Glucocorticoids attenuate haloperidol-induced catalepsy through adrenal catecholamines

Summary To examine the influence of adrenal secretions on neuroleptic induced catalepsy, we studied the effect of adrenocorticoids, noradrenaline (NA) or adrenaline (AD) on haloperidol (HAL) induced catalepsy in adrenalectomised (ADX) and sham-adrenalectomised (sham-ADX) rats. HAL (1 mg/kg, i.p.) induced a greater degree of catalepsy in ADX rats as compared to sham-ADX rats. Corticosterone (CORT, 1–2 mg/kg, s.c.) or dexamethasone (1–2 mg/kg, s.c.) attenuated the HAL catalepsy in sham-ADX but not in ADX rats. Further, when the HAL (1 mg/kg) catalepsy score was maximal (at 120 min), the rats were subjected to cold stress (3 °C for 10 min) or treated with NA, AD (2 g/kg, i.v.) or CORT (2 mg/kg, s.c.). After cold stress procedure or CORT treatment, the catalepsy was significantly reduced in sham-ADX but not in ADX rats, whereas NA or AD infusion caused an immediate but short lasting significant decrease in HAL catalepsy in both sham-ADX and ADX rats. The anticataleptic effect of NA or glucocorticoids was blocked by an ₁adrenoceptor blocker, prazosin.These findings suggest that peripheral noradrenergic and adrenergic mechanisms play an important role in the neuroleptic induced catalepsy. Such mechanisms may mediate the anticataleptic action of glucocorticoids.     

Subcutaneous hyalohyphomycosis caused by Fusarium in a kidney transplant recipient

Fusarium is a filamentous opportunistic pathogenic fungus responsible for superficial as well as invasive infection in immunocompromized hosts. Net state of immunosuppression and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection appear to predispose to this disease which is life-threatening when disseminated. Though infections with Fusarium have been widely described in hematological malignancies and hematopoietic stem cell transplant cases, they have been reported to be rare in solid organ transplant recipients, are often localized and carry a favorable prognosis. We here describe a rare case of subcutaneous non-invasive infection with Fusarium in a renal allograft recipient two and half years after transplantation. Patient had a previous history of CMV infection along with multiple other recurrent co-infections. Diagnosis was based on culture of tissue specimens yielding Fusarium species. The infection had a protracted course with persistence of lesions after treatment with voriconazole alone, requiring a combination of complete surgical excision and therapy with the anti-fungal drug.     

Carpometacarpal Joint Fracture Dislocation of Second to Fifth Finger

Background

Carpometacarpal joint fracture dislocation of the second to fifth finger is a rare hand injury associated with high energy trauma. Due to severe swelling and overlapping of bones on the radiograph of wrist-hand, dislocations are missed. We reported a series of six patients with rare carpometacarpal joint fracture dislocation treated with open reduction.

Methods

We retrospectively studied six cases of carpometacarpal joint fracture dislocation. All patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation with Kirschner wire. Functional assessment was done with Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score (Quick DASH score) at regular intervals.

Results

Average Quick DASH score was improved from 75.76 to 1.9 from 6 weeks to 18 months of duration. Of the six patients, three patients had a Quick DASH score of 0 at the end of 18 months.

Conclusions

Careful hand examination and radiographic assessment is necessary to avoid missed diagnosis of carpometacarpal joint fracture dislocation. Early open reduction and internal fixation lead to excellent recovery of hand function.     

Effects of Stocking Density on Growth Performance,Survival and Production of Catla catla and Labeo rohita During Nursery Rearing in Cages

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - A nursery rearing experiment of fry to fingerling was conducted in cages in Dimbhe reservoir of Pune District...     

A curious case of foreign body induced jejunal obstruction and perforation

INTRODUCTION

Accidental and unnoticed ingestion of foreign bodies are not very uncommon. Most of such foreign bodies pass through gastrointestinal tract uneventfully and only on rare instances cause obstruction and/or perforation.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

We are reporting a case in which a 45 yr old male presented to accident and emergency department of our institute with complaints of pain abdomen, greenish vomiting, abdominal distension, fever and non passage of flatus and stool following alcoholic binge 15 days back. On presentation tachycardia, hypotension, generalised abdominal tenderness and guarding were present. After initial resuscitation and investigation diagnosis of perforation peritonitis was made and emergency exploratory lapratomy was done and a single perforation with plastic foreign body protruding through it was found in jejunum 5 cm distal to duodeno-jejunal junction.

DISCUSSION

The majority of ingested FBs that reach the stomach pass uneventfully through the gastrointestinal tract. The majority of cases occur in children. Only 1% of patient of patients requires surgical intervention depending upon nature, size and shape of the foreign body.

CONCLUSION

Present case report intends to draw the attention towards possibility of intestinal obstruction and perforation by a single plastic foreign body. High index of suspicion is needed as this foreign body is not even radio-opaque and cannot be picked up in X-ray investigations. Also with increasing use of such plastic materials there are increased chances of such incidents.     

Circulatory and hepatic failure at admission predicts mortality of severe scrub typhus patients: A prospective cohort study

Objective: To study the spectrum and outcome of severe scrub typhus in adult patients and to predict the hospital mortality by organ failure on admission.Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted between July 2017 and October 2020 at the medical emergency centre of PGIMER, Chandigarh, India. One hundred and twenty-six patients aged ≥13 years were diagnosed with scrub typhus. Severe disease was defined as the presence of organ failure based on the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA) score on admission.Results: About two-thirds of the patients were from geographic regions outside the endemic sub-Himalayan belt. Fever(99.21%) and dyspnea(79.36%) were the most frequent complaints. Respiratory failure(81.75%) was the most common organ failure, followed by hepatic(52.38%), coagulative(47.62%), circulatory(33.33%), renal(21.43%), and cerebral dysfunction(13.49%). The median(Q1, Q3) SOFA score was 8(6, 9), and 48.41% of the patients had a quick-SOFA score ≥2. Organ supports with invasive ventilation(40.48%), vasopressors(36.51%), and renal replacement therapy(7.14%) were frequently required. The in-hospital mortality was 11.90% and was independently predicted by circulatory and hepatic failures on multivariate logistic regression(OR 11.12, 95% CI 1.73-71.31 and OR 8.49, 95% CI 1.18-61.41, respectively).Conclusions: Most patients had pulmonary dysfunction; circulatory or hepatic failure on admission strongly predicts death.     

Klebsiella‐Associated Phagedenic Ulcers in Infants—A Report of Two Cases

Abstract: Phagedenic ulcer is usually associated with infections due to staphylococcus, pseudomonas, streptococcus or fusospirochete in immunocompromised individuals. We report, for the first time, two cases of phagedenic ulcers in infants caused by Klebsiella pneumonia species.     

Anticonvulsive activity of Butea monosperma flowers in laboratory animals

The bioassay-guided fractionation of dried flowers of Butea monosperma (BM) was carried out to isolate the active principle responsible for its anticonvulsant activity. The petroleum ether extract was fractionated by column chromatography using solvents of varying polarity such as n-hexane, n-hexane:ethyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The anticonvulsive principle of B. monosperma was found to be a triterpene (TBM) present in the n-hexane:ethyl acetate (1:1) fraction of the petroleum ether extract. TBM exhibited anticonvulsant activity against seizures induced by maximum electroshock (MES) and its PD(50) was found to be 34.2+/-18.1 mg/kg. TBM also inhibited seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), electrical kindling, and the combination of lithium sulfate and pilocarpine nitrate (Li-Pilo). However, TBM was not effective against seizures induced by strychnine and picrotoxin. TBM exhibited depressant effect on the central nervous system. After repeated use for 7 days, the PD(50) (MES) of TBM increased to 51.5+/-12.1 mg/kg. Similarly, after repeated use of TBM, the duration of sleep induced by pentobarbital was not reduced significantly. Further studies are required to investigate its usefulness in the treatment of epilepsy.     

Anticonvulsive activity of Albizzia lebbeck, Hibiscus rosa sinesis and Butea monosperma in experimental animals

The ethanolic extracts of leaves of Albizzia lebbeck and flowers of Hibiscus rosa sinesis and the petroleum ether extract of flowers of Butea monosperma exhibited anticonvulsant activity. The bioassay guided fractionation indicated that the anticonvulsant activity lies in the methanolic fraction of chloroform soluble part of ethanolic extract of the leaves of A. lebbeck, acetone soluble part of ethanolic extract of H. rosa sinesis flowers and acetone soluble part of petroleum ether extract of B. monosperma flowers. The fractions protected animals from maximum electro shock, electrical kindling and pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsions in mice. The fractions also inhibited convulsions induced by lithium-pilocarpine and electrical kindling. However, they failed to protect animals from strychnine-induced convulsions. The fractions antagonised the behavioral effects of D-amphetamine and potentiated the pentobarbitone-induced sleep. The fractions raised brain contents of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin. These fractions were found to be anxiogenic and general depressant of central nervous system.     

Global surveillance of DDT and DDE levels in human tissues

The organochlorine insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was initially introduced for control of vector-borne discases It was banned in the United States by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1972 because of potential harmful effects on humans, wildlife and the environment. Since it is a potential human carcinogen, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has recently restricted the use of DDT in developing countries until alternative methods of vector control are sought. DDT and its metabolite, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethylene (DDE) are lipid soluble, and bioaccumulate more in human adipose tissue, than breast milk and serum. This article is a review of DDT and DDE levels in human tissues from different countries in the world. Data on p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE levels in human adipose tissue, breast milk and serum were selected from more recent literature. It was discovered that countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America with more recent exposure to DDT and DDE have higher levels in human tissue than in Europe and the United States. The global concern for DDT and DDE is the environmental spread and persistence in the food chain. Hypothetically, there is a potential risk of harmful effects of DDT and DDE to human health. UNEP has cautiously taken action to protect human health, the environment and the earth from further destruction by persistent organic pollutants. Further exposure to DDT should be prevented to achieve this goal.