Cervical cancer in Pakistan: A review.

Cervix carcinoma is the second commonest condition in women under 50 years of age and third after breast and oral cavity cancers across all age groups. Though a preventable disease, the mortality rate is very high because it is an ignored ailment in Pakistan in terms of screening, prevention and vaccination. More than 70% of cancer patients report with very advanced stage of malignancy and this is the cause of the high rate of mortality in Pakistan. We covered studies cited during the previous 11 years (2005-2015) that reviewed many aspects of cervical cancer in Pakistan, including epidemiology, risk factors, screening test and their barriers, clinical presentation and prevention. Our analysis indicated that infections associated with human papillomavirus posed the greatest risk of carcinoma and consequent mortality rate, especially because of low socioeconomic status and poor knowledge of screening. Emphasis is laid on a need to organise proper screening programme taking into account what already is known about Pakistani women.

Investigations on Synergistic and Antioxidant Actions of Medicinal Plant- Based Biosynthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Against E.coli and K. pneumonia Bacteria.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial resistance to multiple drugs is increasing at an alarming rate in the current era and nanotechnology is one of the effective and novel approaches to overcome drug resistance. METHODS: Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have stronger antibacterial activity and are regarded as bio-safe nanomaterial. The aim of the present study is to synthesize the ZnO NPs using Aloe vera leaves extract and to investigate the synergistic effects and antioxidant actions of biosynthesized ZnO NPs against gram-negative bacteria E.coli and K. pneumoniae. The synergistic effect of ß-lactam antibiotics (meropenem and ciprofloxacin) was tested along with ZnO NPs using Kirby's disc diffusion assay. The antioxidant activity was investigated by α, α-diphenyl-ß- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. RESULTS: Results of the study revealed that the antibacterial activity of the selected antibiotics was much enhanced by ZnO NPs than the antibiotics alone. The resistant antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) became sensitive when combined with ZnO NPs. The antioxidant activity reveals that biosynthesized ZnO NPs possess significantly higher (p<0.05) antioxidant activity (77%). CONCLUSION: The findings reveal that biosynthesized ZnO NPs have a much more eco-friendly approach. It can act as a strong potentiator of ß-lactam antibiotics and put forward the possibility to use them effectively in targeted drug delivery, pharmaceuticals and biomedical fields.

Effects of naloxone and yohimbine in polycystic ovary syndrome: a rabbit model study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To assess the therapeutic effects of naloxone and yohimbine on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a rabbit model in terms of body weight and endocrinological parameters (luteinizing hormone, insulin, and estradiol). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 adult, reproductively mature female rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were divided into five groups (n = 10/group). In the control group PCOS was not induced (negative control group), whereas in the remaining four groups (n = 40) PCOS was induced with a single i.m. injection of testosterone daily and were designated as follows: positive control, naloxone-treated (NalT), yohimbine-treated (YohT), and naloxone+yohimbine-treated (NalYT) groups. RESULTS: A steadily ascending trend was noted in all of the studied parameters in the PCOS-induced group as compared to the negative control group. All the parameters showed a descending trend in the NalT group as compared to the positive control. Regarding the YohT and NalYT groups, all parameters showed a descending trend as compared to the positive control group except for estradiol. CONCLUSION: Naloxone therapy either alone or combined with yohimbine improves a wide range of the clinical manifestations of PCOS. Furthermore, we suggest this therapy as an alternative to the conventional therapy with insulin-lowering agents in vogue.