Nickel and Oxidative Stress: Cell Signaling Mechanisms and Protective Role of Vitamin C.

Background: Nickel activates the signaling pathways through the oxygen sensing mechanism and the signaling cascades that control hypoxia-inducible transcriptional gene expressions through oxidative stress. This review emphasizes on the recent updates of nickel toxicities on oxidant and antioxidant balance, molecular interaction of nickel and its signal transduction through low oxygen microenvironment in the in-vivo physiological system.

Discussion: Nickel alters intracellular chemical microenvironment by increasing ionized calcium concentration, lipid peroxidation, cyclooxygenase, constitutive nitric oxide synthase, leukotriene B4, prostaglandin E2, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor-α, caspases, complement activation, heat shock protein 70 kDa and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α.

Novel pH-sensitive interpenetrated network polyspheres of polyacrylamide-g-locust bean gum and sodium alginate for intestinal targeting of ketoprofen: In vitro and in vivo evaluation.

In this report, novel pH-sensitive interpenetrated network (IPN) polyspheres were developed utilizing polyacrylamide-g-locust bean gum (PAAm-g-LBG) in combination with sodium alginate (SA) to achieve intestinal targeted delivery of ketoprofen. PAAm-g-LBG was synthesized under microwave irradiation wherein ceric ammonium nitrate was used as reaction initiator and then conversion of PAAm-g-LBG as pH-sensitive copolymer was carried out by alkaline hydrolysis. The PAAm-g-LBG copolymer was characterized through H-NMR, FTIR and elemental analysis.

Protean clinical manifestations and diagnostic challenges of human brucellosis in adults: 16 years' experience in an endemic area.

A prospective study was carried out to elucidate the clinical, epidemiological and laboratory features of human brucellosis. A total of 26 948 blood samples (from adults aged 15 years and above) were screened for serological evidence of brucellosis over a period of 16 years. The slide agglutination/Rose Bengal plate agglutination test gave positive results in 517 patients, of which 509 had detectable titres by the standard tube agglutination test (SAT).