Control of Dietary Salt Intake at Family Level by Housewives in Tripura, India: A Rural - Urban Comparison.

Background Intake of excess salt can lead to high blood pressure a leading cause of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The behaviour risk factors for hypertension including high salt consumption, alcohol and tobacco use and physical inactivity; among them, salt intake reduction is one of the most cost-effective ways to control hypertension and CVD. Objective To find out the practice of salt intake control among rural and urban women of Tripura. Method This community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 housewives from rural and urban areas of Tripura, India for a period of ten months (June 2017-March 2018). A pre-tested, semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect required information regarding their socio-demographic, behavioural characteristics, family history and practice of salt intake control etc. The collected data was entered in SPSS version 16.0, represented in proportions and p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result In present study, less than half of the participants (46% rural vs 41.5% urban) from both areas have good practice on control of salt intake. The mean control scores of rural and urban housewives were 9.7200±1.63246 and 9.4750±1.68927 respectively. Rural housewives had more control of extra salt intake in comparison to urban housewives but difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Majority Hindu housewives in rural areas had good control of salt intake than urban housewives (p<0.05). Conclusion The current study found less than half of the participants both in rural and urban areas have good control of dietary salt intake. This finding may provide an idea for development of intervention strategies aiming at increasing salt control-related awareness.

Synthesis, characterization and application of novel cationic and amphoteric flocculants based on amylopectin.

The synthesis of novel cationic flocculants based on amylopectin (AP), acrylamide (AM) and (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (ATMAC) were done by free radical polymerization using ammonium persulphate (APS) as an initiator. Three different grades of novel cationic flocculants (AP-g-C 1 to AP-g-C 3) were synthesized by varying the proportion of acrylamide and (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride monomers. Through the hydrolysis of these flocculants, in presence of NaOH, three different grades of amphoteric polymers (AP-AT-C 1 to AP-AT-C 3) were synthesized. The synthesized polymers were characterized by various methods, namely, infrared spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, viscosity measurement, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The flocculation performance of AP-g-C and AP-AT-C were studied in kaolin suspension using jar test and settling test methods at neutral pH. Dye (Methylene blue) removal tests were performed using polymer beads and analysed by UV-vis spectroscopy.

Interaction of transmural pressure and shear stress in the transport of albumin across the rabbit aortic wall.

In this study the synergistic role of the two haemodynamic parameters, pressure and wall shear stress, in macromolecular transport has been examined across the wall of the rabbit thoracic aorta. Arteries were subjected to 70 and 150 cm water pressure in the presence of fluid flow imposed shear stress. The flux of FITC labelled bovine serum albumin was found to be 3.36+/-1.34 x 10(-6) and 1.99+/-0.77 x 10(-6) cm/s (mean+/-S.D.) after 90 min incubation at 70 and 150 cm water, respectively. The mean relative tissue concentrations were 0.0039+/-0.0025 and 0.012+/-0.007 at 70 and 150 cm water, respectively. Under low values of steady wall shear stress, efflux of BSA is retarded at 150 cm since its tissue concentration is found to be higher than at 70 cm. The net outcome arises as a result of the interaction of increased permeability of endothelial cells exposed to shear stress, the pressure induced distension of the wall matrix and the differential effect of EDRF/NO at the two pressures on medial hydraulic conductivity. In the presence of the EDRF/NO inhibitor L-NAME, reduction in flux of albumin was observed at both the pressures, the decrease being greater at 150 cm water. In the absence of EDRF, the NO synthase independent vasodilator EDHF may be released, which maintains the tone of the medial smooth muscle low. Action of EDHF may be more marked at 150 cm water because NO synthesis is attenuated by higher transmural pressure and the presence of L-NAME eliminates shear stress stimulated NO release. Consequently the dilated vessel will have decreased porosity and less albumin space. The BSA flux across the aorta is, therefore, influenced by both endothelial permeability and permeability of the medial matrix, which are in turn modulated by an interplay of transmural pressure and fluid flow generated shear stress.

Effect of steady shear stress on fluid filtration through the rabbit arterial wall in the presence of macromolecules.

1. Transport properties of the arterial wall in general and endothelial cells in particular are known to be sensitive to fluid flow generated shear stress. 2. The effect of steady wall shear stress was studied in vitro on transmural water filtration in the presence of a control perfusate (10 mg/mL bovine serum albumin) and a test perfusate (50 mg/mL Dextran 500). The latter is a macromolecule with certain physical properties comparable to those of the circulating low density lipoproteins. Dextran 500 is a neutral polysaccharide carrying no charge groups. 3. Male rabbits were anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbital and one of the common carotid arteries was cannulated and excised. 4. Fluid flux across the artery wall was measured at a constant transmural pressure (150 cm H2O) in the presence and absence of luminal flow of the perfusate. 5. Luminal flow produced an average increase by 21% in the filtration flux relative to its value under static conditions with 10 mg/mL bovine serum albumin in the perfusate. In the presence of 50 mg/mL Dextran 500 in the perfusate an average reduction by 36% was observed in fluid flux when luminal flow was imposed in the artery. 6. The increase in flux with the control perfusate may be due to a structural alteration of the glycocalyx fibre matrix caused by flow imposed shear stress. The observed decrease in flux with 50 mg/mL Dextran 500 may be accounted for by the deformation of the dextran polymer chains when subjected to shear stress. Although intact molecules are likely to be excluded by the glycocalyx, parts of the chain may insert themselves in the network and enhance the steric exclusion of water. Also, decreased hydration of the medial interstitium may increase medial resistance to fluid transport.

Effect of pressure on transmural fluid flow in different de-endothelialised arteries.

The effect of pressure on filtration across different de-endothelialised arteries has been studied experimentally, and the existing theoretical model is validated. Segments of different arteries are excised, de-endothelialised and cannulated. Bovine serum albumin Krebs solution is used as perfusate. Transmural water flux is measured by following the movement of an air bubble in a calibrated capillary, which connects the artery to a pressure reservoir; the pressure of which is varied. The hydraulic conductivity Lp is calculated from the flux values. Using available experimental parameters in the case of the thoracic and abdominal aorta, a theoretical model is validated using the experimental results. As the elastic constant for the carotid artery is not available, the theoretical model is used to calculate the elastic constant at different transmural pressures. The values calculated are in the range -4.9 x 10(-8) to -5.7 x 10(-9) cm2 dyne-1 between 50 and 135 mm Hg. Both theoretical and experimental results show a decrease in Lp values with an increase in transmural pressure for the thoracic and abdominal aorta, whereas a different trend is observed in the case of the carotid artery. The Lp values increase at 90 mm Hg, as compared with 50 mm Hg, and with a further increase in transmural pressure the values decrease.

Effects of high molecular weight solutes on fluid flux across the arterial wall.

To investigate the mechanisms controlling the flux of plasma proteins into and through the walls of blood vessels, we have studied the effects of two inert protein analogues, Dextran 500 and Poly(ethylene)oxide (PEO) on fluid transport across the walls of intact rabbit common carotid arteries. Transmural fluxes were first measured in vessels pressurized to 150 cmH2O with a solution containing 10 mg/ml albumin alone (control solution) and then with one containing 10 mg/ml albumin plus 10 or 50 mg/ml dextran, or 10 or 30 mg/ml PEO (test solutions). The macromolecule solutions caused a decrease in transmural filtration; the ratios of fluxes with the test solutions to those with the control solutions were 0.89 +/- 0.11 (7), 0.63 +/- 0.08 (8), 0.69 +/- 0.24 (9) and 0.41 +/- 0.09 (4), respectively (Mean +/- SD (n)). These reductions in fluid movement through the vessel wall may be explained quantitatively in terms of the formation of concentration-polarized layers of the macromolecules at the luminal surface or interactions of the macromolecules with the endothelial glycocalyx, causing a decrease in its permeability.

Study of the inhibitory effect of lead acetate on duodenal contractility in rat.

1. Abdominal colic and constipation are symptoms of lead poisoning in man, but mechanisms of these effects are not yet fully understood. In this study the effect of lead acetate on contractility of rat duodenum was determined in vivo in 70 rats. 2. Rats were orally dosed with 44 mg/kg per day lead as 53 mmol/L lead acetate, for 4 weeks. Motility of the duodenum was recorded with an electrical impedance probe. 3. A significant decrease in the amplitude of contraction waves in case of treated rats was observed compared with controls which received an equal volume of saline. The number of contractions increased from 26 per min in controls to 33 per min in treated rats. Gastrointestinal transit rate decreased by 64% and 69% after 9 and 15 days of lead exposure, respectively.

Linear diffusion of lead in the intestinal wall: a theoretical study.

In this paper, the authors present a diffusion model of the intestinal wall to describe the transient overall uptake of lead ions across the epithelium of gastrointestinal mucosa and their subsequent diffusion in the underlying blood capillaries. The gastrointestinal mucosa is treated as a heterogeneous two-phase medium, consisting of a continuous extracellular phase and a dispersed cellular phase. The main mode of uptake is considered to be bulk diffusion, since transport of lead across the mucosal membrane occurs mainly by a passive diffusion process. The equations give the variation with time of concentrations of lead in both the phases across the intestinal wall. The mean concentration of lead available for absorption by the blood capillaries has been studied as a function of time. It is found that a steady state is reached in 19.45 min. It has been possible to estimate the intestinal membrane permeability for the lead molecule from this analysis: it is calculated to be 3.34 X 10(-3) s-1. Finally, the rate of lead uptake by the blood for different gut concentrations has been calculated.

Histopathological changes induced in rat tissues by oral intake of lead acetate.

In the present study an attempt has been made to observe the pathological alterations brought about in the intestine, liver, and kidney of lead-intoxicated rats. A short-term exposure to a sublethal dose of lead (44 mg/kg body wt/day) is seen to cause conspicuous degenerative changes in the three tissues. The intestinal mucosal epithelium is affected which leads to malabsorption, while in the kidney proximal tubular cells degenerate causing secretion of essential materials such as glucose, amino acids, etc., in the urine.