1. The cleavage of sulphasalazine at the azo bond by bacterial suspensions and tissue homogenates has been studied in vitro. 2. For maximum activity the azo reductase system requires anaerobic conditions and the presence of cofactors, namely NADPH and FAD. in this respect, sulphasalazine resembles other azo dyes. 3. Under optimum conditions all the species of bacteria tested were capable of splitting sulphasalazine and there were no major differences in the degree of activity shown by different species. The enzyme system is located within the bacterial cell and does not leak out of it. 4. All the tissues tested, both human and rat, showed azo reductase activity. The liver showed a much higher activity than the other tissues.

The human serum is a vital component of the innate immunity of the host that acts as the first line of defence against invading pathogens. A key player in serum-mediated innate immune defence is a system of more than 35 proteins, collectively named as the complement system. After exposure of the pathogen, these proteins are activated in a cascade manner, ultimately forming a membrane attack complex (MAC) on the surface of the pathogen that directly lyses the bacterial cell. Formation of the MAC can be demonstrated in vitro by using serum bactericidal assay (SBA) that works in the absence of cellular components of blood after incubating the serum along with bacteria. Here, we describe the age-related differences in the bactericidal activity of human serum against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen causing an array of hospital and community-acquired infections.We demonstrate that adult sera were highly effective in the in vitro killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as compared to children and the elderly (p < 0.0001). Sera from children were seriously compromised in the killing P. aeruginosa, whereas elderly sera showed a reduced level of killing. Data revealed a positive correlation between age and serum-killing with higher coefficient of determination values of 0.34, 0.27, and 0.58 and p values of < 0.0001, < 0.001, and < 0.0001, respectively, after 60, 90, and 120 minutes of incubation. Hence, our study highlights the age-related difference in the bactericidal activity of human sera. We conclude that sera of children are totally compromised, whereas elderly sera are only partially compromised, in the killing of P. aeruginosa.

Organized universal health coverage has not yet been introduced in most developing countries, including Bangladesh. Private health care is affordable only to the high-income group. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to evaluate health service coverage with disease prevention, access to health information, and cost control through health financing to help take appropriate decisions for the betterment of garment workers in Bangladesh. The study was conducted in seven readymade garments (RMG) factories in the Gazipur district from 24 April 2014 to 23 April 2015.A total of 9717 workers aged 18 to 60 years and belonging to the lowest salary groups were included in this Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance (ESHI) scheme. This new model of Health Micro Insurance (HMI) had treatment, laboratory facilities, health education, and medicine supply. The annual coverage for treatment cost was up to 15000 Bangladeshi taka (BDT) or US$192.8 and the premium for enrolment in the scheme was 487 BDT (US$6.3). An agreement foresaw that the surplus cost accrued was equally shared between the insurance company and the factory owner. A common software was used to generate and view all medical information. A total of 4524 (46.6%) workers (60.5% male and 39.5% female) received treatment. The participant's mean age was 28.3 years. The mean consultancy rate was 4.7 times. Participants mostly suffered from gastrointestinal problems(24.4%), and most prescribed medications were anti-ulcer drugs. The median value of drug cost, investigation cost, consultancy fees, and total medical cost were 126 (1.49 USD), 315 (3.71 USD), 200 (2.36 USD), and 734 BDT (8.66), respectively. The annual net premium paid by the factory owner was 4094504 BDT (48744 USD), and the total healthcare cost accrued was 5230156 BDT (62263 USD). This ESHI scheme is a better option for HMI for making healthcare accessible to the largest RMG sector in a developing country like Bangladesh.