Ono K

Effect of intestinal helminth infection on retinol and β-carotene status among rural Nepalese.

Intestinal helminth infection and its effect on vitamin A, retinol and β-carotene, was studied in 224 [145 children (aged less than 15 years) of Okharpauwa Village Development Committee (VDC) (Nuwakot district) and 79 inhabitants (mainly adults) of Boya VDC (Bhojpur district)] subjects living at an altitude of 2000 m. Direct smear technique in duplicate was applied to detect helminth eggs. Most common helminth detected was Ascaris lumbricoides followed by Trichuris trichiura in Okharpauwa VDC and by hookworm in Boya VDC, respectively. Mixed helminth infections were relatively low (7.3% in Okharpauwa VDC and 11.1% in Boya VDC). The retinol and β-carotene were estimated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The helminth eggs positive children of both sexes in Okharpauwa VDC had significantly lower serum retinol concentration compared with their helminth eggs negative counterparts (P 0.05) but in β-carotene level (P <0.05). Results suggest that deworming contribute significantly in the prevention of vitamin A deficiency associated morbidity and mortality among children in these intestinal helminth prevalent rural communities in Nepal.

GALACTOSE-INDUCED ALBUMINURIA IN TRANSGENIC MICE EXPRESSING HUMAN ALDOSE REDUCTASE

Abstract The effects of 30% galactose (Gal)-feeding on Gal-induced albuminuria were examined in transgenic mice (Tg), in which human aldose reductase (hAR) was expressed by an MHC class I promoter (hAR-Tg). Both in hAR-Tg and the littermates, urinary albumin excretion (UAE) increased and reached its peak at 2 to 4 wks after the start of Gal-feeding, and decreased thereafter in spite of the steady increase of renal galactitol. On the other hand, the increased urine volume (UV) in Gal-fed mice, the suppression of UV and UAE in Gal-fed hAR-Tg with aldose reductase inhibitor (ARI) were observed. The similar time course between the changes of UV and UAE, and the positive correlation between UV and UAE suggest that galactitol accumulation via the polyol pathway is partially responsible for the increased UV and increased UAE in Galfed mice.

Cryptosporidium and cyclospora -associated Diarrhea in Kathmandu, Nepal

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to discuss Cryptosporidium and cyclospora-associated diarrhea in Kathmandu, Nepal. This chapter describes a study that determines the bacteriological indicator of drinking water contamination, taken together with the isolation or the detection of enteropathogens in diarrheal fecal samples collected in all four seasons in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A total of 737 diarrheal fecal samples collected from children attending Out Patient Hospital in Kathmandu were included in this study. The various methods employed to carry out the study were bacterial culture, electron microscopy, cell culture methods, direct saline and iodine wet mounts, sucrose floatation technique, and fluorescent antibody technique. The results showed the presence of eight species of bacteria, three genera of viruses, and five species of protozoan parasites. The study presented in this chapter highlights the magnitude and pattern of enteropathogens in all four seasons, together with the status of fecal contamination of drinking water in Nepal. Therefore, an inclusive program needs to be launched to battle diarrhea-related morbidity, mortality, and its socio-economic impact in Nepal, and the results of such a program should be monitored by periodical survey.