Comparative Evaluation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors for their Beneficial Effects in Patients with Ischemic LV Systolic Dysfunction and Undergoing Coronary-Artery Bypass Surgery.

We compared three angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, captopril, perindopril, and ramipril, in the presented prospective study for their effectiveness in patients having left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and undergoing coronaryartery bypass grafting (CABG). We enrolled 27 patients in captopril, 43 patients in perindopril, and 70 patients in ramipril group. There was about 25%–36% rise in LVEF after 3 and 6 months of ACE inhibitor administration in all three groups. The reduction in LV diameters did not differ significantly amongst the three groups. There was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in LV end-diastolic diameter from baseline levels in captopril and perindopril groups after 3 months that got increased after 6 months but remained below pretreatment levels in both the groups. In ramipril group, there was no much change in this parameter from baseline levels at 3 and 6 months of treatment. After 6 months of treatment, the percent reduction in LV end-systolic diameter was also sustained in perindopril-treated patients. The percent reduction was greater in the perindopril group (3 and 6 months: 7.39 ± 5.94 and 7.73 ± 3.43, respectively) as compared to that observed in captopril group (3 and 6 months: 5.67 ± 1.05 and 2.52 ± 3.11, respectively) and ramipril group (3 and 6 months: 7.30 ± 2.75 and 4.93 ± 3.22, respectively). Mitral-valve regurgitation was greatly reduced in the captopril group at 3 as well 6 months of ACE inhibitor administration. However, the percent reduction from baseline levels was not statistically significant amongst the three groups. The percent improvement in functional status was significantly greater in the ramipril treatment group (36.46 ± 3.14) after 6 months of treatment as compared to that of captopril (6.67 ± 10.64) and perindopril (4.17 ± 2.73) group. In conclusion, our data show equal beneficial effects with all three ACE inhibitors under investigation in CABG patients with LV systolic dysfunction, with marginal superiority for perindopril.

Purification and properties of an extracellular pectin lyase produced by the strain of Penicillium oxalicum in solid-state fermentation.

A pectin lyase (PNL, EC 4.2.2.10) produced extracellularly by the strain of Penicillium oxalicum in solid-state fermentation medium containing deoiled mandarin orange peel meal was purified to apparent homogeneity by a protocol that included ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. The enzyme had molecular mass of 50 kD, as determined by SDS- PAGE and showed optimum pH and temperature at 8.0 and 50 degrees C respectively. It had an isoelectric point (pI) of 5.0 and showed a K(m) of 1.1 mg/ml of citrus pectin. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by Mo4+, Ag+ and Pb2+ and also by polyphenolic compounds, in particular tannic acid.

Cumulative risk and trends in prostate cancer incidence in Mumbai, India.

BACKGROUND: Information relating to cancer incidence trends in a community forms the scientific basis for the planning and organization of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We here estimated the cumulative risk and trends in incidence of prostate cancer in Mumbai, India, using data collected by the Bombay Population-based Cancer Registry from the year 1986 to 2000. METHODS: During the 15 year period, a total of 2864 prostate cancer cases (4.7% of all male cancers and 2.4% of all cancers) were registered by the Bombay Population-based Cancer Registry. For evaluation of the trend, we applied a linear regression model based on the logarithm of the observed incidence rates. The annual percentage changes were also computed for the evaluation. Cumulative incidence rates percentages were calculated by adding up the age specific incidence rates at single ages and then expressed as a percentage. RESULTS: Analysis of the trends in age-adjusted incidence rates of prostate cancer during the period 1986 to 2000 showed no statistically significant increase or decrease and the rates proved stable across the various age groups (00-49, 50-69 and 70+) also. The probability estimates indicated that one out of every 59 men will contract a prostate cancer at some time in his whole life and 99% of the chance is after he reaches the age of 50. CONCLUSION: The stability in age adjusted-incidence rates indicates that there are no changes in the etiological factors for prostate cancer in Mumbai, India. These findings may be of general interest because changes in diagnostic practices are confounded in the time trends of prostate cancer change in many western countries preventing inferences on the changes in risk.

A cysteine protease of Dieffenbachia maculata.

Plants of the genus Dieffenbachia, very popular as indoor ornamental plants, are known for their toxic as well as therapeutic properties. Their toxic manifestations have been partly attributed to their proteolytic activity. The work described in the present paper shows that stem leaves and petiole of Dieffenbachia maculata Schott, a commonly grown species, contain significant proteolytic activity, different parts showing different types of protease activities. Stem showed the highest enzyme activity and this protease was purified about 55 fold by solvent precipitation, gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The enzyme has a relative molecular mass of 61 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and has an optimum pH of 8.0 and optimum temperature of 50 degrees C. Effects of various substrates, inhibitors and activators indicate that the enzyme is a cysteine protease with leucylpeptidase activity.

Host factors and pneumonia in hospitalised children.

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) account for 20-24% of childhood deaths in India. The present study investigated the host related risk factors in the outcome of pneumonia in 127 hospitalised children between the ages of 2 months and 5 years. The case fatality rate in the study was 11.8%. Presence of malnutrition is a significantly important factor for both increased duration of pneumonia and fatal outcome. Other factors for increased pneumonia mortality include the presence of associated illness and the severity of the pneumonia.

Effect of vanadate on tryptophan metabolism in streptozotocin diabetic rats.

Administration of sodium orthovanadate (0.3 mg/ml) through drinking water for 20 days to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats resulted in reversal of markedly elevated activities of some of the key enzymes of tryptophan-niacin pathway, viz. hepatic and renal aminocarboxymuconate semialdehyde decarboxylase and hepatic tryptophan oxygenase, to normal levels without restoring the elevated blood sugar level to normal state. However vanadate administration to normal rats did not cause any significant change.

Effect of ethanol ingestion on tryptophan metabolism in streptozotocin diabetic rats.

Ingestion of ethanol by albino rats affected brain liver and plasma tryptophan contents in both normal and diabetic animals, although at different rates. Liver tryptophan was increased in both the groups, whereas tryptophan levels in brain and plasma of normal group were decreased and those of diabetic group were increased after the treatment. Similarly, while hepatic tryptophan dioxygenase activity was decreased in both the groups, activity of hepatic 3-hydroxykynureninase was increased only in normal rats and that of liver picolinic carboxylase was significantly decreased only in the diabetic group after ethanol administration.

Purification of rat intestinal cinnabarinate synthase and its possible role in hyperplasia of the small intestine in diabetic rats.

Streptozotocin diabetic rats fed ad libitum exhibited hyperplasia of the small intestine. As compared to the control animals, the intestine of experimental animals grew in weight, length and total RNA and DNA contents. Intestinal cinnabarinate synthase activity in diabetic rats was however significantly lower. Developmental studies in albino rats indicated that, attainment of the terminal and highest activity of the enzyme tends to correspond with cessation of further increase in RNA and DNA contents of the intestine, thereby suggesting a possible relationship between cinnabarinate synthase and the hyperplastic changes observed. It was also observed that some properties of this enzyme, such as Km and Vmax are modified in diabetic condition. The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity and some of its kinetic and other properties were studied.

Purification and properties of proteases produced by Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl, regulation of production by fructose.

A strain οf Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl, when grown on wheat bran Czapek Dox medium was found to secrete one neutral and two alkaline proteases. The purified enzymes were found to be endo peptidases, the alkaline proteases being serine proteases and neutral proteases being cysteine proteases. Fructose when added to the culture medium was found to give rise to a new neutral protease at the expense of the neutral protease produced in the absence of fructose and was also found to enhance the production of alkaline proteases. It also appears that fructose modifies the alkaline proteases with respect to some characteristics such as Vmax, Ea etc. Sodium dodecyl sulphate Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated a significantly altered protein profile in fructose supplemented .medium.