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Biomedical subjects

J K Agrawal

Publications and source records attributed to J K Agrawal.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Biogenic amines and thyrotoxicosis.

Circulating levels of T3, T4, gamma-amino-butyric acid, glutamate, 5-hydroxytryptamine, histamine, monoamine oxidase and histaminase were studied in 45 (25M, 20F) hyperthyroid patients and 46 (25M, 21F) normal healthy volunteers. Increased levels of blood 5-hydroxytryptamine, histamine and glutamic acid were observed along with elevated T3 and T4, whereas plasma gamma-aminobutyric acid, monoamine oxidase and histaminase activities were found to be low in both male and female patients. After three months of treatment, circulating levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, histamine and glutamic acid decreased significantly along with normalization of thyroid hormones and with an increase in the concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid, monoamine oxidase and histaminase. There was a positive correlation between these amines and thyroid hormone levels. The findings thus suggest that alterations in the metabolism of biogenic amines may be related to an altered metabolism in thyrotoxicosis, and these parameters may prove to be useful markers for diagnosis and follow-up of these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Effect of fenfluramine on serum T3, T4 and TSH levels in obesity.

A prospective, randomised case-control trial of an anorectic drug, fenfluramine was conducted on 30 patients of simple obesity. The study revealed that the drug was well tolerated, non-toxic and effective in reducing the body weight and normalising the thyroid profile. Reduction in body weight, rise in serum thyroxine (T4) and fall in serum triiodothyronine (T3) was highly significant (p less than 0.01) in drug treated group as compared to controls (p less than 0.05) after 12 weeks of therapy. There was also fall in serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels but without any statistical significance.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Growth hormone response to clonidine in obese children.

Basal and stimulated serum growth hormone (GH) levels after exercise, insulin induced hypoglycemia (IIH) and oral clonidine were evaluated in 20 (16 M, 4 F) normal statured obese (body mass index greater than or equal to 25 kg/M2) children. Basal serum GH levels (mean +/- SEM, 2.0 +/- 0.38 ng/ml) were not different from basal levels in non-obese children. The mean peak levels were 3.16 +/- 1.17 ng/ml, 2.15 +/- 0.36 ng/ml and 3.15 +/- 1.12 ng/ml (+/- SEM) after exercise, IIH and oral clonidine, respectively. The positive responses (peak level of serum GH greater than 7 ng/ml) were seen in 10% with exercise, in 10% with clonidine and in none with IIH test. These observations suggest that GH response to oral clonidine is subnormal in obese children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Avoidance learning under hypo and hyperglycemia in rats.

Learning behaviour under different glycaemic conditions were studied in albino rats using an avoidance box. When insulin and glucose levels were low after fasting, animals showed delay in avoidance learning. But there was no change in acquisition of learning after hypoglacaemia induced by insulin. This difference in behaviour under hypoglycaemia of almost similar severity is possibly due to difference in its rate of induction and activation of counter regulatory neuro-endocrine mechanisms. Diabetic (alloxan) rats failed to improve learning. Besides, hyperglycemia, other factors like metabolic disturbances, cytotoxic effects of alloxan may have inhibited learning in this group. Hypo or hyperglycemia disturb the function of neuronal substrates responsible for learning and memory.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Association of hypomagnesemia with diabetic retinopathy.

Serum magnesium was measured in 100 patients of type II diabetes mellitus (40 without retinopathy, 40 with non-proliferative and 20 with proliferative retinopathy) without malnutrition, hepatic or renal disease or albuminuria and in 100 age and sex matched controls. The serum magnesium levels were lower in diabetics than in controls (P less than 0.001), and the levels in diabetics with non-proliferative and proliferative retinopathy were significantly lower than in those without retinopathy (P less than 0.001). These data seem to point towards an association between hypomagnesemia and diabetic retinopathy.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Oral clonidine: an effective growth hormone provocative test.

Twenty normal statured healthy children (8 M; 12 F) aged 9-16 years were subjected to growth hormone (GH) provocative tests. The mean basal GH level was 2.0 +/- 0.42 ng/ml (+/- SEM). The mean peak levels of GH were 11.9 +/- 2.19 ng/ml (+/- SEM) after exercise, 9.82 +/- 2.81 ng/ml (+/- SEM) after insulin and 15.2 +/- 2.54 ng/ml (+/- SEM) after oral clonidine. A significant rise (peak level greater than 7 ng/ml) of serum GH was found in 70, 80 and 85% of children after exercise, insulin and oral clonidine tests, respectively. The observation in the present study indicates that oral clonidine test, a safer, easier and more economical test than insulin hypoglycemia, is equally potent and can be done in out patients.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1988

Spironolactone and cimetidine in treatment of acne.

In an open therapeutic trial, 50 patients with acne vulgaris were randomly allocated to one of two groups. One group received spironolactone 100 mg daily and the other cimetidine 1.6 g daily for 12 weeks. Clinical severity of acne and sebum excretion decreased significantly at the end of the trial with both drugs, but significantly more with spironolactone. Mean serum levels of testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate decreased significantly with spironolactone but showed no change with cimetidine. Our data suggest that spironolactone may be useful as antiandrogen in the short term therapy of acne vulgaris.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1988

Adreno-cortical function in leprosy.

Adreno cortical function was carried out in 43 cases of leprosy. These cases were further divided into tuberculoid, borderline, lepromatous and Lepra reaction. Serum and urinary electrolyte, urinary 17-Ketosteroid and 17-Ketogenic steroid and plasma cortisol levels were measured to assess the adrenocortical status in these different forms of leprosy. It was observed that these parameters were within normal limit in tuberculoid leprosy except low value of urinary 17-Ketogenic steroid. The borderline and Lepromatous leprosy cases revealed low values of urinary sodium, potassium and 17-Ketogenic steroid and high level of serum potassium. However, the cases of lepra reaction revealed low value of serum and urinary sodium and potassium, urinary 17-Ketogenic steroid. The basal plasma cortisol level was high in this group but it was statistically insignificant.

17-Ketosteroids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Adrenocortical insufficiency in smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis.

We studied 40 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. All were positive for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in the sputum. Their mean age was 30 yrs (range 10-50 yrs) and the duration of illness was 26.3 +/- 2.3 months. Radiologically minimal, moderately advanced and far advanced lesions were present in 7 (17.5%), 9 (22.5%) and 23 (57.5%) patients respectively. One patient with endobronchial lesion had no radiological evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. Clinically, 14 patients (35%) had one or the other features of adrenocortical insufficiency. Postural hypotension was the commonest feature and was present in 11 patients (27.5%), followed by nausea and vomiting (20%), loss of axillary hair and libido (10%), skin and mucosal pigmentation in 7.5% of the cases. ACTH stimulation revealed incomplete adrenocortical insufficiency (partially responsive adrenal) in 5 patients (12.5%) and complete adrenocortical insufficiency (non-responsive adrenal) in 2 patients (5%). Patients with features of adrenal insufficiency had significantly longer duration of illness (p < 0.001) but there was no correlation with extent or type of lesion.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Glucose tolerance test in leprosy.

Glucose tolerance test was carried out in 43 cases of leprosy. They included cases of tuberculoid, borderline, lepromatous leprosy and those with lepra reaction. It was observed that normal curve was common in tuberculoid leprosy. Flat glucose tolerance curve was observed in borderline and lepromatous leprosy. However, the diabetic curve was common in Lepra reaction. Fasting blood sugar was low in lepromatous leprosy and it tended to be marginally high in lepra reaction. Normal GTT response was observed in those with duration of disease between 0-6 months, flat curves in those with duration of disease between 7-12 months while diabetic curve was more common in those with disease duration of more than 2 years.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Myopia and plasma cortisol.

Estimation of plasma cortisol by fluorometric technique desorbed by Mallingly's was carried out in 56 cases, including 38 cases of myopia (19 cases of simple myopia and 19 cases of degenerative myopia) and 18 normal individuals. Urinary 17-keto steroids/24 hours was also estimated by Zimmermann technique in 12 out of the 56 cases, which include 8 cases of myopia (4 cases of simple myopia and 4 cases of degenerative myopia) and 4 normal individuals as control. Plasma cortisol level is lower in simple and degenerative myopia than in normal subjects, but on statistical analysis the difference was not of much significance. Patients with simple myopia with positive family history showed lower value of plasma cortisol than patients with simple myopia with negative family history, the difference was also statistically insignificant (P-0.1). In degenerative myopia patients, with and without family history, there was very little difference in plasma cortisol level and statistically highly insignificant (P-0.8). Urinary 17 keto steroid/24 hour values are lower in simple and degenerative myopia than in normal subjects.

17-Ketosteroids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Growth hormone and diabetic retinopathy.

Growth hormone has been considered to be the cause of diabetic retinopathy. However the relationship between growth hormone responses and diabetic retinopathy has not been consistent. Moreover, the correlation (if any) between the severity of retinopathy and growth hormone changes are also not well defined. In the present study 23 diabetics (16 with retinopathy, 7 without retinopathy) and 8 non-diabetic healthy controls were studied. Serum growth hormone was measured in the fasting state and one hour after levodopa administration. The mean growth hormone levels were significantly higher in the diabetics as compared to controls, however there was no correlation between the mean growth hormone levels (either in the fasting state or after levodopa stimulation) and presence or absence of diabetic retinopathy although diabetics with retinopathy had significantly greater mean growth hormone response. The mean growth hormone was found to have no correlation with the fasting blood sugar levels. Diabetics with back ground retinopathy had significantly greater mean growth hormone levels than those with proliferative retinal changes.

Diabetic Retinopathy↗