Diabetic mice are protected from normally lethal nephrotoxicity of S-1,2-dichlorovinyl-L-cysteine (DCVC): role of nephrogenic tissue repair.

Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic (DB) rats are protected from nephrotoxicity of gentamicin, cisplatin and mercuric chloride, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Ninety percent of DB mice receiving a LD90 dose (75 mg/kg, ip) of S-1,2-dichlorovinyl-l-cysteine (DCVC) survived in contrast to only 10% of the nondiabetic (NDB) mice surviving the same dose. We tested the hypothesis that the mechanism of protection is upregulated tissue repair.

Gyrineum natator: a potential indicator of imposex along the Indian coast.

Imposex related studies have used neogastropods as sentinel organism. In this effort, we elucidate the potential of a mesogastropod, Gyrineum natator, for imposex monitoring on the central west coast of India. Observations were made with specimens collected from Mumbai (three stations), Ratnagiri (two stations), Goa (one station) and Mangalore (one station).

PEDF and the serpins: phylogeny, sequence conservation, and functional domains.

Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) is non-inhibitory serpin with neurotrophic and antiangiogenic functions. In this study, we have assembled PEDF sequences for 9 additional species by data base mining and performed cross-species alignment for 14 PEDF sequences to identify conserved structural domains. We found evolutionary conservation of a leader sequence, a single C-terminal glycosylation site, collagen-binding residues, and four specific conserved PEDF peptides.

High level expression of surface glycoprotein of rabies virus in tobacco leaves and its immunoprotective activity in mice.

A synthetic gene coding for the surface glycoprotein (G protein) of rabies virus was strategically designed to achieve high-level expression in transgenic plants. The native signal peptide was replaced by that of the pathogenesis related protein, PR-S of Nicotiana tabacum. An endoplasmic reticulum retention signal was included at C-terminus of the G protein.

A variety of synergistic and antagonistic interactions mediated by cis-acting DNA motifs regulate gene expression in plant cells and modulate stability of the transcription complex formed on a basal promoter.

Several synthetic promoters containing a variety of commonly found cis-acting DNA sequence motifs were constructed to study the motif-motif and motif-protein interactions involved in gene expression in plants. Transient expression of the reporter gene gusA in tobacco leaves was used to demonstrate that several sequence elements can be arranged upstream of a basal promoter to function synergistically in enhancing gene expression. A cis-acting DNA motif could function as an activator by itself as well as a synergizing activator in the presence of other homologous as well as heterologous motifs in the neighbourhood.

Polyaniline nanoparticles prepared in rodlike micelles.

The effect of aniline hydrochloride (AHC) on the size and shape of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles has been investigated by dynamic light scattering. A monotonic decrease in the diffusion coefficient of the micelles was observed with an increase in AHC at fixed SDS concentration. This was ascribed to prolate ellipsoidal growth of the micelles due to decrease of the effective headgroup area/molecule by adsorption of AHC on SDS micelles.

Sodium valproate -- induced skeletal myopathy.

The authors report a case of skeletal myopathy in a four-year-old boy on long-term sodium valproate therapy for secondary epilepsy due to neurocysticercosis. He presented with clinical features of limb girdle weakness. EMG revealed features of myopathy.

Comparison of cognition abilities between groups of children with specific learning disability having average, bright normal and superior nonverbal intelligence.

Background: Specific learning disabilities (SpLD) viz. dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia are an important cause of academic underachievement.

Aims: To assess whether cognition abilities vary in children with SpLD having different grades of nonverbal intelligence.

Sodium valproate - Induced skeletal myopathy.

The authors report a case of skeletal myopathy in a four-year-old boy on long-term sodium valproate therapy for secondary epilepsy due to neurocysticercosis. He presented with clinical features of limb girdle weakness. EMG revealed features of myopathy.

Bioactive rearranged and halogenated semisynthetic derivatives of the marine natural product sarcophine.

Cembranoids are natural diterpenes with 14-membered macrocyclic rings. The simplest natural cembranoid, (+)-cembrene, was isolated from pine oleoresin. Sarcophytols A and B are known cembranoids that inhibit tumor promotion.

Comparative bioavailability of a novel timed release and powder-filled glucosamine sulfate formulation--a multi-dose, randomized, crossover study.

Objective: The absorption of 2 different formulations of glucosamine sulfate were studied in a randomized, multi-dose, two-way, crossover study.

Materials And Method: In this study, a novel timed release pellet-filled hard gelatin shell capsule (TimeOsamine) was compared with a powder-filled hard gelatin shell capsule. The timed release capsule was used in a double dose with an interval of 12 h whereas the powder-filled hard gelatin capsule was used in a triple dose schedule with an interval of 8 h after 10 h pre-dose fasting.

Expression of angiogenesis factors in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and their regulation by PEDF.

The VEGFs and FGF-2 stimulate angiogenesis. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) strongly inhibit angiogenesis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) expressed VEGF-A, -B, -C, the VEGF receptors R1, R2, and R3, PEDF, FGF-2, and TSP-1, but VEGF-D transcripts were barely detectable.

Regulation of factors controlling angiogenesis in liver development: a role for PEDF in the formation and maintenance of normal vasculature.

PEDF and VEGF are important inhibitors and promoters of angiogenesis, and the ratio between the two is an important indicator in many neovascular diseases. In mouse liver PEDF and VEGF(165) were co-expressed at very early stages of liver development and their expression increased as liver embryogenesis progressed, suggesting that PEDF and VEGF are both crucial to vasculogenesis as well. VEGF(189) only appears at the P0 stage in liver organogenesis and is maintained at high levels thereafter.

Butyltins in water, biofilm, animals and sediments of the west coast of India.

Biofilm, fish, oyster, mussel, clam, surface seawater, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and sediment samples were collected from marine and/or estuarine waters of the west coast of India. These samples were analysed for butyltin derivatives such as dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT). The concentrations DBT plus TBT varied between 2.

Implications of cytokeratin 8/18 filament formation in stratified epithelial cells: induction of transformed phenotype.

The cytokeratin (CK) pair 8 and 18 is normally expressed in all simple epithelia. This pair is not normally seen in stratified epithelial cells. Squamous cell carcinomas derived from stratified epithelia show anomalous expression of this CK pair.

Elastase: a predictive marker of inflammation and/or infection.

The present study was undertaken to estimate elastase in biological fluids and assess its usefulness as an indicator of inflammation/infection. Elastase was measured in seminal plasma, serum, urine, and cervical specimens using a specific substrate and was expressed in arbitrary units (AU). It was found to be stable over a period of 3 weeks.

Abnormal uterine bleeding as a presentation of metastatic breast disease in a patient with advanced breast cancer on tamoxifen therapy.

Introduction: Extra pelvic tumours rarely metastasise to the female genital tract. Typically it is the ovaries that are involved and the primary tumours include the breast and the gastrointestinal tract. Metastatic disease involving the uterus is rare.

Arthritis in HIV.

A five and half-year-old boy with arthritis involving large joints is reported. The child was found to be seropositive for HIV. Various rheumatological manifestations have been described in adults with HIV infection.

Potentiation of carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity and lethality in type 2 diabetic rats.

There is a need for well characterized and economical type 2 diabetic model that mimics the human disease. We have developed a type 2 diabetes rat model that closely resembles the diabetic patients and takes only 24 days to develop robust diabetes. Nonlethal doses of allyl alcohol (35 mg/kg i.

Demonstration of cytokeratin-5 non-expression in tobacco related oral carcinogenesis--use of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction as a sensitive assay.

Cytokeratins (CK) are the epithelia specific intermediate filament proteins. We have shown consistent non-expression of CK-5 protein in human oral pre-cancer and cancer, in earlier studies. To investigate whether non-expression of CK-5 protein is the result of transcriptional or translational block and to evaluate the possibility if CK-5 non-expression can be used as a marker for early diagnosis of tobacco related oral cancer, RT-PCR using CK-5 specific primers was conducted.

CD40 signaling is impaired in L. major-infected macrophages and is rescued by a p38MAPK activator establishing a host-protective memory T cell response.

Leishmania, a protozoan parasite, lives and multiplies as amastigote within macrophages. It is proposed that the macrophage expressed CD40 interacts with CD40 ligand on T cells to induce IFN-gamma, a Th1-type cytokine that restricts the amastigote growth. Here, we demonstrate that CD40 cross-linking early after infection resulted in inducible nitric oxide synthetase type-2 (iNOS2) induction and iNOS2-dependent amastigote elimination.

Comparative bioavailability of two novel coenzyme Q10 preparations in humans.

Objective: To determine the absorptive properties of 2 novel coenzyme Q10 preparations, a fast-melting tablet and an effervescent tablet, compared with currently available formulations.

Materials And Methods: In the first trial, the absorptive properties of 4 different coenzyme Q10 preparations (fast-melting, effervescent, soft gelatin, and powder-filled hard shell) were studied in a randomized, single-dose, crossover study. Twenty-four male subjects were given a 60 mg dose of coenzyme Q10 and plasma coenzyme Q10 was measured over the next 12 hours.

Routine screening mammography: how important is the radiation-risk side of the benefit-risk equation?

The potential radiation hazards associated with routine screening mammography, in terms of breast cancer induction, are discussed in the context of the potential benefits. The very low energy X-rays used in screening mammography (26-30 kVp) are expected to be more hazardous, per unit dose, than high-energy X- or gamma-rays, such as those to which A-bomb survivors (from which radiation risk estimates are derived) were exposed. Based on in vitro studies using oncogenic transformation and chromosome aberration end-points, as well as theoretical estimates, it seems likely that low doses of low-energy X-rays produce an increased risk per unit dose (compared with high energy photons) of about a factor of 2.