Evaluation of pyracantha crenulata roem for antiurolithogenic activity in albino rats

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of juice extract and alcohol extract of fruit of Pyracantha crenulata (D.Don) Roem  (Rosaceae) against ethylene glycolinduced urolithiasis in male albino rats. Patients and Methods: Lithiasis was induced in rats by administering 0.75% ethylene glycol in drinking water for 28 days and was manifested by hyperoxaluria as well as increased renal excretion of calcium, phosphate and a low urinary magnesium content. Curative and preventive treatment was then tried by supplementation with juice and alcohol extracts (250 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) of P. crenulata fruit. Results: The increased deposition of stone forming constituents in the kidneys of calculogenic rats was significantly lowered by curative and preventive treatment using juice and alcohol extracts (250 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) of P. crenulata fruit which showed a regulatory action on endogenous oxalate synthesis.Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that both prophylactic and therapeutic treatment with juice and alcohol extract of fruit of P. crenulata may reduce precipitation of calcium oxalate, with improvement of kidney function as well as cytoprotective effectKeywords : Ethylene glycol, hyperoxaluria, nephrolithiasis, Pyracantha crenulat

An overview of the predictors of symptomatic urinary tract infection among nursing students

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common infection experienced by humans after respiratory and gastro‑intestinal infections, and also the most common cause of nosocomial infections for patients admitted to hospitals indeed UTIs are the most frequent bacterial infection in women. Aim: The aim was to determine the prevalence of UTI and to identify factors associated with an increased risk of UTI among nursing students. Subjects and Methods: The cross‑sectional study involved 177 unmarried nursing students aged 18–30 years studying in the SRMSIMS, Nursing College Bareilly. A structured questionnaire was used, and study subjects were asked regarding the symptoms of UTI in the previous 3 months. Chi‑square test and Univariate Logistic Regression was used to analyze the data. Results: The overall prevalence of UTI was found to be 19.8% (35/177). Rural background, inadequate water intake, and unsatisfactory toilet habits were found to be strong predictors of UTI. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to sensitize the nursing students regarding the growing need of the issue so that they themselves become aware in addition to raising the awareness of other high‑risk groups.Keywords: Nursing students, Prevalence, Urinary tract infectio

Comparative study of hexane extract for volatile and non volatile components of leaves and rhizomes of Acorus calamus linn. using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)

The present communication attempts to evaluate the comparative study of leaves and rhizomes of Acorus calamus Linn. (Family; Araceae) using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Since the plant contains various volatile and non-volatile components so paper advocates the quantitative study using hexane extract. Acorus calamus Linn. is a well known medicinal plant in traditional medical systems  having various ethno-pharmacological uses. As the official source of the plant is roots and rhizomes, but here study had been done comparatively with leaves. Previously leaves of Acorus calamus were not regarded as useful part of plant, but recently there is growing interest in leaves of the said plant. The leaves are considered to possess various activities such as an insect repellent, when cut up and kept with grain storage; anti-hyperlipidemic; anti-diabetic; antipsychotic; anti-inflammatory and analgesic. As there is no detailed work reported in leaf constituents of the plant, therefore the study revealed specific quantitative HPTLC data for the plant for future standardization work. HPTLC analysis of both leaves and rhizomes showed the presence of Asarone, β- sitosterol, lupeol and Ursolic acid when matched with marker compounds

Caucasian and Asian Specific Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk Loci Reveal Limited Replication and Apparent Allelic Heterogeneity in North Indians

Genome-wide association studies and meta-analysis indicate that several genes/loci are consistently associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in European and Asian populations. To evaluate the transferability status of these findings to an ethnically diverse north Indian population, we performed a replication analysis. We investigated the association of 47 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 43 of these genes/loci with RA in a north Indian cohort comprising 983 RA cases and 1007 age and gender matched controls. Genotyping was done using Infinium human 660w-quad. Association analysis by chi-square test implemented in plink was carried out in two steps. Firstly, association of the index or surrogate SNP (r2>0.8, calculated from reference GIH Hap-Map population) was tested. In the second step, evidence for allelic/locus heterogeneity at aforementioned genes/loci was assessed for by testing additional flanking SNPs in linkage equilibrium with index/surrogate marker

Transethnic analysis of the human leukocyte antigen region for ulcerative colitis reveals not only shared but also ethnicity-specific disease associations

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gut. Genetic association studies have identified the highly variable human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region as the strongest susceptibility locus for IBD, and specifically DRB1*01:03 as a determining factor for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, for most of the association signal such a delineation could not be made due to tight structures of linkage disequilibrium within the HLA. The aim of this study was therefore to further characterize the HLA signal using a trans-ethnic approach. We performed a comprehensive fine mapping of single HLA alleles in UC in a cohort of 9,272 individuals with African American, East Asian, Puerto Rican, Indian and Iranian descent and 40,691 previously analyzed Caucasians, additionally analyzing whole HLA haplotypes. We computationally characterized the binding of associated HLA alleles to human self-peptides and analysed the physico-chemical properties of the HLA proteins and predicted self-peptidomes. Highlighting alleles of the HLA-DRB1*15 group and their correlated HLA-DQ-DR haplotypes, we identified consistent associations across different ethnicities but also identified population-specific signals. We observed that DRB1*01:03 is mostly present in individuals of Western European descent and hardly present in non-Caucasian individuals. We found peptides predicted to bind to risk HLA alleles to be rich in positively charged amino acids such. We conclude that the HLA plays an important role for UC susceptibility across different ethnicities. This research further implicates specific features of peptides that are predicted to bind risk and protective HLA proteins

Association analyses identify 38 susceptibility loci for inflammatory bowel disease and highlight shared genetic risk across populations

Cellular mechanisms in basic and clinical gastroenterology and hepatolog

Genome-wide association studies of autoimmune vitiligo identify 23 new risk loci and highlight key pathways and regulatory variants

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which depigmented skin results from the destruction of melanocytes1, with epidemiological association with other autoimmune diseases2. In previous linkage and genome-wide association studies (GWAS1 and GWAS2), we identified 27 vitiligo susceptibility loci in patients of European ancestry. We carried out a third GWAS (GWAS3) in European-ancestry subjects, with augmented GWAS1 and GWAS2 controls, genome-wide imputation, and meta-analysis of all three GWAS, followed by an independent replication. The combined analyses, with 4,680 cases and 39,586 controls, identified 23 new significantly associated loci and 7 suggestive loci. Most encode immune and apoptotic regulators, with some also associated with other autoimmune diseases, as well as several melanocyte regulators. Bioinformatic analyses indicate a predominance of causal regulatory variation, some of which corresponds to expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) at these loci. Together, the identified genes provide a framework for the genetic architecture and pathobiology of vitiligo, highlight relationships with other autoimmune diseases and melanoma, and offer potential targets for treatment

Standardization of Polyherbal Extract for Type-2 Diabetes

Aims: This study was aimed to standardize the polyherbal extract containing Annona squamosa, Phyllanthus emblica, Berberis aristata and Curcuma longa for the management of type-2 diabetes. The standardization of polyherbal formulation is indispensable in order to achieve the quality, purity, safety and efficacy of drugs. Study Design: Physico-chemical investigations, Physical characteristics, Qualitative phytochemical analyses, fluorescence analysis and HPLC analysis. Materials and Methods: The Standardization of polyherbal extract was based on systematic organoleptic evaluation, physico-chemical investigation, physical characteristics, heavy metal analysis, fluorescence analysis, phytochemical screening, total alkaloid content, determination of viscosity, surface tension, density and HPLC analysis were carried out by official method. Results: Organoleptic evaluation resulted that it was yellowish green in colour with characteristic odour, bitter, pungent taste and fine texture. All the applied Physico-chemical parameters like total ash, acid insoluble, water soluble ash, extractive values, observed pH, moisture content, crude fibre, foaming index were found to be within limit. The limits obtained from physical and other parameters could be used as reference in quality control. The phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, volatile oils, tannins, saponins, phytosterols and mucilage. Absence of detectable levels of heavy metal confirmed that extract was non-toxic in nature. HPLC studies confirm the presence of marker compounds in each extract. Conclusion: On the basis of observations and experimental results, the study can be used as reference standard for the further quality control research as it significantly ensures the use of genuine and uniform material and well-designed methodologies for standardization and development of poly herbal extract

Standardization of Polyherbal Extract for Type-2 Diabetes

Aims: This study was aimed to standardize the polyherbal extract containing Annona squamosa, Phyllanthus emblica, Berberis aristata and Curcuma longa for the management of type-2 diabetes. The standardization of polyherbal formulation is indispensable in order to achieve the quality, purity, safety and efficacy of drugs. Study Design: Physico-chemical investigations, Physical characteristics, Qualitative phytochemical analyses, fluorescence analysis and HPLC analysis. Materials and Methods: The Standardization of polyherbal extract was based on systematic organoleptic evaluation, physico-chemical investigation, physical characteristics, heavy metal analysis, fluorescence analysis, phytochemical screening, total alkaloid content, determination of viscosity, surface tension, density and HPLC analysis were carried out by official method. Results: Organoleptic evaluation resulted that it was yellowish green in colour with characteristic odour, bitter, pungent taste and fine texture. All the applied Physico-chemical parameters like total ash, acid insoluble, water soluble ash, extractive values, observed pH, moisture content, crude fibre, foaming index were found to be within limit. The limits obtained from physical and other parameters could be used as reference in quality control. The phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, volatile oils, tannins, saponins, phytosterols and mucilage. Absence of detectable levels of heavy metal confirmed that extract was non-toxic in nature. HPLC studies confirm the presence of marker compounds in each extract. Conclusion: On the basis of observations and experimental results, the study can be used as reference standard for the further quality control research as it significantly ensures the use of genuine and uniform material and well-designed methodologies for standardization and development of poly herbal extract

ON REDUCED AND α-SKEW QUASI-ARMENDARIZ MODULE

Abstract: Let R be an associated ring with identity. A module M R be an α-weakly rigid module which is generalization of α-compatible module, where α is an monomorphism on R. In this paper we proved the following results. Let M R be a α-weakly rigid module then the following conditions hold