Pharmacological screening of Dikamaliartane-A, A cycloartane isolated from gum resin, Dikamali.

The biological activitites of Dikamaliartane-A, a cycloartane isolated from gum resin Dikamali of Gardenia gummifera/Gardenia lucida was screened for some pharmacological actions. The study was carried out using albino mice (20-25gr). It reduced locomotor activity and potentiated pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time in mice indicating Central Nervous System depressant activity. It protected mice from strychnine and electro shock–induced convulsions indicating that it has anti-convulsant activity. All these activities were statistically significant. The LD50 (Lethal Dose) was carried out in mice according to Organization for Environmental Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines 423. The LD50 was tested in three mices for each dose with doses from 5mg/kg, 50mg/kg, 300mg/kg and 2000mg/kg. The LD50 was found to be 500mg/kg.

Plasma antioxidant vitamins in brain tumors.

Plasma levels of vitamins A, E and C were analyzed in 102 patients with different types of brain tumors. A follow-up study was done with 27 postoperative patients. On comparison with plasma from normal individuals, vitamin A and E were decreased, but the decrease was statistically insignificant. Vitamin C levels remained in the normal range. In a comparative study of preoperative and postoperative cases, plasma vitamin A levels in postoperative glioma patients were significantly higher than those in the pre-operative state. There was no significant difference in the plasma level of vitamins C and E. The results of the present study suggest that the plasma antioxidant vitamins are not altered effectively in brain tumor cases.

Free radical toxicity and antioxidants in Parkinson's disease.

Erythrocyte lipid peroxidation, oxidative hemolysis, erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes, viz. superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and plasma antioxidants, viz. vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C and ceruloplasmin have been determined by spectrophotometric methods in 15 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in 50 controls. Lipid peroxidation, oxidative hemolysis and plasma ceruloplasmin were significantly higher in PD patients as compared to normals. Erythrocyte antioxidants in PD patients were not significantly different from the controls. However, plasma vitamin C in PD patients was significantly lower than the controls. It is concluded that these patients are under oxidative stress which points to a possible involvement of free radicals in PD.

Evaluation of oestrogen and progesterone receptors, and c-erbB-2 in carcinoma of the breast in Trinidadian women

One hundred and three consecutive cases of breast cancer in Trinidadian women were evaluated for steroid receptor status and c-erbB-2 receptor along with conventional parameters including age, ethnicity, tumour size, histological type and grade, and lymph node status: The molecular markers were studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on paraffin sections. Tumour size > 2 cm was seen in 60 of the cases. Oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and c-erbB-2 showed 54, 46 and 63 positivity, respectively. There was no correlation between c-erbB-2 and steroid receptors. Forty-one per cent of cases showed double negativity for steroid receptors (ER-/PR-). No correlation was found between the markers and conventional parameters except for a negative correlation with the tumour grade. The high percentage of c-erbB-2 positivity and the high proportion of steroid receptor negativity suggest a need for studies on adjuvant therapy. Integration of selected markers with conventional parameters could help define subgroups for treatment and prognosis.

In vivo radioprotective effect of Moringa oleifera leaves.

Radioprotective property of Moringa oleifera leaves was investigated in healthy adult Swiss albino mice. Animals were injected (ip) with 150 mg/kg body weight of 50% methanolic extract (ME) of M. oleifera leaves, as a single dose, or in 5 daily fractions of 30 mg/kg each, and exposed to whole body gamma irradiation (RT, 4 Gy) 1 hr later. Five animals from each group were sacrificed at 1, 2 and 7 days after treatment. Bone marrow protection was studied by scoring aberrations in metaphase chromosomes and micronucleus induction in polychromatic erythrocytes and normochromatic erythrocytes. Pretreatment with a single dose of 150 mg/kg ME significantly reduced the percent aberrant cells to 2/3rd that of RT alone group on day 1 and brought the values to normal range by day 7 post-irradiation. A similar effect was also seen for the micronucleated cells. Fractionated administration of ME (30 mg/kg x 5) gave a higher protection than that given by the same dose administered as a single treatment. ME also inhibited the Fenton reaction-generated free radical activity in vitro in a concentration dependent manner. These results demonstrate that pretreatment with the methanolic leaf extract of M. oleifera confers significant radiation protection to the bone marrow chromosomes in mice and this may lead to the higher 30 day survival after lethal whole body irradiation.

Nitrosomethylurea induced streptomycin resistance in Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

High frequency of streptomycin resistant variants of Lycopersicon esculentum were isolated on selective shoot regeneration medium supplemented with IAA (0.5 mg/L), zeatin (1.5 mg/L) and streptomycin sulphate (500 mg/L). Nonmutagenized (controls) and NMU treated cotyledons were placed on shoot regeneration medium supplemented with antibiotic streptomycin. Resistant shoots appeared at a high frequency in mutagenized cotyledons, whereas in controls morphogenesis was suppressed, accompanied by bleaching. Shoot regeneration occurred from the nodular tissues developed at the cut ends of cotyledons. Resistant shoots developed into complete plantlets on rooting medium containing selective concentration of antibiotic. Stability of streptomycin resistance was confirmed by leaf assay and reciprocal crosses between streptomycin-resistant and sensitive plants.

Depression in Indian history.

This write up on some aspects of Indian history of depression touches briefly on references to some aspects of depression in Ayurveda, in philosophical texts and in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Eagle' syndrome. Anatomy of the styloid process.

The observations made on the angulations and the length of styloid processes from a hundred skulls are presented. Morphometrical data compiled is correlated to those available in literature. The dimension and angularity of the process when in extreme is known to produce symptoms classified as Eagle's syndrome. This paper discusses the probable incidence of dysphagia due to predisposition of the elongated styloid process in Indian context. Most statistics on the metrics of the process are called from radiographic studies done in western centres. Osteometry of the styloid with reference to the risk factors in causation of the syndromes probably, presented in this paper for the first time in this part of the world. It is hoped that despite the rarity of the syndrome, this brief study will spur research into the osteological basis for the peculiar clinical condition.

In vitro studies on peroxidative changes leading to hemolysis of erythrocytes infested with malarial parasite Plasmodium vivax.

Blood erythrocytes of 25 confirrhed malarial patients infested with P. vivax were analyzed for peroxidation and hemolysis and results compared with 10 uninfected normal control samples. Results indicated significant increase in peroxide formation measured as malondialdehyde, both in presence and absence of H2O2, in parasite infested erythrocytes. These changes induced hemolysis of infected erythrocytes which was increased manifold in presence of H2O2 and could probably be the reason for extensive anemia reported in malaria.

Psychiatric morbidity in the aged.

Mental morbidity in the elderly comprises mainly affective disorders (manic depressive psychosis) and psycho-organic syndrome, delirium and dementia. Psychiatric disorder occurs with physical disorder or handicap and co-morbidity is the hall-mark of geriatric medicine. The prevalence rate is around 89/1000 population. The decreasing age at onset of depression over successive generations contributed by the 'unstable genes' is discussed. Factors affecting the 'quality ageing' are highlighted. Depression, mania and suicide behaviour in the elderly are detailed. Particular attention is drawn to 'vascular depression' resulting from cerebrovascular lesions affecting the striato-pallido-thalamo-cortico-pathways. Vascular depression is characterised by a low frequency of family history of mental disorder/suicide and anhedonia and increased functional disability. Subsyndomal depression is a fairly common occurrence. Anxiety disorders in the elderly though uncommon need to be recognised. Late-onset schizophrenia and somatic hallucinosis are referred to.

Prognostic assays in multiple myeloma: correlated with flow cytometry.

DNA ploidy of plasma cells in bone marrow has been indicated to play a role in treatment response of multiple myeloma. Therefore, a prospective study was done to test this correlation. Univariate DNA flow cytometry was done on 13 proved multiple myeloma patients. Patients aged below 50 years showed hypodiploidy, irrespective of 'S' phase population, where as all patients above 50 years had diploidy or hyperdiploidy, except for one patient. Early stage patients (I & II) with less than 25% plasma cells in bone marrow were all aneuploids. Patients belonging to advanced clinical stage with more than 60% plasma cells in bone marrow with aneuploidy, especially hyperdiploidy (DI > 1.15), carried a poor prognosis. It was difficult to correlate the 'S' phase fraction with other parameters from the present data. Further study with BrdU labelling to determine the proliferative status of the 'S' phase cells is needed.

Dietary protein and cholesterol metabolism in small intestines.

Effect of quality and quantity of dietary protein on blood cholesterol and cholesterol metabolism in small intestines of rat was examined. Compared to casein, bengalgram in the diet decreased blood and intestinal cholesterol. It is suggested that this effect may be due to low levels of leucine in bengalgram protein and less release of insulin, an activator of HMG CoA Reductase. Low casein in the diet (12%) caused a decrease of blood and intestinal cholesterol while high casein in the diet (24%) caused a decrease of intestinal cholesterol only. It is suggested that both qualitywise and quantitywise, dietary protein influences body cholesterol. It is known that the nature and the quality of dietary fat and carbohydrates directly influence the metabolism of cholesterol. The dietary proteins might also have a significant role. Proteins are needed for the synthesis of enzymes required for the anabolism and catabolism of cholesterol and a few protein-aminoacids like leucine have a direct influence on cholesterol metabolism. Bengalgram was chosen for studying the effect of the quality of protein on cholesterol metabolism as there are reports in the literature that bengalgram feeding reduces blood cholesterol. Different amounts of casein-containing diet were used in a separate set of experiments to investigate the effects of low and high protein diets on cholesterol metabolism i.e. quantitative effects of dietary protein. For many years, liver was enjoying the privilege of maintaining the homeostasis of blood cholesterol. Recently it has been shown that small intestines also synthesises considerable amounts of cholesterol. Hence, cholesterol metabolism was investigated separately in duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

Behaviour change in HIV infected subjects following health education.

A total of 85 HIV seropositive subjects among consecutive new registrants in the STD Department were given health education measures directed to avoiding high risk behaviours and also the events with a high potential for transmission of infection. The emphasis was on the use of condoms, discontinuing promiscuity, abstaining from homosexual acts and avoidance of pregnancy and advice against marriage for those contemplating it. The Health Education Programme was delivered individually to each subject over two or three sessions, each lasting for 30 to 45 min. At the time of follow up (one to 24 months) 42 per cent of subjects had become non-promiscuous. There was a good compliance on advice against marriage and pregnancy. Seven infants born during the follow up period were seronegative. The use of condom was not found to be acceptable. The prostitutes comprised the most resistant group to education. Among the factors that influenced the behaviour change favourably was the absence of earlier STD or a short duration of the current STD. Literacy, marital status, awareness of AIDS did not influence the outcome of education. The study demonstrated the feasibility of health education at individual level in the clinical setting of an STD Department. A longer follow-up may indicate the sustainability of behaviour change in the subjects.

Extramedullary involvement in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its relation to therapy.

Extramedullary involvement (EMI) of various body sites was studied by doing CSF cytology anu FNAC of testes and lymph nodes in 82 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Forty-five patients had received no therapy (group I) and 37 had been diagnosed and treated earlier and were now in remission (36) or relapse (group II). EMI was documented in 48.9% and 32.4% of patients of group I and II respectively. EMI was seen more frequently in patients with FAB-L 2 subtype (66.6%) as compared to FAB-L1 subtype (34.6%) in group I. Lymph nodes and testes were commonly involved in group I and II patients respectively. Successful remission after complete chemotherapy was achieved in 82.5% of group I patients. However, successful remission rates were 95.2% in patients without any evidence of EMI versus 68.4% in those with EMI. These differences were also observed when response to therapy was analysed separately for patients with FAB-L1 and FAB-L2 subtypes.