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Biomedical subjects

S Bhatnagar

Publications and source records attributed to S Bhatnagar.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Efficacy of milk-based diets in persistent diarrhea: a randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown increased stool output when children with persistent diarrhea (PD) received milk as the predominant source of nutrition. METHODS: We evaluated the efficacy of milk given in modest amounts as a part of a mixed diet in children with PD. One hundred sixteen children 3 to 24 months of age with diarrhea for between 14 days and 12 weeks were allocated to milk-based (n = 60) or milk-free (n = 56) cereal dietary regimens. The two diets were isocaloric (86.9 calories/100 g for < or = 9 months; 95.6 cal/100 g for > 9 months) consisting of puffed rice cereal, sugar, and oil differing in only their source of protein, which was either milk or egg white, respectively. An average of 30% of the calories were constituted by milk in the milk-cereal diet. Both diets were offered at the rate of 150 kcal/kg per day. Children receiving milk-cereal consumed an average of 1.9 g/kg lactose per day. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics in the two groups were similar. Comparable amounts of diet were consumed in both groups. The milk-cereal group did not have higher median (range) stool output (g/kg/h) compared with the milk-free group during a 0- to 48-hour (milk-cereal, 1.7 [0.2 to 8.7]; milk-free, 1.5 [0.1 to 6.6]) or 0- to 120-hour (milk-cereal, 1.6 [0.4 to 7.2]; milk-free, 1.3 [0.1 to 7.6]) period. The percentage of weight gain was similar in the two groups, and there were no significant differences in the duration of diarrhea. Overall, 23 children had treatment failures, 10 (17%) in the milk-cereal and 13 (23.6%) in the milk-free groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that modest intakes of milk are well tolerated as a part of mixed diet during PD.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Cost of infant feeding in exclusive and partially breastfed infants.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the costs incurred on infant feeding between the mothers who exclusively breastfed their infants and those who introduced supplements up to 6 months of age. DESIGN: Longitudinal follow up. SETTING: Urban slums of south Delhi. METHODS: One hundred normal mother infant pairs fulfilling the prelaid criteria were recruited at the time of birth and followed up for determining the feeding practices. The cost of feeding was estimated at prevalent market prices in terms of food supplement and medical treatment of infant and additional nutritional intake of mothers. The differences in costs in exclusively and partially breastfed groups were analyzed at 3, 4, 5 and 6 months of age. RESULTS: There was a sharp decline of exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months. The mean cost of infant feeding was Rs. 204/- per month in partially breastfed as compared to Rs. 106/- in exclusively breastfed at 6 months of age. The increased cost was largely attributable to supplementary food and the cost of feeding bottles. (83% of mothers used bottles). CONCLUSIONS: The mean cost of infant feeding is substantially higher in partially breastfed children.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1996

Health education.

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Contraindications↗
PubMed1995

Effects of chronic intermittent cold stress on pituitary adrenocortical and sympathetic adrenomedullary functioning.

Basal and stress-induced pituitary-adrenocortical (PA) and sympathetic adrenomedullary (SAM) function was investigated in rats exposed to chronic intermittent cold stress (4 degrees C for 4 h a day for 21 days; CHR). We found that basal plasma levels of corticosterone (B), corticosteroid-binding-globulin, ACTH, epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) were similar in CHR and control (CTL) animals. In contrast, activity of the adrenal catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, but not phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase, was significantly elevated in CHR compared to CTL. Following exposure to a heterotypic stressor (20 min restraint), plasma levels of B were significantly higher in CHR than CTL, but the stress-induced levels of E and NE were not different between groups. These data suggest that, although basal PA function is not altered by exposure to chronic intermittent cold stress, components of the SAM system are affected by this paradigm, and that co-ordinate facilitation of both PA and SAM responses to a novel stressor is not a necessary consequence of exposure to chronic intermittent stress.

Adrenal Medulla↗
PubMed1995

The role of dehydro-alanine in the design of peptides.

X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy and theoretical studies on some oligopeptides containing dehydro-alanine (delta Ala) have indicated that delta Ala adopts an extended conformation and also induces a definite conformation in the preceding saturated residue. In order to evaluate the conformational constraints imposed by delta Ala on the neighbouring saturated residues, we have undertaken a systematic, theoretical study of the preferred conformations of tripeptide sequences of the type N-Ac-X-delta Ala-NHCH3 and N-Ac-delta Ala-X-NHCH3 (X = Gly, L-Ala, L-Val, L-Ile and L-Phe). The methodology and parameters used have been standardized against sequences with known crystal structures. The significant findings of this study are that delta Ala always adopts an extended conformation and induces in both the preceding and the succeeding neighbouring saturated residues a conformation in which phi approximately 140 degrees and psi approximately -40 degrees. These results have a direct application in the design of peptide sequences for specific biological activity.

Alanine↗
PubMed1995

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function in chronic intermittently cold-stressed neonatally handled and non handled rats.

Neonatally handled (H) animals, as adults, exhibit lower ACTH and corticosterone (B) responses to a number of acute stressors compared to their non-handled (NH) counterparts. However, little is known about activity within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis of H and NH animals under conditions of chronic stress. We, therefore, examined HPA function in adult H and NH rats exposed to chronic intermittent cold stress (4 h of 4 degrees C cold a day for 21 days; H CHR and NH CHR) and in control H and NH (H CTL and NH CTL) rats. H CTL and NH CTL animals displayed comparable ACTH and B responses to a single, acute exposure to cold. We found that H CHR animals exhibited lower levels of ACTH, but not B, during the 21st exposure to cold (the homotypic stressor) compared to the first exposure to cold in H CTL; however, ACTH and B levels in NH CHR were not different from those in NH CTL. In contrast, NH CHR animals hypersecreted ACTH and B in response to restraint (the novel, heterotypic stressor) compared to NH CTL and both H groups, whereas H CHR and H CTL animals did not differ in their responses to restraint. These endocrine responses were associated with increased basal median eminence levels of both CRH and AVP in H CHR and NH CHR relative to their control groups (with NH CHR exhibiting the highest absolute levels of each secretagogue), and with decreased glucocorticoid receptor densities in septum of both H CHR and NH CHR. In addition, the expected lower glucocorticoid receptor density in hippocampus and frontal cortex of NH rats compared to H rats was observed. We believe that the difference in glucocorticoid receptor density between H and NH animals in the hippocampus and frontal cortex and the associated differences in secretagogue content in the median eminence are related to the hypersecretion of ACTH and B in the NH CHR relative to the other groups. Furthermore, we hypothesize that an active inhibitory process is involved in the adaptation of HPA responses of H CHR animals to the homotypic stressor, and present a working model of regulation of activity within the CRH/AVP neurons in the PVN.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1995

Gastric polyposis caused by multiple carcinoids and early carcinoma.

A case of gastric polyposis caused by multiple carcinoids with concurrent gastric carcinoma is reported in a 70 year old woman with severe atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. On microscopic examination, the carcinoids and gastric carcinoma arose separately thus representing "double primaries". Long-standing hypergastrinaemia probably plays a causative role in the development of carcinoma and carcinoids. Carcinoid tumours, although of low malignant potential, may be important as indicators of other unrelated high risk malignancies. Patients with carcinoids should be followed closely, especially as the incidence of these tumours seems to be on the increase.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

Regulation of the adrenomedullary catecholaminergic system after mild, acute stress.

The time course of regulation of rat adrenomedullary phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity was studied after a single episode of 20-min restraint stress. Significant increases in PNMT and TH activity were observed 18 h after the beginning of the stress. The time course of acute stress-induced regulation of PNMT and TH was examined for the influence of neural and hormonal input. Unilateral denervation was performed, and the animals were exposed to a single episode of restraint. PNMT activity increased similarly in both the innervated and denervated adrenals, with a significant increase observed at 36 h after the stress. TH activity was similar in both denervated and innervated adrenals, with a significant increase observed at 24 and 36 h after stress. Finally, suppression of endogenous corticosterone with dexamethasone delayed the stress-induced increase in activity of PNMT but not TH. The present study indicates that increases in catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes can be observed after a single episode of mild, acute stress. In addition, glucocorticoids appear to be important in the time course of the stress-induced increase in PNMT but not TH activity, whereas neural input does not seem to affect the time course of these increases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Evaluation of diversified antigens for detection of Mycobacterium leprae antibodies from leprosy patients and contacts.

A comparative evaluation of diversified antigens in ELISA has been made for detection of M. leprae antibodies in the sera of leprosy patients and their contacts. Out of the four antigens, namely M. leprae sonicate (ML), phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-1), M. habana sonicate (MH) and its arabinomannan (AM), the cross reactive antigens (MH,AM) have comparatively detected more number of leprosy cases. Homologous antigens (ML, PGL-1) have lower detection level. Use of MH and AM for detection of mycobacterial antibodies have been discussed and advocated for epidemiological studies of leprosy/tuberculosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The effects of prostaglandin E2 injected into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus on brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We examined brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenic responses to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) injected into the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). 250 ng of PGE2 produced smaller increases in BAT and core temperatures in SHRs compared to their normotensive controls, the WKYs. The results of the present study suggest that the ability of SHRs to mount a febrile response may be compromised.

Adipose Tissue, Brown↗
PubMed1993

Molecular basis for the development of individual differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress response.

1. Several years ago, investigators described the effects of infantile handling on the development of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responses to stress in the rat. Rat pups exposed to brief periods of innocuous handling early in life showed reduced HPA responses to a wide variety of stressors, and the effect persists throughout the life of the animal. These effects are robust and provide an excellent model for understanding how early environmental stimuli, which are external to the organism, alter neural differentiation and, thus, neuroendocrine responsivity to stress. 2. This paper reviews the endocrine mechanisms affected by early handling and our current understanding of the neural transduction of environmental events and their effects at the level of the target neurons (in the hippocampus and frontal cortex). 3. In brief, handling serves to increase glucocorticoid receptor gene transcription, increasing sensitivity to glucocorticoid negative feedback regulation and, thus, altering the activity within hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor/vasopressin neurons. Together these changes serve to determine neuroendocrine responsivity to stress.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1993

Evaluation of DNA-DNA hybridization for the direct detection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in stool blots.

The simplicity of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) stool blot hybridization, where the total bacterial growth of a fecal inoculum is examined directly for the presence of enterotoxin genes, has been marred by reports of unsatisfactory sensitivity and/or specificity. To assess the accuracy of stool blot hybridization and to study the effect of varying proportions of ETEC among fecal E. coli (ETEC/E. coli) on test performance, a detailed 'blind' study of 166 stool specimens from children with diarrhea was performed. Oligonucleotide probes were found to be superior to polynucleotide probes, having a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 99%, a positive predictive value of 89% and a negative predictive value of 97%. The sensitivity was found to be 100% when ETEC/E. coli > 2/12, as compared with 20% when ETEC/E. coli < or = 2/12 (p = 0.001), showing that the proportion of ETEC among fecal E. coli is of paramount importance for test sensitivity.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1993

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli may be a new pathogen causing acute and persistent diarrhea.

The role of Hep-2 cell adherent Escherichia coli (EAEC) of localized (EAEC-L), diffuse (EAEC-D) and aggregative (EAggEC) phenotype, was investigated in 254 children aged < or = 48 months seeking treatment for non-bloody diarrhea at an outpatient clinic, and in 107 age-matched controls. The stool excretion rates of single isolates from patients/controls for the different phenotypes of Hep-2 cell adherent E. coli were: EAEC-L, 5.9/2.8%, p = 0.33; EAEC-D, 7.5/12.1%, p = 0.22; and EAggEC, 11.8/3.7%, p = 0.03. When patients were categorized by pre-admission diarrheal duration > or = 14/< 14 days, the excretion rates were EAEC-L, 0/7.1%; EAEC-D, 9.5/7.1%, and EAggEC, 21.4/9.9%, the difference approaching significance only for EAggEC (p = 0.06). These findings suggest that EAggEC may be an important cause of diarrhea in children, with a predilection to cause prolonged disease.

Acute Disease↗