Effect of different activators on development of activated in vitro matured caprine oocytes.

This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of different activation treatments for activation of in vitro matured oocytes and their developmental potency in mCR2aa medium so as to obtain maximum number of embryos. A total of 1090 cumulus oocyte complexes (COC's) were collected from 480 ovaries. In vitro matured oocytes were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 in vitro matured oocytes (n=226) were exposed to 7% ethanol for 5 min followed by treatment with 2.0 mM DMAP for 4 h in mCR2aa medium. Group 2 in vitro matured oocytes (n=294) were exposed to 7% ethanol for 5 min followed by treatment with 10 µg/ml CHX for 4 h in mCR2aa medium. Group 3 in vitro matured oocytes (n=325) were exposed to 7% ethanol for 5 min followed by treatment with 2.0 mM DMAP and 10 µg/ml CHX for 4 h in mCR2aa medium. Group 4 in vitro matured oocytes (n=108) were cultured for 4 h without any chemical treatment in mCR2aa medium (control). The cleavage rate in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 was 54.42%, 44.55%, 51.69% and 0.00%, respectively. The percentage of morula and blastocyst production in group 1, group 2 and group 3 was 26.01%, 29.77% and 29.76% and 2.43%, 1.52% and 1.78%, respectively. These results suggest that the activation of in vitro matured oocytes by 7% ethanol for 5 min followed by treatment with 2.0 mM DMAP for 4 h in mCR2aa is most favorable for parthenogenetic caprine embryos production.

Ventricular tachycardia in acute fulminant myocarditis: medical management and follow-up.

The combination of ventricular tachycardia (VT) and severe left ventricular dysfunction presents a serious challenge in management of acute fulminant myocarditis (AFM). We report a case of a 17-month-old girl with AFM, presented with hypotension and VT, successfully treated with respiratory and inotropic support, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin, and amiodarone. The myocardial function improved significantly within 2 weeks of treatment. The clinical course was complicated by significant amiodarone-induced hepatotoxicity, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and deep-vein thrombosis. She was later diagnosed with congenital dysfibrinogenemia and treated with chronic Lovenox therapy.

Synthesis and antifungal potential of Co(II) complexes of 1-(2'-hydroxyphenyl) ethylideneanilines.

Synthesis of Co(II) complexes from 1-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-ethylideneaniline and its N-phenyl derivatives has been described and their structures have been established on the basis of elemental analysis and IR studies. The complexes have been screened for their antifungal potential against Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum and Myrothecium roridum by spore germination inhibition method and the results are discussed.

FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY AFTER CORPECTOMY AND CORTICO CANCELLOUS ILIAC BONE GRAFTING FOR CERVICAL SPINAL CORD INJURY :INITIAL EXPERIENCE.

Twelve patients with post-traumatic cervical spinal cord injury from C3 to C7 having anterior compression and instability underwent corpectomy and corticocancellous iliac bone grafting from Jan 95 to Dec 96. Corpectomy and tricortical iliac bone grafting was carried out at one level in 10 and two levels in 2 patients. Neurological function was recorded using a functional scale pre and post-operatively. There was complete functional recovery in 5, improvement in 5 and no change in neurological status in 2 patients. This technique is simple, safe, biomechanically sound providing stability with good functional recovery in these patients.

Inheritance of Biomass Yield and Tropane Alkaloid Content in Hyoscyamus muticus.

The nature of gene action for biomass yield and tropane alkaloid content was ascertained through diallel analysis in Egyptian henbane, HYOSCYAMUS MUTICUS L. Dominance variation was preponderant over additive genetic variance, dominance being in the overdominance range for both traits. On an overall basis, recessive alleles had a positive (i.e. increasing) effect on both the characters. However, the positive or negative effects of recessive or dominant alleles were genotype-specific. Hence, transgressive breeding was suggested for isolating segregants with dominant alleles for herb yield and with recessives for alkaloid content so as to achieve overall high yields of tropane alkaloid per unit area.

Induced polygenic changes occurring simultaneously with major gene changes in black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger L.).

Two macromutants [unbranched (Ub) and restricted branched (Rb)], one point mutation [yellow flowerd ('Ada')] and two flowering variants (early and late) were isolated in the M2 generation of gammairradiated progenies of black henbane (H. niger) - a medicinal plant belonging to family Solanaceae. These major gene changes were coupled with simultaneous changes in several polygenic systems conditioning continuous variation for flowering time, plant height, numbers of shoots and leaves, biomass and crude drug content. Such quantitative variation in qualitative mutants were measured for both per se means and cross-bred performance in terms of: (1) shifts in univariate means, (2) changes in pooled divergence, (3) alterations in gca effects, and (4) changes in heterotic capacity. The mutants were significantly divergent from the parental base for all the six metric traits, both individually as well as collectively. Divergence among mutants was wider (D(2) = 1491 to 11 469) than that for mutants versus source parent (D(2) = 117 to 7120). Conspicuous alterations in both the nature and the magnitude of the gca effects associated with all mutants, except L-2013 (late flowering), relative to the parental base were observed for all of the metric traits examined (gca ∼- per se means). Similarly, the mutants manifested greater heterotic potential than the parental base. This is even more strongly reflected in mutant x mutant hybrids for all of the characters. The amount of economic heterosis for diverse traits followed the pattern: crude drug > biomass > flowering time ∼- plant height > number of shoots ∼- number of leaves.

Cardiomyopathy in children in Ahmedabad.

A clinical study and follow up of 20 children with cardiomyopathies upto age of 16 years are presented. The DCM was most common variety followed by RCM and HCM in pediatric age group. SHMD presenting with cardiomyopathy were common in infancy and early childhood. Cardiomyopathies presented most frequently between 2-5 years and 10-16 years age group with DCM having almost equal distribution. Clinical presentation of various types is described, despite of vigorous decongestive and vasodilator treatment in advanced cases, course was rapidly downhill and prognosis is poor in general.

Genetics of Alkaloids in Papaver somniferum.

Based on numerical and graphic analyses of 6 x 6 diallele cross progenies (n (2) = 36) over two environments, dominance was found to be most prevalent (in overdominance range without being inflated by non-allelic interactions) in parents for latex yield, and morphine, codeine, thebaine, and narcotine contents. However, the additive component was also significant for the former three traits. Dominant alleles mostly with positive effects were, by and large, asymmetrically distributed in parents except for narcotine content. Heritability estimates were moderate and corresponded with low genetic advance estimates for morphine, codeine, and thebaine contents. Ample genetic diversity among parents was reflected for all traits except narcotine content. On an overall basis, heterosis breeding was suggested to be a rewarding proposition for genetic improvement of the opium poppy ( PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM L.).

Genetic improvement of pyrethrum : 4. Selective divergence, heterosis and potential hybrid clones.

Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariefolium), an important paramedicinal plant is a potential source of pyrethrins, which have a long history of safe uses against mosquito larvae - a carrier of malarial parasite. It was introduced in India from Kenya in 1931. Considerable genetic diversity has been generated over the years. Repeated clonal selection could lead to isolation of a number of divergent clones representing selective divergence. Planned hybridization among some of the chosen clones could further enlarge the spectrum of variation as measured by multivariate analyses (D(2)-statistic and canonical analysis). The resulting hybrids manifested a variable degree of heterosis which was found to be, by and large, positively associated with the degree of divergence between the two constituent parents of a hybrid. However, the choice of the potential hybrid clone(s) for commercial exploitation was most viable when parents for hybridization were short-listed on the basis of parental divergence coupled essentially with per se performance for specific traits. The latter criterion assumes greater significance since low x low or medium x low parental hybrids also tended to register high heterosis for both the pyrethrins content and yield. Four hybrids: 234xL, 8xL, 326×395 and 319xL were identified to be the most promising for clonal selection.