Royana Singh

PRUNE is crucial for normal brain development and mutated in microcephaly with neurodevelopmental impairment

Zollo et al. report that mutations in PRUNE1, a phosphoesterase superfamily molecule, underlie primary microcephaly and profound global developmental delay in four unrelated families from Oman, India, Iran and Italy. The study highlights a potential role for prune during microtubule polymerization, suggesting that prune syndrome may be a tubulinopathy.

Targeting of diacerein loaded lipid nanoparticles to intra-articular cartilage using chondroitin sulfate as homing carrier for treatment of osteoarthritis in rats

UNLABELLED Targeted delivery of antiosteoarthritic drug diacerein to articular tissue could be a major achievement and soluble polysaccharide chondroitin sulfate (ChS) may be a suitable agent for this. Therefore, diacerein loaded solid lipid nanoparticles modified with ChS (ChS-DC-SLN) were prepared for synergistic effect of these agents to combat multidimensional pathology of osteoarthritis (OA). Prepared formulation were of size range 396±2.7nm, showed extended release up to 16h and increased bioavailability of diacerein by 2.8 times. ChS-DC-SLN were evaluated for their effect on histopathology of femoro-tibial joint of rat knee and amount of ChS and rhein (an active metabolite of diacerein) at targeted site. Concentration of rhein was significantly higher in case of ChS-DC-SLN (7.8±1.23μg/ml) than that of drug dispersion (2.9±0.45μg/ml). It can be stated that ChS served as homing to articular cartilage for targeting of drug. Thus, ChS-DC-SLN have great potential to enhance the overall efficacy of treatment for OA. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR This study demonstrates the feasibility of targeted delivery of diacerein to articular tissue using soluble polysaccharide chondroitin sulfate as the targeting vector. This approach has the potential to significantly increase anti-arthritic drug concentration in joints without leading to systemic toxicity.

Variation in the Origin of the Testicular Arteries and Drainage of the Right Testicular Vein

S. P. SinghSINGH, R.; JAISWAL, A.; SHAMAL, S. N. & SINGH, S. P. Variation in the origin of the testicular arteries and drainage of the righttesticular vein. Int. J. Morphol., 29(2):614-616, 2011.SUMMARY: During routine dissection of a 42 year old male Indian cadaver posterior abdominal wall, variations in the testicularvessels were observed. The right testicular artery arose from the right accessory renal artery, which originated from the ventral aspect of theabdominal aorta. The left testicular artery originated from the ventral aspect of the aorta in almost the same horizontal line as the right accessoryrenal artery, just below the superior mesenteric artery and 1.79 cm, above the origin of the renal arteries. The right vein drained into the rightaccessory renal vein instead of the inferior vena cava, while the left testicular vein drained into the left renal vein. The pr esence of variation ofboth the testicular arteries as well as the testicular vein is seldom seen together.KEY WORDS: Accessory Renal Artery; Renal artery; Renal vein; Testicular artery; Testicular Vein.

Polyamidoamine dendrimer and dextran conjugates: preparation, characterization, and in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Amide and ester conjugates of aceclofenac with polyamidoamine (PAMAM-G0) dendrimer zero generation and dextran (40 kDa) polymeric carrier, respectively, are presented. The prepared conjugates were characterized by UV, TLC, HPLC, IR, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The average degrees of substitution of amide and ester conjugates were determined and found to be (12.5 ± 0.24) % and (7.5 ± 0.25) %, respectively. The in vitro hydrolysis studies showed that dextran ester conjugate hydrolyzed faster in a phosphate buffer solution of pH 9.0 as compared to PAMAM dendrimer G0 amide conjugate, and followed the first order kinetics. No amount of the drug was regenerated at pH 1.2 in simulated gastric fluid. The dextran conjugate showed short half-life as compared to the PAMAM dendrimer conjugate. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of the dendrimer conjugate were found to be similar to those of the standard drug. Results of chronic ulceroginic activity showed deep ulceration and high ulcer index for aceclofenac, whereas lower ulcer index was found for the PAMAM dendrimer and dextran (40 kDa) conjugates. Experimental data suggest that PAMAM dendrimer and dextran (40 kDa) can be used as carriers for the sustained delivery of aceclofenac along with a remarkable reduction in gastrointestinal toxicity.

Transmission of Barber-Say syndrome from a mosaic father to his child in an Indian family.

Genetic and Metabolic Clinic, Department of Pediatrics, Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Division of Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, MAMC Associated Lok Nayak Hospital, New Delhi, India and Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany Correspondence to Ankur Singh, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India Tel: +91 7379 416324; e-mail: pediaankur@gmail.com

Peripheral autonomic nerves of human pineal organ terminate on vessels, their supposed role in the periodic secretion of pineal melatonin

Nonvisual pineal and retinal photoreceptors are synchronizing circadian and circannual periodicity to the environmental light periods in the function of various organs. Melatonin of the pineal organ is secreted at night and represents an important factor of this periodic regulation. Night illumination suppressing melatonin secretion may result in pathological events like breast and colorectal cancer. Experimental works demonstrated the role of autonomic nerves in the pineal melatonin secretion. It was supposed that mammalian pineals have lost their photoreceptor capacity that is present in submammalians, and sympathetic fibers would mediate light information from the retina to regulate melatonin secretion. Retinal afferentation may reach the organ by central nerve fibers via the pineal habenulae as well. In our earlier works we have found that the pineal organ developing from lobular evaginations of the epithalamus differs from peripheral endocrine glands and is composed of a retina‐like central nervous tissue that is comprised of cone‐like pinealocytes, secondary pineal neurons and glial cells. Their autonomic nerves in submammalians as well as in mammalian animals do not terminate on pineal cells, rather, they run in the meningeal septa among pineal lobules and form vasomotor nerve endings. Concerning the adult human pineal there are no detailed fine structural data about the termination of autonomic fibers, therefore, in the present work we investigated the ultrastructure of the human pineal peripheral autonomic nerve fibers. It was found, that similarly to other parts of the brain, autonomic nerves do not enter the human pineal nervous tissue itself but separated by glial limiting membranes take their course in the meningeal septa of the organ and terminate on vessels by vasomotor endings. We suppose that these autonomic vasomotor nerves serve the regulation of the pineal blood supply according to the circadian and circannual changes of the metabolic activity of the organ and support by this effect the secretion of pineal neurohormones including melatonin.

Dextran successful carrier molecule for the delivery of NSAIDs with reduced gastrointestinal effect

Abstract The dextran ester polymeric prodrug of aceclofenac and mefenamic acid was synthesized through carbonyldiimidazole coupling agent. The prepared polymeric prodrug was characterized by UV, IR, X-RD and 1 H NMR. The in vitro hydrolysis study was performed by HPLC and polymeric conjugate subjected for in vitro hydrolysis showed negligible hydrolysis in simulated gastric fluid pH 1.2 for 3 h. The half-life of the aceclofenac dextran conjugate in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) pH 7.4 and phosphate buffer solution (PBS) pH 9.0 was found to be 8.51 h and 33.72 min, respectively. The half-life 4.66 h and 25.4 min was found in SIF pH 7.4 and PBS pH 9.0, respectively for mefenamic acid conjugates. The conjugates were screened for biological activity such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic and ulcerogenic activity. The statistical data obtained from the biological experiment suggested that the value was found to be significant with respect to normal control.

Intraosseous Follicular Adenomatoid Odontogenic Tumour—A Case Report

The adenomatoid odontogenic tumour is a relatively uncommon lesion which mainly affects females in their second decade of life. It exhibits a predilection for the anterior region of the maxilla. The lesion is usually associated with the crown of an embedded tooth, most commonly the maxillary canine. In this paper, we present a case of adenomatoid odontogenic tumor affecting the left maxillary region in a 24-year-old female. The authors also discuss clinical, radiographic, histopathologic, and therapeutic features of the case.

Isolated Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy due to Infected Impacted Tooth

Case of isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy is an extremely rare condition. There are several causes that can be attributed to it. We present a case where a patient presented herself with swelling on the right side of her cheek extending to the floor of the mouth, with unilateral right hypoglossal nerve palsy. Removal of the impacted tooth resulted in the improvement of function of the hypoglossal nerve. The transient isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy could have been due to the infected impacted tooth. Therefore, the dentist or doctors coming across with isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy should consider the infected impacted tooth as the differential diagnosis.

Cosmic ray ionization of lower Venus atmosphere

Cosmic ray particles passing through dense lower atmosphere of Venus decay giving rise to various charged and neutral particles. The flux and degradation of dominant cascade particles namely neutrinos and pions are computed and ionization contributions at lower altitudes are estimated. Using the height profile of pion flux, the muon flux is computed and used to estimate ionization at lower altitudes. It is shown that cosmic ray produced ionization descends to much lower altitudes intercepting the thickness of Venus cloud deck. The dynamical features of Venus cloud deck are used to allow the likely charging and charge separation processes resulting into cloud-to-cloud lightning discharges.