Frequency and risk of metabolic syndrome in prediabetics versus normal glucose tolerant subjects -- a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency and risk of metabolic syndrome in pre-diabetics against normal glucose-tolerant subjects attending diabetes screening camps in an urban centre. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was carried out at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from January to August, 2008, and comprised subjects recruited through diabetes screening camps. They were >30 years of age, without prior history of diabetes and were screened through fasting plasma glucose and 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical and biochemical measurements were done. Frequency of different components and their constellation as metabolic syndrome were determined according to the Adult Treatment Panel-III criteria. Relative risk was estimated to find the risk of metabolic syndrome in pre-diabetics versus normal glucose-tolerant subjects. RESULTS: The study sample comprised 80 subjects; 40(50%) normal glucose-tolerant in Group A and 40(50%) pre-diabetics in Group B. In Group A, there were 25(62.5%) men and 15(37.5%) women, while Group B had 22(55%) men and 18(45%) women. The mean age in Group A was 38.08±5.35 years, while in Group B it was 39.09±6.12 years. The frequency of various cardiovascular risk factors was higher in pre-diabetics (p< 0.05). Central obesity was the most prevalent risk factor (85%, CI: 75.74-96.06), followed by low levels of high density lipoprotein (82.5%, CI: 72.64-94.27), raised triglycerides (67.5%, CI: 55.35-82.01), hypertension (57.5%, CI: 44.68-72.82), and fasting plasma glucose >100mg/dl (42.5%, CI: 29.68-57.82). Metabolic syndrome was found in 23(57.5%) in Group B compared to 9(22.5%) Group B, according to Adult Treatment Panel-III criteria. Calculated relative risk indicated that Group B was 1.9 times more prone to be suffering from metabolic syndrome compared to Group A. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-diabetics were more prone to developing cardiovascular disorders than normal glucose-tolerant subjects.

Relationship of serum and seminal plasma zinc levels and serum testosterone in oligospermic and azoospermic infertile men.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the zinc level in fertile and infertile population and to find out relationship of serum and seminal plasma zinc levels and serum testosterone in oligospermic and azoospermic infertile men. DESIGN: Comparative study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Infertility Clinic, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi, from January 2002-July 2003. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight primary infertile male subjects, without any treatment, who had regular unprotected intercourse for at least 12 months without conception with their partners, aged 20-40 years, having normal and regular menstrual cycles without any uterine pathology or hormonal disturbance were selected from Infertile Clinic, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi. After semen analyses, they were grouped as, oligospermic (30), and azoospermic (28). Twentyfive known fertile male selected from general population (their spouse had given birth to a child within one year) and after semen analysis were taken as normospermic control group . Semen analyzed according to WHO criteria and serum and seminal plasma zinc was estimated by 5Br. PAPS colorimetric method. Serum testosterone, LH, and FSH were measured by ELISA, using kits supplied by Diagnostic System Laboratories (DSL), U.S.A. RESULTS: The mean value for testosterone was significantly low in oligospermic, (8.04 -/+ 0.76) and azoospermic subjects (7.14 -/+ 0.27) as compared to normospermic (9.90 -/+ 0.14) control groups (p<0.05, p<0.001 respectively), serum LH (p<0.05, p<0.001 respectively) and FSH (p<0.05) were significantly higher than normospermic control group. Serum and seminal plasma zinc levels was low in oligospermic, and azoospermic subjects when compared with normospermic control groups (p<0.05, p<0.001 respectively). This suggests its involvement in spermatogenesis and infertility in such patients. Seminal zinc level has weak correlation with testosterone in oligospermic (r=0.44, p<0.05) and with serum zinc in azoospermic subjects (r=0.49, p<0.05) while no correlation was observed with LH and FSH in all the groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, there was significant decrease in serum and seminal plasma zinc levels in oligospermic and azoospermic infertile males with significantly low androgen. It indicates zinc has a possible role for spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis. Therefore, zinc concentration in seminal plasma should be considered as one of the factors responsible for decreased testicular function in infertile male subjects.

Biological activity of Spatoglossum asperum: a brown alga.

Chloroform and methanol fractions of an ethanol extract of Spatoglossum asperum showed antifungal activity against the highly destructive plant pathogen, Macrophomina phaseolina while the n-hexane fraction showed activity against Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani. n-Hexane and methanol fractions also showed nematicidal activity against the plant parasitic nematode, Meloidogyne javanica. Column chromatography of the ethanol extract of seaweed yielded oily fractions named SA-I to SA-VI. GC-MS data of these oily fractions showed the presence of various fatty acid esters. Some of these oily fractions exhibited strong antifungal and nematicidal activities. Oily fractions of S. asperum also showed hypolipidaemic activity in normal, triton-induced and high fat diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rats without producing any ill effect on cardiac and liver enzymes.

Hypolipidaemic activity of seaweed from Karachi coast.

During the present study, ethanol extracts of five seaweed species Solieria robusta, Iyengaria stellata, Colpomenia sinuosa, Spatoglossum asperum and Caulerpa racemosa at 10 mg/ 200 g body weight were tested for their hypolipidaemic activity. All the species significantly decreased the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in normal, triton-induced and diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. Solieria robusta was found to be the most effective in reducing the lipid profile, particularly in diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. A beneficial effect of the ethanol extract of S. asperum was also found on cardiac and liver enzymes in diet-induced hyperlipidaemic rats.