Jawaharlal Nehru University

About: Jawaharlal Nehru University is a education organization based out in New Delhi, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Candida albicans. The organization has 6082 authors who have published 13455 publications receiving 245407 citations. The organization is also known as: JNU.

Diosgenin--a growth stimulator of mammary gland of ovariectomized mouse.

Abstract: Estrogenic action of diosgenin on the mammary epithelium of ovariectomized (OVX) mouse has been reported. Diosgenin when administered (sc) at the dose levels of 20 and 40 mg/kg body weight for a period of 15 days stimulated the growth of mammary epithelium. This was indicated by the increase in DNA content, increase in number of ducts and appearance of terminal endbuds. There was a significant increase in the mammary development scores in the presence of diosgenin. Concomitant treatment of estrogen and diosgenin showed augmentation of estrogenic effect of diosgenin especially at the higher dose level (40 mg/kg body wt). Diosgenin showed a lack of progesterogenic action as was apparent from the absence of alveolar development even in the presence of exogenous estrogen.

Modulatory effect of henna leaf (Lawsonia inermis) on drug metabolising phase I and phase II enzymes, antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation and chemically induced skin and forestomach papillomagenesis in mice.

Abstract: Henna leaf (Lawsonia inermis), commonly known as Mehndi is cultivated throughout India and is a very popular natural dye to color hand and hair. It is an integral part of indigenous culture, and is also known for its medicinal value. The effect of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of 80% ethanolic extract of the fresh leaves of Lawsonia inermis were examined on drug metabolizing phase-I and phase-II enzymes, antioxidant enzymes, glutathione content, lactate dehydrogenase and lipid peroxidation in the liver of 7 weeks old Swiss albino mice. Also anticarcinogenic potential of Henna leaf extract was studied adopting the protocol of benzo(a)pyrene induced forestomach and 7,12 dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-initiated and croton oil-promoted skin papillomagenesis. Our primary findings reveal the 'duel-acting' nature of henna leaf as deduced from its potential to induce only the phase-II enzyme activity, associated mainly with carcinogen detoxification in liver of mice and inhibit the phase I enzyme activities. The hepatic glutathione S-transferase and DT-diaphorase specific activities were elevated above basal (p < 0.005) level by Lawsonia inermis extract treatment. With reference to antioxidant enzymes the investigated doses were effective in increasing the hepatic glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities significantly (from p < 0.05 to p < 0.005) at both the dose levels. Reduced glutathione (GSH) measured as non-protein sulphydryl was found to be significantly elevated in liver (p < 0.005) and in all the extrahepatic organs studied (from p < 0.05 to p < 0.005). Among the extrahepatic organs examined (forestomach, kidney and lung) glutathione S-transferase and DT-diaphorase level were increased in a dose independent manner (from p < 0.05 to p < 0.005). Chemopreventive response was measured by the average number of papillomas per mouse (tumor burden) as well as percentage of tumor bearing animals and tumor multiplicity. There was a significant inhibition of tumor burden in both the tumor model systems studied (from p < 0.01 to p < 0.001). Tumor incidence was also reduced by both the doses used in our experiment in both the model systems.

International nurse recruitment in India.

Abstract: Objective: This paper describes the practice of international recruitment of Indian nurses in the model of a "business process outsourcing" of comprehensive training-cum-recruitment-cum-placement for popular destinations like the United Kingdom and United States through an agency system that has acquired growing intensity in India. Findings: Despite the extremely low nurse to population ratio in India hospital managers in India are not concerned about the growing exodus of nurses to other countries. In fact they are actively joining forces with profitable commercial ventures that operate as both training and recruiting agencies. Most of this activity is concentrated in Delhi Bangalore and Kochi. Conclusions: Gaps in data on nursing education employment and migration as well as nonstandardization of definitions of "registered nurse" impair the analysis of international migration of nurses from India making it difficult to assess the impact of migration on vacancy rates. One thing is clearhowever the chain of commercial interests that facilitate nurse migration is increasingly well organized and profitable making the future growth of this business a certainty. (authors)

Mapping spatial distribution of pollutants in groundwater of a tropical area of India using remote sensing and GIS

Abstract: Fresh and clean water is a vital commodity of need for the well-being of human societies, and damage of these aquifers is one of the most serious environmental problems of the past century. The regular monitoring and management of groundwater resources is very important for the sustainable development. The present study monitors the groundwater quality relation to the land use/land cover (LULC) using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Physico-chemical analysis data of groundwater samples collected at different locations forms the attribute database for the study. LULC categories, such as agricultural and built-up area, associated with human activities, incorporated maximum change in groundwater quality. In this study, weighting analysis of Water Quality Index (WQI) and Land Cover Index (LCI) have been performed to map the Suitability Index (SI) of water for drinking purpose in the area. Spatial interpolation technique was used for generation of pollution potentiality map of the area. Cluster analysis was performed for delineating and grouping the similar pollution causing area. The overall view of the results indicates that most of the study area exhibited very low SI for the drinking purpose due to very high groundwater pollution.

An assessment of the role of reactive oxygen species and redox signaling in norepinephrine-induced apoptosis and hypertrophy of H9c2 cardiac myoblasts.

Abstract: Cardiac myocytes, upon exposure to increasing doses of norepinephrine (NE), transit from hypertrophic to apoptotic phenotype. Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation is attributed to both phenomena, the authors tested whether an elevation in intracellular ROS level causes such transition. H9c2 cardiac myoblasts upon treatment with hypertrophic and apoptotic doses of NE (2 and 100 microM, respectively) transiently induced intracellular ROS at a comparable level, while 200 microM H(2)O(2), another proapoptotic agonist, showed robust and sustained ROS generation. Upon analysis of a number of redox-responsive transcription factors as the downstream targets of ROS signaling, the authors observed that NE (2 and 100 microM) and H(2)O(2) (200 microM) were ineffective in inducing NF-kappaB while both the agonists upregulated AP-1 and Nrf-2. However, the extents of induction of AP-1 and Nrf-2 were not in direct correlation with the respective ROS levels. Also, AP-1 activities induced by two doses of NE were intrinsically different, since at 2 microM, it primarily induced FosB, and at 100 microM it activated Fra-1. Differential induction of FosB and Fra-1 was also reiterated in adult rat myocardium injected with increasing doses of NE. Therefore, NE induces hypertrophy and apoptosis in cardiac myocytes by distinct redox-signaling rather than a general surge of ROS.