23 research outputs found
Protandim, a Fundamentally New Antioxidant Approach in Chemoprevention Using Mouse Two-Stage Skin Carcinogenesis as a Model
Oxidative stress is an important contributor to cancer development. Consistent with that, antioxidant enzymes have been demonstrated to suppress tumorigenesis when being elevated both in vitro and in vivo, making induction of these enzymes a more potent approach for cancer prevention. Protandim, a well-defined combination of widely studied medicinal plants, has been shown to induce superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities and reduce superoxide generation and lipid peroxidation in healthy human subjects. To investigate whether Protandim can suppress tumor formation by a dietary approach, a two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis study was performed. At the end of the study, the mice on a Protandim-containing basal diet had similar body weight compared with those on the basal diet, which indicated no overt toxicity by Protandim. After three weeks on the diets, there was a significant increase in the expression levels of SOD and catalase, in addition to the increases in SOD activities. Importantly, at the end of the carcinogenesis study, both skin tumor incidence and multiplicity were reduced in the mice on the Protandim diet by 33% and 57% respectively, compared with those on basal diet. Biochemical and histological studies revealed that the Protandim diet suppressed tumor promoter-induced oxidative stress (evidenced by reduction of protein carbonyl levels), cell proliferation (evidenced by reduction of skin hyperplasia and suppression of PKC/JNK/Jun pathway), and inflammation (evidenced by reduction of ICAM-1/VCAM-1 expression, NF-ÎșB binding activity, and nuclear p65/p50 levels). Overall, induction of antioxidant enzymes by Protandim may serve as a practical and potent approach for cancer prevention
Quality of aonla candy and segments-in-syrup prepared from steep preserved fruits in water
119-122Aonla products are commercially prepared
either from fresh fruits or from fruits stored in water/salt solution. In the
present investigation aonla fruits were stored in water up to 21 days at room
temperature and fruits were withdrawn
at 7 days interval for the preparation of products namely candy and
segments-in-syrup. The fruits and products were assessed for ascorbic acid and
polyphenol contents besides sensory evaluation of the products. A gradual
decrease in ascorbic acid (306 to 75 mg/100 g) and polyphenols (2.64 to 0.90%)
in fruits was noticed during 21 days of storage. Almost 75% of ascorbic acid
and 65% of polyphenols were lost during storage of fruits in water up to 21
days. The loss was also reflected in the products prepared from the stored
fruits. The retention of ascorbic acid in candy and segments-in-syrup was
around 30%, while that of polyphenols was around 60-70% when prepared from 21
days of fruit storage as compared to those prepared from fresh fruits. The
organoleptic quality of the prepared products decreased with the increase in
the storage period of fruits. Highly acceptable products could be prepared from
fresh fruits and fruits stored in water up to 7 days without much loss in the
contents of ascorbic acid and polyphenols. However, the products prepared from
the fruits after
21 days of storage were poor in quality and unacceptable organoleptically. It
could be concluded from the study that acceptable nutritious value added products
could be prepared from fresh as well as fruits stored up to 7 days in water
A nationally representative case-control study of smoking and death in India.
BACKGROUND: The nationwide effects of smoking on mortality in India have not been assessed reliably. METHODS: In a nationally representative sample of 1.1 million homes, we compared the prevalence of smoking among 33,000 deceased women and 41,000 deceased men (case subjects) with the prevalence of smoking among 35,000 living women and 43,000 living men (unmatched control subjects). Mortality risk ratios comparing smokers with nonsmokers were adjusted for age, educational level, and use of alcohol. RESULTS: About 5% of female control subjects and 37% of male control subjects between the ages of 30 and 69 years were smokers. In this age group, smoking was associated with an increased risk of death from any medical cause among both women (risk ratio, 2.0; 99% confidence interval [CI], 1.8 to 2.3) and men (risk ratio, 1.7; 99% CI, 1.6 to 1.8). Daily smoking of even a small amount of tobacco was associated with increased mortality. Excess deaths among smokers, as compared with nonsmokers, were chiefly from tuberculosis among both women (risk ratio, 3.0; 99% CI, 2.4 to 3.9) and men (risk ratio, 2.3; 99% CI, 2.1 to 2.6) and from respiratory, vascular, or neoplastic disease. Smoking was associated with a reduction in median survival of 8 years for women (99% CI, 5 to 11) and 6 years for men (99% CI, 5 to 7). If these associations are mainly causal, smoking in persons between the ages of 30 and 69 years is responsible for about 1 in 20 deaths of women and 1 in 5 deaths of men. In 2010, smoking will cause about 930,000 adult deaths in India; of the dead, about 70% (90,000 women and 580,000 men) will be between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Because of population growth, the absolute number of deaths in this age group is rising by about 3% per year. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking causes a large and growing number of premature deaths in India
Cinnamon bark oil, a potent fungitoxicant against fungi causing respiratory tract mycoses
Synthesis of N-[3âČ-(acetylthio)alkanoyl] and N-[3âČ-mercaptoalkanoyl]-4-α(s)-(phenylmethyl) pyroglutamic acids and prolines as potent ACE inhibitors
Larger floods of Himalayan foothill rivers sustained flows in the GhaggarâHakra channel during Harappan age
Phenotypic Diversity for Agro-Morphological Traits in 105 Landraces of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) from Santhal Parganas, Jharkhand, India
Catarata subcapsular posterior em pacientes com pĂȘnfigo e penfigĂłide tratados com corticoterapia oral Posterior subcapsular cataract in patients with pemphigus and pemphigoid using oral corticosteroid
FUNDAMENTO: O tratamento mais utilizado para pacientes com dermatoses bolhosas crĂŽnicas Ă© a corticoterapia oral, muitas vezes em altas doses e por perĂodos prolongados. Como efeitos colaterais dessa terapĂȘutica, freqĂŒentemente ocorrem: hipertensĂŁo arterial, diabete, osteoporose, infecçÔes e distĂșrbios hidroeletrolĂticos. A catarata subcapsular posterior Ă© raramente citada na literatura como efeito colateral da corticoterapia em pacientes com doenças bolhosas. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalĂȘncia de catarata subcapsular posterior como efeito colateral da corticoterapia oral. MĂTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo retrospectivo incluindo 49 pacientes com dermatoses bolhosas crĂŽnicas em uso de corticoterapia acompanhados entre janeiro de 1987 e dezembro de 1997 no ambulatĂłrio de Dermatoses Bolhosas do Departamento de Dermatologia da Unifesp/EPM e regularmente submetidos Ă avaliação oftalmolĂłgica em busca de catarata cortisĂŽnica. RESULTADOS: No perĂodo de 1987 a 1997, 49 pacientes foram avaliados, tendo apresentado prevalĂȘncia de catarata subcapsular posterior como efeito colateral da corticoterapia oral de 28,57%. CONCLUSĂES: 1) a prevalĂȘncia de catarata foi de 28,57%; 2) o tempo mĂ©dio de tratamento atĂ© o surgimento de catarata foi de 45,71 meses; 3) a mĂ©dia da dose mĂĄxima de corticosterĂłide utilizada pelos pacientes foi de 78,57mg/dia.<br>BACKGROUND: Oral corticosteroid is the treatment most used for patients with chronic bullous dermatosis, often at high dosages and over long periods of time. Arterial hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, infections and hydro-electrolytic disturbances frequently occur as side effects of this therapy. Posterior subcapsular cataract is rarely mentioned in the literature as a side effect of corticosteroid in patients with bullous diseases. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence of posterior subcapsular cataract as a side effect of oral corticosteroid. METHODS: A retrospective study: 49 patients with chronic bullous diseases using a corticosteroid were followed-up from 1987 to 1997 at the Bullous Dermatosis Outpatient Care Unit of the Department of Dermatology, UNIFESP - EPM. The patients were regularly submitted to ophthalmologic evaluation in search for cortisone cataract. This evaluation was carried out at the beginning of the treatment and regularly during the use of the corticosteroid. RESULTS: From 1987 to 1997, the incidence of posterior subcapsular cataract as a side effect of oral corticosteroid was 28.57% in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: 1) among 49 patients, 14 (28.57%) presented with cortisone cataract. 2) the period of time of prednisone use up to the appearance of cataract varied from eight months to nine years and three months (average 45.71 months). 3) the maximum dose of oral corticosteroid required for the management of the clinical picture ranged from 60 to 120 mg daily (average of 78.57 mg daily)