Adherence to medication is defined as “the extent to which patients take medications as prescribed by health care providers”. Adherence rate is highest among patients with acute conditions, as compared with those with chronic conditions. Clinical trials report average adherence rates of only 43 to 78% among patients with chronic conditions. Adherence to medication is important because: poor adherence to medication regimen accounts for substantial worsening of disease, death and health care costs

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Background: Growing evidence supports relationship between depression and inflammation. The hypothesis of involvement of inflammatory pathways in depression is supported by the findings of increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines. So, we decided to evaluate the effect of sitagliptin on depression using forced swim test (FST) and possible effects of sitagliptin on serum oxidative stress markers and cytokine gene expression in rat hippocampus.Methods: FST model was used to evaluate antidepressant effect in male wistar rats. Rats in group I (control group) were given normal saline, group II (standard group) were given fluoxetine, group III and IV (test groups) were given sitagliptin 5 mg/kg and sitagliptin 9 mg/kg respectively. All the drugs in all groups were given per orally. At the end, animals were sacrificed and blood was collected. Hippocampus of rat brain was dissected out. Serum oxidative stress markers and hippocampal pro inflammatory cytokine gene expression analysis was carried out.Results: Sitagliptin 5 mg/kg and 9 mg/kg showed reduction in depressive symptoms and hippocampal cytokine gene expression in comparison to control. In case of serum oxidative stress markers, there was statistically significant reduction in nitric oxide levels with stagliptin 9 mg/kg. Although there was a decrease in the levels of catalase and increase in the levels of glutathione with standard and test groups, the results were not statistically significant.Conclusions: The present study showed significant antidepressant effect activity of standard and test groups. Hence, further research should be carried out to substantiate above results.

Various methods of teaching are lectures, seminars, tutorials, group discussions and demonstrations. Most of these methods involve only passive learning. Increased emphasis is being laid on students centred and integrated teaching. Both vertical and horizontal integrated teaching has been recommended by the medical council of India. The superiority of such novel methods over other existing methods in facilitating students learning has not been adequately assessed and hence the present study was undertaken. A 3 year study was performed in MBBS Phase -II students of 3 batches. Integrated teaching (seminar on various segments of a topic) was carried out in 3 different ways to each batch of students. Batch 1: Subject experts (faculty) delivered talk on segments of topic allotted. Batch 2: Randomly selected 7-10 students presented the topic (it was guided by faculty) Batch 3: similar to batch 2 but here a pre-session test (validated MCQs) was conducted. About 10 topics were covered in a year (same for all the batches) and were announced 15days prior to the seminar for the students to prepare. The seminar was for 2 hrs and a post -session test was conducted using pre-validated MCQs to assess the learning outcome. Post-sessions score (mean ± SD) of all batches was calculated and analyzed by ANOVA. There was a significant improvement in the performance of batch 3 as compared to other batches. Pre-session tests promote students participation in teaching learning activities and also facilitates the learning process and the outcome

Chronic low grade inflammation is an essential pathological feature of a variety of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). These diseases have now superseded infectious diseases where the burden of disease is concerned. One of the important modifiable factors contributing to chronic disease is food high in carbohydrate. This study was planned to study the role of high carbohydrate diet on a model of inflammation induced by Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) in male Wistar rats. Animals were divided into 3 groups of 10 rats each. Group I fed with standard diet serving as control; Group II fed with high carbohydrate diet (HCD) and Group III fed with standard diet serving as disease free normal group. CFA was injected subcutaneously into the hind paw 4weeks after starting the diet into groups I and II only. Diet was continued for up to 21days after CFA injection. Digital plethysmometer measured the paw volume. Blood obtained before euthanasia served for estimating cytokines and oxidative stress parameters. A rise in paw edema was seen in control and high carbohydrate diet groups up to day 21. In the high carbohydrate group there were high serum cytokine levels and significant depletion of antioxidant enzymes. The authors conclude that, a high carbohydrate diet contributes significantly to the process of inflammation which has now been established as a significant factor in the causation of NCDs. Therefore it would be prudent to restrict carbohydrates in our diet.