Epidemiology and clinical features of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract Current cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2019 to January 2020 at the Department of Pathology, Mardan Medical Complex (MMC), Mardan, and District Headquarter Hospital North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of leishmaniasis and its associated risk factors in selected districts of KP province, Pakistan. Altogether, three hundred and seventy-four (n=374) leishmaniosis patients were included in the current study. Skin specimen from the ulcer border were collected. The slides were stained by Giemsa stain and examined for the presence of amastigote. The prevalence of leishmania infected patients in different region of KP were as follows: North Waziristan region 53.7 (n=201) District Mardan 34.7% (n=130); District Nowshera 6.7% (n=25), District Swabi 1.1% (n=4) and other Districts i.e. Dir, Malakand, Buner and Bajawarr were 3.7% (n=14). The frequency of leishmaniasis were more in male and majority of the infected patients were in the age group of <10 years. Among n=374 patients 95.7% (n= 358) had cutaneous leishmaniasis while 3% (n= 11) had mucocutaneous type of infection and 1.3% (n= 5) patients had both cutaneous and mucocutaneous infection. Upon treatment by Sodium stibogluconate (SSG) 97% (n=362) showed clinical signs of complete or partial recovery of their skin lesions. Conclusively, highest incidence of leishmania infection occurred during short study period and majority of the cases showed positive response to treatment.

Snapshot of the Probiotic Potential of Kluveromyces marxianus DMKU-1042 Using a Comparative Probiogenomics Approach

Kluyveromyces marxianus is a rapidly growing thermotolerant yeast that secretes a variety of lytic enzymes, utilizes different sugars, and produces ethanol. The probiotic potential of this yeast has not been well explored. To evaluate its probiotic potential, the yeast strain Kluyveromyces marxianus DMKU3-1042 was analyzed using next-generation sequencing technology. Analysis of the genomes showed that the yeast isolates had a GC content of 40.10-40.59%. The isolates had many genes related to glycerol and mannose metabolism, as well as genes for acetoin and butanediol metabolism, acetolactate synthase subunits, and lactic acid fermentation. The strain isolates were also found to possess genes for the synthesis of different vitamins and Coenzyme A. Genes related to heat and hyperosmotic shock tolerance, as well as protection against reactive oxygen species were also found. Additionally, the isolates contained genes for the synthesis of lysine, threonine, methionine, and cysteine, as well as genes with anticoagulation and anti-inflammatory properties. Based on our analysis, we concluded that the strain DMKU3-1042 possesses probiotic properties that make it suitable for use in food and feed supplementation.

Genetic engineering of bacteriophages: Key concepts, strategies, and applications

Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entity in the world and hold a tremendous amount of unexplored genetic information. Since their discovery, phages have drawn a great deal of attention from researchers despite their small size. The development of advanced strategies to modify their genomes and produce engineered phages with desired traits has opened new avenues for their applications. This review presents advanced strategies for developing engineered phages and their potential antibacterial applications in phage therapy, disruption of biofilm, delivery of antimicrobials, use of endolysin as an antibacterial agent, and altering the phage host range. Similarly, engineered phages find applications in eukaryotes as a shuttle for delivering genes and drugs to the targeted cells, and are used in the development of vaccines and facilitating tissue engineering. The use of phage display-based specific peptides for vaccine development, diagnostic tools, and targeted drug delivery is also discussed in this review. The engineered phage-mediated industrial food processing and biocontrol, advanced wastewater treatment, phage-based nano-medicines, and their use as a bio-recognition element for the detection of bacterial pathogens are also part of this review. The genetic engineering approaches hold great potential to accelerate translational phages and research. Overall, this review provides a deep understanding of the ingenious knowledge of phage engineering to move them beyond their innate ability for potential applications.

Efficient Azo Dye Biodecolorization System Using Lignin-Co-Cultured White-Rot Fungus

The extensive use of azo dyes by the global textile industry induces significant environmental and human health hazards, which makes efficient remediation crucial but also challenging. Improving dye removal efficiency will benefit the development of bioremediation techniques for textile effluents. In this study, an efficient system for azo dye (Direct Red 5B, DR5B) biodecolorization is reported, which uses the white-rot fungus Ganoderma lucidum EN2 and alkali lignin. This study suggests that the decolorization of DR5B could be effectively enhanced (from 40.34% to 95.16%) within 48 h in the presence of alkali lignin. The dye adsorption test further confirmed that the alkali-lignin-enhanced decolorization of DR5B was essentially due to biodegradation rather than physical adsorption, evaluating the role of alkali lignin in the dye biodegradation system. Moreover, the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis and DR5B decolorization experiments also indicated that alkali lignin carried an excellent potential for promoting dye decolorization and displayed a significant role in improving the activity of lignin-modifying enzymes. This was mainly because of the laccase-mediator system, which was established by the induced laccase activity and lignin-derived small aromatic compounds.

Fungal-Modified Lignin-Enhanced Physicochemical Properties of Collagen-Based Composite Films

Renewable and biodegradable materials have attracted broad attention as alternatives to existing conventional plastics, which have caused serious environmental problems. Collagen is a potential material for developing versatile film due to its biosafety, renewability, and biodegradability. However, it is still critical to overcome the low mechanical, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the collagen film for food packaging applications. To address these limitations, we developed a new technology to prepare composite film by using collagen and fungal-modified APL (alkali pretreatment liquor). In this study, five edible and medical fungi, Cunninghamella echinulata FR3, Pleurotus ostreatus BP3, Ganoderma lucidum EN2, Schizophyllum commune DS1 and Xylariaceae sp. XY were used to modify the APL, and that showed that the modified APL significantly improved the mechanical, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of APL/Collagen composite films. Particularly, the APL modified by BP3, EN2 and XY showed preferable performance in enhancing the properties of the composite films. The tensile strength of the film was increased by 1.5-fold in the presence of the APL modified by EN2. To further understand the effect of fungal-biomodified APL on the properties of the composite films, a correlation analysis between the components of APL and the properties of composite films was conducted and indicated that the content of aromatic functional groups and lignin had a positive correlation with the enhanced mechanical and antioxidant properties of the composite films. In summary, composite films prepared from collagen and fungal biomodified APL showed elevated mechanical, antibacterial and antioxidant properties, and the herein-reported novel technology prospectively possesses great potential application in the food packaging industry.

Evaluation of outcome of Coronavirus disease 2019 patients receiving RAAS inhibitors (OCRAS study): a prospective observational study of Bangladeshi hypertensive patients

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Beximco Pharmaceutical Limited, Bangladesh

OnBehalf

Cardiology Study Group (Bangladesh)

Background

The fact that SAARS-Cov2 virus enters cells through ACE2 receptors and the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors (RAASi) upregulate the ACE2 receptors, there was speculation that use of RAASi may lead increased cellular entry of the virus.  There was a pause for a brief period of the use of RAASi in COVID 19 patients. But clinically the speculation has been found to be incorrect. Different professional societies come up with the assertion to continue to use RAASi. As the hesitancy among the clinicians appears to continue and there is no first hand data regarding the safety of the use of RAASi in Bangladeshi population, the study was undertaken to evaluate the safety of RAASi in COVID 19 patients.

Aims & Methods

This study was a prospective, observational multi-center study to evaluate the outcome of COVID-19 patients receiving RAAS inhibitors. Adult Hypertensive patients (age ≥18 years) with diagnosed COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR test who have a history of taking either ACE inhibitor/ARB or any other anti-hypertensive medication. Evaluation of outcome was assessed by rate of hospitalization, requirement of oxygen therapy, requirement of high flow nasal cannula, admission to ICU and mortality between two groups. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS for Windows, version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Results

We collected data from 147 Covid-19 positive patients confirmed by RT-PCR. Among them, 117 (79.6%) had a history of taking RAAS inhibitor and 30 had history of taking other antihypertensive medications. Of them, two-third patients had more than 50 years of age and more than half of the patients had overweight or obesity. Other than hypertension they had several comorbidities such as Diabetes Mellitus (45.4%), Ischemic Heart Diseases (35.4%), Asthma or COPD (15%) etc. Rate of hospitalization had no statistical difference between RAAS inhibitor group and other hypertensive group (48.7% vs 46.70% respectively; p-value - 0.841). There was no statistical difference between two groups in terms of requirement of oxygen therapy (p-value - 0.297), High Flow Nasal Cannula (p-value - 0.430), intensive care unit (p-value - 0.194) and death (p-value – 0.383) also. Almost half and one-third of the patients had persistence of symptoms even after 14 days and 28 days respectively. Fatigue, cough, breathlessness, loss of appetite and taste were the most common symptoms among those.

Conclusion

In our study we found that RAAS inhibitor treatment had no adverse effect on the outcome of COVID-19 patients compared with other antihypertensive drugs. Patients may continue receiving ACEIs and ARBs for the treatment of any indication for RAASi without an increased risk of worse outcomes.

Biochemical, physiological, and growth evaluation of different chickpea genotypes under varying salinity regimes

Abstract Biochemical and physiological parameters, growth, and yield of field crops especially salt sensitive crops like chickpea are affected adversely by salinity in arid to semi-arid regions. To investigate the effect of different salinity levels on growth, biochemical and physiological parameters of chickpea genotypes, a pot experiment following CRD, two factor factorial design, was conducted in the glasshouse at the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan. Ten (10) kg of soil was filled in each pot and salinity levels were maintained @ S0= 0 mM NaCl, S1= 50 mM NaCl, S2= 100 mM NaCl and S3= 150 mM by applying NaCl and 5 genotypes of chickpea (KK-2, Bhakkar-2011, Bittle-98, Punjab-2008, and CM-98) were used. At crop maturity, growth parameters, physiological, biochemical, and ionic parameters were measured using standard analysis procedures. Salinity reduced the growth and yield of all genotypes, but the rate of decrease was different among the genotypes tested. From the results, a decrease in K concentration, K/Na ratio, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, N, and P was observed in all genotypes with the increase in salinity. An increase in salinity level increased the proline content (35.45%), crude protein (42%), H2O2 (19%), lipid peroxidation (62%), carbohydrates (23.22%), and Na+ concentration (137%). The highest level of salinity, 150 mM NaCl has exhibited the highest salinity stress in all parameters. Genotype KK-2 and Bhakkar-11 showed a lower rate of relative decrease in yield (4.5 and 12%), K+/Na+ ratio (23.34 and 11.47%), and K+ concentration (7.9 and 11%), respectively, and the lowest relative increase in Na+ accumulation (20.3 and 0.48%), @ 50 mM salinity compared to control. Genotype KK-2 and Bhakkar-11 proved better @ 50mM salinity. The findings suggest that the critical level of the salinity must be kept in mind and the salt-tolerant genotypes should be cultivated in salt affected soils.

Lernaeid parasites prevalence in commercial freshwater fish species at various fish farms in Pakistan

Reports abound on Lernaea parasitizing the brood stock, fingerlings, and marketable-sized culturable freshwater fish species in various parts of the world. We investigated seven small-scale aquaculture farms and how the prevailing Lernaea is impacting them. Randomly seven fish farms were selected to determine the prevalence percentage of lernaeid ectoparasites. Relevant information of the fishponds to estimate the various aspects such as effects of water source and quality, feed, stocking density, treatment used, and weight and length of fish, concerned with Lernaea infestation and prevalence was gathered. The results indicated that Catla catla (F. Hamilton, 1822) showed highest prevalence (41.7%) among the seven fish species, whereas Oreochromis niloticus showed zero. Other five fish species Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cirrhinus cirrhosis, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix showed 13.2%, 8.1%, 7.7%, 7.4%, 0.9% prevalence, respectively. In Royal Fish Farm 84.3% lernaeid infestation was observed, while no parasite was observed in the Vicent's Chunnian fish farm. The water source, quality, feed, fertilizers, stocking density, water temperature, and potential treatment options displayed varying tendencies among fish farms and prevalence. Depending on the weight and length, the highest prevalence (56.7%, and 66.7%) was observed in 3501-4000 g and 81-90 cm groups. The infestation rate varied in various fish body parts with the dorsal fin the most vulnerable organ and showed 2.3% overall prevalence (while 18.4% contribution within total 12.6% infestation). Out of 147 infected fish samples, 45 were extensively contaminated by Lernaea spread. In conclusion, our findings confirm that Lernaea could pose a considerable threat to marketable fish, and various treatment options should be educated to the farmers to help mitigate the spread and potential losses. Furthermore, Catla catla is more vulnerable to Lernaea infestation (41.7%), so are the fish species being cultured at higher stocking densities.

Effect of Moringa olifera leaves on growth and gut microbiota of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Moringa olifera on the growth and gut health of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The feed having 30% crude protein was prepared as an experimental diet with 4%, 8% and 10% M. olifera leaf supplementation, respectively. The control diet was devoid of M. olifera leaves. The 10 weeks feeding trial was carried out on 60 fish in aquaria. Fish was fed @ 3% of body weight twice a day. Diet with the high level of inclusion of M. olifera leaves significantly increased the growth rate, Survival Rate (SR), Specific Growth Rate (SGR) and Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCE) in all treatment groups compared to the control group. Similarly, Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) gradually decreased and found highly-significant. To check the gut health of the Tilapia, random samples were selected and dissected. Nutrient agar was used as culture media to check the growth of bacteria. Pour Plate Method was used for viable colonies count by colony counter. Through staining method, the different bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were identify abundantly in the intestine of control diet fish but less number present in treatment diets groups. These results showed that M. olifera leaves up to 10% of dietary protein can be used for Nile tilapia for significant growth and healthy gut microbiota of fish.

CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering: A new breakthrough in the genetic manipulation of filamentous fungi

Filamentous fungi have several industrial, environmental, and medical applications. However, they are rarely utilized owing to the limited availability of full-genome sequences and genetic manipulation tools. Since the recent discovery of the full-genome sequences for certain industrially important filamentous fungi, CRISPR/Cas9 technology has drawn attention for the efficient development of engineered strains of filamentous fungi. CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has been successfully applied to diverse filamentous fungi. In this review, we briefly discuss the use of common genetic transformation techniques as well as CRISPR/Cas9-based systems in filamentous fungi. Furthermore, we describe potential limitations and challenges in the practical application of genome engineering of filamentous fungi. Finally, we provide suggestions and highlight future research prospects in the area.

Viability and Composition Validation of Commercial Probiotic Products by Selective Culturing Combined with Next-Generation Sequencing

The consumption of dietary supplements to treat health complications or to improve overall health conditions has become a globally increasing trend that leads to the development of a large number of health-related novel products and expands the associated manufacturing industries around the world. In the current study, we applied selective culturing combined with next-generation sequencing to examine the microbial viability in terms of its culturability on culture medium, composition, and possible contamination in the selected 17 commercial probiotic products sold in the mainland China market. Additionally, the relative abundance of each individual bacterial content was also evaluated by using the generated sequencing reads. The tested probiotic product samples were subjected to Illumina HiSeq-2000 sequencing platform and thoroughly analyzed by the in-house developed bioinformatics pipeline. The comprehensive culturing and sequencing analysis revealed both viability and composition inaccuracy among the several tested probiotic products, however, no contaminant was identified during the analysis. Among the total, five probiotic products (29.41%) were found with an inaccurate or lower colony-forming unit (CFU) counts on culture media while four probiotic products (23.52%) have inaccurately labeled classification. This study provides an ideal qualitative and quantitative assessment approach, which can be used as a diagnostic tool for the accurate assessment of commercial probiotic supplements.

Study of Angiographic Relationship between Peripheral Arterial Diseases with the Involvement of Specific Coronary Artery Lesion

The purpose of this study was to investigate magnitude, pattern and involvement of previously unheralded coronary artery disease in patients suffering from clinically significant peripheral artery disease of lower limbs. This cross sectional study was carried out in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2014 to February 2015. Total 58 patients with clinically diagnosed peripheral arterial disease of lower limb undergoing angiographic evaluation. Selective CAG in addition to peripheral arteriography was performed in all the study population as per ACC/AHA guidelines for CAG (class IIa recommendation).In this study, it was documented that the proportion of coronary arterial disease was highest in LAD (63.9%) followed by LCX (55.6%), RCA (52.8%), and lowest LM (11.1%) in lesion with aorto-iliac segment. But the proportion of coronary arterial disease was highest in LCX (41.9%) followed by LAD (38.7%), RCA (35.5%), and lowest LM (12.9%) in lesion with femero-popliteal blood vessels. Similarly, the proportion of coronary arterial disease was highest in LCX (36.4%) followed by RCA (27.3%) and equal percentage in LAD and lowest in LM (9.1%) in tibioperoneal segment. Patients of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) having no symptoms of coronary artery disease (CAD) are more likely to have severe coronary artery involvement. Coronary angiogram should be done in patient with PAD to detect previously undetected CAD and pattern of PAD reflects the severity and involvement of coronary arteries.

Erratum: iPS-derived MSCs from an expandable bank to deliver a prodrug-converting enzyme that limits growth and metastases of human breast cancers

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/cddiscovery.2016.64.].

Bone morphogenetic protein 2/SMAD signalling in human ligamentocytes of degenerated and aged anterior cruciate ligaments

OBJECTIVE

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) degeneration leads to knee instability and favors osteoarthritis (OA) progression. During ageing the growth factor sensitivity of ligaments changes but nothing is known about BMP2-signalling and -sensitivity in degenerated ACLs. This study addressed the question whether a dysregulated BMP2 signalling might contribute to age- and OA-dependent ACL degeneration.

METHOD

ACL samples from patients with/without OA of different ages (<60 and ≥60 years, males, females) were graded histopathologically (n = 45). After stimulation of cultured ACL fibroblasts with 5 nM BMP2 for different time points, phosphorylation of SMAD1/5/8 and gene expression of crucial BMP2 signalling proteins, ligamentogenic and chondrogenic transcription factors, scleraxis (SCX) and SOX9, were analyzed.

RESULTS

ACL samples displayed different grades of degeneration, often associated with synovitis and calcium deposits. Degeneration correlated significantly with synovitis. ACL fibroblasts expressed BMP type I receptors ALK3 and ALK6 and the BMP type II receptor BMPRII. Donors could be divided into "responders" and "non responders" since their BMP2 mediated SMAD1/5/8 phosphorylation level differed. Basal ID1 expression was lower in cells derived from OA compared with non-OA patients and BMP2 led to an ID1 induction in both. Irrespective of BMP2 stimulation, the donor age significantly influenced the expression profile of BMP6 and SCX but not BMP signalling. The BMP2-mediated SMAD6 expression differed between OA and healthy ACL fibroblasts.

CONCLUSION

Our data indicate that the expression level of BMP2/SMAD target genes such as ID1 and SMAD6 was reduced in ACL fibroblasts derived from OA compared with non OA patients.

[Age-related peculiarities of the hypothalamo-hypophyseo-adrenal system in chronic heterotypic stress]

Age-related peculiarities of the adaptation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseo-adrenal system (HHAS) to the effect of heterotypic stress was studied experimentally in the context of stress-associated behavioral reactions. Young (3 month old), mature (6 month old) and aging (12 month old) Sprague Dawley rats (total number of animals equal to 36) were exposed to chronic heterotypic stressors for 7 days with the subsequent testing of their behavioral responses. Histological changes were studied in the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands as compared to age-matched control; immunohistochemical reactions were performed to demonstrate CRF, ACTH, ED1, PCNA and caspase-3 with subsequent image analysis. In the aging organism, as compared to young and mature animals, the degree of HHAS activation indicated the dissociation in its central part and adaptive desensitization prevention, typical to young and mature animals. Specifically, in the aging animals exposed to stress, high hypothalamic CRF expression was noted in association with relatively low hypophyseal ACTH expression and high level of adrenal activity. Reduced HHAS plasticity in the aging animals as compared to that in the other age groups, corresponded to their behavioral changes, demonstrating the reduced capacity of the aging organism to adapt to the exposure of unpredictably changing stressors.

Left ventricular noncompaction - a case report

Left Ventricular (LV) noncompaction is a rare disorder of endomyocardial morphogenesis. It has got a high mortality rate. It is frequently missed during diagnosis because of lack of suspicion and lack of definite diagnostic criteria. We are reporting a case of LV noncompaction in a Bangladeshi patient. Patient presented to us with history of repeated syncope. She had family history of sudden cardiac death. Clinically, there had a systolic murmur in left parasternal area. Her ECG showed different arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation, sinus bradycardia and Ventricular tachycardia. Her echocardiography showed features consistent with 'left ventricular noncompaction'. This is the first case report of this type in a Bangladeshi patient.

Bioabsorbable Vascular Scaffold: A Revolution in Coronary Intervention

Since the advent of percutaneous coronary angioplasty in 1977, immense experiment has been done to improve the outcome of the patients with coronary artery disease. Lot of trials have been done with angioplasty, bare metal stents, drug eluting stents, drug eluting balloons and other devices. Bioabsorbable vascular stents are relatively newcomers in this field with a lot of hope. We tried to update the latest status of Bioabsorbable vascular stents in this review, specially the short and midterm safety and efficacy and some of their limitations. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cardio.v6i2.18359 Cardiovasc. j. 2014; 6(2): 149-163

A Bioinformatics Approach for Homology Modeling and Binding Site Identification of Triosephosphate Isomerase from Plasmodium falciparum 3D7

Malaria is a major public health concern, and malarial parasites have developed resistance against the commonly available drugs. So now a days it is a major concern to find out a new target for drug therapy. Plasmodium falciparum 3D7, one of the strains of plasmodium species also lacks in a functional tricarboxylic acid cycle and solely dependent on glycolysis for its energy supply like other plasmodium species. Although enzymes of malarial parasite have been considered as potential antimalarial drug targets, a little is known about their structural biology. The tertiary structure of triose phosphate isomerase of P. falciparum 3D7 was determined by means of homology modeling through multiple alignment followed by intensive optimization and validation. The modeling was done by Swiss-Model Workspace. The obtained model was verified with the structure validation programs such as, PROCHECK, Verify3D, and QMEAN for reliability. The verify3D value of 0.69 indicates that the environment profile of the model is good. A self-optimized prediction method with alignment or SOPMA is employed for calculation of the secondary structural features of triose phosphate isomerase. The secondary structure indicates that the predicted 3D structure of triosephosphate isomerase of P. falciparum 3D7 contains 48.37% α-helix, 29.27% random coil, and 16.67% extended strand. Active site determination through CASTp suggests that this protein can be utilized as a potential drug target. However, these will further be tested by wet lab studies for a targeted vaccine design against P. falciparum 3D7.

[Age-related changes of the pituitary folliculo-stellate cells in rats in chronic stress]

Folliculo-stellate cells are known as S-100 protein immunopositive cells of the anterior lobe of pituitary gland which are not secreting hormones and are presumed to be organ specific stem cells of the adenohypophys. Their role in adaptation of the body to stress remains unclear.

AIM

To evaluate dynamics of folliculo-stellate and hormone-producing cells in rats of different age in chronic stress exposure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats aged 1, 3, 6 and 12 months were exposed to chronic immersion immobilization stress. Histological section of the pituitary glands were stained immunohistochemically with subsequent image analysis.

RESULTS

In control rats S-100 protein-immunopositive cells increased in number with age and negatively correlated with the number of ACTH-positive cells. In experimental animals aged 1 and 3 months volume density of S-100 protein-immunoreactive cells significantly decreased and negatively correlated with ACTH-positive cells, while in 6 month old rats it was only slightly decreased and in 12 months old animals showed tendency to increase.

CONCLUSIONS

Results of the study demonstrating capacity of the folliculo-stellate cells to contribute to the plasticity of the hypothalamo-hypophyseo-adrenal axis in chronic stress exposure at different age.

Pathological effects of sodium hypochlorite administration through drinking water in male Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica)

Fifty male Japanese quails of 40 days of age were divided into five equal groups viz. A, B, C, D, and E. Drinking water supplemented with sodium hypochlorite at dose level of 0, 25, 50, 200, and 400 mg chlorine/L, respectively was offered for 6 weeks. At the end of week 6 when no clinical signs of toxicity of sodium hypochlorite appeared, the birds in groups B and C were shifted to 100 mg chlorine/L drinking water, and this level was increased fourfold (400, 1600, 6400 mg chlorine/L drinking water) every week, till i.e., 10th week (70 day). Afterwards all the birds were killed. Depression and anorexia were prominent clinical signs observed. Reduction in feed intake, body weight, and hematological parameters appeared in a dose-dependant manner. Decreased serum total proteins and weights of liver, heart, and kidneys were recorded in birds receiving high levels of sodium hypochlorite. Intoxicated birds were emaciated. Decreased weight and volume of the testes were observed in birds receiving high levels of sodium hypochlorite. However, birds receiving 400 mg chlorine (group E) had smaller but functional testes. Birds receiving higher level of chlorine (groups B and C) had decreased weight and volume of testes, atrophied seminiferous tubules, and arrested spermatogenesis. It was concluded that sodium hypochlorite at high levels, that is, 6400 mg/L in drinking water is toxic to the quails; therefore, it should be used with caution in poultry farming as drinking water disinfectant.

Family tree of Markov models in systems biology

Motivated by applications in systems biology, a probabilistic framework based on Markov processes is proposed to represent intracellular processes. The formal relationships between different stochastic models referred to in the systems biology literature are reviewed. As part of this review, a novel derivation of the differential Chapman-Kolmogorov equation for a general multidimensional Markov process made up of both continuous and jump processes, is presented. First, the definition of a time-derivative for a probability density is focused, but placing no restrictions on the probability distribution, in particular, it is not assumed to be to be confined to a region that has a surface (on which the probability is zero). In this derivation, the master equation gives the jump part of the Markov process and the Fokker-Planck equation gives the continuous part. As a result, a 'family tree' for stochastic models in systems biology is sketched, providing explicit derivations of their formal relationship and clarifying assumptions involved.

MOZ and MORF, two large MYSTic HATs in normal and cancer stem cells

Genes of the human monocytic leukemia zinc-finger protein MOZ (HUGO symbol, MYST3) and its paralog MORF (MYST4) are rearranged in chromosome translocations associated with acute myeloid leukemia and/or benign uterine leiomyomata. Both proteins have intrinsic histone acetyltransferase activity and are components of quartet complexes with noncatalytic subunits containing the bromodomain, plant homeodomain-linked (PHD) finger and proline-tryptophan-tryptophan-proline (PWWP)-containing domain, three types of structural modules characteristic of chromatin regulators. Although leukemia-derived fusion proteins such as MOZ-TIF2 promote self-renewal of leukemic stem cells, recent studies indicate that murine MOZ and MORF are important for proper development of hematopoietic and neurogenic progenitors, respectively, thereby highlighting the importance of epigenetic integrity in safeguarding stem cell identity.

Deterministic modelling and stochastic simulation of biochemical pathways using MATLAB

The analysis of complex biochemical networks is conducted in two popular conceptual frameworks for modelling. The deterministic approach requires the solution of ordinary differential equations (ODEs, reaction rate equations) with concentrations as continuous state variables. The stochastic approach involves the simulation of differential-difference equations (chemical master equations, CMEs) with probabilities as variables. This is to generate counts of molecules for chemical species as realisations of random variables drawn from the probability distribution described by the CMEs. Although there are numerous tools available, many of them free, the modelling and simulation environment MATLAB is widely used in the physical and engineering sciences. We describe a collection of MATLAB functions to construct and solve ODEs for deterministic simulation and to implement realisations of CMEs for stochastic simulation using advanced MATLAB coding (Release 14). The program was successfully applied to pathway models from the literature for both cases. The results were compared to implementations using alternative tools for dynamic modelling and simulation of biochemical networks. The aim is to provide a concise set of MATLAB functions that encourage the experimentation with systems biology models. All the script files are available from www.sbi.uni-rostock.de/ publications_matlab-paper.html.

[Accidental thymic involution in the growing body under the effect of different types of stressors]

Using the quantitative immunohistochemistry, the immunomodulatory effect of different types of stressors (physical and psychoemotional) on the thymus of growing experimental animals was assessed. Sprague-Dawley rats aged 21 day were exposed either to physical (water immersion) or emotional "expectation" stress for 5 hours daily during 7 consecutive days. After the final exposure to stress, animals were sacrificed, thymus was obtained for weighting and was processed for routine histology and immunohistochemistry (CD3, CD8, ED1, PCNA) with subsequent automatic image analysis. The finding obtained have demonstrated severe accidental thymic involution in both groups of experimental animals, which was more prominent under the effect of the physical stressor as compared to "purely" psychoemotional stressor. The major factors of poststress thymic hypoplasia were the increased apoptosis of the cortical thymocytes and inhibition of their proliferation, but not their increased transport to peripheral immune organs.

The obstetric performance of United Kingdom asylum seekers from Somalia: a case-control study and literature review

BACKGROUND

Little published research exists regarding obstetric performance of immigrant women in the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to evaluate the obstetric performance and fetal outcomes of Somalian women who received prenatal care and requested to deliver at a teaching hospital in North London.

METHOD

This is a case-control study in which consecutive Somalian women were identified as index cases and the subsequent British-born Caucasian women listed in the delivery book served as controls.

RESULTS

69 index and 69 control cases were analyzed. Fifty-five percent of the Somalian women spoke little or no English. Half (50%) had undergone circumcision, the majority being type I WHO classification of female genital circumcision, which did not require significant surgical intervention prior to labor; 13% had cesarean sections, 13% instrumental vaginal deliveries, and 74% had vaginal deliveries. The Somalian women had higher parity (2.35 vs. 1.18) and were more likely to be grand multiparous (9/69 vs. 1/69) compared to controls. Epidural use was less frequent in Somalian women, but otherwise there were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to maternal age, rates of induction of labor, cesarean sections, duration of labor, premature deliveries, instrumental deliveries, and birth weights.

CONCLUSIONS

The demographic characteristics of the Somalian female population appear to exert minimal effect on obstetric and fetal outcomes. This may be due to the increased vigilance exercised by health professionals as well as to the fact that recent arrivals are from more urban and westernized areas in Somalia.

A systems- and signal-oriented approach to intracellular dynamics

A mathematical understanding of regulation, and, in particular, the role of feedback, has been central to the advance of the physical sciences and technology. In this article, the framework provided by systems biology is used to argue that the same can be true for molecular biology. In particular, and using basic modular methods of mathematical modelling which are standard in control theory, a set of dynamic models is developed for some illustrative cell signalling processes. These models, supported by recent experimental evidence, are used to argue that a control theoretical approach to the mechanisms of feedback in intracellular signalling is central to furthering our understanding of molecular communication. As a specific example, a MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signalling pathway is used to show how potential feedback mechanisms in the signalling process can be investigated in a simulated environment. Such ‘what if’ modelling/simulation studies have been an integral part of physical science research for many years. Using tools of control systems analysis, as embodied in the disciplines of systems biology, similar predictive modelling/simulation studies are now bearing fruit in cell signalling research.

Effect of pH on physiology of Metarhizium anisopliae for production of swainsonine

The effect of pH on the production of swainsonine and fungal morphology at different stages of fermentation of Metarhizium anisopliae was investigated. When no control was applied, the pH of the culture dropped from 6.5 to 3.8 within the first 72 hours and the concentration of swainsonine reached 43.3 mg 1(-1). When the pH was held constant either at the beginning or throughout the fermentation, the maximum recorded swainsonine level was only 8.4 mg 1(-1) corresponding with an increase in the formation of pellets. A late pH control applied after 72 hours, resulted in a swainsonine titer of 45.5 mg 1(-1).

Gentamicin induced dose related alterations in lipid levels and lipid peroxidation in central auditory pathway of the rat

A study was carried out on the effect of gentamicin on the central auditory pathway in rats. Rats were administered graded doses of gentamicin (60 mg, 100 mg and 160 mg/kg b.wt., i.m.) daily for 21 days. Levels of total lipids, phospholipids and cholesterol showed dose related increment in the central auditory pathway. On the other hand, the rate of lipid peroxidation was inhibited in all regions of the central auditory pathway of the rat.

Localisation of the spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve in the rabbit

The spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve (SNA) was localised in eight adult rabbits by a retrograde degeneration technique using thionine as a stain for the Nissl substance. The SNA was found to extend from the caudal one fifth of the medulla oblongata to the cranial one fourth of the sixth cervical segment. In the caudal part of the medulla oblongata, the SNA was located in the dorsal part of the detached ventral grey column. In the first cervical segment, the SNA was dorsolateral to the dorsomedial column and dorsal to the ventromedial column of the ventral grey column. In the cranial part of the second cervical segment, the SNA shifted laterally to the lateral margin of the ventral grey column. After this lateral shift, the SNA was located in the lateral part of the ventral grey column of the second, third and fourth cervical segments. In the fifth and cranial one fourth of the sixth cervical segments, the SNA was not a well defined column of cells but was represented by isolated cells scattered in the ventral part of the ventral grey column between the phrenic nucleus and the ventral border of the grey matter. The total number of chromatolysed cells found in the SNA of the right experimental side varied from 2723 to 3210.

Structures passing through the triangular space of the human upper limb

Structures passing through the triangular space of the human upper limb have been studied in 50 upper limbs from 25 cadavers. In all the specimens used in this study, a branch of the circumflex scapular artery with an accompanying vein was found to pass through this space.

The attachments of the lateral and medial ends of the extensor retinaculum of the human wrist

The attachments of the lateral and medial ends of the extensor retinaculum of the human wrist were observed in 52 human upper limbs (from 26 cadavers) by dissection. In all the specimens used in this study, the lateral end of the retinaculum was found to be attached to the distal part of the anterior border of the radius and its medial end was attached to the styloid process of the ulna, the pisiform and the triquetrum.

Localization of the phrenic nucleus in the spinal cord of the rabbit

The motor fibres of the phrenic nerve arise in the cervical portion of the spinal cord from a group of lower motor neuron cell bodies called the 'phrenic nucleus'. The phrenic nucleus of the rabbit has been located by cutting the right phrenic nerve (phrenicotomy) in the neck and observing retrograde degeneration (chromatolysis) in the cells of the ventral grey horn of the spinal cord 2-4 weeks later. The phrenic nucleus in the rabbit was found to extend from the fourth to the sixth cervical segment. It lay in the caudal half to three fourths of the fourth, the whole of the fifth and the cranial half to two thirds of the sixth segment. The phrenic nucleus in the rabbit is a longitudinal column of cells lying between the ventromedial and the ventrolateral columns of the ventral grey horn of the spinal cord. In the fourth and fifth cervical segments, the phrenic nucleus of the rabbit is dorso-medial to the ventrolateral column and dorsolateral to the ventromedial column. In the sixth segment it is dorsomedial to the ventrolateral column but lateral to the ventromedial column. The total number of chromatolysed cells found in the right phrenic nucleus (after right phrenicotomy in the neck) varied between 1496 and 1754. The chromatolysed cells had a peculiar and characteristic orientation in that in a frontal section they appeared longer than broad with their long axes almost parallel ti the longitudinal axis of the spinal cord.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: People with metabolic syndrome are twice as likely to die from, and three times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared with people without the syndrome. People with metabolic syndrome have a five-fold greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We investigated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Methods: It was a cross sectional study. The study was conducted in Department of Biochemistry, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet & Diabetic Hospital, Sylhet. The study was conducted From July 2008 to June 2009 among 200 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients with age >20 years. Along with blood glucose, different components of metabolic syndrome was assessed, i.e. serum triglyceride level, serum HDL level, blood pressure and waist circumference. Results- Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 73.5% according to NCEP-ATP III criteria, 81.0% according to modified NCEP-ATP III criteria, 82.5% according to modified WHO criteria and 61.0% according to IDF criteria. All variables other than waist hip ratio and fasting blood sugar had statistically significant higher mean values among patients with metabolic syndrome than patients without metabolic syndrome. Conclusion: It may be concluded that prevalence of metabolic syndrome is considerable in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients in our population. The considerable prevalence of metabolic syndrome in our population is implicative of an alarming risk of cardiovascular disease in future. Keywords: Metabolic syndrome; Type II diabetes mellitus. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cardio.v4i1.9385 Cardiovasc. J. 2011; 4(1): 17-25

Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Cardiovascular Care

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) refers to a broad set of health care practices that are not part of a country’s own tradition and are not integrated into the dominant health care system. Herbal remedies, dietary supplements, acupuncture, homeopathy, ayurveda, unani, traditional Chinese medicine, prayer, yoga and meditation are the common examples. CAM therapies often represent an enormous area of unregulated and widely practised therapeutics with an inadequate scientific literature. However, there is emerging evidence that some of the CAM therapies are effective in certain clinical conditions. Presently, throughout the world, there is rampant growth of CAM industries, and increasing number of reputed pharmaceutical companies are producing herbals and dietary supplements. Herbal products used for cardiovascular purposes include garlic, hawthorn, ginkgo, horse chestnut and arjun. These substances are often popularly believed to be ‘natural’, hence safe. But adverse reactions including deaths have been reported with some of the CAM products. There is also growing concern for significant drug interaction among commonly used herbals, dietary supplements and cardiovascular drugs. At present, CAM therapies may best be regarded as an adjunct to standard medical care. More scientific research and strict regulation by standard national and international authorities are needed to ensure their efficacy and safety in cardiovascular care. Key words: Complementary and alternative medicine, Herbals, Cardiovascular care. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cardio.v1i1.8211 Cardiovasc. j. 2008; 1(1) : 84-96

Coronary Artery Dissection and Perforation Complicating Percutaneous Coronary Intervention – A Review

After its introduction by Andrew R. Gruentzig in 1977 percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely utilized in the treatment of symptomatic coronary artery disease. Though it has numerous benefits, serious and potentially life-threatening complications of PCI can occur, including iatrogenic coronary artery dissection and perforation. The incidence of these complications has been augmented by the development of coronary interventional devices intended to remove or ablate tissue. Here we review the classification, incidence, pathogenesis, clinical sequelae and management of coronary artery dissection and perforation in the current era due to PCI. Specifically, the current angiographic classifications of coronary artery dissections and perforations are reviewed. The findings of several recent, registries of PCI-related coronary artery perforations and dissection are summarized. The management of coronary artery dissection and perforation is discussed in details, including the application of newer modalities such as covered stents. Keywords: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); Coronary artery dissection DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cardio.v3i2.9198   Cardiovasc. J. 2011; 3(2): 239-247

Study And Analysis Of Stem Cell Therapy And Its Ethical Consideration

The controversy surrounding stem cell research led to an intense debate about ethics. Up until the recent years, the research method mainly focused on Embryonic Stem Cells, which involves taking tissue from an aborted embryo to get proper material to study. This is typically done just days after conception or between the 5th and 9th week. Since then, researchers have moved on to more ethical study methods, such as Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS). iPS is artificially derived from a non-pluripotent cell, such as adult somatic cells. This is probably an important advancement in stem cell research, since it allows researchers to obtain pluripotent stem cells, which are important in research, without the controversial use of embryos. Nowadays stem cell treatment has been spreaded throughout the world. It has also been grown commercially in developed countries. This paper assesses the stem cell treatment as well as its impact in human life. It also examines specific stem cell therapy market that proves far reaching effect in world economy. Though various organizations have made it as a controversial issue the analysis shows that stem cell treatment has brought positive dimension in human society. A discussion has been made about the ethical issues of stem cell research and therapy; which focus how recent biotechnology and biological understandings of development narrow the debate. It is thought that one day it may be the major key to treat various diseases. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bioethics.v1i3.9631 Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2010; 1(3): 22-34