In vivo evaluation of ziram induced acute toxicity on pathomorphology of broiler chicken

Fungicides are usually used in agriculture and often find their way in poultry feed. Therefore, a study was undertaken to study the in vivo effect of one such fungicide (ziram) induced intoxication on pathomorphology of broiler chicken. After 2 weeks of age the birds were given fungicide (Ziram) in feed as a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. Out of 10 birds, 3 died due to ziram intoxication (30% mortality rate). Birds that died rapidly showed pronounced neurological signs like convulsions. The carcasses of ziram intoxicated birds appeared dehydrated and their mucous membrane was pale in colour. Marked vascular congestion was observed in brain on gross examination. The livers showed congestion and haemorrhages with necrotic foci. Kidneys and lungs had ecchymotic haemorrhages and heart revealed gelatinization of pericardium, distention and pericarditis. Atrophy of bursa of Fabricius and thymus; hypertrophy of thyroid was found. Histopathological examination revealed neuronal degeneration and necrosis associated with mild gliosis in brain. Lungs, pericardium and epicardium had severe congestion and there was degeneration with separation of myofibers. Glomeruli were congested and frequently revealed hypercellularity. There were sinusoidal congestion and varying degrees of hepatocellular degeneration. Bursa revealed mild depletion of lymphoid cells in few lobules while as thymus showed hypoplasia with depletion of lymphocytes. Thyroid had mild mononuclear cell infiltration and caecum showed marked necrosis and denudation of the mucosa. In conclusion, the depletion of lymphoid tissue from lymphoid organs was suggestive of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory effects of ziram toxicity in broiler chicken

Competence of Biopesticide and Neem in Agriculture

Neem plant is considered as the most useful traditional plant in India. The various properties of different parts of neem tree are used as insecticide, antifeedant, hormonal, antifungal, antiallergic, antidermatic, anti-inflammatory, antiscabic larvicidal and spermaticidal activity etc. In recent era the major challenge is to increase the food production without harming the environment and can control the pest. Since, last decades pesticides have become an integral component in sustainable agriculture and the modern day cultivation practices uses of chemical pesticides and fertilizers are in eliminable. Enormous use of different chemical pesticides in agricultural fields is resistant to most of the pests. So that the natural pesticides from A. indica are considered to be less harmful, biodegradability, least persistence, lest toxic to non-target organism, economic and used to combat insects, pests are not ruled out. Neem derived products play an essential role in the pest management, in agricultural fields such as crop and stored grains. Fruitful results of application of formulated neem based products in agriculture field will provide a cost effective technology to the farmers

Relationship between the levels of Serum Thyroid Hormones and the Risk of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is still one of the leading causes of cancer death in women, but there has been a sustained decline in mortality rates over the last decades the relationship between breast cancer and thyroid diseases is controversial many works have been done in past also. The relation between autoimmune and non-autoimmune thyroid diseases has been investigated in patients with breast cancer and age-matched control individuals without breast or thyroid disease. Determination of serum thyroid hormone and antibody levels was done in 100 breast cancer patients and 75 control individuals. The mean values for thyroid hormones and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies were significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in control individuals. Our results indicate an increased prevalence of autoimmune and non-autoimmune thyroid diseases in breast cancer patients. Keywords: breast, cancer, autoimmune thyroid diseases

Silicon Supplementation of Rescuegrass Reduces Herbivory by a Grasshopper

The theory of coevolution suggests that herbivores play an important role in the diversification and composition of plant communities. A prevalent idea holds that grasses and grazing animals participated in an evolutionary “arms race” as grassland ecosystems started spreading across the continents. In this race, besides other things, silicification in the form of phytoliths occurred in the grasses, and the graminivorous herbivores responded through specialized mandibles to feed on plants rich in phytoliths. It is important to understand whether these mandibles equip the herbivores in different environments or the grasses can augment their defense by channelizing their energy in high resource milieu. Here we used rescuegrass (Bromus catharticus; Family: Poaceae), an alien species of South America, to understand the mechanism of resistance offered by this species against a local insect herbivore (Oxya grandis; Family: Acrididae), graminivorous grasshopper, in different silicon-rich environments. We used different concentrations of silicon and observed the types of phytoliths formed after Si amendments and studied the effect of phytoliths on mandible wear of the grasshopper. Silicon concentrations increased ca. 12 fold in the highest supplementation treatments. The results reveal that higher foliar silica concentration in Si-rich plants did not result in changing the morphology of the phytoliths; still the leaf tissue consumption was lower in higher Si treatments, perhaps due to mandibular wear of the grasshoppers. The study opens a new dimension of investigating the role of Si amendments in reducing herbivory

Identification of anti-cyanobacterial leads targeting carbonic anhydrase from phytochemical database using <i>in silico</i> approach

In cyanobacteria, carbonic anhydrase (zinc metalloenzyme) is a major enzyme that converts CO2 to HCO3 maintaining the carbon concentration around the vicinity of RuBisCo, leading to cyanobacterial biomass generation. Anthropogenic activities, disposal of leached micro nutrients effluents from industries into the aquatic environment results in cyanobacterial blooms. The harmful cyanobacteria release cyanotoxins in open-water system which on ingression through oral route causes major health issues like hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity. A database was prepared consisting of approximately 3k phytochemicals curated from previous literatures, earlier identified by GC-MS analysis. The phytochemicals were subjected to online servers to identify the novel lead molecules which followed ADMET and drug-like candidates. The identified leads were optimized by density functional theory method using B3YLP/G* level of theory. Carbonic anhydrase chosen as target to observe the binding interaction through molecular docking simulations. From the molecules included in the database the highest binding energy exhibited by alpha-tocopherol succinate and mycophenolic acid were found to be -9.23 kcal/mol and -14.41 kcal/mol and displayed interactions with GLY A102, GLN B30, ASP A41, LYS A105 including Zn2+ and their adjacent amino acids CYS 101, HIS 98, CYS 39 in both chain A and chain A-B of carbonic anhydrase. The identified molecular orbitals decipher computed global electrophilicity values (Energy gap, electrophilicity and Softness) of alpha tocopherol succinate and mycophenolic acid were found to be (5.262, 1.948, 0.380) eV and (4.710, 2.805, 0.424) eV demonstrates both molecules are effective and stable. The identified leads may serve as a better anti-carbonic anhydrase agent because they accommodate in the binding site and hampers the catalytic activity of Carbonic anhydrase thus inhibiting the generation of cyanobacterial biomass. This identified lead molecules may serve as a substructure to design novel phytochemicals against carbonic anhydrase present in cyanobacteria. Further in vitro study is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of these molecules

Identification of anti-cyanobacterial leads targeting carbonic anhydrase from phytochemical database using in silico approach

In cyanobacteria, carbonic anhydrase (zinc metalloenzyme) is a major enzyme that converts CO 2 to HCO 3- main¬taining the carbon concentration around the vicinity of RuBisCo, leading to cyanobacterial biomass generation. Anthropogenic activities, disposal of leached micro nutrients effluents from industries into the aquatic en¬viron¬ment results in cyanobacterial blooms. The harmful cyanobacteria release cyanotoxins in open-water system which on ingression through oral route causes major health issues like hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity. A database was prepared consisting of approximately 3k phytochemicals curated from previous literatures, earlier identified by GC-MS analysis. The phytochemicals were subjected to online servers to identify the novel lead molecules which followed ADMET and drug-like candidates. The identified leads were optimized by density functional theory method using B3YLP/G* level of theory. Carbonic anhydrase chosen as target to observe the binding interaction through molecular docking simulations. From the molecules included in the database the highest binding energy ex¬hibited by alpha-tocopherol succinate and mycophenolic acid were found to be −9.23 kcal/mol and −14.41 kcal/mol and displayed interactions with GLY A102, GLN B30, ASP A41, LYS A105 including Zn 2+ and their adjacent amino acids CYS 101, HIS 98, CYS 39 in both chain A and chain A-B of carbonic anhydrase. The Identified molecular orbitals decipher computed global electrophilicity values (Energy gap, electrophilicity and Softness) of alpha-tocopherol succinate and mycophenolic acid were found to be (5.262, 1.948, 0.380) eV and (4.710, 2.805, 0.424) eV demonstrates both molecules are effective and stable. The identified leads may serve as a better anti-carbonic anhydrase agent because they accommodate in the binding site and hampers the catalytic activity of Carbonic anhydrase thus inhibiting the generation of cyanobacterial biomass. This identified lead mole¬cules may serve as a substructure to design novel phytochemicals against carbonic anhydrase present in cyano¬bacteria. Further in vitro study is necessary to evaluate the efficacy of these molecules

Diagnostic role of magnetic resonance hysterosalpingography in the evaluation of female infertility

Abstract Background In the evaluation of female infertility, hysterosalpingography (HSG) with fluoroscopy provides limited evaluation of congenital uterine malformation and extrauterine disease. Transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) is though commonly used, has its limitations in assessment of tubes. Addition of sonosalpingography can help assess tubal patency but may be inconclusive in cases of unilateral or bilateral obstruction and is grossly operator dependent. Recent past has seen evolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate problems associated with female infertility, with unparalleled advantages of having no radiation and being less operator-dependent. The need to assess tubal patency has been addressed by increasing literature on utilization of gadolinium (Gd) in MRI and comparing it with HSG alone or a mixture of HSG and laparoscopy. We aimed to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance hysterosalpingography (MRHSG) as a screening test for female infertility and to compare accuracy, positive predictive value and efficacy of MRI and MRHSG with laparoscopy. Results Fifty-four out of 63 patients had bilateral tubal patency (85.7%). Nine patients had tubal pathology (14.3%) out of which one had unilateral and eight had bilateral tubal obstruction. Endometrial cavity abnormality was found in four patients and ovarian abnormalities were detected in 28.5% patients. MRHSG has shown high sensitivity and specificity for tubal patency evaluation when compared to the true gold standard for tubal patency assessment, laparoscopic chromotubation. With laparoscopy as standard, there was 100% sensitivity and specificity for structural abnormality, myometrial abnormalities and endometrial cavity assessment in MRHSG. Conclusions In comparison with diagnostic laparoscopy, MRHSG was found to have good sensitivity and specificity for assessment of tubal patency, excellent sensitivity and specificity for the assessment of structural malformation and endometrial cavity lesions. Furthermore MRHSG was good in picking up extra-uterine diseases

Clinical features management and long-term surgical outcome of hepatolithiasis.

Background: Hepatolithiasis (presence of stones within the intrahepatic bile ducts proximal to the confluence of right and left hepatic ducts) is prevelant in Southeast Asia and is also common in Kashmir. This disease features a high stone residual and recurrence and its long-term outcome is far from satisfactory. Selection of surgical technique is based on the location of stone, the morphology of the intrahepatic ducts and the general condition of the patient. Objectives: 1) To evaluate the clinical profile of the patient presenting with hepatolithiasis; 2) Analyzing different modalities of treatment in the management of hepatolithiasis; 3) To study the long term out come of surgical treatment of hepatolithiasis, in terms of recovery, morbidity and mortality Materials & Methods: The study was conducted jointly in the departments of Surgical Gastroenterology, medical Gastroenterology, General Surgery and pathology over a period of 2 years (40 prospective & 60 retrospective cases) Results: The male:female ratio was 38:62 and the age range was12-75 (mean 40.7). Majority of patients belonged to unskilled group. Biliary colic was the main presenting feature (97%) followed by cholangitis (56%) and cholestasis (54%). Previous biliary surgeries were performed in 27% of patients. ERCP was done in 96% of patients. MRCP was done in 40% of cases and was useful in detecting subsegmental anatomy. Predominantly left side of liver was involved (52%). Choledochoduodenostomy was the commonest procedure performed (61%) followed by liver resections (52%), which included left lateral segmentectomy (40%) and left hepatectomy (12%). Wound infection was the commonest morbidity (9%) followed by bile leak (4%). After an average follow up of 15 months, 89 (89%) patients were symptom free. There were 2 (2%) deaths and Recurrence was seen in 9 (9%) patients. Conclusions: Hepatic resection is the treatment of choice in patients with single-lobe hepatolithiasis, whereas Choledochoduodenostomy /Hepatico jejunostomy with access loop are effective surgical options in bilateral disease. A combination of different treatment modalities (surgical and endoscopic interventional) may be necessary to improve the outcome of these patients. Long term follow up is recommended to detect early recurrence and development of a cholangiocarcinoma