Protein carbonyls and protein thiols in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) has an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). OS causes protein modification, thereby impairing the biological functions of the protein. This study was conducted to assess the oxidatively modified protein as protein carbonyl content and the antioxidant status as protein thiols, and to study the association between protein carbonyls and protein thiols in RA.Methods: Newly diagnosed RA patients who were not taking any disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs were included into the study group (n=45) along with age and sex matched healthy controls (n=45). Serum protein carbonyl content and protein thiols were estimated.Results: Elevated protein carbonyl content and decreased protein thiol levels (p<0.001) were observed in RA. A significant negative correlation was observed between protein carbonyl content and protein thiol levels (p<0.001).Conclusions: Oxidative stress in RA is evidenced by enhanced protein oxidation and decreased antioxidant protein thiol levels. Decreased protein thiols may also reflect protein modifications leading to compromise in the antioxidant properties. This oxidant and antioxidant imbalance needs to be addressed by therapeutic interventions to prevent disease progression

ACUTE TOXICITY STUDIES OF AQUEOUS SEED EXTRACT OF VIGNA UNGUICULATA IN ALBINO RATS

Objective: Increased usage of traditional folklore medicines by the public has led to scientific evaluation of safety of the herbs thereby providing the physicians the data required to employ them in the management of ailments. Seeds of Vigna unguiculata are commonly consumed as vegetables and as a culinary dish in most parts of Asian sub-continent. The present study was carried out to screen phytochemical constituents, evaluate acute toxic effects and determine LD50 of aqueous seed extract of Vigna unguiculata.Methods: Phytochemical screening was carried out as described by Kokate. Acute oral toxicity study was carried out based on OECD guideline 423 and a limit test at a dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight was carried out in female wistar rats. The extract was orally administered in animals at a single dose of 2000mg/kg body weight. Signs of toxicity and mortality were noted after 1, 4 and 24h of administration of the extract for 14 days.Results: Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids and proteins. No mortality and no significant changes were observed in physical observations, behavioral observations, autonomic effects, sensory responses, reflexes, respiratory effects and somatomotor activity in animals which reveal the safety of the extract at dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight.Conclusion: Conclusively, the results suggest that the aqueous extract is not acutely toxic to the rats and LD50 was found to be higher than 2000 mg/kg

Micropropagation of Cryptolepis buchanani Roem. & Schult.

vitro regeneration protocol was developed for multiplication of Cryptolepis buchanani by using shoot tip, cotyledonary node and nodal explants derived from seedlings grown in vitro. The best response was achieved with nodal explants. Cultures were established placing the nodal explants on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS; 1962) medium supplemented with various cytokinins singly or in combination with auxin and gibberellin. Of the various cytokinins used singly or in combination with auxins, 6-Benzyl aminopurine (BAP) was found to be most effective for shoot proliferation. The maximum number of shoots (12.5 to 13.0 shoots / explant with a shoot length of 4.5 to 5.0 cm) were produced on MS medium fortified with BAP 2mg/L, Kinetin (KN) 0.1mg/L, Napthalene acetic acid (NAA) 0.05 mg/L and gibberellic acid (GA3) 0.05 mg/L with 60% response. Individual shoots (grown on shoot proliferation medium) were rooted on MS medium supplemented with various auxins－Indole acetic acid (IAA), Indole butyric acid (IBA), NAA－singly or in combination. Of these IBA 1 mg/L resulted in higher number of microshoots (80%) to form roots (about 6.5 to 7.0 roots / shoot and the root length of 4.0 to 4.5 cm). The in vitro raised plantlets were acclimatized successfully to pots containing a mixture of autoclaved peatmoss and compost in 1:1 ratio

Protein carbonyls and protein thiols in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) has an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). OS causes protein modification, thereby impairing the biological functions of the protein. This study was conducted to assess the oxidatively modified protein as protein carbonyl content and the antioxidant status as protein thiols, and to study the association between protein carbonyls and protein thiols in RA.Methods: Newly diagnosed RA patients who were not taking any disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs were included into the study group (n=45) along with age and sex matched healthy controls (n=45). Serum protein carbonyl content and protein thiols were estimated.Results: Elevated protein carbonyl content and decreased protein thiol levels (p&lt;0.001) were observed in RA. A significant negative correlation was observed between protein carbonyl content and protein thiol levels (p&lt;0.001).Conclusions: Oxidative stress in RA is evidenced by enhanced protein oxidation and decreased antioxidant protein thiol levels. Decreased protein thiols may also reflect protein modifications leading to compromise in the antioxidant properties. This oxidant and antioxidant imbalance needs to be addressed by therapeutic interventions to prevent disease progression

Limestones of western Newfoundland that magnetized before Devonian folding but after Middle Ordovician lithification

A positive fold test and a negative conglomerate test help determine when and how stable remanence was acquired in the Middle Ordovician Table Head Group limestones of the Port au Port Peninsula of Newfoundland. The limestones magnetized after lithification and incorporation as clasts into a Middle Ordovician breccia. Hence, the limestones do not carry a detrital or other primary remanence despite their very low conodont colour alteration index of 1. The remanence may be thermoviscous or diagenetic and was acquired before Devonian folding. This suggests the need for caution in interpreting paleomagnetic results from other early Paleozoic limestones whose remanence resides in magnetite of blocking temperature lower than 400°C

38. TWO NEW PLANT RECORDS FROM ANDHRA PRADESH

Volume: 88Start Page: 307End Page: 30

Avifauna of Thummalapalle Uranium Mining Area, Andhra Pradesh, India

The avifauna of Thummalapalle Uranium Mining Area in Kadapa and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh consists of 99 species belonging to 43 families as observed during the two-and-half year long study between 2009 and 2012.  The majority of them are residents (92%) and a very few are local migrants (5%) and winter migrants (2%), and inclusive of 47 species that are common, 13 occasional, 17 uncommon and 22 rare

Supplementation of <em>Daucus carota </em>L. extract prevents urolithiasis in experimental rats

253-260Daucus carota L. was first used for medical purposes and gradually used as a food worldwide and it has been endorsed in relic Ayurvedic scriptures in India and is being used in many Ayurvedic formulations as a chief ingredient. The present study was designed to evaluate the antiurolithiatic activity of D. carota L. extract against ethylene glycol (EG) and Vitamin D3 induced urolithiasis rats. The protective effect of D. carota L. root extract was studied in a dose-dependent manner by using 200 and 400 mg/kg in rats for four weeks and the anti-urolithiatic potentiality was accessed by measuring the parameters like calcium, sodium, potassium, oxalate, inorganic phosphate, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and uric acid were estimated in both serum and urine by using commercial diagnostic kits. The in vivo antioxidant activity of D. carota L. was also evaluated and histopathological changes that occurred in the kidney observed. Serum and urinary levels of calcium, creatinine, oxalate, blood urea and blood urea nitrogen level were found to be decreased significantly in groups pre-treated with D. carota L. extract. The animals treated with test drug showed much improvement in physical parameters like body weight, urine volume and pH of urine. Histopathology of kidney showed almost normal kidney architecture in treated groups compared to disease control rats. The biochemical and histopathological parameters studied in rats have revealed the presences of antiurolithiatic property in the roots of Daucus carota L. This property was dose-dependent

Carbamylated hemoglobin can differentiate acute kidney injury from chronic kidney disease

Carbamylated hemoglobin (CarHb) was found to have a potential role in the differentiation of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) from chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study was aimed at the evaluation of the diagnostic performance and usefulness of CarHb in the differentiation of AKI from CKD. Forty patients with renal disease and twenty age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Urea, creatinine, Hb, and CarHb were measured in all the subjects. Patients with AKI and CKD were found to have significantly increased levels of CarHb when compared to controls (P < 0.05 for both groups). Patients with CKD had significantly increased levels of CarHb when compared to patients with AKI (P < 0.05). CarHb showed significant positive correlation with urea in patients with renal disease (r = 0.776, P < 0.0001). Significant area under curve (AUC = 0.840, P < 0.0001) was obtained for CarHb and a cut-off value of 98.33 μg VH/g Hb resulted with the best combination of 85% sensitivity and 75% specificity. CarHb may provide clinical utility since patients with AKI and CKD have similar clinical presentation usually. A cut-off value of 98.33 μg VH/g Hb has been found to be useful to differentiate AKI from CKD