Mandeep Kaur

Lipid peroxidation and the levels of antioxidant enzymes in coronary artery disease

Coronary Artery Disease is the major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Traditional risk factors account for only half of the morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease. There is substantial evidence that oxidative stress plays the major role in the atherosclerotic process. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the level of lipid peroxidation (by measuring malondialdehyde) and antioxidant enzymes (ceruloplasmin, glutathione, superoxide dismutase) in coronary artery disease. Serum malondialdehyde levels and serum ceruloplasmin levels were significantly raised in all the subgroups of study group as compared to control group (p<0.001). Whole blood glutathione levels and hemolysate superoxide dismutase activity was significantly decreased in all the subgroups of study group as compared to control group (p<0.001). Above results suggests that the patients of coronary artery disease show increased oxidative stress and decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes. So it is recommended that the management protocol for coronary artery disease patients should include antioxidant supplementation along with simultaneous lowering of lipid peroxidation.

Anilofos Tolerance and Its Mineralization by the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Strain PUPCCC 64

This study deals with anilofos tolerance and its mineralization by the common rice field cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PUPCCC 64. The organism tolerated anilofos up to 25 mg L−1. The herbicide caused inhibitory effects on photosynthetic pigments of the test organism in a dose-dependent manner. The organism exhibited 60, 89, 96, 85 and 79% decrease in chlorophyll a, carotenoids, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin and phycoerythrin, respectively, in 20 mg L−1 anilofos on day six. Activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase increased by 1.04 to 1.80 times over control cultures in presence of 20 mg L−1 anilofos. Glutathione content decreased by 26% while proline content was unaffected by 20 mg L−1 anilofos. The test organism showed intracellular uptake and metabolized the herbicide. Uptake of herbicide by test organism was fast during initial six hours followed by slow uptake until 120 hours. The organism exhibited maximum anilofos removal at 100 mg protein L−1, pH 8.0 and 30°C. Its growth in phosphate deficient basal medium in the presence of anilofos (2.5 mg L−1) indicated that herbicide was used by the strain PUPCCC 64 as a source of phosphate.

A Health Surveillance of Pesticide Sprayers in Talwandi Sabo Area of Punjab, North-West India

Abstract Human pesticide poisoning has become major public health issue these days. Throughout the world highest levels of pesticide exposure are found in the farm workers, applicators and people living adjacent to heavily treated agricultural land. Pesticides are linked to various chronic diseases like cancers, infertility, kidney failure, reproductive problems and nervous disorders. The present study had been carried out to examine the a cute symptoms of pesticide spraying in the farm workers of three villages in Talwandi Sabo block of Bathinda district of Punjab, a cotton growing area with high usage of pesticides. This is an exploratory health study recorded face– to-face on pre-tested questionnaire. A total of 108 male sprayers from villages Bangi Nihal Singh (34), Jajjal (39) and Mahi Nangal (35) were field interviewed about the immediate impact of pesticides during spraying season from September-October 2003. Majority of the sprayers complained of having nausea, itchiness of the eyes, pain while urinating, discolored nails, nails dropping off, swollen fingers, sleeplessness, headache, excessive sweating and skin rashes. Immediate attention should be given to the implementation of proper awareness programs to pesticide workers. Also, practices like Integrated Pest Management, Organic Farming, Biopesticides, and Crop Diversification should be promoted.

The Distribution of A1A2BO and RH(D) Blood Groups in the Buksa - A Primitive Tribe of Uttarakhand, North India

Abstract The present paper reports original blood grouping data on the A1A2BO and RH(D) blood groups in the Buksa – a little known primitive tribal population of India inhabiting districts of Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital in Uttarakhand state located in the Central Himalayas in North India. In the three regional Buksa samples studied here the incidence of the A1 + A2 blood groups was found to be consistently higher than that of B blood group. As for the allele frequencies, compared to ABO*B, ABO*A1 frequency was noted higher in all the three Buksa groups. Infrequent allele ABO*A2 was found lacking in the sample tested from Udham Singh Nagar district but was present in the Buksa of both Dehradun and Nainital districts, albeit in low proportions. As for the RH(D) blood groups in the present Buksa material, the incidence of the RH(D)– phenotype was found very low indeed (range 1.05 - 1.83%) and RH*d allele frequency was also noted in a rather low range (0.102 - 0.136). Thus, the present serological investigation has helped in genetically characterizing the Buksa tribe inhabiting three different districts of Uttarakhand.