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Biomedical subjects

M Gupta

Publications and source records attributed to M Gupta.

At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

Tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA in the dopaminergic neurons of young adult and aged mice by in situ hybridization.

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in young adult and aged mice was detected and quantitated using in situ hybridization. Using 3H-labeled antisense RNA complementary to TH mRNA, these studies demonstrate the presence of TH mRNA in dopaminergic neurons of the SN and the VTA. Alternate sections stained immunocytochemically using TH-specific antiserum demonstrated that the neurons containing TH mRNA also contained TH protein. Quantitative analysis of the number of silver grains present over the dopaminergic neurons of the SN and VTA revealed no statistically significant difference between the two age groups. The results suggest that TH gene expression in dopaminergic neurons of the SN and VTA is not different in young adult and aged mice.

Aging↗

Gangliosides prevent MPTP toxicity in mice--an immunocytochemical study.

The role of gangliosides in preventing neuronal degeneration was examined in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse parkinsonian model. Intraventricular injections of a ganglioside mixture prior to MPTP treatment reduced MPTP's toxicity on tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the substantia nigra. This raises the interesting possibility that early ganglioside administration may be beneficial in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine↗

Lytic effect of Vibrio cholerae elastase on gram-positive and -negative bacteria.

Elastase of Vibrio cholerae caused the lysis of freshly grown cells of Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella paratyphi A and Klebsiella pneumoniae) bacteria. Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis) organisms were resistant to this enzyme. Heat killed and lyophilized Gram-positive and -negative bacteria (except S. aureus and S. epidermidis) showed higher sensitivity to elastase. Both Gram-negative and -positive bacteria were lyzed maximally by elastase at pH 8.0. At this pH, lytic activity of elastase was maximum in Tris-HCl and glycine-NaOH buffers followed by Tris-maleate and cacodylate buffers.

Bacteriolysis↗

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) in peritoneal tuberculosis: diagnostic value in ascitic fluid and serum.

Simultaneous determination of ascitic fluid and serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity was evaluated as a diagnostic aid in peritoneal tuberculosis. The ascites was due to peritoneal tuberculosis (group 1), cirrhosis of the liver (group 2), cirrhosis of the liver with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (group 3), peritoneal malignancy (group 4), Budd-Chiari Syndrome (group 5) and miscellaneous conditions (group 6). Serum from patients of pulmonary tuberculosis and healthy volunteers was analysed for enzyme activity. In patients with peritoneal tuberculosis the ascitic fluid and serum ADA activity was significantly higher than for the other groups (P less than 0.001). Levels above 36 u/l in ascitic fluid and above 54 u/l in the serum suggest tuberculosis. The ascitic fluid/serum ADA ratio was also higher in patients with peritoneal tuberculosis than with other causes of ascites (P less than 0.01). A ratio of more than 0.984 was suggestive of tuberculosis.

Adenosine Deaminase↗

Menstrual dysfunction in hirsute women.

Hirsutism in women is frequently associated with increased levels of androgens. Studies of biochemical changes, however, have yielded conflicting results. This study compares the findings in 30 hirsute women with normal menses and those of 30 hirsute women with abnormal cycles. Of the women with abnormal menstruation, 73% had oligoamenorrhea only and the others had dysfunctional uterine bleeding. The abnormally menstruating group had a similar mean age but tended to have heavier body weights than those with normal cycles. Free and total testosterone levels were significantly higher in the abnormal group (total testosterone, 54 +/- 35 ng/dl vs 35 +/- 12 ng/dl, p = 0.004; free testosterone, 7.8 +/- 4.9 pg/ml vs 4.2 +/- 1.4 pg/ml, p = 0.002). The abnormal group tended to have higher levels of androstenedione than the normal group (227 +/- 116 ng/dl vs 139 +/- 59 ng/dl) but dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) levels were similar (320 +/- 142 mg/dl vs 298 +/- 169 pg/dl). Levels of thyroxin, thyrotropin, and prolactin were comparable in the two groups. Among hirsute women those with abnormal menses tended to be heavier and to have higher levels of total testosterone, free testosterone, and androstenedione. This is consistent with the clinical impression, not previously documented, that of hirsute women, those with abnormal menses have more severe endocrine abnormalities than those with normal cycles.

Adult↗

Role of magnetic resonance (MR) in the diagnosis and management of intracranial tuberculomas.

Thirty-one patients with intracranial tuberculomas were diagnosed on the basis of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The diagnosis was confirmed in 30; one case was a false-positive. A total of 44 tuberculomas was found in these patients of which 41 were distributed in the cerebral hemispheres, two in the brainstem and one in the cerebellum. No correlation was found between the type of lesion seen on CT and those seen on MR imaging. CT was negative in one patient with a low brainstem tuberculoma. The final diagnosis was based on the response to antituberculous drug treatment as judged by serial MR imaging in 29 patients and by biopsy in one; and one was false-positive. Thirty-nine tuberculomas, all under 2.5 cm in size, showed complete resolution after 5-8 months of treatment. The remaining five lesions were larger than 2.5 cm; four showed a 50% reduction in size after 12 months of treatment and one was completely excised. Three types of response are described to the treatment with anti-tuberculous drugs. The diagnosis of intracranial tuberculomas can be made more objectively with MR imaging.

Adolescent↗

Purification of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli strain 080.

Purification studies of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7 alpha-HSDH) (EC 1.1.1.159) from Escherichia coli 080 showed that 1.59-fold purification could be achieved by heating (60 degrees C for 10 min) the ultracentrifuged enzyme preparation, and 6.46-fold purification was achieved by subsequent precipitation with ammonium sulfate. Further purification on Sephadex G-100 gel gave 10.1-fold purification. After pooling and concentrating the active fractions obtained from the Sephadex G-100 filtration, an 11.1-fold purification was achieved using DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The purified enzyme produced a single band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and its molecular weight was determined to be 54,000. The enzyme was immunogenic and showed immunoprecipitation with homologus antisera.

Chromatography, DEAE-Cellulose↗

Optimization of 7 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase production by Escherichia coli 080.

7 alpha-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.159) production by Escherichia coli strain 080 was highest when the organism was grown in brain heart infusion broth at pH 6.5 for 72-96 h with shaking at 37 degrees C. The oxygen consumption rate had a strong effect on the production of this constitutive enzyme. Glucose and lactose at 0.2-0.4%, detergents, and ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid were found to increase the enzyme production.

Culture Media↗

Chlorotetracycline induced fluorescence of antherozoids in ferns.

A quick method based on chlorotetracycline induced fluorescence of the antherozoids is described. This method was found suitable for studying the number and duration of motility of antherozoids in toxicity studies where male fertility is a significant character.

Chlortetracycline↗

Construction of growth reference standards for urban slum children in developing countries.

A cross-sectional sample of 2987 children in the age group of 1 to 10 years were selected from urban slums of Delhi for measurement of weight and height. Males and females were 53 and 47% respectively. Mean weight and height were calculated for both the sexes. Comparison of percentiles of weight and height with NCHS and ICMR standards showed that the 75th percentiles weight and height of the present study were comparable with 80 and 90% of 50th percentile of NCHS respectively. Hence, upper 25% of the sample arranged in ascending order of magnitude were used for the construction of reference standards of weight and height. Comparison of percentiles drawn from the top 25% of the sample demonstrated that 50th percentile of the present study corresponded to 80% of 50th percentile of the NCHS for weight and 90% of 50th percentile of NCHS of the height for both boys and girls. Also the 50th percentile of ICMR for weight and height for both the sexes. Standards constructed from such sample would be better suited for two important uses: (i) monitoring of Nutrition Programme, and (ii) to detect a child with abnormal growth at the earliest.

Body Height↗

Antioxidant protection against adrenaline-induced arrhythmias in rats with chronic heart hypertrophy.

Effects of vitamin E on adrenaline-induced arrhythmias were examined in rats with chronic heart hypertrophy subsequent to narrowing of the abdominal aorta. After 60 weeks of pressure overload, the rats showed an increase of about 21% in heart/body weight ratio and a small but significant rise in left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) (sham control 1.7 +/- 0.67 mmHg; hypertrophy 7.1 +/- 2.7 mmHg) without any change in left ventricular peak systolic pressure (LVSP). Intravenous infusion of adrenaline caused rhythm disorders in a dose-dependent manner and pathological arrhythmias (occurrence of six premature ventricular complexes/min) were observed at doses of 2.9 +/- 0.6 and 3.8 +/- 1.0 micrograms/kg of the drug in control and hypertrophy animals, respectively. Administration of two doses of vitamin E (50 mg/kg intraperitoneally), given 24 h and 1 h before adrenaline infusion, significantly increased the amount of adrenaline required to produce pathological arrhythmias (control 8.0 +/- 3.0; hypertrophy 7.7 +/- 2.0 micrograms/kg). Vitamin E pretreatment did not have any detrimental effect on the pressure readings nor did it have any influence on adrenaline-induced pressure changes. The data suggest that a combination therapy with vitamin E may allow therapeutic use of higher concentrations of adrenaline required to improve function in failing hearts with a reduced risk of arrhythmias.

Animals↗

Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of human neurocysticercosis: a preliminary report.

The diagnostic efficacy of an indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was evaluated in cases of neurocystecercosis. Subjects studied included 22 cases and 30 controls (comprising 12 cases of surgically confirmed hydatid disease, 5 cases each of tuberculoma and P.U.O. and 8 cases of pyogenic meningitis). A standard ELISA was performed using porcine cysticerci as antigen. Sensitivity and specificity of the test were calculated for serum and cerebrospinal fluid separately. The test was found to give a sensitivity of 68 and 33 per cent for serum and C.S.F. respectively. The specificity for confirmed case was found to be cent per cent for both with the criteria of reporting used. The sensitivity of the test may be increased by using purified specific antigen and/or sandwich ELISA instead of indirect ELISA technique.

Brain Diseases↗

Paramedian diencephalic syndrome. Report of 3 cases.

We report three patients who lapsed into coma and subsequently manifested hypersomnolence, amnesia and vertical gaze paresis. Computed tomography revealed bilateral paramedian thalamic infarcts. This clinical symptomatology comprises the paramedian diencephalic syndrome.

Aged↗

Comparative evaluation of visual, somatosensory, and auditory evoked potentials in the detection of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy in patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis.

To objectively determine the incidence of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE) and the relative sensitivity of different evoked potentials for its detection, 22 nonalcoholic cirrhotics without clinically detectable neurological abnormality and an equal number of matched healthy controls were studied. Of the three evoked potentials, visual evoked potential (VEP) studied by the pattern shift reversal method was not found to be abnormal in any patient. Short latency somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) was abnormal in one (4.5%) and brain stem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) in nine (41%) patients. There was little advantage of performing both BAEP and SSEP in a patient, since the two together were abnormal in 10 (45.5%) patients, with SSEP adding only one more patient. Interpeak latencies I-III, III-V, and I-V in BAEP test were found to be the most sensitive parameters for the detection of SHE. Our results argue in favor of BAEP as the single investigation of choice for the objective assessment of SHE in patients with cirrhosis of the liver.

Adult↗

Nervous system involvement in Burkitt's lymphoma.

A patient with Burkitt's lymphoma who had nervous system involvement at multiple levels is presented because of the rarity of this condition in India. A high index of suspicion and a rapidly evolving multiple neuraxial involvement led to the diagnosis.

Adult↗