An association study of severity of intellectual disability with peripheral biomarkers of disabled children in a rehabilitation home, Kolkata, India.

The current investigation has identified the biomarkers associated with severity of disability and correlation among plethora of systemic, cellular and molecular parameters of intellectual disability (ID) in a rehabilitation home. The background of study lies with the recent clinical evidences which identified complications in ID. Various indicators from blood and peripheral system serve as potential surrogates for disability related changes in brain functions. ID subjects (Male, age 10 ± 5 yrs, N = 45) were classified as mild, moderate and severe according to the severity of disability using standard psychometric analysis. Clinical parameters including stress biomarkers, neurotransmitters, RBC morphology, expressions of inflammatory proteins and neurotrophic factor were estimated from PBMC, RBC and serum. The lipid peroxidation of PBMC and RBC membranes, levels of serum glutamate, serotonin, homocysteine, ROS, lactate and LDH-A expression increased significantly with severity of ID whereas changes in RBC membrane ß-actin, serum BDNF, TNF-α and IL-6 was found non-significant. Structural abnormalities of RBC were more in severely disabled children compared to mildly affected ones. The oxidative stress remained a crucial factor with severity of disability. This is confirmed not only by RBC alterations but also with other cellular dysregulations. The present article extends unique insights of how severity of disability is correlated with various clinical, cellular and molecular markers of blood. This unique study primarily focuses on the strong predictors of severity of disability and their associations via brain-blood axis.

A comparative study of esmolol and dexmedetomidine on hemodynamic responses to carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic surgery increases arterial pressures, heart rate (HR), and systemic vascular resistance. In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, we investigated and compared the efficacy of esmolol and dexmedetomidine to provide perioperative hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: Sixty patients, of either sex undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, were randomly allocated into three groups containing twenty patients each. Group E received bolus dose of 500 µg/kg intravenous (IV) esmolol before pneumoperitoneum followed by an infusion of 100 µg/kg/min. Group D received bolus dose of 1 µg/kg IV dexmedetomidine before pneumoperitoneum followed by infusion of 0.2 µg/kg/h. Group S (control) received saline 0.9%. RESULTS: Mean arterial pressure and HR in Group E and D were significantly less throughout the period of pneumoperitoneum in comparison to Group S. IV nitroglycerine was required in 45% (9 out of 20) patients in Group S to control intraoperative hypertension, and it was clinically significant in comparison to Group E and D. CONCLUSION: Both esmolol and dexmedetomidine attenuate the adverse hemodynamic response to pneumoperitoneum and provide hemodynamic stability during laparoscopic surgery.

Effects of magnesium sulfate on hemodynamic response to carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum (PP) for laparoscopic surgery increases arterial pressure, heart rate, and systemic vascular resistance. In this randomized, double blind, prospective clinical study; we investigated the efficacy of magnesium sulfate to prevent adverse hemodynamic response associated with PP in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients, of either sex (18-65 years of age), undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated in one of the two groups containing 30 patients each. Group M received magnesium sulfate 30 mg/kg intravenously as a bolus before PP. Group C received same volume of 0.9% saline. RESULTS: Mean arterial pressure and heart rate were significantly less throughout the period of pneumoperitoneum in patients of group M. Intravenous labetalol was required in 40% (12 out of 30) of the patients in group C to control intraoperative hypertension and it was clinically significant in comparison to group M. CONCLUSION: Magnesium sulfate administered before PP attenuates adverse hemodynamic response and provides hemodynamic stability during PP created for laparoscopic surgery.

Stress modulating antioxidant effect of Nardostachys jatamansi.

The rhizomes of Nardostachysjatamansi, the plant commonly known as Jatamansi have been described in Ayurveda for their soothing and sedative action on the central nervous system. In the present study, the anti-stress effect of hydroethanolic extract (70%) of N. jatamansi (NJE) was evaluated in reference to its antioxidant property. Wistar rats were divided into four groups: naive, stressed, and T-200 and T-500 stressed with oral pre-treatment of NJE 200 and 500 mg/kg, respectively. Restraint of rats in metallic chambers for 4 h at 4 degreesC was followed by sacrifice and assessment of stress-induced alterations in biochemical parameters, incidence and severity of ulcers. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) and NO levels in stomach and LPO, NO levels and catalase activity in brain, plasma corticosterone level and adrenal ascorbic acid were measured. In vitro antioxidant activity of NJE was studied by measuring the free radical scavenging activity. NJE showed potent antioxidant activity and significantly reversed the stress-induced elevation of LPO and NO levels and decrease in catalase activity in the brain. It inhibited the incidence of gastric ulcerations and reversed the alterations in biochemical parameters/markers of stress-induced gastric ulceration. NJE also significantly altered stress-induced increase in adrenal and spleen weights and decrease in level of ascorbic acid in adrenal gland. Elevation of plasma corticosterone level was negated dose- dependently. The findings suggest that the NJE possesses significant anti-stress activity, which may be due to its antioxidant activity.

The role of antioxidant properties of Nardostachys jatamansi in alleviation of the symptoms of the chronic fatigue syndrome.

An experimental model of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is utilized for evaluation of antidepressant, anti-stress effects, wherein the rat is forced to swim in water for 15 min/day on 21 consecutive days. Rats were divided into stressed control, stressed plus standard drug (Panax ginseng) and stressed plus 200 and 500 mg/kg of test drug, i.e., Nardostachys jatamansi extract (NJE) given orally. The immobility during each 5 min periods of 0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 min of stress were noted. Similarly the climbing (struggling) behaviour was noted in the above four groups of rats in intervals of 5 min. The locomotor activity and also the anxiety state in animals were evaluated in an elevated plus maze after CFS in all the four groups. There was a significant increase in despair behaviour and anxiety in stressed control animals on successive days of CFS. Locomotor activity gradually decreased in stressed control group. Treatment with NJE (200 and 500 mg/kg) significantly reversed both paradigms. Biochemical analysis showed that CFS significantly increased lipid peroxidation, nitrite and superoxide dismutase levels and decreased catalase level in rat brain. Administration of NJE (200 and 500 mg/kg) tended to normalize both augmented lipid peroxidation, nitrite, superoxide dismutase activities and catalase level significantly. NJE per se has an antioxidant effect. The results indicate that CFS may lead to oxidative stress, which is mitigated by NJE and so its antioxidant property may be responsible for anti-stress effect of NJE.