Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 161 in total

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  1. Mohamed-Yassin MS, Baharudin N, Daher AM, Abu Bakar N, Ramli AS, Abdul-Razak S, et al.
    BMC Cardiovasc Disord, 2021 03 23;21(1):149.
    PMID: 33757445 DOI: 10.1186/s12872-021-01956-0
    BACKGROUND: Dyslipidaemia refers to lipid abnormalities consisting of either one or any combination of the following: elevated total cholesterol (TC), elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), elevated triglycerides (TG), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia is steadily increasing in Malaysia. However, data on the prevalence of dyslipidaemia subtypes among Malaysians are lacking. This is important as it may have implications for preventive and management strategies for this increasing public health challenge. This study is aimed at determining the prevalence of dyslipidaemia subtypes and their associated personal and clinical attributes in Malaysians.

    METHODS: REDISCOVER, a prospective study, enrolled 11,288 adults where sociodemographic data, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, fasting lipid profile and glucose, and history of diabetes, hypertension, and smoking were obtained. The cross-sectional analytic sample presented in this article comprised 10,482 participants from baseline recruitment. The data was analysed by descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression.

    RESULTS: The overall prevalence of elevated TC, elevated LDL-c, elevated TG, low HDL-c, and elevated non-HDL-c were 64.0% (95% CI 63.0-65.0), 56.7% (CI 55.7-57.7), 37.4% (CI 36.5-38.4), 36.2% (CI 35.2-37.1), and 56.2% (CI 55.3-57.2), respectively. Overweight, obesity, and central obesity were highly prevalent and significantly associated with elevated TC and all dyslipidaemia subtypes. Older age was associated with elevated TC, elevated LDL-c and elevated non-HDL-c. Hypertension was associated with elevated TC, elevated TG, and elevated non-HDL-c, while diabetes was associated with elevated TG and low HDL-c.

    CONCLUSIONS: Elevated TC and all dyslipidaemia subtypes are highly prevalent in Malaysia where increased body mass seems the main driver. Differences in the prevalence and associated personal and clinical attributes may facilitate specific preventive and management strategies.

  2. Md Isa Z, Ismail NH, Mohd Tamil A, Jaafar MH, Ismail R, Mohamed Noor Khan NA, et al.
    BMC Nutr, 2023 Feb 07;9(1):27.
    PMID: 36750888 DOI: 10.1186/s40795-023-00687-z
  3. Gopalan Y, Shuaib IL, Magosso E, Ansari MA, Abu Bakar MR, Wong JW, et al.
    Stroke, 2014 May;45(5):1422-8.
    PMID: 24699052 DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.113.004449
    Previous cell-based and animal studies showed mixed tocotrienols are neuroprotective, but the effect is yet to be proven in humans. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the protective activity of mixed tocotrienols in humans with white matter lesions (WMLs). WMLs are regarded as manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease, reflecting varying degrees of neurodegeneration and tissue damage with potential as a surrogate end point in clinical trials.
  4. Magosso E, Ansari MA, Gopalan Y, Shuaib IL, Wong JW, Khan NA, et al.
    Nutr J, 2013;12(1):166.
    PMID: 24373555 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2891-12-166
    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the commonest liver disorders. Obesity, insulin resistance, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress have been identified amongst the possible hits leading to the onset and progression of this disease. Nutritional evaluation of NAFLD patients showed a lower-than-recommended intake of vitamin E. Vitamin E is a family of 8 isoforms, 4 tocopherols and 4 tocotrienols. Alpha-tocopherol has been widely investigated in liver diseases, whereas no previous clinical trial has investigated tocotrienols for NAFLD. Aim of the study was to determine the effects of mixed tocotrienols, in normalising the hepatic echogenic response in hypercholesterolaemic patients with ultrasound-proven NAFLD.
  5. Lim R, Liong ML, Khan NA, Yuen KH
    J Sex Marital Ther, 2017 Feb 17;43(2):142-146.
    PMID: 26836418 DOI: 10.1080/0092623X.2016.1141817
    There is currently no published information on the validity and reliability of the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction in the Asian population, specifically in patients with stress urinary incontinence, which limits its use in this region. Our study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of this questionnaire in the Malaysian population. Ten couples were recruited for the pilot testing. The agreement between the English and Chinese or Malay versions were tested using the intraclass correlation coefficients, with results of more than 0.80 for all subscales and overall scores indicating good agreement. Sixty-six couples were included in the subsequent phase. The following data are presented in the order of English, Chinese, and Malay. Cronbach's alphas for the male total score were 0.82, 0.88, and 0.95. For the female total score, Cronbach's alphas were 0.76, 0.78, and 0.88. Intraclass correlation coefficients for the male total score were 0.93, 0.94, and 0.99, while intraclass correlation coefficients for the female total score were 0.89, 0.86, and 0.88. In conclusion, the English, Chinese, and Malay versions each proved to be valid and reliable in our Malaysian population.
  6. Lim R, Liong ML, Leong WS, Khan NA, Yuen KH
    J Urol, 2016 07;196(1):153-8.
    PMID: 26812304 DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2016.01.090
    PURPOSE: Studies of the effects of stress urinary incontinence on the sexual function of couples are scarce. We prospectively evaluated couple sexual function and the relationship between sexual function and quality of life. We also compared quality of life in females with vs without stress urinary incontinence.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sexually active females at least 21 years old with or without stress urinary incontinence and their partners were recruited for study. To assess sexual function the couples completed GRISS (Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction) and a 1-item question on overall sexual experience, "Over the past 4 weeks, how satisfied have you been with your overall sexual life?" Additionally, females completed ICIQ-LUTSqol (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life) to assess quality of life.

    RESULTS: For sexual function assessment 66 of 134 couples with (49.3%) and 95 of 176 without (54.0%) stress urinary incontinence were recruited. Females with stress urinary incontinence had lower overall sexual function, lower frequency of sexual intercourse, less satisfaction (each p <0.001) and higher avoidance behavior (p = 0.026). Partners of females with stress urinary incontinence had more problems with erectile dysfunction (p = 0.027), less satisfaction (p = 0.006) and lower frequency of sexual intercourse (p = 0.001) but no difference in overall GRISS score (p = 0.093). Couples with stress urinary incontinence had poorer overall sexual experience (p <0.05). Females with stress urinary incontinence had poorer quality of life than those without stress urinary incontinence (120 of 134, response rate 89.6% vs 145 of 176, response rate 82.4%, p <0.001). Sexual function and quality of life did not significantly correlate (r = 0.001, p = 0.997).

    CONCLUSIONS: Stress urinary incontinence in females is negatively associated not only with female quality of life and sexual function but also with partner sexual function.

  7. Lim R, Liong ML, Leong WS, Khan NA, Yuen KH
    Trials, 2015;16:279.
    PMID: 26093910 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-015-0803-1
    There is currently a lack of randomized, sham-controlled trials that are adequately powered, using validated outcomes, to allow for firm recommendations on the use of magnetic stimulation for stress urinary incontinence. We report a protocol of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled parallel-group trial to evaluate the efficacy of magnetic stimulation for stress urinary incontinence.
  8. Lim R, Liong ML, Leong WS, Karim Khan NA, Yuen KH
    J Urol, 2017 05;197(5):1302-1308.
    PMID: 27871927 DOI: 10.1016/j.juro.2016.11.091
    PURPOSE: Despite significant differences in success rates between surgical and nonsurgical treatments for female stress urinary incontinence, a few cross-sectional surveys showed that most patients still prefer the latter. We evaluated the efficacy of the under studied nonsurgical treatment using pulsed magnetic stimulation for female stress urinary incontinence.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, sham controlled study was performed in 120 female subjects at least 21 years old with stress urinary incontinence. Treatment involved pulsed magnetic stimulation for 2 sessions per week for 2 months (16 sessions). After 2 months, subjects could opt for 16 additional sessions regardless of initial randomization. The primary response criterion was a 5-point reduction in the ICIQ-UI SF (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence-Short Form) score. Key secondary response criteria included objective and subjective cure, supplemented by other secondary criteria. Followups were performed at months 1, 2, 5, 8 and 14.

    RESULTS: At 2 months 45 of 60 subjects (75%) in the active arm vs 13 of 60 (21.7%) in the sham arm were treatment responders (p <0.001). After 2 months 24 subjects (40%) in the active arm and 41 (68%) in the sham arm elected additional active pulsed magnetic stimulation. At 14 months, subjects who received 32 sessions of active pulsed magnetic stimulation had the highest percentage of treatment responders (18 of 24 or 75.0%), followed by those who received 16 sessions (26 of 36 or 72.2% and 28 of 41 or 68.3%) and those who did not receive any active pulsed magnetic stimulation (4 of 19 or 21.1%) (p <0.001).

    CONCLUSIONS: The encouraging long-term response rates show that pulsed magnetic stimulation is an attractive nonsurgical alternative for patients who do not want to undergo surgery.

  9. Loh LN, McCarthy EMC, Narang P, Khan NA, Ward TH
    Traffic, 2017 11;18(11):733-746.
    PMID: 28799243 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12508
    Eukaryotic cells utilize multiple endocytic pathways for specific uptake of ligands or molecules, and these pathways are commonly hijacked by pathogens to enable host cell invasion. Escherichia coli K1, a pathogenic bacterium that causes neonatal meningitis, invades the endothelium of the blood-brain barrier, but the entry route remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the bacteria trigger an actin-mediated uptake route, stimulating fluid phase uptake, membrane ruffling and macropinocytosis. The route of uptake requires intact lipid rafts as shown by cholesterol depletion. Using a variety of perturbants we demonstrate that small Rho GTPases and their downstream effectors have a significant effect on bacterial invasion. Furthermore, clathrin-mediated endocytosis appears to play an indirect role in E. coli K1 uptake. The data suggest that the bacteria effect a complex interplay between the Rho GTPases to increase their chances of uptake by macropinocytosis into human brain microvascular endothelial cells.
  10. Schutte AE, Jafar TH, Poulter NR, Damasceno A, Khan NA, Nilsson PM, et al.
    Cardiovasc Res, 2023 Mar 31;119(2):381-409.
    PMID: 36219457 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac130
    Raised blood pressure (BP) is the leading cause of preventable death in the world. Yet, its global prevalence is increasing, and it remains poorly detected, treated, and controlled in both high- and low-resource settings. From the perspective of members of the International Society of Hypertension based in all regions, we reflect on the past, present, and future of hypertension care, highlighting key challenges and opportunities, which are often region-specific. We report that most countries failed to show sufficient improvements in BP control rates over the past three decades, with greater improvements mainly seen in some high-income countries, also reflected in substantial reductions in the burden of cardiovascular disease and deaths. Globally, there are significant inequities and disparities based on resources, sociodemographic environment, and race with subsequent disproportionate hypertension-related outcomes. Additional unique challenges in specific regions include conflict, wars, migration, unemployment, rapid urbanization, extremely limited funding, pollution, COVID-19-related restrictions and inequalities, obesity, and excessive salt and alcohol intake. Immediate action is needed to address suboptimal hypertension care and related disparities on a global scale. We propose a Global Hypertension Care Taskforce including multiple stakeholders and societies to identify and implement actions in reducing inequities, addressing social, commercial, and environmental determinants, and strengthening health systems implement a well-designed customized quality-of-care improvement framework.
  11. Mukheem A, Shahabuddin S, Akbar N, Anwar A, Sarih NM, Sudesh K, et al.
    Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2020 Apr;104(7):3121-3131.
    PMID: 32060693 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10416-2
    Antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a major health challenge, as Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has recognized that the past simply drugs susceptible pathogens are now the most dangerous pathogens due to their nonstop growing resistance towards conventional antibiotics. Therefore, due to the emergence of multi-drug resistance, the bacterial infections have become a serious global problem. Acute infections feasibly develop into chronic infections because of many factors; one of them is the failure of effectiveness of antibiotics against superbugs. Modern research of two-dimensional nanoparticles and biopolymers are of great interest to attain the intricate bactericidal activity. In this study, we fabricated an antibacterial nanocomposite consisting of representative two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS2) nanoparticles. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and chitosan (Ch) are used to encapsulate MoS2 nanoparticles into their matrix. This study reports the in vitro antibacterial activity and host cytotoxicity of novel PHA-Ch/MoS2 nanocomposites. PHA-Ch/MoS2 nanocomposites were subjected to time-dependent antibacterial assays at various doses to examine their antibacterial activity against multi-drug-resistant Escherichia coli K1 (Malaysian Type Culture Collection 710859) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Malaysian Type Culture Collection 381123). Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of nanocomposites was examined against spontaneously immortalized human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell lines. The results indicated significant antibacterial activity (p value
  12. Majeed Butt O, Shakeel Ahmad M, Kai Lun T, Seng Che H, Fayaz H, Abd Rahim N, et al.
    Waste Manag, 2023 Feb 01;156:1-11.
    PMID: 36424243 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.11.016
    The integration of hydrogen in the primary energy mix requires a major technological shift in virtually every energy-related application. This study has attempted to investigate the techno-economic solar photovoltaic (PV) integrated water electrolysis and waste incineration system. Three different strategies, i.e., (i) PV + Battery(Hybrid mode with required batteries); (ii) auto-ignition (Direct coupling); and (iii) PV + Secondary-Electrolyzer(Direct coupling assisted with secondary electrolyzer), have been envisioned. The 'PV + Battery' consume 42.42 % and 15.07 % less energy than the auto-ignition and 'PV + Secondary-Electrolyzer' methods. However, the capital cost of 'PV + Battery' has been calculated to be 15.4 % and 11.8 % more than auto-ignition and 'PV + Secondary-Electrolyzer, respectively.The energy consumption relative to waste input, the 'PV + Battery' method used 80 % less energy, while auto-ignition and 'PV + Secondary-Electrolyzer' showed 70.5 % and 77.5 % less energy, respectively. Furthermore, these approaches showed a vast difference in cost-benefit for the longer run. 'PV + Battery' was forecasted to be 73.3 % and 23.3 % more expensive than auto-ignition and 'PV + Secondary-Electrolyzer' methods, respectively, for 30 years. Overall, this study can benefit from using either of these methods depending on the application, usage scale, and climatic conditions.
  13. Abjani F, Khan NA, Yousuf FA, Siddiqui R
    Cont Lens Anterior Eye, 2016 Jun;39(3):239-43.
    PMID: 26675112 DOI: 10.1016/j.clae.2015.11.004
    Acanthamoeba cysts are highly resistant to contact lens disinfecting solutions. Acanthamoeba cyst wall is partially made of 1,4 β-glucan (i.e., cellulose) and other complex polysaccharides making it a hardy shell that protects the resident amoeba. Here, we hypothesize that targeting the cyst wall structure in addition to antiamoebic compound would improve the efficacy of marketed contact lens disinfecting solutions. Using chlorhexidine as an antiamoebic compound and cellulase enzyme to disrupt cyst wall structure, the findings revealed that combination of both agents abolished viability of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts and trophozoites. When tested alone, none of the agents nor contact lens disinfecting solutions completely destroyed A. castellanii cysts and trophozoites. The absence of cyst wall-degrading enzymes in marketed contact lens disinfecting solutions render them ineffective against Acanthamoeba cysts. It is concluded that the addition of cyst wall degrading molecules in contact lens disinfecting solutions will enhance their efficacy in decreasing the incidence of Acanthamoeba effectively.
  14. Akbar N, Khan NA, Sagathevan K, Iqbal M, Tawab A, Siddiqui R
    Sci Rep, 2019 11 18;9(1):17012.
    PMID: 31740685 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52738-w
    Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to human health, hence there is an urgent need to discover antibacterial molecule(s). Previously, we hypothesized that microbial gut flora of animals are a potential source of antibacterial molecules. Among various animals, Cuora amboinensis (turtle) represents an important reptile species living in diverse ecological environments and feed on organic waste and terrestrial organisms and have been used in folk medicine. The purpose of this study was to mine turtle's gut bacteria for potential antibacterial molecule(s). Several bacteria were isolated from the turtle gut and their conditioned media were prepared. Conditioned media showed potent antibacterial activity against several Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (neuropathogenic Escherichia coli K1, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica and Klebsiella pneumoniae) pathogenic bacteria. Conditioned media-mediated bactericidal activity was heat-resistant when treated at 95°C for 10 min. By measuring Lactate dehydrogenase release, the results showed that conditioned media had no effect on human cell viability. Tandem Mass Spectrometric analysis revealed the presence of various secondary metabolites, i.e., a series of known as well as novel N-acyl-homoserine lactones, several homologues of 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinolines, and rhamnolipids, which are the signature metabolites of Pseudomonas species. These findings are significant and provide the basis for rational development of therapeutic interventions against bacterial infections.
  15. Soo ZMP, Khan NA, Siddiqui R
    Acta Trop, 2020 Jan;201:105183.
    PMID: 31542372 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105183
    Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the pathogenic helical spirochetes, Leptospira. Symptoms include sudden-onset fever, severe headaches, muscle pain, nausea and chills. Leptospirosis is endemic in developing countries such as Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, and Brazil where thousands of cases are reported annually. The disease risk factors include the high population of reservoirs, environmental factors, recreational factors, and occupational factors. To end the endemicity of leptospirosis, these factors need to be tackled. The management of leptospirosis needs to be refined. Early diagnosis remains a challenge due to a lack of clinical suspicion among physicians, its non-specific symptoms and a limited availability of rapid point-of-care diagnostic tests. The purpose of this review is to provide insight into the status of leptospirosis in developing countries focusing on the risk factors and to propose methods for the improved management of the disease.
  16. Rajendran K, Anwar A, Khan NA, Aslam Z, Raza Shah M, Siddiqui R
    ACS Chem Neurosci, 2020 08 19;11(16):2431-2437.
    PMID: 31347828 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00289
    Naegleria fowleri (N. fowleri) causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) which almost always results in death. N. fowleri is also known as "brain-eating amoeba" due to its literal infestation of the brain leading to an inflammatory response in the brain tissues. Currently, there is no single drug that is available to treat PAM, and most treatments are combinations of antifungal, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Recently nanotechnology has gained attention in chemotherapeutic research converging on drug delivery, while oleic acid (OA) has shown positive effects on the human immune system and inflammatory processes. In continuation of our recent research in which we reported the effects of oleic acid conjugated with silver nanoparticles (OA-AgNPs) against free-living amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, in this report, we show their antiamoebic effects against N. fowleri. OA alone and its nanoconjugates were tested against the amoeba by using amoebicidal and host cell cytopathogenicity assays. Trypan blue exclusion assay was used to determine cell viability. The results revealed that OA-AgNPs exhibited significantly enhanced antiamoebic effects (P < 0.05) against N. fowleri as compared to OA alone. Evidently, lactate dehydrogenase release shows reduced N. fowleri-mediated host cell cytotoxicity. Based on our study, we anticipate that further studies on OA-AgNPs could potentially provide an alternative treatment of PAM.
  17. Ali SM, Khan NA, Sagathevan K, Anwar A, Siddiqui R
    AMB Express, 2019 Jun 28;9(1):95.
    PMID: 31254123 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-019-0816-3
    The discovery of novel antimicrobials from animal species under pollution is an area untapped. Chinese red-headed centipede is one of the hardiest arthropod species commonly known for its therapeutic value in traditional Chinese medicine. Here we determined the antibacterial activity of haemolymph and tissue extracts of red-headed centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Lysates exhibited potent antibacterial activities against a broad range of bacteria tested. Chemical characterization of biologically active molecules was determined via liquid chromatography mass spectrometric analysis. From crude haemolymph extract, 12 compounds were identified including: (1) L-Homotyrosine, (2) 8-Acetoxy-4-acoren-3-one, (3) N-Undecylbenzenesulfonic acid, (4) 2-Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, (5) 3H-1,2-Dithiole-3-thione, (6) Acetylenedicarboxylate, (7) Albuterol, (8) Tetradecylamine, (9) Curcumenol, (10) 3-Butylidene-7-hydroxyphthalide, (11) Oleoyl Ethanolamide and (12) Docosanedioic acid. Antimicrobial activities of the identified compounds were reported against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites, that possibly explain centipede's survival in harsh and polluted environments. Further research in characterization, molecular mechanism of action and in vivo testing of active molecules is needed for the development of novel antibacterials.
  18. Anwar A, Ting ELS, Anwar A, Ain NU, Faizi S, Shah MR, et al.
    AMB Express, 2020 Feb 03;10(1):24.
    PMID: 32016777 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-020-0960-9
    Acanthamoeba spp. are the causative agent of Acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE). The current options to treat Acanthamoeba infections have limited success. Silver nanoparticles show antimicrobial effects and enhance the efficacy of their payload at the specific biological targets. Natural folk plants have been widely used for treating diseases as the phytochemicals from several plants have been shown to exhibit amoebicidal effects. Herein, we used natural products of plant or commercial sources including quercetin (QT), kolavenic acid (PGEA) isolated from plant extracts of Polyalthia longifolia var pendula and crude plant methanolic extract of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (CPFLM) as antiacanthamoebic agents. Furthermore, these plant-based materials were conjugated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to determine the effects of the natural compounds and their nanoconjugates against a clinical isolate of A. castellanii from a keratitis patient (ATCC 50492) belonging to the T4 genotype. The compounds were conjugated with AgNPs and characterized by using ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry and atomic force microscopy. Quercetin coated silver nanoparticles (QT-AgNPs) showed characteristic surface plasmon resonance band at 443 nm and the average size distribution was found to be around 45 nm. The natural compounds alone and their nanoconjugates were tested for the viability of amoebae, encystation and excystation activity against A. castellanii. The natural compounds showed significant growth inhibition of A. castellanii while QT-AgNPs specifically exhibited enhanced antiamoebic effects as well as interrupted the encystation and excystation activity of the amoebae. Interestingly, these compounds and nanoconjugates did not exhibit in vitro cytotoxic effects against human cells. Plant-based compounds and extracts could be an interesting strategy in development of alternative therapeutics against Acanthamoeba infections.
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