Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Rajendran.
Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder where antibodies against the nicotinic Ach receptor resulting in impaired transmission at the NM junction. A number of drugs have been reported to cause neuromuscular blockade and/or to increase weakness in myasthenia gravis. We report a case of myasthenia gravis in which the calcium channel blocker-nifedipine caused the worsening of the symptoms.
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The aim of this work was to investigate the photodynamic action of electron-rich anthraquinones, viz., cynodontin (CYN) and cynodontin-5,8-dimethylether (CYNM). Both optical and EPR methods are used to detect the generation of singlet oxygen. Based on RNO bleaching, relative to rose bengal (RB), singlet oxygen generating efficiencies of CYN and CYNM are derived to be 0.055 and 0.254, respectively. The formation of superoxide anion via electron transfer to O2 was monitored by optical spectroscopy, using SOD-inhibitable cytochrome c reduction assay. The production of O2-* is enhanced in the presence of electron donors such as EDTA and NADH. Photolysis of CYN and CYNM in DMSO, in the presence of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), generates a multi-line EPR spectrum, characteristic of spin adduct mixture of O2-* and *OH. Both optical and ESR measurements indicate that O2-* (Type I) and 1O2 (Type II) paths are involved in CYN and CYNM photodynamic action.
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We analysed the results of mouse foot pad (MFP) tests performed between 1983 and 1997 in our laboratory for the cases referred with clinical suspicion of relapse/drug resistance. A total of 214 cases, with clinical suspicion of relapse/drug resistance were investigated for susceptibility to the drugs of MDT by MFP inoculation. Among 96 inoculations that showed conclusive results, 81 (84%) were fully sensitive to dapsone, suggesting that most of the clinically suspected relapse is due to drug susceptible Mycobacterium leprae. Of the remaining 15 strains (16%) found resistant to dapsone, 13 (87%) were of high grade resistance and one strain each of intermediate grade and low grade dapsone resistance, suggesting that most of the dapsone resistance is secondary in nature. No case of rifampicin resistance was found. Only one case of combined dapsone and unconfirmed clofazimine resistance was found. No other combined multidrug resistance was observed in our analysis.
BACKGROUND: The specificity of clinical questions is gauged by explicit descriptions of four dimensions: subjects, interventions, comparators and outcomes of interest. This study determined whether adding simple instructions and examples on clinical question formulation would increase the specificity of the submitted question compared to using a standard form without instructions and examples. METHODS: A randomised controlled trial was conducted in an evidence-search and appraisal service. New participants were invited to reformulate clinical queries. The Control Group was given no instructions. The Intervention Group was given a brief explanation of proper formulation, written instructions, and diagrammatic examples. The primary outcome was the change in the proportion of reformulated questions that described each the dimensions of specificity. RESULTS: Fifty-two subjects agreed to participate in the trial of which 13 were lost to follow-up. The remaining 17 Intervention Group and 22 Control Group participants were analysed. Baseline characteristics were comparable. Overall, 20% of initially submitted questions from both groups were properly specified (defined as an explicit statement describing all dimensions of specificity). On follow-up, 7/14 questions previously rated as mis-specified in the Intervention Group had all dimensions described at follow-up (p = 0.008) while the Control Group did not show any changes from baseline. Participants in the Intervention Group were also more likely to explicitly describe patients (p = 0.028), comparisons (p = 0.014), and outcomes (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: This trial demonstrated the positive impact of specific instructions on the proportion of properly-specified clinical queries. The evaluation of the long-term impact of such changes is an area of continued research.
BACKGROUND: Consumer health information is a necessary component of patient care and consumer participation. OBJECTIVE: To outline the findings of the 'Assessing the Quality of Consumer Health Information Project' and discuss strategies for improving consumer information. DISCUSSION: The pamphlets identified in this study were not developed with consumer input with consequent deficits apparent. Providers and consumers appeared to use the information for very different purposes but both groups were critical of the ambiguous terminology and lack of quantified data. The provision of relevant information is a fundamental prerequisite of consumer participation in decision making in health care. Such information needs to be available, accurate, and understandable.
Reagentless biosensors that can directly transduce molecular recognition to optical signals should potentiate the development of sensor arrays for a wide variety of analytes. Nucleic acid aptamers that bind ligands tightly and specifically can be readily selected, but may prove difficult to adapt to biosensor applications. We have therefore attempted to develop selection methods that couple the broad molecular recognition properties of aptamers with signal transduction. Anti-adenosine aptamers were selected from a pool that was skewed to contain very few fluoresceinated uridines. The primary family of aptamers showed a doubling of relative fluorescence intensity at saturating concentrations of a cognate analyte, ATP, and could sense ATP concentrations as low as 25 microM. A single uridine was present in the best signaling aptamer. Surprisingly, other dyes could substitute for fluorescein and still specifically signal the presence of ATP, indicating that the single uridine functioned as a general "switch" for transducing molecular recognition to optical signals.
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A 30 year old male presented with crossed buccofacial apraxia, apraxia for speech, Left UMN facial palsy and hemiplegia following scorpion sting. A cerebrovascular accident can develop following a scorpion sting due to venom-induced cerebral thrombosis.
HSPA6 is a member of the human heat-shock protein gene family, encoding a basic 70-kDa protein, with unique induction characteristics (Leung et al., 1990, Biochem. J. 267: 125-132). Hybridization analyses with a somatic cell hybrid DNA panel localized the gene to chromosome 1q. The highly related HSPA7 DNA sequence (Voellmy et al., 1985, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82: 4949-4953) colocalized. Both HSPA6 and HSPA7 represent functional genes, as determined by analyses of mRNA from heat-shocked human cells using specific oligonucleotides, although their pattern of expression differed. Neither mRNA was detected in the absence of heat stress. A BamHI polymorphism in the HSPA7 gene was present in a predominantly Asian population.
Serum beta-glucuronidase activity was estimated using phenolphthalein mono-beta-glucuronic acid as substrate in 176 individuals including 72 lepromatous leprosy patients, 24 patients of borderline leprosy, 42 of borderline tuberculoid and 38 healthy controls. Of these, 35 patients (20 with lepromatous leprosy, 5 with borderline leprosy and 10 with borderline tuberculoid) were untreated. The enzyme levels were increased significantly in all types of leprosy, the highest levels being seen in treated lepromatous leprosy patients (105.0 SU). There was also a significant difference in the enzyme activity between untreated patients and those on combined dapsone and rifampicin therapy, in all three types of leprosy. Among untreated patients, the maximum value observed in lepromatous leprosy was 93.4 SU. The lowest enzyme level in healthy control was 19.5 SU and the maximum was 54.0 SU. The results suggest that in leprosy patients, especially in those on daily multidrug regimens, there is an extensive damage of leucocytes and liver cells where the enzyme is largely present.
The efficacy of different dose rates of Praziquantel (Droncit R) in tablet and liquid (injectable) form against Raillietina tetragona in the domestic fowl was studied. A dose of 10 mg kg-1 of Praziquantel in tablet form and 0.15 ml kg-1 in liquid form was found to be effective against R. tetragona infection irrespective of age, sex and intensity of infestation of the host. Intramuscular (IM) administration of liquid Praziquantel was found to be more effective than subcutaneous (SC) administration. Susceptibility of the parasite to this drug increased with age.
870 household contacts of leprosy patients were examined for sub-clinical infection with M. leprae by smear (skin and nasal), lepromin and FLA-ABS tests. 0.6%, 3.3%, 71.5% and 14.4% of the contacts were found to be positive for skin smear, nasal smear, lepromin and FLA-ABS tests respectively. An analysis of the results revealed that 4% of the lepromin positive contacts and 3.6% of the lepromin negative contacts were positive to both FLA-ABS and skin or nasal smear.