Pleurotus florida lectin normalizes duration dependent hepatic oxidative stress responses caused by arsenic in rat

Natural contamination of arsenic in ground water is a major health problem throughout the World. It is one of the most hazardous substances in the environment known to cause toxicity in multiple organs via oxidative stress. The molecular basis for arsenic toxicity involves direct or indirect damage to protein, lipid and DNA. Various studies have focused on the possible toxic effects of arsenic on membrane components and its correlation with oxidative damage. The present study was aimed to mitigation of arsenic induced hepatic oxidative stress by dietary modulation using of mushroom lectin in rats. Animals were divided into four groups; the first group was used as control. Groups 2, 3 and 4 were arsenic (20 ppm) exposed through drinking water, arsenic exposed plus oral ascorbic acid (25 mg/kg body weight) and arsenic exposed plus oral mushroom lectin (150 mg/kg body weight) respectively for a period of 12 weeks. We observed significant alterations in the antioxidant enzymes, oxidative stress intermediates and SOD₂ gene expression profile on arsenic exposure. These alterations were restored by co-administration of Pleurotus florida lectin which was as potent as standard antioxidant viz. ascorbic acid. The findings of the experiment suggested that P. florida lectin has capability of modulating arsenic mediated toxic effects and could be helpful in ameliorating them.     

Adenosine test in the diagnosis of unexplained syncope: marker of conducting tissue disease or neurally mediated syncope?

Adenosine test (supine administration of a 20 mg intravenous bolus with electrocardiographic and blood pressure monitoring) has been endorsed by the European Society of Cardiology guidelines on syncope management as an 'experimental' test in the diagnosis of unexplained syncope. The test is quick and cheap, but there is no consensus as to what condition, if any, the adenosine test is exposing, with conducting tissue disease and neurally mediated syncope proposed by various authors. In this article, we review the possible mechanisms underlying a positive adenosine test, its safety, and a comprehensive examination of the literature supporting each of the putative causal diagnoses.     

Why are angles misperceived?

Although it has long been apparent that observers tend to overestimate the magnitude of acute angles and underestimate obtuse ones, there is no consensus about why such distortions are seen. Geometrical modeling combined with psychophysical testing of human subjects indicates that these misperceptions are the result of an empirical strategy that resolves the inherent ambiguity of angular stimuli by generating percepts of the past significance of the stimulus rather than the geometry of its retinal projection.     

Do the progesterone receptors have a role to play in gallbladder cancer?

Background: Gallstone disease as well as gallbladder cancer are more common in women and female sex hormones may be involved in their etiology. Aim and Methods: To determine whether female sex hormones have a role in the pathogenesis, of gallbladder carcinoma and in its prognosis, we estimated, by enzyme immunoassay, the estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PgR) in the gallbladders of 21 patients with gallbladder cancer, 19 patients with cholelithiasis, and 6 patients who underwent incidental removal of essentially normal gallbladder as a component of wider resection. Results: ER were present in the gallbladder mucosa in all the three groups in proportions which were not significantly different (9/21 in carcinoma, 4/19 in gallstones, and 1/6 normal), whereas the expression of PgR was greater in carcinomas (13/18), less in cholelithiasis (4/12), and absent in normal gallbladders. PgR expression was higher in tumors of lower stage (7/7) and lower in advanced disease stage IV tumors (6/11). PgR expression was associated with better disease stage (p=0.05) and significantly longer overall survival (median survival of 301 d vs 54 d) as well as better survival within the same stage (269 d vs 54 d for stage IV disease, p=0.011). Cox’s regression analysis showed that PgR was an independent risk factor (R=0.2283, p=0.0035). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the female sex hormones may have a role in the pathogenesis of gallbladder cancer and that PgR expression has a prognostic significance. We believe that when this relationship is reaffirmed by larger studies, gallbladder cancer may be treated with appropriate sex hormonal manipulation.     

Studies on the electrolytes and microelements in Wistar rat following multiple exposures to acetamiprid

A subacute toxicity study of acetamiprid was undertaken in 72 female Wistar rats randomly divided into four groups (18 each). Acetamiprid was administered orally at the dose rate of 0, 25, 100 and 200 mg/kg of body weight to rats of groups I, II, III and IV, respectively. Group I served as control. Calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, chloride, zinc, copper, iron and cobalt concentrations in plasma were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased in acetamiprid administered groups. However, no alteration was observed in plasma manganese concentration in acetamiprid-treated rats. The repeated oral toxicity study on acetamiprid in present investigation suggested that it has toxic potential and it is a high-risk insecticide.     

Acute Mesenteric Ischaemia—<Emphasis Type="Italic">An Indian Perspective</Emphasis>

In Western countries, acute mesenteric ischaemia is commonly due to arterial occlusion and occurs in patients who are usually in their seventh decade. A venous cause for intestinal gangrene has been reported in only about 10 %. We examined whether this was so in India and compared the clinical features of patients with mesenteric arterial and venous ischaemia and relate these to their ultimate prognosis. We studied retrospectively, the records of all patients admitted or referred to the department with a diagnosis of acute mesenteric ischaemia between January 1997 and October 2012, noting their demographic details and mode of presentation, the results of preoperative imaging and blood investigations, the extent of bowel ischaemia, and the length of bowel that was resected at operation and their outcome. There were 117 patients, 85 males and 32 females whose median age was 53 years. Mesenteric venous thrombosis was seen in 56 patients (48 %) and mesenteric arterial occlusion in 61 (52 %). Forty six patients died (39 %); 15 with venous occlusion (27 %) and 31 with arterial occlusion (51 %). Compared to patients with arterial occlusion, the patients with venous obstruction were younger, had a longer duration of symptoms, were less frequently hypotensive at presentation, had higher platelet counts, had a shorter length of bowel resected, had fewer colonic resections and had a lower mortality. Other predictors of mortality on multivariate analysis were a longer duration of symptoms, lower serum albumin and higher creatinine levels at presentation and a shorter length of residual bowel. In India, acute mesenteric ischaemia in tertiary care centres is due to venous thrombosis in almost half of the patients who are at least a decade younger than those in the West. Significant predictors of mortality include low serum albumin and raised creatinine levels, a shorter residual bowel length and an arterial cause for mesenteric ischaemia.