In vivo hypoglycemic effect of methanolic fruit extract of Momordica charantia L.

BACKGROUND: Momordica charantia L. is a medicinal plant commonly used in the management of diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the blood glucose lowering effect of the methanolic fruit extract of the Ugandan variety of M. charantia L. in alloxan-induced diabetic albino rats. METHODS: 500g of M. charantia powder were macerated in methanol and the extract administered to two groups of alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The first group received 125mg/kg, the second 375mg/kg and a third group 7mg/kg of metformin. A fourth group received 1ml normal saline. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were measured at 0.5,1,2,3,5,8 and 12 hours and compared using one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: There was an initial rise in FBG for 1 hour after administration of extracts followed by steep reductions. Significant reduction in FBG occurred at 2 hours for 125mg/kg of extract (-3.2%, 313±25.9 to 303±25.0mg/dL, p = 0.049), 375mg/kg of extract (-3.9%, 356±19.7 to 342±20.3mg/dL, p = 0.001), and metformin (-2.6%, 344±21.7 to 335±21.1mg/dL, p = 0.003) when compared to normal saline. The maximum percentage reduction in FBG by both extracts occurred between 3 and 12 hours post dose. CONCLUSIONS: The methanolic fruit extract of M. charantia exhibits dose dependent hypoglycaemic activity in vivo.

What happens to people diagnosed with tuberculosis? A population-based cohort.

We examined different patient outcomes following diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). Incident cases were reported to the enhanced surveillance system in the East of England, between 2000 and 2003. For the 575 cases reported in 2001 and 2002, outcomes were assessed 1 year after initiating treatment. The crude clinical incidence rate of TB was 6.0 cases/100,000 person-years (pyr) [95% confidence interval (CI) 5.7-6.4], highest in the 25-29 years age group (14.9, 95% CI 12.9-17.1 cases/100,000 pyr) and among Black Africans (328.6, 95% CI 286.9-374.6 cases/100,000 pyr). Patients born abroad were 2.35 (95% CI 1.03-5.32) times more likely to be lost to follow-up than those born in the United Kingdom. Age at diagnosis (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.04-1.07) and pulmonary disease (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.21-6.15) were independently associated with mortality. Elderly patients and those with pulmonary TB appear to have worse outcomes despite treatment. Foreign-born patients may need closer follow-up to ensure favourable outcomes.

The Challenge of Re-Treatment Pulmonary Tuberculosis at two Teaching and Referral Hospitals in Uganda

Background With an annual tuberculosis (TB) incidence of about 350 cases per 100;000 of the population; Uganda is a high burden country. Moreover; it is evident that some TB patients have been treated for a previous episode of the disease. Objective To highlight the burden of re-treatment pulmonary TB and examine patient factors associated with re-treatment among adults at two teaching and referral hospitals; Mbarara and Mulago Methods A descriptive cross sectional study with data collection between September 2004 and March 2005; we calculated the prevalence and used logistic regression to explore factors associated with re-treatment. Results The prevalence of re-treatment pulmo-naryTB at Mbarara based on medical records was 30.0(95CI: 21.2 to 40.0); and 21.3(95CI: 12.9 to 31.8) from exit interviews.The corresponding estimates at Mulago hospital were 12.0(95CI: 6.4 to 20.0) and 43.9(33.0 to 55.3). Compared to the 18-26 year age category; the prevalence odds ratio (POR) for a seven-year increase in age was 1.54 (95CI: 1.04-2.28; p = 0.027); while female patients were 0.39 (95CI: 0.17-0.90; p = 0.025) times less likely to report re-treatment disease than males; in this facility-based study. Conclusions Re-treatment pulmonary TB is frequent at the two teaching and referral hospitals.A contribution to re-treatment prevention should entail more rigorous management of new TB cases; particularly at lower levels of care