Association of Conicity Index with Different Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Rural Elderly Women of West Bengal, India.

Introduction: In menopause, changes in body fat distribution lead to increasing risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Therefore, the prediction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by the presence of risk factors is of importance in elderly women.

Objective: To find out the conicity index (CI) and its association with different CVD risk factors among rural elderly women of West Bengal.

Period of Sun Exposure and Vitamin D Status among the Rural Elderly Women of West Bengal, India.

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be prevalent among Indian elderly women. Aging has a significant association with decreased concentration of 7-dehydrocholesterol, the precursor of Vitamin D3 in the skin.

Objective: The aim is to find out the association between the period of sun exposure and serum 25(OH) D level among rural elderly women of West Bengal, India.

Differential acetylcholinesterase activity in rat cerebrum, cerebellum and hypothalamus.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been purified from three different regions of rat brain using Sephadex G 200 column. SDS PAGE (6%) showed single band for the purified AChE fractions. Purified and lyophilized AChE from different (NH4)2SO4 precipitated fractions of three brain parts were utilized for in vitro enzyme kinetics using Dimethoate (Dmt) as inhibitor.

Apoptosis and necrosis in developing brain cells due to arsenic toxicity and protection with antioxidants.

Epidemiological studies on arsenic contamination in drinking water indicated presence of arsenic in fetal tissues. Experiments on human fetal brain explants on exposure to arsenic in culture showed disturbance in lipid peroxidation, generation of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis. The oxidative stress challenged by antioxidant vitamins C, E or chelator dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) may reverse arsenic toxicity on neuronal development.