Oral administration of Lactobacillus casei variety rhamnosus partially alleviates TMA-induced atopic dermatitis in mice through improving intestinal microbiota.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus casei variety rhamnosus (LCR35) on Atopic dermatitis (AD)-like symptoms in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: AD-like skin lesions in BALB/C mice were induced by sensitization and subsequent repeated challenges with trimellitic anhydride (TMA) for 10 days. LCR35 was orally administered to the mice once daily throughout the study. In the TMA-induced AD model, orally administered LCR35 suppressed significantly irritant-related scratching behaviour and skin dehydration as well as apparent severity of AD. LCR35 also significantly decreased serum levels of IgE and IL-4, but not IFN-γ, implying the restoration of TMA-induced disruption of Th1/Th2 balance. Quantitative real-time PCR targeting hypervariable regions of 16S rDNA gene of faecal microbiota indicated that the LCR35 treatment increased the population of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacilli, Enterococcus and Bacteroides fragilis group, but decreased those of Clostridium coccoides group. CONCLUSIONS: LCR35 has the ability to suppress the development of AD in mice, possibly through the modulation of Th1/Th2 balance and gut microbiota. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: LCR35 has a strong potential as a probiotic for preventing AD.

Stand-off nuclear reactor monitoring with neutron detectors for safeguards and non-proliferation applications.

Safeguards measures are employed at nuclear reactor facilities worldwide, to ensure that nuclear material is not diverted from peaceful uses. Typical safeguards measures involve periodic inspections, off-line verification and video surveillance of fuel cycle activities. Real-time verification of the fissile contents via stand-off monitoring can enhance continuity of knowledge for non-traditional reactor types, including research reactors and small modular reactors. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of using large-area neutron detectors for monitoring nuclear reactors at stand-off distances up to 100 m outside reactor shielding, as a potential reactor safeguards tool. Since the neutron yield per unit reactor power depends upon the isotopic composition of the reactor core, declared changes in fissile composition can be verified without accessing the core. The supporting results of experiments conducted at the National Research Universal reactor in Canada, are presented.

5-Nitrofuran derivatives of fatty acid hydrazides induce differentiation in human myeloid leukaemic cell lines.

Compounds formed by 5-nitrofuran with hydrazides of formic, acetic and propionic acids, hereafter respectively known as SBF, SBA and SBP have been used to evaluate the differentiation-inducing properties on two established myeloid leukaemic cell lines ML-2 and EOL-1. SBP is found to be the most effective as an antineoplastic agent amongst the three. Induction of differentiation observed are in the order SBP > SBA > SBF, as assessed by morphology, NBT-reducing activity and surface marker antigens of the treated cells. Induction of differentiation of ML-2 and EOL-1 cells by the most effective compound, SBP (3 microM), is accompanied by perturbation of the cell cycle, with most of the cells accumulating in the G0-G1, phase. Inhibition of DNA synthesis occurs while protein and RNA synthesis remain practically unchanged.

The role of creatinine and histidine in Benedict's qualitative test for reducing sugar in urine.

The statement made in some standard textbooks that Benedict's qualitative test gives a green, yellow, or orange-red precipitate with pure solutions of glucose of varying strength has been shown to be incorrect. Pure solutions of glucose give only a bright red precipitate at all concentrations. These changes in the colour of the suspensions are observed with urinary glucose only. The difference in the action of glucose in water and in urine has been shown to be mostly due to creatinine and to a small extent to the histidine content of urine. The colour of the precipitate depends not only on the concentration of glucose but also on that of creatinine. An increase in concentration of creatinine tends to make the precipitate more yellow. Histidine has a similar though much smaller effect. Attention has been drawn to possible errors in the semi-quantitative assay of urinary glucose by Benedict's test arising out of variation in concentration of creatinine and histidine.

Mode of action of creatinine on colour of cuprous oxide precipitate in Benedict's qualitative sugar test.

Creatinine appears to alter the colour and bulky nature of the cuprous oxide precipitate not by altering the chemical composition of the precipitate but by the physical process of retardation of the growth of newly formed yellow cuprous oxide crystals to large red crystals by adhering to their surface and blocking some sites for further crystal growth.

Chloroaceto hydroxamic acid as antitumor agent against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice.

In vivo cell growth inhibition of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) has been evaluated with chloroacetohydroxamic acid, (CHA), having -CH2 Cl, for the -NH2 group of hydroxyurea (HU). The inhibitory character of CHA against EAC in mice model has been found to be comparable with that of HU. Cell growth inhibition by CHA is accompanied by inhibitions of DNA and protein synthesis of the treated cells. The transplantability of EAC cells treated with a single dose of (100 mg/kg) CHA is found to be reduced. Enhanced intraperitoneal macrophage is observed in normal mice following CHA (100 mg/kg) treatment. Deviations of hematological parameters and alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) activity consequent to tumor growth are found to be recovered in tumor bearing mice treated with CHA. All these studies suggest the importance of CHA for further trial as a potent antitumor agent.

Antitumor properties of boron complexes with hydroxy biguanide and salicyl hydroxamic acid against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.

A new derivative of hydroxamic acid, hydroxy biguanido hydrochloride monohydrate and its boron derivative, dihydroxy-oxybiguanido boron (III) hydrochloride monohydrate were synthesized. Another boron compound, hydroxo-salicyl-hydroxamato boron (III) was synthesized from known salicyl hydroxamic acid. Antitumor properties of all the compounds evaluated against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice show enhanced survival time when boron is incorporated in the compounds. Hematological parameters, alkaline phosphatase in serum of the treated animals show minimum toxic effects after boron is coupled with their respective hydroxamic acids.

On the possible use of a new boron compound, hydroxysalicylhydroxamato boron(III), and ultrasound in the treatment of female mice bearing the Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells.

The inhibitory effects of a new boron compound, hydroxy salicylhydroxamato boron (III) (SHB) and ultrasound of frequency 25 KHz (US) on the growth of ascites tumor in female Swiss mice were studied by monitoring the survival and the tumor growth in the treated tumor bearing mice and also the transplantability and the DNA synthesis in the treated tumor (Ehrlich ascites carcinoma) cells. While SHB alone produced a highly significant antitumor activity, US alone produced a small but significant effect. The combination of SHB and US produced significantly greater antitumor activity than SHB alone. The mechanisms of SHB and US actionary are discussed.

Impact of freeze drying on drug resistance pattern of few Escherichia coli strains.

Drug resistant strains of E. coli were freeze dried for long term preservation. Certain drug resistance markers were maintained after freeze drying while others were not. Streptomycin and sulphonamide resistance markers resisted freeze drying. Ampicillin, cephelaxin and neomycin resistances developed very frequently and except gentamicin all the markers were lost in varying percentage after freeze drying.

Urinary aspartate transaminase (AST) activity and detection of its inhibitors in normal urine.

Urinary aspartate-transaminase activity in the whole urine was found to be mean +/- S.D. = 8.46 +/- 0.69 l.U/l when measured immediately after urine collection. About 50% loss in enzyme activity was observed after 18 hours dialysis. An overall 176% increase in enzyme activity followed by Sephadex G-25 (fine) whole urine fractionation and a highly significant (P less than .001) partial inhibition by earlier Sephadex fractions and maximum inhibition by earlier Sephadex fractions and maximum inhibition of enzyme by fraction 7 have suggested the presence of both high and low molecular weight urinary inhibitors of aspartate-transaminase. Urea and ammonia presence and inhibitor activity in fraction 6 to 8 bear a close parallelism; both the substances produced 31% inhibition of partially purified goat liver GOT at concentrations approximating normal human urine. Therefore, low enzyme activity and its substantial loss in the whole urine and during dialysis may be due to the concomitant inhibitory effects of urea, ammonia and unidentified nature of high molecular weight substance(s). The present method may be effective in separating inhibitors and overcoming the disadvantages of dialysis in determining true urinary aspartate-transaminase activity.

A comparative study of some methods of detecting ovulation.

PIP: Ovulation detection is important in fertility control or promotion. This study compares 2 methods of ovulation detection, Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and calorimetric readings of urine by Sevag and Colton's method, in 70 healthy unmarried medical students (17 to 25 years old) from the G.S.V.M. Medical College, Kanpur. The girls were thoroughly instructed in BBT record maintenance, including a record of dates of occurrence of intermenstrual abdominal pain and appearance of vaginal discharge of clear slippery mucus. Sevag and Colton's method for detecting day of ovulation involved chemical examination of urine collected between 11 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for successive nights. Ovulation day in all cycles fell within the 6th to 18th day range. Both methods gave similar results in range and distribution of ovulatory days and incidence of ovulatory/anovulatory cycles. Both methods found 88.6% of total cycles to be anovulatory. Occurrence of intermenstrual pain and appearance of characteristic vaginal mucus discharge occurred in 5.7% and 20% of ovulatory cycles, if these phenomena are taken as criteria for ovulation. Ovulation day occurred within the range of 8th to 15th day in 91.4% of ovulatory cycles in the chemical method and in 89.8% of ovulatory cycles in the BBT method. The study shows that ovulation detection by either chemical examination of urine or BBT record has some degree of reliability, but intermenstrual pain or characteristic vaginal mucus discharge have limited value.^ieng

Emergence and re-emergence of glanders in India: a description of outbreaks from 2006 to 2011.

Glanders, a bacterial disease of equines caused by Burkholderia mallei, is a fatal infectious disease of equines and has zoonotic significance. The disease has been eradicated from many countries by statutory testing, elimination of infected animals and import restrictions. However, it is still endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Central and South America. In India, major glanders outbreaks were reported from different parts of the country between 1976 and 1982. Later, sporadic cases of the disease were reported in 1988, 1990 and 1998. The country remained free of glanders for about eight years until the recent outbreaks occurred in eight States from 2006 to 2007. Recurrent episodes have occurred in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, whereas fresh outbreaks occurred in Chhattisgarh from 2009 to 2010. A total of 164 equines were declared positive; a majority of the positive cases (n=77) were from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Maharashtra (n=23), Uttarakhand (n=21) and Andhra Pradesh (n=16). Under the provision of Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animals Act, 2009, all the infected animals were euthanised and bio-security measures were implemented to curb the further spread of the disease.