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Research Article
Apr 15, 2013
Antiproliferative effect of hydroethanolic extracts of seeds of Cola verticillata and leaves of Sol ... anum scabrum
Hydroethanolic extracts of leaves of Solanum scabrum and seeds of Cola verticillata were analysed for anticancer properties. A MTT assay was done to evaluate their antiproliferative properties after 24 and 48 h treatment with varying concentrations. qRT-PCR was used to evaluate the modulation of seven genes involved in apoptosis and angiogenesis after treating cells with 10 and 50 μg/ml of extracts of C. verticillata and S. scabrum. IC50s for treatment with S. scabrum were 15.00 and 11.30 μg/ml after 24 and 48 h treatment respectively. While for C. verticillata, it was 19.83 and 15.30 μg/ml for 24 and 48 h treated cells respectively. Apoptotic genes (p53, BCL-2, and TNFa) were downregulated by both doses of C. verticillata except for the 10 μg/ml dose that led to the upregulation of TNFa. S. scabrum upregulated BCL-2 for both doses, p53 was upregulated by the higher dose while the lower dose did not modulate the expression of p53. TNFa was downregulated by both doses. All selected angiogenic genes (ICAM-1, PDGF, and VEGF) were downregulated by both extracts and at both doses. The DNA repair associated gene (ERCC1) was found to be downregulated by both extracts
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Research Article
Mar 06, 2013
The effect of ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera on alcohol-induced testicular histopathologies ... in pre-pubertal albino Wistar rats
Excessive use of alcoholic beverages has identified alcoholism as one of modern society’s major problems. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of Moringa oleifera on alcohol-induced testicular toxicities in prepubertal Wistar rats. Forty pre-pubertal Wistar rats were divided into 10 groups. Group 1–control, Group 2–M. oleifera only, Group 3–alcohol and then M. oleifera, Group 4–alcohol and M. oleifera, Group 5–M. oleifera and then alcohol, Group 6–alcohol only, Group 7–alcohol and then vitamin C, Group 8–vitamin C and alcohol, Group 9–vitamin C and then alcohol, and Group 10–vitamin C only. Alcohol caused numerous atrophies in the testes and damaged spermatogenic cells. M. oleifera and vitamin C however exhibited protective and reversibility effects. Results showed significant effect of M. oleifera on the testicular weight without any significant difference in body weight. In conclusion, M. oleifera ameliorates alcohol-induced testicular toxicities with its antioxidant properties comparable to vitamin C
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Research Article
Feb 25, 2013
Latex Agglutination Test: A tool for rapid diagnosis of Rotavirus from HIV sero-positive and sero-ne ... gative patients with diarrhea
The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of Rotavirus in HIV sero-positive and sero-negative patients with diarrhea using a rapid Latex agglutination test and to correlate it with the clinical symptoms. A total of 126 patients (74 HIV sero-positive and 52 HIV sero-negative) with diarrhea were enrolled for this study. Of the total study population, 100 (79.37%) were adults and 26 (20.63%) were children. The incidence of acute diarrhea was 54 (42.86%) and chronic diarrhea was 72 (57.14%). Statistically, the difference between them was found to be significant (p = 3.33E–06). Chronic diarrhea was seen in 55 (74.32%) HIV sero-positive patients and acute diarrhea was seen in 35 (67.31%) HIV sero-negative patients. Rotavirus was detected in 9 (12.16%) HIV sero-positive patients and in 3 (5.56%) HIV sero-negative patients. Rotavirus positivity was higher in HIV sero-positive patients than in HIV sero-negative patients. Latex agglutination test was found to be a good tool for an easy and rapid detection of Rotavirus in stool specimen, making it an ideal bedside procedure
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Research Article
Feb 20, 2013
Effects of alpha lipoic acid on blood lipids, renal indices, antioxidant enzymes, insulin and gluco ... se level in streptozotocin-diabetic rats
This study investigated the effects of ALA on blood lipids, renal indices, antioxidant activities, glycemic control, and insulin level in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic in laboratory rats. The rats used were either administered alpha lipoic acid (ALA) (test group) or distilled water (control group) orally for four weeks after being confirmed diabetic. Timed fasting blood glucose (FBG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measurements were performed on days 0, 7, and 14. Serum collected from all control and diabetic rats at the end of the experiment were analysed for insulin, lipid profile, antioxidant, and lipid peroxidation indicators. Administration of ALA lowers the FBG in STZ-induced diabetic rats inspite of producing no significant effect on insulin level. ALA significantly improves on the lipid profile and renal functions in diabetic rats by reducing the low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), and increased creatinine levels respectively. It also increased the activities of endogenous superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH), thus increasing body antioxidant capacity. Oral administration of ALA improves glucose regulation, increased the activities of endogenous antioxidants in combating oxidative stress under diabetic condition in experimental rats.
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Research Article
Feb 20, 2013
Effects of alpha lipoic acid on blood lipids, renal indices, antioxidant enzymes, insulin and gluco ... se level in streptozotocin-diabetic rats
This study investigated the effects of ALA on blood lipids, renal indices, antioxidant activities, glycemic control, and insulin level in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic in laboratory rats. The rats used were either administered alpha lipoic acid (ALA) (test group) or distilled water (control group) orally for four weeks after being confirmed diabetic. Timed fasting blood glucose (FBG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) measurements were performed on days 0, 7, and 14. Serum collected from all control and diabetic rats at the end of the experiment were analysed for insulin, lipid profile, antioxidant, and lipid peroxidation indicators. Administration of ALA lowers the FBG in STZ-induced diabetic rats inspite of producing no significant effect on insulin level. ALA significantly improves on the lipid profile and renal functions in diabetic rats by reducing the low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), and increased creatinine levels respectively. It also increased the activities of endogenous superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH), thus increasing body antioxidant capacity. Oral administration of ALA improves glucose regulation, increased the activities of endogenous antioxidants in combating oxidative stress under diabetic condition in experimental rats.
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Research Article
Sep 12, 2012
Young women perceptions towards genetic testing of breast cancer
The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of young women towards genetic testing for breast cancer. An in-depth interview was conducted among 26 young women who were chosen randomly from the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (FHLS), Management and Science University (MSU), Shah Alam, Malaysia. Writing the answers of the participants was used with participant permission to make notes about her answer and the interview took approximately 40–60 minutes. The majority of the study participants (85%) knew about the genetic test of breast cancer. Regarding the source of the information, 8 (30.8%) reported that they knew about the genetic test of breast cancer from the internet, followed by 7 (26.9%) from lecturer, 4 (15.4%) from textbooks, 3 (11.5%) from newspapers, 2 (7.6%) from magazines, and 1 (3.8%) from her friend. Most of the participants 23 (88.5%) mentioned that they would introduce the genetic test of the breast cancer to their familes and friends. However, 3 (11.5%) mentioned that they would not recommend breast cancer genetic test to their families and friends. In conclusion, majority of participants knew about the genetic test of breast cancer. The majority of the young women were willing to perform breast cancer genetic test because they were concerned about their health, considering the genetic test of the breast cancer as a prevention measure, positive family history of breast cancer and for early detection. About quarter of participants reported that they would not perform any genetic test in the future because of the cost of the test, no family history of breast cancer, knowing the future diseases would make the life miserable, impact of the genetic test on quality of life, and the test had not been recognized yet.
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Research Article
Jul 20, 2012
Sesame seed oil and flaxseed oil affect plasma lipid levels and biomarkers of bone metabolism in ... ovariectomized Wistar rats
The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of flaxseed oil (FO) and sesame seed oil (SO) on lowering cholesterol and biomarkers of bone metabolism in Wistar rats as an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model. Thirty-two 90-day-old female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham-operated (sham) +control diet, ovx + control diet, ovx + 10% (FO), and ovx + 10% (SO). After 4 weeks of feeding, rats were euthanized and tissues and blood were collected for analyses. The total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose concentration, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase activity (TRAP) were measured. Results showed that ovariectomy significantly increased serum total – and LDL-cholesterol, these two parameters decreased significantly upon treatment with FO and SO. Serum HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations, and liver total cholesterol concentrations were unaffected by either of the treatments. The TRAP and ALP activities increased significantly in OVX rats compared with the sham group. A significant decrease in ALP and TRAP activities was observed in both treated groups supplemented with FO and SO at 10% of fat (p < 0.05). The ovariectomy, FO, and SO diets did not affect glucose levels. The findings of this study showed that FO and SO are beneficial in reducing plasma cholesterol, LDL- (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, and bone biomarkers induced by ovarian hormone deficiency.
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Research Article
Jul 01, 2012
Activity levels of phosphatases of the air-breathing cat fish Mystus cavasius exposed to electropl ... ating industrial effluent chromium
In India chromium is widely used in all electroplating industries. Chromium in electroplating industrial effluent has been shown to inhibit many enzymes at different segments of metabolism. Chromium especially inhibits pyruvate oxidases system and phosphatases. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of effluent chromium on phosphatases on exposure to sub-lethal concentration (0.25%) for a period of 24, 48, and 72 h and 15 d. Activity levels of acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase decreased significantly in the gill and air bladder tissues of experimental catfish, Mystus cavasius, when compared with that of controls.
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Research Article
Jul 01, 2012
Evaluation of plasma superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in type 2 diabetic patients
Antioxidants are agents that protect, prevent, or reduce the extent of oxidative damage to biomolecules. These agents may be enzymatic, non-enzymatic, or metal chelators. The enzymatic antioxidants include catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). SOD, a copper, zinc and manganese-containing enzyme, reacts with superoxide radical to form hydrogen peroxide, which is then converted to water by GPx (a glutathione-dependent selenoprotein), or catalase, a heme enzyme. Decreased activity of these antioxidant enzymes may increase the susceptibility of diabetic patients to oxidative injury. An appropriate support of antioxidant supplies may help in preventing clinical complications of diabetes. In view of this, supplementary trace elements such as selenium, copper, zinc, and manganese, essential components of the enzymes, may be useful in preventing the development of diabetic complications. There are number of factors that affect an individual’s oxidative status that include gender, age, body composition, smoking status, diet, physical activity level, and the strength of defense mechanism. Hence, this study was carried out to see the relationship of these factors with antioxidant enzymes in clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients.
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Research Article
Jul 01, 2012
Aerobic bacteriology of chronic suppurative otitis media in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India
This is an aerobic bacteriological study of chronic suppurative otitis media to identify common pathogens and to evaluate their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Hundred and fifty patients who had chronic ear discharge and had not received antibiotics recently were selected. Swabs were taken and cultured for bacteria aerobically. Antibiotic testing was done using modified Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. In addition to the usual antibiotics, three antibiotics commonly available as topical ear drops were tested. There were 192 bacterial isolates comprising mainly Staphylococcus aureus (36%), Proteus species (32%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (24%), and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (20%). Among the topical antibiotics, ciprofloxacin had the highest susceptibility rate (89%) for all the isolates tested followed by gentamicin (76.5%) and chloramphenicol (59.3%).
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Research Article
Jul 01, 2012
45, XO karyotype in women with atypical Turner’s syndrome presentation
Turner’s syndrome (TS) is one of the important chromosomal disorders with loss of one sex chromosome in females. The characteristic features include short stature, webbed neck and poorly developed secondary sexual characters. Here we report four cases of TS (one asymptomatic and three symptomatic) who were admitted at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital with general health complaints. Further diagnosis was followed and discussed. Karyotyping was performed, which confirmed the presence of TS with presentation of 45, XO karyotype.
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Research Article
Jul 01, 2012
In vitro antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants used by tribes in Warangal district (An ... dhra Pradesh), India
India has rich heritage of using medicinal plants in traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani besides folklore practices. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of different plant extracts. The antimicrobial activities of some plant species (Phyllanthus emblica, Tinospora cordifolia, Eclipta alba, and Cassia occidentalis) extracts were evaluated against four bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli) by the disc diffusion method. Phyllanthus emblica and T. cordifolia had better activity against all the tested organisms compared to other plant extract fractions. Aqueous fraction of C. occidentalis and P. emblica showed high activity against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus bacteria. n-Hexane fraction of T. cordifolia showed high activity against E. coli (162 ml/g), P. aeruginosa (162 ml/g), and S. aureus (162 ml/g) bacteria.
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Research Article
Jul 01, 2012
Attempt at the determination of aluminum nitrate LD50 and the study of its neurotoxicological ef ... fect in Wistar rat
Values of oral lethal dose of aluminum (Al) nitrate are extremely different and rare in the literature. The study is an attempt to determine the oral LD50 of aluminum nitrate in the Wistar rats and to measure the effect of the high doses of this aluminum compound on rats’ different organs, on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and on acetylcholine (ACh) levels in the hippocampus. Four groups of male Wistar rats are used (n = 28). The treated groups receive three doses of aluminum nitrate (Al1 = 2,500 mg/kg, Al2 = 3,500 mg/kg, and Al3 = 4,500 mg/kg) once by gavage, while control rats receive tap water. All rats are examined twice daily for mortality and impairment during the 2-week experiment. The bodyweight (BW) is measured at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. Dissection is realized for each dyed rat and the dosage of AChE activity and ACh levels is realized at the end of the experiment by colorimetric method. The obtained results show that the higher dose (Al3) kills 30% of the rats under study and causes spleens’ dark discoloration in the dyed rats. Both Al2 and Al3 decrease significantly the spleen weight (p < 0.01) and AChE activity (p < 0.01), but increase significantly the ACh levels (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively), in hippocampus of rats. Even if the lethal dose of aluminum nitrate is not reached, the effect of the high acute doses on viscera and cholinergic system is demonstrated.
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Research Article
Jul 01, 2012
Study of TORCH profile in patients with bad obstetric history
Infections caused by TORCH complex - Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV) - are causes of bad obstetric history (BOH). TORCH infections are generally mild in the mother but can prove disastrous to the fetus. The degree of severity depends on the gestational age of the fetus; when infected, the virulence can damage the fetus in the developmental stages and also increase the severity of maternal disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of TORCH infections in pregnancy wastage in women with BOH in south Indian population. This study reports the prevalence of Toxoplasma, Rubella, CMV, and HSV-II infections in randomly selected 86 pregnant women by demonstrating the presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies using ELISA kits. Immunoglobulin M antibodies were positive in six patients (6.97%) for Toxoplasma, four (4.65%) for Rubella, Nil for CMV, and one (1.69%) for HSV-II. Immunoglobulin G antibodies were positive in 18 patients (20.93%) for Toxoplasma, 25 (29.06%) for Rubella, 20 (23.25%) for CMV, and 16 (18.60%) for HSV-II. It was evident that among the TORCH pathogens, our study group did suffer from Toxoplasma and Rubella to a larger extent compared with CMV and HSV-II viruses. Hence, from this study, we conclude that all antenatal cases with BOH should be routinely screened for TORCH for early diagnosis so that appropriate intervention at early stages can help in proper management of these cases.
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Research Article
Apr 06, 2012
Effect of Guibourtia tessmannii extracts on blood lipids and oxidative stress markers in triton WR ... 1339 and high fat diet induced hyperlipidemic rats
The present study evaluated the effect of aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of Guibourtia tessmannii on blood lipids and oxidative stress markers in both triton (WR-1339) and high fat diet induced hyperlipidemic rat models. Results revealed that treatment of tritonized hyperlipidemic rats with G.tessmannii extracts at dose of 200 mg/kg BW resulted in a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and lipid peroxide (MDA) levels (p<0.05). In high fat diet induced hyperlipidemic rats model, feeding with the atherogenic diet for 30 days significantly increased the plasma levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, LDL/HDL, TC/HDL ratios, as well as a significant elevation of lipid peroxide levels in both plasma and liver. Co-administration of the G.tessmannii extracts at dose of 200 mg/kg BW along with a high fat diet reversed these changes. These beneficial effects could be attributed to the antioxidant activities of bioactive ingredients in both extracts.
