Turpentine oil induced inflammation decreases absorption and increases distribution of phenacetin without altering its elimination process in rats.

Plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetics of phenacetin, a CYP1A2 substrate were determined in normal and experimentally induced inflamed rats by turpentine oil to know the role of inflammation on the pharmacokinetics of phenacetin and formation of its active metabolite (paracetamol) by CYP1A2 in wistar albino rats, weighing about 200-250 g that were randomly divided into two groups consisting six in each group. Rats in group I (control) received phenacetin (150 mg kg(-1), PO) where as group II received phenacetin 12 h after induction of inflammation by turpentine oil (0.4 mL, i.m). Blood samples were collected from retro orbital plexus at pre-determined time intervals prior to and at 0.166, 0.33, 0.67, 1.5, 2, 4, 8 and 12 h post-administration of phenacetin. Plasma was separated and analyzed for phenacetin and its metabolite paracetamol by HPLC assay. Based on plasma concentrations of phenacetin and its metabolite paracetamol, the pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by compartmental methods. C(max) of phenacetin was significantly (p < 0.01) decreased to 19.50 ± 2.74 µg mL(-1) in inflamed conditions compared to 38.13 ± 2.20 µg mL(-1) obtained in normal rats. Except, for significant (p < 0.001) increase in volume of distribution at steady state (V(dss)) from 2.87 ± 0.37 to 8.03 ± 1.26 L kg(-1) and increased the rate of absorption with shorter absorption half-life (t(1/2ka)) for phenacetin in inflammation. None of the pharmacokinetic parameters of either phenacetin or its metabolite paracetamol were affected. It can be concluded that turpentine oil induced inflammation has no role on the activity of CYP1A2 in rats, as the plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters of paracetamol were found unaltered.

Development and evaluation of flow through assay for detection of antibodies against porcine cysticercosis.

A flow through assay (FTA) was developed on cellulose acetate membrane for the serodiagnosis of porcine cysticercosis using cyst fluid (CFA) and whole cyst antigens (WCA) of Taenia solium metacestode. The assay consisted of antigen of T. solium metacestode coated onto membrane, mounted on a flow-through test device to provide assay capture matrix. The optimum concentration of coating antigen was 250 ng. The protein A colloidal gold conjugate served as antigen-antibody detecting reagent. A total of 225 serum samples were tested using two antigens. Results were better with CFA (96.0% sensitivity; 96.0% specificity) compared to WCA (92.0% sensitivity; 96.0% specificity). The test was also compared with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The ELISA showed 96 per cent sensitivity with both the antigens whereas; the specificity was 96 and 92 per cent with CFA and WCA respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of flow through assay agrees closely with those of the ELISA. The cross-reaction was observed in one out of eight hydatidosis positive pigs (12.5%) with CFA by both the assays. The highest diagnostic accuracy (96%) was obtained with CFA-FTA and CFA-ELISA. For its high sensitivity and sporadic cross-reactions, CFA-FTA appears to be suitable for practical use at field level without instrumentation.

Evaluation of PCR test for detecting major pathogens of bubaline mastitis directly from mastitic milk samples of buffaloes.

Present study is aimed to evaluate the PCR test for detecting the major pathogens of bubaline mastitis (BM) directly from the mastitic milk samples of the buffaloes. Cell lysates of the enriched mastitic milk samples were directly used as template DNA in PCR and the reactivity of genus and/or species specific primers against the selected pathogens of BM was tested in individual simplex PCR assays. Out of the 60 mastitic milk samples tested 30 were positive for E. coli, 21 were positive for S. aureus, 4 were positive for S. agalactiae, 9 were positive for S. dysgalactiae and 7 were positive for S. uberis. Certain samples were positive for more than one pathogen thus indicating the mixed infection of the udder. Although certain mastitic milk samples reacted with Staphylococcus genus specific primers, they didn't react with S. aureus specific primers in PCR, which indicates the implication of other species of Staphylococcus in BM. The processing of mastitic milk samples was also simplified by eliminating the use of expensive reagents. The detection limits of PCR with the cell lysates are sensitive enough for PCR to be used as diagnostic tool for identifying the pathogens of BM.

Partial antigenic characterization of buffalopox virus.

The present study was undertaken to antigenically characterize the buffalopox virus (BPV). Six monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the BP4 strain of BPV have been produced and characterized. All six MAbs appeared to be specific to BPV, as none of them showed cross-reactivity with other poxviruses in antigen capture ELISA. Only two MAbs (20AB8 and 20CD11) bound significantly with different BPV isolates in antigen capture ELISA, whereas the remaining four MAbs bound weakly with the BPV. In Western blot analysis with purified BPV-BP4, the rabbit hyperimmune serum against purified BPV-BP4 reacted with 15 immunodominant polypeptides (100 kDa to 25 kDa), whereas two MAbs (21CB6, 21DB11) reacted with 42 kDa and 45 kDa polypeptides, respectively. However, three MAbs (20AB8, 20CD11, 21CB5) reacted with three degraded polypeptides (100 kDa, 40 kDa and 87 kDa) of BPV-BP4. In radioimmunoprecipitation assay (RIPA) with the rabbit hyperimmune serum to BPV-BP4, three virus specific polypeptides (69 kDa, 34 kDa, 32 kDa) were recognized in BPV-BP4, whereas two polypeptides (69 kDa, 34 kDa) were recognized in other BPV isolates (BPV-Bly, BPV-Vij96, BPV-Vij97). In virus neutralization test, none of the six MAbs tested showed any significant neutralizing ability to infection with different BPV isolates. However, the hyperimmune serum showed weak neutralizing ability to BPV infection.

Expression of protective antigen in transgenic plants: a step towards edible vaccine against anthrax.

Protective antigen (PA) is the most potent molecule for vaccination against anthrax. In the present study, we have successfully integrated protective antigen gene in nuclear genome of tobacco plants by Agrobacterium mediated leaf-disc transformation method. Expression of protective antigen gene was detected by immunoblot analysis using antisera raised against purified PA. A distinct band of approximately 83kDa lighted up in the protein extracted from transformed plants while there was no such band in untransformed plants. The plant expressed PA showed biological activity just like native PA, which was demonstrated by cytolytic assay on macrophage like cell lines with lethal factor. This study establishes for the first time expression of PA gene in a plant system and thus marks the first milestone towards developing edible vaccine against anthrax.