No abstract

No abstract

In a random trial 50 patients with unilateral/bilateral idiopathic immature senile cataract (cortical n = 25, nuclear n = 25) requiring surgery at least in one eye were included in the present study. Reduced glutathione (GSH), vitamin E, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were studied in these patients receiving either vitamin E (n = 12 in each subgroup) or placebo (n = 13 in each group) for 30 days. A comparable increase of vitamin E in both types of lens homogenates of cataractous patients was observed in the study group. The level of GSH in cortical cataractous lenses in the study group was significantly raised (p < 0.001) whereas it was not increased significantly in nuclear cataractous lenses (p > 0.05) as compared to the placebo group. The percentage decrease in MDA levels was greater in cortical cataracts (38.07%) than in the nuclear type (27.94%). The activity of GSH-Px in cortical lenses was higher than that in the nuclear cataractous lens. The change in the size of lens opacity in cortical cataractous patients receiving vitamin E therapy was significantly decreased as compared to the placebo group. There may be a direct modulating effect of vitamin E on some GSH-related enzymes and the cortex of the lens might be protected more than the nucleus.

A case of Listerial meningitis is described in a man of 60 years. The aetiology of listeriosis is discussed.

Erythrocytes from 18 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and 10 healthy subjects were examined with respect to glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) contents. The activity of GSH‐Px and GSH content were found to be lower in RBC from CRF patients as compared with normal RBC. These reduced levels of GSH and GSH‐Px in the red cells of uraemic patients may predispose the cells to oxidative damage.