Medicinal formulations of a Kanda tribal healer--a tribe on the verge of disappearance in Bangladesh.

The Kanda tribe is one of the lesser known small tribes of Bangladesh with an estimated population of about 1700 people (according to them), and on the verge of extinction as a separate entity. To some extent, they have assimilated with the surrounding mainstream Bengali-speaking population, but they still maintain their cultural practices including traditional medicinal practices, for which they have their own tribal healers. Nothing at all has been documented thus far about their traditional medicinal practices and formulations, which are on the verge of disappearance. The Kanda tribe can be found only in scattered tea gardens of Sreemangal in Sylhet district of Bangladesh; dispersion of the tribe into small separated communities is also contributing to the fast losing of traditional medicinal practices. The objective of the present study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the traditional healers of the Kanda tribe (in fact, only one such healer was found after extensive searches). Information was collected from the healer with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. A total of 24 formulations were obtained from the healer containing 34 plants including two plants, which could not be identified. Besides medicinal plants, the Kanda healer also used the body hairs of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and bats (Pteropus giganteus giganteus) in one of his formulation for treatment of fever with shivering. The ailments treated by the Kanda healer were fairly common ailments like cuts and wounds, skin diseases, helminthiasis, fever, respiratory problems (coughs, asthma), gastrointestinal disorders (stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea), burning sensations during urination, various types of pain (headache, body ache, toothache, ear ache), conjunctivitis, poisonous snake, insect or reptile bites, jaundice, and bone fractures. A number of important drugs in allopathic medicine like quinine, artemisinin, and morphine (to name only a few) have been discovered from observing indigenous medicinal practices. From that view point, the formulations used by the Kanda healer merit scientific studies for their potential in the discovery of cheap and effective new drugs. Scientific validation of the medicinal formulations of the Kanda healer can also be effective for treatment of ailments among this tribe, which does not have or does not want to have any contact with modern medicine.

Specific electron transport chain abnormalities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

In an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient who also had an IgA gammopathy, autopsy studies identified the IgA in the surviving motor neurons. Further, the IgA bound the surface of isolated bovine motor neurons and inhibited neuronal proliferation in culture. To determine the pathologic basis of this IgA interaction with motor neurons, a neuroblastoma cDNA library was generated and screened with the IgA monoclonal antibody. Reactive clones were identified as flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) synthetase. To extend this finding to ALS in general, quantitative RT-PCRs were performed on blood samples from 26 ALS and 30 control blood samples to determine mRNA expression levels of FAD synthetase and other electron transport chain proteins, specifically riboflavin kinase (RFK), cytochrome C1 (CYC1), and succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit B (SDHB). All expression levels were measured against a control enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Expression levels for a non-respiratory chain protein (beta-actin) were also measured. We found that FAD synthetase expression levels were decreased in ALS samples compared to expression levels in controls (P = 0.0151). Expression levels for RFK, CYC1, and SDHB were also significantly decreased in the ALS group (P = 0.0025, P = 0.0002, and P < 0.0001, respectively). As control, expression levels for beta-actin did not show a significant difference between ALS and control groups (P = 0.2118). Our data show that a reduction in electron transport proteins, namely FAD synthetase, RFK, CYC1, and SDHB, is seen in patients with ALS. It is possible that this may have an effect on oxygen-dependent metabolic pathways. Human motor neurons may be particularly susceptible to injury if there is sub-optimal oxidative metabolism.

Specificity and correlation with disease activity of cerebrospinal fluid osteopontin levels in patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent advances in therapy that have improved the overall disease course in multiple sclerosis (MS), the prognosis at the outset remains unpredictable. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) osteopontin levels correlate with disability or active disease in MS and to determine whether elevated CSF osteopontin levels are only seen in MS. DESIGN: Cerebrospinal fluid osteopontin was assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in duplicate by an observer blinded to the clinical status of the sample. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were not obtained from any patient who had received high-dose corticosteroid therapy in the month before analysis. SETTING: Medical research institute. PATIENTS: Thirty patients (18 women and 12 men; age range, 24-71 years) with clinically definite MS and 36 patients (22 women and 14 men; age range, 20-71 years) with other neurological diseases (ONDs) or nonneurological illnesses were included in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Disease activity for patients with MS was based on observations in the year preceding the study, including the number of relapses, the change in disability according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale, and increased T2-weighted or gadolinium-enhancing lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Higher CSF osteopontin levels were seen in patients with MS having active disease and in patients with ONDs that are actively deteriorating or inflammatory. However, CSF osteopontin levels in patients with MS did not correlate with disability status. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebrospinal fluid osteopontin levels do not correlate with disability in MS but tend to be higher in patients with active disease. Elevated CSF osteopontin levels are not a specific marker for MS, as they are found in patients with ONDs and nonneurological illnesses. In ONDs, the highest CSF osteopontin levels are seen in patients with rapidly progressive neurological dysfunction or widespread inflammation of the central nervous system.