Search

Objective: The study examined the effect on cardiac autonomic tone via heart rate variability (HRV), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in newly diagnosed generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) cases with paroxetine-controlled release (PX) CR intervention. Methods: Fifty GAD cases using DSM-5 criteria, matched with healthy controls (HC) were assessed with clinical measures (Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), Clinical Global Impression- Severity Scale (CGI-Severity), General Health Questionnaire -12 (GHQ-12), HRV, plasma BDNF levels initially and 6 weeks postintervention with paroxetine CR. Results: HRV parameters were significantly lower in GAD vs HC at baseline for standard deviation of normal to normal intervals (SDNN) and proportion of differences in consecutive NN intervals that are longer than 50 ms (pNN50). Significantly higher plasma BDNF levels were noted between HC versus GAD at baseline. Postintervention HAM-A, CGI scores, GHQ-12 item scores showed significant reduction. Significant differences also noted in square root of mean squared difference of successive NN intervals (RMSSD), (SDNN), pNN50 and in plasma BDNF levels after intervention within GAD group. Significant negative correlation observed between HAM-A scores and SDNN parameter after taking PX CR in GAD. Conclusion: GAD showed cardiac autonomic dysfunction, lowered plasma BDNF levels and their improvement with paroxetine CR. GAD is associated with significantly lower HRV, suggestive of cardiac autonomic dysfunction and lowered plasma BDNF levels, an indicator of stress. Therapeutic intervention with Paroxetine in GAD patients showed clinically significant improvement reflecting restoration of the cardiac autonomic tone and BDNF levels, thus implying their role as potential biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) belong to a family of ubiquitous and multifunctional enzymes that work as one of the endogenous antioxidants in our body. This study was designed to look into the association of GST polymorphism with oxidative stress in both diabetic and nondiabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Design and Methods: Three groups of patients (50 in each): diabetics without CKD (DM), diabetic CKD (DM-CKD), and nondiabetic CKD (NDM-CKD) and 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. Genotyping was done for GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Serum GST and malondialdehyde (MDA) as a marker of oxidative stress were measured spectrophotometrically. Results: Based on genotyping, subjects were categorized as GSTM1+/GSTT1+, GSTM1−/GSTT1+, GSTM1+/GSTT1−, and GSTM1−/GSTT1−. Serum GST levels were lower among subjects with deletion in one/both GST genes, whereas MDA levels were found to be correspondingly raised. A negative correlation for MDA versus GST levels was observed among genotypes with one/both gene deletions. Presence of GSTM1+/GSTT1− and GSTM1−/GSTT1− was significantly higher among patients with CKD in both diabetics and nondiabetics. Interpretations and Conclusions: GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletions singly or together were associated with lower GST levels and higher oxidative stress in both diabetic and nondiabetic CKD. Interestingly, GSTT1 deletion appears to be associated with both diabetic and nondiabetic CKD irrespective of the GSTM1 status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was designed to evaluate the oxidative stress and modulation of anti-oxidant enzymes in 10 accidental argimone oil poisoning cases admitted in a hospital in Delhi, India during a recent outbreak of epidemic dropsy in 1998. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level, oxygen free-radical scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) and related enzymes, e.g. glutahione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in erythrocytes were assayed. The sanguinarine level in serum was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The serum MDA level was higher and the GSH level in erythrocytes was lower in argimone oil poisioning cases than those in controls. There was a significant decrease in SOD and GPx activities in erythrocytes of epidemic dropsy cases but no changes were observed in CAT, GR and GST assay. The depletion of GSH in erythrocytes, serum MDA level and clinical severity were dependent on serum sanguinarine level. The results indicate that sanguinarine (argimone oil) poisoning creates an oxidative stress in humans. The oxidative stress and differential modulation of anti-oxidant enzymes by sanguinarine might play a pathogenic role in epidemic dropsy, which suggests the incorporation of anti-oxidant drugs in the treatment protocol of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]