Indian J Med Res
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Comparative Study
Adaptation of heart to training: a comparative study using echocardiography & impedance cardiography in male & female athletes.
Intensive regular physical exercise training is associated with a physiological changes in left ventricular (LV) morphology and functions. This cardiac remodeling observed in the athletes is associated with the specific haemodynamic requirements of the exercise undertaken. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of endurance training on cardiac morphology, systolic and diastolic LV functions and haemodynamic parameters both in male and female athletes. ⋯ Endurance-trained male and female athletes had higher LV mass, LV cavity dimensions and SV compared to sedentary controls. Although there was no difference in diastolic cardiac functions between athletes and controls, local enhanced systolic function was found with increase of SV. Both morphologic and haemodynamic differences were more evident in male athletes.
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Malachite green (MG), an environmentally hazardous material, is used as a non permitted food colouring agent, especially in India. Selenium (Se) is an essential nutritional trace element required for animals and humans to guard against oxidative stress induced by xenobiotic compounds of diverse nature. In the present study, the role of the selenium compound diphenylmethyl selenocyanate (DMSE) was assessed on the oxidative stress (OS) induced by a food colouring agent, malachite green (MG) in vivo in mice. ⋯ The organo-selenium compound DMSE showed significant protection against MG induced heptotoxicity and DNA damage in murine model. Better protection was observed in pretreatment group than in the concomitant group. Further studies need to be done to understand the mechanism of action.
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Metabolic syndrome (MS) comprises several cardio-metabolic risk factors, which include obesity, hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and decreased HDL cholesterol. Leaf extract of Gymnema sylvestre has been shown to possess glucose lowering activity in animal models. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of deacyl gymnemic acid (DAGA), active constituent of G. sylvestre, in a rat model of MS. ⋯ Our findings show that DAGA decreases SBP and improves parameters of glucose-insulin homeostasis in a rat model of MS induced by HFD. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism of action.
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Pre-clinical toxicology evaluation of biotechnology products is a challenge to the toxicologist. The present investigation is an attempt to evaluate the safety profile of the first indigenously developed recombinant DNA anti-rabies vaccine [DRV (100 μg)] and combination rabies vaccine [CRV (100 μg DRV and 1.25 IU of cell culture-derived inactivated rabies virus vaccine)], which are intended for clinical use by intramuscular route in Rhesus monkeys. ⋯ The information generated by this study not only draws attention to the need for national and international regulatory agencies in formulating guidelines for pre-clinical safety evaluation of biotech products but also facilitates the development of biopharmaceuticals as safe potential therapeutic agents.
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Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) have been accepted as a useful method to estimate the burden of disease, and can be adapted to determine the number of productive years lost due to the disability. DALY has been reported for many studies but not for leprosy. Hence this study was carried out in three States of India. In view of the fact that in this study, productive working years are used, the term is modified as DAWLY. ⋯ On an average, 30 per cent of the leprosy affected person's work life is lost due to disability.