Role of alcoholism in liver abscess

Background:This retrospective study was conducted on 108 patients to find the role of alcoholism in liver abscess. Methods:The present study was undertaken on patients both male and female admitted in surgical wards of Chennai medical college & hospital. 108 patients were taken up for the study from the surgical wards of the hospital over a period of 1½ year i.e., from January 2013 to June 2014.Results:The disease usually affects the males in the age group 25-55 years, alcoholism is found to be the chief predisposing factor. Following alcoholism, poor economic status & malnutrition also plays a vital role as predisposing factors in the formation of liver abscess. Among alcoholism also, consuming locally prepared alcohol plays a vital role, but the reason is still been unknown. Though Alcoholism is a predisposing factor, it has no role in the aetiology and the liver function tests also did not show much alteration. Improvement in radio diagnosis helps not only in diagnosis but also in the management. In complicated liver abscesses, the most common complication was found to be pleuropulmonary, followed by peritoneal and pericardial. With abscess remaining confined to the liver the case fatality rate is nil. Even in complicated cases, the case fatality rate is low. Comparison of the results of our study with various studies which are done all over the world are found be coinciding.Conclusion:From our study it was undoubtedly proved that alcoholism, mainly consuming locally prepared alcohol plays a major role as a predisposing factor for the formation of liver abscesses that is both amoebic as well as pyogenic liver abscess because of the adverse effects of alcohol over the Liver. It is also proven that Alcoholism is never an etiological factor for the formation of liver abscess.

Clinical study of multi nodular goitre in a rural hospital

Background: Worldwide, nodular goitre remains a problem of enormous magnitude affecting no less than 5% of the population. Neither a well formulated nor a simple procedure is available for the management of MNG. Hence the need for the present study. The aim was to study the various modes of presentation, the distribution with respect to age and sex, the usefulness of FNAC, and the complications of surgery.Methods: This was a prospective study of 50 cases of MNG during the period between April 2012 and March 2014, in Chennai medical college hospital with an adequate follow up to look for post op complications.Results: Majority of the patients were females with an M:F ratio of 15:1,with the commonest age group being 31-40 years. All patients presented with swelling in front of the neck, with other complaints being that of pain, discomfort, and features of hyperthyroidism in 6 patients. FNAC was done in all patients and was found to be 100% accurate. Majority of the patients were treated with total thyroidectomy followed by subtotal thyroidectomy. Complications included wound infection, post op bleeding and RLN palsy.Conclusion: FNAC is an invaluable and highly accurate tool in the diagnosis of MNG. Surgery - Total thyroidectomy was found to be an adequate and safe treatment for non- toxic MNG with minimal complications.

CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF TRIDHAM AND 1,2,3,4,6-PENTA-O-GALLOYL-β-DGLUCOSE ON ANTIOXIDANTS STATUS AND TUMOR MARKERS IN EXPERIMENTAL MAMMARY CARCINOMA IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

Objective: To study the restorative effect of Tridham (TD) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-o-galloyl-β-D-glucose (PGG) on 7,12-dimethyl benz(a)anthracene(DMBA)-induced mammary carcinoma in female Sprague-Dawley rats.Methods: Rats were divided into seven groups of six animals each. Group I rats served as control. Group II - mammary carcinoma was inducedby DMBA. Group III and Group IV were induced with DMBA and subsequently treated with TD and PGG, respectively, for 48 days. Group V wastreated with DMBA and subsequently with a standard drug, cyclophosphamide (CYC). Group VI and Group VII were given TD and PGG alone,respectively, for 48 days. After the experimental period, the levels of lipid peroxides (LPO), activities of enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidantssuch as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, reduced glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E wereevaluated in the breast tissue of control and experimental rats. Levels of LPO, marker enzymes such as 5'-nucleotidase and lactate dehydrogenase,were also evaluated.Results: The levels of enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants were decreased in DMBA-induced rats when compared to control rats. The levels oftumor markers were increased in DMBA-induced rats when compared to control rats. These parameters were restored to near normal levels ontreatment with TD and PGG.Conclusions: The results suggest that TD and PGG have a cytoprotective role in DMBA-induced breast cancer-bearing rats. The effect of TD and PGGwas found to be more pronounced than CYC, a standard drug.Keywords: Breast cancer, Tridham, Penta galloyl glucose, Antioxidants, Tumor markers, Sprague-Dawley rats

EFFICACY OF TRIDHAM AND 1,2,3,4,6-PENTA-O-GALLOYL-β-D-GLUCOSE IN REVERSING LIPID PEROXIDATION LEVELS AND MITOCHONDRIAL ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN 7,12-DIMETHYLBENZENEANTHRACENE (DMBA) INDUCED BREAST CANCER IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

Objective: To determine the effect of Tridham (TD) and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose(PGG) on lipid peroxidation levels and mitochondrial antioxidants status in experimental mammary carcinoma.Methods: Elaecoarpus ganitrus (fruits), Terminalia chebula (seed coats), Prosopis cineraria (leaves), adult female albino rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighing 170–190 g and 7,12-dimethylbenzeneanthracene (DMBA) were used for this study. Group I control rats, Group II rats mammary carcinoma induced with DMBA (25 mg in 1 ml olive oil) by gastric intubation. Group III, IV and V DMBA induced rats were treated with TD (400 mg/kg. b. wt/day), PGG (30 mg/kg. b. wt/day) and standard drug, Cyclophosphamide (30 mg/kg. b. wt/day), respectively for 48 d by gastric intubation. Group VI and VII rats served as TD and PGG treated controls, respectively for 48 d by gastric intubation. At the end of the experimental period, the rats were anaesthetized and sacrificed. Mammary glands were isolated and used for biochemical assays and histopathological evaluation.Results: In rats with cancer, the lipid peroxide levels (LPO) were significantly increased and mitochondrial antioxidant levels were decreased. Treatment with TD and PGG decreased LPO levels and increased mitochondrial antioxidant status in mammary carcinoma bearing rats. Histopathological analysis also confirmed the therapeutic effect of TD and PGG. No significant adverse effect was observed in sole drug treated group of rats.Conclusion: TD and PGG have definite therapeutic effect in experimental mammary carcinoma and inhibit growth of cancer cells by restoring mitochondrial antioxidant status and energy metabolism to normal states

THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF TRIDHAM AND 1,2,3,4,6-PENTA-O-GALLOYL-Î’-D-GLUCOSE ON ALTERED ENERGY METABOLISM IN MAMMARY CARCINOMA BEARING RATS

ABSTRACTObjective: Emerging evidence indicates that cancer is primarily a metabolic disease involving disturbances in energy production, and hence,reprogramming of cellular energy metabolism is deemed to be one of the principal hallmarks of cancer. Tridham (TD) has been used by traditionalpractitioners of Siddha medicine against various ailments. Hence, the present study has been designed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of TD onaltered energy metabolism in mammary carcinoma-bearing rats.Methods: Adult female albino rats of Sprague-Dawley strain weighing 170-190 g were used and 7,12-dimethylbenzeneanthracene (DMBA) was used forinduction of mammary carcinoma and rats were divided into seven groups. Group I - control rats, Group II - DMBA-induced rats, Group III - DMBA- andTD-treated rats, Group IV - DMBA- and 1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-d-glucose (PGG)-treated rats, Group V - DMBA- and cyclophosphamide-treated rats,Groups VI and VII are TD and PGG control rats.Results: Significant (p<0.05) increase in the glycolytic enzymes, hexokinase, phosphoglucoisomerase and aldolase, was observed in tumor-bearingrats whereas gluconeogenic enzymes, glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-biphosphatase, were significantly decreased. The activities of themitochondrial Krebs cycle enzymes, isocitrate dehydrogenase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase,and respiratory chain enzymes, nicotinamide dinucleotide dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase, were significantly reduced in tumor tissue ofthe mammary carcinoma-bearing rats. These biochemical disturbances were effectively counteracted by TD and PGG which restore the activities of allthese enzymes to the respective control levels.Conclusion: TD and PGG effectively ameliorated the altered glucose metabolism resulting in the regression of breast cancer.Keywords: Breast cancer, Cancer cachexia, Carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, Krebs cycle

Biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles using Sargassum tenerrimum and its evaluation of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi

1291-1297An important aspect of nanotechnology is the development of a reliable and ecofriendly method for the synthesis of nanomaterials. In the present study, Sargassum tenerrimum extract was used to synthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by the reduction of AuCl4− ions to Au0. The formation and morphology of the synthesized AuNPs were investigated using \UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The nanoparticles synthesized at 60 °C were spherical in shape while few were also hexagonal in shape with the size ranging between 10 and 40 nm. The antibacterial activity of AuNPs was tested against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Salmonella typhi (ATCC 6539). On examination under an epifluorescence microscope, it was found to cause a significant amount of deterioration to the bacterial cells

In vitro anticancer activity of Sargassum sp. polysaccharides against MCF-7 cell lines

1267-1273Seaweed polysaccharides are compounds with promising chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activities. In this study, polysaccharides isolated from Sargassum seaweeds were tested for their efficiency in cancer therapy. Polysaccharides were isolated, purified, and characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR); and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometric (MALDI-MS). It was found that the polysaccharides from Sargassum sp. branches are sulfated galactose–fucose disaccharides and sulfated galactose monosaccharides attached to the main chain through (1–4) linkages. Further, the polysaccharides were tested for cytotoxicity and anticancer activity against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) using the Annexin-V/propidium iodide (PI) staining method

Rapid optical variability of TeV blazars

In this first systematic attempt to characterise the intranight optical variability (INOV) of TeV detected blazars, we have monitored a well defined set of 9 TeV blazars on total 26 nights during 2004-2010. In this R (or V)-band monitoring programme only one blazar was monitored per night for a minimum duration of 4 hours. Using the CCD, an INOV detection threshold of ~ 1-2 % was achieved in the densely sampled DLCs. We have further expanded the sample by including another 13 TeV blazars from literature. This enlarged sample of 22 TeV blazars, monitored on a total of 116 nights (including 55 nights newly reported here), has enabled us to arrive at the first estimate of the INOV duty cycle of TeV detected blazars. Applying the C-test, the INOV DC is found to be 59 %, which decreases to 47 % if only INOV fractional amplitudes above 3 % are considered. These observations also permit, for the first time, a comparison of the INOV characteristics of the two major subclasses of TeV detected BL Lacs, namely LBLs and HBLs, for which we find the INOV DCs to be ~ 63 % and ~ 38 %, respectively. This demonstrates that the INOV differential between LBLs and HBLs persists even when only their TeV detected subsets are considered. Despite dense sampling, the intranight light curves of the 22 TeV blazars have not revealed even a single feature on time scale substantially shorter than 1 hour, even though the inner jets of TeV blazars are believed to have exceptionally large bulk Lorentz factors (and correspondingly stronger time compression). An intriguing feature, clearly detected in the light curve of the HBL J1555+1111, is a 4 per cent `dip' on a 1 hour timescale. This unique feature could have arisen from absorption in a dusty gas cloud, occulting a superluminally moving optical knot in the parsec scale jet of this relatively luminous BL Lacs object.Comment: 39 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Application of r-GO-MMT Hybrid Nanofillers for Improving Strength and Flame Retardancy of Epoxy/Glass Fibre Composites

The application of nanomaterials as a strengthening agent in the fabrication of polymer nanocomposites has gained significant attention due to distinctive properties which can be utilised in structural applications. In this study, reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) and montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclay were used as filler materials to fabricate hybrid epoxy-based nanocomposites. The synergistic effect of nanomaterials on flammability and mechanical behaviour of nanocomposites were studied. Results revealed that the addition of nanofiller showcases 97% and 44.5% improvement in tensile and flexural strength. However, an increment in the percentage of filler material over 0.3% exhibits a decremental mechanical property trend. Likewise, the addition of nanofiller increases the nonignition timing of the glass-fibre-reinforced epoxy composites. Fracture surface morphology displays the occurrence of the ductile fracture mechanism owing to the presence of hybrid fillers