Artesunate is a potent and rapidly acting blood schizontocide used to treat chloroquine resistant malaria. Artesunate has been reported to cause embryo, reduced reproductive capacity, hepatotoxicity, neurotoxicity and hematological abnormalities. Previously toxicity studies on artesunate have been done in 2–10 mg/kg dose range mostly for 7 days, scientific studies on sub-chronic exposure of artesunate is not been reported so for. The present study evaluates sub-chronic safety profile of artesunate on 45 days oral administration at 2, 4 and 8 mg/kg/day. Authentication of artesunate has been done by color test, pH, melting point, loss on drying, UVmax, TLC and HPLC study. Artesunate has non-significant effect on liver and kidney weight. Serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum alkaline phosphate (ALP), cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), total protein, albumin, bilirubin, creatinine, urea and glucose content were estimated after 45 days treatment along with hematological screening. Artesunate treatment for 45 days significantly increased (p < 0.05–0.001) SGOT, SGPT, ALP, TC, TG, total bilirubin, glucose level at 8 mg/kg/day dose. It has non-significant effect on serum total protein, albumin, creatinine and urea. Hemoglobin, total RBC, platelet, lymphocytes, basophil, mean cell volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration have not changed but total WBC, neutrophil, eosinophil, packed cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin were increased significantly (p < 0.01) at 8 mg/kg/day dose. Artesunate treatment at 4 and 8 mg/kg/day showed sinusoidal dilation, cytoplasmic vaculation, focal necrosis, sinusoidal congestion and extensive inflammatory changes, whereas kidney was free of any deleterious effect.ConclusionSub-chronic exposure of artesunate at 8 mg/kg/day dose for 45 days period cause hepatic damage along with hematological abnormalities signifying safety concern.

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We report a rare case of exercise-induced anaphylaxis (EIA), occurring exclusively with exercise, without any other associated trigger, detected in the prodromal phase, and prevented from additional anaphylaxis episodes by treatment with cetirizine and 10 mg daily of antileukotriene montelukast to date. EIA is a syndrome in which patients experience a spectrum of the symptoms of anaphylaxis ranging from mild cutaneous signs to severe systemic manifestations such as hypotension, syncope, and even death after increased physical activity. Many people have triggers, such as, a variety of foods, various medications, alcohol, cold weather, humidity, and seasonal and hormonal changes along with exercise that cause the symptoms. Typically, either exercise or the specific trigger alone will rarely cause symptoms. It is differentiated from cholinergic urticaria by the absence of response to passive body warming and emotional stress.

The present study has been undertaken to monitor the extent of oxidative stress in mice infected with M tuberculosis and the role of crude green tea extract in repairing the oxidative damage. The mice were divided into three groups of 9 each; normal, infected-untreated and infected-treated. The infected group of animals exhibited significant enhancement of erythrocytic catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities along with elevated levels of erythrocytic total thiols and plasma lipid peroxidation as compared to normal animals. The infected group also exhibited significantly decreased activity of superoxide dismutase and levels of glutathione in erythrocytes. Upon oral administration of green tea extract for seven days the oxidative stress parameters were reverted back to near normal levels as evidenced by a fall in catalase, glutathione peroxidase, total thiol and extent of lipid peroxidation with concomitant increase in the levels of SOD and reduced glutathione in infected animals. The findings thus, portray that there is a high oxidative stress during early stages of tuberculosis and antioxidants such as green tea extract, can play a vital role by reducing stress through adjuvant therapy.

Background: Hemolytic disorders are one of the prime reasons for frequent blood transfusions which involves lots of costs and sufferings to the patient. This study was undertaken to determine the effect of water soluble extract of Aloe vera on rabbit erythrocytes in varying concentrations of NaCl from 0.9% (isotonic) to 0.15% (hypotonic).Methods: Aqueous extract of Aloe vera (AVE) 200mg/kg was orally administered to rabbits in the test group while control group was given 1ml of distilled water (DW). Blood was withdrawn from rabbits, centrifuged and suspension in 1ml of normal saline was made. 20 microliter of red blood cells suspension from both control and test groups was added to normal saline of varying concentrations from 0.9% to 0.15% NaCl which were quantitatively analysed for hemolysis by UV spectrophotometer. Data was analysed by unpaired t test and P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: The difference in percentage of hemolysis in both test and control groups was not statistically significant. Therefore, acute administration of water soluble extract of Aloe vera (200mg/kg) did not have protective effect on rabbit erythrocytes against hypotonic solution of normal saline.Conclusions: Aloe vera might be useful for the treatment of oxidative stress-related human disorders by virtue of its antioxidant activity and may have a role in prevention of hemolysis which needs to be explored by further studies.