Effect of Maternal Supplementation With Two Different Doses of Vitamin D During Lactation on Vitamin D Status, Anthropometry and Bone Mass of Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in exclusively breast-fed infants in the absence of appropriate vitamin D supplementation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of two doses of maternal vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D levels of mother-infant pairs and to assess its effect on growth parameters (weight, length and head circumference) and bone mass of infants. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Lactating mother-infant pairs (n=220). INTERVENTION: Maternal oral vitamin D supplementation in two doses (group 1: 1,20,000 IU/month and group 2: 12,000 IU/month) for 12 months. MAIN OUTCOMES: Main outcomes: Maternal and infant serum 25OHD levels, and infants' growth and bone mass. RESULTS: There was high prevalence of VDD at baseline in mothers (94%) as well as infants (98.5%), which was reduced to 43.1% in (mothers) and 46.5% in infants after 12 months. Significantly higher median (IQR) serum 25OHD levels (ng/mL) were observed among mothers in group 1 compared to group 2 [46 (17-159) vs 18 (6-64); P<0.01] and in infants [36.5 (15-160) vs 17 (7-32); P<0.01]. No significant association was observed between growth parameters or bone mass and serum 25OHD levels of mother or infant between the two groups. Four mothers (3.6%) and two infants (1.8%) in group I had serum 25OHD>100 ng/mL, but without hypercalciuria or hypercalcemia. CONCLUSION: Bolus vitamin D supplementation in the dose of 1,20,000 IU/month was more efficacious in improving maternal and infant vitamin D status at 12 months, as compared to 12,000 IU/month.

Modulatory effects of an NMDAR partial agonist in MK-801-induced memory impairment.

RATIONALE: Acute administration of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) non-competitive antagonist, MK-801, impairs novel object recognition (NOR), locomotor activity in open field (OF) and conditioned taste aversion (CTA) in rodents. NMDAR partial agonist d-cycloserine (DCS) reverses these effects in NOR and CTA via modulation of glutamatergic, cholinergic and dopaminergic systems. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of DCS, a partial NMDAR agonist, on NOR memory, locomotor activity, and CTA memory in Wistar rats on NMDA-glutamate receptor antagonism by MK-801. The potential involvement of dopaminergic and cholinergic systems in improving cognitive functions was explored. MK-801-induced cognitive deficits were assessed using NOR, OF and CTA paradigms. MK-801-induced dopamine release increase in acetylcholinesterase (AChE), mono amine oxidase (MAO) activity and increase in c-fos expression were also investigated. RESULTS: The effects caused by MK-801 (0.2 mg/kg) were inhibited by administration of the NMDA receptor agonist DCS (15 mg/kg). NOR and CTA paradigms inhibited by MK-801 were attenuated by DCS administration. Moreover, DCS also blocked the MK-801-induced abnormal increase in dopamine content, AChE activity and MAO activity. However, c-fos overexpression was controlled to some extent only. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the NMDAR hypo function hypothesis in some neuropsychiatric disorders, our finding suggests that improving NMDAR hypo function by agonist DCS may play a significant role.

Phaco-emulsification aspiration procedure: an evaluation.

The results phaco-emulsification aspiration procedure have been evaluated in 50 cataract patients, by observing the final visual acuity achieved and astigmatic error induced, along with incidence of various operative and post-operative complications. Majority of the patients who did not have serious preoperative complications achieved good vision. The procedure has proved to be equally effective for cataracts occurring in the younger age group.

Identification and characterisation of small-molecule inhibitors of Rv3097c-encoded lipase (LipY) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that selectively inhibit growth of bacilli in hypoxia.

The mycobacterial Rv3097c-encoded lipase LipY is considered as a true lipase involved in the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol stored in lipid inclusion bodies for the survival of dormant mycobacteria. To date, orlistat is the only known LipY inhibitor. In view of the important emerging role of this enzyme, a search for small-molecule inhibitors of LipY was made, leading to the identification of some new compounds (8a-8d, 8f, 8h and 8i) with potent inhibitory activities against recombinant LipY, with no cytotoxicity [50% inhibitory concentration (CC(50)) ≥ 500 µg/mL]. The compounds 6a, 8c and 8f potently inhibited (>90%) the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv grown under hypoxia (oxygen-depleted condition) but had no effect on aerobically grown bacilli, suggesting that these new small molecules are highly selective towards the growth inhibition of hypoxic cultures of M. tuberculosis and hence provide new leads for combating latent tuberculosis.

New Cycloartenol Derivatives from Aglaia roxburghiana1.

Two triterpenes, isolated from the aerial parts of AGLAIA ROXBURGHIANA have been characterized as 29-nor-cycloartan-24,25-epoxy-3beta-ol and 29-nor-cycloartan-23-ene-3beta,25-diol; 29-nor-cycloartenol and 28,29-bis-nor-cycloartan-24-methylene-3beta,6alpha-diol, were also isolated.

Antiviral activity of (+)-odorinol1.

A phytochemical investigation of AGLAIA ROXBURGHIANA var. Beddomei (Meliaceae) resulted in the isolation of the active principle and its characterisation as (+)-odorinol exhibiting strong antiviral activity against Ranikhet disease virus (RVD) in chick embryo.