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Biomedical subjects

M S Akhtar

Publications and source records attributed to M S Akhtar.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Evaluation of the hypoglycaemic effect of Achyranthes aspera in normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits.

Blood glucose levels of normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits were determined after oral administration of various doses of Achyranthes aspera powdered whole plant and certain aqueous and methanolic extracts. Oral administration of 2, 3 and 4 g/kg of A. aspera powder produced a significant dose-related hypoglycaemic effect in normal as well as in diabetic rabbits. The water and methanol extracts also decreased blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits. A 7-day acute toxicity study in rabbits did not reveal any adverse or side effects of this folk medicine at dosages up to 8 g/kg orally. It is possible that the plant could act by providing certain necessary elements like calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese and copper to the beta-cells.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1991

Field trial of Saussurea lappa roots against nematodes and Nigella sativa seeds against cestodes in children.

Antinematodal efficacy of Saussurea lappa roots (Qust-e-Shereen) and anticestodal effect of Nigella sativa seeds (Kalonji) was studied in children infected naturally with the respective worms. The activities were judged on the basis of percentage reductions in the faecal eggs per gram (EPG) counts. The 50 mg/kg single dose of S. lappa and equivalent amount of its methanolic extract produced on days 7 and 15 percentage EPG reduction similar to 10 mg/kg of pyrantel pamoate. Similarly, single oral administration of 40 mg/kg of N. sativa, equivalent amount of its ethanolic extract and 50 mg/kg of niclosamide reduced the percentage of EPG counts not significantly different from each other on the days 7 and 15. Therefore, it is conceivable that these indigenous medicinal plants contain active principles effective against nematodes and cestodes. The crude drugs did not produce any adverse side effects in the doses tested.

Anticestodal Agents↗
PubMed1990

Antidiabetic evaluation of Mucuna pruriens, Linn seeds.

Effects of powdered Mucuna pruriens seeds on blood glucose levels were investigated in normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits. In normal group 0.5, 1 and 2 g/kg of M. pruriens pulv significantly decreased the blood glucose levels while in alloxan-diabetic rabbits only 1 and 2 g/kg body weight caused a significant fall. The reference drug, acetohexamide in 500 mg/kg dose significantly reduced the blood glucose levels but in normal rabbits only. High levels of trace elements like manganese, zinc, and others were found in these seeds. Therefore, it is conceivable that M. pruriens seeds contain hypoglycaemic principles, may be both organic and mineral, which seem to act indirectly by stimulating the release of insulin and/or by a direct insulin-like action.

Alloxan↗
PubMed1989

Evaluation of the gastric antiulcerogenic effects of Solanum nigrum, Brassica oleracea and Ocimum basilicum in rats.

Antiulcerogenic activities of three plant drugs were studied against aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in rats. In addition, their effects on output of gastric acid and pepsin and hexosamine concentrations in gastric fluid were recorded in ulcerated and non-ulcerated rats. Solanum nigrum (aerial parts) powder and its methanolic extract decreased the ulcer index significantly. The activity may be due to inhibition of acid and pepsin secretions and/or their in vitro ability to bind these. Brassica oleracea (leaf) powder did not affect the ulcer index significantly but its aqueous extract lowered the index and increased hexosamine levels, suggesting gastric mucosal protection. Ocimum basilicum (aerial parts) powder and its aqueous and methanolic extracts decreased the index. Moreover, the acid output was decreased by its methanolic extract while hexosamine secretion was enhanced. This suggests that its antiulcerogenic effect is due to decreases of acid and pepsin outputs which enhance gastric mucosal strength. The reference drug gefarnate decreased the ulcer index by increasing the hexosamine level only. Cimetidine inhibited the acid production but did not decrease the ulcer index.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Sodium channel binding and anticonvulsant activities for the enantiomers of a bicyclic 2,4-oxazolidinedione and monocyclic models.

Racemic 7-phenyl-9,10-dioxo-1-aza-8-oxabicyclo[5.2.1]decane (1), a bicyclic 2,4-oxazolidinedione that we previously reported was a possible sodium channel anticonvulsant, was resolved into its enantiomeric forms, the absolute configurations were determined, and the stereoisomers were evaluated for relative sodium channel binding and whole animal anticonvulsant activities. Similar studies were carried out with two monocyclic models, 5-ethyl-5-phenyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione (2) and 5-ethyl-3-methyl-5-phenyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione (3). None of these isomers exhibited stereoselective effects in the sodium channel assay, and only modest enantioselectivities were observed for 2 and 3 in the anticonvulsant assays. (R)-(-)-1 was, however, 4 times more toxic than (S)-(+)-1 in the rotorod test, and due to its larger protective index, (S)-(+)-1 exhibited greater therapeutic potential than either (R)-(-)-1 or racemic 1.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Syntheses and bioevaluation of substituted dihydropyridines for pregnancy-interceptive activity in hamsters.

A number of 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl)-4-substituted-1,4- dihydropyridines were synthesized and evaluated for pregnancy-interceptive activity in mated hamsters. Out of 24 compounds, 12, 15, 21, 22, 28, and 34 caused a marked reduction in the number of implantations when administered on days 3-8 postcoitum. In an in vitro competition assay, none of the compounds exhibited noticeable binding affinity for uterine progesterone receptors. The results reported here have helped to identify new leads for developing pregnancy-interceptive agents and the active compounds do not seem to elicit their interceptive effect through receptor-mediated inhibition of progesterone action in hamster uterus.

Abortifacient Agents↗
PubMed1989

Glycaemic responses to three different honeys given to normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits.

Blood glucose levels of normal and diabetic rabbits were determined after oral administration of graded doses of three different types of honeys; namely honeys of Apis florea (Small-Bee) and Apis dorsata (Large-Bee) and an adulterated commercial honey. The chemical analysis showed that commercial honey was adulterated with a saturated sucrose solution as it contained lower ash but higher nonreducing sugar levels than the natural ones. Oral administration of pure small or large-bee honeys in 5 ml/kg/doses could not produce a significant (P greater than 0.05) increase in glucose levels in normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits whereas the adulterated honey significantly raised the blood glucose levels in normal and hyperglycaemic rabbits even at this low dosage. In higher doses of 10 ml/kg and 15 ml/kg body weight, all the three honeys produced a significant (P less than 0.05 or P less than 0.001) rise in blood glucose levels of normal as well as alloxan-diabetic rabbits. It may, therefore, be suggested that pure natural honeys in low doses may be recommended as a source of carbohydrates and even as a sweetening agent in place of sucrose to the human patients suffering from diabetes mellitus (JPMA 39: 107, 1989).

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1989

Exploration of antileishmanial activity in heterocycles; results of their in vivo & in vitro bioevaluations.

A total of 51 imidazoles, pyrroles, quinolines and isoxazolines compounds were screened for antileishmanial activity in vivo and in vitro, using Leishmania donovani as the test parasite. The screening revealed hitherto unknown antileishmanial activity in these heterocycles. Three of the compounds screened (one belonging to isoxazoline series and two from pyrrole series) showed significant anti-leishmanial activity, ranging from 86-91 per cent inhibition in hamsters. When tested in vitro, using macrophage amastigote culture system, these compounds showed inhibition of 62-78 per cent at 30 micrograms/ml concentration.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Is bladder catheterization really necessary before laparoscopy?

A randomized prospective controlled trial compared a policy of bladder catheterization with no catheterization in patients undergoing laparoscopy. Of the 41 patients randomized to receive no catheterization, seven were actually catheterized on the judgement of the surgeon, but only one of them had greater than 50 ml of urine. Midstream urine obtained 6 days after laparoscopy was infected in 9 (21%) of the 42 patients allocated to receive catheterization and in only five (12%) of those allocated to the no-catheter group. Four of these five were actually not catheterized, giving an infection rate of 12% in the 34 patients not catheterized. The differences are statistically significant. A routine policy of catheterization for patients undergoing laparoscopy is questionable. All patients who are catheterized should be investigated for urinary tract infections after operation.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Comparative efficacy of santonin and piperazine against Neoascaris vitulorum in buffalo calves.

An investigation was undertaken to evaluate the comparative efficacy of single dose treatment with santonin and piperazine against naturally acquired Neoascaris vitulorum in sixty-two buffalo calves of 20-60 days of age. Santonin was administered orally in doses of 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg/kg body weight to thirteen, eighteen, and sixteen buffalo calves, respectively. As a control, piperazine (88 mg/kg) was given by drench to a group of fifteen infected buffalo calves. Pretreatment and post treatment faecal eggs per gram (EPG) counts were determined by the Stoll's technique. The percentage reductions in EPG counts on the third and seventh days after administration of the two drugs were calculated. The percentage reduction in EPG counts in the piperazine treated group on the third day was 82 +/- 15, 90.2 +/- 3 and 91.3 +/- 2.3% while on the seventh day these values were 88 +/- 16, 97 +/- 3, and 98 +/- 2% in high, moderate and heavy infection calves, respectively. Treatment with santonin at 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg body weight also reduced the EPG counts. The percentage reduction in EPG counts in the calves treated with 15 mg/kg of santonin on the third day was 92.3 +/- 18, 95.8 +/- 7 and 93.5 +/- 4% while on the seventh day these values were 100 +/- 0, 100 +/- 0 and 99.7 +/- 2% in high, moderate and heavily infected calves, respectively. Both piperazine and santonin were associated with some side effects like diarrhoea, restlessness, etc. but their percentage incidence was not significantly different from each other. These findings suggest that santonin in a 15 mg/kg dose has an efficacy similar to piperazine given at the 88 mg/kg dose level for the treatment of ascariasis in buffalo calves.

Administration, Oral↗