Protective effect of vanillin on the management of cecal ligation and puncture induced sepsis rat model.

Present investigation evaluates the protective effect of vanillin against sepsis. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in rat and vanillin was administered at dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg p.o. for five days after induction of sepsis. Effect of vanillin was observed on the percentage of survival, body weight and food intake were determined in CLP induced sepsis rats. Level of liver enzymes in the serum and organ weight was also observed in vanillin treated CLP induced rats. Moreover, histopathological changes were also observed in liver and lung tissue of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. There was significant improvement in bodyweight and food intake in vanillin treated group than negative control group after the sepsis induction. Moreover, vanillin improves the percentage of survival rate and reduces the level of liver enzymes and spleen weight in CLP induced sepsis rat. It also improves the level of glutathione (GSH) compared to negative control group. In conclusion, data of investigation reveals that vanillin ameliorates the survival rate and oxidative stress in CLP induced sepsis rat model.

Four-country surveillance of intestinal intussusception and diarrhoea in children.

AIM: Establishment of baseline epidemiology of intussusception in developing countries has become a necessity with the possibility of reintroduction of rotavirus vaccine. The current study assessed the seasonal trend in cases admitted with intussusceptions and dehydrating acute watery diarrhoea in children aged 2 months to 10 years. METHODS: In a prospective surveillance study, teaching and research hospital sites in India (Lucknow and Nagpur), Brazil (Fortazela), Egypt (Ismailia) and Kenya (Nairobi) established a surveillance where a network of hospitals with surgical facilities catered to a reference population of about 1-2 million for reporting of intussusception. One large hospital per site also recruited admitted cases of acute watery diarrhoea. RESULTS: From April 2004 to March 2006, 173 and 2346 cases of intussusception and diarrhoea, respectively, were recruited. Cases of intussusception had no apparent seasonality. Most cases of intussusception (61.3%) (107/173) were in the < or =1 year age group, with males comprising 68.8% (119/173) of all cases. Hospital mortality of intussusception was 4.2% (4/96). Cases of diarrhoea peaked in March, with 56.6% (1328/2346) of admitted cases being males. Majority (83.1%) of cases of diarrhoea had received antibiotics, and the hospital mortality was 0.8% (18/2280). CONCLUSION: Intussusception in the four participating countries exhibited no seasonal trend. We found that it is feasible to establish a surveillance network for intussusception in developing countries. Future efforts must define population base before the introduction of rotavirus vaccine and continue for some years thereafter.

Prevalence and risk factors of asthma and wheeze in school-going children in Lucknow, North India.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of asthma and wheeze and factors associated with it in children aged 6-7 and 13-14 years. METHOD: School based, prospective survey using self/parental reporting of occurrence of asthma or wheeze on pre-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: Out of 112 schools, 17 and 15 schools were randomly selected for recruitment of subjects in age group 6-7 and 13-14 years, respectively. Prevalence of asthma and wheeze reported were 2.3% and 6.2%, respectively, in age group 6-7 years and 3.3% and 7.8%, respectively, in age group 13-14 years. On the basis of adjusted odds ratio, risk factors for wheeze or asthma were tertiary education of mother, antibiotic use in the first year of life, eating pasta or fast-food or meat once or more per week and exercise once or more/week while the protective factors were intake of vegetables once or more and fruits thrice or more per week. In univariate analysis, breastfeeding was also found to be protective. CONCLUSION: Promotion of rational use of antibiotic in first year of life, avoidance of fast food and promotion of breastfeeding and intake of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of asthma/wheeze and should be encouraged.