Evaluation of anticonvulsant activity of amlodipine in albino rats

Background: The objective of the study was to evaluate the anticonvulsant activity of amlodipine in albino rats.Methods: Anticonvulsant activity of amlodipine was done in three graded doses (1 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg), and combination group with low dose of amlodipine (1 mg/kg) and standard drug (phenytoin) in maximal electroshock seizures (MES) experimental animal model.Results: Amlodipine in dose of 2, 4 mg/kg showed dose dependent significant anticonvulsant effect and combination of low dose amlodipine and low dose of standard drug also showed significant anticonvulsant effect in MES model.Conclusions: Amlodipine is having anticonvulsant activity and also potentiated the anticonvulsant effect of phenytoin in MES model.

COUROUPITA GUIANENSIS LEAF CALLUS EXTRACT MEDIATED SYNTHESIS AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES.

Objective: Synthesis of varied sized and morphologically distinct silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using callus/callus extract, and their promising antibacterial and cytotoxicity was reported from very few plant systems. Here, we investigated silver nanoparticle synthetic potential of Couroupita guianensis leaf callus extract and their antibacterial activity.Methods: synthesis of callus mediated silver nanoparticles and characterisation of physical, chemical, and antibacterial activity of AgNPs.Results: Callus extract rapidly reduced silver ions and stabilized nanoparticles have displayed characteristic maximum UV absorbance at 410 nm. SEM and AFM images revealed their spherical morphology and size variation, which is ranged from 30.38 nm to 88.32 nm and were in small aggregates. Capping of AgNPs by the phenolic compounds and proteins revealed from FTIR spectral peaks. Silver nanoparticles displayed significantly high antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive and negative bacterial strains compared to silver ions and gentamicin. This enhanced antimicrobial activity of AgNPs may due their small size leading to efficient molecular contact with cell surface, and uptake and interaction with vital biomolecules.Conclusions: Stable AgNPs were synthesized through reduction and capping of silver ions by polyphenols and proteins present in callus extract. Theenhanced antimicrobial activity of AgNPs may due to their small size leading to efficient molecular contact with the cell surface, penetration, andinteraction, and inactivation of vital biomolecules.Â

Evaluation of the effects of tramadol and diclofenac alone and in combination on post-cesarean pain

Background: Post-cesarean pain is a common cause of acute pain in the obstetrics. Pain in the postoperative period is an important impediment to recovery from surgery and anesthesia. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative analgesia and incidence of side-effects of centrally acting drug tramadol with peripherally acting drug diclofenac alone and in combination in patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia.Methods: The study population of 90 patients was randomly divided into three groups of 30 each to receive the following treatments: tramadol (Group T), diclofenac (Group D), tramadol and diclofenac at reduced doses (Group TD).Results: Combination of tramadol and diclofenac produced significantly early analgesia in comparison to tramadol or diclofenac alone and decrease in the incidence of side-effects.Conclusion: We conclude that a multimodal approach to post-cesarean management with a combination of tramadol and diclofenac produced better analgesia than individual drugs and a reduction in the side-effects. Such a combination approach to relieve pain is more effective and advantageous

Development, implementation, and analysis of adverse drug reaction monitoring system in a rural tertiary care teaching hospital in Narketpally, Telangana

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADR) are the fourth leading cause of mortality and a great concern in therapeutics. Pharmacovigilance is more important in India as the health care system is inadequate with poor doctor-patient ratio, high incidence of self-medication, and presence of counterfeit drugs. The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the pattern of ADR occurring in a rural tertiary care hospital with a newly established pharmacovigilance center and to identify the most frequent ADRs, common drugs implicated and severity of reactions.Methods: A non-interventional observational prospective study was conducted over a year. The red boxes for dropping the filled yellow ADR forms were installed in all the wards and outpatient departments. Additional information and missing data were obtained personally by either consulting the physician or through case sheets.Results: The most common class of drugs implicated in the causation of ADRs was antimicrobials (52%), followed by drugs acting on the central nervous system. The most commonly observed ADRs were dermatological Type B reactions. The majority of the reactions belonged to possible or probable category, but no reaction was categorized as definite.Conclusion: Dermatological reactions are the most common ADR occurring in our hospital and antimicrobials are the most common causative drugs. The reporting rate was adequate, and there is still a need for increasing the awareness and knowledge about ADR reporting system and pharmacovigilance for promoting the safe use of drugs

Analysis of adverse drug reactions of antimicrobial agents reported to ADR monitoring centre of a rural tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: ADRs are iatrogenic diseases, escalates the burden of health care system by increasing the morbidity and mortality and also additional cost of ADRs management to patients.Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted over 1 year from January 2015 to December 2015. The yellow forms dropped in the red ADR boxes are collected and ADRs due to antimicrobials were analyzed for demographic data, causality, severity, drugs implicated, and organ system affected. The data were presented as counts and percentages.Results: Cephalosporins were the most common antimicrobial class implicated in ADRs, and the dermatological system was the most common system affected by ADRs. All the reactions either belonged to the probable or possible category. Majority of reactions were non-serious.Conclusions: Regular prescription auditing and awareness about polypharmacy will further reduce ADRs due to antimicrobials

Structural Effects of Various Commonly used Disinfectant Solutions on Gutta-Percha: An Atomic Force Microscopic Study

Introduction: Gutta-percha cones can be contaminated by various ways. Literature revealed several methods for rapid decontamination of gutta-percha cones in dentistry. Atomic force microscope (AFM) is a well-established methodology for structural characterization of materials. Aim: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of 5% sodium hypochlorite 2% chlorhexidine, 2.2% glutaraldehyde, 6% hydrogen peroxide on the surface structure of standardizedgutta-percha cones in their respective cold sterilization times 1, 10, 15, 10 minutes respectively as found in many studies. Materials and methods: Forty standardized gutta-percha cones (ISO standardized size 60) were cut 3 mm from the tip, attached to a glass base and immersed in 5% sodium hypochlorite, 2% chlorhexidine, 2.2% glutaraldehyde, 6% hydrogen peroxide for 1, 10, 15, 10 minutes. After this, the samples were positioned in the atomic force microscope. Theanalyses were performed between 1 and 2 mm from the tip after each period of immersion in NaOCl. Gutta-percha cone without any NaOCl treatment were used as control. Root mean square (RMS) parameters for contact mode imaging variations were measured. Results: The differences between RMS values were testedby ANOVA with Fisher’s protected LSD test for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05). Aggressive deteriorative effects on gutta-percha cone elasticity were observed for 5.25% NaOCl at 1 minute when compared to the control (p < 0.05). In addition, 2% chlorhexidine has caused topographic changes after 15 minutes when compared to the control (p < 0.05). Conversely, 2.2% glutaraldehyde, 6% hydrogen peroxide solution did cause minimal alteration on topography or elasticity of gutta-percha cone structure when compared to the control (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Six percent hydrogen peroxide and 2.2% glutaraldehyde are safe alternative for chair side decontamination of gutta-percha cones when compared to 5.25% NaOCl and 2% chlorhexidine.&nbsp

Coupling of transient near infrared photonic with magnetic nanoparticle for potential dissipation-free biomedical application in brain

Combined treatment strategies based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with near infrared ray (NIR) biophotonic possess tremendous potential for non-invasive therapeutic approach. Nonetheless, investigations in this direction have been limited to peripheral body region and little is known about the potential biomedical application of this approach for brain. Here we report that transient NIR exposure is dissipation-free and has no adverse effect on the viability and plasticity of major brain cells in the presence or absence superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The 808?nm NIR laser module with thermocouple was employed for functional studies upon NIR exposure to brain cells. Magnetic nanoparticles were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic laser scattering (DLS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Brain cells viability and plasticity were analyzed using electric cell-substrate impedance sensing system, cytotoxicity evaluation, and confocal microscopy. When efficacious non-invasive photobiomodulation and neuro-therapeutical targeting and monitoring to brain remain a formidable task, the discovery of this dissipation-free, transient NIR photonic approach for brain cells possesses remarkable potential to add new dimension

Flying Over an Infected Landscape: Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Risk in South Asia and Satellite Tracking of Wild Waterfowl

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus persists in Asia, posing a threat to poultry, wild birds, and humans. Previous work in Southeast Asia demonstrated that HPAI H5N1 risk is related to domestic ducks and people. Other studies discussed the role of migratory birds in the long distance spread of HPAI H5N1. However, the interplay between local persistence and long-distance dispersal has never been studied. We expand previous geospatial risk analysis to include South and Southeast Asia, and integrate the analysis with migration data of satellite-tracked wild waterfowl along the Central Asia flyway. We find that the population of domestic duck is the main factor delineating areas at risk of HPAI H5N1 spread in domestic poultry in South Asia, and that other risk factors, such as human population and chicken density, are associated with HPAI H5N1 risk within those areas. We also find that satellite tracked birds (Ruddy Shelduck and two Bar-headed Geese) reveal a direct spatio-temporal link between the HPAI H5N1 hot-spots identified in India and Bangladesh through our risk model, and the wild bird outbreaks in May–June–July 2009 in China (Qinghai Lake), Mongolia, and Russia. This suggests that the continental-scale dynamics of HPAI H5N1 are structured as a number of persistence areas delineated by domestic ducks, connected by rare transmission through migratory waterfowl

An Overview of the 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign

A major goal of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is to make accurate images with resolutions of tens of milliarcseconds, which at submillimeter (submm) wavelengths requires baselines up to ~15 km. To develop and test this capability, a Long Baseline Campaign (LBC) was carried out from September to late November 2014, culminating in end-to-end observations, calibrations, and imaging of selected Science Verification (SV) targets. This paper presents an overview of the campaign and its main results, including an investigation of the short-term coherence properties and systematic phase errors over the long baselines at the ALMA site, a summary of the SV targets and observations, and recommendations for science observing strategies at long baselines. Deep ALMA images of the quasar 3C138 at 97 and 241 GHz are also compared to VLA 43 GHz results, demonstrating an agreement at a level of a few percent. As a result of the extensive program of LBC testing, the highly successful SV imaging at long baselines achieved angular resolutions as fine as 19 mas at ~350 GHz. Observing with ALMA on baselines of up to 15 km is now possible, and opens up new parameter space for submm astronomy.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables; accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters; this version with small changes to affiliation