Comparative study of nitroglycerin dermal patch versus nifedipine in the management of preterm labour

Background: The aim of present study was to compare the effect of nitroglycerin dermal patch and nifedipine for taking control of preterm labor (tocolysis) and to find the safer drug for mother and foetus.Methods: Women with signs and symptoms of preterm labor between gestational ages 26-37 weeks were studied. These women were divided into 2 groups. Group A-50 women were prescribed nitroglycerin dermal patch and in Group B-50 women were given nifedipine. Primary outcome of the study was to delay the delivery for at least 48 hours. Secondary outcomes were gestational age at the time of delivery, prolongation of labor, effect on neonate and adverse effects.Results: Both groups were comparable regarding cervical effacement in cm and gestational age in weeks at the time of enrollment. Gestational age at the time of delivery in weeks (p 0.05), neonatal Apgar score at 5 minutes (p < 0.05), neonatal weight in kg (p < 0.05) and foetal outcomes were better in nifedipine group in comparison to nitroglycerin. The overall side effects were less in nifedipine group as compared to nitroglycerin group. Overall success rate was 88% with nifedipine and 76% in nitroglycerin cases.Conclusions: Both the drugs were able to postpone the delivery for 48 hours. Nifedipine was found to be superior to nitroglycerin dermal patch in prolongation of gestational age at the time of delivery, in perinatal outcome and maternal acceptance

Primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma: a case report with review

Primary ovarian leiomyosarcoma is a very rare tumor. Presenting a case report with review of literature

Evaluation of high risk screening protocol for detection of overt hypothyroidism in pregnancy

Background: Overt hypothyroidism is a known cause of feto-maternal morbidity. Many large-scale studies do not support the identification and treatment of sub-clinical hypothyroidism. Hence, we need a screening protocol that will identify all cases of overt hypothyroidism. The present study aimed to evaluate the high-risk screening protocol for detection of overt hypothyroidism during pregnancy.Methods: Authors performed a prospective observational study for detection of thyroid dysfunction in 604 pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital setting. Detailed demographic, medical and obstetric history was noted and baseline serum thyrotropin (TSH) level and urinary iodine levels were checked. Reflex testing for thyroid peroxidase antibody was done in women diagnosed to have hypothyroidism. The enrolled women were then grouped as high risk if any of the high-risk criteria provided by ATA was positive.Results: The study population was iodine sufficient with median urinary iodine (MUI) level of 255µg/l. Overall 32.2% women (n=201) were found to be hypothyroid (TSH >2.5mIU/L), 0.8% women (n=5) were hyperthyroid. Overt hypothyroidism was seen in 3.8% women (n=23), all of whom were in the high-risk group as per the ATA guidelines. This co-relation was highly significant (likelihood ratio 24.94; P 0.05.Conclusions: High risk screening protocol is highly sensitive for detection of overt hypothyroidism and provides the best therapeutic payoff

Primary ovarian carcinoid: a case report

Primary ovarian carcinoid tumor is a rare entity, usually seen in perimenopausal or menopausal age group, it’s rarely malignant. A case study of a 53yr old female who presented with a large primary ovarian carcinoid is being reported here

Leiomyoma of vulva mimmicking bartholin cyst

Leiomyoma of vulva are uncommon findings in women of reproductive age group. It is often misdiagnosed as Bartholin cyst as unilateral swelling of vulva in women of reproductive age group is commonly a bartholin cyst or abscess. We describe a case of leiomyoma that clinically mimicked bartholin duct cyst. Identification of leiomyoma or leiomyosarcoma is necessary because of risk of recurrence, need of radiation and or chemotherapy in addition to surgical excision whereas standard treatment for bartholin cyst is marsuplisation

Profile of congenital defects in foetuses: incidence and risk factors: a prospective observational study

Background: Perinatal outcome is one of the major indicators of evaluating health care system of a country. Congenital defects form important components of this parameter. The aim of the study was to determine the risk factors associated with congenital malformations in foetuses.Methods: All antenatal mothers whose foetuses were detected to have congenital defects on ultrasonography irrespective of period of gestation were enrolled for the study.Results: Eighty-six pregnant women with prenatally diagnosed fetal anomalies were enrolled for the study, out of which, 87.2% (N=75) belonged to 20-30 years age group. Majority of the subjects were educated till secondary school. Compared to primigravidae, the incidence of malformations was significantly higher in the multigravida group (69.8% vs 30.2% respectively). Thirty-eight (44.2%) mothers with malformed foetuses missed folic acid intake during early pregnancy. Only 40% mothers had prior history of abortions. Smoking was seen in 9% of subjects with malformations. Seven (8.3%) mothers had previous history of malformations and 5 (5.8%) reported a family history of malformations. Consanguineous marriage was observed in 4.7% of couples. Oligohydramnios or anhydramnios was associated with 11.6% foetuses, while polyhydramnios was seen in 53.5%. CNS malformations were seen in 57% of foetus, followed by genitourinary system malformations (9.2%).Conclusions: Tertiary level hospitals need to be upgraded with a dedicated multidisciplinary team of foetal medicine to cater to medical, clinical, surgical, preventive and therapeutic needs of malformed foetuses

Curcumin and derivatives function through protein phosphatase 2A and presenilin orthologues in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Natural compounds often have complex molecular structures and unknown molecular targets. These characteristics make them difficult to analyse using a classical pharmacological approach. Curcumin, the main curcuminoid of turmeric, is a complex molecule possessing wide-ranging biological activities, cellular mechanisms and roles in potential therapeutic treatment including Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Here, we investigate the physiological effects and molecular targets of curcumin in Dictyostelium discoideum We show curcumin causes acute effects on cell behaviour, reduces cell growth, and slows multicellular development. We then employ a range of structurally related compounds to show the distinct role of different structural groups cell behaviour, growth, and development, highlighting active moieties in cell function, and showing that these cellular effects are unrelated to the well-known antioxidant activity of curcumin. Molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of curcumin and one synthetic analogue (EF24) were then investigated to identify a curcumin-resistant mutant lacking the protein phosphatase 2A regulatory subunit (PsrA) and an EF24-resistant mutant lacking the presenilin 1 orthologue (PsenB). Using in-silico docking analysis, we then show that curcumin may function through direct binding to a key regulatory region of PsrA. These findings reveal novel cellular and molecular mechanisms for the function of curcumin and related compounds

Curcumin―The Paradigm of a Multi-Target Natural Compound with Applications in Cancer Prevention and Treatment

As cancer is a multifactor disease, it may require treatment with compounds able to target multiple intracellular components. We summarize here how curcumin is able to modulate many components of intracellular signaling pathways implicated in inflammation, cell proliferation and invasion and to induce genetic modulations eventually leading to tumor cell death. Clinical applications of this natural compound were initially limited by its low solubility and bioavailability in both plasma and tissues but combination with adjuvant and delivery vehicles was reported to largely improve bio-availability of curcumin. Moreover, curcumin was reported to act in synergism with several natural compounds or synthetic agents commonly used in chemotherapy. Based on this, curcumin could thus be considered as a good candidate for cancer prevention and treatment when used alone or in combination with other conventional treatments

NF-kappaB mediates the survival of human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract

Background: We have previously reported that low concentrations of cigarette smoke extract induce DNA damage without leading to apoptosis or necrosis in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs), and that IL-6/STAT3 signaling contributes to the cell survival. Since NF-kappa B is also involved in regulating apoptosis and cell survival, the current study was designed to investigate the role of NF-kappa B in mediating cell survival in response to cigarette smoke exposure in HBECs. Methods: Both the pharmacologic inhibitor of NF-kappa B, curcumin, and RNA interference targeting p65 were used to block NF-kappa B signaling in HBECs. Apoptosis and cell survival were then assessed by various methods including COMET assay, LIVE/DEAD Cytotoxicity/Viability assay and colony formation assay. Results: Cigarette smoke extract (CSE) caused DNA damage and cell cycle arrest in S phase without leading to apoptosis in HBECs as evidenced by TUNEL assay, COMET assay and DNA content assay. CSE stimulated NF-kappa B -DNA binding activity and up-regulated Bcl-XL protein in HBECs. Inhibition of NF-kappa B by the pharmacologic inhibitor curcumin (20 mu M) or suppression of p65 by siRNA resulted in a significant increase in cell death in response to cigarette smoke exposure. Furthermore, cells lacking p65 were incapable of forming cellular colonies when these cells were exposed to CSE, while they behaved normally in the regular culture medium. Conclusion: The current study demonstrates that CSE activates NF-kappa B and up-regulates Bcl-XL through NF-kappa B activation in HBECs, and that CSE induces cell death in cells lacking p65. These results suggest that activation of NF-kappa B regulates cell survival following DNA damage by cigarette smoke in human bronchial epithelial cells.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000260432600001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Respiratory SystemSCI(E)28ARTICLEnull

Phytochemicals in Cancer Prevention and Therapy: Truth or Dare?

A voluminous literature suggests that an increase in consumption of fruit and vegetables is a relatively easy and practical strategy to reduce significantly the incidence of cancer. The beneficial effect is mostly associated with the presence of phytochemicals in the diet. This review focuses on a group of them, namely isothiocyanate, curcumin, genistein, epigallocatechin gallate, lycopene and resveratrol, largely studied as chemopreventive agents and with potential clinical applications. Cellular and animal studies suggest that these molecules induce apoptosis and arrest cell growth by pleiotropic mechanisms. The anticancer efficacy of these compounds may result from their use in monotherapy or in association with chemotherapeutic drugs. This latter approach may represent a new pharmacological strategy against several types of cancers. However, despite the promising results from experimental studies, only a limited number of clinical trials are ongoing to assess the therapeutic efficacy of these molecules. Nevertheless, the preliminary results are promising and raise solid foundations for future investigations