Beneficial Role of Hydro-alcoholic Seed Extract of Trigonella foenum graecum on Bone Structure and Strength in Menopause Induced Osteopenia.

BACKGROUND: The current strategies to prevent and treat menopausal osteoporosis are hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, the long-term use of hormone replacement therapy is limited due to its side-effects. Alternately, use of phytoestrogens has been implicated. Trigonella foenum graecum (TFG) seeds are rich in phytoestrogen and known traditional medicine to treat menopause induced hyperlipidemia. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the role of dietary TFG seed extract on bone structure and mechanical properties in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Twenty four female Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups; 1) control, 2) ovariectomized, 3) ovariectomized + TFG seed extract and 4) ovariectomized + 17ß-estradiol. TFG seed extract/17ß-estradiol was administered for 30 days, 14 days after ovariectomy. After the treatment, right femora were collected to measure the length and biomechanical properties, and left femora were gathered to study the micro architectural changes while tibia were collected to measure the dry weight. RESULTS: Maximum flexor load to break femur bone was significantly low in ovariectomized rats in comparison with control rats (P<0.05). Supplementation with TFG significantly improved the maximum flexor load (P<0.05) and tibia dry weight (P<0.01) compared to ovariectomized untreated rats. TFG administration also significantly preserved the trabecular (P<0.01) and cortical bone (P<0.05) thickness compared to ovariectomized rats. CONCLUSION: This study found that dietary intake of TFG seeds can improve the bone structure and biomechanical properties in ovariectomized rats indicating that TFG may be an alternative treatment strategy to prevent the menopause induced osteopenia.

Influence of calcium hydroxide on the post-treatment pain in Endodontics: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Pain of endodontic origin has been a major concern to the patients and the clinicians for many years. Post-operative pain is associated with inflammation in the periradicular tissues caused by irritants egressing from root canal during treatment. It has been suggested that calcium hydroxide intra-canal medicament has pain-preventive properties because of its anti-microbial or tissue altering effects. Some dispute this and reasoned that calcium hydroxide may initiate or increase pain by inducing or increasing inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of calcium hydroxide in reducing the post-treatment pain when used as an intra-canal medicament. MATERIALS AND METHODS: THE FOLLOWING DATABASES WERE SEARCHED: PubMed CENTRAL (until July 2013), MEDLINE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Bibliographies of clinical studies and reviews identified in the electronic search were analyzed for studies published outside the electronically searched journals. The primary outcome measure was to evaluate the post-treatment pain reduction when calcium hydroxide is used as an intra-canal medicament in patients undergoing root canal therapy. RESULTS: The reviews found some clinical evidence that calcium hydroxide is not very effective in reducing post-treatment pain when it is used alone, but its effectiveness can be increased when used in combination with other medicaments like chlorhexidine and camphorated monochlorophenol (CMCP). CONCLUSION: Even though calcium hydroxide is one of the most widely used intra-canal medicament due to its anti-microbial properties, there is no clear evidence of its effect on the post-treatment pain after the chemo-mechanical root canal preparation.

Effects of cigarette smoking on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in cancer patients from Western Nepal.

OBJECTIVES: There is growing evidence that oxidative stress (OS) has a causal relationship with cancer and a weak antioxidant defense can aggravate it further. We therefore, undertook this study to examine lipid peroxidation (TBARS), total antioxidant activity (TAA), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and α- tocopherol levels in cancer patients, with special attention to the influence of smoking. METHODS: The study subjects were 42 patients (61.19 ± 10.1 yrs) suffering from cancer and 43 normal subjects (NS) (56.69 ± 19.1 yrs). Plasma levels of TBARS, TAA, vitamin C and ?- tocopherol were estimated. RESULTS: TAA and α-tocopherol levels were significantly lower and TBARS levels significantly higher in cancer patients when compared to NS. In smoking cancer patient's ?-tocopherol levels were significantly low and TBARS significantly raised. CONCLUSION: Our observations indicate that increased lipid peroxidation, reduced total antioxidant activity and ?-tocopherol levels are associated with cancer development, with and without smoking. However, a greater reduction of TAA in smokers may be due to increased oxidants introduced by smoking.

Scaling down: local radio in India.

PIP: All India Radio (AIR) is one of the world's largest national radio networks. In the past 5 years, AIR has been experimenting with the idea of local radio stations. The governmental view of local radio is one that supports the idea of a close association with the hub of the community. It also believes that the radio station should act as a "mouthpiece" of the community. A large number of local programs are field-based. Access programs, service programs, and specific programs concerning family welfare, national integration, communal harmony and others relevant to the local broadcast area are produced. Community service broadcasts, the role of a local station as a mediator between local factions and access programs are further discussed. The experiences and development of the 1st local station at Nagercoil in the southern Indian state of Tamilnadu is discussed in detail. The greatest attribute of local radio is that it works directly with and is often directly controlled by the people it is designed to serve.^ieng

The stimulus-secretion coupling of glucose-induced insulin release. Thiol: disulfide balance in pancreatic islets.

An increase in the production rate of reduced pyridine nucleotides is currently considered as a coupling factor between metabolic and distal events in the process of glucose-stimulated insulin release. The possible participation in such a coupling of thiol: disulfide interchanges was investigated in rat pancreatic islets. NADPH-dependent glutathione reductase and glutathione-cystine transhydrogenase activities were present in islet homogenates, whereas no glutathione peroxidase activity could be detected. In intact islets, glucose (16.7 mM) augmented both the GSH/GSSG ratio (from a basal value of 6.7 +/- 0.6 to 8.4 +/- 0.4) and the tissue content of sulphydryl groups (from a basal value of 119 +/- 7 to 170 +/- 9 pmol/microgram protein). The latter effect was mimicked by D-glyceraldehyde, 2-ketoisocaproate, anoxia and KCN; it failed to be reproduced by L-glucose or D-fructose, was unaffected by theophylline, and was inhibited by D-mannoheptulose, iodoacetate, menadione, cytochalasin B and the absence of extracellular Ca2+. These findings support the view that a glucose-induced reduction of disulphide bridges to sulphydryl groups participates in the stimulus-secretion coupling of nutrient-induced insulin release.

The stimulus-secretion coupling of glucose-induced insulin release. XLVI. Physiological role of L-glutamine as a fuel for pancreatic islets.

Exogenous L-glutamine is actively metabolized in rat pancreatic islets. The rate of L-glutamine deamidation largely exceeds the rate of glutamate conversion to gamma-aminobutyrate and alpha-ketoglutarate. The latter conversion occurs in part by oxidative deamination, and in part by transamination reactions coupled with the conversion of 2-keto acids (pyruvate, oxaloacetate), themselves derived from the metabolism of glutamine, to their corresponding amino acids (alanine, aspartate). An important fraction of malate formed from alpha-ketoglutarate leaves the Krebs cycle and is converted to pyruvate, the process being apparently associated with the induction of a more reduced state in cytosolic redox couples. L-Glutamine abolishes the oxidation of endogenous nutrients is documented by the fact that the glutamine-induced increase in O2 consumption is much lower than expected from the rate of 14CO2 output from islets exposed to L-[U-14C]glutamine, L-Glutamine, although decreasing K+ conductance, fails to stimulate insulin release both in the absence and presence of D-glucose. It is proposed that L-glutamine represents a major fuel for pancreatic islets under physiological conditions.

The stimulus-secretion coupling of glucose-induced insulin release. XLIII. Na-Ca countertransport mediated by pancreatic islet native ionophores.

Native ionophores extracted from isolated pancreatic islets were able to transport Ca2+ from one aqueous medium into another across an organic immiscible phase. In the presence of a K+, Na+, Li+, or H+ gradient, Ca2+ was transported against its own concentration gradient from the medium of low monovalent-cation concentration to the opposite medium. The transport of Ca2+ was abolished by the organic calcium-antagonist suloctidil. These findings provide a model for the process of Na-Ca countertransport in islet cells and its inhibition in response to the conversion of nutrient secretagogues to their acidic metabolites.

Ionophore-mediated Ca2+ countertransport: role of Na+, Li+ or H+ gradient.

In an artificial system, the ionophore A23187, which transports Ca2+ but not Na+, is able to mediate the uphill translocation of Ca2+ from one aqueous medium to another across an organic immiscible phase, provided that a Na+, Li+ or H+ gradient is imposed on the system. Therefore, in the process known as Na-Ca countertransport, the downhill influx of Na+ may not be necessary for causing Ca2+ extrusion against its electrochemical gradient.

In vitro conversion of proinsulin to insulin by cathepsin B and role of C-peptide.

Cathepsin B, purified from isolated islets of Langerhans, when incubated with proinsulin under in vitro conditions could convert proinsulin to insulin and C-peptide, releasing free arginine and lysine. When C-peptide, prepared from rat pancreas, was added to the incubation system consisting of proinsulin and cathepsin B, it completely inhibited the conversion of proinsulin to insulin.