SARS-CoV-2 Psychiatric Sequelae: A Review of Neuroendocrine Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies.

From the earliest days of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been reports of significant neurological and psychological symptoms following Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This narrative review is designed to examine the potential psychoneuroendocrine pathogenic mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 elicits psychiatric sequelae as well as to posit potential pharmacologic strategies to address and reverse these pathologies. Following a brief overview of neurological and psychological sequelae from previous viral pandemics, we address mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 could enter or otherwise elicit changes in the CNS. We then examine the hypothesis that COVID-19-induced psychiatric disorders result from challenges to the neuroendocrine system, in particular the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis and monoamine synthesis, physiological mechanisms that are only further enhanced by the pandemic-induced social environment of fear, isolation, and socioeconomic pressure. Finally, we evaluate several FDA-approved therapeutics in the context of COVID-19-induced psychoneuroendocrine disorders.

Access to Money and Relation to Women's Use of Family Planning Methods Among Young Married Women in Rural India.

Objectives The social positioning (i.e. social status and autonomy) of women in the household facilitates women's access to and decision-making power related to family planning (FP). Women's access to spending money, which may be an indicator of greater social positioning in the household, may also be greater among women who engage in income generating activities for their families, regardless of women's status in the household. However, in both scenarios, access to money may independently afford greater opportunity to obtain family planning services among women. This study seeks to assess whether access to money is associated with FP outcomes independently of women's social positioning in their households. Methods Using survey data from married couples in rural Maharashtra, India (n = 855), crude and adjusted regression was used to assess women's access to their own spending money in relation to past 3 month use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives (pills, injectables, intrauterine device). Results Access to money (59 %) was associated with condom and other contraceptive use (AORs ranged 1.5-1.8). These findings remained significant after adjusting for women's FP decision-making power in the household and mobility to seek FP services. Conclusion While preliminary, findings suggest that access to money may increase women's ability to obtain FP methods, even in contexts where social norms to support women's power in FP decision-making may not be readily adopted.

Evaluating the anticancer activity and nanoparticulate nature of homeopathic preparations of Terminalia chebula.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women and is the second leading cause of cancer death. Homeopathic medicines are part of the alternative medicines that are given as a supportive therapy in breast cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the anticancer activity of commercially available homeopathic preparations of Terminalia chebula (TC) and evaluate their nanoparticulate nature. METHODS: Mother tincture (MT) and other homeopathic preparations (3X, 6C and 30C) of TC were tested for their effect on the viability of breast cancer (MDAMB231 and MCF7) and non-cancerous (HEK 293) cell lines by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell growth assay was performed to analyze the effect of the different potencies on the growth kinetics of breast cancer cells. MT and 6C were evaluated for the presence of nanoparticles by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: MT decreased the viability of breast cancer (MDAMB231 and MCF7) and non-cancerous (HEK 293) cells. However, the other potencies (3X, 6C and 30C) decreased the viability of only breast cancer cells without affecting the viability of the non-cancerous cells. All the potencies, MT, 3X, 6C and 30C, reduced growth kinetics of breast cancer cells, more specifically at 1:10 dilution at 24, 48 and 72 h. Under SEM, MT appeared as a mesh-like structure whereas under TEM, it showed presence of nanoclusters. On the other hand, 6C potency contained 20 nm sized nanoparticles. CONCLUSION: The current study reports the anticancer activity of homeopathic preparations of TC against breast cancer and reveals their nanoparticulate nature. These preliminary results warrant further mechanistic studies at both in vitro and in vivo levels to evaluate the potential of TC as nanomedicine in breast cancer.

Syzygium jambolanum and Cephalandra indica homeopathic preparations inhibit albumin glycation and protect erythrocytes: an in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine disorder characterized by hyperglycemia eventually resulting in long-term complications. Increased glycation of proteins is implicated in the pathogenesis of complications. For treatment of diabetes, Syzygium jambolanum and Cephalandra indica are frequently prescribed in homeopathy. However their role in glycation is not well elucidated. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of these homeopathic preparations in glycation induced structural modifications and further to examine their cellular protection ability. METHODS: In human erythrocytes, in vitro mother tincture and dilutions of S. jambolanum (Sj ф, 30c, 200c), C. indica (Ci ф, 30c, 200c) and standard antiglycator (AG) were compared and their antiglycation potential assessed by the estimating different markers of glycation (frcutosamines, carbonyls, bound sugar), structural modifications (free amino and thiol group). Phytochemical characterization (total phenolic, flavonoids and glycosides contents) was performed. RESULTS: The homeopathic preparations have different mode of action on albumin glycation modifications. Sj ф preparation demonstrated effective inhibition of all glycation, structural modifications except amino group protection. When dilutions were compared, Sj preparations showed reduction of glycation, structural modifications. All preparations showed significant erythrocyte protection. Sj ф preparation exhibited noteworthy antiglycation and cell protection ability as compared to AG. CONCLUSION: These homeopathic preparations especially Sj ф prevented glycation induced albumin modifications and subsequent toxicity in human eryrthrocytre in vitro. Further investigation of their potential as antiglycators is justified.

Advance Teaching of Fundamentals of Homoeopathy (ATFH): redefining competency based approach

The curriculumin academic medicine is defined by writing effective Learning objectives (LO). LO iselaborated based on perceptions of unbiased written aspects,of course, the rationale in statements is explained and tested through the completion of educational activity. These are the foundations for defining the outcomes in building up strong educational policieswhich are instructionalaligned through predefined effective curriculum courseswith added mapped outcomes. This letter provides the ongoing aspect of the development of Homoeopathic education in India regulated by the National Commission for Homoeopathy for the subject course of Advance Teaching of Fundamentals of Homoeopathy (ATFH). The essential components for the ATFHsubject course with LO and outcome assessment is been discussed and would provide a new arena of academic research in building up rationale in the programed [Doctor of Homoeopathy(MD,(Hom).

Intimate partner violence among married couples in India and contraceptive use reported by women but not husbands.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with discordant reports of contraceptive use (whereby wives but not husbands report such use) among married couples in Maharashtra, India. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study in rural Maharashtra, India, analyzed survey data collected in 2012 among husbands and wives aged 18-30 years, fluent in Marathi, with no prior sterilization, and with no current pregnancy or plans to conceive. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models assessed husbands' perpetration of IPV in relation to discordant reports of contraceptive use. RESULTS: Among 577 couples meeting the eligibility criteria, 207 (35.9%) women reported ever experiencing physical IPV from their husbands, and 183 (31.7%) reported ever experiencing sexual IPV from their husbands. In adjusted logistic regression models, discordant contraceptive use was significantly associated with wives' experiences of physical IPV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-4.42) and sexual IPV (AOR 1.95, 95% CI 1.08-4.82). CONCLUSION: Women who reported IPV from their husbands might be more likely to use contraceptives without informing their husbands, possibly to redress the reproductive control often exerted by abusive male partners.

Responsiveness of extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens to systemic quinpirole and eticlopride is modulated by low-level lead exposure.

Environmental lead exposure has been linked to learning and memory impairments as well as psychosocial deficits in children. Although the precise mechanisms by which lead exerts these effects are not completely understood, experimental animal studies suggest the involvement of mesolimbic dopamine system. Here, we investigated the effects of post weaning, 90-day exposure to 50ppm lead on the responsiveness of extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core to quinpirole and eticlopride using in vivo microdialysis in anesthetized Long-Evans rats. Attenuation of dopamine release by 1mg/kg quinpirole was more pronounced in lead-exposed rats compared to control rats. In contrast, eticlopride did not significantly modulate extracellular dopamine in lead-exposed rats as it did in the control group. Taken together, these results provides further evidence that exposure to environmentally relevant levels of lead disrupts mesolimbic dopamine system function, at least in part, through perturbations of D(2) receptor systems.

Household Debt and Relation to Intimate Partner Violence and Husbands' Attitudes Toward Gender Norms: A Study Among Young Married Couples in Rural Maharashtra, India.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence has linked economic hardship with increased intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among males. However, less is known about how economic debt or gender norms related to men's roles in relationships or the household, which often underlie IPV perpetration, intersect in or may explain these associations. We assessed the intersection of economic debt, attitudes toward gender norms, and IPV perpetration among married men in India. METHODS: Data were from the evaluation of a family planning intervention among young married couples (n=1,081) in rural Maharashtra, India. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models for dichotomous outcome variables and linear regression models for continuous outcomes were used to examine debt in relation to husbands' attitudes toward gender-based norms (i.e., beliefs supporting IPV and beliefs regarding male dominance in relationships and the household), as well as sexual and physical IPV perpetration. RESULTS: Twenty percent of husbands reported debt. In adjusted linear regression models, debt was associated with husbands' attitudes supportive of IPV (b=0.015, p=0.004) and norms supporting male dominance in relationships and the household (b=0.006, p=0.003). In logistic regression models adjusted for relevant demographics, debt was associated with perpetration of physical IPV (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1, 1.9) and sexual IPV (AOR=1.6, 95% CI 1.1, 2.1) from husbands. These findings related to debt and relation to IPV were slightly attenuated when further adjusted for men's attitudes toward gender norms. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest the need for combined gender equity and economic promotion interventions to address high levels of debt and related IPV reported among married couples in rural India.

A review on preclinical studies conducted with Homeopathic medicine Cephalandra indica as an Anti-hyperglycemic agent

Background ­ Diabetes Mellitus a metabolic disorder affects the secretion of insulin from pancreas leading to hyperglycemia, if uncontrolled leads to complications triggered by free radical formed after oxidative stress. Homeopathic medicine Cephalandra Indica has shown antidiabetic activity in various potencies performed on preclinical studies on diabetic rat model. The present review highlights the pharmacological profile of homeopathic preparations Cephalandra Indica on preclinical studies and calculating the probable human equivalent dosage from preclinical studies for the pilot studies. Method ­ Articles published between January 1988 and December 2018 was included in review. Databases like PubMed ­ Medline, Google scholar were used for collecting the articles. Keywords like 'Homeopathy' or 'Homoeopathy', 'Invitro', 'Invivo' and 'Cephalandra Indica' were used. SABEH criteria were implemented for assessing methodology quality of articles. Results ­ Seven full text articles were included in review which had six Invivo studies and one Invitro study. This review article provided the scientific validation of high diluted homeopathic medicines pharmacological activity of Cephalandra Indica and probable mechanism of action confirmed through preclinical studies. Conversion of dosage from animal model to human dosage for pilot studies has been hypothetically proposed. Conclusion ­ Homeopathic medicine Cephalandra Indica has a therapeutic and safety profile with no toxicity observed in preclinical studies. The proposed hypothesis of conversion of dosage needs to be validated for further studies. (au)