Severe Acute Resperatory Syndrome Corona Virus 2(SARS-CoV-2) is related to a class of virus that ... more Severe Acute Resperatory Syndrome Corona Virus 2(SARS-CoV-2) is related to a class of virus that affects respiratory system to cause respiratory distress and can lead to harmful consequences. It has been estimated that there could be various predisposition factors that may precipitate these poor outcomes. Obesity is one of the factors that elevate the risk of respiratory complications. A retrospective cohort study was performed, to figure out the relationship among COVID-19 related mortality and obesity. Information on 7036 patients was meet inclusion criteria. The prime focus of this study was to check the rate of mortality and extent of illness in relation to body mass index (BMI).Out of a total of 127 mortalities, 25.2% of deaths had normal weight ranges, whereas 33.9% of deaths were overweight and 40.9% were at obesity of different levels (p-value < 0.001), which shows the strong correlation between obesity and chances of mortality. Logically, in light of all the above menti...
Obesity is becoming more prevalent in the developed world because of the abundance of food and th... more Obesity is becoming more prevalent in the developed world because of the abundance of food and the decrease of physical activity. Obesity is a risk factor for a host of diseases from arthritis to cardiovascular disease. The precise mechanisms by which obesity promotes these diseases are not well understood but are likely to include metabolic and inflammatory responses to the increased amount of stored fat. This study is aimed to investigate plasma levels of amino acids, cholesterol, cortisol, Cholecystokinin and bone mass density in children between 11-15 years of age obese and normal healthy children to determine the variations in these parameters. This information reflects the abnormal metabolism in obese children which may be one of the causes of eventual complications in their lives resulting into osteoporosis.
The electroanalytical technique based on the coverage of bright platinum electrode with methanol,... more The electroanalytical technique based on the coverage of bright platinum electrode with methanol, ethanol, butan-1-ol, iso-propanol and phenol as a function of potential and bulk concentration of these compounds in 1M H2SO4 is shown. The interference due to halide ion in the determination of organic substance is reported.
Oxidative Stress and Neurodegenerative Disorders, 2007
A number of essential trace elements play a major role in various metabolic pathways. Selenium (S... more A number of essential trace elements play a major role in various metabolic pathways. Selenium (Se), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) are essential trace elements that have been studied in many diseases, including autoimmune, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. The observations from these studies suggest that alterations in essential trace elements Se, Cu, Zn, and Fe may play a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. However, the findings from plasma levels of the trace elements show a variety of results that are difficult to interpret. The extracellular concentrations of transition metals such as Cu and Fe are substantially elevated during aging and in some neurodegenerative disorders. Increases in the extracellular redox capacity can potentially generate neurotoxic free radicals from reduction of Cu(II) or Fe(III), thereby resulting in neuronal cell death. Although observations support the role of iron as a neurotoxin, it remains to be established whether accumulation of iron in PD is primary or secondary to other known events such as glutathione (GSH) depletion and the mitochondrial transport chain complex I inhibition. Cu and Zn have significant antiatherogenic effects influencing the activity of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione-peroxidase and superoxide-dismutase), mechanism of apoptosis, and other mechanisms. In addition to the alterations in the homeostasis, redox activity, and localization of transition metals, it is also important to realize that the alterations in specific zinc-, copper-, and iron-containing metalloenzymes appear to play a crucial role in the neurodegenerative process.
High-performance liquid chromatography based on pre-column derivatization of histidine and 3-meth... more High-performance liquid chromatography based on pre-column derivatization of histidine and 3-methylhistidine with o-phthalaldehyde-mercaptoethanol has been used to determine these amino acids in small volumes of plasma and urine. The elution is performed in 45 min on a 5-micron Resolve C18 column by a multi-step gradient. The eluted analytes are measured with a fluorescence detector which provides detection limits of less than 1 pmol per 20-microliter injection. The correlation between concentration and the integrated area of amino acids gives a linear relationship between 10 and 150 pmol per injection. Some preliminary results from patients with chronic renal failure under variation of diet are presented.
The levels of excitatory amino acids (EAA), monoamines, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and cholecystokinin ... more The levels of excitatory amino acids (EAA), monoamines, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and cholecystokinin were quantitated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The results accumulated showed that the levels of aspartate (ASP), glutamate (GLU) and noradrenaline (NA) in the CSF were higher while that of dopamine (DA) and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) were lower in untreated PD patients. There were no change in NPY and 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) levels in L-DOPA treated or untreated PD patients. With the exception of the low level of CCK-8 and the unchanged NPY, these alterations in ASP, GLU and DA levels were partially or completely reversed after treatment with L-DOPA. These results suggest that GLU secretion is enhanced in PD and that DAergic treatment normalizes not only DA, but also ASP and GLU levels. These findings support the hypothesis that GLU and DA interact in the human brain. The unchanged levels of NPY and 5-HT reflect non-depression state in PD patients.
In this study, the role of excitatory amino acids ; aspartic (ASP) and glutamic acid (GLU), and G... more In this study, the role of excitatory amino acids ; aspartic (ASP) and glutamic acid (GLU), and GABA is defined on the basis of accumulated results obtained in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 88 patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) (n=20), cerebrovascular disorder (CVD) (n=16), multiple sclerosis (MS) (n=20), tuberculous meningitis (TBM) (n=14) and aseptic meningitis (AM) (n=18). These results are compared with data from healthy subjects (n=14). The results show significant CSF increase of ASP ,GLU and GABA in all these groups except in MS patients where decrease in ASP, GLU and GABA was observed. There is a linear relationship between CSF GLU and nitrite in PD, CVD and TBM patients suggesting these two parameters are interrelated, promoting the possibility for the design of therapeutic approaches consisting of GLU release inhibitors and EAA antagonists and free radical scavengers for treatment of these neurologic disorders with effectivity.
In the search for finding biochemical markers in patients with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM), ami... more In the search for finding biochemical markers in patients with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM), amino acids, nitrite (metabolite of nitric oxide), vitamin B12, homocysteine along with catecholeamines and their metabolites are quantitated in cerebrospinal fluid. Among the amino acids, aspartic acid (ASP) and glutamic acid (GLU) both excitatory amino acid, GABA, glycine (GLY),phenylalanine (PHE),tryptophan (TRP) were all significantly increased where as taurine (TAU) is significantly decreased in TBM patients. The levels of nitrite and its precursor arginine (ARG) were significantly higher in TBM patients and are linearly related. There is also a positive correlation between GLU and ARG and nitrite indicating that GLU, ARG and nitrite are interrelated and contribute simultaneously to the neuronal death in TBM. Among the catecholamines, noradrenaline (NA) and its metabolite 3-methoxy 4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) are significantly increased where as unchanged levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolite homovalinic acid (HVA), and increased level of 3,4-dihydroxy phenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were observed. Among the indoleamines, 5-hydroxy 3-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) is unchanged where as serotonin (5-HT) level is significantly increased. A significant increased level of CSF homocysteine (HC) and a decreased level of vitamin B12 was found in TBM patients. This indicates that TBM patients are particularly prone to vitamin B12 deficiency resulting into increase level of HC. This study shows the importance of these biological markers which could be used in designing the therapy and confirming the diagnosis of these patients.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 1985
ABSTRACT A sensitive high performance liquid chromatography method has been used to measure aldeh... more ABSTRACT A sensitive high performance liquid chromatography method has been used to measure aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity in hair roots from Caucasian and Japanese subjects. Kinetic studies confirmed previous isoelectric focusing results that hair roots from Caucasians have two forms of ALDH, one low Km form and another high Km form, while hair roots from Japanese individuals who show a flushing reaction after ethanol intake lack, or have low activity of, the low Km form. By taking the ratio of the activities measured at a low (3 microM) and a high (75 microM) concentration of the substrate (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde), a suitable index for ALDH deficiency was obtained. The ratio varied between 1.6 and 3.5 for Caucasians and between 7 and 23 for Japanese flushers, and it was 2.5 for a Japanese nonflusher. The current method allows a more quantitative and qualitative assessment of the ALDH isozyme pattern in hair roots than that obtained with the isoelectric focusing technique.
Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder of older individuals frequently encountered in... more Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder of older individuals frequently encountered in clinical practice. Disparate etiologic factors including infectious agents, genetic predisposition, environmental and toxic factors, metabolic abnormalities, traumatic ...
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2016
Context: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, chronic inflammatory disease. Recent studies hav... more Context: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, chronic inflammatory disease. Recent studies have shown that vitamin D (VD) is an effective modulator of the immune system and plays an important role in controlling many inflammatory diseases. Objective: The objective of the study was to clarify the in vitro effects of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25[OH]2D3) on human endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs) and to determine the serum levels of VD in endometriosis patients. Design, Patients, and Main Outcome Measures: ESCs were isolated from ovarian endometrioma and cultured with 1,25(OH)2D3. Gene expression of IL-8, cyclooxygenase-2, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-2, cytosolic prostaglandin E synthase, 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 was examined using quantitative RT-PCR. The production of IL-8 and prostaglandin E2 was measured using an ELISA and an enzyme immunoassay. Viable cell number was ass...
Abstract: Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain and nervous system disease that occurs as a consequen... more Abstract: Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain and nervous system disease that occurs as a consequence of liver disorders, these include hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate important serum physiological enzymes activity such as AKP, CPK, ...
Abstract: To determine the impact of antioxidant activity by metabolic investigations in hepatiti... more Abstract: To determine the impact of antioxidant activity by metabolic investigations in hepatitis B patients with or without diabetes mellitus. Fifty patients each were included in this study with chronic hepatitis B and 50 HBV patients with diabetic mellitus. Eligibility criteria included: HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA positivity in blood for six months or more; elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase levels for six months or more and exclusion of co-infection with hepatitis delta or acquired immunodeficiency virus, metabolic or autoimmune disorders. All subjects underwent blood testing after a 10-h overnight fast to measure serum levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and alanine aminotransferase. The subjects were also assessed for urea, creatinin, copper, zinc and magnesium and total anti-oxidative activity was measured by reducing Fe+++ to Fe++ using vitamin c as reducing agent at pH 4 to 5. The urea, uric acid and creati...
Objective: This research work deals with the mechanism of action involved in determining the ther... more Objective: This research work deals with the mechanism of action involved in determining the therapeutic potential of histamine and its blockers in gastrointestinal motility. Study Design: Rabbits of equal weights were used in this study. They were brought from the animal house of BMSI, sacrificed in the Pharmacology Research laboratory. Ileum strip were isolated and with special recommended methodology, longitudinal and circular muscles were separated. Individual muscle strip were then exposed separately to the desired drugs in the organ bath and reading were recorded on the polygraph machine. Setting: Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Period: 1996 to 1998. Results: Histamine increases the contractile effects of longitudinal and circular muscle. H and H blockers 1 2 potentiate its effects on longitudinal muscle while in circular muscle no change was observed with H blocker whereas H blocker antagonized 1 2 the histaminic effects. However...
Severe Acute Resperatory Syndrome Corona Virus 2(SARS-CoV-2) is related to a class of virus that ... more Severe Acute Resperatory Syndrome Corona Virus 2(SARS-CoV-2) is related to a class of virus that affects respiratory system to cause respiratory distress and can lead to harmful consequences. It has been estimated that there could be various predisposition factors that may precipitate these poor outcomes. Obesity is one of the factors that elevate the risk of respiratory complications. A retrospective cohort study was performed, to figure out the relationship among COVID-19 related mortality and obesity. Information on 7036 patients was meet inclusion criteria. The prime focus of this study was to check the rate of mortality and extent of illness in relation to body mass index (BMI).Out of a total of 127 mortalities, 25.2% of deaths had normal weight ranges, whereas 33.9% of deaths were overweight and 40.9% were at obesity of different levels (p-value < 0.001), which shows the strong correlation between obesity and chances of mortality. Logically, in light of all the above menti...
Obesity is becoming more prevalent in the developed world because of the abundance of food and th... more Obesity is becoming more prevalent in the developed world because of the abundance of food and the decrease of physical activity. Obesity is a risk factor for a host of diseases from arthritis to cardiovascular disease. The precise mechanisms by which obesity promotes these diseases are not well understood but are likely to include metabolic and inflammatory responses to the increased amount of stored fat. This study is aimed to investigate plasma levels of amino acids, cholesterol, cortisol, Cholecystokinin and bone mass density in children between 11-15 years of age obese and normal healthy children to determine the variations in these parameters. This information reflects the abnormal metabolism in obese children which may be one of the causes of eventual complications in their lives resulting into osteoporosis.
The electroanalytical technique based on the coverage of bright platinum electrode with methanol,... more The electroanalytical technique based on the coverage of bright platinum electrode with methanol, ethanol, butan-1-ol, iso-propanol and phenol as a function of potential and bulk concentration of these compounds in 1M H2SO4 is shown. The interference due to halide ion in the determination of organic substance is reported.
Oxidative Stress and Neurodegenerative Disorders, 2007
A number of essential trace elements play a major role in various metabolic pathways. Selenium (S... more A number of essential trace elements play a major role in various metabolic pathways. Selenium (Se), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) are essential trace elements that have been studied in many diseases, including autoimmune, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. The observations from these studies suggest that alterations in essential trace elements Se, Cu, Zn, and Fe may play a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. However, the findings from plasma levels of the trace elements show a variety of results that are difficult to interpret. The extracellular concentrations of transition metals such as Cu and Fe are substantially elevated during aging and in some neurodegenerative disorders. Increases in the extracellular redox capacity can potentially generate neurotoxic free radicals from reduction of Cu(II) or Fe(III), thereby resulting in neuronal cell death. Although observations support the role of iron as a neurotoxin, it remains to be established whether accumulation of iron in PD is primary or secondary to other known events such as glutathione (GSH) depletion and the mitochondrial transport chain complex I inhibition. Cu and Zn have significant antiatherogenic effects influencing the activity of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione-peroxidase and superoxide-dismutase), mechanism of apoptosis, and other mechanisms. In addition to the alterations in the homeostasis, redox activity, and localization of transition metals, it is also important to realize that the alterations in specific zinc-, copper-, and iron-containing metalloenzymes appear to play a crucial role in the neurodegenerative process.
High-performance liquid chromatography based on pre-column derivatization of histidine and 3-meth... more High-performance liquid chromatography based on pre-column derivatization of histidine and 3-methylhistidine with o-phthalaldehyde-mercaptoethanol has been used to determine these amino acids in small volumes of plasma and urine. The elution is performed in 45 min on a 5-micron Resolve C18 column by a multi-step gradient. The eluted analytes are measured with a fluorescence detector which provides detection limits of less than 1 pmol per 20-microliter injection. The correlation between concentration and the integrated area of amino acids gives a linear relationship between 10 and 150 pmol per injection. Some preliminary results from patients with chronic renal failure under variation of diet are presented.
The levels of excitatory amino acids (EAA), monoamines, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and cholecystokinin ... more The levels of excitatory amino acids (EAA), monoamines, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and cholecystokinin were quantitated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The results accumulated showed that the levels of aspartate (ASP), glutamate (GLU) and noradrenaline (NA) in the CSF were higher while that of dopamine (DA) and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) were lower in untreated PD patients. There were no change in NPY and 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) levels in L-DOPA treated or untreated PD patients. With the exception of the low level of CCK-8 and the unchanged NPY, these alterations in ASP, GLU and DA levels were partially or completely reversed after treatment with L-DOPA. These results suggest that GLU secretion is enhanced in PD and that DAergic treatment normalizes not only DA, but also ASP and GLU levels. These findings support the hypothesis that GLU and DA interact in the human brain. The unchanged levels of NPY and 5-HT reflect non-depression state in PD patients.
In this study, the role of excitatory amino acids ; aspartic (ASP) and glutamic acid (GLU), and G... more In this study, the role of excitatory amino acids ; aspartic (ASP) and glutamic acid (GLU), and GABA is defined on the basis of accumulated results obtained in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 88 patients with neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) (n=20), cerebrovascular disorder (CVD) (n=16), multiple sclerosis (MS) (n=20), tuberculous meningitis (TBM) (n=14) and aseptic meningitis (AM) (n=18). These results are compared with data from healthy subjects (n=14). The results show significant CSF increase of ASP ,GLU and GABA in all these groups except in MS patients where decrease in ASP, GLU and GABA was observed. There is a linear relationship between CSF GLU and nitrite in PD, CVD and TBM patients suggesting these two parameters are interrelated, promoting the possibility for the design of therapeutic approaches consisting of GLU release inhibitors and EAA antagonists and free radical scavengers for treatment of these neurologic disorders with effectivity.
In the search for finding biochemical markers in patients with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM), ami... more In the search for finding biochemical markers in patients with tuberculosis meningitis (TBM), amino acids, nitrite (metabolite of nitric oxide), vitamin B12, homocysteine along with catecholeamines and their metabolites are quantitated in cerebrospinal fluid. Among the amino acids, aspartic acid (ASP) and glutamic acid (GLU) both excitatory amino acid, GABA, glycine (GLY),phenylalanine (PHE),tryptophan (TRP) were all significantly increased where as taurine (TAU) is significantly decreased in TBM patients. The levels of nitrite and its precursor arginine (ARG) were significantly higher in TBM patients and are linearly related. There is also a positive correlation between GLU and ARG and nitrite indicating that GLU, ARG and nitrite are interrelated and contribute simultaneously to the neuronal death in TBM. Among the catecholamines, noradrenaline (NA) and its metabolite 3-methoxy 4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) are significantly increased where as unchanged levels of dopamine (DA) and its metabolite homovalinic acid (HVA), and increased level of 3,4-dihydroxy phenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were observed. Among the indoleamines, 5-hydroxy 3-indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) is unchanged where as serotonin (5-HT) level is significantly increased. A significant increased level of CSF homocysteine (HC) and a decreased level of vitamin B12 was found in TBM patients. This indicates that TBM patients are particularly prone to vitamin B12 deficiency resulting into increase level of HC. This study shows the importance of these biological markers which could be used in designing the therapy and confirming the diagnosis of these patients.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 1985
ABSTRACT A sensitive high performance liquid chromatography method has been used to measure aldeh... more ABSTRACT A sensitive high performance liquid chromatography method has been used to measure aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity in hair roots from Caucasian and Japanese subjects. Kinetic studies confirmed previous isoelectric focusing results that hair roots from Caucasians have two forms of ALDH, one low Km form and another high Km form, while hair roots from Japanese individuals who show a flushing reaction after ethanol intake lack, or have low activity of, the low Km form. By taking the ratio of the activities measured at a low (3 microM) and a high (75 microM) concentration of the substrate (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetaldehyde), a suitable index for ALDH deficiency was obtained. The ratio varied between 1.6 and 3.5 for Caucasians and between 7 and 23 for Japanese flushers, and it was 2.5 for a Japanese nonflusher. The current method allows a more quantitative and qualitative assessment of the ALDH isozyme pattern in hair roots than that obtained with the isoelectric focusing technique.
Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder of older individuals frequently encountered in... more Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder of older individuals frequently encountered in clinical practice. Disparate etiologic factors including infectious agents, genetic predisposition, environmental and toxic factors, metabolic abnormalities, traumatic ...
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2016
Context: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, chronic inflammatory disease. Recent studies hav... more Context: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, chronic inflammatory disease. Recent studies have shown that vitamin D (VD) is an effective modulator of the immune system and plays an important role in controlling many inflammatory diseases. Objective: The objective of the study was to clarify the in vitro effects of 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (1,25[OH]2D3) on human endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs) and to determine the serum levels of VD in endometriosis patients. Design, Patients, and Main Outcome Measures: ESCs were isolated from ovarian endometrioma and cultured with 1,25(OH)2D3. Gene expression of IL-8, cyclooxygenase-2, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-2, cytosolic prostaglandin E synthase, 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9 was examined using quantitative RT-PCR. The production of IL-8 and prostaglandin E2 was measured using an ELISA and an enzyme immunoassay. Viable cell number was ass...
Abstract: Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain and nervous system disease that occurs as a consequen... more Abstract: Hepatic encephalopathy is a brain and nervous system disease that occurs as a consequence of liver disorders, these include hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate important serum physiological enzymes activity such as AKP, CPK, ...
Abstract: To determine the impact of antioxidant activity by metabolic investigations in hepatiti... more Abstract: To determine the impact of antioxidant activity by metabolic investigations in hepatitis B patients with or without diabetes mellitus. Fifty patients each were included in this study with chronic hepatitis B and 50 HBV patients with diabetic mellitus. Eligibility criteria included: HBsAg, HBeAg and HBV DNA positivity in blood for six months or more; elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase levels for six months or more and exclusion of co-infection with hepatitis delta or acquired immunodeficiency virus, metabolic or autoimmune disorders. All subjects underwent blood testing after a 10-h overnight fast to measure serum levels of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride and alanine aminotransferase. The subjects were also assessed for urea, creatinin, copper, zinc and magnesium and total anti-oxidative activity was measured by reducing Fe+++ to Fe++ using vitamin c as reducing agent at pH 4 to 5. The urea, uric acid and creati...
Objective: This research work deals with the mechanism of action involved in determining the ther... more Objective: This research work deals with the mechanism of action involved in determining the therapeutic potential of histamine and its blockers in gastrointestinal motility. Study Design: Rabbits of equal weights were used in this study. They were brought from the animal house of BMSI, sacrificed in the Pharmacology Research laboratory. Ileum strip were isolated and with special recommended methodology, longitudinal and circular muscles were separated. Individual muscle strip were then exposed separately to the desired drugs in the organ bath and reading were recorded on the polygraph machine. Setting: Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Period: 1996 to 1998. Results: Histamine increases the contractile effects of longitudinal and circular muscle. H and H blockers 1 2 potentiate its effects on longitudinal muscle while in circular muscle no change was observed with H blocker whereas H blocker antagonized 1 2 the histaminic effects. However...
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