Study of Outcome of an Implanted Autologous Auricular Cartilage: A Preliminary Experimental Research in Rabbits.

To investigate the viability of the implanted crushed and uncrushed auricular cartilage graft with intact perichondrium with respect to macroscopic and microscopic parameters. Cartilage grafts from 8 white New Zealand rabbits were harvested from the right auricle, with intact perichondrial layers. There were two categories Pre implant and Post-implant and two types, mildly crushed and uncrushed cartilage graft. The cartilage grafts were implanted into the subcutaneous pockets over the right upper paraspinal area. At the end of 2 months, implanted grafts were retrieved and examined histopathologically. There was a difference among the both types of cartilages in both the categories with respect to chronic inflammation, fibrosis, cartilage mass viability and vascularization. The mildly crushed auricular autologous cartilage with intact perichondrium does not lose the viability and maintains the structural integrity and thus increasing the clinical predictability for cosmetic correction of nose in rhinoplasty.

Prognostic factors for vision outcome after surgical repair of open globe injuries.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the factors influencing final visual outcome after surgical repair of open globe injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out at a tertiary referral eye care center in Central India. In this retrospective study, case records of 669 patients with open globe injuries were analyzed. Different preoperative variables were correlated with the final visual outcome. Exclusion criteria were patients with less than four months follow up, previous ocular surgery, presence of intraocular foreign body or endophthalmitis at the time of presentation. Using statistical tests, the prognostic factors for vision outcome following surgical repair of open globe injuries were studied. RESULTS: Based on the Spearman's Rho correlation analysis, following factors were found to be significantly associated with the final visual acuity at univariate level: age (P<0.001), preoperative visual acuity (P=0.045), mode of injury (P=0.001), and time lag between the injury and surgery (P=0.003). None of the other clinical factors have statistically significant correlation with final visual acuity. On multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression, only age, mode of injury and the time lag between injury and surgery achieved statistically significant results. CONCLUSION: In the current study, elapsed time between the injury and surgery, age of the patient, preoperative visual acuity and mode of injury were found to be adversely affecting the final visual outcome. Recognizing these factors prior to surgical intervention or intraoperatively can help the surgeon in evidence-based counseling of the trauma victim and family.

Study of process induced polymorphic transformations in fluconazole drug.

The polymorphic form-I of the fluconazole drug commonly crystallized from the solution phase could be obtained by the solid state transformation of form-II employing different process parameters. As received fluconazole-II drug melted at 138.4 degrees C. The molten drug undercooled almost to ambient temperature of 30 degrees C and solidified to a glassy mass which, on ageing for 48 h transformed to a white powder which could be identified as fluconazole-I. The same glassy mass on heating at 5 degrees C/min, without ageing, also underwent polymorphic transformation to fluconazole-I above 81 degrees C. The application of uniaxial pressure of 200 kg/cm2 on as received fluconazole-II sample also yielded form-I of the drug. This phase transformation was enhanced by the application of pressure (200 kg/cm2) on the as received sample aged for 36 months. The phase transformation was concluded from the difference in differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) curves of the original sample (form-II) and the products obtained by adopting the different processing routes. The DSC patterns of fluconozole-I obtained by different methods were found to be identical. The phase transformation in the as received drug (form-II) induced by different process parameters, concluded from the DSC data was corroborated by X- ray diffraction (XRD) studies and scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs of the two polymorphic forms. The intrinsic dissolution rates of polymorphic form-I and -II and the influence of crystal habit on the drug dissolution process have also been studied.

Study of polymorphic transformation of ornidazole drug by differential scanning calorimetry and other complementary techniques.

Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) curves recorded for ornidazole drug during heating and cooling showed that the drug which melted around 86.1 degrees C undercooled to well below ambient room temperature of 27 degrees C during the cooling cycle. The undercooled melt kept in the freezer at 0 degree C for 10 days duration also remained in the viscous liquid form. This liquid on taking out from the freezer after ten days and ageing at ambient room temperature of 27 degrees C for 12 h transformed into white powder. The DSC pattern recorded for this white powder consisted of two prominent endothermic peaks beginning at 73.2 and 85.9 degrees C, respectively, suggesting that the powder consisted of a mixture of more than one phase. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern recorded for this powder showed it to be a mixture of semi-crystalline phase and the original compound. The semi-crystalline phase melted at 73.2 degrees C prior to the melting of original compound at 85.9 degrees C. This phase on further ageing for 7 days transforms almost completely to its original form. DSC observations were corroborated by XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques.

Bone marrow cells for myocardial repair-a new therapeutic concept.

AIM: To assess the safety and feasibility of transfusing autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMSC) into the culprit coronary artery after an acute anterior wall myocardial infarction (MI) and further to see the ability of ABMSC to promote improvement in Left Ventricular lsqb;LV] function at follow-up. METHODS: In an ongoing phase I clinical trial, twenty-seven patients of uncomplicated acute anterior wall MI treated as per the current practicing guidelines have been included. Among these, seventeen patients received intra-coronary unfractionated ABMSCs from 77ndash;15 days after acute MI (ABMSC group) and ten patients acted as controls. RESULTS: All the procedures carried out were without any complications. After 6 months, cardiac function analysis of ten patients from the ABMSC group by LV angiography and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) demonstrated a significant rise of 12.74% (p = 0.001) and 7.1% (p = 0.001), respectively in the LV ejection fraction [LVEF]. There was an improvement in the LV systolic function wherein LV end systolic volume (LVESV) decreased significanty to 28.75% (p = 0.010) and 16.49% (p = 0.022) by LV angiography and cardiac MRI, respectively. LV end diastolic volume (LVEDV) decreased marginally by LV angiography (p = 0.548) and by cardiac MRI (p = 0.514). Five patients of the control group by LV angiography demonstrated non-significant rise of 1.0% (p = 0.706) in LVEF, 12.79% (p = 0.332) in LVEDV and 22.56% (p = 0.308) in LVESV. By cardiac MRI controls demonstrated significant rise in EF of 3.2% (p = 0.0367rpar; but non-significant fall of only 2.32% (p = 0.812) in LVEDV and 6.47% (p 7equals; 0.508) in LVESV. CONCLUSION: This study shows that intracoronary infusion of ABMSC is safe and feasible after acute MI and shows a favourable trend towards the improvement of LV function and prevention of ventricular remodeling which determines long-term survival.