Protective Role of Curcumin against N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-Induced Toxicity in Rats

The present investigation was aimed at studying the possible role of curcumin against N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA)-induced toxicity in albino rats. Administration of NDEA to rats at a concentration of 0.1 mg/ml in drinking water ad libitum for 21 days produced toxicity in them, which was evident from histopathological changes in the rat livers, and increased levels of blood serum enzyme markers, i.e. aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase. In addition, the levels of oxidative stress markers like lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein carbonyl (PCC), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity were elevated and the total glutathione (GSH) content was reduced in the livers. The administration of curcumin to rats at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 mg/ml in drinking water along with 0.1 mg/ml of NDEA for 21 days effectively suppressed NDEA-induced toxicity and also resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in the levels of blood serum enzyme markers (AST, ALT, ALP, and LDH). Moreover, LPO, PCC, and GST activity were reduced and the GSH level was increased upon the administration of curcumin along with NDEA. The results obtained for the comet assay in rat hepatocytes and blood lymphocytes showed a significant dose-dependent decrease in the mean tail length. The micronucleus assay performed on rat hepatocytes also showed a dose-dependent reduction in the frequency of micronucleated cells along with curcumin administration. These results suggest that curcumin has a protective role against NDEA-induced toxicity in albino rats.     

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis resembling Rasmussen’s encephalitis on magnetic resonance imaging

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, slowly progressing but invariably fatal disease that is related to a prior measles virus infection and most commonly affects paediatric patients. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the modality of choice for determining such changes in white matter. SSPE typically demonstrates bilateral but asymmetric periventricular and subcortical white matter involvement. We herein report a rare case of unilateral white matter involvement in a 13-year-old boy with SSPE that closely simulated Rasmussen’s encephalitis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an atypical presentation on MR imaging in which SSPE was a rare cause of unilateral brain parenchymal involvement in a patient with intractable seizures.     

Nitrobid therapy in sudden sensorineural hearing loss

The efficacy of local application of Nitrobid oinment in the treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss has been presented Overall good to fair recovery occured in 40% of the patients, important prognostic indicators were found to be severity of initial hearing loss, time from onset to initial visit, age of the patient and hearing status of the opposite ear.     

Results of penetrating keratoplasty in vascularized corneas.

A retrospective longitudinal study of 105 penetrating keratoplasties for vascularized corneal opacities was done. The results of cases with an etiology of healed trachoma or healed corneal ulcers were compared. The vascularization was graded from Grade I to V depending on the quadrant and type of vascularization. Graft clarity of 2+ or more in cases of trachomatous opacity was achieved in 93% of cases and that after postinfectious opacity in 71.8%. Prognosis was poor in cases where deep vascularization was present in more than two quadrants or more than 180 degrees.     

Corneoscleral ulceration in congenital erythropoietic porphyria (a case report)

A case of congenital erythropoietic porphyria, with corneoscleral ulceration, a rare association in this disorder, was reported. Anterior segment ischemia is believed to play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of corneoscleral ulceration. Remarkable improvement occurred with use of topical heparin drops (500 units/ml).     

Beta hemolytic streptococcal carriers among school children in western Orissa.

Detection of carriers of Beta hemolytic streptococci and serogrouping of the strains isolated from throat of School Children helps in the epidemiological serosurveillance of the disease. With this in view the carriers among otherwise healthy school children in and around Buria, a small town in western Orissa, have been detected and the Streptococci isolated are grouped and typed.     

Studies on capsaicin inhibition of chemically induced lipid peroxidation in the lung and liver tissues of rat

Previous work from this laboratory has already indicated that capsaicin, stabilizes the rat lung membrane lipid system on long-term treatment. This stabilization of the membrane is further supported by our present findings that capsaicin pretreatment causes significant inhibition of various chemically induced lipid peroxidative changes at both cellular and subcellular levels. Both in vivo and in vitro studies, using whole lung and liver tissue slices and mitochondrial and microsomal fractions, have shown that capsaicin pretreatment inhibits peroxidative changes at both cellular and subcellular levels. Both in vivo and in vitro studies, using whole lung and liver tissue slices and mitochondrial and microsomal fractions, have shown that capsaicin pretreatment inhibits peroxidative changes induced by different chemical irritants such as chloroform, dichloromethane, carbon tetrachloride as well as ferrous sulphate.     

Primary exophytic laryngeal amyloidosis presenting as sudden airway obstruction

Primary amyloidosis of larynx is an uncommon phenomenon, the precise etiopathogenesis of which is not yet clear. It can present with slowly increasing hoarseness or difficulty in breathing. It presents more commonly as infiltrative lesion, exophytic presentation is a rare occurrence.