Association Between Alcohol Use and HIV-Related Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): Findings from a Multi-Site Bio-Behavioral Survey in India

This paper examines the association between alcohol use and HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM). A cross-sectional bio-behavioral survey was conducted among 3,880 MSM, recruited using time-location cluster sampling from cruising sites in three Indian states. Nearly three-fifths of the participants reported alcohol use. Among frequent users (40 % of the sample), defined as those who consumed alcohol daily or at least once a week, 66 % were aged 25 years and above, 53 % self-identified as kothi (feminine/receptive), and 63 % consistently used condoms with male paying partners. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that frequent users were more likely to be aged 25 years and above, less likely to self-identify as kothi, and less likely to consistently use condoms with male paying (AOR = 0.7; 95 % CI 0.5–0.9) and male regular (AOR = 0.7; 95 % CI 0.6–0.9) partners. HIV prevention interventions for MSM need to provide tailored information on alcohol use-related sexual risk, especially for MSM in sex work and MSM with male regular partners.     

Chenopodium album seed extract: a potent sperm-immobilizing agent both in vitro and in vivo

PURPOSE: Aqueous decoction of Chenopodium album seeds (CAD) was assessed for its sperm-immobilizing and contraceptive efficacy in laboratory mammals. METHOD: Spermicidal efficacy was evaluated in vitro by a modified Sander-Cramer test. The mode of spermicidal action was assessed by (a) supravital and double fluoroprobe staining of sperm, (b) hypoosmotic swelling tests and (c) transmission electron microscopy. Contraceptive efficacy was evaluated by intrauterine and vaginal application of CAD in rats and rabbits, respectively, followed by their mating and evaluation of pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: The minimum effective concentration of CAD that induced instantaneous immobilization of rat spermatozoa in vitro was 2 mg/mL. The mechanism of CAD action involved disintegration of sperm plasma membrane and dissolution of acrosomal cap causing sperm death. Fertilization of oocytes and establishment of implantation were prevented in the uterine horn that was administered with CAD, while these events occurred unhindered in the untreated contralateral side. In rabbit, intravaginal application of CAD significantly blocked the establishment of pregnancy. CONCLUSION: CAD possesses appreciable spermicidal potential, which may be explored as an effector constituent of vaginal contraceptive.     

Anti-allergic and Anti-hyperglycemic Potentials of Lumnitzera racemose Leaves: In vivo and In silico Studies

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences - Lumnitzera racemosa a mangrove plant locally used to treat asthma, diabetes, herpes and hypertension. Present...     

Approaches for testing noninferiority in two-arm trials for risk ratio and odds ratio

For an existing established drug regimen, active control trials are defacto standard due to ethical reason as well as for clinical equipoise. However, when superiority claim of a new drug against the active control is unlikely to be successful, researchers often address the issue in terms of noninferiority (NI), provided the experimental drug demonstrates the evidence of other benefits beyond efficacy. Such trials aim to demonstrate that an experimental treatment is non-inferior to an existing comparator by not more than a pre-specified margin. The issue of choosing such a margin is complex. In this article, two-arm NI trials with binary outcomes are considered when margin is defined in terms of relative risk or odds ratio. A Frequentist test based on proposed NI margin is developed first. Since two-arm NI trials without placebo arm are dependent upon historical information, in order to make accurate and meaningful interpretation of their results, a Bayesian approach is developed next. Bayesian approach is flexible to incorporate the available information from the historical trial. The operating characteristics of the proposed methods are studied in terms of power and sample size for varying design factors. A clinical trial data is reanalyzed to study the properties of the proposed approach.     

Chenopodium album seed extract-induced sperm cell death: exploration of a plausible pathway

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted for to explore the plausible pathway of Chenopodium album seed extract (CAE)-mediated sperm cell death. STUDY DESIGN: The role of CAE for its spermicidal action was assessed by (a) measuring lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content and intracellular glutathione content in CAE exposed sperm cells; (b) assaying antioxidant enzymes like catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD); (c) analyzing protein expressions by using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis; (d) fluorimetric measurement of intracellular H(2)O(2) level and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in CAE-treated sperm cells; and (e) DNA ladder formation study. RESULTS: CAE-induced sperm death is due to (a) lipid peroxidation of the sperm cell membrane, oxidation of some critical cellular proteins and depletion of intracellular reduced gluthathione, indicating production of ROS; (b) activation of Mn-SOD and inactivation of catalase favoring endogenous accumulation of H(2)O(2); (c) generation of O(2)(*-) at an enhanced rate during oxidative stress as evidenced by increased Mn-SOD activity and protein expression; (d) accumulation of ROS in spermatozoa reflected in the fluorimetric experiments; and (e) increased production of O(2)(*-) and H(2)O(2) induced apoptosis-like death in sperm cells as observed by DNA ladder formation. CONCLUSION: The sperm death mediated by CAE is due to oxidative damage of cellular macromolecules by in situ generation of ROS.     

Sho-seiryu-to Suppresses Histamine Signaling at the Transcriptional Level in TDI-Sensitized Nasal Allergy Model Rats

BackgroundThe therapeutic use of Kampo medicine, Sho-seiryu-to (SST) in allergic disorders is well known. As histamine plays a central role in allergic diseases, it is possible that SST affects the allergy-related histamine signaling. In this study, we investigated the effect of SST on allergy-related histamine signaling in the nasal mucosa of toluene 2, 4-diisocyanate (TDI)-sensitized nasal allergy model rats.MethodsSix-week-old male, Brown Norway rats were sensitized for 2 weeks with 10 μl of 10% TDI, and after a 1 week interval, provocation was initiated with the same amount of TDI. SST (0.6 g/rat) was given orally 1 hour before TDI treatment began for a period of 3 weeks. Nasal symptoms were scored for 10 minutes immediately after TDI-provocation. The genes expression in nasal mucosa was determined using real-time quantitative RT-PCR.ResultsSST significantly suppressed TDI-induced nasal allergy-like symptoms. TDI provocation showed a significant up-regulation of histamine H1 receptor (H1R) and histidine decarboxylase (HDC) gene expressions. Prolonged pre-treatment of SST significantly suppressed the mRNA levels of H1R and HDC that was up-regulated by TDI. SST also suppressed TDI-induced interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 mRNA elevation. However, SST showed no significant effect for TDI-induced mRNA elevation of IL-13.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that SST alleviates nasal symptoms by the inhibition of histamine signaling through suppression of TDI-induced H1R and HDC gene up-regulation. SST also suppresses cytokine signaling through suppression of IL-4 and IL-5 gene expression. Suppression of histamine signaling may be a novel mechanism of SST in preventing allergic diseases.     

Amberlite IRA 402(OH)-mediated synthesis and evaluation of fused tricyclic quinolinium salts as potent non-detergent type microbicidal spermicides

Fused tricyclic oxazaquinolinium salts were synthesized using Amberlite IRA 402(OH) in water and assessed for their sperm-immobilizing efficacy in vitro by modified Sander–Cramer test followed by double fluoroprobe staining of rat sperm. Out of 11 derivatives 3 showed potent spermicidal effect. The mode of spermicidal action was assessed by (a) Hypoosmotic swelling tests, (b) Lipid peroxidation studies, and (c) scanning electron microscopy. Antimicrobial efficacies of the potent derivatives, assessed by disc diffusion as well as by agar and broth dilution methods using human isolates of bacteria and fungi, revealed their moderate antimicrobial potential. The compounds, found to be nontoxic to rabbit erythrocytes by haemolytic assay, may be exploited as microbicidal spermicides.