Development of topical silver nano gel formulation of Bixin: Characterization, and evaluation of anticancer activity.

Objective: Skin cancer refers to the pathological condition characterized by the proliferation of atypical skin cells in an uncontrolled manner. Plant-based products such as bixin although show promising anticancer properties, but maintaining their stability in a formulation is a difficult task. The objective of the research is to formulate a silver nanoparticle gel preparation of bixin and evaluate its anticancer properties. Methods: The extract from Bixa orellana seed was prepared by hot extraction technique to isolate the active ingredient, bixin. A green synthesis approach was utilized for preparing the silver nanoparticle gel of bixin (BOAgNPs). Characterization of silver nanoparticles was done using FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, compatibility study, homogeneity testing, pH evaluation, and drug content determination. The in-vitro anticancer activity was performed using cell lines (B16F10) and in-vivo by chemical carcinogen (7,12-dimethylbenz (a) anthracene) in mice. Results: The BOAgNPs-loaded topical gel was found to be homogeneous (clear orange color) and pH-compatible (pH ≈ 6.66) with the skin. The characterization studies indicated the presence of all functional groups in the formulation. An optimized batch of bixin-nano gel showed about 60% inhibitory effects on B16F10 cell lines (in-vitro activity) when equated with a reference drug, 5-fluorouracil. The in-vivo anticancer study suggested suppression of tumorigenesis and promotion of the healing process with bixin-nano gel application on the skin. Conclusion: The results suggested the promising anticancer property of bixin when formulated in silver nanoparticle gel. The preparation of silver particles nano gel with bixin might provide an effective alternative option for treating skin cancers, provided more research complements the findings of the present study.

The comprehensive effects of aluminum oxide nanoparticles on the physiology of freshwater microalga Scenedesmus obliquus and it's phycoremediation performance for the removal of sulfacetamide.

Nanoparticles are inevitable byproducts of modern industry. However, the environmental impacts arising from industrial applications of nanoparticles are largely under-reported. This study evaluated the ecotoxicological effects of aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3NP) and its influence on sulfacetamide (SA) biodegradation by a freshwater microalga, Scenedesmus obliquus. Although Al2O3NP showed limited toxicity effect on S. obliquus, we observed the toxicity attenuation aspect of Al2O3NP in a mixture of sulfacetamide on microalgae. The addition of 100 mg L-1 of Al2O3NP and 1 mg L-1 of SA reduced total chlorophyll by 23.3% and carotenoids by 21.6% in microalgal compared to control. The gene expression study demonstrated that ATPF0C, Lhcb1, HydA, and psbA genes responsible for ATP synthesis and the photosynthetic system were significantly downregulated, while the Tas gene, which plays a major role in biodegradation of organic xenobiotic chemicals, was significantly upregulated at 1 and 100 mg L-1 of Al2O3NP. The S. obliquus removed 16.8% of SA at 15 mg L-1 in 14 days. However, the removal was slightly enhanced (18.8%) at same concentration of SA in the presence of 50 mg L-1 Al2O3NP. This result proves the stability of sulfacetamide biodegradation capacity of S. obliquus in the presence of Al2O3NP co-contamination. The metabolic analysis showed that SA was degraded into simpler byproducts such as sulfacarbamide, sulfaguanidine, sulfanilamide, 4-(methyl sulfonyl)aniline, and N-hydroxy-benzenamine which have lower ecotoxicity than SA, demonstrating that the ecotoxicity of sulfacetamide has significantly decreased after the microalgal degradation, suggesting the environmental feasibility of microalgae-mediated wastewater technology. This study provides a deeper understanding of the impact of nanoparticles such as Al2O3NP on aquatic ecosystems.

Phytobeds with Fimbristylis dichotoma and Ammannia baccifera for treatment of real textile effluent: An in situ treatment, anatomical studies and toxicity evaluation.

Fimbristylis dichotoma, Ammannia baccifera and their co-plantation consortium FA independently degraded Methyl Orange, simulated dye mixture and real textile effluent. Wild plants of F. dichotoma and A. baccifera with equal biomass showed 91% and 89% decolorization of Methyl Orange within 60h at a concentration of 50ppm, while 95% dye removal was achieved by consortium FA within 48h. Floating phyto-beds with co-plantation (F. dichotoma and A. baccifera) for the treatment of real textile effluent in a constructed wetland was observed to be more efficient and achieved 79%, 72%, 77%, 66% and 56% reductions in ADMI color value, COD, BOD, TDS and TSS of textile effluent, respectively. HPTLC, GC-MS, FTIR, UV-vis spectroscopy and activated oxido-reductive enzyme activities confirmed the phytotrasformation of parent dye in to new metabolites. T-RFLP analysis of rhizospheric bacteria of F. dichotoma, A. baccifera and consortium FA revealed the presence of 88, 98 and 223 genera which could have been involved in dye removal. Toxicity evaluation of products formed after phytotransformation of Methyl Orange by consortium FA on bivalves Lamellidens marginalis revealed less damage of the gills architecture when analyzed histologically. Toxicity measurement by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique revealed bivalve DNA banding pattern in treated Methyl Orange sample suggesting less toxic nature of phytotransformed dye products.

Lymphocytic Hypophysitis Mimicking Pituitary Macroadenoma.

Lymphocytic hypophysitis is an inflammatory /autoimmune disorder that primarily involves the pituitary gland and the pituitary stalk. The common clinical presentations include headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, features of hypopituitarism and diabetes insipidus as well as diplopia, orbital pain and bitemporal hemianopia. We report a case of lymphocytic hypophysitis which presented as hemichorea. Neuroimaging showed a mass in the sella tursica region which, on histopathological examination was suggestive of lymphocytic hypophysitis. After excision of this mass, patient showed marked improvement in his symptoms albeit he developed panhypopituitarism. The patient was treated with pituitary hormonal replacement therapy and is currently asymptomatic.

Caries Preventive Effect of Sodium Fluoride Varnish on Deciduous Dentition: A Clinical Trial.

AIM: The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of intensive application of sodium fluoride varnish in reducing caries incidence among children aged 6 to 7 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted among 6- to 7-year-old children of Sangamner, Maharashtra, India. Nearly 200 randomly selected children were randomized into two groups: Control group and intervention (varnish) group. Dental examination to record the caries experiences was conducted at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. The fluoride varnish was applied for three times in a week for a period of 1 year. Mean decayed, missed, and filled teeth (DMFT) were compared between and within groups using t-test. RESULTS: Out of 200 participants, there were 3 dropouts for control group and 4 for intervention group. Nearly 55% study participants were males and remaining were females. There was a statistically significant difference between the baseline and follow-up caries levels in varnish group for deciduous dentition. Mean caries reduction in this study was 26%. CONCLUSION: After 1 year of study, we found significant caries reversal in deciduous dentition among the 6- to 7-year-olds after intensive fluoride application. Such a regimen can be advocated to encourage the practitioners and the caregivers alike for early caries prevention. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Intensive fluoride application (three times a week) once a year was found to be effective in reducing the incidence of detectable carious lesions and can be advocated to the dental professionals to be incorporated in their routine preventive clinical practice.

Efficient decolorization and detoxification of textile industry effluent by Salvinia molesta in lagoon treatment.

Salvinia molesta, an aquatic fern was observed to have a potential of degrading azo dye Rubine GFL up to 97% at a concentration of 100mg/L within 72h using 60±2g of root biomass. Both root as well as stem tissues showed induction in activities of the enzymes such as lignin peroxidase, veratryl alcohol oxidase, laccase, tyrosinase, catalase, DCIP reductase and superoxide dismutase during decolorization of Rubine GFL. FTIR, GC-MS, HPLC and UV-visible spectrophotometric analysis confirmed phytotransformation of the model dye into smaller molecules. Analysis of metabolites revealed breakdown of an azo bond of Rubine GFL by the action of lignin peroxidase and laccase and formation of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline and N-methylbenzene-1, 4-diamine. Anatomical tracing of dye in the stem of S. molesta confirmed the presence of dye in tissues and subsequent removal after 48h of treatment. The concentration of chlorophyll pigments like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid was observed during the treatment. Toxicity analysis on seeds of Triticum aestivum and Phaseolus mungo revealed the decreased toxicity of dye metabolites. In situ treatment of a real textile effluent was further monitored in a constructed lagoon of the dimensions of 7m×5m×2m (total surface area 35m(2)) using S. molesta for 192h. This large scale treatment was found to significantly reduce the values of COD, BOD5 and ADMI by 76%, 82% and 81% considering initial values 1185, 1440mg/L and 950 units, respectively.

Bioreactor with Ipomoea hederifolia adventitious roots and its endophyte Cladosporium cladosporioides for textile dye degradation.

In vitro grown untransformed adventitious roots (AR) culture of Ipomoea hederifolia and its endophytic fungus (EF) Cladosporium cladosporioides decolorized Navy Blue HE2R (NB-HE2R) at a concentration of 20 ppm up to 83.3 and 65%, respectively within 96h. Whereas the AR-EF consortium decolorized the dye more efficiently and gave 97% removal within 36h. Significant inductions in the enzyme activities of lignin peroxidase, tyrosinase and laccase were observed in roots, while enzymes like tyrosinase, laccase and riboflavin reductase activities were induced in EF. Metabolites of dye were analyzed using UV-vis spectroscopy, FTIR and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Possible metabolic pathways of NB-HE2R were proposed with AR, EF and AR-EF systems independently. Looking at the superior efficacy of AR-EF system, a rhizoreactor was developed for the treatment of NB-HE2R at a concentration of 1000 ppm. Control reactor systems with independently grown AR and EF gave 94 and 85% NB-HE2R removal, respectively within 36h. The AR-EF rhizoreactor, however, gave 97% decolorization. The endophyte colonization additionally increased root and shoot lengths of candidate plants through mutualism. Combined bioreactor strategies can be effectively used for future eco-friendly remediation purposes.

A Unique Case of Prostate Carcinoma Presenting as Retroperitoneal Lymphadenopathy With Normal Levels of Prostate-Specific Antigen and a Prostate of Normal Size: A Case Report.

Despite the significant advancements in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening and the diverse array of available treatments, prostate cancer (PCa) still significantly contributes to cancer-related illness. The most prevalent sites for metastases are bones, distant lymph nodes, and abdominal organs. Nevertheless, metastasis to the renal and retroperitoneal regions originating from prostate cancer constitutes an exceptionally uncommon clinical occurrence. Metastatic PCa commonly presents with elevated serum PSA levels, a hallmark of its diagnostic profile. However, there are instances where patients exhibit atypical metastatic patterns or maintain normal PSA levels. In the case under consideration, the patient exhibited a periureteral tumor with an indeterminate primary origin, subsequently confirmed to be metastatic prostate cancer. This case underscores the importance of recognizing the varied and sometimes elusive presentations of metastatic PCa. Despite its rarity, the occurrence of renal and retroperitoneal metastasis emphasizes the need for vigilance and a comprehensive understanding of the diverse manifestations of advanced PCa for timely and accurate diagnosis, which is paramount in optimizing patient care and outcomes.

Controlling Triboelectric Charge of MOFs by Leveraging Ligands Chemistry.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising materials for triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), but the effects of ligand choice on triboelectric charge remain underexplored. Hence, this paper demonstrates the effect of single, binary, and ternary ligands on TENG performance of cobalt/cerium-based (Co─Ce) bimetallic MOFs utilizing 2-methylimidazole (2Melm), terephthalic acid (BDC), and benzene tricarboxylic acid (BTC) as ligands. The detailed structural characterization revealed that varying ligand chemistries led to distinct MOF features affecting TENG performance. Single ligand bimetallic MOFs (designated as CoCe-2MeIm, CoCe-BDC, CoCe-BTC) has lower performance than binary ligand (designated as CoCe-2MeIm-BDC, CoCe-2MeIm-BTC, CoCe-BDC-BTC) and ternary ligand MOFs (designated as CoCe-2MeIm-BDC-BTC). Among all, the binary ligand MOF, CoCe-2MeIm-BTC, shows the best results (598 V, 26.7 µA) due to the combined effect of imidazole ring and (─COO─) groups. This is attributed to lone pairs on nitrogen atoms and a delocalized π-electron system in imidazole system in this material. CoCe-BTC has the lowest results (31 V, 3.2 µA) due to the bulkier nature of the electron-withdrawing (─COO─) groups and their impact on the π-electron system of the benzene ring. This study showcases the potential of ligand chemistry manipulation to control triboelectric charge and thereby enhance MOF-based TENG performance.

Triboelectric Energy Harvesting from Highly Conjugated Fused Aromatic Ladder Structure Under Extreme Environmental Conditions.

Practical application of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has been challenging, particularly, under harsh environmental conditions. This work proposes a novel 3D-fused aromatic ladder (FAL) structure as a tribo-positive material for TENGs, to address these challenges. The 3D-FAL offers a unique materials engineering platform for tailored properties, such as high specific surface area and porosity, good thermal and mechanical stability, and tunable electronic properties. The fabricated 3D-FAL-based TENG reaches a maximum peak power density of 451.2 µW cm-2 at 5 Hz frequency. More importantly, the 3D-FAL-based TENG maintains stable output performance under harsh operating environments, over wide temperature (-45-100 °C) and humidity ranges (8.3-96.7% RH), representing the development of novel FAL for sustainable energy generation under challenging environmental conditions. Furthermore, the 3D-FAL-based TENG proves to be a promising device for a speed monitoring system engaging reconstruction in virtual reality in a snowy environment.

Insulinotropic and ß-cell protective action of cuminaldehyde, cuminol and an inhibitor isolated from Cuminum cyminum in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Cuminum cyminum, a commonly used spice, is known to have anti-diabetic action. The present study aims towards the isolation of bioactive components from C. cyminum and the evaluation of their insulin secretagogue potential with the probable mechanism and ß-cell protective action. The anti-diabetic activity was detected in the petroleum ether (pet ether) fraction of the C. cyminum distillate and studied through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Bioactive components were identified through GC-MS, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and NMR analysis. The isolated components were evaluated for their insulin secretagogue action using rat pancreatic islets. Further, the probable mechanism of stimulation of islets was evaluated through in vitro studies using diazoxide, nifedipine and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. ß-Cell protection was evaluated using the (1-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan) (MTT) assay, the alkaline comet assay and nitrite production. The administration of the pet ether fraction for 45 d to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats revealed an improved lipid profile. Cuminaldehyde and cuminol were identified as potent insulinotrophic components. Cuminaldehyde and cuminol (25 µg/ml) showed 3·34- and 3·85-fold increased insulin secretion, respectively, than the 11·8 mm-glucose control. The insulinotrophic action of both components was glucose-dependent and due to the closure of the ATP-sensitive K (K⁺-ATP) channel and the increase in intracellular Ca²âº concentration. An inhibitor of insulin secretion with potent ß-cell protective action was also isolated from the same pet ether fraction. In conclusion, C. cyminum was able to lower blood glucose without causing hypoglycaemia or ß-cell burn out. Hence, the commonly used spice, C. cyminum, has the potential to be used as a novel insulinotrophic therapy for prolonged treatment of diabetes.

Antidiabetic activity of Kalanchoe pinnata in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by glucose independent insulin secretagogue action.

CONTEXT: Kalanchoe pinnata Lam. (Crassulaceae) is used as a traditional medicine worldwide to treat several ailments, including diabetes. However, the mechanism for the antihyperglycemic action is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The present study evaluates the antihyperglycemic and insulin secretagogue potential of Kalanchoe pinnata and assessment of the probable mechanism of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Steam distillate of Kalanchoe pinnata leaves was subjected to solvent fractionation and antidiabetic activity was detected in dichloromethane (DCM) fraction. In the in vivo studies, rats were treated with 5 and 10 mg/kg body weight of DCM fraction for 45 days orally. Lipid profile and other biochemical parameters were estimated. The probable mechanism for insulin secretagogue action was evaluated through studies using diazoxide and nifedipine. The bioactive component from DCM fraction was studied using HPTLC, GCMS and IR. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Fasting blood glucose values were reduced to 116 mg/dl from 228 mg/dl on treatment with 10 mg/kg body weight of DCM fraction, while glycated hemoglobin improved to 8.4% compared with 12.9% in diabetic controls. The insulin level and lipid profile values were close to normal values. In vitro studies demonstrated a dose-dependent insulin secretagogue action. Insulin secretion was 3.29-fold higher at 10 µg/ml as compared to the positive control. The insulin secretagogue activity was glucose independent and K(+)-ATP channel dependent. The bioactive component of the DCM fraction was identified to be a phenyl alkyl ether derivative. CONCLUSION: The DCM fraction of Kalanchoe pinnata demonstrates excellent insulin secretagogue action and can be useful in treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Evaluate the usage of different advanced endodontic instruments and techniques in pediatric dentistry.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of study is to find the prevalence of usage of different advanced endodontic instruments and techniques in pediatric dentistry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A self-administered, structured questionnaire written in English validated through a pretested survey was randomly mailed to the postgraduate students in different dental colleges. A total of 182 of the complete filled questionnaires were returned with response rate of 68.2%. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 15.0. The Student's t-test and ANOVA test were used as test of significance. Karl Pearson's correlation test was used to assess years of education and usage of endodontic instruments. RESULTS: There was a limited use of new endodontic technologies in the present study. The highest positive response to the usage of advanced endodontic instruments was related to NiTi rotary files with highest number seen among 3rd year students. A linear relationship was found between years of postgraduation and usage of advanced endodontic instruments using Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Based on the results of the present study, it seems that the usage of advanced endodontic instruments is not up to the level. Also we found increased use of new technologies with years of postgraduation.

Squash Cytology Diagnosing Plasmacytoma of Frontal Bone as First Presentation of Nonsecretory Multiple Myeloma.

Plasmacytoma of bone is one of the criteria for diagnosing plasma cell myeloma (multiple myeloma). A plasmacytoma involving a frontal bone is unusual, with only few being reported so far. Also, when typical clinical presentation is absent, diagnosis is usually not suspected clinicoradiologically. We report a rare case of frontal bone plasmacytoma presenting as a lump over the forehead, the squash cytology of which gave the diagnosis of neoplastic etiology. Thus, squash cytology helped in early and definitive diagnosis in this patient, hastening meticulous diagnostic investigations and appropriate management. With full workup, the final diagnosis of a nonsecretory multiple myeloma was made.

Molecular characterization of azoreductase and its potential for the decolorization of Remazol Red R and Acid Blue 29.

Azoreductase is a reductive enzyme that efficiently biotransformed textile azo dyes. This study demonstrated the heterologous overexpression of the azoreductase gene in Escherichia coli for the effective degradation of Remazol Red-R and Acid-Blue 29 dyes. The AzK gene of Klebsiella pneumoniae encoding a ≈22 kDa azoreductase enzyme was cloned into the pET21+C expression vector. The inoculum size of 1.5%, IPTG concentration of 0.5 mM, and incubation time of 6 h were optimized by response surface methodology a statistical tool. The crude extract showed 76% and 74%, while the purified enzyme achieved 94% and 93% decolorization of RRR and AB-29, respectively in 0.3 h. The reaction kinetics showed that RRR had a Km and Vmax value of 0.058 mM and 1416 U mg-1, respectively at an NADH concentration of 10 mM. HPLC and GC-MS analyses showed that RRR was effectively bio-transformed by azoreductase to 2-[3-(hydroxy-amino) benzene-1-sulfonyl and AB-29 to aniline and 3-nitrosoaniline. This study explored the potential of recombinant azoreductase isolated from K. pneumoniae in the degradation of toxic textile azo dyes into less toxic metabolites.

Dissemination of sulfonamide resistance genes in digester microbiome during anaerobic digestion of food waste leachate.

The preeminence of sulfonamide drug resistance genes in food waste (FW) and the increased utilization of high-strength organic FW in anaerobic digestion (AD) to enhance methane production have raised severe public health concerns in wastewater treatment plants worldwide. In this regard, the dissemination patterns of different sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) and their impact on the digester core microbiota during AD of FW leachate (FWL) were evaluated. The presence of various sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) in FWL digesters improved the final methane yield by 37 % during AD compared with FWL digesters without SAs. Microbial population shifts towards hydrolytic, acidogenic, and acetogenic bacteria in the phyla Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Synergistota occurred due to SA induced substrate digestion and absorption through active transport; butanoate, propanoate, and pyruvate metabolism; glycolysis; gluconeogenesis; the citrate cycle; and pentose phosphate pathway. The initial dominance of Methanosaeta (89-96 %) declined to 47-53 % as AD progressed and shifted towards Methanosarcina (40 %) in digesters with the highest SA concentrations at the end of AD. Dissemination of sul1 depended on class 1 integron gene (intl1)-based horizontal gene transfer to pathogenic members of Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, and Patescibacteria, whereas sul2 was transmitted to Synergistota independent of intl1. Low susceptibility and ability to utilize SAs during methanogenesis shielded methanogenic archaea against selection pressure, thus preventing them from interacting with sul or intl1 genes, thereby minimizing the risk of antibiotic resistance development. The observed emergence of cationic antimicrobial peptide, vancomycin, and ß-lactam resistance in the core microbiota during AD of FWL in the presence of SAs suggests that multidrug resistance caused by bacterial transformation could lead to an increase in the environmental resistome through wastewater sludge treatment.

Oral delivery of doxorubicin using novel polyelectrolyte-stabilized liposomes (layersomes).

The present study explores the potential of polyelectrolyte-coated liposomes for improving the oral deliverability of doxorubicin (Dox). As a part of formulation strategy, stearyl amine was selected as a formulation component to provide positive charge to liposomes, which were subsequently coated with anionic poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) followed by coating of cationic polyallyl amine hydrochloride (PAH) in a layer by layer manner and led to the formation of a robust structure "layersomes". Optimization of various process variables were carried out, and optimized formulation was found to have particle size of 520.4 ± 15.0 nm, PDI of 0.312 ± 0.062, ζ potential of +30.4 ± 5.32 mV, and encapsulation efficiency of 63.4 ± 4.26%. Layersomes were not only stable in simulated gastrointestinal fluids but also presented sustained drug release (∼35%) as compared to both Dox-liposomes and PAA-Dox-liposomes (∼67%), the release pattern being Higuchi kinetics. The in vivo pharmacokinetics studies revealed about 5.94-fold increase in oral bioavailability of Dox as compared to free drug. In vivo antitumor efficacy in a DMBA-induced breast tumor model further exhibited significant reduction in the tumor growth as compared to control and IV-Dox, while results were comparable to IV-LipoDox. Layersomes also exhibited a marked reduction in cardiotoxicity in comparison with IV-doxorubicin and IV-LipoDox (marketed formulation), as evidenced by the reduced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine phosphokinase (CK-MB) and increased levels of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The reduced cardiotoxicity of layersomes was further confirmed by comparative histopathological examination of heart tissue after treatment with various formulations. The positive results of the study strengthen our expectation that the developed formulation strategy can be fruitfully exploited to improve the oral deliverability of poorly bioavailable drugs and can open new vistas for oral chemotherapy.

Antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effect of Santalum album in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

CONTEXT: Santalum album Linn (Santalaceae), commonly known as Sandalwood is used traditionally for its antihyperlipidemic and diuretic activity. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effect of long-term oral administration of the Santalum album pet ether fraction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at 70 mg/kg body weight. Rats were treated with Santalum album pet ether fraction orally at a dose of 10 µg/kg body weight twice daily for 60 days. Metformin (30 mg/kg body weight) was used as positive control. Lipid profile and glycated hemoglobin were estimated. HPLC profiling of Santalum album pet ether fraction was carried out. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Treatment of diabetic rats for 60 days demonstrated reduction in blood glucose level by 140 mg/dl. Metformin treated group showed a decrease in blood glucose by 70 mg/dl, as against an increase in diabetic control group by 125 mg/dl. Total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels were decreased by 22, 31 and 44%, respectively, in treated diabetic rats whereas, cardioprotective, high density lipoprotein (HDL) increased by 46%. In case of metformin, the values were 11, 29 and 15% respectively, while HDL increased by 7%. Significant improvement in atherogenic index from 267 to 139% was observed in treated rats. CONCLUSION: Santalum album pet ether fraction has potential antihyperlipidemic activity that can help in overcoming insulin resistance.

Solitary Penile Metastasis from Prostate Cancer on 18F-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography.

We report a case of a 66-year-old man with prostate cancer who underwent 18F-prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography/computed tomography for baseline staging that revealed primary lesion in prostate gland along with a solitary metastatic deposit in the penile shaft. Penile metastasis is rare and usually associated with widespread metastatic disease. Solitary penile metastasis is even rarer and can present as a unifocal, multifocal, or diffuse lesion. Early detection is important in guiding treatment and preventing complications.