Use of anti-craving agents in soldiers with alcohol dependence syndrome

Background: In a search for an effective ‘anti-alcohol pill’, three modern anti-craving agents have been studied in alcoholics of Army/DSC, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard.     

Vector databank in the Indian armed forces

Background: Medical intelligence of disease vectors deals with understanding vector distribution and control.     

Use of Anti-Craving Agents in Soldiers with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome

Background

In a search for an effective ‘anti-alcohol pill’, three modern anti-craving agents have been studied in alcoholics of Army/ DSC, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard.

Methods

129 patients of alcohol dependence syndrome were randomly assigned to three groups where topiramate, acamprosate and naltrexone were used as anti-craving agents in a year long prospective study. Of these 92 patients completed the study.

Result and Conclusion

Topiramate (76.3%) appears to be significantly more effective (p<0.01) in sustaining abstinence, though naltrexone (57.7%) and acamprosate (60.70%) offer moderate relapse-prevention efficacy. Side effects of all the three agents have been mild, transient and self-limiting. We recommend a trial of topiramate, before invaliding out of any alcoholic soldier.Key Words: Topiramate, Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Alcohol dependence syndrome     

Detection of bacterial pathogens in cerebrospinal fluid using restriction fragment length polymorphism

Background: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is useful for rapid microbial detection in body fluids with low microbial load. It is easier to use universal or broad range primers for the amplification of conserved stretches of DNA common to all bacteria like 16S rRNA gene, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of PCR products.     

Malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl as biomarkers for oxidative stress and disease progression in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress, a pervasive condition of an increased amount of free radicals, is now recognized to be prominent feature of various diseases and their progression. However, evidence for this association has often been lacking because of a lack of specific biomarkers and methods available to evaluate oxidative stress status in humans with disease conditions. Emphasis is now being placed on biomarkers of oxidative stress, which can be objectively measured and evaluated as indicators of normal biological and pathogenic processes. The aim of this study was to investigate the plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) as biomarkers for oxidative stress and disease progression in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 20 CML patients and 10 age-and sex-matched healthy control volunteers. The mean age of CML patients was 37.11+/-11.36 years and that of controls was 31.07+/-7.60 years. RESULTS: There was a significant increase (p<0.05) in plasma MDA and PC levels in CML patients as compared to healthy volunteers. Our results also showed that plasma MDA and PC levels were significantly higher (p<0.001) in both chronic phase (CML-CP) and accelerated phase (CML-AP) as compared to healthy volunteers. During the follow-up of 12 months, two patients of CML-CP progressed to the accelerated phase. The mean plasma levels of MDA and PC in patients with CML-CP who progressed to CML-AP were found to be higher than in patients with CML-CP who did not progress to the accelerated phase. CONCLUSION: Plasma MDA and PC appears to reflect the oxidative stress status and disease progression in CML and can be used as biomarkers for oxidative stress and disease progression.     

Neuro-protective potential of a vesicular system of a standardized extract of a new chemotype of Withania somnifera Dunal (NMITLI118RT+) against cerebral stroke in rats*

Withania somnifera Dunal is an Indian medicinal plant with significant pharmacological properties, such as adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-platelet, anti-hypertensive, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Several chemotypes of W. somnifera include NMITLI-101, NMITLI-118 and NMITLI-128. The present work elaborates the optimization and development of a liposomal delivery system for efficient delivery of NMITLI118RT+ [a standardized ethanolic extract of a new chemotype of W. somnifera Dunal (NMITLI-118) roots] against cerebral stroke in rats. Liposomal systems were prepared using thin-film hydration method and characterized on the basis of size, zeta potential, physical stability, FT-IR, DSC-TGA analysis and surface morphological studies by TEM. NMITLI118RT+ and its formulations (NMITLI118RT+LF) were evaluated for biological activity utilizing middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats. The Z average of the developed liposomal formulation was about 142.6?±?0.09?nm with a zeta potential of ?31.20?±?1.0?mV. Results of TEM revealed spherical particles in the range of 200?nm. The entrapment efficiency was found to be 94.603?±?2%. The formulation was found to be physically stable over a 3-week period. Results were suggestive of the fact that both NMITLI118RT+ and its delivery system possess significant neuroprotective activity in cerebral ischemia. The liposomal system largely exhibits better performance over NMITLI118RT+ precisely in the post-treatment group. The present studies could elucidate the successful development of a delivery system for NMITLI118RT+ and demonstrate their beneficial neuro-protective potential in overcoming and reversing the consequences of I/R injury following stroke.     

Acanthamoebae presenting as primary meningoencephalitis in AIDS

A rare case of Acanthamoebae meningoencephalitis is diagnosed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a 24 years old male suffering from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient on the basis of bright field microscopy and culture growth on non-nutrient agar with Escherichia coli. This case illustrates that Acanthamoebae should be considered in the differential diagnosis of meningoencephalitis in AIDS in addition to tuberculosis and cryptococcus infection in tropical areas.     

A replicon-based shuttle vector system for assessing the phenotype of HCV NS5B polymerase genes isolated from patient populations

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicon-based shuttle vectors that permit phenotypes of NS5B polymerase genes from a large number of patient isolates to be rapidly assessed when transiently expressed in cultured cells were designed. When used to test responses to an inhibitor of HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, IC(50) values for inhibition covered a several hundred-fold range among 47 patient samples tested. This observation highlights the variability that can be found by testing isolates derived from HCV-infected subjects. Partial suppression with a polymerase inhibitor of the most sensitive species permitted detection of minor quasispecies that were 7-200-fold more resistant than the bulk population in approximately half of the samples. Sequence analysis showed a wide range of amino acid changes not detected by conventional selection methods using laboratory-derived strains. This approach provides a means to assess variation in antiviral efficacy, and to predict possible responses in a clinical setting.