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Background: The indigenous cattle of Uttarakhand, Badri is the first registered cattle breed of the state, mainly reared in Kumaon and Garhwal regions. The present study was carried out in forty healthy cows to evaluate the ef fect of lactation stages on biochemical entities. Methods: Forty healthy animals were selected and divided into five groups with eight animals in each group during different stages of lactation viz. 0 to 60 days, 61 to 120 days, 121 to 180 days, 181 to 240 days and non-lactating animals. Blood samples were collected during different lactation stages and non-lactation period and serum was harvested. On each serum sample total protein, albumin, globulin, A:G ratio, urea, creatinine, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, calcium, phosphorus, Ca:P, total bilirubin, ALT, AST, ALP, GGT and CK were determined spectrophotometrically. Result: A significant effect of stages of lactation on serum total protein, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, phosphorus, Ca: P, ALT, ALP and CK was observed (p<0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pig is recognized as an advantageous non-rodent animal model within a large number of biomedical research areas and of xenotransplantation of animal organs into humans. People prefer taking goat milk during dengue fever like conditions for recovery from low blood constituents, particularly the blood platelets, without any scientific proof. Methods: Haemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and blood platelets count were studied in 2.5 months old 18 experimentally induced hypovolemic large white yorkshire (LWY) piglets at CVASc., GBPUAT, Pantnagar after feeding them milk of Pantja goats and black Badri cows over a period of 30 days during Oct.-Nov. 2019 and May-June 2020. Hypovolemia in piglets was achieved by withdrawing their 15% of total estimated blood volume (@ 7.5% in each time on day 1st and 3rd of experiment), followed by providing them with milk, which was double the amount of blood withdrawn, for 30 days. Control group (T1) piglets (6 no.) were maintained on basal diet, whereas group T2 and T3 piglets were given milk of Pantja goats and black Badri cows, respectively. Blood samples for testing were collected on 1st, 3rd, 7th, 15th and 30th day. Result: Average normal blood picture of weaned LWY piglets for haemoglobin (g/dl), ESR (mm/hr) and platelets count (105 cells/mm3) was 11.36 ± 0.20, 10.00± 2.01, 3.1767 ± 0.2577, respectively. For haemoglobin and ESR, the values on testing days and the overall values for group T1, T2 and T3 piglets did not show any significant variation. However, the pooled values for haemoglobin were significantly different (P<0.01) on various testing days, being higher on day 1st and 30th than on 3rd, 7th and 15th day, implying that normal haemoglobin level was regained on 30th day of hypovolemia. The pooled values for ESR were significantly different (P<0.05) on various testing days, being higher on day 1st and 3rd only, which may be due to simultaneous increase in total erythrocyte counts. Overall mean platelets count (x105cells/mm³) for LWY piglets was 3.2570± 0.0890 and their values in group T1, T2 and T3 piglets were 3.0983±0.1675, 3.0820±0.1490 and 3.5907±0.1885, respectively, being significantly higher (P<0.05) for black Badri cow milk fed group piglets. This may imply usefulness of black Badri cow milk over Pantja goat milk in improving blood platelets count in human, considering pig a good animal model for human within a large number of biomedical researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at evaluating the association between occupational exposure to organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CB) pesticides and semen quality as well as levels of reproductive and thyroid hormones of pesticide sprayers in Malihabad, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Thirty-five healthy men (unexposed group) and 64 male pesticide sprayers (exposed group) were recruited for clinical evaluation of fertility status. Fresh semen samples were evaluated for sperm quality and analyzed for DNA fragmentation index (DFI) by flow cytometry. Pesticide exposure was assessed by measuring erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase and plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) with a Test-mate ChE field kit. Serum levels of total testosterone (Tt), prolactin (PRL), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and free thyroxine (FT4) were analyzed using enzyme immunoassay kits. Evidence of pesticide exposure was found in 88.5% of sprayers and significant increments were observed in sperm DFI with significant decrease in some semen parameters. DFI was negatively correlated with BuChE, sperm concentration, morphology, and vitality in these pesticide sprayers. The levels of Tt, PRL, FT4, and TSH appeared to be normal; however, there was a tendency for increased LH and FSH levels in exposed workers. The results confirm the potential impact of chronic occupational exposure to OP and CB pesticides on male reproductive function, which may cause damage to sperm chromatin, decrease semen quality, and produce alterations in reproductive hormones, leading to adverse reproductive health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 21 days trial was conducted to assess the effect of extensive, intensive and semi-intensive feeding practices on electro-encephalographic (EEG) recordings in six female goats (Local X Jamunapari). The study was done in three phases, phase I (GZ) comprised of extensive feeding, phase II (STF) consisted of intensive feeding and phase III (GZ+STF) consisting of semi-intensive feeding. An EEG recording was done daily in morning before grazing/feeding and in afternoon after grazing/feeding using bipolar lead system (RO-LO). The recordings of EEG amplitude and frequency for all three phases of experiment ranged from 0.95 (phase II) to 2.07 μV (phase III) and 10.50 (phase III) to 20.22 Hz (phase II), respectively. Goats in semi-intensive feeding practice showed d wave pattern, whereas low β wave pattern was exhibited in extensive and intensive system of management. The electroencephalographic recordings can be implemented to evaluate the nemo-motor activity in goats subjected to different feeding practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the antioxidant status and the extent of oxidative stress in organophosphate pesticide exposed sprayers. Material and Methods The study was conducted in 50 organophosphate pesticide (OP) poisoned sprayers. Superoxide dimutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde(MDA) were estimated as an index of antioxidant status and oxidative stress respectively and comparisons were made in the levels of cholinesterases (AChE;BuChE) and glutathione(GSH) between healthy control subjects and OP poisoned sprayers. Results There were significantly fall in both blood AChE and BuChE in the pesticide exposed group as a result of multiple exposures to mixture of OP pesticides. Blood AChE and BuChE showed decrease of 18.4 % and 18 % respectively in the exposed group. Blood GSH levels, an antioxidant molecule was also found to be significantly lowered in the OP pesticide exposed group. The increase in lipid peroxidation as reflected by elevated levels of MDA in the pesticide exposed group indicates oxidative stress. Exposure to OP pesticide showed elevated RBC-SOD activity in this study, SOD effectively dismutases superoxide anion into hydrogen peroxide and O2. The RBC-CAT activity was also found to be elevated in the exposed workers in this study as a result of OP pesticide induced poisoning. The increased activity of CAT seen in the poisoning cases coupled with an increase in the blood lipid peroxidation level (MDA) suggests an insufficient antioxidant defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides are used extensively throughout the world in agriculture and in pest control as well as for community health purposes. Organophosphate (OP) pesticide self-poisoning is an important clinical problem in rural regionsof the developing world that kills an estimated 200,000 people every year. Unintentional poisoning kills far fewer people but is an apparent problem in places where highly toxic OP pesticides are available. Neurologic dysfunction is the best documented health effect of pesticide exposure. High-level exposure has both acute and long-term neurologic signs and symptoms, and adverse effects have been reported in most type of pesticides, including organophosphate (OP), carbamate, organochlorine, and pyrethroid insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fumigants. Acute OP pesticide exposure can involve in wide range of both central and peripheral neurologic symptoms. Increased neurologic symptom prevalence may provide early evidence of neurologic dysfunctions, before clinically measurable signs are evident. In this study, we analyzed the cross-sectional data on neurologic signs and symptoms from 225 rural children, both males (n = 132) and females (n = 93) who were occupationally and paraoccupationally exposed to methyl OPs (dichlorvos, fenthion, malathion, methyl parathion) and ethyl OPs (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, ethyl parathion) as they belonged to agricultural families handling, mixing, and spraying the OP pesticides. The children completed a specially designed questionnaire (Q16) on neurologic symptoms associated with pesticide exposure with their parental help. A suitable reference group consisting of rural children (n = 50) never involved in pesticide handling (neither outdoor nor indoor) belonging to similar socioeconomic strata included in the study to compare the prevalence of various neurologic symptoms between the two groups. Among all the neurologic self-reported symptoms, headache, watering in eyes, and burning sensation in eye/face were the most important clinical manifestations attributed to OP pesticide exposure. These symptoms could probably be the consequence of chronic effects of most pesticides on the central nervous system. The muscarinic symptoms reported the maximum prevalence of salivation (18.22%), whereas lacrimation was observed in 17.33% cases, followed by diarrhea in 9.33% cases. The nicotinic clinical manifestations of acute OP poisoning revealed excessive sweating in 13.78% cases and tremors in 9.3% cases followed by mydriasis in 8.4% exposed children. The characteristic cholinergic symptoms, such as insomnia, headache, muscle cramps, weakness, and anorexia were also reported by both male and female exposed children. The high frequency of neurologic symptoms observed in the study may be due to parasympathetic h y p e r a c t i v i t y d u e to th e accumulated ACh resulting from AChE inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses clinical research that aims to examine the histopathological changes in the endometrium of crossbred cows with endometritis after enrofloxacin therapy. The cows in the study were infused with enrofloxacin intrauterine for three days and endometrial biopsy samples were collected. The histopathological changes associated with endometrial epithelium were seen in cases of mild endometritis. The study concluded that the intrauterine treatment has some side effects on uterine defense mechanism in cows with endometritis.

India approximately 20 per cent of people aged 70 years or older, and 50 per cent of people aged 85 and above, report difficulties in basic activities of daily living such as bathing and toileting. The number of old people is increasing because of enhanced average life span and the old people with disabilities specially related to joints which creates hindrance or cause pain in using Indian toilets. The middle income group families in India are unable to construct European type toilets for their older parents due to reasons like space problem in their homes, financial problem and sometimes the family doesn't bother about elders to take so much pain for them. Thus to overcome from this problem the family members of the third age people had arranged the locally available toilet chairs for their older parents but no consideration was given for the dimensions of those toilet chairs and the body dimensions of third age people, which results in the accidents during and after its use. There fore, this study was planned to sort out the dimensions for ergonomically designed toilet chair to reduce the cases of accidents among third age people. For this purpose anthropometric data of 200 people of 60-70 years of age of Pantnagar and Rudrapur. were taken and the mismatch between ergonomically designed toilet chair as well as locally available toilet chair were measured Research design used for the study was experimental and purposive sampling was used for data collection. Results showed that there was a great difference between the locally available toilet chair and ergonomically designed toilet chair dimensions and the body dimensions of third age people which caused accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress status and Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were studied in blood samples obtained from 61 agricultural workers engaged in spraying organophosphorus (OP) insecticides in the mango plantation, with a minimum work history of one year, in the age range of 12-55 years. Controls were age-matched, unexposed workers, who never had any exposure to OP pesticides. They were evaluated for oxidative stress markers MDA (end product of lipid peroxidation), reduced glutathione (GSH), and Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) levels in blood. The results showed a marked inhibition of the AChE and BChE activities in the sprayers as compared to the controls. The malondialdehyde(MDA), the last product of lipid peroxidation was found to be increased signifi cantly in sprayers(p<0.05), while depletion in the concentration of antioxidant glutathione(GSH) was also observed in the sprayers but the difference was statistically not signifi cant. It was concluded on the basis of biochemical analysis that pesticides sprayers are exposed to more oxidative stress as evidenced by the changes in antioxidant status. The measurement of the AChE and BChE activities in agricultural workers who spray OPs could be a good biomonitoring factor and is recommended to be performed on a regular basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on renal effects caused by environmental and occupational exposure to lead (Pb). The author discusses some of the renal diseases in humans caused by long-term exposure to lead and cites the biological markers of nephrotoxic effects. The author warns the people about the effects of Pb exposure.

To evaluate the health impact of spraying organophosphorus insecticides (OPs), 34 male sprayers in the mango belt of Malihabad, a small town located 27 km from Lucknow in North India was selected. Plasma butyryl cholinesterase (PBChE) and complete blood count were assessed among sprayers after spraying pesticides and the findings obtained were compared with those determined in a reference group (n = 18). The most common symptoms observed were burning sensation in the eyes (8.82%), itching/skin irritation (23.52%) and chest symptoms (32.35%) in the exposed workers. Plasma butyrylcholinesterase (PBChE) was significantly decreased in workers. The results indicated significant decrease in the mean value of hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelets count; however, significantly higher count of leukocytes was also observed in the exposed group (sprayers) compared to that observed in the control group (P < 0.05). Monitoring of PBChE in pesticide sprayers could be useful to predict and prevent health hazards of OPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subjects exposed to organic solvents frequently complain of respiratory symptoms. Epidemiological studies conducted in these exposed subjects with special reference to respiratory effects are very few and that too are on very small number of subjects. This paper critically reviews most of the epidemiological studies in formaldehyde induced respiratory effects and combines them through meta analysis to get global precise estimates of the respiratory risks. A computerized bibliographic search revealed 16 epidemiological studies out of which 12 studies were considered for meta analysis. The symptoms of upper respiratory tract were more prevalent as the combined odds of exposed was 5.04 compared to controls. The pooled odds ratio for acute lower respiratory symptoms ranged between 1.85 and 2.91. The mean fall of FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC was only 3.4%, 3.6% and 0.6% respectively, which was not statistically or physiologically considered significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 673 small-scale asbestos mining and milling facilities and 33 large - scale asbestos manufacturing plants, (17 asbestos-cement product manufacturing plants and 16 other than asbestos-cement product plants) are situated in India. The present study reveals the exposure of commercial asbestos (chrysotile) in the occupational as well as ambient air environment of the asbestoscement (AC) sheets industry using membrane filter method of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The fibre concentrations in 15 samples collected in the occupational environment at ingredient feeding site, sheet-producing site, fibre godown were 0.079, 0.057 and 0.078 f/cc, respectively and in five samples from surrounding ambient air at factory gate resulted fibre concentration of 0.071 f/cc. All the samples have shown fibre concentration lower than the threshold limit values (TLVs) prescribed by BIS. Morphological analysis of samples, further under phase contrast and polarized microscopy indicates the presence of chrysotile asbestos, which acts as carcinogen as well as co-carcinogen. A clinical examination of exposed subjects reveals that there was no case of clubbing, crepitation, ronchi and dyspnea on exertion; however, obstruction and restriction were 10.9 per cent and 25 per cent in exposed subjects, respectively while in control there were 12 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively. The study revealed that chrysotile asbestos is emitted in the occupational as well as ambient environment that may cause adverse health impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthalates are used in commercial products as softners of plastics, solvents in perfumes and additives to hair sprays, lubricants and insect repellents. The wide spread use of phthalate results in multiple human exposure routes i.e., ingestion, inhalation and dermal exposure. In the present review, a detailed account of respiratory toxicity, reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity, endocrine disruptors and genotoxicity of human exposure to phthalate is mentioned in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to assess the magnitude of oxidative stress and lung function abnormalities in 34 male pesticide sprayers on exposure to pesticides in mango plantations. Biochemical studies on blood antioxidant enzymes revealed an unchanged glutathione level and increased level of malondialdehyde (P < 0.001), which indicates that pesticide sprayers may have suffered from oxidative stress. Decreased acetyl-cholinesterase levels (P < 0.001) in sprayers compared to the controls suggest inhibition of cholinesterase activity. The present study shows that pesticide toxicity might lead to oxidative stress and airway narrowing resulting in decreased peak expiratory flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted in beauty parlor workers of Lucknow, India, to assess the prevalence of respiratory morbidity and lung function abnormalities compared to their control subjects belonging to the same socioeconomic status and ethnic group, having never been exposed to the workplace of beauty parlor and having not used any cosmetics. Respiratory morbidity and bronchial obstruction based on PEFR study was conducted in 196 beauty parlor workers and 35 control subjects. All the participants were non-smokers and were matched for age, height, weight and socioeconomic status. Peak expiratory flow rate were performed using Peak Flow meter. Symptomatic workers showed bronchial obstruction (28%), and this prevalence was significantly higher (P<0.01) when compared to 6.7% among asymptomatic workers. Bronchial obstruction among female workers (17.9%) was more prevalent ( P<0.01) than male workers (1.42). Overall respiratory morbidity among beauty parlor workers showed higher (12.7%) when compared with control group (2.8%) but differences couldn't attain any significance. Although nonsignificant, workers in beauty parlor showed more prevalence (9.4%) of bronchial obstruction based on PEFR than controls (4%). This study showed that beauty parlor workers were more prone to respiratory morbidity and lung function abnormalities, as the study group selected were nonsmokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A versatile method for the solid phase synthesis of oxazolidin-2-ones is described. A resin bound phenolic group was treated with (±)-epichlorohydrin followed by opening of the epoxide ring with sodium azide. The resulting 1-azido-3-aryloxypropan-2-ol was treated with p-nitrophenylchloroformate and subsequent Staudinger''s cyclization using PPh3 yielded a 5-substituted oxazolidinone. Finally, additional diversity at position 3 was introduced by treating the 5-substituted oxazolidinone with an alkyl halide in the presence of NaH to give the desired compound in high yield and purity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study has demonstrated the expression of HSP70-1 gene in bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Blood samples were collected aseptically by jugular vein puncture in EDTA (1mg/ml) from six apparently healthy sahiwal cows (Bos Indicus). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were separated from the blood using HiSepTM Lymphocyte Separation Media (LSM). Total RNA was isolated from PBMCs using Trizol reagent. The purity and concentration of total RNA was checked using Nanodrop instrument whose further confirmation was made by using denaturing agarose gel (1.5%) electrophoresis. Isolated total RNA was reverse transcribed to cDNA that was used for amplification of HSP70-1 gene. Full length open reading frame (ORF) of HSP70-1 gene was amplified using specific primers pair. The presence of 1926 base pair band in denaturing agarose indicated the amplification of HSP70-1 gene. To conclude, our results demonstrate that HSP70-1 gene is expressed in bovine PBMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]