A SURVEY ON METHODS OF UNDERGRADUATE PHARMACOLOGY TEACHING

Knowledge of pharmacology to choose and prescribe drugs is a major challenge encountered by medical practitioners. A number of initiatives have been carried out to improve the teaching of pharmacology and applied therapeutics.Material & methods-A survey was conducted on medical students,pursuing pharmacology at Kasturba Medical College,Manipal,during the month of August 2010,to obtain information regarding students attitude towards Pharmacology. Result-Two hundred and fourteen students participated.The total median score was 56 (maximum score 80).Majority of them suggested to have more problem based learning than didactic lectures and to have integrated teaching with other clinical subjects. Suggestions to improve pharmacology teaching were noted.Conclusion-The findings of the study would be of interest to medical educators in modifying undergraduate pharmacology teaching programm

Neonatal methyl parathion exposure affects the growth and functions of the male reproductive system in the adult rat

Methyl parathion (MP) is a well-known organophosphorus pesticide, to which humans are exposed in fruit and vegetables as residues of 0-2 mg/kg, children being at higher risk of exposure. The present study was planned to investigate the effects on the adult male reproductive functions of MP following neonatal exposure. New born male Wistar rat pups were treated orally with either 0 or 0.5 mg/kg MP from postnatal day (PND) 3 to PND 28 and sacrificed on PND 98 for the purpose of examination of the reproductive system. Methyl parathion lowered the body weights from days 10 to 24 (p < 0.01), the weights of the reproductive organs (p < 0.05-0.01), the epididymal sperm count (p < 0.01) and the homogenisation-resistant testicular spermatid head count (p < 0.01) and also decreased acid phosphatase (ACP), cholesterol, uric acid, protein, ascorbic acid, and lactate dehydrogenase (p < 0.01) levels in the testis but only ACP and cholesterol in the epididymis. The levels of abnormal sperm and testosterone in the testis were increased (p < 0.01), whereas the leutinising hormone level and total number of seminiferous tubules decreased in the testes of treated rats (p < 0.01). A few tubules showed exfoliation of epithelium and vacuoles. The incidence of stage XIV tubules and ratios of meiotic figures and elongating spermatids to Sertoli cell nucleoli decreased (p < 0.01; Mann-Whitney U test). The present results indicate that MP acts as an endocrine disruptor and consequently affects the postnatal development and growth of the male reproductive organs in the rat. These findings are important to the general public, as there is a chance of children being exposed to this pesticide

The effect of sodium valproate on the biochemical parameters of reproductive function in male albino Wistar rats

Objective: To assess the effects of sodium valproate on intratesticular testosterone and lactic dehydrogenase level in rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats (12 weeks old) were treated with sodium valproate and sacrificed at the end of the 2 nd , 4 th , 5 th , 7 th , 10 th and 15 th week, after the last exposure to sodium valproate. The testes were removed, weighed and processed for biochemical analysis. Results: The intratesticular testosterone level was significantly (P< 0.001) reduced in 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg treated rats. The intratesticular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level was significantly (P< 0.001) increased by valproate in a time dependent manner. Conclusion: Valproate causes reversible change in intratesticular testosterone and LDH level