METHODS: To evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of flower of Allium atroviolaceum, methanol extract at a dose range from 100 to 3.12 μg/ml was assessed against the HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cell line, and also on normal 3T3 cells, by monitoring proliferation using the MTT assay method. A microscopy study was undertaken to observe morphological changes of HepG2 cells after treatment and cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were studied using flow cytometry. The apoptosis mechanism of action was assessed by the level of caspase-3 activity and expression of apoptosis related genes, Bcl-2, Cdk1 and p53. The combination effect of the methanolic extract with doxorubicin was also investigated by determination of a combination index.
RESULTS: The results demonstrated growth inhibition of cells in both dose- and time-dependent manners, while no cytotoxic effect on normal cell 3T3 was found. The results revealed the occurrence of apoptosis, illustrated by sub-G0 cell cycle arrest, the change in morphological feature and annexin-V and propidium iodide staining, which is correlated with Bcl-2 downregulation and caspase-3 activity, but p53-independent. In addition, a combination of Allium atroviolaceum and doxorubicin led to a significant synergistic effect.
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that Allium atroviolaceum flower extract has potential as a potent cytotoxic agent against HepG2 cell lines, as it has commendable anti-proliferative activities against human hepatocarcinoma and it can be considered as an effective adjuvant therapeutic agent after the clinical trials.
METHODS: This paper used data from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey. The analyses were based on the responses of 3374 ever-married men. Exposure to IPV was determined by men's self-reports of witnessing inter-parental violence in childhood. We used adjusted binary logistic regression models to assess the influence of exposure on husbands' perpetration of IPV and their endorsement of attitudes justifying wife beating.
RESULTS: Nearly 60% of men reported violent behaviour towards an intimate partner and 35.7% endorsed attitudes justifying spousal abuse. Men who witnessed father-to-mother violence had higher odds of reporting any physical or sexual IPV (adjusted OR [AOR] = 3.26; 95% CI = 2.61, 4.06). Men who had witnessed father-to-mother violence were also 1.34 times (95% CI = 1.08, 1.65) more likely endorse attitudes justifying spousal abuse.
CONCLUSIONS: Committing violence against an intimate partner is an all too frequent practice among men in Bangladesh. The study indicated that men who had witnessed father-to-mother violence were more likley to perpetrate IPV, suggesting an intergenerational transmission of violence. This transmission of violence may operate through the learning and modelling of attitudes favourable to spousal abuse. In support of this, witnnessing inter-parental violence was also associated with the endorsement of attitudes justifying spousal abuse. Our findings indicate the continued importance of efforts to identify and assist boys who have witnessed domestic violence and suggest such efforts should aim to change not just behaviours but also attitudes that facilitate such violence.
METHODS: Secondary analysis was carried out of data from the Malaysian national survey that involved 2322 community residents aged 60 years or older in Peninsular Malaysia. Cognition was measured by the digit symbol substitution test. Metabolic syndrome was assessed by five biomarkers: triglyceride, fasting blood sugar, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol ratio and body mass index. Chronic conditions were assessed by self-reported medical history. The structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze the mediation and moderation tests.
RESULTS: The number of chronic conditions partially mediated the association between metabolic syndrome and cognition. Men and women did not differ in the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cognition; however, the number of chronic conditions was found to be negatively associated with cognition in older women, but not in men.
CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic syndrome might increase the likelihood of older adults to suffer from more chronic conditions; these responses might reduce their cognition. To prevent cognitive decline in old age, specific intervention to minimize the number of chronic conditions by reducing their vascular risk factors is warranted, especially among older women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1914-1920.
OBJECTIVE: Potential of a polysaccharide (rhamnogalacturonan)-based hydrogel from Linseeds (Linum usitatissimum L.) was investigated as an intelligent drug delivery material.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Different concentrations of Linseed hydrogel (LSH) were used to prepare caffeine and diacerein tablets and further investigated for pH and salt solution-responsive swelling, pH-dependent drug release, and release kinetics. Morphology of tablets was observed using SEM.
RESULTS: LSH tablets exhibited dynamic swelling-deswelling behavior with tendency to swell at pH 7.4 and in deionized water while deswell at pH 1.2, in normal saline and ethanol. Consequently, pH controlled release of the drugs was observed from tablets with lower release (<10%) at pH 1.2 and higher release at pH 6.8 and 7.4. SEM showed elongated channels in swollen then freeze-dried tablets.
DISCUSSION: The drug release was greatly influenced by the amount of LSH in the tablets. Drug release from LSH tablets was governed by the non-Fickian diffusion.
CONCLUSIONS: These finding indicates that LSH holds potential to be developed as sustained release material for tablet.
METHODS: A total of 200 cases were selected from the records of the Department of Pathology, Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban, Malaysia. The samples were collected in three separate groups: cervicitis (n = 61), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (n = 69), and cervical carcinoma (n = 70). The patients' demographic data and the respective paraffin-embedded tissue samples from Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban were obtained upon consent. The sample tissues were submitted for DNA extraction using G-spin Total DNA Extraction Kit. DNA obtained was then submitted for nested PCR before restriction enzyme digestion.
RESULTS: SNP rs1883832 showed higher prevalence of T alleles in the cervical carcinoma group compared to the control groups and in rs3765459, a higher prevalence of G alleles in the cervical carcinoma group was noted. The results of rs1800686 and rs4810485 were insignificant.
CONCLUSION: The data from our study indicates a potential association between the rs1883832 and rs3765459 CD40 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to cervical cancer.