Comparative Evaluation of Efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) in Bone Regeneration after Surgical Removal of Impacted Bilateral Mandibular Third Molars - A Comparative Study.

Aims and Objectives: To compare the efficacy of platelet rich plasma (PRP) and platelet rich fibrin (PRF) in bone regeneration after removal of impacted bilateral third molars. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out as an open clinical trial on 20 patients chosen from the ones referred to the department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery for surgical removal of bilateral mandibular third molar. Patients were prepared for surgical procedure, Inferior alveolar nerve block given using 2% lignocaine hydrochloride with 1:2,00,000 adrenaline. Third molar were removed by flap reflection and bone drilling. Finally, PRF in lower left mandibular third molar region and PRP in lower right mandibular third molar region was inserted and wound closure was done. Cone bean computer tomography (CBCT) was made on 1st postoperative day and 4 months after surgery to evaluate alveolar bone height and density. Result: Alveolar bone height and bone density at post-operative 1st day and 4 months were compared between PRP and PRF group. The bone density and bone volume were analyzed, and there was no significant difference between bone density in PRP and PRF at day 1 and 4th month. Conclusion: As per our study and evaluation, in our postoperative follow up there was no statistically significant differences in bone regeneration by placement of PRP and PRF in extracted socket of third molar. Thus, with this study we can conclude that PRF, would be a good option to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in the near future due to ease of extraction.

In Vitro Comparative Evaluation of Bond Strength of CAD/CAM Monolithic Zirconia Copings Influenced by Luting Agents and Finish Line Design.

AIM: The aim of the in vitro study was to comparatively evaluate the bond strength of CAD/CAM monolithic zirconia copings using three luting agents and two different finish lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the evaluation of bond strength, 60 extracted human maxillary first premolars were prepared to receive CAD/CAM monolithic zirconia copings. They were randomly divided into six groups of 10 samples each to receive CAD/CAM monolithic zirconia copings to bond with three different luting agents on two different finish lines. The luting agents used were RelyX U200, RMGIC, and Maxcem Elite with finish lines which were incorporated were 90° shoulder and radial shoulder finish lines. The tensile bond strength for all 60 samples was tested using the universal testing machine. RESULTS: Between and within the group differences in tensile bond strength were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test of significance with Tukey's post-hoc analysis. The statistical analysis revealed that the CAD/CAM zirconia copings used a combination of 90° shoulder and RelyX U200 as the luting agent (Group II) which offered the maximum bond strength. CONCLUSION: Within the constraints of this study, it could be concluded that CAD/CAM monolithic zirconia copings luted with RelyX U200 cement on a 90° shoulder finish line is the preferred method, taking the bond strength into consideration. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study can be extrapolated into a clinical scenario to help the clinician decide the most apt combination of finish line design and the luting agent to achieve superior bond strengths in CAD/CAM zirconia crowns and fixed dental prosthesis.

Comparative Evaluation of Retention and Vertical Marginal Accuracy of Co-Cr Copings Fabricated Using Three Different Techniques: An In Vitro Study.

AIM: This study was conducted to comparatively assess the retention and vertical marginal fit of cobalt-chromium copings fabricated by the conventional casting technique, 3D-printed resin pattern, and with direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Out of the total 60 test samples, 20 copings were obtained from inlay-casting wax and 20 from casting of 3D-printed resin patterns. In total, 20 copings were obtained from the laser sintering technique. All 60 test samples were then cemented serially on the prepared maxillary-extracted premolars and were evaluated for vertical marginal gap in 8 pre-established reference areas. Retention was evaluated using a universal testing machine. RESULTS: Results obtained for both marginal gap and retention were statistically analyzed, and the values fall within the clinically acceptable range. The DMLS technique proved precedence over the other two techniques used, as it exhibited maximum retention and marginal accuracy, which is an area of prime concern. CONCLUSION: The results from this study encourage further research with different pattern-forming materials and techniques and the need to identify the factors that facilitate better marginal fit and retention of cast restorations. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study has myriad of applications in clinical dentistry mainly in decision-making for casting procedure to provide better retention and marginal accuracy for fabrication of Co-Cr crowns. It also aims to aid the clinician to minimize errors by using different techniques for fabrication of wax pattern as well as the coping, keeping abreast with the recent technology to evaluate the accuracy of 3D-printed resin pattern over conventional wax pattern.

Comparison of Tensile Bond Strength of Addition Silicone with Different Custom Tray Materials Using Different Retentive Methods.

AIM: To compare the bond strength of addition silicone with different commonly used custom tray materials by means of different retentive methods (mechanical, chemical, and a combination of chemical and mechanical methods). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fabrications of 90 samples of different tray resin materials were done using an aluminum mold. They were divided into three main groups. Perforations, adhesive application, and a combination of both were done according to the grouping of samples. Polyvinyl siloxane material (medium body) was loaded over the samples. A universal testing machine with a crosshead speed of 5 mm/minute was used to determine the tensile bond strength of tray resin samples to medium body impression material. Based on these values, Student's-test, group statistics, and ANOVA test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Visible light cure (VLC) resin showed the highest bond strength in chemicomechanical methods. This was followed by repair resin material. Tray resin material showed poor bond strength in all three retentive methods. The mechanical method was the least retentive in all three resin materials. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: VLC tray resin material can be used with chemical and mechanical retention in clinical situations to make predictably accurate elastomeric impressions. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that VLC tray resin shows good bond strength with polyvinyl siloxane impression material when both mechanical perforations and adhesive applications were done.

ECG Paper Record Digitization and Diagnosis Using Deep Learning.

PURPOSE: Electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most essential tools for detecting heart problems. Till today most of the ECG records are available in paper form. It can be challenging and time-consuming to manually assess the ECG paper records. Hence, automated diagnosis and analysis are possible if we digitize such paper ECG records. METHODS: The proposed work aims to convert ECG paper records into a 1-D signal and generate an accurate diagnosis of heart-related problems using deep learning. Camera-captured ECG images or scanned ECG paper records are used for the proposed work. Effective pre-processing techniques are used for the removal of shadow from the images. A deep learning model is used to get a threshold value that separates ECG signal from its background and after applying various image processing techniques threshold ECG image gets converted into digital ECG. These digitized 1-D ECG signals are then passed to another deep learning model for the automated diagnosis of heart diseases into different classes such as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB), Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB), and T-wave abnormality. RESULTS: The accuracy of deep learning-based binarization is 97%. Further deep learning-based diagnosis approach of such digitized paper ECG records was having an accuracy of 94.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The digitized ECG signals can be useful to various research organizations because the trends in heart problems can be determined and diagnosed from preserved paper ECG records. This approach can be easily implemented in areas where such expertise is not available. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40846-021-00632-0.

Comparison of Marginal Fit of Metal Copings in Two Different States with and without Using Ring Liners: An In Vitro Study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To compare the marginal fit of Ni-Cr copings made by casting in two different states (dry and wet) with either cellulose ring liners or no ring liners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An in vitro study was conducted on 40 patterns which were invested, and a burnout casting procedure was used, using a Ni-Cr alloy to obtain the cast copings. The cast copings were divested, cleaned, and run through a finishing procedure. The copings were seated on the stainless steel die and microscopically evaluated for marginal discrepancies at two predetermined reference points using an optical microscope (Rieichert, Austria). Statistical analysis was done using Pearson's correlation coefficient and Chi-square test, keeping 95% confidence intervals and having a p value of less than 0.05 statistically significant. RESULTS: Our results identified marginal discrepancies in all the Ni-Cr cast copings, which significantly differed from each other. The copings obtained from casting with a cellulose ring liner in a wet state showed a significantly higher value followed by casting using a cellulose ring liner in a dry state. The mean marginal discrepancy values were within the clinically acceptable range for all the Ni-Cr cast copings included in two groups. CONCLUSION: Our study concludes that the copings cast with a cellulose ring liner in dry states had the least amount of vertical marginal discrepancies as compared to those that were cast with a ring liner in two different forms or those cast without a ring liner, suggesting that the use of cellulose ring liner in a dry state is favorable for all casting procedures. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Measuring gaps or discrepancies at margins is the commonly used method to determine the fit of Ni-Cr copings. In order to minimize marginal inaccuracies, various authors have suggested different methods to improve the marginal adaptation of cast restorations. There are compensation methods like setting expansion, hygroscopic expansion, and thermal expansion of the investment, which are used to assess metal shrinkage during cooling.

Image digitization of discontinuous and degraded electrocardiogram paper records using an entropy-based bit plane slicing algorithm.

BACKGROUND: Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are routinely recorded and stored in a variety of paper or scanned image format. Current ECG recording machines record ECG on graph paper, also it provides digitized ECG signal along with automated cardiovascular diagnosis (CVD). However, such recording machines cannot analyse preserved paper ECG records as it requires input in terms of digitized signal. Therefore, it is important to extract ECG signal from these preserved paper ECG records using digitization method. There are different paper degradations that adversely affect digitization process. The purpose of this work is to perform an image enhancement and digitization of the degraded ECG images to extract continuous ECG signal. METHODS: In this paper, we propose entropy-based bit plane slicing (EBPS) algorithm in which pre-processing is done using dominant color detection and local bit plane slicing. Maximum entropy based adaptive bit plane selection is applied to the pre-processed image. Discontinuous ECG correction (DECGC) is then done to produce continuous ECG signal. RESULTS: The algorithm is tested on 836 different degraded paper ECG records obtained from various diagnostic centers. After analysis with 101 known ground truth ECG signals the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and overall F-measure of ECG is 99.42%, 99.69%, 99.81% and 99.26% respectively. The RMS error and correlation between the extracted digitized signal and ground truth for 101 cases is 0.040 and 99.89% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The EBPS method is able to remove all types of degradation in paper ECG records to generate a uniform digitized signal. Instead of manual measurement and prediction from archived paper ECG records, automated prediction (using already existing cardiovascular diagnosis software) is possible with the help of extracted digitized signal obtained using proposed digitization method, which will also help retrospective cardiovascular analysis.

A comparative analysis of the accuracy of implant master casts fabricated from two different transfer impression techniques.

AIM: This study evaluated and compared two impression techniques in terms of their dimensional accuracies to reproduce implant positions on working casts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A master model was designed to simulate a clinical situation. Impressions were made using four techniques: (1) Stock open tray (SOT) technique; (2) stock closed tray (SCT) technique; (3) custom open tray (COT) technique; and (3) custom closed tray (CCT) technique. Reference points on the hexagonal silhouette of the implant on master model and onto the analogs of the obtained master casts were compared after using the four impression techniques. Measurements were made using an optical microscope, capable of recording under 50x magnifications. The means and standard deviations of all the groups and subgroups were calculated and statically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test. RESULTS: The open tray impressions showed significantly less variation from the master model and all the techniques studied were comparable. CONCLUSION: All the techniques studied shown some distortion. COT showed the most accurate results of all the techniques.

Anti-hyperbilirubinemic and wound healing activity of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera leaves in Wistar rats.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the bilirubin lowering and wound healing property of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera (AECP) leaves in Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Albino Wistar rats of either sex were used for the study. Bilirubin lowering property of C. procera leaves was evaluated using phenylhydrazine and paracetamol as inducing agents followed by measuring the concentration of serum total bilirubin in hyperbilirubinemic rats. Wound healing property was evaluated using incision and excision models by measuring tensile breaking strength, percentage wound contractions, and epithelization days, respectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical comparison between groups in each experiment was done with one-way analysis of variance followed by Dunnett's test. RESULTS: AECP showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in concentrations of serum total bilirubin in hyperbilirubinemic rats as well as significant (P < 0.05) increase in breaking strength and percentage wound contractions with decreased epithelization period when compared to control groups. CONCLUSIONS: AECP showed significant bilirubin lowering and wound healing property in Wistar rats.

Synthesis and enhancement of photocatalytic activities of ZnO by silver nanoparticles.

Herein, we reports synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B under natural sunlight using zinc oxide and Ag-ZnO composite. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared by simple wet chemical method using ethanol-water mixture. Ag-ZnO composite was prepared in two steps by dispersing synthesized ZnO in silver nitrate solution and subsequently reducing it with Ocimum tenuiflorum leaves extract as bioreducing agent. The synthesized bare zinc oxide and Ag-ZnO composite was characterized by various techniques like XRD, DRS, FE-SEM, TEM, SAED, PSD, Zeta potentials, etc. Zinc oxide being wide band gap material can absorbs UV light from solar spectrum which is only 5% so is not efficient material for dye degradation under sunlight. The absorption of visible light was increased by preparing the Ag-ZnO composite. The enhancement in photocatalytic activities of Ag-ZnO composite was observed than bare ZnO. This enhancement is due to shift of absorption edge of ZnO in visible region and decrease in band gap.

Antidepressant-like activity of anthocyanidins from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis flowers in tail suspension test and forced swim test.

AIM: Flowers of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn (Malvaceae) popularly known as "China-rose flowers" contain flavonoids. Flavonoids have been found to have antidepressant activity. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the antidepressant activity of flavonoids in H. rosa-sinensis flowers with possible involvement of monoamines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-depressant activity of methanol extract containing anthocyanins (MHR) (30 and 100 mg/kg) and anthocyanidins (AHR) (30 and 100 mg/ kg) of H. rosa-sinensis flowers were evaluated in mice using behavioral tests such as tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). The mechanism of action involved in antidepressant activity was investigated by observing the effect of extract after pre-treatment with low dose haloperidol, prazosin and para-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA). RESULTS: Present study exhibited significant decrease in immobility time in TST and FST, similar to that of imipramine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) which served as a positive control. The extract significantly attenuated the duration of immobility induced by Haloperidol (50 µg/ kg, i.p., a classical D(2)-like dopamine receptor antagonist), Prazosin (62.5 µg/kg, i.p., an α(1)-adrenoceptor antagonist) and p-chlorophenylalanine (100 mg/kg, i.p., × 3 days; an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis) in both TST and FST. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that MHR and AHR possess potential antidepressant activity (through dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic mechanisms) and has therapeutic potential in the treatment of CNS disorders and provides evidence at least at preclinical levels.

Reversal of reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia and catalepsy by Nardostachys jatamansi.

CONTEXT: Reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia is an animal model of tardive dyskinesia which may be associated with neurodegeneration and free radical damage. AIM: The aim was to assess the neuroprotective potential and in vivo antioxidant status of alcoholic extract of roots and rhizomes of Nardostachys jatamansi (ANJ) and its triterpenes (TNJ) in reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, repeated treatment with reserpine (1.0 mg/kg) on each other day for a period of 5 days (days 1, 3, and 5) significantly induced vacuous chewing movements (VCMs) and tongue protrusions (TPs) in rats. The effect on reserpine-induced catalepsy was also studied. The effect of ANJ and TNJ on levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GSH) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the forebrain region was assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: All observations were expressed as mean ± SEM. Statistical analysis was performed by the one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's test. P<0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. RESULTS: At the end of the treatment schedule, ANJ and TNJ significantly inhibited reserpine-induced VCM, TP, and catalepsy, and significantly increased the locomotion and rearing in the open-field test. Treatment with ANJ and TNJ exhibited significant elevation in the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GSH) and inhibition of lipid peroxidation (LPO) in forebrain region compared to the reserpine treated group. CONCLUSIONS: The study concludes that ANJ and TNJ significantly protected animals against reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia as well as catalepsy suggesting its potential value in the treatment of neuroleptic-induced orofacial dyskinesia and Parkinson's disease.

Bioinspired synthesis of highly stabilized silver nanoparticles using Ocimum tenuiflorum leaf extract and their antibacterial activity.

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles is under exploration due to wide biomedical applications and research interest in nanotechnology. We herein reports bioinspired synthesis of silver nanoparticles with the aid of novel, non toxic ecofriendly biological material namely Ocimum tenuiflorum leaf extract. It acts as reducing as well as stabilizing agent. An intense surface plasmon resonance band at ∼450 nm in the UV-visible spectrum clearly reveals the formation of silver nanoparticles. The photoluminescence spectrum was recorded to study excitation and emission. TEM and PSD by dynamic light scattering studies showed that size of silver nanoparticles to be in range 25-40 nm. Face centered cubic structure of silver nanoparticles are confirmed by SAED pattern. The charge on synthesized silver nanoparticles was determined by zeta potential. The colloidal solution of silver nanoparticles were found to exhibit high antibacterial activity against three different strains of bacteria Escherichia coli (Gram negative), Corney bacterium (gram positive), Bacillus substilus (spore forming).

Antinociceptive activity of acute and chronic administration of Murraya koenigii L. leaves in experimental animal models.

AIM: To evaluate the antinociceptive activity of acute and chronic administration of petroleum ether extract of Murraya koenigii L. leaves (PMK) and total alkaloids separated from petroleum ether extract of Murraya koenigii leaves (AMK) in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PMK was subjected for isolation of total alkaloid fraction AMK. The antinociceptive activity of PMK (100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.) and AMK (100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.), after acute and chronic administration (for 15 days), was evaluated using peripheral model like acetic acid-induced writhing method and central model like hot plate method and tail immersion method. Statistical analysis was carried out by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's test. RESULT: In acute studies, PMK and AMK significantly and dose-dependently reduced the number of acetic acid-induced writhing, significantly increased the latency of paw licking in hot plate method, and significantly increased the basal reaction time in tail immersion method. With chronic administration of PMK and AMK, highest activity was observed on day 9 in acetic acid-induced writhing model. In hot plate and tail immersion method, chronic administration of PMK and AMK initially showed fluctuating responses but produced highest degree of antinociception on day 9 of the study. CONCLUSION: The degree of antinociception produced by PMK and AMK at the end of 15 days study suggest that Murraya koenigii has potential to use as an analgesic.

Protective effect of Rubia cordifolia on reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia.

In this study, the neuroprotective potential and in vivo antioxidant status of extract of roots and rhizomes of Rubia cordifolia L (MERC) in reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia was studied. Reserpine (1 mg/kg, s.c.) on day 1, 3 and 5 was used to induce orofacial dyskinesia. At the end of treatment schedule, MERC significantly inhibited reserpine-induced vacuous chewing movements, tongue protrusions, orofacial bursts, catalepsy. MERC significantly increased locomotion and rearing in open field test. MERC exhibited significant elevation in the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in forebrain region, compared with the reserpine treated group. It significantly elevated dopamine levels in the forebrain region. GCMS revealed the presence of anthraquinones, having strong antioxidant activity. It is concluded that oxidative stress might play an important role in reserpine-induced abnormal oral movements and MERC significantly protected animals against reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia and has great potential in treatment of neuroleptic induced orofacial dyskinesia.

Protective Effect of Leaves of Murraya koenigii on Reserpine-Induced Orofacial Dyskinesia.

Murraya koenigii L. (Rutaceae), commonly known as curry leaf tree, closely associated with south India where the word "curry" originates from the Tamil "kari" for spiced sauces. Curry leaves are a rich source of carbazole alkaloids which possess various biological activities such as antitumor, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Curry leaf has a potential role in the treatment of diabetes. Reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia in rats is an animal model of tardive dyskinesia that has been linked with free radical generation and oxidative stress. In this study, neuroprotective potential and in-vivo antioxidant status of methanol extract of the leaves of Murraya koenigii (MEMK) in reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia are investigated. Reserpine was used to induce orofacial dyskinesia. The effect of MEMK on locomotion and catalepsy was studied using Open-field apparatus and Bar-test, respectively. The effect of MEMK on the levels of protective anti-oxidant enzymes i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GSH) and inhibited lipid peroxidation (LPO) in forebrain region were investigated in reserpine-treated animals. Results demonstrated that the MEMK significantly inhibited the reserpine-induced vacuous chewing movements (VCM), tongue protrusion (TP), orofacial burst (OB) and catalepsy. MEMK significantly increased the number of squares traversed and rearing in open field apparatus. Treatment with MEMK significantly restored the levels of protective anti-oxidant enzymes i.e. SOD, CAT, GSH and inhibited LPO in forebrain region when compared with reserpine. It also inhibited haloperidol-induced catalepsy. The present study concludes that the oxidative stress might play an important role in reserpine-induced abnormal oral movements, and Murraya koenigii may have great potential in the treatment of neuroleptic-induced orofacial dyskinesia.

Reversal of haloperidol-induced orofacial dyskinesia by Murraya koenigii leaves in experimental animals.

CONTEXT: Orofacial dyskinesia (OD) is a late complication of prolonged neuroleptic treatment characterized by involuntary movements of the oral region. Chronic treatment with neuroleptics leads to development of vacuous chewing movements (VCMs). VCMs in rats are widely accepted as an animal model of OD. OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Murraya koenigii L. (Rutaceae) leaves on haloperidol-induced OD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Effect of alcohol extract of M. koenigii leaves (EEMK) and its alkaloid fraction (AMK) on body weight, locomotor activity, behavioral parameters, such as VCMs, tongue protrusions (TPs), orofacial bursts (OBs), and biochemical parameters such as antioxidant defense enzymes levels [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)], glutathione (GSH) levels, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in the forebrain region was studied in haloperidol-treated rats. RESULTS: Rats chronically treated with haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i.p., 21 days) significantly decreased locomotion and developed VCMs, OBs, and TPs. Biochemical analysis reveals that chronic haloperidol-treated rats also showed decreased levels of SOD and CAT. Chronic haloperidol treatment significantly induced LPO and decreased the forebrain GSH levels in the rats. Co-administration of EEMK (100 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.) and AMK (30 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) along with haloperidol significantly reversed the effect on locomotion. EEMK and AMK significantly reversed the haloperidol-induced decrease in forebrain SOD and CAT levels in rats and significantly reduced the LPO and restored the decreased GSH levels by chronic haloperidol treatment. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that M. koenigii could be screened as a potential drug for the prevention or treatment of neuroleptic-induced OD.

Antihyperglycemic, antistress and nootropic activity of roots of Rubia cordifolia Linn.

Effect of alcoholic extract of roots of Rubia cordifolia was studied on elevated blood glucose level in alloxan treated animals. The extract reduced the blood sugar level raised by alloxan. Effect of alcoholic extract was also investigated on cold restraint induced stress and on scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Alcoholic extract enhanced brain gamma-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA) levels and decreased brain dopamine and plasma corticosterone levels. Acidity and ulcers caused due to cold restraint stress were inhibited by alcoholic extract. Animals treated with alcoholic extract spent more time in open arm in elevated plus maze model. It also antagonized scopolamine induced learning and memory impairment. Baclofen induced catatonia was potentiated by alcoholic extract.

Efficacy and tolerability of a combination of ofloxacin and tinidazole in the management of infectious diabetic foot ulcer.

The management of infectious diabetic foot ulcers is a major concern. Various treatment modalities are used. The efficacy and tolerability of a combination of ofloxacin and tinidazole in diabetic foot ulcer has been assessed in 60 patients in the present trial. The results are promising.