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Background: Etoposide is an important chemotherapeutic agent that is used to treat a wide spectrum of human cancers. The efficacy of this drug is often limited due to severe sideeffects such as mucositis, anorexia, myelosupperssion, alopecia. At present there are no anti-mucositic agents without side effects. To combat these side effects of cancer treatment, innovative and specific nutritional interventions are needed. The experimental procedure included an oral treatment with combination of Spondias pinnata and whey preparation (100 mg/kg b.w).on etoposide induced mucositis. Methods: Study was conducted at Central Research Laboratory, Kasturba Medical College. Rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and duodenum collected for estimation of biochemical parameters. Estimation was carried out for assessing the levels of TAO, GSH, LPO, NO and activity of MPO. Correlation analysis was performed by one-way Anova using graph pad prism to find the relation between control and test. Result: The antioxidant (TAO and GSH) were found to be significantly high in the rats which received the combination compared to the individual Spondias pinnata and whey treated groups. Administration Spondias pinnata and whey in combination shows significant decrease in the TBARS, NO and MPO levels. Conclusion: Spondias pinnata and whey preparation supplementation in combination have shown mucoprotective effects in rat model. Hence it can be considered as anti-mucositis therapeutic agents which can be safely administered during chemotherapy and can reverse mucositis.

Introduction: The fetal programming hypothesis states that conditions during pregnancy, including stress, will have long-term effects on adult health, probably via epigenetic mechanisms. Methodology: Pregnant rats were subjected to restrain stress either during early or late pregnancy with and without resveratrol. Blood and liver tissues were collected from 40 days old offsprings of the above rats to study the prenatal effect on corticosterone, and stress development. Results: It was found that levels of corticosterone advanced protein and lipid oxidation products, GSHRx, increase significantly in offsprings of stressed rats and decreased on intervention with resveratrol, whereas total antioxidants, vitamin C, GSH, SOD and Na+K+- ATPase decreased with stress and increase on resveratrol intervention as compared to controls. Conclusion: The alterations may be due to the effect of stress on HPA axis. Results also support the prevention/protective effect of resveratrol on oxidative stress and may be used as a measure to prevent the metabolic changes in adult life due to prenatal stress.

Introduction: System injury, manifested as metabolic dysfunction is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Chemical stress on hepatic and kidney cells can be evaluated by biochemical analysis, including serum aminotransferases, glutathione levels and extent of lipid peroxidation. Combined treatment of chemotherapy along with the natural products such as phytochemicals may be a newer approach to reduce the side effects and betterment of chemotherapy. Objective: The present study was conducted to assay kidney and liver associated parameters on animals exposed to etoposide, and the protective effect of different doses of Spondias pinnata bark extract on normal cells. In this study, total 24 male Wistar rats ( either sex) aged between 60 to 90 days were considered. Each group consisted of six rats. Levels of Alanine and Aspartate aminotransferases were estimated using semi-auto analyser and GSH, GST, TAO and LPx by spectrophotometry. Results and Conclusion: Data analyzed using Graph Pad 5.0. Variation in the analyzed parameters were found between control, chemotherapy and Spondias pinnata groups. Results of the study show that significant increase in TBARS levels indicative of etoposide induced oxidative stress could be prevented by treatment with S. pinnata. GST levels also support the preventive action of S. pinnata against etoposide induced stress. However, TAO and transaminases remain unaltered in the study groups

Role of Redox Metals, Oxidative Protein Products and Antioxidant Potentials of Thiols in Diabetic RetinopathyOxidative stress has been proved in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) not only by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) but also due to non-enzymatic protein glycosylation, auto-oxidation of glucose, impaired glutathione metabolism, alteration in the antioxidants and advanced oxidative protein product formation. The current study was undertaken to establish the relationship between iron, copper and antioxidants like reduced glutathione (GSH), total thiols, and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) as well as total protein and albumin. The study group consisted of a total of 90 subjects which included non-diabetic healthy controls (n=30), diabetes mellitus patients (n=30), and diabetic retinopathy patients (n=30). All the parameters were measured using spectrophotometric methods. AOPP levels showed a very highly significant increase in DR patients and in DM patients compared to normal controls, the AOPP levels being higher in the DR compared to the DM patients (p= 0.001). The levels of thiols showed a very highly significant decrease in DR and DM as compared to normal subjects. The total proteins level showed a very highly significant decrease (P = 0.001) in DR and DM compared to normal. There was no change in the level of albumin. A significant increase in the levels of iron was observed in DR when compared to DM and control. The levels of copper in DR showed a very highly significant increase when compared to DM and controls (p = 0.001). Our study indicates a possible increase in the copper and iron-mediated generation of ROS thereby leading to increased consumption of antioxidants in the body.

Oxidative Products of Proteins and Antioxidant Potential of Thiols in Gastric Carcinoma PatientsIt has been suggested that oxidative stress defined as a shift in antioxidant/oxidant balance towards oxidants is associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases, including carcinogenesis. Reactive oxygen species can induce carcinogenesis via injury to macromolecules such as DNA, carbohydrates and proteins. Forty primary gastric carcinoma patients and 40 healthy controls were included in the study. Advanced oxidation protein products, total thiols, total protein, albumin in plasma, % hemolysis in RBC suspension and glutathione in both whole blood and plasma were estimated. Our studies demonstrated a significant increase in advanced oxidation protein products, % hemolysis (p=0.033), A:G ratio (p=0.003) and a highly significant decrease in blood glutathione (p=0.036), total thiols (p=0.001), plasma thiols other than glutathione and total antioxidant activity. The findings suggest that gastric carcinoma is associated with oxygen derived free radicals accumulation, and depletion of total antioxidant activity has lead to oxidative stress and advancement of oxidative-antioxidative disorders followed by progression of gastric cancer.

This study was an attempt to establish the extent of increased oxidative stress in hypercholesterolemic patients and to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin on the oxidative stress and antioxidant status. Blood samples of 15 subjects (age and sex matched) from three groups: group I (healthy subjects), group II (hypercholesterolemic patients with atorvastatin treatment) and group III (hypercholesterolemic patients without any hypolipidemic drug) were taken and centrifuged to separate the plasma, which was used for the determination of vitamin E. The separated cells were washed thrice with 0.90 % w/v cold normal saline and used for the assay of the percentage hemolysis of the RBCs, and the determination of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and hemoglobin. The levels of oxidative stress were higher in the hypercholesterolemic in comparison to the control and atorvastatin group. The levels of antioxidants were higher in the atorvastatin group than in the hypercholesterolemic one but were lower than the controls. From these findings, it was concluded that there is an increase in oxidative stress in hypercholesterolemia but it decreased significantly after 2 months of atorvastatin therapy and antioxidant status also improves in patients taking atorvastatin.

AIm: Prolonged exposure to stress mainly affects the cognitive functions of the brain by inducing neuronal damage mediated through oxidative stress. Acorus calamus (AC) has long been used in Indian folk medicine for various central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities. Hence the present study investigates the effect AC on learning and memory in rats. Material and Methods: Adult Wistar male rats were subjected to restrained stress for 21 days (6hr/day) and the animals were concurrently administered AC for 21 days orally. The Hebb-Williams maze and elevated plus maze served as standard behavioural models for testing memory. The rats were sacrificed on 22nd day and the brain homogenate was taken for various biochemical assessments. Result s: Sodium potassium ATPase activity and TBARS levels showed a significant decrease in the stress group compared to control. After administration of AC, the activity of Na- K- ATPase and levels of TBARS showed a tendency to revert back to normal. However there was no effect on AOPP levels, even after the treatment, which remained high. ConclusIon: The present study shows the preventive action of AC rhizome powder on stress induced cognitive functions and modulatory effect on antioxidants and Na-K-ATPase activity.

Chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID) is a common side effect of cancer treatment and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The experimental procedure included an oral treatment with S. pinnata bark extract prior (100 mg/Kg/day) or after (100 and 200 mg/ kg body wt.) the induction of a rat mucositis model by injecting a single dose of etoposide (i.p) and treated with S. pinnata bark extract (100 and 200 mg/ kg body wt.) for next 72 hrs. Treatment efficacy was determined by changes in the intestinal morphology and biochemical parameters such as intestinal TNF-α, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and sodium potassium ATPase after 72 hr, with and without intervention. There was a significant increase in the IL-6 and TNF-α levels and a significant decrease in sodium potassium ATPase activities in intestinal tissue after etoposide injection. However, in the post treatment groups (in both 100 and 200 mg), IL-6 and TNF-α levels reverted back to that of normal. In study group, the animals exposed to Pre and post treatment with S. pinnata extract (100 mg/kg body wt), histological studies showed that S. pinnata bark extract intervention was able to restore the normal morphology and intestinal sodium potassium ATPase activity. The results suggest that S. pinnata bark extract has potentials to prevent the toxic effects of etoposide which expedites to mucositis.

Infantile tremor syndrome is seen worldwide more commonly in the developing countries. Although various protein energy malnutrition awareness programme being run in many of these countries including India yet there is persistence of this disease. Here we present a case of 13 month old female child who visited RAPCC paediatrics OPD of Govt. Wenlock Hospital Mangaluru with history of respiratory distress, fever, tremor in limbs and loss of milestones. On examination she had pallor, hyper pigmentation in axilla and toes. Investigatory findings showed megaloblastic erythroid hyperplasia, hemoglobin- 1.6 g % and CT scan of brain showed central atrophic changes.

The field of radiation biochemistry has provided tremendous impact in recent years as extensive research on free radicals has implicated them in radiation damage. An important offshoot of this field is the branch dealing with radiological protection in medical applications like diagnostic radiology. Hence, we decided to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and low dose ionizing radiation (x-rays) in the work environment of x-ray technicians (radiographers), by comparing their RBC malondialdehyde, % hemolysis, catalase and plasma vitamin E levels with those of controls. There was a significant increase in the susceptibility of RBCs to hemolysis in radiographers compared to controls. Malondialdehyde and catalase levels were slightly increased in the radiographers, but this did not disturb the steady state concentration of their plasma vitamin E. These findings go in favour of theories stating that exposure to low dose ionizing radiation does cause a greater amount of oxidative stress, than that caused during normal routine metabolic processes.

This study was undertaken to determine the healing of ulcers induced by indomethacin due to antioxidant role of fruit extract of Benincasa hispida (Ashgourd) on ulcers in rats. Malondialdehyde (MDA) in RBC and antral homogenate was determined to measure tissue oxidation. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in RBC and antral homogenate, plasma and homogenate vitamin C were estimated as measures of antioxidant defense. On induction of gastric ulcer, there was significant increase in SOD in RBC and homogenate levels and vitamin C in plasma. There was an apparent decrease in ulcer index in animals treated with fruit extract. There was significant decrease in MDA with concomitant decrease in SOD and vitamin C levels in the treated rats when compared to those not treated with fruit extract. Benincasa hispida has been shown to contain certain active principles like terpenes, flavanoid C--glycosides and sterols which have antioxidant effects. These probably inhibit gastric mucosal injury by scavenging the free radicals and repress production of SOD and vitamin C in these rats.

Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) has been inducted as a mediator of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Methotrexate combination therapy forms an important component of the treatment regimen in rheumatoid arthritis. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of Methotrexate-Hydroxychloroquine (MTX-HCQ) combination and Sulfsalazine- Hydroxychloroquine (SSZ-HCQ) combination on the expression GM-CSFR in neutrophils isolated from synovial fluids. 15 cases of confirmed rheumatoid arthritis patients who presented at the hospital for surgical correction of joint deformities were selected for the study. Neutrophils isolated from the synovial fluids were used as the source of the receptor for quantitation on an enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The EIA was developed and standardized in our laboratory for quantification of the GM-CSF R. The findings are suggestive of the fact that the administration of MTX-HCQ combination has positive influence on the expression of the GM-CSF R on neutrophils as against SSZ-HCQ combination. The physiological basis of this increase needs further investigation.

Malaria has been reportedly increasing in incidence on the globe. Evidence from clinical studies supports a role for cytokines in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria. Given the stimulatory effect of the ligand GM-CSF on the synthesis and release of the pyrogenic cytokine TNF alpha, the present study has been undertaken to investigate a possible role of GMCSF receptor in the pathogenesis of both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum malaria. An enzyme immunoassay developed by us at our laboratory for the quantitation of GM-CSF receptor has been used. No changes in the concentration of the receptor have been indicated either at the time of diagnosis or after treatment. In addition, an intercomparison of the receptor concentration between the P. vivax and P. falciparum groups does not show any significant difference. The results suggest that GM-CSF receptor has no significant role in the pathogenesis of either type of malaria.