Displaying publications 4501 - 4520 of 4700 in total

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  1. Suppressive effect of maslinic acid on PMA-induced protein kinase C in human B-lymphoblastoid cells
    Mooi LY, Yew WT, Hsum YW, Soo KK, Hoon LS, Chieng YC
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2012;13(4):1177-82.
    PMID: 22799301
    Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in carcinogenesis and displays variable expression profiles during cancer progression. Studies of dietary phytochemicals on cancer signalling pathway regulation have been conducted to search for potent signalling regulatory agents. The present study was designed to evaluate any suppressive effect of maslinic acid on PKC expression in human B-lymphoblastoid cells (Raji cells), and to identify the PKC isoforms expressed. Effects of maslinic acid on PKC activity were determined using a PepTag assay for non-radioactive detection of PKC. The highest expression in Raji cells was obtained at 20 nM PMA induced for 6 hours. Suppressive effects of maslinic acid were compared with those of four PKC inhibitors (H- 7, rottlerin, sphingosine, staurosporine) and two triterpenes (oleanolic acid and ursolic acid). The IC₅₀ values achieved for maslinic acid, staurosporine, H-7, sphingosine, rottlerin, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid were 11.52, 0.011, 0.767, 2.45, 5.46, 27.93 and 39.29 μM, respectively. Four PKC isoforms, PKC βI, βII, δ, and ζ, were identified in Raji cells via western blotting. Maslinic acid suppressed the expression of PKC βI, δ, and ζ in a concentration-dependent manner. These preliminary results suggest promising suppressive effects of maslinic acid on PKC activity in Raji cells. Maslinic acid could be a potent cancer chemopreventive agent that may be involved in regulating many downstream signalling pathways that are activated through PKC receptors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Isoenzymes/isolation & purification
  2. Conidiobolomycosis in a young Malaysian woman showing chronic localized fibrosing leukocytoclastic vasculitis: a case report and meta-analysis focusing on clinicopathologic and therapeutic correlations with outcome
    Choon SE, Kang J, Neafie RC, Ragsdale B, Klassen-Fischer M, Carlson JA
    Am J Dermatopathol, 2012 Jul;34(5):511-22.
    PMID: 22728716 DOI: 10.1097/DAD.0b013e31823db5c1
    Conidiobolomycosis (also known as rhinoentomophthoramycosis) is a rare cutaneous/mucosal fungal infection seen mainly in the tropical rain forest regions of the world that can be associated with disfiguring facial elephantiasis, and rarely, death.
    Matched MeSH terms: Conidiobolus/isolation & purification*
  3. Fulltext Impact of antiretroviral therapy on tuberculosis incidence among HIV-positive patients in high-income countries
    del Amo J, Moreno S, Bucher HC, Furrer H, Logan R, Sterne J, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2012 May;54(9):1364-72.
    PMID: 22460971 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cis203
    BACKGROUND: The lower tuberculosis incidence reported in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) is difficult to interpret causally. Furthermore, the role of unmasking immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is unclear. We aim to estimate the effect of cART on tuberculosis incidence in HIV-positive individuals in high-income countries.

    METHODS: The HIV-CAUSAL Collaboration consisted of 12 cohorts from the United States and Europe of HIV-positive, ART-naive, AIDS-free individuals aged ≥18 years with baseline CD4 cell count and HIV RNA levels followed up from 1996 through 2007. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for cART versus no cART, adjusted for time-varying CD4 cell count and HIV RNA level via inverse probability weighting.

    RESULTS: Of 65 121 individuals, 712 developed tuberculosis over 28 months of median follow-up (incidence, 3.0 cases per 1000 person-years). The HR for tuberculosis for cART versus no cART was 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.44-0.72) overall, 1.04 (95% CI, 0.64-1.68) for individuals aged >50 years, and 1.46 (95% CI, 0.70-3.04) for people with a CD4 cell count of <50 cells/μL. Compared with people who had not started cART, HRs differed by time since cART initiation: 1.36 (95% CI, 0.98-1.89) for initiation <3 months ago and 0.44 (95% CI, 0.34-0.58) for initiation ≥3 months ago. Compared with people who had not initiated cART, HRs <3 months after cART initiation were 0.67 (95% CI, 0.38-1.18), 1.51 (95% CI, 0.98-2.31), and 3.20 (95% CI, 1.34-7.60) for people <35, 35-50, and >50 years old, respectively, and 2.30 (95% CI, 1.03-5.14) for people with a CD4 cell count of <50 cells/μL.

    CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculosis incidence decreased after cART initiation but not among people >50 years old or with CD4 cell counts of <50 cells/μL. Despite an overall decrease in tuberculosis incidence, the increased rate during 3 months of ART suggests unmasking IRIS.

    Matched MeSH terms: Mycobacterium tuberculosis/isolation & purification
  4. Fulltext Platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonistic activity of a new biflavonoid from Garcinia nervosa var. pubescens King
    Jalil J, Jantan I, Ghani AA, Murad S
    Molecules, 2012 Sep 10;17(9):10893-901.
    PMID: 22964504 DOI: 10.3390/molecules170910893
    The methanol extract of the leaves of Garcinia nervosa var. pubescens King, which showed strong inhibitory effects on platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor binding, was subjected to bioassay-guided isolation to obtain a new biflavonoid, II-3,I-5, II-5,II-7,I-4',II-4'-hexahydroxy-(I-3,II-8)-flavonylflavanonol together with two known flavonoids, 6-methyl-4'-methoxyflavone and acacetin. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit PAF receptor binding to rabbit platelets using ³H-PAF as a ligand. The biflavonoid and acacetin showed strong inhibition with IC₅₀ values of 28.0 and 20.4 µM, respectively. The results suggest that these compounds could be responsible for the strong PAF antagonistic activity of the plant.
    Matched MeSH terms: Biflavonoids/isolation & purification
  5. Association of Malaysian Helicobacter pylori virulence polymorphisms with severity of gastritis and patients' ethnicity
    Alfizah H, Ramelah M, Rizal AM, Anwar AS, Isa MR
    Helicobacter, 2012 Oct;17(5):340-9.
    PMID: 22967117 DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-5378.2012.00956.x
    Polymorphisms of Helicobacter pylori cagA and vacA genes do exist and may contribute to differences in H. pylori infection and gastroduodenal diseases among races in the Malaysian population. This study was conducted to characterize the polymorphisms in H. pylori cagA and vacA in Malaysian population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Helicobacter pylori/isolation & purification
  6. Involvement of NF-κB and Bcl2/Bax signaling pathways in the apoptosis of MCF7 cells induced by a xanthone compound Pyranocycloartobiloxanthone A
    Mohan S, Abdelwahab SI, Kamalidehghan B, Syam S, May KS, Harmal NS, et al.
    Phytomedicine, 2012 Aug 15;19(11):1007-15.
    PMID: 22739412 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2012.05.012
    The plant Artocarpus obtusus is a tropical plant that belongs to the family Moraceae. In the present study a xanthone compound Pyranocycloartobiloxanthone A (PA) was isolated from this plant and the apoptosis mechanism was investigated. PA induced cytotoxicity was observed using MTT assay. High content screening (HCS) was used to observe the nuclear condensation, cell permeability, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cytochrome c release. Reactive oxygen species formation was investigated on treated cells by using fluorescent analysis. Human apoptosis proteome profiler assays were performed to investigate the mechanism of cell death. In addition mRNA levels of Bax and Bcl2 were also checked using RT-PCR. Caspase 3/7, 8 and 9 were measured for their induction while treatment. The involvement of NF-κB was analyzed using HCS assay. The results showed that PA possesses the characteristics of selectively inducing cell death of tumor cells as no inhibition was observed in non-tumorigenic cells even at 30 μg/ml. Treatment of MCF7 cells with PA induced apoptosis with cell death-transducing signals, that regulate the MMP by down-regulation of Bcl2 and up-regulation of Bax, triggering the cytochrome c release from mitochondria to cytosol. The release of cytochrome c triggered the activation of caspases-9, then activates downstream executioner caspase-3/7 and consequently cleaved specific substrates leading to apoptotic changes. This form of apoptosis was found closely associated with the extrinsic pathway caspase (caspase-8) and inhibition of translocation of NF-κB from cytoplasm to nucleus. The results demonstrated that PA induced apoptosis of MCF7 cells through NF-κB and Bcl2/Bax signaling pathways with the involvement of caspases.
    Matched MeSH terms: Xanthones/isolation & purification
  7. An age-adjusted seroprevalence study of Toxoplasma antibody in a Malaysian ophthalmology unit
    Singh S, Khang TF, Andiappan H, Nissapatorn V, Subrayan V
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2012 May;106(5):322-6.
    PMID: 22480791 DOI: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2012.01.009
    Toxoplasma gondii is a public health risk in developing countries, especially those located in the tropics. Widespread infection may inflict a substantial burden on state resources, as patients can develop severe neurological defects and ocular diseases that result in lifelong loss of economic independence. We tested sera for IgG antibody from 493 eye patients in Malaysia. Overall age-adjusted seroprevalence was estimated to be 25% (95% CI: [21%, 29%]). We found approximately equal age-adjusted seroprevalence in Chinese (31%; 95% CI: [25%, 38%]) and Malays (29%; 95% CI: [21%, 36%]), followed by Indians (19%; 95% CI: [13%, 25%]). A logistic regression of the odds for T. gondii seroprevalence against age, gender, ethnicity and the occurrence of six types of ocular diseases showed that only age and ethnicity were significant predictors. The odds for T. gondii seroprevalence were 2.7 (95% CI for OR: [1.9, 4.0]) times higher for a patient twice as old as the other, with ethnicity held constant. In Malays, we estimated the odds for T. gondii seroprevalence to be 2.9 (95% CI for OR: [1.8, 4.5]) times higher compared to non-Malays, with age held constant. Previous studies of T. gondii seroprevalence in Malaysia did not explicitly adjust for age, rendering comparisons difficult. Our study highlights the need to adopt a more rigorous epidemiological approach in monitoring T. gondii seroprevalence in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Toxoplasma/isolation & purification*
  8. Prevalence and characterization of multidrug-resistant and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli from pediatric wards of a Malaysian hospital
    Ho WS, Balan G, Puthucheary S, Kong BH, Lim KT, Tan LK, et al.
    Microb Drug Resist, 2012 Aug;18(4):408-16.
    PMID: 22394084 DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2011.0222
    The emergence of Escherichia coli resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) is of concern as ESC is often used to treat infections by Gram-negative bacteria. One-hundred and ten E. coli strains isolated in 2009-2010 from children warded in a Malaysian tertiary hospital were analyzed for their antibiograms, carriage of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC genes, possible inclusion of the beta-lactamase genes on an integron platform, and their genetic relatedness. All E. coli strains were sensitive to carbapenems. About 46% of strains were multidrug resistant (MDR; i.e., resistant to ≥3 antibiotic classes) and almost half (45%) were nonsusceptible to ESCs. Among the MDR strains, high resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (98%), tetracycline (75%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (73%). Out of 110 strains, bla(TEM-1) (49.1%), bla(CTX-M) (11.8%), and bla(CMY-2) (6.4%) were detected. Twenty-one strains were ESBL producers. CTX-M-15 was the predominant CTX-M variant found and this is the first report of a CTX-M-27-producing E. coli strain from Malaysia. Majority (3.1%) of the strains harbored class 1 integron-encoded integrases with a predominance of aadA and dfr genes within the integron variable region. No gene cassette encoding ESBL genes was found and integrons were not significantly associated with ESBL or non-ESBL producers. Possible clonal expansion was observed for few CTX-M-15-positive strains but the O25-ST131 E. coli clone known to harbor CTX-M-15 was not detected while CMY-2-positive strains were genetically diverse.
    Matched MeSH terms: Escherichia coli/isolation & purification
  9. Fulltext The effect of environmental conditions on biofilm formation of Burkholderia pseudomallei clinical isolates
    Ramli NS, Eng Guan C, Nathan S, Vadivelu J
    PLoS One, 2012;7(9):e44104.
    PMID: 22970167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044104
    Burkholderia pseudomallei, a Gram-negative saprophytic bacterium, is the causative agent of the potentially fatal melioidosis disease in humans. In this study, environmental parameters including temperature, nutrient content, pH and the presence of glucose were shown to play a role in in vitro biofilm formation by 28 B. pseudomallei clinical isolates, including four isolates with large colony variants (LCVs) and small colony variants (SCVs) morphotypes. Enhanced biofilm formation was observed when the isolates were tested in LB medium, at 30 °C, at pH 7.2, and in the presence of as little as 2 mM glucose respectively. It was also shown that all SVCs displayed significantly greater capacity to form biofilms than the corresponding LCVs when cultured in LB at 37 °C. In addition, octanoyl-homoserine lactone (C(8)-HSL), a quorum sensing molecule, was identified by mass spectrometry analysis in bacterial isolates referred to as LCV CTH, LCV VIT, SCV TOM, SCV CTH, 1 and 3, and the presence of other AHL's with higher masses; decanoyl-homoserine lactone (C(10)-HSL) and dodecanoyl-homoserine lactone (C(12)-HSL) were also found in all tested strain in this study. Last but not least, we had successfully acquired two Bacillus sp. soil isolates, termed KW and SA respectively, which possessed strong AHLs degradation activity. Biofilm formation of B. pseudomallei isolates was significantly decreased after treated with culture supernatants of KW and SA strains, demonstrating that AHLs may play a role in B. pseudomallei biofilm formation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Burkholderia pseudomallei/isolation & purification*
  10. Fulltext High-dose rabeprazole-amoxicillin dual therapy and rabeprazole triple therapy with amoxicillin and levofloxacin for 2 weeks as first and second line rescue therapies for Helicobacter pylori treatment failures
    Goh KL, Manikam J, Qua CS
    Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2012 May;35(9):1097-102.
    PMID: 22404486 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2012.05054.x
    BACKGROUND:
    H. pylori eradication failures are difficult to treat and rescue therapies often consist of complex treatment regimens.

    AIM:
    To determine an effective and practical rescue therapeutic strategy for H. pylori treatment failures using two consecutive regimens: first rescue therapy - rabeprazole 20 mg t.d.s. and amoxicillin 1 g t.d.s. for 2 weeks and for failures a further second rescue therapy - rabeprazole 20 mg b.d., levofloxacin 500 mg b.d., amoxicillin 1 g b.d. for a further 2 weeks.

    METHODS:
    Consecutive patients who failed the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) 1-week triple therapy were recruited for the study. H. pylori status was determined by a C(13) urea breath test.

    RESULTS:
    One hundred and forty-nine patients received the first rescue therapy. Seven were not compliant to medication/defaulted follow-up. Eradication success- first rescue therapy: per protocol (PP) analysis-107/142 (75.4%) (95% CI (68.3-82.4%) and intention to treat (ITT) analysis-107/149 (71.8%) 95% CI (64.6-79.0%). Thirty-one of 35 patients who failed the first rescue therapy received the second rescue therapy. All were compliant with medications. Eradication success- PP and ITT was 28/31 (90.3%) 95% CI (74.2-98.0%). The cumulative eradication rate using both rescue therapies: PP analysis- 135/138 (97.8%) 95% CI: (93.8-99.6%), ITT analysis- 135/149 (90.6%) 95% CI: (84.7-94.8%).

    CONCLUSIONS:
    A 2-week high dose PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy followed by a PPI-amoxicillin-levofloxacin triple therapy were highly successful in achieving eradication in H. pylori treatment failures.
    Matched MeSH terms: Helicobacter pylori/isolation & purification
  11. Occult hepatitis B infection in blood donors from South East Asia: molecular characterisation and potential mechanisms of occurrence
    Candotti D, Lin CK, Belkhiri D, Sakuldamrongpanich T, Biswas S, Lin S, et al.
    Gut, 2012 Dec;61(12):1744-53.
    PMID: 22267593 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2011-301281
    To investigate the molecular basis of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) in Asian blood donors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification
  12. Fulltext Role of α-helical structure in organic solvent-activated homodimer of elastase strain K
    Rahman RN, Salleh AB, Basri M, Wong CF
    Int J Mol Sci, 2011;12(9):5797-814.
    PMID: 22016627 DOI: 10.3390/ijms12095797
    Recombinant elastase strain K overexpressed from E. coli KRX/pCon2(3) was purified to homogeneity by a combination of hydrophobic interaction chromatography and ion exchange chromatography, with a final yield of 48% and a 25-fold increase in specific activity. The purified protein had exhibited a first ever reported homodimer size of 65 kDa by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF, a size which is totally distinct from that of typically reported 33 kDa monomer from P. aeruginosa. The organic solvent stability experiment had demonstrated a stability pattern which completely opposed the rules laid out in previous reports in which activity stability and enhancement were observed in hydrophilic organic solvents such as DMSO, methanol, ethanol and 1-propanol. The high stability and enhancement of the enzyme in hydrophilic solvents were explained from the view of alteration in secondary structures. Elastinolytic activation and stability were observed in 25 and 50% of methanol, respectively, despite slight reduction in α-helical structure caused upon the addition of the solvent. Further characterization experiments had postulated great stability and enhancement of elastase strain K in broad range of temperatures, pHs, metal ions, surfactants, denaturing agents and substrate specificity, indicating its potential application in detergent formulation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Recombinant Proteins/isolation & purification
  13. Mutagenic and antimutagenic assessment of methanol leaf extract of Myristica fragrans (Houtt.) using in vitro and in vivo genetic assays
    Akinboro A, Mohamed KB, Asmawi MZ, Othman AS, Ying TH, Maidin SM
    Drug Chem Toxicol, 2012 Oct;35(4):412-22.
    PMID: 22149219 DOI: 10.3109/01480545.2011.638300
    The role of diets in causing cancers necessitates the ongoing search for natural antimutagens of promising anticancer therapeutics. This study determined the potential anticancer efficacy of the leaf extract of Myristica fragrans (Houtt.). Methanol leaf extract of M. fragrans (Houtt.) alone was screened for mutagenicity in the bacterial reverse mutation (Ames) test, using the Salmonella typhimurium TA100 strain, the Allium cepa, and the mouse in vivo bone marrow micronucleus tests. The antimutagenicity of this extract against benzo[a]pyrene- and cyclophosphamide-induced mutations was evaluated. An antioxidant test on the extract was performed with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, using butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as the standards, whereas its phytochemicals were elucidated by following the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry protocol. In S. typhimurium (TA100), the mutagenicity ratio at 200,500 and 1,000 µg/well was >2. Cell division in the A. cepa root tips and mouse bone marrow was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) inhibited at 2,000 and 4,000 mg/kg, whereas the observed chromosomal aberrations and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes were non-dose-related and were insignificantly (P ≥ 0.05) different from the negative control. Inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene- and cyclophosphamide-induced mutagenicity by this extract was above 40%. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration of the extract in the antioxidant test was lower than that of BHA and BHT. Phytochemical compounds, possessing antioxidant activity, may be responsible for the observed effects, suggesting a strong antimutagenic activity of the MeOH leaf extract of M. fragrans, a necessary characteristic of a promising anticancer agent.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antimutagenic Agents/isolation & purification
  14. Fulltext High frequency of Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistance marker (pfcrt T76 mutation) in Yemen: an urgent need to re-examine malaria drug policy
    Al-Mekhlafi AM, Mahdy MA, Al-Mekhlafi HM, Azazy AA, Fong MY
    Parasit Vectors, 2011;4:94.
    PMID: 21619624 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-94
    Malaria remains a significant health problem in Yemen with Plasmodium falciparum being the predominant species which is responsible for 90% of the malaria cases. Despite serious concerns regarding increasing drug resistance, chloroquine is still used for the prevention and treatment of malaria in Yemen. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of choloroquine resistance (CQR) of P. falciparum isolated from Yemen based on the pfcrt T76 mutation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Plasmodium falciparum/isolation & purification
  15. Gelation properties of spent duck meat surimi-like material produced using acid-alkaline solubilization methods
    Nurkhoeriyati T, Huda N, Ahmad R
    J Food Sci, 2011 Jan-Feb;76(1):S48-55.
    PMID: 21535715 DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01963.x
    The gelation properties of spent duck meat surimi-like material produced using acid solubilization (ACS) or alkaline solubilization (ALS) were studied and compared with conventionally processed (CON) surimi-like material. The ACS process yielded the highest protein recovery (P < 0.05). The ALS process generated the highest lipid reduction, and the CON process yielded the lowest reduction (P < 0.05). Surimi-like material produced by the CON process had the highest gel strength, salt extractable protein (SEP), and water holding capacity (WHC), followed by materials produced via the ALS and ACS processes and untreated duck meat (P < 0.05). The material produced by the CON process also had the highest cohesiveness, hardness, and gumminess values and the lowest springiness value. Material produced by the ACS and ALS processes had higher whiteness values than untreated duck meat gels and gels produced by the CON method (P < 0.05). Surimi-like material produced using the ACS and CON processes had significantly higher myoglobin removal (P < 0.05) than that produced by the ALS method and untreated duck meat. Among all surimi-like materials, the highest Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was found in conventionally produced gels (P < 0.05). This suggests that protein oxidation was induced by acid-alkaline solubilization. The gels produced by ALS had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) total SH content than the other samples. This result showed that the acid-alkaline solubilization clearly improved gelation and color properties of spent duck and possibly applied for other high fat raw material.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dietary Proteins/isolation & purification
  16. Effect of Cissus quadrangularis Linn on the development of osteopenia induced by ovariectomy in rats
    Potu BK, Nampurath GK, Rao MS, Bhat KM
    Clin Ter, 2011;162(4):307-12.
    PMID: 21912817
    The aim of our study was to see the efficacy of petroleum ether extract of Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) on development of osteopenia in ovariectomy induced Wistar rats.
    Matched MeSH terms: Plant Extracts/isolation & purification
  17. Fulltext Risk factors and outcomes of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter bloodstream infection in North-Eastern Malaysia
    Deris ZZ, Shafei MN, Harun A
    Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 2011 Aug;1(4):313-5.
    PMID: 23569782 DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60050-6
    To determine the risk factors and outcomes of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (IRAB) bloodstream infection (BSI) cases, since there is very little publication on Acinetobacter baumannii infections from Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Acinetobacter baumannii/isolation & purification
  18. Fulltext Inhibitory activities of microalgal extracts against Epstein-Barr virus DNA release from lymphoblastoid cells
    Kok YY, Chu WL, Phang SM, Mohamed SM, Naidu R, Lai PJ, et al.
    J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2011 May;12(5):335-45.
    PMID: 21528487 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1000336
    This study aimed to assess the inhibitory activities of methanol extracts from the microalgae Ankistrodesmus convolutus, Synechococcus elongatus, and Spirulina platensis against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in three Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines, namely Akata, B95-8, and P3HR-1. The antiviral activity was assessed by quantifying the cell-free EBV DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The methanol extracts from Ankistrodesmus convolutus and Synechococcus elongatus displayed low cytotoxicity and potent effect in reducing cell-free EBV DNA (EC(50)<0.01 µg/ml) with a high therapeutic index (>28000). After fractionation by column chromatography, the fraction from Synechococcus elongatus (SEF1) reduced the cell-free EBV DNA most effectively (EC(50)=2.9 µg/ml, therapeutic index>69). Upon further fractionation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the sub-fraction SEF1'a was most active in reducing the cell-free EBV DNA (EC(50)=1.38 µg/ml, therapeutic index>14.5). This study suggests that microalgae could be a potential source of antiviral compounds that can be used against EBV.
    Matched MeSH terms: Antiviral Agents/isolation & purification*
  19. mec-associated dru typing in the epidemiological analysis of ST239 MRSA in Malaysia
    Ghaznavi-Rad E, Goering RV, Nor Shamsudin M, Weng PL, Sekawi Z, Tavakol M, et al.
    Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2011 Nov;30(11):1365-9.
    PMID: 21479532 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-011-1230-1
    The usefulness of mec-associated dru typing in the epidemiological analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated in Malaysia was investigated and compared with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and spa and SCCmec typing. The isolates studied included all MRSA types in Malaysia. Multilocus sequence type ST188 and ST1 isolates were highly clonal by all typing methods. However, the dru typing of ST239 isolates produced the clearest discrimination between SCCmec IIIa and III isolates, yielding more subtypes than any other method. Evaluation of the discriminatory power for each method identified dru typing and PFGE as the most discriminatory, with Simpson's index of diversity (SID) values over 89%, including an isolate which was non-typeable by spa, but dru-typed as dt13j. The discriminatory ability of dru typing, especially with closely related MRSA ST239 strains (e.g., Brazilian and Hungarian), underscores its utility as a tool for the epidemiological investigation of MRSA.
    Matched MeSH terms: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/isolation & purification
  20. Fulltext Emergence of Japanese encephalitis virus genotype V in the Republic of Korea
    Takhampunya R, Kim HC, Tippayachai B, Kengluecha A, Klein TA, Lee WJ, et al.
    Virol J, 2011;8:449.
    PMID: 21943222 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422X-8-449
    Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) genotype V reemerged in Asia (China) in 2009 after a 57-year hiatus from the continent, thereby emphasizing a need to increase regional surveillance efforts. Genotypic characterization was performed on 19 JEV-positive mosquito pools (18 pools of Culex tritaeniorhynchus and 1 pool of Cx. bitaeniorhynchus) from a total of 64 positive pools collected from geographically different locations throughout the Republic of Korea (ROK) during 2008 and 2010.
    Matched MeSH terms: Encephalitis Virus, Japanese/isolation & purification
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