COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of developing inflammatory responses associated with serious and even fatal respiratory diseases. The role of oxidative stress in exacerbating manifestations in COVID-19 pathogenesis is under-reported.This study aimed touseserum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD3) and glutathione-S-transferase (GSTp1) by ELISA, zinc (ErbaChem5), ferritin and free iron (VitrosChemistry, Ortho Clinical Diagnosis, Raritan, NJ, USA) at the first encounter of randomly selected RT-PCR-positive COVID-19 patients, for assessing disease severity. The parameters which helped in identifying the severity, leading to poor prognosis, were neutrophil:lymphocyte higher than 4, high CRP, low SOD3 values and high GSTp1 values, and diabetes mellitus as a co-morbidity. Higher zinc levels correlated with high GSTp1 and low SOD3, indicating the protective effect of zinc on ROS. The increased high GSTp1 shows an anticipated protective biochemical response, to mitigate the low SOD3 values due to ROS consumption. Decreased SOD3 levels indicate a state of high oxidative stress at cellular levels, and an anticipated increase in GSTp1 levels points to the pathophysiological bases of increasing severity with age, sex, and co-morbidities, such asdiabetes. High levels of initial GSTp1 and zinc levels possibly offer protection to redox reactions at the cellular level in severe COVID-19 infection, preventing deterioration.

Background: Pregnant women and newborns are highly susceptible to Covid-19, manifesting as multisystem inflammatory syndrome-New-born (MISC-N) in many babies born to Covid positive mothers. The relationship between Covid-19 infection during pregnancy and neonatal neurodevelopmental outcome, if any, is unclear necessitating a follow-up study in this aspect. Methods: 16 babies with MIS-N, born to symptomatic Covid antibody positive mothers were enrolled. Demographic profile, treatment details and biochemical parameters were analyzed with neurodevelopmental follow-up. Results: 25% mothers received 2 doses of Covid vaccine; 50% had oligohydramnios and 75% received antenatal steroids. 87.5% were preterm of which 62.5% required surfactant with ventilator support and 75% required ionotropic support. Significant association was found between the antibody level and D-dimer levels with the ferritin and LDH levels of the baby (p < 0.05); gestational age with LDH and D-dimer levels (p < 0.05) and Covid antibody level of the baby vs the duration of ventilator requirement (P-value-0.0009). D-dimer values of babies were positively associated with both maternal antibody and D-dimer levels. Neurodevelopmental follow-up done at 6 months of corrected gestational age showed 37.5% were normal, 37.5% hypertonic and 25% hypotonic. HINE score was below 60 in 62.5%. Development assessment using Bayley-III showed a delay in the motor domain (62.5%), cognitive domain (56.25%) and language domain (62.5%). Conclusion: Neurodevelopmental problems occur in babies born to Covid positive mothers and should be stratified as "high risk".

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The present study was carried out to assess the antiapoptotic effect of Ajuga bracteosa leaves on the hepatic dysfunction in alloxan induced diabetic chicks. Hydroalcoholic extract of Ajuga bracteosa leaves was prepared by standard method as prescribed earlier and apply for monitoring the liver enzymes including Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Aspartate amino transferase (AST -SGOT) and Alanine amino transferase (ALT -SGPT) in experimental chicks, including diabetic control and diabetic treated with the hydroalcoholic extract of Ajuga bracteosa leaves at the rate of 100gm/Kg body weight and normal control chicks fed with water ad libitum. Present study reveals a significant (p<0.05) decline in the level of these enzymes in the chicks treated with hydroalcoholic extract of Ajuga bracteosa leaves up to the control level as compared to chicks of diabetic control group. Therefore, administration of hydroalcoholic extract of Ajuga bracteosa leaves in diabetic chicks significantly ameliorate the enzymological parameters for the assessment of hepatic dysfunction in diabetic chicks, which showed the potent antiapoptotic effect of Ajuga bracteosa leaves extract on hepatic dysfunction in alloxan induced diabetic chicks.

Finding a solution for Parkinson's disease has been a challenge to researchers despite advances in medicinal research. None of the options available so far has been able to reverse dopaminergic damage or increase endogenous dopamine production from existing dopaminergic cells in Parkinson's disease. Research in Parkinson’s disease has not so far resulted in finding better solutions for reversing dopaminergic damage or increasing dopamine production. Above-the-threshold (suprathreshold) exercises producing improvement have been documented with supporting clinical and imaging findings but without any biochemical evidence. Above-the-threshold (suprathreshold) exercises producing improvement in Parkinson's disease have been documented with supporting clinical and imaging findings. To the best of our knowledge, the biochemical basis of this improvement has not been studied in detail. Recently, biomolecules like usnic acid have been shown to improve dopamine levels through protective and regenerative effects. This study aimed at understanding the biochemical basis of the improvement following suprathreshold exercises and usnic acid. The objectives were to assess whether the suprathreshold exercise produces improvement in PD rat models and, if so, to understand the biochemical basis of improvement and compare the mechanism with that of usnic acid.The effect of suprathreshold exercise and usnic acid on Parkinson’s disease Hence, this study was conceived to understand whether the exercise produces results due to a similar mechanism that had never been reported before. Parkinson's disease was compared with rotenone alone, rotenone and high-fat diet models, and control. Induced with rotenone and a high-fat diet, the effect of suprathreshold exercise was compared to that of usnic acid, the rotenone alone model, and control. Locomotor behaviour was assessed with an actophotometer and rotarod. Western blotting assessed the blood biochemical parameters, antioxidant and dopamine levels in addition to α-synuclein, tyrosine hydroxylase, Nurr1, and HSP70 levels. Usnic acid decreased oxidative stress markers like MDA, peroxynitrite and nitric oxide, indicating lesser oxidative stress, increased dopamine and serotonin levels and decreased α-synuclein expression. But the suprathreshold exercise did not significantly affect oxidative stress markers nor increased dopamine levels. However, α-synuclein expression was decreased. Compared with usnic acid, lower Nurr1 levels in the suprathreshold group demonstrate lesser protective and regenerative effects on dopaminergic neurons. HSP70 levels indicate that improvement in suprathreshold exercise resulted from preventing misfolding of α-synuclein or through a noncanonical interaction, and comparable locomotor behaviour was observed in both groups. Biomolecules like brain-derived neurotropic factors produced by suprathreshold exercises acting centrally and in muscles might have also contributed to improvement in this group. When usnic acid increased dopamine levels in the brain through protective effects on dopaminergic neurons, antioxidant effects, and reduced expression of α-synuclein, suprathreshold exercise did not increase dopamine, decreased α-synuclein and had less antioxidant effects. This study biochemically proves that suprathreshold exercise alleviates Parkinson’s disease symptoms by preventing α-synuclein misfolding and not by mechanisms other than increasing dopamine, neuroprotection or regeneration of dopaminergic neurons, which require further studies in humans.