Growth and nutritional status of Bengali adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE

Assessment of the growth and nutritional status among healthy Bengali adolescent schoolgirls at peri-urban area.

METHODS

In this cross sectional study, sample consists of 527 school going adolescent girls, aged 10 to 18 years. The sample of the present study was collected from a peri-urban area (Duttapukur) of north 24 parganas district of West Bengal, India. Standard anthropometric measurements including linear, curvilinear and skinfold thickness were collected from each subject. Percentile curves and nutritional indices were used to determine the growth and nutritional status respectively.

RESULTS

The nature of distance curves and percentile curves of the body measurements showed a high rate of increase in 10-11 years of age group corresponding to an earlier adolescent growth spurt than average Indian girls. The adolescent girls in the current study were found to be significantly (p<0.0001) taller than Indian girls and heavier than both Indian and urban Bengali girls but slightly shorter than urban Bengali girls. They are significantly (p<0.0001) shorter and lighter than American girls, which also corresponded to 50(th) percentile curves. Age specific nutritional assessment shows different grades of malnutrition among them. Gomez's classification indicates about 60 % to 70 % adolescent girls show either moderate to mild malnutrition during their growth period. Both the indices of Waterlow's classification show least percentage of least malnutrition among the girls.

CONCLUSION

The growth pattern and nutritional status observed among adolescent girls in peri-urban situation show heterogeneity with respect to some anthropometric traits and in conformity with the growth pattern and nutritional status of urban girls.

Activity-dependent plasticity improves M1 motor representation and corticospinal tract connectivity

Motor cortex (M1) activity between postnatal weeks 5 and 7 is essential for normal development of the corticospinal tract (CST) and visually guided movements. Unilateral reversible inactivation of M1, by intracortical muscimol infusion, during this period permanently impairs development of the normal dorsoventral distribution of CST terminations and visually guided motor skills. These impairments are abrogated if this M1 inactivation is followed by inactivation of the contralateral, initially active M1, from weeks 7 to 11 (termed alternate inactivation). This later period is when the M1 motor representation normally develops. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of alternate inactivation on the motor representation of the initially inactivated M1. We used intracortical microstimulation to map the left M1 1 to 2 mo after the end of left M1 muscimol infusion. We compared representations in the unilateral inactivation and alternate inactivation groups. Alternate inactivation converted the sparse proximal M1 motor representation produced by unilateral inactivation to a complete and high-resolution proximal-distal representation. The motor map was restored by week 11, the same age that our present and prior studies demonstrated that alternate inactivation restored CST spinal connectivity. Thus M1 motor map developmental plasticity closely parallels plasticity of CST spinal terminations. After alternate inactivation reestablished CST connections and the motor map, an additional 3 wk was required for motor skill recovery. Since motor map recovery preceded behavioral recovery, our findings suggest that the representation is necessary for recovering motor skills, but additional time, or experience, is needed to learn to take advantage of the restored CST connections and motor map.

Seasonal variation in plasma levels of lithium in the Indian population: is there a need to modify the dose?

INTRODUCTION

Lithium still remains an important choice in the therapy of manic-depressive psychosis (MDP), and though there are reports of seasonal variation in lithium levels from a few countries, such studies have not been conducted in India. Variability in the lithium level can lead to lack of efficacy or toxicity, making seasonal variation clinically relevant.

METHODS

A retrospective case sheet audit was performed for 101 MDP patients for recording plasma lithium level, oral lithium dose, age and gender for one year. The overall average oral lithium dose and level were recorded; the monthly average to which it most closely matched was noted as the control month, and values of other months were compared with this control month by Friedman's test followed by Dunn's test.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 38.22 (standard deviation 12.07) years, and 72 out of 101 patients were male. The mean lithium dose in November (938.61 +/- 243.40 mg/day), which was the closest to the overall mean dose (938.24 +/- 241.78 mg/day) was taken as the control month, which when compared with other monthly values, did not show any significant difference. The June (0.54 +/- 0.23 meq/L), July (0.55 +/- 0.24 meq/L) and August (0.55 +/- 0.24 meq/L) mean plasma lithium values were significantly high when compared to the October value (0.45 +/- 0.22 meq/L) as control. High-low variability between the plasma lithium values of different months was found to be 25 percent.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed a significant high variability of lithium levels in different months of the year, therefore frequent plasma level monitoring and oral lithium dose adjustment to prevent situations of toxicity and lack of efficacy in MDP.

Whole time domestic child labor in metropolitan city of Kolkata

We conducted this study to explore the socioeconomic conditions, and health and nutritional status of whole time child domestic labor. 330 children engaged in domestic child labor ranging between 8 to 14 years of age from the metropolitan city of Kolkata were studied. Majority of the domestic child laborers were girls and migrants coming from illiterate families. These children were physically, mentally or sexually abused. Further, they suffered from anemia, gastrointestinal tract infections, vitamin deficiencies, respiratory tract infections and skin diseases along with a high prevalence of malnutrition. The study highlights the poor state of domestic child labor in Kolkata, India.

Presynaptic control of transmission through group II muscle afferents in the midlumbar and sacral segments of the spinal cord is independent of corticospinal control

Transmission of information from the terminals group II muscle afferents is subject to potent presynaptic modulation by both segmental group II and cutaneous afferents and by descending monoaminergic systems. Currently it is unknown whether descending corticospinal fibres affect this transmission. Here we have examined whether corticospinal tract activation modulates the size of monosynaptic focal synaptic potentials (FSPs) evoked by group II muscle afferents, and the excitability of intraspinal terminals of group II afferents, both of which are indices used to show presynaptic control. Conditioning stimulation of corticospinal pathways had no effects on the sizes of group II evoked FSPs in the midlumbar or sacral segments at either dorsal horn or intermediate zone locations. These stimuli also had no effect on the excitability of single group II afferent terminals in the dorsal horn of the midlumbar segments. As positive controls, we verified that the corticospinal conditioning stimuli used did effectively depress FSPs evoked from cutaneous afferents recorded at the same spinal locations as the group II field potentials in all experiments. Corticospinal tract conditioning stimuli did not consistently enhance or reduce the depression of group II FSPs that was evoked by stimulation of ipsilateral segmental group II or cutaneous afferents; in the large majority of cases there was no effect. The results reveal that the control of transmission of information from group II afferents in these regions of the spinal cord is independent of direct corticospinal control.

Finding intermediates in the O2 activation pathways of non-heme iron oxygenases

Intermediates in the reaction cycle of an oxygenase are usually very informative with respect to the chemical mechanism of O 2 activation and insertion. However, detection of these intermediates is often complicated by their short lifetime and the regulatory mechanism of the enzyme designed to ensure specificity. Here, the methods used to detect the intermediates in an extradiol dioxygenase, a Rieske cis-dihydrodiol dioxygenase, and soluble methane monooxygenase are discussed. The methods include the use of alternative, chromophoric substrates, mutagenesis of active site catalytic residues, forced changes in substrate binding order, control of reaction rates using regulatory proteins, and initialization of catalysis in crystallo.

Nutritional status of Kamar tribal children in Chhattisgarh

OBJECTIVE

Assessment of the nutritional status among 309 Kamar children (161 boys and 148 girls) aged 4-12 years.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 24-hours dietary recall method was used to assess dietary intakes of children. Height and weight were recorded and children were classified by WHO criterion (Z-score) using nutritional indices i.e. weight for age, height for age and weight for height. NCHS data were used as reference. Mean energy and protein intake per day were measured and compared with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of Indian standards.

RESULTS

More than 90 percent of children (both boys and girls) in the age group of 4-6 years suffered by underweight (<-2 SD weight for age), which was comparatively lower in 7-9 and 10-12 years age group children. 84.51 percent of boys suffered by stunting (<-2 SD height for age), which was much higher than girls (47.54%) in 4-6 years age group. Similarly, 80 percent of 4-6 years age group children were affected by wasting (<-2 SD weight for height). The consumption of energy and protein were also much lower among Kamar children than the RDA of India throughout the ages.

CONCLUSION

Undernutrition in the form of underweight, stunting and wasting and low consumption of dietary intake (energy and protein) was found to be widely prevalent among Kamar tribal children. Therefore, an urgent dietary intervention programme is necessary. Further studies are required to investigate into problem and to supplement the key nutrients which are required to ensure a good nutritional status in children.

Upregulation of calcium-sensing receptor and mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling in the regulation of growth and differentiation in colon carcinoma

In the present study, we demonstrate that Ca²⁺-induced growth inhibition and induction of differentiation in a line of human colon carcinoma cells (CBS) is dependent on mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling and is associated with upregulation of extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) expression. When CBS cells were grown in Ca²⁺-free medium and then switched to medium supplemented with 1.4 mM Ca²⁺, proliferation was reduced and morphologic features of differentiation were expressed. E-cadherin, which was minimally expressed in nonsupplemented medium, was rapidly induced in response to Ca²⁺ stimulation. Sustained activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) occured in Ca²⁺-supplemented medium. When an inhibitor of ERK activation (10 μM U0126) was included in the Ca²⁺-supplemented culture medium, ERK-activation did not occur. Concomitantly, E-cadherin was not induced, cell proliferation remained high and differentiation was not observed. The same level of Ca²⁺ supplementation that induced MAP kinase activation also stimulated CaSR upregulation in CBS cells. A clonal isolate of the CBS line that did not upregulate CaSR expression in response to extracellular Ca²⁺ was isolated from the parent cells. This isolate failed to produce E-cadherin or undergo growth inhibition/induction of differentiation when exposed to Ca²⁺ in the culture medium. However, ERK-activation occurred as efficiently in this isolate as in parent CBS cells or in a cloned isolate that underwent growth reduction and differentiation in response to Ca²⁺ stimulation. Together, these data indicate that CaSR upregulation and MAP kinase signalling are both intermediates in the control of colon carcinoma cell growth and differentiation. They appear to function, at least in part, independently of one another.

Removal of lead from contaminated water bodies using sea nodule as an adsorbent

Adsorption of water soluble lead on polymetallic sea nodule has been studied in detail. Complete decontamination of lead is possible by appropriate sea nodule dosing. Adsorption is also dependent on pH and best adsorption is achieved at pH 6. Beyond pH 6, the desorption of lead from sea nodule surface is practically zero. Residual metal concentrations in the filtrate after adsorption is negligible. Both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms may reasonably explain adsorption of lead on sea nodule. Chemically bound moisture plays a very crucial role in lead adsorption. Lead adsorptive capability of sea nodule is practically destroyed when calcined at a temperature of 900 degrees C. Lead loading capacity of sea nodule has been estimated at 440 mg of lead per gram of sea nodule. The performance of sea nodule as a lead adsorbent has been successfully tested over six simulated lead contaminated water systems. Lead loading capacity of sea nodule compares favorably with other adsorbents like activated carbon, ion exchange resin, anionic clay, granulated blast furnace slag and natural and treated zeolites.

Critical roles of CD30/CD30L interactions in murine autoimmune diabetes

CD30/CD30L is a member of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) receptor/TNF superfamily and has been implicated in immune-regulation. A genetic study has also suggested a possible implication of CD30 in spontaneous autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. In this study, we investigated the involvement of CD30/CD30L in the development of diabetes in NOD mice. Flow cytometric analysis showed that CD30 and CD30L were highly expressed on CD4+ or CD8+ T cells in the spleen and pancreatic lymph node of younger NOD mice. In addition, islet-specific CD4+ or CD8+ T cell lines expressed CD30 and CD30L. Administration of a neutralizing anti-CD30L monoclonal antibody (mAb) from 2 to 10 week of age completely suppressed the development of spontaneous diabetes in NOD mice. In addition, the treatment with anti-CD30L mAb also inhibited the development of diabetes induced by adoptive transfer of spleen cells from diabetic NOD mice or islet-specific CD4+ or CD8+ T cell lines into NOD-SCID mice. Furthermore, anti-CD30L mAb inhibited T cell proliferation in response to islet antigens. These results suggested that CD30/CD30L interaction plays important roles in both induction and effector phases of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice.

Ectopic expression of eIF-4E in human colon cancer cells promotes the stimulation of adhesion molecules by transforming growth factorbeta

Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta) inhibits cellular proliferation, promotes differentiation, and stimulates the expression and secretion of the extracellular matrix adhesion molecules fibronectin and laminin and the colon-associated intercellular adhesion molecule carcinoembryonic antigen. This is collectively called the TGFbeta-mediated adhesion response and occurs in the human colon cancer cell line Moser while the cell line KM12SM is relatively unresponsive to TGFbeta. We have previously shown that TGFbeta rapidly stimulates protein kinase C (PKC) phosphotransferase activity in the Moser cells and that the induction of the adhesion response (but not antiproliferation) by TGFbeta is dependent on PKC. Because resistance to growth factors may be due to translational suppression and the translation initiation factor eIF-4E may alleviate translational suppression, we determined the effect of eIF-4E expression on the responses of Moser and KM12SM cells to TGFbeta. Ectopic expression of eIF-4E in the TGFbeta-responsive Moser cells enhanced the activation of PKC by TGFbeta and the induction of the adhesion response, especially the secretion of adhesion molecules, but not the antiproliferative response. Ectopic expression of eIF-4E in the TGFbeta-resistant KM12SM cells increased TGFbeta stimulation of PKC and the TGFbeta-mediated adhesion response (but not antiproliferation). The secretion of adhesion molecules was significantly increased by TGFbeta. These results showed in these cells that eIF-4E promotes TGFbeta-regulated adhesion but not antiproliferation in a PKC-dependent manner.

Bio-accumulation of heavy metals in different organs of some of the common edible fishes of Kharkai River, Jamshedpur

Gill, liver, kidney, intestine and muscle of some of the common edible fishes captured from Kharkai river were analysed for their iron, zinc, nickel, lead, copper, manganese, chromium and cobalt contents. Kharkai river is one of the principal tributaries of river Subarnarekha and is considered as one of the most polluted rivers in the Chotanagpur plateau. The data generated underline the extent of this pollution and call for immediate redressal.

Inhibitory effect of 1-O (2 methoxy) hexadecyl glycerol and phenylbutyrate on the malignant properties of human prostate cancer cells

The ability of the naturally occurring ether lipid, 1-O (2 methoxy) hexadecyl glycerol (MHG), and phenylbutyrate (BP) to inhibit cellular proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and cellular invasion in the human prostate cancer LnCap and DU145 cells was determined. Both MHG and PB inhibited the malignant properties of these prostate cancer cells. The concentrations required to achieve similar inhibitory effect, however, were significantly different for these two agents. MHG inhibited cell growth with equal potency in these cell lines with an IC-50 value of 93 microM for LnCap, and 97 microM for DU145. The IC-50 values for PB were 1.3 mM and 7.3 mM, respectively, for LnCap and DU145 cells. Both MHG and PB (IC-50 concentrations) inhibited the anchorage-independent growth and cellular invasion in these cells. Over 50% inhibition of anchorage-independent growth was achieved for both LnCap and DU145 cells by PB, while a lesser degree of inhibition was achieved with MHG. Both MHG- and PB-treated cells showed a reduced propensity to invade matrigels. Invasion of PB-treated LnCap and DU145 cells was reduced, respectively, by approximate 41 and 30% when compared to untreated control cells, while invasion of MHG-treated LnCap and DU145 cells was reduced to a lesser extent. Because differentiation-inducing agents may possess chemopreventive properties, the use of naturally occurring MHG and nontoxic PB in the chemoprevention of malignant diseases warrants further investigation.

Requirement of protein kinase Calpha, extracellular matrix remodeling, and cell-matrix interaction for transforming growth factorbeta-regulated expression of E-cadherin and catenins

A hallmark of transforming growth factorbeta (TGFbeta) action is the induction of the synthesis and secretion of extracellular-matrix adhesion molecules and induction of the cell-surface expression of integrin receptors for these molecules (termed extracellular-matrix remodeling). The signal pathways leading to extracellular-matrix remodeling and the significance of extracellular-matrix remodeling in TGFbeta function is not well-understood. In the epithelium-derived human colon cancer cell line Moser, TGFbeta induces extracellular-matrix remodeling in a protein kinase Calpha-dependent manner. In this study we showed that TGFbeta was a potent inducer of the homotypic cell-cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin and its undercoat-associated proteins, the catenins and dramatically increased the amount of E-cadherin/gamma-catenin complex formation. We found that the induction of E-cadherin and alpha- and beta-catenin by TGFbeta was also dependent on protein kinase Calpha, whereas the induction of gamma-catenin was independent of protein kinase Calpha but dependent on other protein kinase C isoforms. We also found that protein kinase Calpha-dependent induction of extracellular-matrix remodeling and subsequent cell-matrix interaction requiring both fibronectin and laminin were a prerequisite for the induction of E-cadherin (and alpha- and beta-catenin but not gamma-catenin) by TGFbeta. We therefore concluded that two signal pathways exist in TGFbeta-regulated expression of E-cadherin and the catenins. We also concluded that a functional significance of TGFbeta-induced extracellular matrix remodeling is the activation of signal transduction mechanisms through increased interaction between extracellular matrix fibronectin and laminin and their cell-surface integrin receptors, which lead to the induction of E-cadherin (and alpha- and beta-catenin).

Disruption of transforming growth factor beta-regulated laminin receptor function by expression of antisense laminin, a chain RNA in human colon cancer cells

Transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta) simultaneously induces the expression of fibronectin, fibronectin receptor, laminin, and laminin receptor (alpha6beta1 integrin) in the human colon cancer cell line Moser (Int J Cancer, 57:742, 1994). Induction of fibronectin and induction of fibronectin receptor by TGFB are tightly coupled, and disrupting fibronectin induction disrupts the induction of fibronectin receptor and cellular adhesion to fibronectin (J Cellular Physiol, 170:138, 1997). We recently demonstrated the efficacy of using antisense chain-specific laminin RNA expression vectors to disrupt the induction by TGFP of the multichain laminin molecule (J Cellular Physiol, 178:296, 1999). We now show in this report that Moser cells used alpha6 and beta1 integrins to adhere to laminin, and, as is the fibronectin and fibronectin receptor system, disrupting the induction by TGFbeta of the ligand laminin by the expression of antisense laminin A chain RNA disrupted the induction of 125I-laminin binding and cellular adhesion to laminin. Disrupting laminin induction also blocked the induction of alpha6 and beta1 integrin laminin receptor by TGFbeta. We conclude that disrupting the induction of the ligand laminin by TGFbeta disrupts TGFbeta-regulated laminin receptor function by suppressing the induction of alpha6 and beta1 integrins. Therefore, targeted disruption of the ligand laminin may be an effective means in disrupting the function of both the ligand and its receptor in cells that utilize the laminin and laminin receptor system in malignant cell behavior.

Postnatal development of the motor representation in primary motor cortex

The purpose of this study was to examine when the muscles and joints of the forelimb become represented in primary motor cortex (M1) during postnatal life and how local representation patterns change. We examined these questions in cats that were anesthetized (45-90 days, n = 14; adults, n = 3) and awake (n = 4; 52-86 days). We used intracortical microstimulation (45 ms duration train, 330 Hz, 0.2-ms balanced biphasic pulses, with a leading cathodic pulse; up to 100 microA). In young animals (less than day 70), we also used stimulus trains and pulses that could produce greater temporal summation (up to 200-ms train duration, down to 143-Hz stimulus frequency, up to 0.8-ms pulse width). Anesthetized animals were areflexic, and muscle tone was similar to that of the awake cats (i.e., relaxed, not weight or load bearing, with minimal resistance to passive stretch). We monitored the kinematic effects of microstimulation and changes in electromyographic (EMG) activity in forelimb muscles. There was an age-dependent reduction in the number of sites where microstimulation did not produce a motor effect (i.e., ineffective sites), from 95% in animals younger than 60 days to 33% between 81 and 90 days. In adults, 24% of sites were ineffective. Median current thresholds for evoking movements dropped from 79 microA in animals younger than day 60 to 38 and 28 microA in day 81-90 animals and adults, respectively. There was a proximal-to-distal development of the somatotopic organization of the motor map. Stimulation at the majority of sites in animals younger than day 71 produced shoulder and elbow movement. Wrist sites were first present by day 71, and digit sites by day 81. Sites at which multiple responses were evoked, between 1.0 and 1.5 times threshold, were present after day 71, and increased with age. A higher percentage of distal joints were co-represented with other joints, rather than being represented alone. We found that effective sites initially were scattered and new sites representing proximal and distal joints filled in the gaps between effective sites. During most of the period examined, development of the caudal M1 subregion lagged that of the rostral subregion (percent of effective sites; threshold currents), although these differences were minimal or absent in adults. Our results show that the M1 motor representation is absent at day 45 and, during the subsequent month, the motor map is constructed by progressively representing more distal forelimb joints.

Nurses failure to appreciate the risks of infection due to needle stick accidents: a hospital based survey

One of the most important occupational risks to healthcare workers is exposure is to blood-borne viruses. This study examined nurses' perceptions of risk of contracting infection following single or multiple exposure to blood or body fluids. Two hundred and ninety nurses were surveyed using a questionnaire. One hundred and thirty-three responded; 85 worked in higher risk areas (ITU, Haematology, Haemodialysis and Neonatal Surgical Units) (Group A) and 48 worked in lower risk areas (medical wards, an orthopaedic and an ENT ward) (Group B). Forty-nine percent of subjects from group A and 60% of subjects from Group B believed that a needle stick injury with a needle contaminated with infected blood was an unlikely source of infection. Fifteen percent from group A and 20% from group B thought that infection with a blood-borne virus following a needle stick injury contaminated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected blood was very unlikely. Twelve percent from group A and 10% from Group B did not know whether resheathing needles between use can provide protection against HIV. Sixty-seven percent from group A and 71% from group B disagreed with the statement that nurses are at higher risk of exposure to HIV/HBV than the other healthcare workers. Thirteen percent from group A and 5% from group B agreed with the statement, whereas 8% from group A and 5% from group B thought that nurses are at less risk. Only 22% from group A and 23% from group B would take more precautions if they knew that the patient had HIV/HBV infection, whilst 11% and 8% respectively admitted that they would take special precautions only when the patient has clinical symptoms of HIV/HBV infection. The findings suggest that these nurses would benefit from further education regarding infection from blood-borne viruses.

Efficacy and specificity of antisense laminin chain-specific expression vectors in blocking laminin induction by TGFbeta1: effect of laminin blockade on TGFbeta1-mediated cellular responses

Transforming growth factorbeta1 (TGFbeta1) elicits a multitude of cellular responses from the epithelial-derived human colon cancer Moser cells. TGFbeta1 induces the expression of laminin and fibronectin, and previous studies show that the induction of fibronectin is functionally associated with the regulation of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expression by TGFbeta1 (Huang and Chakrabarty, 1994, J Biol Chem 269:28764-28768). In this study we constructed antisense laminin chain-specific expression vectors and determined their efficacy in blocking the expression and the induction of the large multichain laminin molecule by TGFbeta1. We also determined the functional role of laminin in several TGFbeta1-mediated responses: growth inhibition, downmodulation of anchorage-independent growth, and cellular invasion. Expression of either antisense laminin chain A, B1, or B2 RNA resulted in a downmodulation of endogenous laminin mRNA expression and blocked the induction of laminin protein by TGFbeta1 without affecting the induction of other adhesion molecules such as fibronectin or CEA. It is concluded that antisense RNA directed to only one of the laminin chains was sufficient to disrupt the induction of the complex laminin molecule in quite a specific manner. Expression of antisense laminin RNA downregulated cellular adhesion to extracellular matrix (ECM) laminin and blocked the ability of TGFbeta1 to upmodulate adhesion to ECM laminin. Expression of antisense laminin RNA, however, did not alter the downregulating effect of TGFbeta1 on cellular proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, or cellular invasion, suggesting that the induction of laminin did not play a significant functional role in these TGFbeta1-mediated cellular responses. It is likely that other adhesion pathways may be involved in mediating the action of TGFbeta1 in this cell line.