Antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picrorhiza kurrooa</Emphasis> rhizome extracts in diabetic rats

Picrorhiza kurrooa is mentioned in Ayurveda for the treatment of many disorders, but it has not been subjected to systematic scientific investigations to assess its antidiabetic effect. The oral administration of aqueous and methanol extracts of P. kurrooa rhizomes (250 and 500 mg / kg body weight / day) for 15 days significantly reduced blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and increased total hemoglobin, plasma insulin in alloxan-induced diabetes in albino rats. The treatment also showed significant correction in the level of nitric oxide radicals, superoxide radicals, peroxynitrite radical, lipid peroxidation, glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the pancreas of alloxan diabetic rats.     

Education for all in India: A second look

In this paper, the author has attempted to analyze and assess the progress of education for all (EFA) in India from 1985/1986 to 2005/2006. A similar analysis by the same author on this subject, for the period 1950–1986, was published in this journal in 1990. During that period of 35 years the development of EFA was apparently impressive, but glaring disparities in schooling facilities based on rural–urban habitation, region, caste and gender were observed. About half of all the rural schools lacked physical facilities and suffered from shortage of teachers. While enrollment had apparently increased, three‐fourths of enrolled children left school without completing elementary education. The progress of literacy was also not satisfactory with the literacy rate having increased marginally from 16% in 1951 to an estimated 38% in 1986. The literacy rates also exhibited disparities based on gender, caste, region and rural–urban location. After launching of the National Policy on Education 1986, the Government of India has made concerted efforts to achieve the goal of EFA by launching several new schemes, including expansion of non‐formal education for out‐of‐school children, improvement of physical facilities in schools, implementation of a micro‐planning strategy, the launch of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and the passage of a Bill in Parliament to make elementary education a ‘fundamental right’ of every child. The problem of illiteracy was attacked by launching an ambitious new programme called the National Literacy Mission. However, recently published reports show that there are about 59 million out‐of‐school children; enrollment of girls is low; the dropout rate up to Class VIII is still high; school‐age children work for wages; rural children have no easy access to schools; many schools still lack physical facilities; and there is a shortage of teachers and headmasters. The author feels that India must revise its target date for achieving the goal of EFA at least once again and suggests that the Government should carefully monitor the implementation of policies, and at the same time, enhance expenditure on education from the present 3.5% to 6% of the GNP as early as possible, so as to deal with the situation more effectively.     

Biosensors

Biosensors function by coupling a biological sensing element with a detector system using a transducer. They are widely used in diagnostics, pharmaceutical research, fermentation-based industries and environmental and pollution monitoring.     

Significance of Vitamin D Binding Protein in Assessing Vitamin D Status Among Under-Five Children

Despite ample sunshine, 50–90% Indian children have Vitamin D deficiency (VDD). This enigma of widespread VDD needs exploration especially among under-fives as physiological variations in Vitamin D Binding Protein (VDBP) levels could be potential confounders in the interpretation of total 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. However, there is scarce information about relevance of VDBP levels in under-five age group. We therefore, explored association of VDBP levels among 1–5 year old children with VDD. Serum levels of 25(OH)D, VDBP, calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and alkaline phosphatase were estimated in 210 apparently healthy children in the age group of 1–5 years. VDD was defined as serum 25(OH)D levels < 20 ng/ml as per the IOM classification. VDBP levels were classified as low if levels were < 168 μg/ml as per the kit. The prevalence of VDD was 79.5% (n = 167) and VDBP levels were low in 48.6% (n = 102) of children. 25(OH)D levels correlated positively with VDBP (r = 0.298, p = 0.0001). A significant number of children (52.7%) with VDD had low VDBP (p = 0.015). and despite adequate sun exposure, 43% of children showed VDD and 56.6% had low VDPB levels. The low VDBP levels largely explain low 25OHD levels without necessarily implying VDD. It may add a new dimension for better understanding of widespread VDD among under-five children. It thus, points towards the need for redefining cut offs and complete evaluation of vitamin D status among under-fives including VDBP.     

Comparison of Mass Versus Activity of Creatine Kinase MB and Its Utility in the Early Diagnosis of Re-infarction

Currently employed markers for the detection of acute coronary syndrome are Troponin T, CK (Creatine Kinase) and CKMB activity. CKMB activity measured by immunoinhibition method can give falsely elevated results due to the presence of atypical CK and CKBB and at times lead to the mis-diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Hence, CKMB mass (CKMB) measured by electrochemiluminence sandwich principle was employed. In this cross-sectional study 183 samples of 61 patients were analyzed within 6 h of diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and followed up to 72 h. The correlation coefficient between CKMB activity and CKMBM at 4–6 h was 0.744, while at 12–24 h it was 0.909 and at 48–72 h it was 0.337. Thus there was good association between the two methods at 12–24 h but, statistically for method comparison studies and for replacing one method by another, the two methods need to be in agreement with one another. In this study the two methods are not in agreement with one another and thus analytically not replaceable. Another finding was obtained that CKMBM reached cut off levels prior to CKMB enzyme activity and hence, CKMBM is clinically better than CKMB activity to detect reinfarction.     

“Silent Hypoxemia” Leads to Vicious Cycle of Infection,Coagulopathy and Cytokine Storm in COVID-19: Can Prophylactic Oxygen Therapy Prevent It?

Humankind is facing its worst pandemic of the twenty-first century, due to infection of a novel coronavirus named as SARS-CoV2, started from Wuhan in China. Till now, 15 million people are infected, causing more than 600,000 deaths. The disease, commonly known as, COVID-19, was initially thought to be associated with ARDS only, but later on revealed to have many unexplained and atypical clinical features like coagulopathy and cytokinemia, leading to multi-organ involvements. The patients also suffer from ‘Silent Hypoxemia’, where there is no immediate respiratory signs and symptoms even though alarmingly low SpO₂ level. We hypothesize that this covert hypoxemia may lead to molecular changes exacerbating coagulopathy and cytokine storm in COVID19 patients, which again, in turn, causes a vicious cycle of more hypoxemia/hypoxia and progression of the infection to more severe stages through HIF-1α dependent pathway. Although molecular mechanisms are yet to be substantiated by scientific evidence, hypoxemia remains an independent worsening factor in serious COVID 19 patients. Keeping all in mind, we propose that even in the early and asymptomatic cases, prophylactic oxygen therapy to be initiated to break the vicious cycle and to reduce the mortality in COVID 19 to save precious human lives.