Pharmacotherapeutic Options for Visceral Leishmaniasis—Current Scenario

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) or Kala-azar is a protozoal disease, which was previously regarded as one of the most neglected tropical diseases. Management of this disease is quite difficult, because it is said to affect the poorest of the poor. Previously Sodium Stibogluconate (SSG) was regarded as the gold standard treatment for VL. But due to the increasing unresponsiveness, to this drug various other drugs were tried and are still being tried. Pentamidine is very toxic and has been discarded of late. Amphotericin B and its lipid formulations are very effective but require hospital admission and monitoring. Oral drugs like Miltefosine have already been launched. An amino glycoside Paromomycin and another oral drug Sitamaquine are in the pipe line. Interferon gamma has been used with discouraging results

DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOCOL FOR MICRO PROPAGATION OF GYNOECIOUS BITTER GOURD (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA L)

ABSTRACT: Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia.L) is an important cucurbitaceous crop. The occurrence of gynaecium in bitter gourd is very rare and generally they have monoecious sex form. Recent identification of some gynoecious lines showed their advantages in hybrid breeding programme. Our present investigation outlines the in vitro propagation of monoecious line of bitter gourd. The auxiliary bud and apical bud of identified gynoecious lines of bitter gourd were cultured on MS medium for initiation. After 3 rd subculture stage the average number of shoots and shoot length of bitter gourd was recorded 3.4 and 2.7 cm in auxiliary bud (AXBG) and 2.8 and 2.1 cm in apical bud bitter gourd (APBG) explants respectively. Maximum shoot length was obtained in ABG-6 medium. (½ MS supplemented with 0.5 mg/ml BAP), during the third subculture stage. Rooting was best observed in RBG-7 medium (½ MS supplemented with 1.0mg/ml IBA). When transferred to the primary hardening stage 44% of the plants were survived successfully. For secondary hardening, primary hardened plants were transferred to polybags containing soil, FYM and sand (3:2:1), 50 % of the plants were survived

Long-term differential changes in mouse intestinal metabolomics after γ and heavy ion radiation exposure.

Tissue consequences of radiation exposure are dependent on radiation quality and high linear energy transfer (high-LET) radiation, such as heavy ions in space is known to deposit higher energy in tissues and cause greater damage than low-LET γ radiation. While radiation exposure has been linked to intestinal pathologies, there are very few studies on long-term effects of radiation, fewer involved a therapeutically relevant γ radiation dose, and none explored persistent tissue metabolomic alterations after heavy ion space radiation exposure. Using a metabolomics approach, we report long-term metabolomic markers of radiation injury and perturbation of signaling pathways linked to metabolic alterations in mice after heavy ion or γ radiation exposure. Intestinal tissues (C57BL/6J, female, 6 to 8 wks) were analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QToF-MS) two months after 2 Gy γ radiation and results were compared to an equitoxic ⁵⁶Fe (1.6 Gy) radiation dose. The biological relevance of the metabolites was determined using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, immunoblots, and immunohistochemistry. Metabolic profile analysis showed radiation-type-dependent spatial separation of the groups. Decreased adenine and guanosine and increased inosine and uridine suggested perturbed nucleotide metabolism. While both the radiation types affected amino acid metabolism, the ⁵⁶Fe radiation preferentially altered dipeptide metabolism. Furthermore, ⁵⁶Fe radiation caused upregulation of 'prostanoid biosynthesis' and 'eicosanoid signaling', which are interlinked events related to cellular inflammation and have implications for nutrient absorption and inflammatory bowel disease during space missions and after radiotherapy. In conclusion, our data showed for the first time that metabolomics can not only be used to distinguish between heavy ion and γ radiation exposures, but also as a radiation-risk assessment tool for intestinal pathologies through identification of biomarkers persisting long after exposure

AlN-SWCNT Metacomposites Having Tunable Negative Permittivity in Radio and Microwave Frequencies

Discovery of plasmon resonance and negative permittivity in carbon allotropes at much lower frequencies than those of metals has evoked interest to develop random metacomposites by suitable means of addition of these dispersoids in an overall dielectric matrix. Random metacomposites have always the advantage for their easy preparation techniques over those of their regular arrayed artificial counterpart. However, thermal management during the heat generation by electromagnetic attenuation in metamaterials is not yet studied well. The present communication discusses the dielectric permittivities and loss parameters of aluminum nitride-single-wall carbon nanotube (AlN-SWCNT) composites considering high thermal conductivities of both materials. The composites are dense and have been prepared by a standard powder technological method using hot pressing at 1850 degrees C under a nitrogen atmosphere. Increase in the negative permittivity value with SWCNT concentration (1, 3, and 6 vol %) in the composites had been observed at low frequencies. Characterization of the materials with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and microstructure analysis by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the survivability of the SWCNTs and the nature of the matrix-filler interface. Plasmonic resonance following Drude's law could be observed at much lower plasma frequencies than that of pure SWCNT and for very little SWCNT addition. Exhibition of the negative permittivity has been explained with relation to the microstructure of the composites observed from field emission scanning electron micrographs (FESEM), TEM images, and the equivalent circuit model. High energy conversion efficiency is expected in these composites due to the possession of dual functionalities like high thermal conductivity as well as high negative permittivity, which should ensure the application of these materials in wave filter, cloaking device, supercapacitors, and wireless communication

Multivariate analysis shows distinct metabolic profiles in sham, γ, and ⁵⁶Fe irradiated mice in negative ionization mode.

<p>A) Scores plot showing class separation among the study groups. B) Trend plot for the selective putative biomarkers altered in both γ, and ⁵⁶Fe irradiated groups relative to controls. C) Trend plot for the unidentified biomarkers showing statistically significant difference in the three groups are presented with m/z respective values.</p

Mass spectrometry confirmed identify of selected metabolites from γ irradiation.

<p>Identity of biologically relevant selected metabolites from positive and negative ionization mode were confirmed using tandem mass spectrometry wherein the fragmentation pattern and retention times of the parent ions in the tissue extract were matched with the standard compound. CID – collision-induced dissociation.</p

Intestinal tissue metabolites were differentially altered after γ and ⁵⁶Fe radiation.

<p>A) Percent of metabolites up or downregulated after γ and ⁵⁶Fe radiation. The features were extracted using XCMS and further selected based on the p-value cut off (p≤0.05) and fold change (≤ 0.5 or ≥1.5). B) Multivariate analysis shows distinct metabolic changes in γ irradiated mice in negative ionization mode. Scores plot depicting class separation between the sham and γ irradiated groups. C) Selective validated markers altered after γ irradiation are presented as normalized ion abundance relative to sham-irradiated control.</p

Mass spectrometry confirmed identify of selected metabolites from ⁵⁶Fe irradiation.

<p>Identity of biologically relevant selected metabolites from positive and negative mode were confirmed using tandem mass spectrometry wherein the fragmentation pattern and retention times of the parent ions in the tissue extract were matched with the standard compound. *(S)-α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-t-butyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid. CID – collision-induced dissociation</p