Browse publications by year: 2017

  1. Norazmi MN
    Virulence, 2017 10 03;8(7):1085-1087.
    PMID: 28605283 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1341035
    MeSH terms: Animals; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Nontuberculous Mycobacteria*; Interferon-beta*; Mice
  2. Yusoff NSN, Mustapha Z, Sharif SET, Govindasamy C, Sirajudeen KNS
    PMID: 28605330 DOI: 10.1615/JEnvironPatholToxicolOncol.2017014521
    Oxidative stress has been suggested to play a role in hypertension- and hypertension-induced organ damage. The effect of antihypertensive drug treatments on oxidative stress markers has not been well assessed. Therefore, in this study we investigated the effect of enalapril on oxidative stress markers in hearts of hypertensive rat models such as spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and SHRs administered N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (SHR+L-NAME rats). Male rats were divided into four groups: SHRs, SHR+enalapril (SHR-E) rats, SHR+L-NAME rats, SHR+enalapril+L-NAME (SHRE+L-NAME) rats. Rats (SHREs) were administered enalapril (30 mg kg-1 day-1) in drinking water from week 4 to week 28 and L-NAME (25 mg kg-1 day-1) from week 16 to week 28 in drinking water. At the end of 28 weeks, animals were sacrificed, and their hearts were collected for the assessment of oxidative stress markers and histological examination. Enalapril treatment significantly enhanced the total antioxidant status (TAS) (P < 0.001), reduced the oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH : GSSG) (P < 0.001), and reduced to thibarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (P < 0.001) and protein carbonyl content (PCO) (P < 0.001), which thus reduced the oxidative stress in the heart. The fibrosis areas in SHRs and SHR+L-NAME rats were also markedly reduced. These findings suggest that enalapril might play a protective role in hypertension- and hypertension-induced organ damage.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology; Enalapril/pharmacology*; Heart/anatomy & histology; Heart/drug effects*; Male; Rats, Inbred SHR; Oxidative Stress/drug effects*; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester/pharmacology*; Rats
  3. Wong KH, Ng CC, Kanagasabapathy G, Yow YY, Sabaratnam V
    Int J Med Mushrooms, 2017;19(3):191-202.
    PMID: 28605334 DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.v19.i3.10
    Culinary and medicinal mushrooms have been appreciated since prehistoric times as valuable resources for food and medicine. Edible mushrooms represent an untapped source of nutraceuticals and valuable palatable food. Long considered tonics, they are now treasured as functional foods that can improve human health and quality of life. Numerous studies have provided insights into the neuroprotective effects of edible mushrooms, which are attributed to their antioxidant, antineuroinflammatory, and cholinesterase inhibitory properties, and their ability to prevent neuronal death. Here we review the recent literature on the role of culinary and medicinal mushrooms in the management of neurodegenerative diseases and neurotrauma. We highlight some of the molecular mechanisms for how these alternative medicines provide health benefits that could help us to harness their neuroprotective effects.
    MeSH terms: Agaricales*; Complementary Therapies/methods*; Diet Therapy/methods*; Humans; Nervous System; Neurodegenerative Diseases/therapy*; Trauma, Nervous System/therapy*
  4. Ang KC, Kathirgamanathan S, Ch'ng ES, Abdullah WZ, Yusoff NM, Jahnke CM, et al.
    Thromb Res, 2017 08;156:87-90.
    PMID: 28605660 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2017.06.008
    MeSH terms: Adult; Female; Humans; Pregnancy/blood*; Pregnancy/genetics; Annexin A5/blood*; Annexin A5/genetics; Young Adult
  5. Eweis AH, Yap AU, Yahya NA
    J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2017 10;74:183-188.
    PMID: 28605721 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2017.06.004
    This study investigated the effect of food simulating liquids on visco-elastic properties of bulk-fill restoratives using dynamic mechanical analysis. One conventional composite (Filtek Z350 [FZ]), two bulk-fill composites (Filtek Bulk-fill [FB] and Tetric N Ceram [TN]) and a bulk-fill giomer (Beautifil-Bulk Restorative [BB]) were evaluated. Specimens (12 × 2 × 2mm) were fabricated using customized stainless steel molds. The specimens were light-cured, removed from their molds, finished, measured and randomly divided into six groups. The groups (n = 10) were conditioned in the following mediums for 7 days at 37°C: air (control), artificial saliva (SAGF), distilled water, 0.02N citric acid, heptane, 50% ethanol-water solution. Specimens were assessed using dynamic mechanical testing in flexural three-point bending mode and their respective mediums at 37°C and a frequency range of 0.1-10Hz. The distance between the supports were fixed at 10mm and an axial load of 5N was employed. Data for elastic modulus, viscous modulus and loss tangent were subjected to ANOVA/Tukey's tests at significance level p < 0.05. Significant differences in visco-elastic properties were observed between materials and mediums. Apart from bulk-fill giomer, elastic modulus was the highest after conditioning in heptane. No apparent trends were noted for viscous modulus. Generally, loss tangent was the highest after conditioning in ethanol. The effect of food-simulating liquids on the visco-elastic properties of bulk-fill composites was material and medium dependent.
    MeSH terms: Composite Resins/analysis*; Food*; Humans; Materials Testing*; Resins, Synthetic/analysis*; Viscosity; Water; Elastic Modulus; Viscoelastic Substances/analysis*
  6. Moradi Khaniabadi P, Shahbazi-Gahrouei D, Malik Shah Abdul Majid A, Suhaimi Jaafar M, Moradi Khaniabadi B, Shahbazi-Gahrouei S
    Iran Biomed J, 2017 11;21(6):360-8.
    PMID: 28601058
    Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an essential role in molecular imaging by delivering the contrast agent into targeted cancer cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the C595 monoclonal antibody-conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs-C595) for the detection of breast cancer cell (MCF-7).

    Methods: The conjugation of monoclonal antibody and nanoparticles was confirmed using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and photon correlation spectroscopy. The selectivity of the nanoprobe for breast cancer cells (MCF-7) was obtained by Prussian blue, atomic emission spectroscopy, and
    MRI relaxometry.

    Results: The in vitro MRI showed that T2 relaxation time will be reduced 76% when using T2-weighed magnetic resonance images compared to the control group (untreated cells) at the dose of 200 μg
    Fe/ml, as the optimum dose. In addition, the results showed the high uptake of nanoprobe into MCF-7
    cancer cells.

    Conclusion: The SPIONs-C595 nanoprobe has potential for the detection of specific breast cancer.

    MeSH terms: Dynamic Light Scattering; Breast Neoplasms; Contrast Media; Ferrocyanides; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; X-Ray Diffraction; Control Groups; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Molecular Imaging; Magnetite Nanoparticles; MCF-7 Cells
  7. Kabir G, Mohd Din AT, Hameed BH
    Bioresour Technol, 2017 Oct;241:563-572.
    PMID: 28601774 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.05.180
    Oil palm mesocarp fiber (OPMF) and palm frond (PF) were respectively devolatilized by pyrolysis to OPMF-oil and PF-oil bio-oils and biochars, OPMF-char and PF-char in a slow-heating fixed-bed reactor. In particular, the OPMF-oil and PF-oil were produced to a maximum yield of 48wt% and 47wt% bio-oils at 550°C and 600°C, respectively. The high heating values (HHVs) of OPMF-oil and PF-oil were respectively found to be 23MJ/kg and 21MJ/kg, whereas 24.84MJ/kg and 24.15MJ/kg were for the corresponding biochar. The HHVs of the bio-oils and biochars are associated with low O/C ratios to be higher than those of the corresponding biomass. The Fourier transform infrared spectra and peak area ratios highlighted the effect of pyrolysis temperatures on the bio-oil compositions. The bio-oils are pervaded with numerous oxygenated carbonyl and aromatic compounds as suitable feedstocks for renewable fuels and chemicals.
    MeSH terms: Hot Temperature; Heating; Temperature; Biomass; Bioreactors*; Biofuels*
  8. Jalilian Ahmadkalaei SP, Gan S, Ng HK, Abdul Talib S
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2017 Jul;24(21):17779-17789.
    PMID: 28602003 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9382-x
    Due to the health and environmental risks posed by the presence of petroleum-contaminated areas around the world, remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil has drawn much attention from researchers. Combining Fenton reaction with a solvent has been proposed as a novel way to remediate contaminated soils. In this study, a green solvent, ethyl lactate (EL), has been used in conjunction with Fenton's reagents for the remediation of diesel-contaminated soil. The main aim of this research is to determine how the addition of EL affects Fenton reaction for the destruction of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) within the diesel range. Specifically, the effects of different parameters, including liquid phase volume-to-soil weight (L/S) ratio, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration and EL% on the removal efficiency, have been studied in batch experiments. The results showed that an increase in H2O2 resulted in an increase in removal efficiency of TPH from 68.41% at H2O2 = 0.1 M to 90.21% at H2O2 = 2 M. The lowest L/S, i.e. L/S = 1, had the highest TPH removal efficiency of 85.77%. An increase in EL% up to 10% increased the removal efficiency to 96.74% for TPH, and with further increase in EL%, the removal efficiency of TPH decreased to 89.6%. EL with an optimum value of 10% was found to be best for TPH removal in EL-based Fenton reaction. The power law and pseudo-first order equations fitted well to the experimental kinetic data of Fenton reactions.
    MeSH terms: Hydrocarbons*; Hydrogen Peroxide; Lactates*; Petroleum*; Soil; Soil Pollutants*; Solvents
  9. Rahman AM, Nizami MMUI, Jamayet NB, Husein A
    J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 2017 May;27(5):319-320.
    PMID: 28599699 DOI: 2623
    MeSH terms: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/surgery; Dental Impression Materials/chemistry; Dental Impression Technique*; Denture, Partial, Removable*; Humans; Maxilla/surgery*; Maxillary Sinus Neoplasms/surgery; Palatal Obturators*; Dental Prosthesis Design
  10. Chidambaram R
    J Coll Physicians Surg Pak, 2017 May;27(5):321.
    PMID: 28599700 DOI: 2624
    MeSH terms: Dentists*; Humans; Sleep Apnea Syndromes/diagnosis*; Practice Patterns, Dentists'
  11. Zainal-Abidin MH, Hayyan M, Hayyan A, Jayakumar NS
    Anal Chim Acta, 2017 08 01;979:1-23.
    PMID: 28599704 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2017.05.012
    With the rapid development of ionic liquid analogues, termed 'deep eutectic solvents' (DESs), and their application in a wide range of chemical and biochemical processes in the past decade, the extraction of bioactive compounds has attracted significant interest. Recently, numerous studies have explored the extraction of bioactive compounds using DESs from diverse groups of natural sources, including animal and plant sources. This review summarizes the-state-of-the-art effort dedicated to the application of DESs in the extraction of bioactive compounds. The aim of this review also was to introduce conventional and recently-developed extraction techniques, with emphasis on the use of DESs as potential extractants for various bioactive compounds, such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, tanshinone, keratin, tocols, terpenoids, carrageenans, xanthones, isoflavones, α-mangostin, genistin, apigenin, and others. In the near future, DESs are expected to be used extensively for the extraction of bioactive compounds from various sources.
    MeSH terms: Carrageenan/isolation & purification; Flavonoids/isolation & purification; Plant Extracts/chemistry*; Solvents*; Terpenes/isolation & purification; Hydroxybenzoates/isolation & purification
  12. Jaafar NI, Ainin S, Yeong MW
    Int J Med Inform, 2017 08;104:38-44.
    PMID: 28599815 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.05.002
    BACKGROUND: The general improvement of socio-economic conditions has resulted in people becoming more educated to make better-informed decisions in health related matters. Individual's perspective on health increases with better understanding of ways to improve lifestyle for better health and living. With the increase in lifestyle related diseases that lead to health problems, there is an increase in the availability of healthcare information. Thus, it is important to identify the factors that influence information seeking behaviour in the area of healthcare and lifestyle. This exploratory study examines the relationship between the factors that affect online health information-seeking behaviour among healthcare product in the capital city of Malaysia.
    METHOD: Survey questionnaire was used to collect empirical data. A survey was conducted among 300 healthcare consumers in three main cities in Malaysia where questionnaires were personally distributed through snowball sampling. A total of 271 questionnaire forms were used in the analysis.
    RESULTS: Health Behaviour of the consumers influences Health Information Seeking Behaviour. And this relationship is strongly affected by Gender whereby the affect is strongly among females compared to males.
    CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that Health Behaviour influences Health Information Seeking Behaviour. Marketers can find out which target segment of population to target when devising information channels for consumers, especially through the Internet. However, message that promotes positive health behaviour to a target audience who already has positive Health Behaviour increase the motivation to Health Information Seeking Behaviour.
    MeSH terms: Adult; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Motivation; Surveys and Questionnaires; Health Behavior*; Information Storage and Retrieval*; Internet/utilization*; Young Adult; Information Seeking Behavior; Information Seeking Behavior*
  13. Adenuga KI, Iahad NA, Miskon S
    Int J Med Inform, 2017 08;104:84-96.
    PMID: 28599820 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.05.008
    Telemedicine systems have been considered as a necessary measure to alleviate the shortfall in skilled medical specialists in developing countries. However, the obvious challenge is whether clinicians are willing to use this technological innovation, which has aided medical practice globally. One factor which has received little academic attention is the provision of suitable encouragement for clinicians to adopt telemedicine, in the form of rewards, motivation or incentives. A further consideration for telemedicine usage in developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular, are to the severe shortage of available practising clinicians. The researchers therefore explore the need to positively reinforce the adoption of telemedicine amongst clinicians in Nigeria, and also offer a rationale for this using the UTAUT model. Data were collected using a structured paper-based questionnaire, with 252 physicians and nurses from six government hospitals in Ondo state, Nigeria. The study applied SmartPLS 2.0 for analysis to determine the relationship between six variables. Demographic moderating variables, age, gender and profession, were included. The results indicate that performance expectancy (p<0.05), effort expectancy (p<0.05), facilitating condition (p<0.01) and reinforcement factor (p<0.001) have significant effects on clinicians' behavioural intention to use telemedicine systems, as predicted using the extended UTAUT model. Our results showed that the use of telemedicine by clinicians in the Nigerian context is perceived as a dual responsibility which requires suitable reinforcement. In addition, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating condition and reinforcement determinants are influential factors in the use of telemedicine services for remote-patient clinical diagnosis and management by the Nigerian clinicians.
    MeSH terms: Adolescent; Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel*; Attitude to Computers; Confidentiality; Developing Countries; Female; Humans; Male; Models, Theoretical*; Nigeria; Physicians/psychology*; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telemedicine/utilization*; Telemedicine/statistics & numerical data; Intention; Young Adult
  14. Lo TS, Yusoff FM, Kao CC, Jaili S, Uy Patrimonio MC
    Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol, 2017 Jun;56(3):346-352.
    PMID: 28600046 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2017.04.015
    OBJECTIVE: Transvaginal mesh anterior-posterior (TVM-AP) provides better cure rates in the surgical treatment of vaginal cuff eversion than anterior transvaginal mesh combined with sacrospinous ligament fixation (TVM-A). We determine the outcomes after TVM-A and TVM-AP surgeries in advanced vaginal cuff prolapse.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The charts of 796 women who underwent pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery from July 2006 to January 2012 in Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals were reviewed. We included women who presented with advanced cuff eversion and treated with TVM surgery. Data were analysed after three years post-surgery. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic and perioperative data. The paired-samples t test was used for comparison of preoperative and postoperative continuous data. The outcomes measured were objective cure (POP-Q stage ≤ 1) and subjective cure (negative response to question 2 and 3 on POPDI-6).

    RESULTS: A total of 97 patients was analysed. 61 patients had TVM-A and 36 patients had TVM-AP insertion. Mean follow-up was 52 months. The objective cure rate for TVM-AP was significantly higher than TVM-A, 94.4% versus 80.3%. TVM-AP also showed a higher subjective cure rate (91.7%) though there was no significant difference from TVM-A (p = 0.260). The mesh extrusion rate was low at 3.1% with no major complications seen. In TVM-A the blood loss was lesser and the operation time was shorter.

    CONCLUSION: TVM-AP showed better objective cure rate than TVM-A at 52 months. However, TVM-A is less invasive in comparison with an acceptably good cure rates.

    MeSH terms: Aged; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Middle Aged; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Retrospective Studies; Severity of Illness Index; Surgical Mesh*; Time Factors; Vagina/surgery*; Treatment Outcome; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/surgery*; Operative Time
  15. Sharoni SKA, Abdul Rahman H, Minhat HS, Shariff Ghazali S, Azman Ong MH
    BMJ Open, 2017 06 08;7(6):e014393.
    PMID: 28600363 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014393
    OBJECTIVE: A pilot self-efficacy education programme was conducted to assess the feasibility, acceptability and potential impact of the self-efficacy education programme on improving foot self-care behaviour among older patients with diabetes in a public long-term care institution.

    METHOD: A prequasi-experimental and postquasi-experimental study was conducted in a public long-term care institution in Selangor, Malaysia. Patients with diabetes aged 60 years and above who fulfilled the selection criteria were invited to participate in this programme. Four self-efficacy information sources; performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and physiological information were translated into programme interventions. The programme consisted of four visits over a 12-week period. The first visit included screening and baseline assessment and the second visit involved 30 min of group seminar presentation. The third and fourth visits entailed a 20-min one-to-one follow-up discussion and evaluation. A series of visits to the respondents was conducted throughout the programme. The primary outcome was foot self-care behaviour. Foot self-efficacy (efficacy-expectation), foot care outcome expectation, knowledge of foot care, quality of life, fasting blood glucose and foot condition were secondary outcomes. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics (McNemar's test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test) using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences V.20.0.

    RESULTS: Fifty-two residents were recruited but only 31 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis at baseline and at 12 weeks postintervention. The acceptability rate was moderately high. At postintervention, foot self-care behaviour (p<0.001), foot self-efficacy (efficacy-expectation), (p<0.001), foot care outcome expectation (p<0.001), knowledge of foot care (p<0.001), quality of life (physical symptoms) (p=0.003), fasting blood glucose (p=0.010), foot hygiene (p=0.030) and anhydrosis (p=0.020) showed significant improvements.

    CONCLUSION: Findings from this pilot study would facilitate the planning of a larger study among the older population with diabetes living in long-term care institutions.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12616000210471; Pre-results.
    MeSH terms: Aged; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications*; Feasibility Studies; Female; Humans; Hygiene/education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Malaysia; Male; Patient Education as Topic/methods*; Pilot Projects; Quality of Life; Self Care*; Diabetic Foot/prevention & control*; Self Efficacy; Self Efficacy*
  16. Williams EW, Gardner EM, Harris R, Chaveerach A, Pereira JT, Zerega NJ
    Ann Bot, 2017 03 01;119(4):611-627.
    PMID: 28073771 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw249
    Background and Aims: The breadfruit genus ( Artocarpus , Moraceae) includes valuable underutilized fruit tree crops with a centre of diversity in Southeast Asia. It belongs to the monophyletic tribe Artocarpeae, whose only other members include two small neotropical genera. This study aimed to reconstruct the phylogeny, estimate divergence dates and infer ancestral ranges of Artocarpeae, especially Artocarpus , to better understand spatial and temporal evolutionary relationships and dispersal patterns in a geologically complex region.

    Methods: To investigate the phylogeny and biogeography of Artocarpeae, this study used Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches to analyze DNA sequences from six plastid and two nuclear regions from 75% of Artocarpus species, both neotropical Artocarpeae genera, and members of all other Moraceae tribes. Six fossil-based calibrations within the Moraceae family were used to infer divergence times. Ancestral areas and estimated dispersal events were also inferred.

    Key Results: Artocarpeae, Artocarpus and four monophyletic Artocarpus subgenera were well supported. A late Cretaceous origin of the Artocarpeae tribe in the Americas is inferred, followed by Eocene radiation of Artocarpus in Asia, with the greatest diversification occurring during the Miocene. Borneo is reconstructed as the ancestral range of Artocarpus , with dozens of independent in situ diversification events inferred there, as well as dispersal events to other regions of Southeast Asia. Dispersal pathways of Artocarpus and its ancestors are proposed.

    Conclusions: Borneo was central in the diversification of the genus Artocarpus and probably served as the centre from which species dispersed and diversified in several directions. The greatest amount of diversification is inferred to have occurred during the Miocene, when sea levels fluctuated and land connections frequently existed between Borneo, mainland Asia, Sumatra and Java. Many species found in these areas have extant overlapping ranges, suggesting that sympatric speciation may have occurred. By contrast, Artocarpus diversity east of Borneo (where many of the islands have no historical connections to the landmasses of the Sunda and Sahul shelves) is unique and probably the product of over water long-distance dispersal events and subsequent diversification in allopatry. This work represents the most comprehensive Artocarpus phylogeny and biogeography study to date and supports Borneo as an evolutionary biodiversity hotspot.

    MeSH terms: Borneo; Phylogeny; Population Dynamics; Evolution, Chemical; Phylogeography
  17. Sulaiman A, Farid M, Silva FV
    Food Sci Technol Int, 2017 Jun;23(4):293-309.
    PMID: 28595485 DOI: 10.1177/1082013216685485
    Strawberry puree was processed for 15 min using thermal (65 ℃), high-pressure processing (600 MPa, 48 ℃), and ultrasound (24 kHz, 1.3 W/g, 33 ℃). These conditions were selected based on similar polyphenoloxidase inactivation (11%-18%). The specific energies required for the above-mentioned thermal, high-pressure processing, and power ultrasound processes were 240, 291, and 1233 kJ/kg, respectively. Then, the processed strawberry was stored at 3 ℃ and room temperature for 30 days. The constant pH (3.38±0.03) and soluble solids content (9.03 ± 0.25°Brix) during storage indicated a microbiological stability. Polyphenoloxidase did not reactivate during storage. The high-pressure processing and ultrasound treatments retained the antioxidant activity (70%-74%) better than the thermal process (60%), and high-pressure processing was the best treatment after 30 days of ambient storage to preserve antioxidant activity. Puree treated with ultrasound presented more color retention after processing and after ambient storage than the other preservation methods. For the three treatments, the changes of antioxidant activity and total color difference during storage were described by the fractional conversion model with rate constants k ranging between 0.03-0.09 and 0.06-0.22 day - 1, respectively. In resume, high-pressure processing and thermal processes required much less energy than ultrasound for the same polyphenoloxidase inactivation in strawberry. While high-pressure processing retained better the antioxidant activity of the strawberry puree during storage, the ultrasound treatment was better in terms of color retention.
    MeSH terms: Color; Catechol Oxidase; Food Handling/methods*; Food Preservation/methods; Pressure; Fragaria*; Food Storage/methods*; Food Storage/standards
  18. Khoo YL, Cheah SH, Chong H
    Immunotherapy, 2017 06;9(7):567-577.
    PMID: 28595518 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2017-0016
    AIM: To develop a fully bioactive humanized antibody from the chimeric rituximab for potential clinical applications using a relatively simpler and faster logical and bioinformatics approach.

    METHODS: From bioinformatics data, mismatched mouse amino acids in variable light and heavy chain amphipathic regions were identified and substituted with those common to human antibody framework. Appropriate synthetic DNA sequences inserted into vectors were transfected into HEK293 cells to produce the humanized antibody.

    RESULTS: Humanized antibodies showed specific binding to CD20 and greater cytotoxicity to cancer WIL2-NS cell proliferation than rituximab in vitro.

    CONCLUSION: A humanized version of rituximab with potential to be developed into a biobetter for treatment of B-cell disorders has been successfully generated using a logical and bioinformatics approach.

    MeSH terms: Rituximab/genetics*; Rituximab/metabolism; Animals; B-Lymphocytes/immunology*; Computer Simulation; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Humans; Protein Binding; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/genetics*; Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; Computational Biology; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Mice; HEK293 Cells; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/genetics*; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/metabolism
  19. Wong PF, Jamal J, Tong KL, Khor ES, Yeap CE, Jong HL, et al.
    Microvasc Res, 2017 11;114:26-33.
    PMID: 28595801 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2017.06.002
    miRNAs are important regulators of cellular senescence yet the extent of their involvement remains to be investigated. We sought to identify miRNAs that are involved in cytokine-induced premature senescence (CIPS) in endothelial cells. CIPS was established in young human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-Ls) following treatment with a sublethal dose (20ng/ml) of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) for 15days. In parallel, HMVEC-Ls were grown and routinely passaged until the onset of replicative senescence (RS). Differential expression analysis following miRNA microarray profiling revealed an overlapped of eight deregulated miRNAs in both the miRNA profiles of RS and TNF-α-induced premature senescence cells. Amongst the deregulated miRNAs were members of the miR 17-92 cluster which are known regulators of angiogenesis. The role of hsa-miR-20b in TNF-α-induced premature senescence, a paralog member of the miR 17-92 cluster, was further investigated. Biotin-labeled hsa-miR-20b captured the enriched transcripts of retinoblastoma-like 1 (RBL1), indicating that RBL1 is a target of hsa-miR-20b. Knockdown of hsa-miR-20b attenuated premature senescence in the TNF-α-treated HMVEC-Ls as evidenced by increased cell proliferation, increased RBL1 mRNA expression level but decreased protein expression of p16INK4a, a cellular senescence marker. These findings provide an early insight into the role of hsa-miR-20b in endothelial senescence.
    MeSH terms: Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Lung/blood supply*; Time Factors; Transfection; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/pharmacology*; Cell Aging/drug effects*; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/genetics; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/metabolism; Gene Expression Profiling; RNA Interference; MicroRNAs/genetics; MicroRNAs/metabolism*; Endothelial Cells/drug effects*; Endothelial Cells/metabolism; Endothelial Cells/pathology; Cell Proliferation/drug effects*; Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107/genetics; Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p107/metabolism; Gene Knockdown Techniques; Microvessels/drug effects*; Microvessels/metabolism; Microvessels/pathology
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