Adaptation of sea turtles to climate warming: Will phenological responses be sufficient to counteract changes in reproductive output?

Sea turtles are vulnerable to climate change since their reproductive output is influenced by incubating temperatures, with warmer temperatures causing lower hatching success and increased feminization of embryos. Their ability to cope with projected increases in ambient temperatures will depend on their capacity to adapt to shifts in climatic regimes. Here, we assessed the extent to which phenological shifts could mitigate impacts from increases in ambient temperatures (from 1.5 to 3°C in air temperatures and from 1.4 to 2.3°C in sea surface temperatures by 2100 at our sites) on four species of sea turtles, under a "middle of the road" scenario (SSP2-4.5). Sand temperatures at sea turtle nesting sites are projected to increase from 0.58 to 4.17°C by 2100 and expected shifts in nesting of 26-43 days earlier will not be sufficient to maintain current incubation temperatures at 7 (29%) of our sites, hatching success rates at 10 (42%) of our sites, with current trends in hatchling sex ratio being able to be maintained at half of the sites. We also calculated the phenological shifts that would be required (both backward for an earlier shift in nesting and forward for a later shift) to keep up with present-day incubation temperatures, hatching success rates, and sex ratios. The required shifts backward in nesting for incubation temperatures ranged from -20 to -191 days, whereas the required shifts forward ranged from +54 to +180 days. However, for half of the sites, no matter the shift the median incubation temperature will always be warmer than the 75th percentile of current ranges. Given that phenological shifts will not be able to ameliorate predicted changes in temperature, hatching success and sex ratio at most sites, turtles may need to use other adaptive responses and/or there is the need to enhance sea turtle resilience to climate warming.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of imidazoline derivatives as potential CNS and CVS agents

A series of substituted imidazoline derivatives were synthesized and characterized. Compounds were tested in-vivo for their antihypertensive, analgesic, antiaggressive, depressant, antidepressant, and ALD₅₀ activities. The compounds 3a, 3c, 4c, 5a, and 6c showed cardiovascular as well as central nervous system activities and are potential candidate as drug among all fifteen compounds tested. All these compounds have shown better activity for antihypertensive, analgesic, antiaggressive, and depressant-antidepressant, properties than reference compounds clonidine, morphine, diazepam, and imipramine respectively. Most of the compounds have shown ALD₅₀ > 500 mg/kg with maximum in 4a and 5a (>1000 mg/kg).

Endophytes enhance the production of root alkaloids ajmalicine and serpentine by modulating the terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway in Catharanthus roseus roots

AIM

The aim of this study was to identify and characterize promising endophytes capable of enhancing the content of root alkaloids ajmalicine and serpentine in low alkaloid yielding genotype of Catharanthus roseus cultivar Prabal and the possible mechanisms involved.

METHOD AND RESULT

Of the four strains isolated from alkaloid-rich genotype of C. roseus cultivar Dhawal, endophytic strains CATDLF5 (Curvularia sp.) and CATDLF6 (Choanephora infundibulifera) enhanced serpentine content by 211·7-337·6%, while CATDRF2 (Aspergillus japonicus) and CATDS5 (Pseudomonas sp.) increased the content of ajmalicine by 123·4-203·8% in cultivar Prabal. Upregulated expression of key genes, geraniol 10-hydroxylase, tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase involved in terpenoid indole alkaloid (TIA) biosynthetic pathway was observed in endophyte inoculated plants. Upregulated Octadecanoid-derivative Responsive Catharanthus AP2/ERF domain transcription activators like ORCA3 while, and downregulation of transcriptional repressor, ZCTs (Cys2/His2-type zinc finger protein family) enhanced the expression of genes for secondary metabolite production in endophyte-inoculated plants.

CONCLUSION

The present work concluded that the selected endophytes of C. roseus can enhance the ajmalicine and serpentine contents by modulating the expression of structural and regulatory genes of TIA biosynthetic pathway in root.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Endophytes can play an important role to enhance in planta content of pharmaceutically important alkaloids in C. roseus and can therefore be useful in reducing the cost of production of important alkaloids.

Development of Crystalline Cellulosic Fibres for Sustained Release of Drug

Natural quinoline alkaloid camptothecin (CPT) is used for the treatment of colon, lung, breast and ovarian cancers still facing challenges due to low solubility in aqueous and biological fluids. Its lactone form easily converts into a toxic carboxylic form at slightly basic pH, typical in blood and tissue fluid has rapid clearance from systemic administration. We report a new approach based on micro crystalline cellulose (MCC) and nano crystalline cellulose (NCC) isolated from natural sources such as Cymbopogan flexuosus to stabilize and regulate the release kinetics of CPT in physiological solution. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm studies approve that degree of crystallinity i.e. ratio of amorphous and crystalline cellulose regulate the adsorption of CPT. The freeze dried celluloses of Cymbopogan flexuosus origin (MCC and NCC) further were optimized for drug delivery with a mimicked physiologically relevant solution. Both carriers can significantly extend the release of drug as compared to reported values, however, NCC showed better results. Not only the crystallinity but crystal size and hydrogen bonding play critical role in drug release. Free diffusion of drug into physiological solution follows the Ritger- Peppes kinetic model. The coefficient of the model signifies the Fickian diffusion mechanism of release. The investigation indicates that NCC cellulosic matrix can act as a better carrier of CPT for its sustained release formulation.

Hydrolysis of Letrozole catalyzed by macrocyclic Rhodium (I) Schiff-base complexes

Ten mononuclear Rhodium (I) complexes were synthesized by macrocyclic ligands having N4 and N2O2 donor sites. Square planar geometry is assigned based on the analytical and spectral properties for all complexes. Rh(I) complexes were investigated as catalysts in hydrolysis of Nitrile group containing pharmaceutical drug Letrozole. A comparative study showed that all the complexes are efficient in the catalysis. The percent yields of all the catalytic reaction products viz. drug impurities were determined by spectrophotometric procedures and characterized by spectral studies.

In vitro propagation of Rauwolfia serpentina using liquid medium, assessment of genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants, and simultaneous quantitation of reserpine, ajmaline, and ajmalicine

Rauwolfia serpentina holds an important position in the pharmaceutical world because of its immense anti-hypertensive properties resulting from the presence of reserpine in the oleoresin fraction of the roots. Poor seed viability, low seed germination rate, and enormous genetic variability are the major constraints for the commercial cultivation of R. serpentina through conventional mode. The present optimized protocol offers an impeccable end to end method from the establishment of aseptic cultures to in-vitro plantlet production employing semisolid as well liquid nutrient culture medium and assessment of their genetic fidelity using polymerase chain reaction based rapid amplification of polymorphic DNA analysis. In vitro shoots multiplied on Murashige and Skoog basal liquid nutrients supplemented with benzo[a]pyrene (1.0 mg/L) and NAA (0.1 mg/L) and in-vitro rhizogenesis was observed in modified MS basal nutrient containing NAA (1.0 mg/L) and 2% sucrose. In-vitro raised plants exhibited 90-95% survival under glass house/field condition and 85% similarity in the plants regenerated through this protocol. Field established plants were harvested and extraction of indole alkaloid particularly reserpine, ajmaline and ajmalicine and their simultaneous quantitation was performed using monolithic reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

TAGmapper: a web-based tool for mapping SAGE tags

Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) is an important means of obtaining quantitative information about expression of genes in different samples. Short SAGE tags are 10 nucleotides long and often contain enough information to uniquely identify the gene(s) corresponding to the tag. We have observed, however, that the currently available resources are not adequate for accurate mapping of all SAGE tags to genes. Here, we describe development of a web-based tool called TAGmapper (http://tagmapper.ibioinformatics.org), which provides a comprehensive and accurate mapping of SAGE tags to genes. We were able to map SAGE tags accurately in several instances where two other popular resources, SAGEmap (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/SAGE/) and SAGE Genie (http://cgap.nci.nih.gov/SAGE), provided incorrect or no assignment of tags to genes. Finally, we experimentally determined the expression of a subset of genes assigned by TAGmapper using DNA microarrays and/or quantitative PCR to confirm the reliability of the gene mappings. We anticipate that TAGmapper will be a useful tool in functional genomic approaches by providing accurate identification of genes in SAGE experiments.

Phylogeography of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) on the east coast of India: implications for conservation theory

Orissa, on the east coast of India, is one of the three mass nesting sites in the world for olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea). This population is currently under threat as a result of fishery-related mortality; more than 100 000 olive ridleys have been counted dead in the last 10 years in Orissa. In general, the globally distributed olive ridley turtle has received significantly less conservation attention than its congener, the Kemp's ridley turtle (L. kempi), because the latter is recognized as a distinct species consisting of a single endangered population. Our study of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes suggests that the ridley population on the east coast of India is panmictic, but distinct from all other populations including Sri Lanka. About 96% of the Indian population consisted of a distinct 'K' clade with haplotypes not found in any other population. Nested clade analysis and conventional analysis both supported range expansions and/or long-distance colonization from the Indian Ocean clades to other oceanic basins, which suggested that these are the ancestral source for contemporary global populations of olive ridley turtles. These data support the distinctiveness of the Indian Ocean ridleys, suggesting that conservation prioritization should be based on appropriate data and not solely on species designations.

ONCOMINE: a cancer microarray database and integrated data-mining platform

DNA microarray technology has led to an explosion of oncogenomic analyses, generating a wealth of data and uncovering the complex gene expression patterns of cancer. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a unifying bioinformatic resource, the majority of these data sit stagnant and disjointed following publication, massively underutilized by the cancer research community. Here, we present ONCOMINE, a cancer microarray database and web-based data-mining platform aimed at facilitating discovery from genome-wide expression analyses. To date, ONCOMINE contains 65 gene expression datasets comprising nearly 48 million gene expression measurements form over 4700 microarray experiments. Differential expression analyses comparing most major types of cancer with respective normal tissues as well as a variety of cancer subtypes and clinical-based and pathology-based analyses are available for exploration. Data can be queried and visualized for a selected gene across all analyses or for multiple genes in a selected analysis. Furthermore, gene sets can be limited to clinically important annotations including secreted, kinase, membrane, and known gene-drug target pairs to facilitate the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

The HUPO PSI's molecular interaction format--a community standard for the representation of protein interaction data

A major goal of proteomics is the complete description of the protein interaction network underlying cell physiology. A large number of small scale and, more recently, large-scale experiments have contributed to expanding our understanding of the nature of the interaction network. However, the necessary data integration across experiments is currently hampered by the fragmentation of publicly available protein interaction data, which exists in different formats in databases, on authors' websites or sometimes only in print publications. Here, we propose a community standard data model for the representation and exchange of protein interaction data. This data model has been jointly developed by members of the Proteomics Standards Initiative (PSI), a work group of the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO), and is supported by major protein interaction data providers, in particular the Biomolecular Interaction Network Database (BIND), Cellzome (Heidelberg, Germany), the Database of Interacting Proteins (DIP), Dana Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA, USA), the Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD), Hybrigenics (Paris, France), the European Bioinformatics Institute's (EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, UK) IntAct, the Molecular Interactions (MINT, Rome, Italy) database, the Protein-Protein Interaction Database (PPID, Edinburgh, UK) and the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING, EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany).

Large-scale meta-analysis of cancer microarray data identifies common transcriptional profiles of neoplastic transformation and progression

Many studies have used DNA microarrays to identify the gene expression signatures of human cancer, yet the critical features of these often unmanageably large signatures remain elusive. To address this, we developed a statistical method, comparative metaprofiling, which identifies and assesses the intersection of multiple gene expression signatures from a diverse collection of microarray data sets. We collected and analyzed 40 published cancer microarray data sets, comprising 38 million gene expression measurements from >3,700 cancer samples. From this, we characterized a common transcriptional profile that is universally activated in most cancer types relative to the normal tissues from which they arose, likely reflecting essential transcriptional features of neoplastic transformation. In addition, we characterized a transcriptional profile that is commonly activated in various types of undifferentiated cancer, suggesting common molecular mechanisms by which cancer cells progress and avoid differentiation. Finally, we validated these transcriptional profiles on independent data sets.

BioBuilder as a database development and functional annotation platform for proteins

Background

The explosion in biological information creates the need for databases that are easy to develop, easy to maintain and can be easily manipulated by annotators who are most likely to be biologists. However, deployment of scalable and extensible databases is not an easy task and generally requires substantial expertise in database development.

Results

BioBuilder is a Zope-based software tool that was developed to facilitate intuitive creation of protein databases. Protein data can be entered and annotated through web forms along with the flexibility to add customized annotation features to protein entries. A built-in review system permits a global team of scientists to coordinate their annotation efforts. We have already used BioBuilder to develop Human Protein Reference Database , a comprehensive annotated repository of the human proteome. The data can be exported in the extensible markup language (XML) format, which is rapidly becoming as the standard format for data exchange.

Conclusions

As the proteomic data for several organisms begins to accumulate, BioBuilder will prove to be an invaluable platform for functional annotation and development of customizable protein centric databases. BioBuilder is open source and is available under the terms of LGPL.

Human protein reference database as a discovery resource for proteomics

The rapid pace at which genomic and proteomic data is being generated necessitates the development of tools and resources for managing data that allow integration of information from disparate sources. The Human Protein Reference Database (http://www.hprd.org) is a web-based resource based on open source technologies for protein information about several aspects of human proteins including protein-protein interactions, post-translational modifications, enzyme-substrate relationships and disease associations. This information was derived manually by a critical reading of the published literature by expert biologists and through bioinformatics analyses of the protein sequence. This database will assist in biomedical discoveries by serving as a resource of genomic and proteomic information and providing an integrated view of sequence, structure, function and protein networks in health and disease.

Development of human protein reference database as an initial platform for approaching systems biology in humans

Human Protein Reference Database (HPRD) is an object database that integrates a wealth of information relevant to the function of human proteins in health and disease. Data pertaining to thousands of protein-protein interactions, posttranslational modifications, enzyme/substrate relationships, disease associations, tissue expression, and subcellular localization were extracted from the literature for a nonredundant set of 2750 human proteins. Almost all the information was obtained manually by biologists who read and interpreted >300,000 published articles during the annotation process. This database, which has an intuitive query interface allowing easy access to all the features of proteins, was built by using open source technologies and will be freely available at http://www.hprd.org to the academic community. This unified bioinformatics platform will be useful in cataloging and mining the large number of proteomic interactions and alterations that will be discovered in the postgenomic era.

An evaluation of toxicity of Taxus baccata Linn. (Talispatra) in experimental animals

A toxicological study was performed in albino mice and rat with methanolic extract and isolated alkaloid of Taxus baccata Linn. (family: Taxaceae). LD(50) study showed the higher toxic activity in stem (TXA-1,2,3) as compared with leaf (TXB-1,2,3) extract. As the extract were further fractionated into crude alkaloids and purified by chromatography the toxicity of these fractions were found to be in increasing order as follows: methanolic extract (1) < crude alkaloidal fraction (2) < purified alkaloidal fraction (3). The effects of leaf and stem extract of T. baccata were studied on certain biochemical and haematological parameters of mice and rat after 10, 20 and 30 days of exposure. Among the parameters examined, the exposed animal exhibited significant decrease in total leukocyte count (TLC), lymphocytes and cholesterol level (mg/dl), whereas increase was observed in serum transminases (SGOT, SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) of TXA-1 and TXB-1 treated groups indicating toxic conditions associated due to liver involvement.

Uptake and translocation of selenium by maize (Zea mays) from its environmentaly important forms

Pot culture studies were conducted to examine the effect of selenite (SeO3(2-)) and selenate (SeO4(2-)) on the uptake and translocation of root absorbed selenium in maize Zea mays plants grown in sand and soil culture. Increasing selenium supplementation (0.5-6.00 microg/ml), increased the selenium retention in roots, but there was little transfer of selenium from shoot to grains. The study indicates that selenite species (less mobile) also accumulates in maize plants when supplied in solution form. Selenium does not cause any adverse effect on the maize plants (dry matter yield vs concentration, no significant correlation, p>0.05).

Biologically active substituted benzodiazepines and their effect on cardiovascular and central nervous system

Some substituted 1,5-benzodiazepine derivatives (including a spirocyclopentane moiety) were synthesized (Table I) and evaluated for their hypotensive and CNS activities respectively. The compounds which showed promising cardiovascular activity also exhibited marked anti-depressant action (Table II,III,IV). All the compounds showed higher ALD50 value.

Small mammal trapping in tropical montane forests of the upper Nilgiris, southern India: an evaluation of capture-recapture models in estimating abundance

Capture-mark-recapture was used to study small mammal populations in tropical montane forests in southern India. Eleven plots in six montane forest patches were sampled from February-October, 1994. Six species were captured, including four rodents and two shrews. PROGRAM CAPTURE was used to derive estimates of density of the most abundant species in the study area, Rattus rattus Linnaeus. The coefficient of variation of the density estimate was used as an index of precision. The coefficient of variation decreased exponentially with increasing capture probability and with an increase in trapping duration. The coefficient of variation and the capture probability were not correlated with estimates of density. The density estimate increased with trapping duration, as did trap mortality. The latter may have been due to the trend of increased mortality with recaptures of the same individual, which in turn may have been due to weight loss over consecutive captures. Estimates of density derived using four estimators were different for 2, 3, 4 and 5 days of trapping. The coefficient of variation was highest for the generalized removal estimate and lowest for Darroch's estimate. The models and estimators could not be applied to more than one species, and for this species, only in select habitats in a few seasons. Therefore, models of density estimation developed for temperate areas may not be suitable for tropical habitats due to low densities of small mammals in these habitats.

Significance of free radicals in chronic tonsillitis

The present study was carried on adolescents suffering from chronic tonsillitis. Blood (pre and post tonsillectomy) as well as tonsil samples were evaluated for -MDA, SOD and Catalase. Our results showed a decrease in level of MDA and increase in SOD and Catalase levels post tonsillectomy. Presence of MDA and SOD in tonsillar tissue reinforce involvement of oxidative stress in pathophysiology of chronic tonsillitis.

Effect of vitamin "A" on free radical cascade in pregnancy induced hypertension

The role of vitamin A therapy in pregnancy induced hypertension (P.I.H.) on free radical cascade was studied in P.I.H. patients of third trimester. It was found that vitamin A therapy causes statistically significant decrease in lipid peroxidation. However it has no effect on superoxide dismutase and catalase. This indicates that vitamin A acts as chain breaking antioxidant. The present study opens a future prospective of giving vitamin A for the prophylaxis of P.I.H.

Levels of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase of human platelets in unstable angina and myocardial infarction

Levels of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were measured in the platelets of 30 patients, 10 of them affected by unstable angina, 10 of them reperfused after myocardial infarction and 10 matched healthy controls. The specific activities of both the enzymes were lowered in both group of patients. Glutathione reductase activity resulted markedly lowered.

Anti-inflammatory benzopyran-2-ones and their active oxygen species (aos) scavenging activity

Benzopyrano derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory, ulcerogenic activities and toxicity studies. The in-vitro studies comprised of anti-proteolytic activity, lipid peroxidation inhibitory and reducing activities against alpha, alpha-diphenyl-beta-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Two potent compounds were studied further for their inhibition of lipid peroxidation and effect on Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in-vivo. These compounds were found promising in all the parameters studied, thereby signifying inter-relationship between their anti-inflammatory activity and anti-oxidant properties.

Early experience with real-time CT-fluoroscopy for an intracranial lesion

We have developed a real-time CT-fluoroscopy (CTF) system of which the initial trial was reported in 1993. This paper deals with the early clinical experience with this system. A third-generation scanner equipped with a slip-ring (Toshiba) was used. Images were reconstructed and displayed at a rate of 6/s with a 0.83-second delay time using a newly designed array processor. CTF was carried out in 12 cases (10 brain hemorrhages, 2 tumors). Good-quality fluoroscopic images were obtained in all cases. Real-time monitoring with CTF of needle placement and advancement was useful for accurate puncture needle biopsy and evacuation of the lesions. No serious complication was experienced in this series.

Cardiovascular effects of novel imidazoline congeners

2-Aryl-4,5-bis(diphenyl)-1-(N-acetyl hydrazide)-1,3-imidazoline (IIb1-4) was prepared by the reaction of ethyl chloro acetate and hydrazine hydrate with 2-Aryl-4,5-bis (diphenyl)-1H-imidazoline (I a1-4), which on further substitution with aryl/heterocyclyl aldheyde gave 2-Aryl-4,5-bis (diphenyl)-1-(4-substituted hydrazone)-1,3-imidazoline (III Ca-i). This was again cyclised to oxadiazole in the presence of ferric chloride and glacial acetic acid yielded 2-Aryl-4,5-bis(diphenyl)-1-(2-substituted-1,3,4-oxadizole)-1,3-imi dazoline (IV da-i). These compounds were screened for hypotensive activity and an attempt were made to get the site of action of these compounds.

Comparative status of oxidative damage and antioxidant enzymes in chronic tonsillitis patients

Comparative study of two modalities i.e. antioxidant therapy (by vitamin E) and tonsillectomy was done in chronic tonsillitis patients, the study included 80 cases. It was found that both modalities were affective than tonsillectomy. Thus the use of antioxidant may be a promising alternative for the tonsillectomy.

Indolyl nicotinic hydrazides and their neurological studies

2-Substituted-indole-3-carboxaldehyde I was cyclised with nicotinic acid hydrazide II with few drops of glacial acetic acid which resulted in 2-substituted-2-methyl-3 (2-substituted-3-indole-3-yl-methylene imino) indolyl aldehyde III. Catalytic reduction of III by Pd/C and hydrazine hydrate (99%) in N,N'-dimethyl formamide (DMF) yielded compound IV. III further underwent reaction with thioglycolic acid and anhydrous ZnCl2 to give VI. Compound VIII were synthesised from IV by the reaction of substituted arylaldehyde in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate and VII with 2-chloropropionic acid in the presence of Et3N respectively. III underwent cyclisation with chloroacetyl chloride and Et3N in DMF to yield compound V. Diazotisation of III with various substituted arylamines afforded IX. The compounds were evaluated for their C.N.S., anti-parkinsonian and MAO inhibitory activities.

A study of free radicals and scavenging enzyme in tonsillitis

The present study is a comparison of malonaldialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity between controls and in tonsillitis patients of different degree before (pre) and after (post) surgery (tonsillectomy). The SOD activity increases in pretonsillectomy cases according to severity of disease and there is a rise in MDA level whereas after tonsillectomy although the increase in SOD is marginal but MDA declines sharply as compared to pretonsillectomy patients indicating that the SOD exerts its protective effect after surgery.

Novel appearance of placental nuclear monoamine oxidase: biochemical and histochemical evidence for hyperserotonomic state in preeclampsia-eclampsia

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the relevance of placental monoamine oxidase at the subcellular level in the etiology of the hyperserotonomic state in preeclampsia-eclampsia.

STUDY DESIGN

The study was conducted on placentas from 20 normal pregnant women and 25 women with varied severity of preeclampsia-eclampsia. Placental serotonin and subcellular monoamine oxidase activity were determined. Histochemical localization of monoamine oxidase was done in placental sections and cell isolates.

RESULTS

Placental serotonin increases with severity (rsystolic 0.84, rdiastolic 0.83) and monoamine oxidase decreases (rsystolic 0.86, rdiastolic 0.79). Placental monoamine oxidase showed marked changes in preeclampsia-eclampsia. Histochemical localization of monoamine oxidase showed diffused low activity evenly throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus of the syncytiotrophoblastic cells in preeclampsia-eclampsia; in contrast, normal placenta showed high activity in the cytoplasm without any activity in the nucleus of syncytiotrophoblastic cells. Detection of monoamine oxidase activity in nuclei of the placenta in preeclampsia-eclampsia is a novel finding. Monoamine oxidase activity at the subcellular level further strengthens this observation. A severity-dependent decrease was present in the nuclei of placentas with preeclampsia-eclampsia. The use of specific substrates and inhibitors revealed the presence of monoamine oxidase in mitochondria and nucleus.

CONCLUSION

The study delineates an impaired catabolism of placental serotonin in preeclampsia-eclampsia. The novel appearance of monoamine oxidase in nuclei in proximity to its normal site and low activity resulting in a hyperserotonomic state may lead to preeclampsia-eclampsia.

Status of free radicals and their scavenging enzymes in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH)

The levels of lipid peroxidation (malonaldialdehyde), one of the consequence of free radical damage, and the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase were estimated in the blood samples of fourteen normal and thirteen pregnancy induced hypertensive patients. A marked increase in malonaldialdehyde (p < 0.001) with concomitant decrease in superoxide dismutase (p < 0.001), catalase (p < 0.001) activities were observed in PIH as compared to normal pregnancy, thereby indicating the involvement of free radicals in PIH.

Study of mercury-selenium (Hg-Se) interactions and their impact on Hg uptake by the radish (Raphanus sativus) plant

Pot culture experiments were conducted to study the effects of selenite and selenate treatment (0.5-6.0 microg/ml) on the uptake and translocation of root-absorbed mercury (Hg) in radish plants irrigated with 2 and 5 microg/ml Hg in sand and soil culture. Statistically significant reductions in mercury uptake with increasing concentrations of selenium (Se) were observed. Both forms of selenium (selenite and selenate) were equally effective in reducing the mercury burden of the plant. The observed reduction in plant uptake of mercury is explained by the formation of an HgSe insoluble complex in the soil-root environment. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in dry matter yields with the various selenium treatments was found, suggesting that no selenium toxicity or salt injury occurred in the plants.

Synthesis of some new 2-methyl-4-(substituted benzylidene)1-phenyl-1,2,4 triazolo (3,4,-b) 1,4,5 thiadiazole as potential AChE inhibitory agents

4-(1-aminophenyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4,-b]1,3,4-thiadiozole (2) was prepared by treatment of 4-(1-aminophenyl)-5-mercapto-4-amino-1,2,4-S-triazole with carbondisulfide and KOH in methanol. This on further reaction with different 2-methyl-4-(substituted benzylidene)-oxazolin-5-ones gave 2-methyl-4-(substituted benzylidene)-1-phenyl-1,2,4[triazolo[3,4,-b]1,3,4-thiadiozoles. The compounds were screened for AChE inhibitory activity.

Substituted quinazolinones and their anti-inflammatory activity

6-Substituted-2-alkyl-3-(4-aminobenzene sulphonamido)quinazolin-4-(3H) ones (1a-b) were converted either to 2-methyl 3-[(N-aminoacylbenzoate)benzenes sulphonamido]quinazolin-4 (3H) ones (2a-c) or to 6-substituted-2-alkyl-3-(N-arylidene benzene sulphonamido)-quinazolin-4- (3H) ones (3a-h). 3 on reduction, yielded 6-substituted-2-alkyl-3-(N-arylmethyl sulphonamido)-quinazolin-4(3H)ones (4a-l). Reaction of 3a-h with thioglycolic acid afforded 2-alkyl-3-[4'-(5'-arylthiazolidin-3'-one)benzene sulphonamido]quinazolin-4(3H)ones (5a-h). All these compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenin induced rat's paw oedema. Active compounds were also evaluated for ulcerogenic liability and ALD50 values.

Novel pyrimidinediones and thiazolidinones as anti depressants

2-Mercapto-5-[4'-methoxy phenyl thiourea]-1,3,4-thiadiazole (2a-c) prepared by the condensation of 2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (1) with substituted phenyl isothiocyanates. Further on cyclisation with malonic acid in the presence of acetyl chloride gave the corresponding 2-mercapto-5-[3-(4-methoxy phenyl)-2-thioxo-2-5-dihydro-4, 6-pyrimidionoyl]-1,3,4-thiadiazole (3a-c) [sequence: see text]. This on further reaction with substituted aryl aldehydes in presence of zinc chloride gave 2-mercapto-5-[3-(4'-methoxy phenyl)-2'-thioxo-2',5'-dihydro-4',6' -pyrimidionoyl 5'-phenyl carboxaldehyde]-1,3,4- thiadiazole (4a-g) [sequence: see text]. The compounds were screened for antidepressant activity and compared with antidepressant (imipramine).

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 1,2,4-triazine and its congeners

3-[Mercapto]-n-propanoxy/methyl-ethanoxy branched chain in 5,6-Diphenyl- 1,2,4-triazine were condensed with O-phenylene diamine or O- aminophenol or o-aminothiophenol. The carboxylic groups of the synthesized compounds were cyclised to yield imidazoles, oxazoles and thiazoles. They were screened for their anti-inflammatory response in albino rats against carrageenin induced paw oedema. The active compounds were also evaluated for their ED50 value in albino rats and analgesic activity in albino mice. The compounds exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity also showed marked protection against aconitine induced writhing response. The potent compounds showed high LD50 values.

Synthesis of 1,3,4-thiadiazole-[3,2,-a]-s-triazine-5,7-dithione derivatives and their pharmacological evaluation

2-Mercapto-6-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-(3,2-a)-s-triazine-5,7-dithione (1) was converted to 2-[3-carboxyl-2-methyl-1-mercapto]-6-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-(3,2-a)-s- triazine-5,6 dithione (2) and 2-thioethanoic acid-6-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole-(3, 2-a)-s-triazine-5,7-dithione (4). This on reaction with o-phenylenediamine/ethylenediamine/o-aminophenol/o-aminothiophenol and polyphosphoric acid yielded compounds 3 (a-d) and 5 (a-d). The compounds 1,2,4,3 (a-d) and 5 (a-d) were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan induced paw oedema. The compounds found potent were further tested for their antiwrithmogenic activity in albino mice. Two compounds (2,3c) exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity, also showed protection against aconitine induced writhing response, with high approximate LD50 values.