Notes and News A Documentary Film ‘Acharya Prafulla Nandan Hall II, Kolkata. Acharya Pafulla Chandra Ray was Chandra Ray- An Ancient Guru Reborn’ not only the Founder President of ISNA but he is our Produced by ISNA Released inspiration. Rabindranath Tagore first addressed him as Acharya – an epitome of knowledge, in his 70th birth documentary film titled, “Acharya Prafulla Chandra anniversary celebration. He is a chemistry teacher and ARay – an Ancient Guru Reborn” produced by Indian researcher per excellence, an entrepreneur who established Science News Association (ISNA) was released on the Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceuticals- the first occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Acharya Prafulla pharmaceutical company of India, a social activist and a Chandra Ray by the Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal philanthropist. Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi on 2nd February, 2015 at The film was scripted by Dr. Manas Pratim Das, Convener of the Organizing Committee and was directed by Mr. Mujibar Rahman, a well-known director of documentary films with supports received from Professor S.K. Talapatra, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Professor Biswapati Mukherjee. The film was funded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The program was started with an invocation Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Hob’ble Governor, West Bengal, is releasing the DVD of the documentary film “Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray – An Anciaent Guru Reborn” by Mrs. Debnanda Bandyopadhyay. The Hon’ble at Nanadan Hall – II, Kolkata on February 2, 2015. Governor was felicitated with an Uttariya, flower bouquet and a copy of the journal Science and Culture and a book. Professor Sudhendu Mandal, Honorary Secretary of ISNA delivered the welcome address. He briefly narrated the genesis of the ISNA and about the Science and Culture which is one of the oldest scientific journals in India. Professor Sunil Kumar Talapatra, Chairman of the Organizing Committee covered many areas of Acharya P. C. Ray’s contributions. He mentioned that ISNA will soon publish a book entitled ‘Sir P. C. Ray, the Father of Chemistry Teaching and Research in India, A Philanthropist and an Entrepreneur’, edited by himself and Professor Biswapati Mukherjee, which will contain 16 informative articles. Professor Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta in his lecture, mentioned Inaugural function of the release of the documentary Film on “Acharya Prafulla that ISNA has done a commendable job by Chandra Ray – An Ancient Guru Reborn” at Nandan Hall-II on February 2, 2015. producing this documentary film. Professor B. Dignitaries on dais : (from L-R) Prof. Parimal C. Sen, Hony. Secretary, ISNA, Prof. Suranjan Das, Vice-Chancellor, University of Calcutta, Prof. B.B. Biswas, President, B. Biswas, President of ISNA in his address ISNA, Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Hob’ble Governor, West Bengal, Prof. S.K.Talapatra, highlighted the activities in many facets of Vice-President, ISNA, Prof. Sudhendu Mandal, Hony. Secretary, ISNA and Mr. Mujibar Rahman, Director of the documentary film Acharya Ray. 102 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, MARCH-APRIL, 2015 Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Hon’ble Governor of West pathogenesis of cholera, the frightening ‘killer’ epidemic Bengal delivered an exhilarating lecture. Tripathiji human disease causing severe watery diarrhea and one of emphasised that Acharya P. C. Ray is relevant to us even the six most formidable infectious ones in world; his today, we should follow the idealism, mortality and life of seminal works also marked the founding principle in Acharya P. C. Ray. He said that in science, culture, and research and effective treatment of cholera and related in every sphere the activities of Acharya P. C. Ray are diarrheal illnesses. Year 2009 marked the fiftieth boundless. He appreciated ISNA for playing an important anniversary of the discovery of cholera enterotoxin by Dr. role in producing this film in proper time. The Hon’ble De, and year 2015 marks his one-hundredth birth Governor then formally released the video which is anniversary. I pay heartfelt tribute to this great scientist. followed by the screening of the film. Production of cholera toxin is considered as an Professor Paimal C sen, Hony Secretary of ISNA essential virulence feature of epidemic strains of the offered vote of thanks. bacterium. During cholera outbreaks in densely populated Before screening of the film, Mr. Mujibar Rahman, poverty-prone areas, it is possible to isolate V. cholerae Film Director in his prelude mentioned that in order to from stagnant and stored waters in the households, where focus the achievements of Acharya P. C. Ray in various usable water is frequently contaminated with human faecal spheres of his life, he visited various places of India and matter. Discussing with the pathogenic mechanism, viable Bangladesh, met grand pupils of Acharya P. C. Ray, took V. cholerae multiplies in the patient’s small intestine, i.e., their interviews to record the nostalgic memories of their digestive tract after its unknowing ingestion and produces teachers who were the students of Acharya P. C. Ray. a potent cytoplasmic protein, which is the diarrhegenic exotoxin/enterotoxin. In the intestinal lining/epithelium of About 250 delegates including the Hon’ble Governor lumen (cavity) of infected small intestine, cholera toxin watched the film. attaches to the mucosal cells known as enterocytes; it Dipak Kumar Saha obstructs the phospholipids of RBC and causes the Indian Science News Association intestinal capillaries to become porous. It disrupts ion transport by the intestinal epithelial cells. The toxin releases an enzyme-activated subunit, which increases the amount of cyclic-AMP production in the body; this in turn causes Remembering Cholera Expert Dr. S. N. De - th the cells to excrete large amounts of Cl into the intestine. on 100 Birth Anniversary Na+, other electrolytes and water follow the osmotic gradient created by the excretion of Cl-. The intestine then n Science and Culture November-December 2014 issue, starts to release profuse amounts of fluid, while the it has been rightly connoted about physician and I enterocytes are slowly being eroded. Release of fluid occurs bacteriologist Dr. Sambhu Nath De (February 1, 1915 - from the vessels into neighbouring tissues via opening of April 15, 1985) as ‘faint trace of link’ of a person from capillaries. Destruction of the intestinal walls and capillary Indian sub-continent with the Nobel Prize award in Physiology or Medicine section. In May-June 2010 issue leakage cause fluid accumulation, isotonic in nature in the of this journal, the pioneering work of Dr. De on intestinal lumen. It is low in protein and has gross similarity elucidation of biological activity of the elusive 84kDa with the ‘rice-water’ cholera stool. Voluminous diarrhea cholera toxin produced by the comma-shaped Gram- facilitates considerable gastrointestinal loss of body fluids negative motile Vibrio cholerae bacterium, one of the most (about 25%) in a short time and depletes patients of dominant ones in world has been described. Nobel Laureate essential salts (electrolytes). If left untreated, cholera American biologist (1958) Prof. Joshua Lederberg had patients face dehydration, kidney failure and paralysis of proposed the name of Dr. S. N. De for the Nobel Prize in circulatory system, finally death. this section more than once, and appreciated Dr. De’s good In 1953, Dr. De perfected and described an exemplary intuition in working with specific strains of the bacterium, living model in which pathogenic potential of this human experimental and observational skills in his commentary disease could be studied. It is popular as the ‘ligated rabbit article ‘S. N. De - Regicide of Reigning Dogma’, submitted intestinal (ileal) loop’ model. In most animal species, the th to Current Science (published in 25 July 1990 issue). Dr. small intestine is arranged in a series of indefinite open De’s discoveries during 1950s opened the doorway to our loops. Going through his crucial experiment on present understanding of the molecular events in development of rabbit model, Dr. De aseptically made VOL. 81, NOS. 3–4 103 midline incision of about 2 inches long just below the (Courtesy: Dr. G. B. Nair, Director, NICED, Kolkata). Dr. middle of abdomen of 24-hour fasted and anaesthetized De could reproduce the clinical manifestations of the 1200-1500gm rabbits and the abdomen was opened to disease in animal model in two ways; by administering the expose the small intestine, particularly ileum. A mid- living virulent culture of the bacterium and in separate posterior way 4-inch segment of small intestine was chosen experiment the ‘cell-free’ culture filtrate/supernatant of it, and isolated by ligating with two silk sutures (graded as i.e., the toxic product. Experimented rabbits did developed 2.0 or 4.0 silk) at two ends, to create a loop. A second profuse diarrhea and extreme dehydration in both cases. ileal loop of 4-inch in length was created in same manner During 1958-1959, Dr. De set on to confirm the 12 inches away from the first one. In this experiment, Dr. absence of any role of V. cholerae endotoxin (cell wall De used two each of Ogawa and Inaba strains of V. lipopolysaccharide complex; liberated after autolysis of cholerae maintained previously in laboratory in slant agar bacterium) in producing symptoms of the disease. In this medium. Culture of the bacterium was freshly prepared in experiment, culture of the bacterium was suspended in 18-hour period in Dunham’s peptone water medium, and saline solution and disintegrated using ultrasonic vibrations subsequently 5ml of it was transferred to another liquid (sonication). It was centrifuged, supernatant filtered and medium, which was 5% Difco Bactopeptone medium. This this endotoxin material was introduced into the rabbit ileum culture was centrifuged; first for 10mins at 2-4°C and next loop in afore-mentioned procedure. Upon examination, for 20mins at 18°C with an intention to cause precipitation neither distension of ileum loop nor outpouring of fluid of bulk of the bacteria.