An Anatomic Morphological Study of Occipital Spurs in Human Skulls.

Occipital spurs are quite common; however, they are also the source of frequent discomfort to the patients. Their role has been implicated in causation of pain at the base of skull, which may extend to shoulder limiting the movement of the shoulder and neck. The present was carried out to find out the prevalence of occipital spur in human skull and to find out the anatomic morphological characteristics of occipital spur. A total of 30 cadaveric skulls were examined in the Department of Anatomy, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, for the presence of occipital spur. These skulls were the part of boneset obtained as a part of undergraduate training in the department. All the measurements were taken using a digital Vernier Caliper after taking all necessary precaution to avoid any damage to these spurs. The prevalence of occipital spur in the present study was 10%. The mean width recorded in the present study was 13.40 mm (±6.7) and the mean length recorded was 13.45 mm (±1.05). Similarly, mean thickness noted was 2.43 mm (±0.43). Thus, the present study concludes that occipital spurs are the frequent source of discomfort to patients. The knowledge of this tubercle is of paramount importance to neurosurgeons, sports physicians, and radiologists for the diagnosis of such discomfort.

Countering effects of a combination of podophyllotoxin, podophyllotoxin ß-D-glucoside and rutin hydrate in minimizing radiation induced chromosomal damage, ROS and apoptosis in human blood lymphocytes.

The present study was conceptualized with the aim of developing a safe radioprotector for human application against radiation induced toxicity. For this study, a formulation (G-002M) prepared by combining three active principles isolated from rhizomes of Podophyllum hexandrum, was evaluated for its potential to protect genomic DNA of human blood cells exposed to different doses of radiation (5,7&10Gy). Blood samples were pretreated (-1hr to exposure) with G-002M. Parameters of Premature Chromosome Condensation (PCC) assay like PCC-index, PCC-rings and PCC-fragments were used to estimate radiation induced chromosomal aberrations. Radiation (7Gy) induce ROS generation and its modulation by G-002M was determined by flow-cytometry and fluorescent microscopy while apoptosis (0,2,24&48 hr) was analyzed using TUNEL assay. Effect on spindle organization in G2/M arrested cells by all the three compounds individually was studied using immunofluorescence microscopy. Irradiation caused dose dependent linear increase in PCC-rings and fragments, while decline in PCC index. G-002M pretreatment significantly decreased these chromosomal aberrations at all the radiation doses and assisted cell survival as indicated by increased PCC index compared with radiation only group. Significant decrease in radiation induced intracellular ROS (45 ± 3%) and apoptosis (49.9%) was also exhibited by the formulation. On podophyllotoxin treatment, most of the cells have shown blocked spindles however, depicted normal arrangement. G-002M also demonstrated a highly significant Dose Modifying Factor or DMF (PCC-rings: 2.27 and PCC-fragments: 1.60). Present study based on many parameters along with DMF study, strongly suggests that G-002M is an effective formulation with a potential to minimize chromosomal damage even at very high radiation doses.