A prospective study was carried out in 44 cases of adult tetanus, to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of diazepam as compared to the standard drugs, keeping all other therapeutic measures similar and allocating the patients in a random fashion. There were no significant differences in the incidence of mortality and the time needed to control spasms, between patients receiving diazepam alone and standard drugs. A shorter incubation period, period of onset, presence of pyrexia and spasms carried a higher mortality rate irrespective of the line of management. The results of our study suggest that use of diazepam as a single effective agent may not be superior to standard drugs in the management of tetanus.

Pyrantel pamoate. a broad spectrum anthelmintic, was investigated for its effect on the developmental stages of sheep hook worm, Haemonchus controlus. Addition of pyrantel pamoate to the faeces charcoal mixture caused concentration-related inhibition of transformation of Haemonchus contorlus seggs to infective larvae, the LC50 and LC90 being 54.95 ñ 6.90 and 400.00 ñ 49.10 mcg, respectively. On infective larvae, pyrantel pamoate produced contracture and decrease in motility leading to irreversible. paralysis.

An attempt was made to correlate the damage to myocardium as assessed by 99mTc -pyrophosphate uptake by heart with serum enzyme profile (SGOT) as a function of time in rats using adrenaline model. It was seen that the changes with both pyrophosphate uptake and SGOT levels were nearly parallel but the magnitude of change was much more with pyrophosphate uptake and hence gradation was more easy with the latter. Hence this model may be used for the evaluation of cardioprotective drugs and newer infarct seeking radio pharmaceuticals in animals .

Nemagon, widely applied to the soil to control a number of plant parasitic nematodes, was tested for its efficacy against development stages of Haemonchus contoruts, a sheep bookworm, from egg to infective larvae, in soils of varying physicochemical compositions. Maximum efficacy of Nemagon was observed in red soil of Kanke (Bihar) followed by those of Imphal, Lucknow, Aligarh and Black cotton soil of Kota (Rajasthan) in decreasing order. The recovery rate of nemagon from different soils corresponded with its bioactivity. The differential efficacy of Nemagon in soils was possibly due to varying. degree of adsorption by clay minerals was organic matter present in different soils. Concentrations in which Nemagon is generally applied to soils (0.8 to 1.0 ton/hectare) for plant pest control is sufficient to prevent the transformation of 5% of Haemonchus eggs to infective larvae.

The teratogenicity of acetaldehyde, the proximal metabolite of ethanol and an industrial pollutant, has been studied in CF rats following intravenous administration (75 and 200 mg/Kg) from day 8 to 15 of gestation (sperm positive day = day 1). Besides dose dependent lethality, fetuses collected at term were significantly stunted as assessed by somatometric measurements and alizarin stained skeletal preparations. The malformations observed included microcephaly, micrognathia. micromelia, digital anomalies and edema. The close resemblance of the spectrum of malformations to that associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is suggestive of the possible implication of acetaldehyde in. FAS:

Electroconvulsive shocks induce greater entry of sodium salicylate in brain tissue after its oral administration, indicating increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier. However, the electrical stinuli of sub-convulsive shock strength do not after the levels of sodium salicylate in brain tissue, When compared with the control group.

The effect of restraint stress (1, 2 and 4 h) on haloperidol-induced catalepsy, was investigated in rats. Restraint stress produced a time-related potentiation of haloperidol catalepsy. This stress (4h)-induced potentiation of haloperidol catalepsy was attenuated after pretreatment with drugs known to decrease central serotonergic activity, prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors but not by metyrapone, an inhibitor of endogenous corticoid synthesis. The results suggest the involvement of serotonin and prostaglandinsin restraint stress haloperidol interaction. The results have been discussed in the context of earlier investigations reported from this laboratory, indicating- enhancement of rat brain serotonergic and prostagtandin activity, following restraint stress, and serotonergic mediation in prostaglandin effects. It is possible that restraint stress first enhances rat brain prostaglandin activity, which has been proposed as the first mediator of stress. Prostaglandins, in turn, activate the serotonergic system, in this species.

The antiarrhythmic action of diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, carisoprodol and mephenesin was studied in anaesthetized dogs by using acetylcholine-induced atrial fibrillation and adrenaline-induced ventricular tachycardia. It was found that except mephenesin, all other drugs showed significant antiarrhythmic action.

Clonidine, a potent centrally acting antihypertensive drug was screened for anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant and local anaesthetic activity. In carrageenin-induced inflammation it showed a significant dose dependent anti-inflammatory effect. Clonidine failed to show any anticonvulsant effect against maximal electro-shock convulsions in rats, however it exhibited significant local anaesthetic activity. Diuresis, piloerection and convulsions were observed in higher doses.

Chlorthalidone ( 3.0 mg.kg, ), hydrochlorthiazide ( 3.0 mg/kg ), frusemide (1 .0 mg/kg) and clonidine (0.003 mg/kg) did not have any per se effect on fasting blood sugar level of rabbits up to 5 h.When clonidine was administered along with glibenclamide (0.024 mg/kg), it not only caused early onset of hypoglycaemia but also Produced greater fall in blood sugar than observed with glibenclamide alone. The diuretics did not modify the hypoglycaemic activity of glibenclamide.

Acid and alkaline phosphatase, citric acid and fructose level in epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate mere estimated after the administration of Busulphan (10 mg/kg, ip) in rats. The results show that these parameters are affected by the drug.