Mahdi Hasan

Early life and education

Hasan was born on 21 March 1936 in Gadayan, Akbarpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father, Jawad Husain, was Tehsildar, posted at that time at Tehsil Mohanlalganj of the District Lucknow, and his mother was Tayyabunnisa Begun. Hasan's father died when Hasan was four years old, and his mother, being ill, was unable to care for him. He was subsequently raised by his brothers.

In 1950, Hasan enrolled in the Christian College at Lucknow, where he did his Intermediate. Thereafter he did his B.Sc. I year from Lucknow University and in 1952 he was selected in M.B.B.S. at King George Medical College. After graduation, he joined the Department of Anatomy as a Demonstrator in the year 1958 and worked till early 1963. He did his post graduation in Anatomy from KGMC. Thereafter, he moved to the J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, where he would spend the bulk of his career.

Career

While at Aligarh, Hasan continued his studies, traveling to Germany in the year 1965 under DAAD programme. There he learned electron microscopy techniques, and studied gerontology under Paul Glees at the University of Göttingen. Returning to Aligarh, Hasan used his mastery of German to serve as an external examiner of German language students at Jawaharlal Nehru University and Aligarh Muslim University.

After returning from Germany in the year 1967, Hasan spent many years trying to establish a Brain Research facility at Aligarh. With assistance from the German government, he succeeded in 1980 with the establishment of the first Interdisciplinary Brain Research Centre. The Central Electron Microscope Facility was also established at Aligarh in 1984.

At J.N. Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, he was Chairman, Department of Anatomy for many years, he was Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Superintendent, Principal & Chief Medical Superintendent of the Hospital. He also served as Dean, Students Welfare of Aligarh Muslim University, besides being President of Cricket & Football Clubs. He was also elected President of the AMU Teaching Staff Association, Anatomical Society of India, Indian Academy of Neurosciences & Indian Gerontology Association.

He delivered scores of lectures at prestigious medical institutions on special invitations (including Albert Einstein College, New York, NCTR Jefferson, Chicago, University of Hawaii, Universities of Mainz and Göttingen (Germany), Trieste, Naples, Florence (Italy), London, Tokyo, Japan, Moscow, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Prague, Paris, Tehran, Iran, and Kuwait etc.). He had also been a member of the Expert Committee appointed by the Govt. of India to draft the National Educational Policy for Health Sciences (headed by Prof. J.S. Bajaj, 1988–90). In February 2010, he was appointed a member of NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council of Govt. of India).

Hasan was an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Medical Sciences (India) [FAMS], Indian National Science Academy [FNA] & The National Academy of Sciences, India [FNASc].

Scientific research

Hasan's investigations collaboration with colleagues from manifold disciplines like physiology, pharmacology, neurochemistry, pathology, neurology, radiology, otorhinolaryngology and neurosurgery. The main thrust had been to study problems of national relevance, such as environmental pollution, pesticide neurotoxicity, heavy metal neurotoxicity and hydrocephalus. Radiological studies related to ossification of upper limb bone in U.P. (India).

Original findings on sex differences in the order of appearance of carpal bones and appearance and fusion of centres of ossification of humerus cited in Modi's medical jurisprudence and Parik's Textbook of medical jurisprudence.

Neuroanatomy-neuropathology: Single cord brachial plexus was recorded for the first time from India (second report in the world literature) by Hasan. Ultrastructural classification of synapses in the lateral geniculate body of the monkey was for the first time carried out by Hasan in collaboration with Paul Glees and Klaus Tischner (Goettingen).

Hasan and coworkers demonstrated vacuolar degeneration of neurons for the first time in the lateral geniculate body of the monkey, exemplifying transsynaptic atrophy electron microscopically.

A critical appraisal of synaptic degeneration based on electron microscopy by Hasan and coinvestigators received a citation in Contemporary research methods in neuroanatomy.

Different morphological types of occipital sinuses were described which formed the basis of a hypothesis proposed by D Falk and G C Conray, tracing the evolution of venous sinuses. Also, Gray's Anatomy has cited Hasan's description of the falx cerebelli.

Neurogerontology: Hasan and Glees (1972) proposed a new hypothesis for the genesis of neuronal lipofusin. In the internationally acclaimed monograph Neurobiology of Aging. This hypothesis has been extensively discussed as follows: "....It was concluded that the degeneration of mitochondria must result in a disturbance of normal metabolic pathway leading to an accumulation of fatty acids, which, presumably would be directly involved in the genesis of lipofuscin pigment." Regarding the mode of dissolution of neuronal lipofuscin, Glees (1975) states: "The mode of dissolution and removal of lipofuscin in the central nervous system was studied ultrastructurally for the first time by Hasan et al. in senile guinea pigs treated up to 56 days with centrophenoxine (80 mg/kg i.m.)." Also, evidence for the participation of capillary endothelium in the removal of altered lipofuscin was provided by Hasan and coworkers.

Loss of axo-somatic synapses in the aged: Hasan and Glees studied the rat hippocampus and noticed that a series of axo-somatic synapses which appeared to be a common characteristic of adults, were rarely seen in the aged. This finding has subsequently been substantiated in the following words: "The number of axo-somatic synapses per unit length of the soma involving granule cells of dentate gyrus was found to be significantly lower (by 15%) in aged animals than in young adults."

Rough endoplasmic reticulum of the aged rat hippocampal neurons: Hasan's observations pertaining to the disintegration of parallel cisternae of r.e.r. were confirmed 5 years later by Hinds and McNelly {Amer .] Anal, 152 (1978) 433-439] as follows: "Until recently there was no easy way to quantify changes in the pattern of cellular organelles as a result of experimental procedures or during development and aging. Now, however, such a method is available. We have used this method to study the pattern of rough endoplasmic reticulum in aging CNS neurones. It has been previously noted (Hasan and Glees, 1973) that the highly ordered parallel cistemae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, characteristic of young neurones seem to become dispersed during aging. We have now studied this phenomenon quantitatively.

The most surprising finding of the present study is that in both regions (mitral cells of olfactory bulb and cerebellar purkinje cells) studied there occurs a highly linear decrease in the measured closeness of rough endoplasmic reticulum cisternae throughout adult life. Thus we conclude that during aging there is a real dispersal of cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum from the ordered state of parallel cisternae found in these neurones in young animals."

Neurotoxicology: Thallium neurotoxicity: Hasan and his associates, using single neuron recording for the first time reported that the firing rate of 79% of caudate neurons was increased following thallium administration. Five years later, Ducket et al. [Neurotoxicol, 4 (1983) 227-234] confirmed this finding. The implication of Hasan's original observations with respect to the treatment of thallotoxicosis were highlighted by Nistico et al.[Res Comm Chem Path Pharmacol, 46 (1984) 34-42] as follows: "Recently, treatment of choreiform sequelae of thallotoxicosis by levodopa has been described (Patterson, 1975).

The significance of such a treatment is supported by the recent finding that a subacute treatment with thallous acetate produces a significant decrease in dopamine concentration in the hypothalamus, limbic areas and corpus striatum. In addition, these authors have reported a significant fall in serotonin levels in striatum, brain stem and cerebellum." Thallium increases lipid peroxidation

This contribution of Hasan and Ali finds a place in WHO "Environmental Health Criteria 60", p. 110, as follows: "Increased lipid peroxidation has been reported after exposure to thallium, nickel and cobalt. Since the estimate of lipid peroxidation is a relatively simple technique, this method may prove to be an effective tool for screening for neurotoxic compounds." Ultrastructural features of thallium toxicosis (increase of electron dense bodies and fragmentation of Golgi zone) have also been reported by Hasan and coworkers.

Luigo Mango and E Sabbioni (1988) in the book Metal toxicity (p. 50), explaining the mechanisms of neurotoxicity, comment as follows: "Unfortunately only a few studies have been conducted to elucidate the precise nature of thallium effects on central neurochemistry. Hasan and Ali reported an increase in the rate of lipid peroxidation in the striatum of rats given thallium acetate, 5 mg for 7 days. They interpreted this finding as reflecting thallium interaction with the glutathione system at the level of sulfhydryl groups in the glutathione precursor molecule. Also, thallium was found to inhibit the activity of thiol enzymes. Succinic dehydrogenase and monoamine oxidase in rat striatum, and diffuse disorder in cerebral amino acid metabolism. Hasan reported significant decreases in cerebral contents of hisridine, glutamic acid and phenylalanine /Curr Sci., 46 (1977) 554]."

Achievements