Anti-diabetic and antihyperlipidemic effect of allopolyherbal formulation in OGTT and STZ-induced diabetic rat model.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities of Allopolyherbal formulation (APHF) consisting of combinations of three well known medicinal plants used in traditional medicines (Trigonella foenum graceum, Momordica charantia, Aegle marmelos) and synthetic oral hypoglycaemic drug (Glipizide-GL). The optimized combination of lyophilized hydro-alcoholic extracts of drugs was 2:2:1 using OGTT model. The optimized PHF was simultaneously administered with GL and optimized using OGTT model in diabetic rats and further studied in STZ-induced diabetic rats for 21 days. The results (serum glucose level, lipid profile, hepatic enzymes and body weight) were compared with the standard drug GL (10 mg/kg body wt). The optimized APHF (500+5 mg/kg body wt) has shown significant antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities. The results were comparable with the standard; even better than the GL (10 mg/kg body wt) alone. The proposed hypothesis has reduced the no. of drug components from eight to three and dose almost 50 % of both PHF and GL which fulfil the FDA requirements for export. Thus the developed APHF will be an ideal alternative for the existing hypoglycemic formulations in the market with an additional advantage of hypolipidemic effect and minimizing the cardiovascular risk factors associated with diabetes.

Antioxidant potential of n-butanol fraction from extract of Jasminum mesnyi Hance leaves.

Methanolic extract of Jasminum mesnyi Hance leaves having antidiabetic activity was subjected to fractionation to obtain antioxidant and antihyperglycemic rich fraction. Different concentrations of ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions were subjected to antioxidant assay by DPPH method, nitric oxide scavenging activity and reducing power assay. The fractions showed dose dependent free radical scavenging property in all the models. IC50 values for ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions were 153.45±6.65 and 6.22±0.25 g/ml, respectively, as compared to L-ascorbic acid and rutin (as standards; IC50 values 6.54±0.24 and 5.43±0.21 g/ml, respectively) in DPPH model. In nitric oxide scavenging activity, IC50 values were 141.54±9.95 g/ml, 35.12±1.58 g/ml, 21.06±0.95 g/ml and 29.93±0.32 g/ml for ethyl acetate, n-butanol fractions, L-ascorbic acid and rutin, respectively. n-Butanol fraction showed a good reducing potential and better free radical scavenging activity as compared to ethyl acetate fraction. Potent antioxidant n-butanol fraction showed better oral glucose tolerance test (antihyperglycemic) at par with metformin (standard drug). n-Butanol fraction contained secoiridoid glycosides which might be responsible for both antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activity.

Dialysis therapy in end-stage renal disease.

The prognosis for children on dialysis has improved significantly in the past two decades. Much of this improvement can be attributed to the realization that adequate nutrition is a critical element of dialysis therapy and long-term morbidity and mortality in the dialysis population are closely linked to the nutritional state. Recommendations for nutritional intake have been formulated for infants and children with end-stage renal disease that take into account not only the metabolic derangement but also the effect of the dialysis treatment itself on the gain and loss of nutrients. In addition, the relationship between nutritional intake and the "dose" of dialysis is becoming clearer. Increasing experience in pediatric dialysis is enabling better selection of the mode of dialysis for children of different ages. The realization that the permeability of the peritoneal membrane is different from individual to individual has led to customized dialysis prescriptions with a consequent increase in the efficacy of peritoneal dialysis. When combined with improvements in therapy of medical complications of chronic renal failure, including the availability of synthetic erythropoetin++ and growth hormone and the management of renal osteodystrophy, dialysis is becoming a fully-functional tool in the management of children with end-stage renal disease.

Study of Pseudomonas aeruginosa causing ventilator associated pneumonia.

Ps. aeruginosa is a frequent and prominent cause of nosocomial pneumonia especially in persons on assisted ventilation in the intensive care units. In a year long surveillance of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) we isolated 42 strains from broncho alveolar lavage samples collected and processed from 102 patients. By pyocin typing 40 of the 42 strains could be typed into 39 types but this designation changed each time the test was repeated. SDS-PAGE analysis of the whole cell proteins grouped the 42 strains of Ps. aeruginosa into 20 groups. After ribotyping, using an 18 mer DIG labelled oligonucleotide to the conserved region of 16S rRNA gene, the strains were designated into 18 types. The major type contained 8 isolates, but there was no clustering of isolates, indicating that each infecting strain was acquired separately and not from a common source. It would, therefore, appear that cross infection with a single clone was not the predominant mode of Ps. aeruginosa infection causing VAP in our ICU.

Comparative evaluation of two indigenously developed tests for rapid detection of group-A streptococci directly from throat swabs.

The efficacy of two indigenously developed rapid tests, latex agglutination and antibody capture assay (a colour immunochromatographic assay) to detect group A Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) was evaluated in comparison with the traditional culture method ('Gold Standard') in both asymptomatic children (1500) and symptomatic patients (233). Throat swabs were taken in duplicate and rapid tests performed on one swab and culture on the other. Both latex agglutination and antibody capture assays showed a sensitivity of 100 per cent and specificity of > 98 per cent as compared to culture and isolation in symptomatic patients. However, among asymptomatic carriers sensitivity of 100 per cent and 87.5 per cent and specificity > 95 per cent were observed for latex agglutination and antibody capture assays respectively. Latex agglutination showed no false negative results and sensitivity was not affected by low beta-haemolytic counts in asymptomatic children. The rapid tests described here will help in the detection and thereby the management of GAS infection.

A preliminary study of fingerprinting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by whole cell protein analysis by SDS-PAGE.

Forty two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from intubated patients admitted to the Intensive care unit in AIIMS between December 1993 to June 1994 were included in the study. After obtaining typical biochemical profile, antimicrobial susceptibility was performed against ceftazidime, amikacin, gentamicin, ampicillin, cefotaxime and ciprofloxacin. Pyocin typing of these 42 strains was performed by scrape and streak method using 22 indicator strains. Forty strains could be typed showing excellent discrimination but on repeated testing the group designation changed indicating that the system had low reproducibility. SDS-PAGE of whole cell protein profile indicated the presence of 45 protein bands of different molecular weights, individual isolates had 37 to 42 protein band ranging in molecular weight from 340 kDa to 14.3 kDa. On the basis of Dice index of similarity the strains could be grouped into 20 types. Since all strains could be typed, the system has adequate typability. Similar results were obtained on repeated testing indicating good reproducibility.

Effects of some divalent metal ions on the aging phenomenon of hematoporphyrin and photofrin II.

Dilute aqueous solutions of hematoporphyrin (Hp) and its derivative (Hpd or PF II) have been found to undergo a transformation (aging) on keeping at room temperature leading to (i) shift of the Soret band from 395 nm to 405 nm, (ii) disappearance of visible bands I (610 nm) and IV (503 nm) and (iii) shift of the first emission band from 615 nm to 580 nm. The transformation was concentration dependent. The effects of concentration and temperature on the absorption spectra were much more pronounced in Hp than in Photofrin II (PF II). Variation of pH resulted in changes in the relative intensities of the absorption bands, possibly due to formation of different ionic species at different pH. The rate of transformation was accelerated in the presence of Zn ions (0.01 microM) and considerably increased at higher (50 microM) concentration. The effect of Cu ions was different from the effect of aging. It formed the metal-chelate even when present in very small amounts. The results (absorption and fluorescence analysis) suggest that in dilute solutions (conc. less than or equal to 2 microM) of Hp and PF II, Zn ions present in glass and water as impurity, deform the porphyrin nucleus leading to changes in the conjugated ring symmetry and hence changes in the absorption and fluorescence spectra, while in higher concentrations (greater than 2 microM) it forms the metal chelate as evidenced by their absorption and fluorescence spectra.