Vitamin D3 effect on Albuminuria in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in Northern Andhra Pradesh, India

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency is a common disorder in diabetic patients and may be a risk factor for the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The present study aimed to assess the effects of a large dose of parenteral. Vitamin D on 24 hours albuminuria in T2DM patients. Methods: This prospective single-center study included 80 vitamin D deficient [25(OH) D <50 nmol/l] T2DM patients with an adequate glycemic control (HbA1c< 7.0%). Without any changes in anti-hyperglycemic or antihypertensive drugs, these patients were given a single high dose (600000 IU) of parenteral Vitamin D3. Then the changes in Vitamin D levels and 24 hours albuminuria were seen on follow up at 3 months. Results: Vitamin D3 supplementation improved 24 hours albuminuria. In the present study, Twenty-four-hour urinary albumin excretion decreased from 210.4 ± 101.2 to 204.6 ± 104.5. In males, it changed from 221.8 ± 99.7 to 216.1 ± 100.3 and in females, it changed from 192.3 ± 108.5 to 186.7 ± 113.1. There was a negative association of albuminuria with Vit D levels in the present study. Conclusion: Vitamin D3 supplementation significantly reduces 24-hour urinary albumin excretion in T2DM patients with Vitamin D3 deficiency.

Molecular cloning of growth hormone encoding cDNA of Indian major carps by a modified rapid amplification of cDNA ends strategy.

A modified rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) strategy has been developed for cloning highly conserved cDNA sequences. Using this modified method, the growth hormone (GH) encoding cDNA sequences of Labeo rohita, Cirrhina mrigala and Catla catla have been cloned, characterized and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. These sequences show 96-98% homology to each other and are about 85% homologous to that of common carp. Besides, an attempt has been made for the first time to describe a 3-D model of the fish GH protein.

Cloning, sequencing and expression of cDNA encoding growth hormone from Indian catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis).

A tissue-specific cDNA library was constructed using polyA+ RNA from pituitary glands of the Indian catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) and a cDNA clone encoding growth hormone (GH) was isolated. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers representing the conserved regions of fish GH sequences the 3' region of catfish GH cDNA (540 bp) was cloned by random amplification of cDNA ends and the clone was used as a probe to isolate recombinant phages carrying the full-length cDNA sequence. The full-length cDNA clone is 1132 bp in length, coding for an open reading frame (ORF) of 603 bp; the reading frame encodes a putative polypeptide of 200 amino acids including the signal sequence of 22 amino acids. The 5' and 3' untranslated regions of the cDNA are 58 bp and 456 bp long, respectively. The predicted amino acid sequence of H. fossils GH shared 98% homology with other catfishes. Mature GH protein was efficiently expressed in bacterial and zebrafish systems using appropriate expression vectors. The successful expression of the cloned GH cDNA of catfish confirms the functional viability of the clone.

Cloning of partial putative gonadotropin hormone receptor sequence from fish.

A search for the presence of mariner-like elements in the Labeo rohita genome by polymerase chain reaction led to the amplification of a partial DNA sequence coding for a putative transmembrane domain of gonadotropin hormone receptor. The amplified DNA sequence shows a high degree of homology to the available turkey and human luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormone receptor coding sequences. This is the first report on cloning such sequences of piscine origin.

Epidemiological study of dental caries.

A total of 2000 children (1-14 year age group) attending pediatric OPD, school clinic & well body clinic of Dr. R.N. Cooper Municipal Hospital & K.E.M Hospital, Mumbai were examined for caries prevalence and 35.6% had dental caries. Parental income was not shown to have any bearing on caries prevalence. Parental literacy, particularly maternal literacy was shown to influence caries prevalence in children. The prevalence was low in well-nourished children and in those taking vegetarian type of diet. Frequency of sweet consumption was shown to be associated with prevalence of dental caries. In 1-4 year age group it was noted that bottle fed children were more affected by dental caries. Tooth brush with paste was the commonest method used for cleaning their teeth in all age groups in our study. Caries prevalence was low in those children using tooth brush than in those using tooth powder. Those children who were using neem datun were found to be less affected with dental caries. Dental caries was also found to be low in those who rinsed their mouth with water after food.

In vitro susceptibility of filamentous fungi to itraconazole.

The in vitro activity of itraconazole was investigated against 25 clinical isolates of filamentous fungi by agar dilution method. The isolated included Aspergillus sp., hyalohypomycetes, dematiaceous fungi and zygomycetes. Intraconazole was more active, inhibiting 50% (MIC 50) and 90% (MIC 90) of the Aspergillus sp., at a concentration of 0.5 and 2.5 ug ml-1 (MIC range 0.1 and 5 micrograms ml-1) Ketoconazole (MIC range 0.5-10 ug ml-1) required 1 and 5 ug ml-1 for inhibiting 50% and 90% of the isolates. For the hyalophypomycetes and dematiaceous fungi, the MIC 50s for itraconazole were 1 and 0.5 ug ml-1 and Ketoconazole required 2.5 ug ml-1 for both the groups. For the zygomycetes, the MIC range and MIC 50s for Ketoconazole were 1-100 and 10 ug ml-1 whereas the values for itraconazole were 5- > 100 and > 100 micrograms ml-1.

Disk diffusion susceptibility testing of dermatophytes with imidazoles.

In vitro susceptibility testing of 43 isolates of dermatophytes was carried out against imidazoles-ketoconazole, miconazole and econazole and griseofulvin by agar dilution and disk diffusion methods. Econazole was the most effective drug inhibiting all the isolates at a concentration of 0.1 microgram ml-1. The MIC 50s and MIC 90s for ketoconazole and miconazole were 1 and 2.5 mg ml-1 whereas the values for griseofulvin were 1 and 5 micrograms ml-1. Good correlation was seen between the MIC and sizes of zones of inhibition around the disks. Regression analysis was used to measure the degree of correlation between the MIC values and matched averaged zones of inhibition and the correlation coefficients for econazole, ketoconazole, miconazole and griseofulvin were -0.5554, -0.5886, -0.8558 and -0.8268 (p < 0.001) respectively.

Antimycotic susceptibility testing of mould-fungi with allylamines by disk diffusion.

Susceptibility testing of 17 clinical isolates of mould-fungi, which included Aspergillus spp., (8) Penicillium spp., (2) Paecilomyces spp., (1) Cladosporium spp., (1) Pyrenochaeta romeroi (1) Rhizopus spp., 2. Syncephalastrum spp., (1) and Mortierella spp., (1) were carried out against allylamines-naftifine and terbinafine-(Sandoz Forchungsinstitut) by agar dilution and disk diffusion techniques. Terbinafine was more active than naftifine inhibiting 50 and 90% of the fungi other than zygomycetes at a concentration of 0.5 and 1 microgram/ml whereas the values for naftifine were 2.5 and 10 micrograms/ml. The MIC range for zygomycetes for terbinafine and naftifine were 1-->100 and 100-->100 respectively. The MICs and the sizes of zones of inhibition around the disks correlated well and the degree of correlation was measured by regression analysis. The correlation coefficients for naftifine and terbinafine were-0.9597 and -0.9174 (P < 0.007) respectively.

Antidermatophytic activity of allylamine derivatives.

The allylamine derivatives are a new class of synthetic antifungal agents. The antidermatophytic activity of the two main compounds, naftifine and terbinafine were compared in vitro with those of ketoconazole and itraconazole by agar dilution. Eighty eight clinical isolates of dematophytes comprising of Microsporum canis (50), M. audouinii (5), Trichophyton rubrum (6) T. mentagrophytes (5), T. violaceum (12), T. simii (5), T. verrucosum (1), T. soudanense (1), T. erinacie (1) and Epidermophyton floccosum (2) were tested. Terbinafine was found to be most active, inhibiting 68 of the 88 isolates at a concentration of 0.01 ug ml-1 and all at 0.1 ug ml. (Minimum inhibitory concentration - MIC range < or = 0.0001-0.1 ug ml-1). Naftifine inhibited 84 isolates at a concentration of 0.1 ug ml-1 and all at 0.5 ug ml-1 (MIC range 0.001-0.5 ug ml-1). Itraconazole required 0.1 ug ml-1 for inhibiting 50 isolates and 0.5 ug ml-1 for 85 isolates (MIC range 0.01-1 ug ml-1) whereas ketoconazole inhibited 71 isolates at 1 ug ml-1 and 87 at 2.5 ug ml-1 (MIC range 0.01-5 ug ml-1).

Antifungal activity of allylamine derivatives.

The antifungal activity of the two allylamine derivatives, naftifine and terbinafine was investigated against 25 clinical isolates of filamentous fungi by agar dilution method. The isolates included Aspergillus sp. (10), Penicillium sp. (3), Cladosporium sp. (3), Rhizopus sp. (3), Paecilomyces sp. (2), Syncephalastrum sp. (1), Pyrenochaeta romeroi (1), Piedraia hortae (1) and Mortierella sp. (1). Terbinafine was found to be more active than naftifine, inhibiting 50 per cent (MIC 50) and 90 per cent (MIC 90) of the isolates of Aspergillus sp., at 0.1 and 0.5 microgram/ml respectively. The MIC 50s for the other isolates of hyalohyphomycetes, dematiaceous fungi and zygomycetes were 1, 5 and 100 micrograms/ml respectively. Naftifine inhibited 50 and 90 per cent of the Aspergillus sp., at 1 and 5 micrograms/ml, respectively. The MIC 50s for the other hyalohyphomycetes, dematiaceous fungi and zygomycetes were 5, 10 and 100 micrograms/ml respectively.

Actinomadura madurae causing mycetomas in Madras.

Two hundred and ten histologically diagnosed cases of mycetoma filed in the Departments of Pathology of four Medical Colleges in Tamil Nadu, India, between 1964-1987 were subjected to detailed histopathological study; Actinomadura madurae, was found in 73 of them. In nine cases of mycetoma pedis, the organism A. madurae has been isolated in pure culture. In one case, the lesions were present in both the feet. The characteristic cream-coloured granules were seen in all. The lesions responded well to a combination of Streptomycin and dapsone.

Mycotic keratitis in Madras.

Corneal scrapings from 698 clinically suspected cases of mycotic keratitis were investigated for evidence of fungal infection. Of these, 322 were found to be positive by direct examination and/or culture. The infection was predominantly seen in the age group 21-50. Men were more frequently affected than women. Majority of the patients were either agricultural workers or out door manual labourers and 66.8% of them gave a definite history of antecedent corneal trauma due to vegetable or soil matter. Asperyllus flavus was the commonest causal agent isolated from 55 cases (17.1%), followed by A. niger (13.7%), A. fumigatus (10.9%), A. terreus (1.2%), A. glaucus (0.9%), and Pseudoallescheria boydii (0.6%). The order of occurrence of the genera of fungi isolated was Aspergillus, Acremonium, Curvularia, Fusarium, Candida, Syncephalastrum, Penicillium, Aureobasidium, Drechslera, Cladosporium, Rhizopus, Alternaria, Mucor, Pseudoallecheria and lastly Paecilomyces and Trichoderma from one case each.