Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Mukherjee

Publications and source records attributed to A Mukherjee.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Inhibition by capsaicin against cyclophosphamide-induced clastogenicity and DNA damage in mice.

We have demonstrated in an earlier paper that capsaicin, the pungent principle of red hot chili, has a potent anti-oxidant property that interferes with free-radical involved mechanisms. In the present paper we demonstrate that capsaicin significantly inhibits cyclophosphamide-induced (i.p.) chromosomal aberrations and DNA strand breakages. This protective action of capsaicin against CP-induced toxicity may possibly be linked with its already reported 'desensitisation' effect against chemical irritant-induced damages.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Addition of immunotherapy with Mycobacterium w vaccine to multi-drug therapy benefits multibacillary leprosy patients.

Immunotherapy with a vaccine consisting of autoclaved Mycobacterium w, was given in addition to standard chemotherapy (multidrug therapy (MDT)) to 93 multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients. One hundred and seven patients with similar types of disease served as controls and received MDT + placebo injections. The study was a double-blind randomised trial. On opening the codes, results obtained were in concordance with those in a single-blind trial which has been extensively reported. Bacteriological clearances were significantly more rapid in vaccinated patients (p < 0.03). Thirty-five LL or BL patients with a high bacterial index (BI) of 6 were completely cleared of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) after eight doses of vaccine. Only 8 patients in the control group became bacteriologically negative in the same time period. They all had BIs < 4. Associated with decreasing BI was accelerated clinical regression of lesions after vaccination and lepromin conversion rates of 100% for BB, 71% for BL and 70% for LL. A significant number of immunised patients showed histological improvement (p < 0.004). Thirty-six showed a complete disappearance of dermal granulomas and a picture of non-specific infiltration. The vaccine did not precipitate neuritis or deformities; episodes were noted in vaccinated patients as were incidences of Type 2 reaction. The overall improvement was reflected by a shorter duration of treatment and faster release of vaccinated patients.

Bacterial Vaccines↗
PubMed1995

1(2)gl gene regulates late expression of segment polarity genes in Drosophila.

To analyse the possible roles of Drosophila tumour suppressor genes, 1(2)gl and 1(2)gd, in differentiation programmes of imaginal cells, we investigated their interactions with two segment polarity genes, viz., cubitus interruptus Dominant (ci-D) and engrailed (en), by examining their patterns of expression in tumourous imaginal discs of 1(2)gl4 or 1(2)gd1 homozygous larvae. While the 1(2)gd1 mutation did not have much effect, the areas of expression of ci-D and en in the tumourous discs of 1(2)gl homozygous larvae were significantly increased and the anterior-posterior compartment boundary was no longer identifiable. To examine if the loss of en expression compartment boundary in 1(2)gl tumourous discs was due to overproliferation of the posterior compartment cells or due to a deregulated expression of en in the anterior compartment cells, 1(2)gl4 homozygous cell clones were generated in 1(2)gl4 enlacZ/++ background. A distinct X-gal staining in 1(2)gl homozygous clones in the anterior compartment in wing imaginal discs or in adult wings confirmed deregulated ectopic expression of en in 1(2)gl mutant anterior compartment cells. We suggest that 1(2)gl is involved in regulating post embryonic expression of segment polarity genes.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Biometals in skin and sera of leprosy patients and their correlation to trace element contents of M. leprae and histological types of the disease; a comparative study with cutaneous tuberculosis.

The present study has provided information on the biometal contents of killed and dried Mycobacterium leprae as well as dermal granulomas induced by the invading mycobacteria in various histological types of leprosy patients. For comparison, the biometal contents of the contralateral leprosy-unaffected skin of the same patients also were measured. The study also reports changes of serum levels of the biometals in these patients which were compared with those in healthy control subjects and patients with skin tuberculosis. These data show that M. leprae is rich in zinc. During the course of the evolution of the disease there is gross alteration of the dynamics of the inflammatory cell population that infiltrates into leprosy granulomas, resulting in the alterations of trace element contents of the disease-affected skin lesions. Interestingly, the changes of the biometal contents in the granulomas of the patients with skin tuberculosis are similar to those in leprosy patients. It is postulated that the significant decrease of the contents of copper, zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium in the disease-affected skin in comparison to that of the contralateral healthy skin is a local effect, perhaps due to erosion or influx of biometal-deficient inflammatory cells into the affected skin with eventual loss of connective tissue of skin and mobilization of tissue-bound microelements into the vascular compartment. On the contrary, the changes in biometal levels in the sera of leprosy patients appear to be a general effect perhaps due to the release of interleukin-1, a product of inflammatory cells, causing hypercupremic, hypozincemic and hypoferremic responses in the hosts. Moreover, growth and multiplication of M. leprae, especially in polar lepromatous leprosy patients with a high bacillary load, demand essential biometals which may be mobilized into the bacterial bodies from the hosts. This perhaps results in the change in the homeostasis of the essential biometals in the hosts.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Neuritic leprosy: further progression and significance.

Sixteen neuritic cases have been seen developing cutaneous lesions. These cutaneous lesions by and large appear within 4 months after the diagnosis of neuritic leprosy. Leprosy pathology in cutaneous lesions has been found ranging between indeterminate and borderline lepromatous group. Development of cutaneous lesions does not seem to be influenced by age, sex or number of nerves or lepromin status. Neither lesions seem to appear in any particular part of the body. Therapy, duration and type i.e. monodrug or multidrug, also does not seem to influence the development of cutaneous lesions in either way. It appears that neuritic cases with either very early (indeterminate) or with advanced multibacillary neural pathology may develop skin lesions. Skin lesion possibly appear following reversal reaction in skin. Cases with newly developed skin lesions well respond to standard therapy. Development of cutaneous lesions by neuritic cases possibly indicates towards the natural history of the disease, conforming to the hypothesis that leprosy is basically neural in inception and that all other forms emerge from it.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Membrane attack complex in thickened cutaneous sensory nerves of leprosy patients.

Membrane attack complex (MAC) is a terminal end product produced as a result of complement activation. The deposition of MAC, in tissues, is known to have a local tissue damaging effect in several clinical conditions. Therefore, an attempt was made to demonstrate MAC in peripheral nerve biopsies, collected from leprosy patients. Interestingly, we could demonstrate deposition of MAC in involved cutaneous sensory nerves from most of the lepromatous leprosy patients. Contrary to this, majority of nerve biopsies from tuberculoid leprosy patients did not stain for MAC. Though MAC positive sections showed reactivity for S-protein, our observations support the possibility that MAC, either acting directly or indirectly, may be implicated in nerve damage, at least, in lepromatous leprosy patients.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1994

Etoposide (VP-16): cytogenetic studies in mice.

Etoposide (VP 16-213), the epipodophyllotoxin derivative that is widely used in the treatment of cancer, forms complexes with DNA-topoisomerase type II alpha to exert its cytotoxicity. The drug was evaluated in vivo in Swiss albino mouse bone marrow cells for its ability to induce clastogenicity and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs). Doses of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/kg body weight etoposide given intraperitoneally induced a dose-dependent significant increase of clastogenicity (Trend test, alpha < or = 0.05). The aberrations induced were predominantly chromatid types. The drug shows specificity for S-phase cells: cells harvested 6 and 12 hr posttreatment showed a significantly increased number of damaged cells and aberrations per cell. Doses of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg etoposide/kg body weight induced a dose-dependent significant induction of SCEs (Trend test, alpha < or = 0.05). The minimal effective concentration was 0.5 mg/kg body weight. Etoposide significantly prolonged the cell cycle time at all concentrations tested: 12-13 hr in treated animals vs. 11 hr in control. The results confirm in vivo cell cycle phase specificity of the drug and further designate etoposide as a potent clastogen and a genotoxic agent in mice.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1994

Tubal catheterization for intrafallopian insemination and transvaginal gamete (GIFT) or zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT): our experience in a total of 1128 treatment cycles.

PURPOSE: Our purpose was to increase the number of fertile spermatozoa at the natural site of fertilization by retrograde tubal insemination (TV-IFI; transvaginal intrafallopian insemination) and also to perform transvaginal GIFT or ZIFT (TV-GIFT or TV-ZIFT) avoiding the laparoscopic procedure, especially in selected high-risk cases. RESULTS: The method was used in a total of 1128 treatment cycles (948 for TV-IFI and 180 for TV-GIFT or TV-ZIFT). TV-IFI was possible in 882 of the 948 cycles, resulting in 108 clinical pregnancies (12.24%). The remaining 66, due to bilateral tubal catheterization failure (6.9%), underwent intrauterine insemination (IUI) instead. Bilateral TV-IFI gave better results than unilateral, while combination with IUI did not seem to improve the outcome. Of the 180 cycles prepared for TV-GIFT or ZIFT the procedure was completed in 166, resulting in 24 clinical pregnancies (19% per patient and 14.45% per cycle). Due to bilateral tubal catheterization failure (8.2%) in the remaining 14 cycles (9 patients), IVF-ET was employed as an alternative. CONCLUSION: Simple and cost-effective TV-IFI may achieve a reasonable pregnancy rate, justifying its application in cases with previously failed IUI and before entering the IVF program. On the other hand, TV-GIFT or ZIFT, although less effective than the classical laparoscopic approach and IVF-ET, is worth pursuing, considering its safety and the minimal surgical intervention without anesthesia, and especially in selected high-surgical risk and obese patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

In vivo cytogenetic studies on mice exposed to natural food colourings.

Safflower Yellow and Kokum Red, two food colourings developed from natural plant products, were assessed in vivo for their clastogenic potential. Swiss albino male mice were exposed to the compounds through ip injections. Bone marrow cells isolated from femora were analysed for chromosome aberrations. The results show that the two food colourings were weakly clastogenic.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Localized lepromatous leprosy and its response to chemo-immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: This is an unusual presentation of lepromatous leprosy (LL) in a young boy, 12 years of age. The study forms part of a large scale immunotherapeutic trial with Mycobacterium w (M.w) antileprosy vaccine. The trial is being conducted in two major hospitals in New Delhi, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This patient presented with three lesions: one on each forearm and the third on the left leg. He was classified initially as borderline tuberculoid leprosy. Slit-skin smears and histopathology from the lesions proved the diagnosis to be lepromatous leprosy with a bacterial index (BI) 6+. The initial lepromin test was negative. The patient was treated with chemo-immunotherapy (standard multidrug therapy and immunotherapy with Mycobacterium w vaccine). RESULTS: Investigations after 1 year (15 months) of multi-drug therapy and three doses of vaccine, showed a remarkable fall in the BI from 6 to 0 in the lesions, a lepromin positivity of 5 mm, and a histological upgrading from lepromatous leprosy to borderline tuberculoid. Immunologic studies at 15 months revealed a good LTT response and high levels of cytokines, specifically IL-2 and IFN-gamma. CONCLUSIONS: This report presents an LL patient with disease limited to a few sites. It stresses the importance of slit-smear and biopsy in all patients of leprosy, and it highlights the upgrading observed on administration of chemo-immunotherapy.

Bacterial Vaccines↗