Combined administration of fat soluble AT and water soluble AA was beneficial against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. This may be due to their different subcellular localizations.

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the effect of ascorbic acid on alcohol-induced reproductive toxicity and also to compare it with that of abstention. A total of thirty-six male guinea pigs were divided into two groups and were maintained for 90 d as control and ethanol-treated groups (4 g/kg body weight (b.wt.)). After 90 d, ethanol administration was stopped and animals in the control group were divided into two groups and then maintained for 30 d as the control and control þ ascorbic acid groups and those in the ethanol-treated group as ethanol abstention and ethanol þ ascorbic acid (25 mg/100 g b. wt.) groups. Animals treated with ethanol showed a significant decline in sperm quality (P,0·001), decreased activity of steroidogenic enzymes (P, 0·05) and reduced serum testosterone (P,0·05), luteinising hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, decrease in the activity of testicular succinate dehydrogenase, adenosine triphosphatase, sorbitol dehydrogenase and reduction in fructose content (P,0·05). It also caused an increase in testicular malondialdehyde levels (P,0·05) and decrease in the levels of glutathione content (P,0·001) of testes. Ascorbic acid levels in testes and plasma were also reduced (P,0·001) in ethanol-fed animals. Ascorbic acid supplementation altered all these parameters and produced a better and faster recovery from alcohol-induced reproductive toxicity than abstention. The mechanism of action of ascorbic acid may be by reducing the oxidative stress and improving antioxidant status, which eventually changed the microenvironment of testes and enhanced the energy needed for motility of sperms, improved the sperm morphology and elevated the testosterone and gonadotropin levels.

Background: Assessment is an integral part of all forms of learning. Formative assessment in different forms have evolved as a mean to find the learning gaps (what students already know in compare to what they need to know). As a result it becomes possible to give appropriate feedback to the students to close this gap. Summative assessment on the other hand is purposefully designed to make judgments about students’ performance and produce grades.Aims and Objectives: The main purpose of this study is to explore students’ view with regards to the impact of formative assessment on the outcome of summative assessment in basic science MD program.Materials and Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted involving 142 students of an International medical school. A questionnaire was designed, pretested, and finally used to record different opinions of the students and data was collected, analyzed, and interpreted.Results: Majority of the respondents (78%) favored that the feedback collected from formative assessment remains important for them as it helps to fill their learning gaps. Respondents by large (76.8%) also agreed that formative assessment helps the faculty to identify student’s weak point. A huge percentage (80.8%) of respondents was in agreement that formative assessment inspires them for deep learning and regular study. However, a fair number of respondents (36.4%) thought that frequently scheduled formative assessment impede their independent learning thus negatively impact their performance in summative exam.Conclusion: Formative assessment if scheduled properly can have a positive impact on the summative assessment.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol.8(4) 2017 38-43

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Alcohol abuse affects several neurological pathways and causes significant alterations in the brain. Abstention from alcohol causes only a marginal decrease in oxidative stress and neuro inflammation. Our previous studies had shown that an active metabolite of vitamin A, all trans retinoic acid (ATRA), ameliorates alcohol induced toxicity. Hence in the present study we investigated whether ATRA regressed alcohol induced neuroinflammation. We focused on the role of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1(SIRT1) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB). Animals were administered with ethanol at a daily dose of (4 g/kg body weight) for 90 days. On the 91st day ethanol administration was stopped and animals were divided into ethanol abstention (A) and ATRA supplementation group (ATRA + A) (100 µg/kg body weight) and maintained for 30 days. Ethanol exposure increased markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and the activities of alcohol and acetaldehyde dehydrogenases and reduced the expression of SIRT1 in the whole brain.The ethanol induced altered expressions of NFκB and SIRT1 were modulated by supplementation of ATRA. Abstention also reduced toxicity, but to a lower extent in comparison with supplementation of ATRA. Our results seemed to suggest that ATRA regressed the mediators of ethanol induced neuroinflammation by reducing oxidative stress and by regulating the expression of NFκB and SIRT1. The ameliorative potential of ATRA was much higher than abstention.

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The central nervous system activity of the petroleum ether extract of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius tuber was examined in mice, fed normal as well as healthy conditions. The petroleum ether extract of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius tuber at the doses of 100, 300 and 1000 mg/kg showed significant central nervous system activity in mice.