Impact of low dose of organophosphate, monocrotophos on the epithelial cells of gills of Cyprinus carpio communis Linn.--SEM study.

The paper deals with the deleterious changes at ultrastructural level of the epithelial cells of gills of Cyprinus carpio communis Linn. upon exposure to 1/10th of LC50 of monocrotophos which is considered to be insignificant concentration from toxicological point of view. The gills of the fish are the primary corridor formolecularexchange between the internal milieu of a fish and its environment. Gills perform numerous functions such as oxygen uptake and CO2 excretion, osmoregulation, acid-basic balance, excretion of nitrogenous compounds and taste. Hazardous chemicals present in water may alter the morphology of the epithelial cells of gills of the fish, which may affect the process of diffusion of gases and ultimately the overall health of the fish. To prove this fact Cyprinus carpio communis Linn. was kept in water for 30 days having low concentration of 0.038 ppm (1\10th of LC50) of monocrotophos and an attempt was made to study the different types of degenerations produced in the epithelial cells of gills as compared to the normal epithelial cells of gills of this culturable fish using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) technique. The ultrastructural changes due to the toxic exposure at finer scale were thinning of microridges, upliftment of epithelial cells, development of hyperplasia, decrease in the density of mucous cells which are considered to be the first line of defence and total dystrophy of epithelial tissue. Thus, it is opined that a low concentration of monocrotophos has the potential to bring different type of degenerations at finer scale hence affecting the fish's health drastically and altering the fitness of the fish in water even having insignificant amount of this toxicant in the ambient water

Invasive aspergillosis involving multiple paranasal sinuses--a case report.

A case of invasive multiple paranasal sinus aspergillosis with bony involvement is reported. A young immunocompetent lady presented with bilateral nasal obstruction due to polyps. Radiologically and histopathologically a fungal cause was kept a possibility, and the diagnosis of Aspegillus fumigatus was established by demonstration of acute angle branching septate hyphae on direct wet mount and repeated isolation in culture. Patient responded favourably to surgical excision of polyps and oral itraconazole post operatively.

Failure to reduce experimental myocardial infarct size with ibuprofen pre-treatment in rats.

The prophylactic role of ibuprofen in experimental myocardial infarction has not been reported. Twenty-four rats pre-treated with ibuprofen (30 mg/kg), po, for 21 days were subjected to myocardial infarction by administration of isoprenaline hydrochloride (85 mg/kg), sc, on two consecutive days. An equal number of rats were given saline to serve as control. Heart specimens were taken for macroscopic and microscopic examination after 1 day, 5 days, 12 days and 21 days, following myocardial infarction. Ibuprofen pre-treatment caused a significant increase in infarct size at all the intervals studied (P less than 0.01), indicating that ibuprofen exerted a harmful effect in increasing the size of experimental myocardial infarction.

Bronchial adenoma--an eleven-year experience.

Thirteen patients with bronchial adenoma were investigated. Most of these were young males and had recurrent hemoptysis and chest infection. Radiographs of the chest were abnormal in 11 patients. The tumor was visualized by fiberoptic bronchoscopy in all but one patient. The procedure was safe and none of the patients had massive hemoptysis following bronchoscopic biopsy. Limited follow-up revealed good results following surgery.

Our experience with surgical management of patients with diffuse coronary artery disease.

During a follow up period of 5 years (January 1983-December 1988), 145 consecutive patients (14% of all patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery) underwent multiple coronary artery bypass grafting combined with endarterectomy whenever necessary for treatment of severe diffuse triple-vessel coronary artery disease. Fifty-one patients (35%) had poor left ventricular ejection fraction (less than 35%). Associated left main coronary artery disease was present in 30 (21%) patients. All coronary arteries and branches with greater than 50% obstructive disease were bypassed, using saphenous vein conduit; average grafts per patient were 5.5. Endarterectomies were done in 137 patients in 210 vessels. Right coronary artery was the commonest site (132 patients). Multiple vessel endarterectomy (greater than 2 vessels) was done in 44 patients (30%). The peri-operative mortality was 3.5%. Pre-operatively, 75% patients had class III and 14% class IV (Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina criteria). During the mean follow up period of 2 years, 86% patients have class 1 symptoms, and 14% have class II symptom. Thirty of these 145 patients have undergone resting and exercise radionuclide ventriculographic studies which have shown a significant improvement in the ejection fraction response to exercise (p less than 0.05). Thus, patients with severe diffuse coronary disease can undergo multiple bypass grafting procedure, along with endarterectomies with low mortality rates and improved exercise tolerance and functional classification.

Effect of verapamil on gastric acid secretion and ulceration by pyloric-ligation and aspirin in albino rats.

Verapamil at doses 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (ip) and 40 mg/kg, orally reduced incidence of ulceration by Pyloric-ligation. Similarly verapamil inhibited aspirin-induced ulceration at a dose 40 mg/kg, orally and ip. Effect of verapamil on gastric acid secretion was also studied. At low dose it increased acid secretion significantly (5 mg/kg, ip) and at high dose (40 mg kg, ip and orally) it significantly decreased volume of secretion. This indicates that reduction of acid secretion contributes little to the antiulcer activity of verapamil because antiulcer effect was seen even at doses which did not decrease acid secretion.