RESUMO
Background: Diabetes mellitus refers to group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia due to an absolute or relative deficit in insulin production or action. Diabetes mellitus produces pathological changes in most organs of the body including heart, blood vessels, kidneys, nerves and eyes. Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a severely debilitating yet underdiagnosed complication of diabetes. Diabetes-associated cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy damages autonomic nerve fibers that innervate the heart and blood vessels causing abnormalities in heart rate and vascular dynamics.Methods: Total 80 cases of diabetes mellitus were selected. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy in them was diagnosed by a series of tests recommended by Ewing et al, which include - Valsalva ratio, Deep Breath Test, Heart rate response to standing, Postural Hypotension, SHGT Increase in diastolic BP on sustained hand grip. They were divided into 2 groups A and B depending on presence or absence of cardiac autonomic neuropathy. ECG was done to calculate QTc and QTd.Results: In group A mean QTc was 0.344 sec and in group B in patients with mild CAN mean QTc was 0.432, moderate CAN mean QTc was 0.444, and in patients of severe CAN mean QTc was 0.481. p value was 0.001 that it is highly significant. Means more was degree of CAN more was prolongation of QT and similarly more the degree of CAN more was QTd.Conclusions: Diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy by battery of cardiac autonomic function tests is a comlex procedure. The prolongation of QTc interval and more specifically QTd interval on ECG is a marker in diagnosis of cardiac autonomic neuropathy which can be easily evaluated.
RESUMO
Upregulation of antioxidant system provides protection against drought induced oxidative stress in plants. Proline, an important osmolyte, acts as ROS scavenger, membrane stabilizer and also as protectant of enzymes. In this study, we investigated the effect of proline pre-treatment on the inhibitory effects of water deficit stress in two contrasting wheat cultivars, i.e. PBW 644 (Drought tolerant) and PBW 621 (Drought sensitive). Seedling growth was adversely affected in both the cultivars grown under stress. Pre-treatment of seeds with 15 mM proline stimulated seedling growth of both wheat cultivars accompanied by increased activities of SOD, POX, APX and GR and the contents of glycine betaine, proline and total phenols in the tolerant cultivar. In PBW 621, CAT and APX enzymes were upregulated along with increased glycine betaine content. Proline pre-treatment enhanced the membrane stability of both wheat cultivars grown under stress, as revealed by the significantly reduced malondialdehyde content. The levels of endogenous H2O2 contents in proline treated stressed seedlings of PBW 644 were also markedly lower than those of the non-treated stressed seedlings. The results indicated that proline pre-treatment could improve drought tolerance by stimulating ROS detoxification pathways, especially in tolerant cultivars.
RESUMO
The petroleum ether (PE), chloroform (CH), ethanol (ETH) and water extracts of E. arvense stems were evaluated for anti-anxiety activity in mice using elevated plus maze model. Ketamine induced hypnosis and actophotometer was used to evaluate sedative effect with various extracts in mice. The results were compared with standard drug diazepam. The ethanolic extract of E. arvense (50 and 100 mg/kg) significantly increased the time-spent and the percentage of the open arm entries in the elevated plus-maze model which was comparable to diazepam. Ethanolic extract (100 mg/kg) prolonged the ketamine-induced total sleeping time and decreased the locomotor activity in mice. The results suggest that the ethanolic extract of E. arvense seems to possess anxiolytic effect with lower sedative activity than that of diazepam. The results could be attributed to the flavonoid content of the ethanolic extract.