Beneficial role of antioxidants during liver transplantation

Background & Objectives: Initial graft dysfunction, an event mainly due to the unavoidable ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the transplanted organ, is one of the most important early post-operative problems in liver transplantation. It is well known that antioxidants significantly improves early allograft function and both graft and patient survival. Thus, the present study was carried out to evaluate the exact role of antioxidants during liver transplantation. Method: We assessed serum lipid peroxide (as oxidant), serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) and serum vitamin E (as antioxidant) in 30 patients undergoing liver transplantation and equal numbers of healthy subjects. Results: We found that the concentration of serum lipid peroxide (MDA) was significantly increased and antioxidants were significantly decreased in all stages of liver transplant patients as compared with healthy controls (P<0.001). On reperfusion there was pronounced consumption of antioxidants and highly elevated levels of serum lipid peroxide was seen than in those of pre-reperfusion and post-reperfusion stages (P<0.0001) of liver transplantations. Conclusion: Antioxidants can be used in liver transplantation patients to effectively reduce the severity of reperfusion injury and to improve short-term allograft function and patient survival

Assessment of learning urea cycle by “animated video” verses “OHP method”: perception of Ist BDS students

During the study of dentistry, biochemistry is given less priority by most of the dental students, as they think that it has little role in their dental practices later. Instilling due value of learning biochemistry among the students and making them attend biochemistry lectures during their study is a challenging task among the teachers. This research was conducted to observe whether the interest of the students in learning biochemistry can be enhanced if new technologies such as animated videos are used. While traditional method of teaching with Over Head Projector was also conducted to compare the result. Urea cycle from biochemistry was selected as a topic for this research. The result has been quite encouraging among the students as they found biochemistry as interesting a subject than before

Role of oxidative stress in various stages of psoriasis

Abstract Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory, proliferative skin disease characterized by pathological skin lesions due to various exogenous and endogenous factors. It is associated with a number of biochemical and immunological disturbances. Recently, it has been suggested that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and compromised function of antioxidant system may be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. In the present study, 90 psoriasis patients were selected. Disease severity was assessed by psoriasis area severity index score and grouped as mild, moderate and severe (each group consists of 30 subjects) and compared with 30 healthy controls. Serum levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide end products and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as erythrocyte-superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant status were investigated in these groups/subjects. As compared to controls, we found severitywise significantly increased serum malondialdehyde, nitric oxide end products with decrease in erythrocyte-superoxide dismutase activity, catalase activity and total antioxidant status in patients with psoriasis suggesting worsening of the disease. It seems to be linked with the enhancement of Reactive Oxygen Species production and decreased antioxidant potential in psoriasis

Role of Oxidative Stress in Various Stages of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory, proliferative skin disease characterized by pathological skin lesions due to various exogenous and endogenous factors. It is associated with a number of biochemical and immunological disturbances. Recently, it has been suggested that increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and compromised function of antioxidant system may be involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. In the present study, 90 psoriasis patients were selected. Disease severity was assessed by psoriasis area severity index score and grouped as mild, moderate and severe (each group consists of 30 subjects) and compared with 30 healthy controls. Serum levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide end products and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as erythrocyte-superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant status were investigated in these groups/subjects. As compared to controls, we found severitywise significantly increased serum malondialdehyde, nitric oxide end products with decrease in erythrocyte-superoxide dismutase activity, catalase activity and total antioxidant status in patients with psoriasis suggesting worsening of the disease. It seems to be linked with the enhancement of Reactive Oxygen Species production and decreased antioxidant potential in psoriasis