Abrogation of DTH response and mitogenic lectin- and alloantigen-induced activation of lymphocytes by calcium inhibitors TMB-8 and BAPTA-AM

In vitro treatment of mouse lymphocytes with an intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-AM significantly decreased lectin Concanavalin-A (Con-A)-induced and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) mediated, alloantigen-induced lymphocyte activation as indicated by decreased percentage of lymphoblasts among the BAPTA-treated lymphocytes. In vivo treatment of mice with intracellular Ca(2+) antagonist TMB-8 was found to substantially impair delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH; cell mediated immune) response, as indicated by decreased footpad swelling on tuberculin challenge of mice sensitized with BCG, after a single treatment with a low dose of 0.01mg of TMB-8 per mouse. Interestingly, a second injection of a higher dose of TMB-8 (0.1mg per mouse) resulted in very significant (p=0.001) abrogation of DTH as indicated by complete absence of swelling of foot pad after PPD challenge in BCG-primed treated mice. All mice in this group showed fully impaired DTH response. Lymphocytes of allosensitized mice gave a significantly higher (p<0.05) MLR response than the na?ve mice. However, a single treatment of allosensitized mice with 0.1mg TMB-8 resulted into a lower MLR response, comparable in magnitude to that of untreated na?ve mice.     

Clinical presentation of young people (10–24 years old) with brain tumors: results from the international MOBI-Kids study

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - We used data from MOBI-Kids, a 14-country international collaborative case–control study of brain tumors (BTs), to study clinical characteristics of the tumors in...     

Broad spectrum herbal therapy against superficial fungal infections

Skin disease associated with keratinized tissues in animal and human beings has been investigated. The essential oil of Eucalyptus pauciflora in vitro showed strong antifungal activity at 1.0 microl/ml against human pathogenic fungi, viz. Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum audouinii, M. canis, M. gypseum, M. nanum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, T. tonsurans and T. violaceum. The oil has heavy doses of inoculum potential at 1.0 microl/ml. Moreover, it did not exhibit any adverse effects on mammalian skin up to 5% concentrations. Further, we formulated the oil in the form of ointment 'BSHT' (broad spectrum herbal therapy) (1% v/v) and subjected it to topical testing on patients attending the outpatient department of M.L.N. Medical College, Allahabad. Fifty patients were selected on the basis of KOH-positive results and diagnosed as either tinea pedis, tinea corporis or tinea cruris. After the second week of treatment, all patients were KOH-negative. At the end of medication, 60% of patients recovered completely and 40% showed significant improvement from the disease. No KOH-negative cases of relapse were observed when patients were re-examined after 2 months following the end of treatment. Thus, the ointment can be exploited commercially after undergoing successful multicenter clinical trials, which are in progress.     

A study on nitric oxide,beta-adrenergic receptors and antioxidant status in the polymorphonuclear leukocytes from the patients of depression

BACKGROUND: alterations in the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNs) receptors, second messenger system and in their responses have been found associated with depression. Recently role of tetrahydrobiopterin and nitric oxide has also been reported in the depressive disorders. It was therefore considered worthwhile to investigate the NOS activity in the PMNs, which like neurons, also express neuronal NOS (nNOS), antioxidant enzyme levels [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx)] and beta-adrenergic receptors in the patients of depression. METHODS: patients were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV and were medication free, while healthy age-matched controls were also included in the study to estimate nitrite content, beta-adrenergic receptors and antioxidant enzymes in the PMNs according to the standard methodologies. RESULTS: an analysis of 66 cases of depression and 114 controls revealed 73% decrease in nitrite content and 71% decrease in beta-adrenergic receptor binding in the patients as compared to the healthy controls. However, activities of SOD, catalase and Gpx were not significantly altered in the patients. CONCLUSION: the results of the present study for the first time indicate alterations the NOS activity in PMNs obtained form the patients of affective disorders.     

Ramipril-Like Activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spondias Mombin</Emphasis> Linn Against No-Flow Ischemia and Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rat Heart

The cardioprotective property of Spondias mombin (SM) was investigated and compared with that of the ACE inhibitor, ramipril. Alterations to markers of myocardial injury and indices of antioxidant capacity by isoproterenol (ISP) intoxication were significantly corrected in groups treated with SM. The inflammatory index was increased by 24% in ISP-intoxicated group compared with control (P < 0.001) but reduced in the groups administered ISP and treated with 100 or 250 mg/kg SM by 17% (P < 0.001) and 11% (P < 0.05) respectively. Serum lactate dehydrogenase activity and cholesterol level which were significantly increased in ISP-intoxicated group compared with control were reduced in groups administered ISP and treated with SM. Serum phosphate levels in groups administered ISP and treated with SM were significantly lower than values obtained for the ISP-intoxicated group (P < 0.001). Tissue catalase and superoxide dismutase activities as well as glutathione level were significantly increased in groups administered ISP and treated with SM compared to ISP-intoxicated group while MDA and nitrite levels were decreased. Disruption in the structure of cardiac myofibrils by ISP intoxication was reduced by treatment with SM. Comparable results were obtained for ramipril. These results are indicative of the potent cardioprotective property of SM.     

Tobacco habits and risk of lung, oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer: a population-based case-control study in Bhopal, India

BACKGROUND: Tobacco habits in India are unique and vary in different regions. Few studies, and none from central India, have reported on type of tobacco used and risk of the most common cancer types in India. We conducted a population-based case-control study to evaluate the risk of tobacco particularly bidi smoking and tobacco quid chewing on the most common cancer sites among males in Bhopal. METHODS: In all, 163 lung, 247 oropharyngeal and 148 oral cavity cancer cases from the Population-Based Cancer Registry records and 260 controls randomly selected from a tobacco survey conducted in the Bhopal population formed the study population. RESULTS: A significant risk of bidi and cigarette smoking with a dose-response relationship was observed for lung and oropharyngeal cancer. Tobacco quid chewing showed no risk for lung, marginally increased risk for oropharyngeal and about a sixfold increased risk for oral cavity cancer. Population-attributable risk per cent (PARP) was observed to be 82.7% and 71.6% for smokers for the development of lung and oropharyngeal cancer, while the same was found to be 66.1% for tobacco chewers for the development of oral cavity cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide strong evidence that smoking bidi is even more hazardous than cigarette smoking in the development of lung and oropharyngeal cancer. An intervention study to prevent the use of tobacco will be useful in this population as it also underwent gas exposure due to a chemical accident in 1984.     

Effect of tobacco consumption on semen quality of a population of hypofertile males

Effect of tobacco use (by chewing or smoking) on semen quality has been seen. Semen analysis of 119 tobacco chewers and 219 smokers was compared with those of 288 control patients. Some decrease in the ejaculate volume, sperm density, and total count was observed in tobacco users, but it was statistically insignificant. No difference was found in other parameters, like motility and morphology. It is concluded that tobacco use by chewing or smoking is not associated with impaired semen quality in males selected from an idiopathically hypofertile population.