Antioxidant and Antitumor Activity of Plumeria acuminata in Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma Bearing Swiss Albino Mice.

Aim: This study was designed to determine the antitumor and antioxidant properties of crude methanol extract from the leaves of Plumeria acuminata (Apocynaceae) (MEPA) against Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC) bearing Swiss albino mice. Study Design: Study design is methodology, mentioned below. Place and Duration of Study: Division of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Jadavpur, Kolkata, India between 2006 and 2007. Methodology: The extract was administered at the doses of 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg per day for 14 days, after 24 hr of tumor inoculation. After the administration of the last dose followed by 18 hr fasting, mice were then sacrificed for observation of antitumor activity. The effect of MEPA on the growth of transplantable murine tumor, life span of EAC bearing host, viable and non-viable cell count, packed cell volume, hematological profile and biochemical parameters such as lipid peroxidation (LPO), reduced glutathione content (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were estimated. Results: MEPA caused significant (P<0.01) decrease in tumor volume, packed cell volume and viable count; and it prolonged the life span of EAC-tumor bearing mice. Hematological studies reveal that the Hb content and RBC count were decreased in EAC treated mice, whereas the restoration to near normal levels was observed in extract treated animals. MEPA significantly (P<0.05) decreased the levels of LPO and significantly increased the levels of GSH, SOD and CAT. Moreover the MEPA was found to be devoid of conspicuous short-term toxicity in the mice when administered daily for 14 days at the doses of 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg Conclusion: The results suggested that the methanol extract of Plumeria acuminata leaves exhibited antitumor effect by modulating lipid peroxidation and augmenting antioxidant defense system in EAC bearing Swiss albino mice.

Efeitos da diclorfenamida sobre a concentraçäo de zinco no humor aquoso e no sangue de cäes / Dicholorphenamide effects on zinc concentration in dog's aqueous humor and blood

Os óligo-elementos, embora presentes em quantidades diminutas no organismo, säo de extrema importância para a vida. O zinco é o segundo óligo-elemento mais abundante do corpo humano, sendo essencial para o desenvolvimento normal dos seres vivos. É componente necessário e integrante da anidrase carbônica, que constitui uma metaloenzima que se encontra em várias formas de isoenzima no corp. Nos processos ciliares de olhos humanos, ela é quase inteiramente pura; mediante a sua inibiçäo, consegue-se, provadamente pela filtraçäo da parede capilar, reduzir a produçäo do humor aquosos e, consequentemente, da pressäo ocular. Entre os inibidores da anidrase carbônica está a diclorfenamida, sendo uma sulfonamida comercializada em nosso meio, somente para uso oral. Este trabalho visou testar o efeito da diclorfenamida sobre o zinco do humor aquoso e do sangue, supondo-se uma interferência do zinco no controle da pressäo ocular; para isto foram estudados, em dezenove cäes, trinta e oito olhos, sendo que para cada cäo, um olho foi controle do outro

Some studies on heroin addicts

The present study in corporates information on the clinical and socio - economic profile of Forty heroin addicts. A special proforma was used for recording important clinical and laboratory findings, and collecting data on various issues related to the socio - economic aspect of the problem.The majority of the addicts were in the age group of 20 - 30 years. Most of them were uneducated and consumed upto one gram of herion per day. Values of Blood Pressure, heart rate and WBC were in normal range. The values of RBC, haemoglobin and plasma proteins were below normal in the majority of cases. The values of ESR, urea, blood sugar, cholesterol and bilirubin were in normal range, with the exception of three, six, two, one and six subjects respectively. Values for enzymes [SGOT, SGPT, alkaline phosphatase] were also in normal range with the exception of two, one and two patients respectively. Low haemoglobin level and RBC count indicate that all the addicts suffered from moderate to severe degree of anaemia. Hypoproteinemia was seen in the majority of the cases showing that the addicts suffered from severe malnutrition. More extensive studies are suggested to arrive at clear - cut conclusions about the effect of heroin addiction on blood urea, cholesterol and bilirubin, and enzymes like SGOT and Alkaline phosphatase

Serum and gastric tissue changes in lithium calcium and zinc ions during stress and their correlation to the gastric stress ulcers in albino rats

48 adult male albino rats of an average weight of 150 to 200 g were used to study the effect of different stressors; restraint, water immersion and cold exposure on both serum and gastric tissue Ca2+, Li+ and Zn2+ levels and their correlation with the changes in composition of gastric juice and with the development of gastric stress ulcers. Zinc sulphate pretreatment was also studied to test for a possible protective effect. The gastric juice was collected after pyloric ligation and analyzed for the volume, total acidity and proteolytic activity. Both serum and gastric tissue Ca2+, Li+ and Zn2+ were measured and the gastric mucosal lesions were scored. The ulcer and preventive indices were then calculated. The results were compared with those of a control non stressed group. It was found that all forms of stress reduced significantly the rate of gastric secretion probably secondary to gastric mucosal ischaemia. Neither the serum nor the gastric tissue levels of the gastric stimulant Ca2+, or the gastric inhibitory Li+ and Zn2+ are significantly changed and hence their role in the secretory changes and stress ulcer development was not evident. However, increasing the serum and gastric tissue Zn2+ concentration following zinc sulphate pretreatment could inhibit gastric secretion and exert a protective effect against the different forms of stress ulcer