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Biomedical subjects

P Dasgupta

Publications and source records attributed to P Dasgupta.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

The cost effectiveness of a nurse-led shared-care prostate assessment clinic.

OBJECTIVE: Nurse-led prostate clinics (NPCs) have proved to be a highly effective method of assessing patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and most urology units now run such clinics. However, it was not known whether they are cost-effective and this analysis ansWers that question. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During one year, a trained urology nurse assessed 1,080 patients in our NPC following GP referral using a standard pro forma. Costs included those incurred for the salary of a grade D nurse at 30 min per patient, all investigations, indirect charges and overheads. This was compared to the cost of seeing all patients in clinic directly, either by a consultant, staff grade urologist or registrar. Of these 1,080 patients, 350 were sent back to their GPs after NPC assessment. RESULTS: The NPC cost of 44.25 pounds per patient compared favourably with an average medical out-patient clinic cost of 50.46 pounds per patient, yielding an actual annual saving of 6,706.80 pounds. Since a third of the patients assessed in the NPC were sent directly back to primary care, saving the cost of a medical follow-up appointment, the true savings in secondary care were 17,661.00 pounds (50.46 x 350pounds), giving a total annual saving of 24,367.80 pounds. CONCLUSIONS: A nurse-led shared-care prostate clinic is a cost effective, thorough and speedy method of assessing men presenting with suspected bladder outflow obstruction. The approach used has a wider generic, cost-benefit potential for the NHS.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Bio-accumulation of heavy metals in different organs of some of the common edible fishes of Kharkai River, Jamshedpur.

Gill, liver, kidney, intestine and muscle of some of the common edible fishes captured from Kharkai river were analysed for their iron, zinc, nickel, lead, copper, manganese, chromium and cobalt contents. Kharkai river is one of the principal tributaries of river Subarnarekha and is considered as one of the most polluted rivers in the Chotanagpur plateau. The data generated underline the extent of this pollution and call for immediate redressal.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Cimetidine in painful bladder syndrome: a histopathological study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether oral cimetidine, which reportedly improves symptoms in 60-70% of patients with painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis has a similar mechanism of action on the human bladder and involving a similar peptidergic pathway as it has in human stomach, where it alters histamine-gastrin reactions mediated via H2 receptors and a proton pump. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fourteen patients (13 women and one man, mean age 51 years) with refractory bladder pain and irritative urinary symptoms were treated with cimetidine. The response to cimetidine was assessed by outpatient follow-up and an analogue pain score. Bladder biopsies from eight patients were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, and a polyclonal antibody to gastrin, with counterstaining using toluidine blue, to detect mast cell granules containing histamine. Biopsies from normal areas of the bladder from an age-matched control group of patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder were stained similarly. Human stomach and colon were used as positive controls for gastrin and toluidine blue, respectively. The clinical response to cimetidine was compared with the histology in a blinded fashion. RESULTS: Eight of the patients responded well to cimetidine; none of the biopsies showed evidence of carcinoma in situ. Although G cells in the stomach stained well for gastrin none of the bladder biopsies showed gastrin-like immunoreactivity, apart from some nonspecific urothelial staining. Numerous mast cells with crimson granules and pale nuclei were visible in three patients and fewer in three others; their presence or absence did not correlate with the symptomatic response. CONCLUSIONS: Cimetidine is a useful medical treatment for bladder pain but the presence or absence of gastrin or histamine-like immunoreactivity does not explain its therapeutic benefit.

Cimetidine↗
PubMed2001

The National Center for Health Statistics reference and the growth of Indian adolescent boys.

BACKGROUND: Few studies describing the growth of adolescents exist because of the difficulties in interpreting anthropometric data in this age group. OBJECTIVE: We describe the growth of adolescent boys from West Bengal, India, and assess the adequacy of using the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference data. DESIGN: A cross-sectional anthropometric survey was conducted in 818 Bengali boys from middle-class families. Anthropometric measurements were taken on each subject's birthday (+/-3 d) by use of standard measuring techniques. The NCHS reference data on height and body mass index (BMI) were used to estimate age-specific prevalences of stunting, thinness, and overweight. BMI was also assessed by using British, Dutch, and French reference data. The biological parameters of the adolescent growth spurt were estimated by using the Preece-Baines growth model. RESULTS: With use of the 5th percentile of the NCHS reference data, the prevalence of thinness was approximately 5 times (50.5%) that of stunting (11.2%). The median curves of the 3 European references lay between the Indian and NCHS samples and also yielded high prevalences of thinness when applied to the study sample. The prevalence of being at risk of overweight was low (4.2%). Mean age at peak height velocity was 13.0 y and peak height velocity was 7.0 cm/y. CONCLUSIONS: The NCHS reference data seem inadequate for this sample. Consideration should be given to developing appropriate reference data based on healthy adolescent populations from different ethnic groups. Issues of maturation-related variation in assessing growth during adolescence should be given particular attention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Incidence of Helicobacter pylori in patients with interstitial cystitis.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic gastritis has compelling similarities to interstitial cystitis (IC). It is characterised by chronic pain in a tubular organ. Histologically, epithelial damage, inflammatory response in the lamina propria and epithelial ulcerations are seen. An infective cause was rarely considered until the emergence of Helicobacter pylori over the past 15 years. We have had experience of patients with bladder pain and irritability reporting improvement with antihistamines. It has also been reported that IC symptoms improved dramatically after treatment for H. pylori infection. Previous studies have determined the incidence of H. pylori antibodies in women with IC but we examined bladder material histologically and performed the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test on the biopsy specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective controlled study was performed. Patients with urinary symptoms fulfilling the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases criteria for IC underwent GA cystoscopy at which the macroscopic appearance of the bladder was noted and biopsies were taken. The biopsy material underwent histological examination and CLO test. Control patients who were undergoing cystoscopy for reasons other than investigation of IC also had biopsy taken and the CLO test was performed on these specimens. RESULTS: Five of 15 patients with symptoms and signs of IC had a positive CLO test. Three of 15 patients of the control group had a positive CLO test. With the 2-sided chi(2) test there was no statistical difference between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Our small prospective control study does not support the hypothesis that H. pylori is an important component in the pathogenesis of interstitial cystitis.

Cystitis, Interstitial↗
PubMed2000

Ecology. The value of nature and the nature of value.

Ecosystems are capital assets: When properly managed, they yield a flow of vital goods and services. Relative to other forms of capital, however, ecosystems are poorly understood, scarcely monitored, and--in many important cases--undergoing rapid degradation. The process of economic valuation could greatly improve stewardship. This potential is now being realized with innovative financial instruments and institutional arrangements.

Australia↗
PubMed2000

Lipophilization of somatostatin analog RC-160 with long chain fatty acid improves its anti-proliferative activity on human oral carcinoma cells in vitro.

Oral cancer which comprises about 40% of total cancers in India, has one of the lowest relative survival rates of all cancers. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been known to play a role in the proliferation/malignant transformation of oral neoplasms. Since, the somatostatin analog RC-160 is reported to be a potent inhibitor of EGF stimulated cell proliferation, its anti-proliferative activity in the human oral carcinoma cell line KB was investigated, in this study. RC-160 was found to potently inhibit EGF-induced proliferation in KB cells in vitro, suggesting a therapeutic potential of the same in oral carcinoma. However, the therapeutic potential of RC-160 is limited by its short serum half life. To overcome this limitation, fatty acids namely butanoic acid and myristic acid individually were coupled to RC-160. The lipophilized derivatives of RC-160 were synthesized, purified and characterized. The anti-proliferative activity of lipophilized derivatives of RC-160 on KB cells was evaluated in vitro. Myristoyl-RC-160 (0.75 nM) inhibited the growth of KB cells at a 10-fold lower concentration relative to RC-160 (8.8 nM) and at a 100-fold lower concentration relative to butanoyl-RC-160 (0.83 microM) (p<0.001). The affinity of RC-160 towards somatostatin receptors remains unaltered by lipophilization. The signaling pathways underlying the antineoplastic activity of these lipopeptides are similar to RC-160, and do not involve the stimulation of a protein tyrosine phosphatase or a serine threonine phosphatase 1A and 2A. The anti-proliferative activity of the lipopeptides was found to be mediated by somatostatin receptors and correlates with the inhibition of protein tyrosine kinase activity and decrease in intracellular cAMP levels. Myristoyl-RC-160 displayed significantly greater resistance towards trypsin and serum degradation than RC-160 (p<0.01). These findings demonstrate that RC-160 can inhibit the growth of oral cancer cells in vitro. Lipophilization of RC-160 with long chain fatty acids like myristic acid improves its stability and anti-proliferative activity, in human oral carcinoma cells in vitro, thereby enhancing the scope of improving its therapeutic index.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗
PubMed2000

Lipophilization of somatostatin analog RC-160 with long chain fatty acid improves its antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity in vitro.

The therapeutic potential of the somatostatin analogue RC-160 having antiproliferative activity, is limited by its short serum half life. To overcome this limitation, fatty acids namely butanoic acid and myristic acid were conjugated to the N-terminal residue of RC-160. The lipophilized derivatives of RC-160 were synthesized, purified by reverse phase HPLC and characterized by ES-mass spectroscopy. The antiproliferative activity of lipophilized derivatives of RC-160 on the growth of MIA-PaCa2 (human pancreatic carcinoma), DU145 (human prostate carcinoma), ECV304 (human umbilical chord endothelioma), as well as their antiangiogenic activity was evaluated in vitro. The relative stability of myristoyl-RC-160 towards degradation by proteases and serum was also determined. Myristoyl-RC-160 exhibited significantly higher antiproliferative efficacy than RC-160, on the above cell lines (P<0.01). Receptor binding assays, demonstrated that the affinity of RC-160 towards somatostatin receptors remains unaltered by myristoylation. Unlike RC-160, the myristoylated derivative was found to have significantly greater resistance to protease and serum degradation (P<0.01). Myristoyl-RC-160 exhibited significantly greater antiproliferative activity on ECV304, than RC-160 (P<0.01). Myristoyl RC-160 could also inhibit capillary tube formation more efficiently than RC-160 in a dose dependent manner, suggesting that it possessed enhanced antiangiogenic activity in vitro (P<0.001). Lipophilization of RC-160 with long chain fatty acids like myristic acid endows it with improved antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity, stability and therapeutic index. British Journal of Pharmacology (2000) 109, 101 - 109

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗
PubMed2000

The effect of intravesical capsaicin on the suburothelial innervation in patients with detrusor hyper-reflexia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of intravesical capsaicin on the suburothelial innervation in patients with detrusor hyper-reflexia, in whom a single dose of intravesical capsaicin (1-2 mmol/L) increases the bladder capacity for 3-6 months. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirteen patients with detrusor hyper-reflexia underwent cystometry and had flexible cystoscopic biopsies taken before and 6 weeks after receiving instillations of intravesical capsaicin (1 mmol/L). Similar biopsies were also obtained from a control group of 12 neurologically normal patients with microscopic haematuria and normal bladders. Frozen sections were stained using antibodies to S100 and PGP 9.5. Using computerized analysis, the mean nerve density scores were expressed as nerves/mm2 for S100-positive structures and 'red%' and 'red in frame' for PGP 9.5. RESULTS: The mean (SEM) functional bladder capacity increased from 193.2 (28.17) mL before to 396.3 (41.96) mL at 6 weeks after treatment with capsaicin, in nine of the 13 patients. The mean nerve density of S100-positive structures in the control group was 83 (3.18) nerves/mm2. In hyper-reflexic patients who responded to capsaicin by improved bladder capacity, the mean nerve density of S100-positive structures was reduced from 100 (12.2) before to 66 (9.4) nerves/mm2 6 weeks after treatment. In those who did not respond to capsaicin there was no significant difference in these scores. Similarly the 'red%' and 'red in frame' reduced from 3.41 (1.06) to 1.15 (0.32) and 824.7 (246.3) to 297.9 (83.5) units, respectively, before and 6 weeks after capsaicin treatment. The difference in those not responding was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Intravesical capsaicin causes a reduction in suburothelial nerve densities in the bladder of patients with detrusor hyper-reflexia. This may explain its prolonged beneficial effect in these patients.

Administration, Intravesical↗
PubMed1999

Antiproliferative and GH-inhibitory activity of chimeric peptides consisting of GHRP-6 and somatostatin.

Chimeric peptides consisting of growth hormone releasing peptide (GHRP-6) linked to somatostatin (6-11) via an amide bond to provide the effector parts of both the peptides were synthesized. The anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, and GH-inhibitory activities of these chimeric peptides were determined in vitro in the rat pituitary adenoma cell line GH3. One of the chimeric peptides, GSD, exhibited significantly greater (p < 0.001) anti-neoplastic and GH-inhibitory activity, as compared to RC-160. The hybrid peptides displayed high affinity binding to somatostatin receptors on GH3 cells. The bioactivity of GSD was found to be mediated by the stimulation of tyrosine phosphatase, involving a cGMP-dependent pathway, through pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins. Such potent GH-inhibitory chimeric peptides may be of potential importance in the therapy of acromegaly, as well as provide novel tools to study the regulation of GH secretion by GHRP and somatostatin.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Lipophilization of somatostatin analog RC-160 improves its bioactivity and stability.

PURPOSE: Acromegaly is a symptomatically disabling condition, resulting from a growth hormone (GH) secreting pituitary tumor. The somatostatin analog RC- 160 is known to potently inhibit hypersecretion of GH, from pituitary adenomas. However, the therapeutic potential of RC-160, is limited by its short serum half life. To overcome this limitation, fatty acids with carbon chain lengths ranging from 4 to 18 were conjugated to RC-160. METHODS: The GH-inhibitory activity of these lipopeptides, as well as their binding profile to somatostatin receptors, on the rat pituitary adenoma cell line GH3 was studied in vitro. The relative stability of lipophilized RC-160 towards degradation by crude papaya protease was also determined. RESULTS: The long chain lipopeptides, like myristoyl-RC-160 (carbon chain length = 14) were found to exhibit greater receptor affinity and GH-inhibitory activity, as compared to their counterparts of lower chain lengths. However, the receptor affinity and GH-inhibitory activity of stearoyl-RC-160 (carbon chain length = 18), was found to lower than RC-160 and its lipophilized derivatives. Unlike RC-160, the myristoylated derivative was found to have significantly greater resistance to protease and serum degradation (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Lipophilization of RC-160 with long chain fatty acids improves its stability and GH-inhibitory activity. The activity of lipophilized RC-160 seems to increase with increasing hydrophobicity of the lipopeptide, and reaches a maxima at myristoyl-RC-160 for GH3. Hence, optimizing the hydrophobicity should be an important consideration governing the design and synthesis of bioactive lipopeptides.

Adenoma↗