RESUMEN
Distressing effects on animal and human health with lethal progression, being used as bioweapon and shared features with non-pathogenic bacteria demands sensitive, specific, safe, cost effective and rapid detection methods for anthrax causing organisms. Conventional microbiology based diagnostics for anthrax are time consuming and need sophisticated equipment, while molecular diagnostics require less time and labor. The Loop mediated isothermal amplification assay (LAMP) is rapid, sensitive and specific assay and requires no specialized equipment. In the present study, we developed a LAMP assay for rapid as well as specific detection of Bacillus anthracis. The optimized assay produced positive results with the Sterne strain and one field isolate of B. anthracis and, negative results with other bacteria of the same and different genera within 2 h. Sensitivity was 500 fg of total DNA of B. anthracis, which was 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. The present study also demonstrated that the simple method of total DNA extraction by repeated boiling and freezing will not adversely affect the LAMP results. In conclusion, the optimized LAMP assay is a promising tool for the specific, sensitive, less time-consuming diagnosis for anthrax causing bacteria and also, for detecting the virulence of suspected B. anthracis cultures.
Asunto(s)
Carbunco , Bacillus anthracis , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Molecular , Técnicas de Amplificación de Ácido Nucleico , Animales , Carbunco/diagnóstico , Bacillus anthracis/genética , Bacillus anthracis/aislamiento & purificación , Humanos , Sensibilidad y EspecificidadRESUMEN
A clinical trial was conducted in a study group of 70 males diagnosed with symptomatic benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) (synonym of benign prostatic hyperplasia). They were administered Prostane, a herbal formulation, at a dose of two tablets a day for 1 year and monitored every 4 months during the study period. Analysis of the results showed an improvement in the symptom score of the American Urological Association symptom index rating. There was total relief in pain and haematuria in all the patients (100%); dribbling of urine decreased in 67%, dysuria in 50%, urgency in 60% and hesitancy in 40%. Blood urea levels were within the normal range in 70% of the patients and in the range 31-40 mg/dL in the remaining patients of the study group. Serum prostate specific antigen levels returned to normal in 56% of patients and were in the range 4.1-5.0 ng/mL in 25% of patients. There was a decrease in prostate specific antigen values which were >6 ng/mL in 9 patients at the commencement of the trial. Uroflowmetry studies showed that the peak flow increased from 12.6 to 30.7 s (p<0.001) and the void volume from 60.72 to 660 mL (p<0.001), the latent period reduced from 12.78 s to 2.61 s; the flow time from 57.01 s to 20.17 s and the residual volume from 620 mL to 20 mL (p<0.001). From these results, it is evident that Prostane was effective in alleviating symptoms, reducing prostate specific antigen values and normalizing uroflow dynamics in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy.
Asunto(s)
Extractos Vegetales/uso terapéutico , Hiperplasia Prostática/prevención & control , Anciano , Creatinina/sangre , Tasa de Filtración Glomerular , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Antígeno Prostático Específico/sangre , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Urea/sangreRESUMEN
The effect of commonly used indigenous drugs for hepatic disorders i.e. Tinospora cordifolia, (Guduchi/Amrita), Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegha), Picrorhiza kurroa (Kutki), Phyllantnus niruri (Bhoomyamalaki) and Berberis aristata (Daruharidra) was tested on the hydraulic permeability of water in the presence of bile salt through a transport cell model. The data on hydraulic permeability were calculated as t (time). JV = Lp x AP, where Lp = hydraulic conductivity and AP is the pressure difference. It was observed that the value of controlled hydraulic permeability (0.49 x 10(-8) M3 S(-1) N(-1)) decreased in the presence of indigenous drugs and bile salt. The results suggest that these drugs might have the cell membrane stabilizing property which may lead to prevention of the toxic effect of bile salts in various hepatic disorders.
Asunto(s)
Hepatopatías/tratamiento farmacológico , Farmacocinética , Extractos Vegetales/farmacocinética , Humanos , Permeabilidad , Extractos Vegetales/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
Carbonic anhydrase enzyme activity could be measured by manometeric and colorimetric techniques. A simpler and modified method of carbonic anhydrase enzyme activity assessment in blood is proposed. In the present method differences in pH by hydration of CO2 in absence and presence of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor have been used to measure the carbonic anhydrase activity in the blood.