Indian Journal of Biology

This short communication was aimed at re-establishing the evidence for vascular changes and risk factors in pathogenesis, assessment and treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), through a brief literature update from an evidence-informed perspective. Diabetes mellitus is known for its hyperglycemia and altered metabolic control leading to microvascular (neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy) and macrovascular (cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease and cardiovascular disease) complications which cause significant morbidity and mortality. Vascular risk factors such as higher levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, a higher body-mass index, higher von Willebrand factor levels and urinary albumin excretion rate, hypertension, and smoking were associated with the incidence of neuropathy. Vascular assessment is now recommended as part of a comprehensive screening examination for diabetic neuropathic foot. Vascular dysfunction predisposed development of autonomic neuropathy in DPN. Treatment using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent growth factor for angiogenesis was also shown to facilitate nerve regeneration and subsequently Ropper et al studied intramuscular gene transfer using plasmid VEGF in their randomized clinical trial  Treatments such as transcutaneous frequency modulated neural stimulation produced release of VEGF.

Keywords: Vascular factors; Blood vessels; Arteries/veins; Hematology; Diabetic neuropathy.

The objective of this short communication paper was to reappraise the role of biology in pain, its reception, perception, processing and reaction from an evidence-informed overview of studies found in PubMed. There were studies relating Biology of pain with anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and molecular biology. Ethnicity was representing inter-individual variability in pain threshold and pain tolerance as a marker of biology. Biology-based assessment and treatment of pain was reported in studies on bone cancer pain, mucosal pain, fibromyalgia and chronic low back pain. There is need to explore the biologically based mechanisms in future studies of pain sciences.

Keywords: Pain biology; Pain sciences; Pain mechanisms; Therapeutic biology; Clinical biology.

Commercial shrimp farming poses a threat to coastal ecosystem by discharging huge amount of organic and nutrient loads beyond its self-cleansing capacity. Clustering of farms, overstocking of shrimp and consequent high inputs of feed during shrimp culture resulted degradation of the adjoining environment and caused huge mortality of cultured shrimp due to disease outbreak. In an effort to reduce the potential negative impacts in terms of nutrient and organic load in shrimp culture and making shrimp farming sustainable, modified effluent treatment system (ETS) was used to evaluate its efficacy in a semi-intensive shrimp farm of West Bengal, India. ETS was composed of two types of ponds: (i) sedimentation pond, and (ii) bio-filtration pond, and was placed beyond the culture pond outlet. After 120 days of culture it was found that the concentration of different potential nutrients and organic load parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, 5-days biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solid, Chlorophyll a) were increased substantially in the effluents at pond outlet, and decreased after ETS treatment for 6 days before final disposal. The results substantiated the efficacy of ETS as one of the effective propositions in minimizing environmental pollution, maintaining ecological sustainability and avoiding self pollution in commercial shrimp farms.
Keywords: Effluent treatment system; Nutrient load; Organic load; Semi-intensive; Shrimp culture.

Monocrotophos (MCP) is a organophosphate insecticide used for several years in agriculture. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible protection of Vitamin C as antidot against the toxic effect of 1/5 LD50 dose of monocrotophos in albino mice. Forty eight male albino mices divided into 4 groups of 6 animals in each group were used for this study. Group-I (control): received no treatment, Group-II: ascorbic acid(20 mg/Kg bw), Group-III: Ascorbic acid+MCP, Group-IV: treated with MCP (0.2mg/Kg bw). The regimen was administered orally for two periods (1 and 2 week). At the end of 1st and 2nd weeks of exposure hepatic tissues were collected to examine the toxicity of MCP on protein[5] ,ascorbic acid content[6] and Na+-K+-ATPase and Mg++-ATPase.[7] In MCP treated mice (Group-IV) enzyme activity significantly increased in N+-K+-ATPase and Mg++-ATPase after 1 week of exposure but after 2 week of MCP exposure enzyme activities significantly decreased in N+-K+-ATPase and Mg++-ATPase. In Group-III and Group-IV animals, after 1 &2 week of exposure of MCP ascorbic acid contents and protein contents were reduced. While certain amelioration for these elevations were detected in the animals treated with vitamin C + Monocrotophos. In Group-II animals insignificant increase of all the biochemical parameters are seen. Biochemical results of this study revealed that the Ascorbic acid reduces the toxicity of MCP and ATPase act as biomarker to MCP contamination.

Keywords: Ascorbic acid; Liver; Mg++-ATPase; Monocrotophos; Protein; N+-K+-ATPase.