Beneficial anti-Parkinson effects of camel milk in Chlorpromazineinduced animal model: Behavioural and histopathological study.

Potential roles of natural products have been identified for preventing or treating various diseases. Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of camel milk in an animal model of Parkinson's disease and compare it with standard treatment (levodopa + carbidopa combination). 40 Wistar albino rats weighing 200-250 gram were divided into four groups of 10 animals each. Group I was kept on water and served as normal control, group II served as negative control, treated with chlorpromazine (5mg/kg i.p.), group III was given camel milk (33ml/kg p.o) and group IV the standard combination of levodopa + carbidopa (100+10mg/kg) respectively, 30 minutes after chlorpromazine treatment. All animals were subjected to the drugs treatment for 30 days. Catalepsy was assessed by Bar test on day 21 and day 30 at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes interval. On 30th day animals were sacrificed and whole brains were examined for histopathological changes. The results revealed highly significant (p<0.001) anti-cataleptic effect of camel milk on day 21 and 30 in comparison to chlorpromazine. When compared with standard therapy, the results showed that anti-Parkinson's activity of camel milk was significant (p<0.01) on day 21. However, the difference in activity was non-significant on day 30. Histopathology of the brain showed that administration of camel milk reveals intact architecture with mild degenerative changes than chlorpromazine and levodopa + carbidopa treated animals. In conclusion, camel milk possesses anti-Parkinson's activity. However, its long term efficacy and safety needs to be evaluated clinically.

Outcomes of 1st Remission Induction Chemotherapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cytogenetic Risk Groups

Background: Diagnostic karyotyping analysis is routinely used in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) clinics. Categorization of patients into risk stratified groups (favorable, intermediate and adverse) according to cytogenetic findings can serve as a valuable independent prognostic factor. Method and Material: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted based on the patient records of newly diagnosed non-M3 AML young adult cases undergoing standard 3+7 i.e, Daunorubicin and Ara-C (DA) as remission induction chemotherapy. Diagnostic cytogenetic analysis reports were analyzed to classify the patients into risk stratified groups according to South West Oncology Group criteria and prognostic significance was measured with reference to achievement of haematological remission after 1st induction chemotherapy. Results: A normal karyotype was commonly expressed, found in 47.2% of patients, while 65% (n=39) appeared to have intermediate risk cytogenetics, and 13.3% (n=8) adverse or unclassified findings. Favourable cytogenetics was least frequent in the patient cohort, accounting for only 8.3 % (n=5).The impact of cytogenetic risk groups on achievement of haematological remission was evaluated by applying Pearson Chi-square, and was found to be non-significant (df=12, p=0.256) but when the outcomes of favourable risk groups with intermediate, adverse and unclassified findings compared, results were highly significant (df=6, p=0.000) for each comparison. In patients of the favourable cytogenetic risk group, HR?? was reported in 40% (n=2/5), as compared to 62.2% (n=23/37) in the intermediate cytogenetic risk group, 57.1% (n=4/7) in the adverse cytogenetic risk group and 28.6% (n=2/7) in hte unclassified cytogenetic risk group. Conclusion: Cytogenetic risk stratification for AML cases following criteria provided by international guidelines did not produce conclusive results in our Pakistani patients. However, we cannot preclude an importance as the literature clearly supports the use of pretreatment karyotyping analysis as a significant predictive marker for clinical outcomes. The apparent differences between Pakistani and Western studies indicate an urgent need to develop risk stratification guidelines according to the specific cytogenetic makeup of South Asian populations.