Objectives:The present study evaluates the therapeutic efficacy of cell suspension of Spirulina platensis (SP) on estrous cycle, fetal development and embryopathy in alloxan (AXN) induced hyperglycemic mice.Materials and Methods:Diabetes was induced by intra-peritoneal administration of AXN. Mice with blood glucose level above 200 mg/dl were divided into Group I (control), Group II (diabetic control), Group III (diabetic control mice fed with SP), and Group IV (control mice fed with SP). Litter counts, estrous cycles, percent survival of litter, and gestation length were recorded.Results:In hyperglycemic mice, a significant (P < 0.05) increase in duration of diestrus (14.48%), estrus (84.21%), and metestrus (164.15%) with concomitant decrease in proestrus phase by 26.13% was recorded when compared with control. Reduction in litter count and survival of litter was 68.67% and 88.38%, respectively, whereas gestation length increased to 14.51% day in diabetic mice, but recovery in these parameters was observed (P < 0.05) when subjected to SP treatment. SP resulted in increased fertility rate from 77.5% to 82.5% and dropped off resorption of the fetus to 33.73% while the survival rate of offspring of diabetic mice went up to 88.89% from 83.61%.Conclusions:These findings suggest that SP is effective in improving the reproductive performance and easing teratogenic effects in diabetic mice and hence warrants further detailed dose-dependent studies to understand its mechanism of action.

Tuberculosis is a major health issues worldwide. Every year more than 9 million new cases are reported worldwide with death rate of around 2 million each year. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of tuberculosis in population is most supportive in proper medication and early recovery. The golden standard method for diagnosis of tuberculosis in patient is formerly culture method which is time consuming and cumbersome. Various other techniques used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis have poor sensitivity and specificity however serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) has emerged as a potent biochemical marker that can be used as tool for the diagnosis of tuberculosis for rapid, easy and better result. Increased level of ADA in blood generally indicates the presence of tuberculosis. In the present study, the serum ADA level was examined in 75 healthy control and 75 tuberculosis patients with positive sputum smear for acid fast bacilli (AFB), having clinical symptoms were diagnosed for pulmonary tuberculosis and radiological impression for extra pulmonary tuberculosis. The selection of cases and control were based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Samples were collected at the outpatient department of National Tuberculosis Centre, Nepal after asking simple questionnaires. Modified Guisti and Galanti method was adopted for estimation of serum ADA from pooled and processed blood samples. There was significant difference (p<0.001) in mean rank of level of serum ADA among the TB cases to controls. The P-TB had the highest mean rank (116.52) followed by EP-TB (99.48) and control had significantly less mean rank (40.16). At the cut-off point of 25 U/L; sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 90.7%, 100%, 90.66% and 100% respectively. It can be concluded from data that there were insignificant difference in mean rank among sex wise distribution with p=0.037 and sputum grading wise distribution with p=0.142.

D-galactose (DG)-induced rodent aging model has widely been used for the study of age-related dysfunctions of various organs, including gonads and uterus. Antidiabetic drug metformin has gained an attention as antiaging drug in model organism and human but its effect on uterus has not been studied in relation to induced aging. Therefore, we investigated the effect of metformin on uterus of DG-induced aging mice model. Mice were randomly divided into three groups, that is, control (CN), DG-induced aging model and aging model treated with metformin. Histomorphometric results showed significantly decreased number of uterine glands, endometrial thickness, and increased luminal epithelium height in aging model. Furthermore, metformin resumed the number of uterine glands, endometrial thickness, and luminal epithelium height up to CN group. Metformin has also significantly decreased the ageassociated oxidative stress (malondialdehyde and lipid hydroperoxide). Superoxide dismutase was significantly decreased in both treated groups compared to the CN group. However, catalase and glutathione peroxidase enzymes were significantly increased by metformin compared to the aging model. Immunostaining of active caspase3 and BAX were intense in the endometrium of aging model compare to CN-and metformin-treated groups. Localization of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) showed intense immunostaining in the uterus of CN-and metformin-treated groups, with mild immunostaining in aging model. Our observations suggested that metformin treatment might be helpful for management of age-associated uterine dysfunctions.Moreover, it may be concluded that metformin might ameliorate uterine dysfunctions by reducing oxidative stress, suppressing apoptosis, and increasing the survival/ antiapoptotic protein Bcl2.

A species of the genus Garra is described from the Langlung River, Brahmaputra basin, Nagaland, India.  The new species is distinguished from its congeners in having weakly-developed unilobed proboscis, a distinct transverse lobe with 8–12 small sized unicuspid acanthoid tubercles, 30–32 lateral line scales, and 13–15 circumpeduncular scales.

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