Efficacy of curcumin in the management of chronic anterior uveitis

Curcumin, obtained from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, was administered orally to patients suffering from chronic anterior uveitis (CAU) at a dose of 375 mg three times a day for 12 weeks. Of 53 patients enrolled, 32 completed the 12-week study. They were divided into two groups: one group of 18 patients received curcumin alone, whereas the other group of 14 patients, who had a strong PPD reaction, in addition received antitubercular treatment. The patients in both the groups started improving after 2 weeks of treatment. All the patients who received curcumin alone improved, whereas the group receiving antitubercular therapy along with curcumin had a response rate of 86%. Follow up of all the patients for the next 3 years indicated a recurrence rate of 55% in the first group and of 36% in the second group. Four of 18 (22%) patients in the first group and 3 of 14 patients (21%) in the second group lost their vision in the follow up period due to various complications in the eyes, e.g. vitritis, macular oedema, central venous block, cataract formation, glaucomatous optic nerve damage etc. None of the patients reported any side effect of the drug. The efficacy of curcumin and recurrences following treatment are comparable to corticosteroid therapy which is presently the only available standard treatment for this disease. The lack of side effects with curcumin is its greatest advantage compared with corticosteroids. A double blind multi-centric clinical trial with this drug in CAU is highly desirable to further validate the results of the present study.

A comparative analysis of the mitogenic response of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes in various age groups of turkeys

Mitogenic responsiveness of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (i-IEL) to concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin P (PHA-P), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Salmonella typhimurium were evaluated in various age groups of turkeys by a colorimetric blastogenic microassay. Comparisons were made between mitogenic responses of turkey i-IEL and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). The results from this study demonstrated that i-IEL and PBL of turkeys responded to T-cell mitogens, Con A and PHA-P, in every age group examined. The LPS induced a significant mitogenic response in PBL but not in i-IEL of turkeys. The mitogenic responses of turkey i-IEL and PBL to the three mitogens examined were similar to mitogenic responses observed in an earlier study performed by using chicken i-IEL and PBL. The results indicated a difference in mitogenic response between different age groups. An increase was found in mitogenic response of i-IEL to both T-cell mitogens from 3 days of age to 1 wk of age, whereas mitogenic response of PBL to all three mitogens declined significantly from 1 day of age to 3 days of age. The highest mitogenic response of i-IEL to T-cell mitogens was observed at 1 wk of age. The highest mitogenic response of PBL to both T-cell mitogens was observed at 1 day of age and the highest PBL response to LPS was observed at 16 wk of age. The mitogenic response induced by PHA-P provided less variability between age groups than the mitogenic response induced by Con A.

NMR and molecular modeling studies on two glycopeptides from the carbohydrate-protein linkage region of connective tissue proteoglycans

Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments are reported for two glycopeptides representing the carbohydrate-protein linkage region of connective tissue proteoglycans. These glycopeptides are the octasaccharide hexapeptide, Ser(GlcpAbeta(1-->3) Galpbeta(1-->3)Galpbeta(1-->4)Xylpbeta)-Gly-Ser-Gly-Se r (GlcpAbeta(1-->3)Galpbeta(1-->3)Galpbeta(1-->4)Xylp beta)-Gly (1), and the tetrasaccharide dipeptide, Ser(GlcpAbeta(1-->3)Galpbeta(1-->3)Galpbeta(1-->4)X ylpbeta)-Gly (2). The vicinal coupling constant data show that the monosaccharide residues adopt4 C 1 chair conformations. Distance geometry/simulated annealing calculations using 2D NOESY derived distance constraints yielded a single family of structures for the tetrasaccharide moiety, with well defined interglycosidic linkage conformations. The straight phi torsion angles of the glycosidic C1'-O1 bonds showed a strict preference for the -sc range whereas the psi torsion angles (O1-Cn) exhibited dependence upon the interglycosidic linkage position (-ac for beta(1-->3) linkage, +ac for beta(1-->4) linkage). The predominant conformation about the glycopeptide bond is straight phi = -sc and psi = +ac. The presence of strong daN (i, i+1) NOE contacts, and the general absence of dNN (i, i+1) contacts (except for a weak Ser-5/Gly-6 dNN contact) and the dbN (i, i+1) contacts (except for Ser-1/Gly-2) in the ROESY spectrum, suggest that the backbone for 1 is predominantly in an extended conformation. A comparison of the ROESY data for 1 with those obtained from the unglycosylated hexapeptide (3) of the same sequence suggests that glycosylation has only a marginal influence on the backbone conformation of the hexapeptide.

Efficacy of curcumin in the management of chronic anterior uveitis

Curcumin, obtained from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, was administered orally to patients suffering from chronic anterior uveitis (CAU) at a dose of 375 mg three times a day for 12 weeks. Of 53 patients enrolled, 32 completed the 12-week study. They were divided into two groups: one group of 18 patients received curcumin alone, whereas the other group of 14 patients, who had a strong PPD reaction, in addition received antitubercular treatment. The patients in both the groups started improving after 2 weeks of treatment. All the patients who received curcumin alone improved, whereas the group receiving antitubercular therapy along with curcumin had a response rate of 86%. Follow up of all the patients for the next 3 years indicated a recurrence rate of 55% in the first group and of 36% in the second group. Four of 18 (22%) patients in the first group and 3 of 14 patients (21%) in the second group lost their vision in the follow up period due to various complications in the eyes, e.g. vitritis, macular oedema, central venous block, cataract formation, glaucomatous optic nerve damage etc. None of the patients reported any side effect of the drug. The efficacy of curcumin and recurrences following treatment are comparable to corticosteroid therapy which is presently the only available standard treatment for this disease. The lack of side effects with curcumin is its greatest advantage compared with corticosteroids. A double blind multi-centric clinical trial with this drug in CAU is highly desirable to further validate the results of the present study.

An evaluation of the mitogenic reactivity of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes of chickens

A colorimetric assay employing MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl], 2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) was used to determine the mitogenic response of intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (i-IELs) of chickens to T- and B-cell mitogens. Comparisons between mitogenic responses of i-IELs and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were made to examine potential relationships. The results from this study indicated that T-cell mitogens, concanavalin A (Con A), and phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) induced mitogenic stimulation in i-IELs. Although stimulation indexes of both i-IELs and PBLs were similar, the optical densities (ODs) of i-IEL cultures containing Con A or PHA-P were 20- to 50-fold lower than the ODs of PBL cultures containing the same mitogen. The lower conversion of MTT to formazan resulting in lower ODs in i-IEL cultures indicated a lower level of cellular activity in the i-IELs than in the PBLs. The mitogenic responses of both i-IELs and PBLs to Con A and PHA-P were dose dependent. The responsive concentration of Con A for i-IELs was within the range of 25-50 micrograms/ml, whereas the responsive concentration of PHA-P for i-IELs was 50 micrograms/ml. Three days of incubation was found to be adequate to induce a significant (P < 0.05) mitogenic response for both T-cell mitogens. Lipopolysaccharide was unable to induce a mitogenic response in i-IELs, which was attributed to the lack of B cells in the i-IEL population. This technique may prove useful in evaluating and studying the role of i-IELs in local cell-mediated immune responses of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dependence of the 1H NMR chemical shifts of ring F resonances on the orientation of the 27-methyl group of spirostane-type steroidal sapogenins

A relationship between the 1H NMR chemical shifts of the ring F resonances and orientation of the H3-27 group has been derived for the establishment of 25R- and 25S-stereochemistry in spirostane type of steroidal sapogenins.

Partial purification and substrate specificity of heparan sulfate alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I: synthesis, NMR spectroscopic characterization and in vitro assays of two aryl tetrasaccharides

Studies of heparan sulfate biosynthesis on beta-D-xylosides have led to the hypothesis that heparan sulfate alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (alpha-GlcNAc-TI) recognizes structures at the reducing end of the proteoglycan linkage tetrasaccharide. We report here the in vivo and in vitro testing of this hypothesis using four synthetic substrates, benzyl- and 2-naphthalenemethanyl-beta-D-xylosides, and two proteoglycan linkage tetrasaccharides containing benzyl alcohol or naphthalmethanol aglycones, viz., GlcAbeta(1 --> 3)Gal beta(1 --> 3)Gal beta(1 --> 4)Xyl beta-O-Bn (BNT) and GlcAbeta(1 --> 3)Gal beta(1 --> 3)Gal beta(1 --> 4)Xyl beta-O-NM (NMT). The aryl tetrasaccharides were chemically synthesized and the 1H and 13C resonances were assigned by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The inter-residue spatial constraints, determined by the 2D NOESY data, revealed essentially identical conformations for the interglycosidic linkages and Xyl-O-CH2Ar linkages in both compounds. Interestingly, the aromatic rings in both tetrasaccharides undergo rapid internal rotation across the CH2-Ar bond. These tetrasaccharides were used to assay heparan sulfate alpha-GlcNAc-TI from homogenates of wild-type CHO cells. alpha-GlcNAc-TI was also purified approximately 900-fold from rat liver and assayed with BNT and NMT. At nearly all concentrations tested, alpha-GlcNAc-TI activity from both CHO cell homogenates and rat liver was greater with the NMT. When fed to CHO cells, benzyl-beta-D-xyloside primed heparan sulfate poorly relative to 2-naphthalenemethanyl-beta-D-xyloside. Thus, the in vitro enzyme activity is consistent with the in vivo priming data that suggests that alpha-GlcNAc-TI can directly recognize structure at the reducing end of the linkage tetrasaccharide. These studies provide an in vivo basis for the possible role of core protein sequences in the biosynthesis of specific glycosaminoglycans.

Scrokoelziside A, a triterpene glycoside from Scrophularia koelzii

Scrokoelziside A, isolated from the aerial parts of Scrophularia koelzii was shown to be 3-O-([alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->3), beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-beta-D-fucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D- glucopyranosyl]-13 beta,28-epoxyolean-11-en-23-ol, on the basis one- and two-dimensional NMR homo- and hetero-nuclear spectroscopic evidence.

Bifid pancreas: an endoscopic retrograde pancreaticographic curiosity

Bifid pancreas, representing a major bifurcation of the main pancreatic duct, has rarely been reported. We report four such cases where this condition was picked up incidentally.

Microphthalmos with cyst: a clinical study

Defects in closure of embryonic fissure and invagination of optic vesicle results in varied clinical presentation of microphthalmos with cyst. In our study, three patients had microphthalmos with cyst in one of their orbits. The cyst presented either as a swelling in the lower lid or as a sinus with purulent discharge associated with absent or small sized eyeball. The microphthalmic eye showed a spectrum of posterior segment abnormalities such as retinal disorganisation, gliosis, choroidal, and scleral coloboma. Microscopically, the cyst connected to the coloboma consisted of an outer layer of fibrovascular tissue and an inner gliotic neuroectodermal layer. The treatment consisted of excision of cyst alone or of microphthalmic eye with cyst. The use of conformers was mandatory after removal of cystic eyeball for near normal development of both orbits to maintain facial symmetry in our paediatric patients.

The predictive value of the relative lens position in primary angle-closure glaucoma

The relative lens position has been considered to be an important determinant in primary angle-closure glaucoma, but its predictive value needs to be assessed. Therefore, in this tertiary-care center-based case-control study, 70 cases and an equal number of controls were investigated to analyze this association. It was found that, after controlling for age, sex, and refractive error, the relative lens position and anterior chamber depth had a strong association with the disease in separate logit models (P < .01). The predictability of the separate logit models with the relative lens position and anterior chamber depth was found to be statistically significant (-2 x maximized logarithmic likelihood, 93.94 and 19.39, respectively, P < .01). Because the relative lens position represents a composite measure from a set of variables, it can be used as a significant predictive alternative to anterior chamber depth in the genesis of this disease.

Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the orbit

Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, an uncommon lesion of bone and extraskeletal tissue, is rare in the orbit. A case of extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the orbit in a 28-year-old woman presenting with proptosis and diminution of vision in the left eye is reported. Histologically, the tumor showed areas of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells with islands of cartilage. Immunohistochemical analysis for S-100 protein showed focal positivity in chondroid areas. The eye was preserved and the patient has good vision after 2 years of follow-up.

Ultrasound guided percutaneous renal biopsy

Percutaneous renal biopsy is a useful tool in the diagnosis and prognostication of the medical renal diseases. The ultrasonography helps in accurately localising the site of renal biopsy as well as in detecting contra-indications like polycystic disease, solitary kidney and hydronephrosis, etc. In this series of 100 consecutive cases of ultrasound guided renal biopsy, the success rate was 99% and reasonably good length of renal tissues were obtained in 97% cases.

Anterior chamber depth and lens thickness in primary angle-closure glaucoma: a case-control study

Anterior chamber depth and lens thickness have been considered as important biometric determinants in primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). In a tertiary care centre-based case-control study, 70 patients and equal number of controls were investigated to analyse the strength of association and predictability of anterior chamber depth (ACD) and lens thickness (LT) in the disease. Mean (+/- S.D.) ACD and LT in the cases and the controls were found to be 2.28 +/- 0.19, 2.87 +/- 0.10; 4.57 +/- 0.34 and 4.13 +/- 0.19 mm respectively. Two sample t test demonstrated statistically significant difference in the ACD and LT between the cases and the controls (Difference being -0.59, 0.44; 95% confidence interval of the difference: -0.64, -0.53 and 0.34, 0.53 respectively, P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated statistically significant protective effect of ACD over PACG (P < 0.01). The odds ratio corresponding to an increase of 0.01 mm in ACD and LT were computed as 0.83 and 1.11 respectively.

Endoscopic removal of ascaris from biliary tree

Hepatobiliary ascariasis is an uncommon condition outside the Kashmir valley. We report here a patient with this disease from the eastern part of India.

NMR spectroscopy in the structural elucidation of oligosaccharides and glycosides

The potential of one- and two-dimensional NMR techniques for the identification of individual sugar residues, their anomeric configuration, interglycosidic linkages, sequencing and the site of any appended group, in establishing the structures of naturally occurring oligosaccharides and glycosides is presented.

Evaluation of the cell-mediated immune response of chickens vaccinated with Newcastle disease virus as determined by the under-agarose leukocyte-migration-inhibition technique

The under-agarose leukocyte-migration-inhibition (LMI) assay for the evaluation of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was developed for use in chickens. A significant CMI response was demonstrated in chickens vaccinated with Newcastle disease vaccine by using this assay. Results also indicated that the under-agarose LMI test was a reproducible and relatively easy assay to perform. Serologic antibody titers were determined to study the correlation between hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) titers and LMI levels using the HI microassay. The presence of the CMI response always correlated to the presence of the serologic immune response and vice versa. However, the quantitative level of the CMI response did not always correspond to the quantitative level of the serologic immune response. Going by results of this study, we were unable to predict humoral antibody level on the basis of a CMI response and vice versa.