Impact of Hatha Yoga on the Airway Resistances in Healthy Individuals and Allergic Rhinitis Patients.

There have been limited studies on Hatha yoga training as a complementary therapy to manage the symptoms of Allergic Rhinitis. The main Aim of the study was to check the impact of Hatha yogasanas on the Airway resistances in Healthy volunteers, a baseline data can be established and also to study the impact of Hatha yogasanas on the Airway resistances in Allergic Rhinitis patients in Bangalore, India. This is a prospective case series of 51 healthy volunteers (18 Males and 33 Females) Group 1 and 51 Allergic Rhinitis patients (18 Males and 33 Females) Group 2. The Objective analysis of the upper airway resistance was measured using a rhinomanometer and the lower airway resistance was measured using a spirometer. Then the subjects practiced specific Hatha yogasanas for three months. Then the airway resistance tests were again done at 3 months interval. The subjective analysis was done pre yoga and post yoga using the Short form-12 (SF-12) and Sino Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT) Questionnaires to assess the quality of life. The data was analyzed by doing a Paired (2-tailed) T Test, using SPSS (Software Package for Social Sciences) version 16. Total Nasal Airway Resistance pre yoga and post yoga in 51 healthy volunteers had significantly reduced at 150 Pa and the Forced Vital Capacity(FVC) pre yoga and post yoga had significantly increased,Forced Expiratory volume (FEV1) & % Residual standard deviation (%RSD) had increased but not significant. The Physical component score (PCS) and Mental component score (MCS) of the SF-12 health survey questionnaire had significantly improved with and the SNOT questionnaire score had significantly reduced. The Total Nasal Airway Resistance in 51 Allergic Rhinitis had significantly reduced at 150 Pa and the FVC pre yoga and post yoga showed increase but change was not significant, FEV1 pre yoga and post yoga had significantly increased, %RSD pre yoga and post yoga had significantly increased. The PCS and MCS of the SF-12 health survey questionnaire had significantly increased and the SNOT questionnaire score had significantly decreased. The scientific documentation of the impact of Hatha Yoga on the airway resistances can be an eye opener in the management of several other diseases of the airways.

Photodynamic therapeutic efficacy of symmetrical diiodinated squaraine in in vivo skin cancer models.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has clinical approval for use as a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure that is able to exert selective cytotoxic activity toward malignant cells. The dye selected for our study, symmetrical diiodinated squaraine, is one of the newly developed photosensitizers. The study is designed to determine the efficacy of PDT mediated by symmetrical diiodinated squaraine in skin tumor induced Swiss albino mice. METHODS: Skin tumor was induced in mice with dimethyl benzanthracene (DMBA) and croton oil. After squaraine administration to the tumor mice, photodynamic treatment of tumors was performed using a 1000W halogen lamp corresponding to the light dose of 100J/cm2. The mice were euthanized and skin flaps and tumor tissues from the back of mice were excised for biochemical studies. The biochemical parameters analyzed include some relevant tumor markers for epithelial tissues, inflammatory markers and markers of apoptosis. The gene expression studies were done by RT-PCR. RESULTS: After two weeks of the treatment, there was significant inflammation. However at 90days after PDT, the parameters reverted to near-normal values. All marker parameters of tumor progression brought back to normal levels by PDT. Increased caspase-3 activity in PDT treated group shows that cell death might have occurred by apoptosis. The gene expression profile confirms the results. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the whole study show the therapeutic efficacy and apoptosis mediated tumor destruction by squaraine PDT.

Prescription Pattern of Analgesic Drugs for Patients Receiving Palliative Care in a Teaching Hospital in India.

BACKGROUND: Drugs used in the palliative care unit for managing symptoms are major contributors toward the expenditure occurring in palliative care. This study was conducted to understand the prescription pattern of analgesic drugs in the patients who are receiving palliative care in a teaching hospital in India by a retrospective study of case records. METHODS: Case record based, retrospective, descriptive study was conducted at the Pain and Palliative Care Department of St. John's Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru. Case record files of all patients referred to Pain and Palliative Care Department for the treatment of pain in the year of 2012 were studied. Patients' age, gender, diagnoses, numerical pain rating scale (0-10), drugs prescribed, dosage, frequency, route of administration were recorded. The difference in drug utilization between the genders was done using Chi-square test. Data were collected from 502 patients of which 280 (56%) were males and 222 (44%) were females. Twelve percent of patients had mild pain (1-3), 34% had moderate pain (4-6), and 54% had severe pain (7-10). The most commonly used analgesic drugs were opioids (47%), followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (36%). The opioids used were tramadol (56%), and morphine (38%). Ninety percent of patients with numerical pain scale more than 6 received morphine. There was no difference in analgesic drug utilization with regards to gender. Prescription pattern differed depending on the severity of pain. Opioids were the most commonly used drugs for pain management. CONCLUSION: The study shows that prescription pattern in palliative care unit of this hospital was in accordance with WHO pain management guidelines. The study showed the current trend in prescription of analgesic drugs in the teaching hospital where the study was conducted.

Electrochemical Performance of PbO2 and PbO2-CNT Composite Electrodes for Energy Storage Devices.

In this work we report the electrochemical performance comparison of two new hybrid supercapacitors one based on graphene as negative electrode and lead dioxide thin film as positive electrode and the other with graphene as negative electrode and lead dioxide-carbon nanotube composite as positive electrode in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. In the present work, PbO2 was synthesized using sol-gel method which is one of the promising materials for hybrid supercapacitors. The XRD confirmed the single phase of the PbO2 and the grain size is 39 nm which has been determined using Scherrer's formula. Thin films of PbO2, PbO2-CNT composite and graphene were coated on the titanium substrate by electrophoretic deposition. Further material characterisation has been carried out using SEM, TEM, XPS and electrochemical characterisation using CV, charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for obtaining energy density and power density, cyclic stability and internal resistance respectively. The present results revealed that PbO2-CNT composite/graphene asymmetric hybrid supercapacitor exhibits large specific capacitance and energy density over PbO2/graphene based system. The PbO2-CNT composite/graphene asymmetric hybrid supercapacitor exhibited maximum power density and energy density of 1200 W/Kg and 65 Wh/Kg respectively at a current density of 2 A/g. The PbO2-CNT composite/graphene asymmetric hybrid system exhibited excellent cycling stability with the capacitance retained 85% of its maximum value up to 3000 cycles.

Embelin (2,5-dihydroxy-3-undecyl-p-benzoquinone): a bioactive molecule isolated from Embelia ribes as an effective photodynamic therapeutic candidate against tumor in vivo.

The present study was carried out to assess the photosensitizing potential of embelin, the biologically active natural product isolated from Embelia ribes in photodynamic therapy (PDT) experiments in vivo. In vitro PDT clearly indicated that embelin recorded significant cytotoxicity in Ehrlich's Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) cells, which is superior to 5-aminolevulinic acid, a known photodynamic compound. For in vivo experiments solid tumor was induced using EAC cells in the male Swiss albino mice of groups I, II, III and IV. Group I served as the control (without solid tumor), group II served as tumor bearing mice without treatment and groups III and IV served as treatments. At the completion of 4 weeks of induction, the tumor bearing mice from group III and IV were given an intraperitoneal injection with embelin (12.5mg/kg body weight). After 24h, tumor area in the Group III and IV animals was exposed to visible light from a 1,000 W halogen lamp. The mice from groups I to III were sacrificed 2 weeks after the PDT treatment and the marker enzymes (myeloperoxidase [MPO], ß-d-glucuronidase, and rhodanese) were assayed and expression of Bcl-2 and Bax were analyzed in normal and tumor tissues. Animals from group IV were sacrificed after 90 days of PDT treatment and the above mentioned parameters were recorded. Reduction in tumor volume and reversal of biochemical markers to near normal levels were observed in the treated groups. This is the first report on PDT using a natural compound for solid tumor control in vivo. The uniqueness of the mode of treatment lies in the selective uptake of the nontoxic natural compound, embelin from the medicinal plant E. ribes used in Indian system of medicine, by the solid tumor cells and their selective destruction using PDT without affecting the neighboring normal cells, which is much advantageous over radiation therapy now frequently used.

Symmetrical diiodinated squaraine as an efficient photosensitizer for PDT applications: Evidence from photodynamic and toxicological aspects.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is emerging as a promising non-invasive treatment for cancers. It involves three key components; a photosensitizer, light and tissue oxygen. Even though several photosensitizers have been investigated for their use in PDT, they have several disadvantages and hence the search for more effective sensitizers has become important in recent years. The dye selected in our study - symmetrical diiodinated benzothiazolium squaraine (SQDI) - is one of the newly developed photosensitizers. The study aimed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of the dye on Ehrlich's Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) cells and to assess the in vivo toxicity on Swiss Albino mice. The EAC cells were maintained in the peritoneum of mice and used to study the dark toxicity and phototoxicity by Trypan blue dye exclusion method, estimation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), caspase activity and levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The in vitro studies revealed that the dye induces toxicity in the presence of light and mediates cell death. The in vivo part of the study, which dealt with the toxicity evaluation in the body of Swiss Albino mice, was done by analyzing the parameters like serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). No significant change was observed in the above mentioned parameters in the dye administered group when compared to control. Altogether, this experiment indicates that the SQDI selected for our study may be used as an efficient photosensitizer for PDT applications and does not elicit acute toxicity to normal tissues in the absence of light.