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Selected AbstractsAntidiabetic activity of Croton klozchianus in rats and direct stimulation of insulin secretion in-vitroJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2008R. Govindarajan Croton klozchianus is a relatively uninvestigated species with no pharmacological or phytochemical reports available, although it has been used clinically by Ayurvedic physicians to treat diabetes. We have investigated this use by studying the insulin secretion and antidiabetic activity of C. klozchianus. Treatment of diabetic rats with aerial parts of C. klozchianus extract (CK, 100 and 300 mg kg,1 body weight) for three weeks showed significant reduction in blood glucose (45.8% after 14 days for 300 mg kg,1). C. klozchianus extract caused a significant concentration-dependent increase in insulin secretion (8-fold at 2 mg mL,1 for cells challenged with 20 mm glucose) from MIN6 cells grown as monolayers and as pseudoislets, indicating that the antidiabetic activity may have been as a result of increased insulin secretion. It also had a role on the lipid profile of the rats by causing reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing high density lipoprotein significantly. The results obtained gave some scientific support to the traditional use of the plant as a treatment for diabetes. [source] In-vitro and in-vivo antioxidant activity of different extracts of the leaves of Clerodendron colebrookianum Walp in the ratJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 12 2003D. Rajlakshmi ABSTRACT The in-vitro antioxidant activities of different concentrations of the water, alcoholic, petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts of the dried leaves of Clerodendron colebrookianum Walp, and in-vivo antioxidant activity of the water extract was studied in experimental rat models. The results obtained from in-vitro lipid peroxidation induced by FeSO4 -ascorbate in rat liver homogenate showed a significant inhibition of lipid peroxidation by different extracts of C. colebrookianum leaf. Water extracts at concentrations (w/v) of 1:30, 1:50, 1:200 and 1:1000 showed the strongest inhibitory activity over the other organic extracts, suggesting maximum antioxidant effect. Chronic feeding of the water extract to Wistar albino rats (both sexes, 150,200g) in 1 or 2g kg,1/day doses for 14 days significantly increased the ferric reducing ability of plasma by 19% and 40% on the seventh day, and by 45% and 57% on the fourteenth day of treatment, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), as a marker of lipid peroxidation, and some cellular antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione) were estimated in heart, liver and kidney. There was a significant reduction in hepatic and renal TBARS with both the doses, without any change in myocardial TBARS. There was no change in the level of antioxidants in heart, liver and kidney, except for the hepatic superoxide dismutase. The findings of this study showed that the leaf extract of C. colebrookianum increased the antioxidant capacity of blood and had an inhibitory effect on the basal level of lipid peroxidation of liver and kidney. This lends scientific support to the therapeutic use of the plant leaves, as claimed by the tribal medicine of North-East India. [source] Determination of seventeen main flavonoids and saponins in the medicinal plant Huang-qi (Radix Astragali) by HPLC-DAD-ELSDJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 9 2007Qing-Tao Yu Abstract A simple, rapid, and reliable method, namely high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array and evaporative light scattering detectors (HPLC-DAD-ELSD), was developed to simultaneously determine twelve major flavonoids and five main saponins in different parts of the medicinal plant Huang-qi (Radix Astragali). The DAD wavelength was set at 280 nm for the UV detection of flavonoids, while the drift tube temperature was set at 105°C and the nebulizing gas flow rate at 2.7 L/min for ELSD detection of saponins. The method was fully validated with respect to linearity (r2 >0.998), sensitivity, precision, and accuracy (recovery rate between 93.3 and 104.2%). The analytical results of different parts of the medicinal plant Huang-qi revealed that the levels of total flavonoids or saponins in individual parts can vary considerably and the concentration of each compound in different parts is also significantly different. The aerial parts (stems and leaves) contain even higher total contents of flavonoids (although of different kinds) than the commonly used roots of the plants. In addition, the concentration of total flavonoids and saponins in the extract of the fibrous roots was surprisingly highest among all parts of Astragalus species. All of these findings provide clear evidence and scientific support for utilization of different parts of the medicinal plant Huang-qi and also for reduction in waste of plant resources. [source] Reproducibility of same session repeated cystometry and pressure-flow studies in women with symptoms of urinary incontinence,,NEUROUROLOGY AND URODYNAMICS, Issue 3 2010Suzan R. Broekhuis Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility of same session repeated urodynamic measurements in women with symptoms of urinary incontinence. Methods Women presenting with symptoms of urinary incontinence underwent standardized urodynamic examination, which consisted of free uroflowmetry and two filling cystometries and pressure-flow studies. Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and McNemar tests were used to describe the same session reproducibility. Results Two evaluable urodynamic tests were available in 152 patients. Overall, reproducibility of the urodynamic parameters were good to excellent (ICC range: 0.72,0.93), except for the bladder volume at first sensation of bladder filling (ICC,=,0.46) and the maximum Watt's factor (ICC,=,0.68). The bladder volume at first sensation and the maximum cystometric capacity were systematically higher in the second run (mean difference (95% CI),=,,45 (,73; ,37) and ,3 (,15; 10), respectively). Reproducibility of the diagnosis stress urinary incontinence and/or detrusor overactivity were good to excellent (median ICC,=,0.76, P,=,0.68 and P,=,1.00, respectively). Reproducibility of the volume and amplitude at involuntary detrusor contractions, however, were only poor (ICC,=,0.18 and 0.25, respectively). Conclusions The reproducibility of same session repeated urodynamic measurements in women with symptoms of urinary incontinence was good to excellent. Our results provide the scientific support for guidelines that recommend the omission of repeated filling cystometries and pressure-flow studies in cases where the first test confirms the pathology expected. Neurourol. Urodynam. 29:428,431, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] In Vitro Protective Effect of Hypericum androsaemum Extract Against Oxygen and Nitrogen Reactive SpeciesBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Isabel F. Almeida Oxidative stress and nitrosative stress are common pathogenetic mechanisms contributing to initiation and progression of hepatic damage in several liver disorders. In the present study, an ethanol:water (4:6) extract from H. androsaemum branches and leaves were evaluated for its putative in vitro scavenging effects on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil radical, on reactive oxygen species, namely HO,, O2,,, ROO,, 1O2 and H2O2 and on reactive nitrogen species, namely ,NO and ONOO,. The hypericum extract presented a remarkable capacity to scavenge all the tested reactive species, all the IC50 values being found at the ,g/ml level. IC50 values for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil, and for the reactive oxygen species O2,,, H2O2, HO, and 1O2 were 11.3 ± 0.7, 32.7 ± 3.4, 944 ± 47, 595 ± 82, 28.3 ± 1.2 ,g/ml respectively. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity value obtained for ROO, was 1.5 ± 0.1 ,mol Trolox equivalents/mg extract. The IC50 values for ,NO and ONOO, were 2.2 ± 0.2 and 1.2 ± 0.1 ,g/ml respectively. The content of total phenolics was 281 ± 2 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of lyophilized extract. The observed antioxidant activity provides scientific support for the reported therapeutic use of H. androsaemum, though further in vitro and in vivo studies are required to ascertain the risk/benefit score at therapeutic concentrations. [source] Behavior analyst use of and beliefs in treatments for people with autismBEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS, Issue 3 2008Kimberly A. Schreck With the increase in the numbers of children diagnosed with autism and scientific support solely for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment, a proliferation of professionals have sought ABA training to provide services to this population. However, not all have been reportedly providing solely ABA services. This study surveyed Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs; N,=,469) concerning their beliefs, endorsement, and use of a variety of scientifically supported and unsupported treatments for people with autism. Although not all endorsed using ABA, BCBA professionals most widely reported using ABA and ABA-related treatments. Surprisingly, BCBAs endorsed and used all types of treatments, despite their beliefs that the treatments were difficult to implement, not cost effective, and not supported by research. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Knowledge Translation in the Emergency Medical Services: A Research Agenda for Advancing Prehospital CareACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2007David C. Cone MD Little is known about knowledge translation in the practice of out-of-hospital medicine. It is generally accepted that much work is needed regarding "getting the evidence straight" in emergency medical services, given the substantial number of interventions that are performed regularly in the field but lack meaningful scientific support. Additional attention also needs to be given to "getting the evidence used," because there is some evidence that evidence-based practices are being incompletely or incorrectly applied in the field. In an effort to help advance a research agenda for knowledge translation in emergency medical services, nine recommendations are put forth to help address the problems identified. [source] | ||||||||||