LARVICIDAL POTENTIAL OF INDIGOFERA TINCTORIA (FABACEAE) ON DENGUE VECTOR (AEDES AEGYPTI) AND ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AGAINST CLINICAL ISOLATES

 antimicrobial efficacy against clinical isolates.Methods: The extract was tested at various concentrations 64, 128, 256, and 512 mg/ml for antimicrobial activity and 0.1 and 5 mg/L were preparedfor larvicidal activity. The numbers of dead larvae were counted after 24 hrs of exposure.Result: The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the extract were 128 mg/ml against Klebsiella spp. - 1 alone and rest of theclinical test pathogens execute MIC activity at 512 mg/ml. The extract also showed antifungal activity with MIC of 64 mg/ml against the Candidaalbicans. Larvicidal activity of I. tinctoria extract were tested against fourth instar larvae A. aegypti and larval mortality were found after 24 hrs withlethal concentration (LC50)=3.1870 and LC90=5.3991 were observed.Conclusions: These results indicated that the extract displayed larvicidal potential on A. aegypti and antimicrobial activity against clinical isolates.Keywords: Infectious disease, Indigofera tinctoria, Antimicrobial activity, Larvicidal activity

Awareness regarding eye donation among stakeholders in Srikakulam district in South India

Background There is a huge need for the availability of transplantable donor corneas worldwide to reduce the burden of corneal blindness due to corneal opacity. Voluntary eye donation depends on the awareness levels of various stakeholders in the community. This study aimed to assess the awareness level regarding eye donation among various stakeholders in Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods 355 subjects were selected from the district using multi stage random sampling. A pre tested semi structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding each individual’s awareness, knowledge, and perception regarding eye donation. Each response was scored individually and a total score was calculated. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with willingness towards eye donation and increased awareness levels. Results Of the 355 subjects interviewed, 192 (54%) were male and 163 (46%) were female. The mean age of the stakeholders was 35.9 years (SD ±16.1) and all the study subjects were literate. Ninety-three percent of subjects were aware of the concept of eye donation. Knowledge levels were similar among the teaching community and persons engaged in social service, but lower among students (p < 0.05). Among the stakeholders, there was considerable ambiguity regarding whether persons currently wearing spectacles or suffering from a chronic illnesses could donate their eyes. Older age group (p < 0.001), female gender (p < 0.001) and education (p < 0.001) were associated with increased knowledge levels. 82% of the subjects were willing to donate their eyes and this was unaffected by gender or geographical location (rural vs urban). Conclusions Awareness levels and willingness to donate eyes are high among the stakeholders in Srikakulam district in India. The services of stakeholders could be utilized, in conjunction with other community based eye donation counselors, to promote awareness regarding eye donation among the general population

Prevalence of refractive errors in children in India: a systematic review

Uncorrected refractive error is an avoidable cause of visual impairment which affects children in India. The objective of this review is to estimate the prevalence of refractive errors in children ≤ 15 years of age. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines were followed in this review. A detailed literature search was performed to include all population and school‐based studies published from India between January 1990 and January 2017, using the Cochrane Library, Medline and Embase. The quality of the included studies was assessed based on a critical appraisal tool developed for systematic reviews of prevalence studies. Four population‐based studies and eight school‐based studies were included. The overall prevalence of refractive error per 100 children was 8.0 (CI: 7.4–8.1) and in schools it was 10.8 (CI: 10.5–11.2). The population‐based prevalence of myopia, hyperopia (≥ +2.00 D) and astigmatism was 5.3 per cent, 4.0 per cent and 5.4 per cent, respectively. Combined refractive error and myopia alone were higher in urban areas compared to rural areas (odds ratio [OR]: 2.27 [CI: 2.09–2.45]) and (OR: 2.12 [CI: 1.79–2.50]), respectively. The prevalence of combined refractive errors and myopia alone in schools was higher among girls than boys (OR: 1.2 [CI: 1.1–1.3] and OR: 1.1 [CI: 1.1–1.2]), respectively. However, hyperopia was more prevalent among boys than girls in schools (OR: 2.1 [CI: 1.8–2.4]). Refractive error in children in India is a major public health problem and requires concerted efforts from various stakeholders including the health care workforce, education professionals and parents, to manage this issue

Global prevalence of childhood cataract: a systematic review

Childhood cataract is an avoidable cause of visual disability worldwide and is a priority for VISION 2020: The Right to Sight. There is a paucity of information about the burden of cataract in children and the aim of this review is to assess the global prevalence of childhood cataract. The methodology for the review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We performed a literature search for studies reporting estimates of prevalence or incidence of cataract among children (aged<18 years) at any global location using the Cochrane Library, Medline and Embase up to January 2015. No restrictions were imposed based on language or year of publication. Study quality was assessed using a critical appraisal tool designed for systematic reviews of prevalence. Twenty prevalence and four incidence studies of childhood cataract from five different geographical regions were included. The overall prevalence of childhood cataract and congenital cataract was in the range from 0.32 to 22.9/10000 children (median=1.03) and 0.63 to 9.74/10000 (median=1.71), respectively. The incidence ranged from 1.8 to 3.6/10000 per year. The prevalence of childhood cataract in low-income economies was found to be 0.42 to 2.05 compared with 0.63 to 13.6/10000 in high-income economies. There was no difference in the prevalence based on laterality or gender. This review highlights substantial gaps in the epidemiological knowledge of childhood cataract worldwide, particularly from low and lower middle-income economies. More studies are needed using standard definitions and case ascertainment methods with large enough sample sizes

Fetus in Fetu as a suprarenal mass in a neonate – a rare and perplexing entity

Fetus in fetu (FIF) is a rare entity in which a malformed vertebrate fetus is incorporated within its twin. This entity should be differentiated from a teratoma, which has more malignant potential. We describe a neonate with a heterogeneous calcified suprarenal mass. The aspiration cytology revealed a heterogeneous cell population with spindle cells and small round blue cells. Operative and histopathologic examination showed features consistent with a fetus in fetu. This case report describes a rare entity and discusses its clinical presentation, cytological features on fine-needle aspiration, and the difficulties posed in its differentiation from a teratoma

FASTIGIAL ÇEKİRDEK ÜNİLATERAL ELEKTROLİKTİK LEZYONUNUN WİSTAR ALBİNO SIÇANLARININ HAFIZA, ÖĞRENME VE DAVRANIŞLARI ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ

Cerebellum called as the “little brain” .The cerebellum regulates various functions like motor coordination, equilibrium and muscle tone because of its connections with other parts of the brain as well as other parts of the body. Whether the fastigial nucleus of the rat cerebellum plays any role in behavior, reference and working memory forms the focus of the present study. The fastigial nucleus as part of spino-cerebellum of Wistar albino rat was unilaterally (left side) destroyed by electrolytic lesion using stereotaxic procedures and the behavior, learning and memory were analyzed by using open field, elevated plus maze and eight arm radial mazes on 10th and also 15th day after the lesion along with controls as well as with sham operated animals. The alterations in behavior were only observed on the 10th day but not in 15th day. There was no alteration was observed in radial maze among the groups indicated that cerebellum has no role in memory process. The changes perceived in behavior on 10th day may be due the inflammation or reduced metabolism in the damaged areas followed which may recovered on 15th day as inflammation subsides and the metabolism is normalized. These results indicate that fastigial nucleus is not playing any role in either behavior or memory

Oxidant stress evoked damage in rat hepatocyte leading to triggered nitric oxide synthase (NOS) levels on long term consumption of aspartame

This study investigates how long-term (40 mg/kg b.wt) consumption of aspartame can alter the antioxidant status, stress pathway genes, and apoptotic changes in the liver of Wistar albino rats. Numerous controversial reports are available on the use of aspartame as it releases methanol as one of its metabolites during metabolism. To mimic the human methanol metabolism the methotrexate treated rats were included to study the aspartame effects. The aspartame treated methotrexate (MTX animals showed a marked significant increase in the superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), lipid peroxidation (LPO), and Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the liver from control and MTX control animals, and showed a significant decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) and protein thiol in aspartame treated animals. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a marked significant decrease in the body weight, brain, and liver weight. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a marked increase in the inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), neuronal nitric oxide (nNOS), c-fos, Heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 Tumour necrosis Factor (TNF)α, caspase 8, c-jun N terminal kinases (JNK) 3 and Nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB) gene expression in the liver from control and MTX control animals. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a marked increase in the c-fos, Hsp 70, iNOS Caspase 8, and JNK 3 protein expression in the liver from control and MTX control animals indicating the enhancement of stress and apoptosis. The aspartame treated MTX animals showed a streak of marked DNA fragmentation in the liver. On immunohistochemical analysis aspartame treated animals showed brown colored positive hepatocytes indicating the stress specific and apoptotic protein expression. Since aspartame consumption is on the rise among people, it is essential to create awareness regarding the usage of this artificial sweetener

Biochemical responses and mitochondrial mediated activation of apoptosis on long-term effect of aspartame in rat brain

Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, is very widely used in many foods and beverages. But there are controversies about its metabolite which is marked for its toxicity. Hence it is believed to be unsafe for human use. Previous studies have reported on methanol exposure with involvements of free radicals on excitotoxicity of neuronal apoptosis. Hence, this present study is proposed to investigate whether or not chronic aspartame (FDA approved Daily Acceptable Intake (ADI),40 mg/kg bwt) administration could release methanol, and whether or not it can induce changes in brain oxidative stress status and gene and protein expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and pro-apoptotic Bax and caspase-3 in the rat brain region. To mimic the human methanol metabolism, Methotrexate (MTX)-treated Wistar strain male albino rats were used and after the oral administration of aspartame, the effects were studied along with controls and MTX-treated controls. Aspartame exposure resulted with a significant increase in the enzymatic activity in protein carbonyl, lipid peroxidation levels, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity in (aspartame MTX)-treated animals and with a significant decrease in reduced glutathione, glutathione reductase and protein thiol, pointing out the generation of free radicals. The gene and protein expression of pro apoptotic marker Bax showed a marked increase whereas the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-2 decreased markedly indicating the aspartame is harmful at cellular level. It is clear that long term aspartame exposure could alter the brain antioxidant status, and can induce apoptotic changes in brain