Pratap Shankar

Effect of 10% sodium ascorbate on the calcium: Phosphorus ratio of enamel bleached with 35% hydrogen peroxide: an in vitro quantitative energy-dispersive X-ray analysis.

Objectives: The study assessed quantitatively the calcium and phosphorous loss from the enamel surface following bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide and reversal with 10% sodium ascorbate using energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). Materials and Methods: Eight non-carious, freshly extracted human permanent maxillary central incisors without any visible defects were used. Each specimen was bleached with 35% hydrogen peroxide activated by light and reversed with sodium ascorbate antioxidant gel. The calcium and phosphorous content in weight percent of sound, bleached and reversed enamel was acquired using EDAX. The Ca/P ratio was calculated from the obtained data. One-way ANOVA followed by Post Hoc Tukey test was used for comparing the Ca/P ratio of sound, bleached and reversed enamel. Results: All the samples subjected to bleaching using 35% hydrogen peroxide showed a statistically significant decrease in the Ca/P ratio as compared with samples in which no bleaching procedure was performed (P-value < 0.01). The striking finding was that there was a significant increase in the Ca/P ratio on application of sodium ascorbate antioxidant gel when compared with the bleached enamel (P-value < 0.01). Conclusion: The authors concluded that 35% hydrogen peroxide causes a significant decrease in the Ca/P ratio. This decrease in the Ca/P ratio can be restored by the application of 10% sodium ascorbate antioxidant gel.

UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD NUTRIENTS AMONG LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND NORMAL BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETUP IN LUCKNOW , INDIA

Materna l factors have an effect on the birth weight. As a result of which, there is a high prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) babies. LBW babies have less nutrient reserve. Protein and iron are the key elements for neonatal growth and development. Deficiency of trace elements during intrauterine period is closely related to morbidity and mortality of the newborn. To assess the umbilical cord blood nutrients in low birth weight and normal birth weight babies. The present cross section study was conducted from 201 1 to 2012 at Sarojni Nagar PHC, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Study subjects included pregnant women who were registered in the third trimester of pregnancy at PHC Sarojni Nagar and followed up till delivery. Maternal biosocial characteristics like age, p arity, height, weight and haemoglobin were recorded. Cord blood was collected from 42 LBW and 67 NBW babies delivered at the PHC Sarojni Nagar. In cord blood, serum iron, TIBC, serum protein and serum albumin were investigated. As evident from results s. p rotein, s. albumin and s. iron were significantly low in LBW babies than normal birth weight babies. In low birth weight group, serum protein, albumin and iron were insignificantly low in preterm than term LBW. TIBC showed inverse relationship, level of TI BC was high in LBW than NBW. In low birth weight group TIBC was also significantly high in preterm. LBW babies are born with significant lower nutrition reserve at birth. Finally this study can be integrated with existing health programme for better develo pment of low birth weight babies and accordingly to provide supplementary nutrition to the pregnant women and low birth weight babies.

Differential genomics and transcriptomics between tyrosine kinase inhibitor-sensitive and -resistant BCR-ABL-dependent chronic myeloid leukemia

Previously, it has been stated that the BCR-ABL fusion-protein is sufficient to induce Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), but additional genomic-changes are required for disease progression. Hence, we profiled control and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) alone or in combination with other drug-treated CML-samples in different phases, categorized as drug-sensitive and drug-resistant on the basis of BCR-ABL transcripts, the marker of major molecular-response. Molecular-profiling was done using the molecular-inversion probe-based-array, Human Transcriptomics-Array2.0, and Axiom-Biobank genotyping-arrays. At the transcript-level, clusters of control, TKI-resistant and TKI-sensitive cases were correlated with BCR-ABL transcript-levels. Both at the gene- and exon-levels, up-regulation of MPO, TPX2, and TYMS and down-regulation of STAT6, FOS, TGFBR2, and ITK lead up-regulation of the cell-cycle, DNA-replication, DNA-repair pathways and down-regulation of the immune-system, chemokine- and interleukin-signaling, TCR, TGF beta and MAPK signaling pathways. A comparison between TKI-sensitive and TKI-resistant cases revealed up-regulation of LAPTM4B, HLTF, PIEZO2, CFH, CD109, ANGPT1 in CML-resistant cases, leading to up-regulation of autophagy-, protein-ubiquitination-, stem-cell-, complement-, TGFβ- and homeostasis-pathways with specific involvement of the Tie2 and Basigin signaling-pathway. Dysregulated pathways were accompanied with low CNVs in CP-new and CP-UT-TKI-sensitive-cases with undetectable BCR-ABL-copies. High CNVs (previously reported gain of 9q34) were observed in BCR-ABL-independent and -dependent TKI, non-sensitive-CP-UT/AP-UT/B-UT and B-new samples. Further, genotyping CML-CP-UT cases with BCR-ABL 0-to-77.02%-copies, the identified, rsID239798 and rsID9475077, were associated with FAM83B, a candidate for therapeutic resistance. The presence of BCR-ABL, additional genetic-events, dysregulated-signaling-pathways and rsIDs associated with FAM83B in TKI-resistant-cases can be used to develop a signature-profile that may help in monitoring therapy.

16S rRNA Long-Read Sequencing of the Granulation Tissue from Nonsmokers and Smokers-Severe Chronic Periodontitis Patients

Smoking has been associated with increased risk of periodontitis. The aim of the present study was to compare the periodontal disease severity among smokers and nonsmokers which may help in better understanding of predisposition to this chronic inflammation mediated diseases. We selected deep-seated infected granulation tissue removed during periodontal flap surgery procedures for identification and differential abundance of residential bacterial species among smokers and nonsmokers through long-read sequencing technology targeting full-length 16S rRNA gene. A total of 8 phyla were identified among which Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were most dominating. Differential abundance analysis of OTUs through PICRUST showed significant (p>0.05) abundance of Phyla-Fusobacteria (Streptobacillus moniliformis); Phyla-Firmicutes (Streptococcus equi), and Phyla Proteobacteria (Enhydrobacter aerosaccus) in nonsmokers compared to smokers. The differential abundance of oral metagenomes in smokers showed significant enrichment of host genes modulating pathways involving primary immunodeficiency, citrate cycle, streptomycin biosynthesis, vitamin B6 metabolism, butanoate metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism pathways. While thiamine metabolism, amino acid metabolism, homologous recombination, epithelial cell signaling, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, phosphonate/phosphinate metabolism, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation, synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, translation factors, Ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and DNA replication pathways were significantly enriched in nonsmokers, modulation of these pathways in oral cavities due to differential enrichment of metagenomes in smokers may lead to an increased susceptibility to infections and/or higher formation of DNA adducts, which may increase the risk of carcinogenesis.

Potential Anti-Anxiety Effect of Mucuna pruriens in Experimental Model of Swiss Albino Mice.

The usage of benzodiazepines, the major class of anxiolytic drugs is invariably accompanied by many side-effects like sedation and muscle relaxation leading to incoordination of movements. Search for novel anxiolytic agents have identified flavonoids as potential compounds devoid of these adverse effects. Mucuna pruriens commonly known as cowhage plant has been claimed to possess various beneficial effects like anti-parkinsonian, anti-tumor, neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-diabetic and antimicrobial activities. Previous studies have reported that Mucuna pruriens contains LDOPA and 5-hydroxy tryptophan (5-HT) as a major constituent with higher concentration in seeds. Present study was designed to evaluate the anxiolytic activity of Mucuna pruriens extract in Swiss albino mice. The study was conducted on 30 male Swiss albino mice. Three doses of Mucuna pruriens (100, 200, 400 mg/kg, p.o.) and standard dose of diazepam (2 mg/kg, i.p.) were used for treatment. The pharmacologically validated model elevated plus maze (EPM) was used to take as a measure of antianxiety effect. Mucuna pruriens at the doses of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg significantly reduced the time spent and no. of entries in closed arm, increased the time spent and entries into open arm in elevated plus maze (p<0.05) as compared to control group. Present study demonstrates the anxiolytic activity of Mucuna pruriens in Swiss albino mice.