290 +/- 97 respectively. The GABA-T levels were significantly raised (P < 0.001) only in PM cases 639 +/- 171. The values were reported as nano moles of GABA transformed/mg of protein/hour. The CSF-GLDH levels (unit/litre) showed significant elevation (P +/- 0.001) in TBM in PM, the values were 0.41 +/- 0.1 and 0.41 +/- 0.18 respectively. The CSF proteins were markedly elevated in all the conditions.

Hypolipidemic effects of synthetic gugulsterones in normal rats and assessment of its long-term toxicity at cellular levels in various organs.

Synthetic gugulsterones when administered to rats for a period of 3 weeks in dose of 5.0 mg/kg body weight/day caused a reduction in levels of total cholesterol by 30%, LDL-chol. by 40%, Tg by 40%. VLDL-chol. by 40% and HDL-chol. by 35%. The drug when administered to rats for a period of 16 weeks with increasing dose upto 1150 mg/kg body weight/day, reduced VLDL-chol. and Tg. by 55% and 50% respectively (P < 0.001) and LDL-chol by 33% (P < 0.05), whereas HDL-chol. was increased by 25% (P < 0.001). Histopathological studies on liver, spleen, intestine, lung, kidney, stomach and adrenal gland revealed drug related changes in a few animals upon exposure to high dose of the drug.