The Putative Role of Thyroid Hormones and Vitamin D on Severity and Quality of Life in Psoriasis.

Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease. The thyroid hormone receptors are expressed in human skin and the hormones exert their effects on epidermal proliferation and differentiation; they have been hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Vitamin D is involved in the maintenance of cutaneous barrier homeostasis.

Evaluation of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Transcription Factor 7-Like 2 and ATP2B1 Genes as Cardiovascular Risk Predictors in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of morbidity and premature mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The transcription factor 7-like 2 () gene product TCF4 is a transcription factor that acts as a downstream effector in the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and may be important in the development of both type 2 diabetes and renal development and disease. It is, therefore, plausible that mutations in this gene could manifest themselves in reduced kidney function or kidney disease through their effects on hyperglycemia as well as independent of this mechanism.

Remedial after-school support classes offered in rural Gambia (The SCORE trial): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Low education levels are endemic in much of the developing world, particularly in rural areas where traditional government-provided public services often have difficulty reaching beneficiaries. Providing trained para-teachers to teach regular after-school remedial education classes has been shown to improve literacy and numeracy in children of primary school age residing in such areas in India. This trial investigates whether such an intervention can also be effective in a West African setting with similarly low learning levels and difficult geographic access.

Evaluation of Body Mass Index (BMI) Percentile cut-off Levels with Reference to Insulin Resistance: A Comparative Study on South Indian Obese and Non-Obese Adolescents.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship of Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile cut off with Homeostasis Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), a surrogate marker for insulin resistance in obese, overweight and non-obese adolescents.

Study Design: A cross-sectional analysis of 120 adolescents (divided into sixty overweight/obese and an equal number of non-obese) was performed on nondiabetic, nonpregnant (11 to 18 year old school going) adolescents in south Indian (Puducherry) population. The main outcome measure of insulin resistance was calculated as HOMA-IR (greater than 3.

PDGF inactivates forkhead family transcription factor by activation of Akt in glomerular mesangial cells.

Regulation of the forkhead domain transcription factors by PDGF has not been studied. In this report, we investigated the role of PDGF-induced Akt in regulating forkhead domain protein FKHRL1 in glomerular mesangial cells. PDGF increased phosphorylation of FKHRL1 in a time- and PI 3 kinase-dependent manner.

Evaluation of the effect of triterpenes on urinary risk factors of stone formation in pyridoxine deficient hyperoxaluric rats.

Investigations were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of the pentacyclic triterpene, lupeol and its ester, lupeol linoleate, against calcium oxalate urolithiasis in rats. Administration of a pyridoxine deficient diet containing 3% glycollic acid for 21 days led to increased excretion of stone forming constituents such as calcium, oxalate and uric acid. Crystal deposition and subsequent renal tubular damage resulted in increased excretion of the tubular enzymes alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma glutamyl transferase, beta glucuronidase and N-acetyl glucosaminidase along with reduced fibrinolytic enzymes.

Mitigation of free radical toxicity in hyperoxaluric condition by a novel derivative eicosapentaenoate-lipoate.

Lipoic acid (LA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have been shown to ameliorate the changes associated with hyperoxaluria. This prompted us to study the effect of EPA-LA, a new derivative, in experimental urolithiatic condition. Foreign body implantation method followed by supplementation of ammonium oxalate was adopted to induce stone formation in the bladder.

Attenuation of oxalate-induced nephrotoxicity by eicosapentaenoate-lipoate (EPA-LA) derivative in experimental rat model.

Hyperoxaluria is one of the major risk factors for the formation of urinary calcium oxalate stones. Calcium oxalate crystals and their deposition have been implicated in inducing renal tubular damage. Lipoic acid (LA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have been shown to ameliorate the changes associated with hyperoxaluria.

A novel derivative pentacyclic triterpene and omega 3 fatty acid.

Adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA) is accompanied by marked changes in the levels of lysosomal enzymes, glycoproteins and metabolic turnover of collagen. The role of a pentacyclic triterpene and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) derivative--Lupeol-EPA (50 mg/kg body weight--orally) was tested in vivo in rats. The increased activities of lysosomal enzymes and glycoproteins associated with decreased collagen in arthritic animals were significantly altered to nearly that of controls.

Protective effect of triterpenes on calcium oxalate crystal-induced peroxidative changes in experimental urolithiasis.

Naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenes of plant origin have been identified as possessing a wide range of pharmacological effects. Lupeol (Lupa-21,20(29) dien, 3beta-ol) has been found to be efficient in reducing the risk of stone formation in animals by way of preventing crystal-induced tissue damage and dilution of urinary stone-forming constituents. In the present study, two structurally related triterpenes, lupeol and betulin (Lupa-20(29)ene-3,28 diol) were assessed for their antilithiatic effect.