Displaying publications 81 - 100 of 144 in total

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  1. Fulltext Detecting opinion spams through supervised boosting approach
    Hazim M, Anuar NB, Ab Razak MF, Abdullah NA
    PLoS One, 2018;13(6):e0198884.
    PMID: 29889897 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198884
    Product reviews are the individual's opinions, judgement or belief about a certain product or service provided by certain companies. Such reviews serve as guides for these companies to plan and monitor their business ventures in terms of increasing productivity or enhancing their product/service qualities. Product reviews can also increase business profits by convincing future customers about the products which they have interest in. In the mobile application marketplace such as Google Playstore, reviews and star ratings are used as indicators of the application quality. However, among all these reviews, hereby also known as opinions, spams also exist, to disrupt the online business balance. Previous studies used the time series and neural network approach (which require a lot of computational power) to detect these opinion spams. However, the detection performance can be restricted in terms of accuracy because the approach focusses on basic, discrete and document level features only thereby, projecting little statistical relationships. Aiming to improve the detection of opinion spams in mobile application marketplace, this study proposes using statistical based features that are modelled through the supervised boosting approach such as the Extreme Gradient Boost (XGBoost) and the Generalized Boosted Regression Model (GBM) to evaluate two multilingual datasets (i.e. English and Malay language). From the evaluation done, it was found that the XGBoost is most suitable for detecting opinion spams in the English dataset while the GBM Gaussian is most suitable for the Malay dataset. The comparative analysis also indicates that the implementation of the proposed statistical based features had achieved a detection accuracy rate of 87.43 per cent on the English dataset and 86.13 per cent on the Malay dataset.
  2. Optic Canal Analysis in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: Volumetric and Surface Area Validation Study Using Different Measurement Modalities
    Hariri F, Zainudin NAA, Anuar AMS, Ibrahim N, Abdullah NA, Aziz IA, et al.
    J Craniofac Surg, 2020 11 7;32(1):355-359.
    PMID: 33156163 DOI: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000006981
    BACKGROUND: In syndromic craniosynostosis (SC), unlike persistent corneal irritation due to severe exophthalmos and increased intracranial pressure, optic canal (OC) stenosis has been scarcely reported to cause visual impairment. This study aimed to validate the OC volumetric and surface area measurement among SC patients.

    METHODS: Sixteen computed tomography scan of SC patients (8 months-6 years old) were imported to Materialise Interactive Medical Image Control System (MIMICS) and Materialise 3-matics software. Three-dimensional (3D) OC models were fabricated, and linear measurements were obtained. Mathematical formulas were used for calculation of OC volume and surface area from the 3D model. The same measurements were obtained from the software and used as ground truth. Data normality was investigated before statistical analyses were performed. Wilcoxon test was used to validate differences of OC volume and surface area between 3D model and software.

    RESULTS: The mean values for OC surface area for 3D model and MIMICS software were 103.19 mm2 and 31.27 mm2, respectively, whereas the mean for OC volume for 3D model and MIMICS software were 184.37 mm2 and 147.07 mm2, respectively. Significant difference was found between OC volume (P = 0.0681) and surface area (P = 0.0002) between 3D model and software.

    CONCLUSION: Optic canal in SC is not a perfect conical frustum thus making 3D model measurement and mathematical formula for surface area and volume estimation not ideal. Computer software remains the best modality to gauge dimensional parameter and is useful to elucidates the relationship of OC and eye function as well as aiding intervention in SC patients.

  3. Optic canal characteristics in pediatric syndromic craniosynostosis
    Hariri F, Farhana NA, Abdullah NA, Ibrahim N, Ramli NM, Mohd Abdullah AA, et al.
    J Craniomaxillofac Surg, 2021 Dec;49(12):1175-1181.
    PMID: 34247917 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcms.2021.06.017
    The aim of this study was to compare optic canal parameters of syndromic craniosynostosis patients with those of normal patients to visit the possibility of optic nerve impingement as a cause of visual impairment. Computed tomography scan images were processed using the Materialise Interactive Medical Image Control System (MIMICS) Research 21.0 software (Materialise NV, Leuven, Belgium). Eleven optic canal parameters were measured: 1) height of optic canal on the cranial side, 2) height of optic canal on the orbital side 3) length of the medial wall of the optic canal, 4) length of the lateral canal wall of the optic canal, 5) diameter of the optic canal at five points (Q1-Q4 and mid canal), and 6) area and perimeter of optic canal. These measurements were obtained for both the right and left optic canals. The study sample comprised four Crouzon syndrome, five Apert syndrome, and three Pfeiffer syndrome patients. The age of these syndromic craniosynostosis patients ranged from 2 to 63 months. The height of the optic canal on the orbital side (p = 0.041), diameter of the mid canal (p = 0.040), and diameter between the mid-canal and the cranial opening (Q3) (p = 0.079) for syndromic craniosynostosis patients were statistically narrower compared with those of normal patients when a significance level of 0.1 was considered. Scatter plots for the ages of patients versus the above parameters gave three separated clusters that suggested the arresting of optic canal development with age. The findings from this study demonstrated a narrowing of the optic canal in syndromic craniosynostosis patients, and indicate that optic canal anatomical characteristics may have an association with visual impairment among pediatric syndromic craniosynostosis patients.
  4. Crouzon Syndrome: A Case Series of Craniomaxillofacial Distraction Osteogenesis for Functional Rehabilitation
    Hariri F, Abdul Rahman ZA, Bahuri NFA, Azmi MN, Abdullah NA, Ganesan D
    J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2018 03;76(3):646.e1-646.e12.
    PMID: 29268076 DOI: 10.1016/j.joms.2017.11.029
    Crouzon syndrome (CS) is the most common craniosynostosis syndrome and requires a comprehensive management strategy for the optimization of care and functional rehabilitation. This report presents a case series of 6 pediatric patients diagnosed with CS who were treated with distraction osteogenesis (DO) to treat serious functional issues involving severe orbital proptosis, an obstructed nasopharyngeal airway, and increased intracranial pressure (ICP). Three boy and 3 girls were 8 months to 6 years old at the time of the operation. The mean skeletal advancement was 16.1 mm (range, 10 to 27 mm) with a mean follow-up of 31.7 months (range, 13 to 48 months). Reasonable and successful outcomes were achieved in most patients as evidenced by adequate eye protection, absence of signs and symptoms of increased ICP, and tracheostomy tube decannulation except in 1 patient. Complications were difficult fixation of external stabilizing pins in the distraction device (n = 1) and related to surgery (n = 4). Although DO can be considered very technical and can have potentially serious complications, the technique produces favorable functional and clinical outcomes in treating severe CS.
  5. Midface hypoplasia in syndromic craniosynostosis: predicting craniofacial growth via a novel regression model from anatomical morphometric analysis
    Hariri F, Malek RA, Abdullah NA, Hassan SF
    Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2024 Apr;53(4):293-300.
    PMID: 37739816 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2023.08.009
    Midface hypoplasia in syndromic craniosynostosis (SC) may lead to serious respiratory issues. The aim of this study was to analyse the morphometric correlation between midface and cranial base parameters in paediatric SC patients in order to formulate predictive regression models. The computed tomography scans of 18 SC patients and 20 control were imported into Materialise Mimics Medical version 21.0 software for the measurement of multiple craniofacial landmarks and correlation analysis. The results showed a strong correlation of anterior cranial base (SN), posterior cranial base (SBa), and total cranial base (NBa) (r = 0.935) to maxilla length and width (ZMR-ZML) (r = 0.864). The model of NBa = - 1.554 + 1.021(SN) + 0.753(SBa) with R2 = 0.875 is proposed to demonstrate the development of the cranial base that causes a certain degree of midface hypoplasia in SC patients. The formula is supported using a prediction model of ZMR-ZML = 5.762 + 0.920(NBa), with R2 = 0.746. The mean absolute difference and standard deviation between the predicted and true NBa and ZMR-ZML were 2.08 ± 1.50 mm and 3.11 ± 2.32 mm, respectively. The skeletal growth estimation models provide valuable foundation for further analysis and potential clinical application.
  6. Fulltext Identification of Potential Chemical Substrates as Fuel for Hypoxic Tumors That May Be Linked to Invadopodium Formation in Hypoxia-Induced MDA-MB-231 Breast-Cancer Cell Line
    Hamad HA, Enezei HH, Alrawas A, Zakuan NM, Abdullah NA, Cheah YK, et al.
    Molecules, 2020 Aug 26;25(17).
    PMID: 32858793 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25173876
    Hypoxia plays a significant role in solid tumors by the increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), which is known to promote cancer invasion and metastasis. Cancer-cell invasion dynamically begins with the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) via invadopodia formation. The chemical substrates that are utilized by hypoxic cells as fuel to drive invadopodia formation are still not fully understood. Therefore, the aim of the study was to maintain MDA-MB-231 cells under hypoxia conditions to allow cells to form a large number of invadopodia as a model, followed by identifying their nutrient utilization. The results of the study revealed an increase in the number of cells forming invadopodia under hypoxia conditions. Moreover, Western blot analysis confirmed that essential proteins for hypoxia and invadopodia, including HIF-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), metallopeptidase-2 (MMP-2), and Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor 7 (β-PIX), significantly increased under hypoxia. Interestingly, phenotype microarray showed that only 11 chemical substrates from 367 types of substrates were significantly metabolized in hypoxia compared to in normoxia. This is thought to be fuel for hypoxia to drive the invasion process. In conclusion, we found 11 chemical substrates that could have potential energy sources for hypoxia-induced invadopodia formation of these cells. This may in part be a target in the hypoxic tumor and invadopodia formation. Additionally, these findings can be used as potential carrier targets in cancer-drug discovery, such as the usage of dextrin.
  7. Fulltext KCNJ11: Genetic Polymorphisms and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus
    Haghvirdizadeh P, Mohamed Z, Abdullah NA, Haghvirdizadeh P, Haerian MS, Haerian BS
    J Diabetes Res, 2015;2015:908152.
    PMID: 26448950 DOI: 10.1155/2015/908152
    Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major worldwide health problem and its prevalence has been rapidly increasing in the last century. It is caused by defects in insulin secretion or insulin action or both, leading to hyperglycemia. Of the various types of DM, type 2 occurs most frequently. Multiple genes and their interactions are involved in the insulin secretion pathway. Insulin secretion is mediated through the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel in pancreatic beta cells. This channel is a heteromeric protein, composed of four inward-rectifier potassium ion channel (Kir6.2) tetramers, which form the pore of the KATP channel, as well as sulfonylurea receptor 1 subunits surrounding the pore. Kir6.2 is encoded by the potassium inwardly rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 11 (KCNJ11) gene, a member of the potassium channel genes. Numerous studies have reported the involvement of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the KCNJ11 gene and their interactions in the susceptibility to DM. This review discusses the current evidence for the contribution of common KCNJ11 genetic variants to the development of DM. Future studies should concentrate on understanding the exact role played by these risk variants in the development of DM.
  8. Renal Nano-drug delivery for acute kidney Injury: Current status and future perspectives
    Geo HN, Murugan DD, Chik Z, Norazit A, Foo YY, Leo BF, et al.
    J Control Release, 2022 Jan 24;343:237-254.
    PMID: 35085695 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.01.033
    Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes considerable morbidity and mortality, particularly in the case of post-cardiac infarction or kidney transplantation; however, the site-specific accumulation of small molecule reno-protective agents for AKI has often proved ineffective due to dynamic fluid and solute excretion and non-selectivity, which impedes therapeutic efficacy. This article reviews the current status and future trajectories of renal nanomedicine research for AKI management from pharmacological and clinical perspectives, with a particular focus on appraising nanosized drug carrier (NDC) use for the delivery of reno-protective agents of different pharmacological classes and the effectiveness of NDCs in improving renal tissue targeting selectivity and efficacy of said agents. This review reveals the critical shift in the role of the small molecule reno-protective agents in AKI pharmacotherapy - from prophylaxis to treatment - when using NDCs for delivery to the kidney. We also highlight the need to identify the accumulation sites of NDCs carrying reno-protective agents in renal tissues during in vivo assessments and detail the less-explored pharmacological classes of reno-protective agents whose efficacies may be improved via NDC-based delivery. We conclude the paper by outlining the challenges and future perspectives of NDC-based reno-protective agent delivery for better clinical management of AKI.
  9. Fulltext A Rare Case of Obliterated Femoral Canal in Atypical Femoral Shaft Fracture Related to Bisphosphonate Therapy
    Febrian Kunta Adjie R, Bajuri MY, Nik Abdullah NA, Leong JF
    Cureus, 2023 Sep;15(9):e45441.
    PMID: 37859907 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45441
    Bisphosphonates have been accepted as the first-line treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Atypical femoral shaft fracture is one of the side effects of long-term bisphosphonate therapy. The mainstay treatment of this atypical fracture is bisphosphonates cessation and stabilization with internal fixation. We are reporting a rare case of a blocked intramedullary femoral canal found during surgery of an 85-year-old Indian lady with an atypical femoral shaft fracture related to her five-year alendronate therapy. We found difficulty in passing the guidewire through the fracture site during the closed method, which renders open reduction to manage the obliterated intramedullary canal. The importance of changing decisions intraoperatively should be highlighted to avoid further complications. Fracture union is achieved during our follow-up in the clinic.
  10. Synergistic effects of chitosan scaffold and TGFβ1 on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth
    Farea M, Husein A, Halim AS, Abdullah NA, Mokhtar KI, Lim CK, et al.
    Arch Oral Biol, 2014 Dec;59(12):1400-11.
    PMID: 25222336 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2014.08.015
    Multipotent stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) represent a promising cell source for tissue regeneration. In the present study we decided to test the inductive effect of chitosan and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) as a scaffold/factor combination on SHED proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.
  11. Fulltext Isolation and enhancement of a homogenous in vitro human Hertwig's epithelial root sheath cell population
    Farea M, Halim AS, Abdullah NA, Lim CK, Mokhtar KI, Berahim Z, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2013;14(6):11157-70.
    PMID: 23712356 DOI: 10.3390/ijms140611157
    Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS) cells play a pivotal role during root formation of the tooth and are able to form cementum-like tissue. The aim of the present study was to establish a HERS cell line for molecular and biochemical studies using a selective digestion method. Selective digestion was performed by the application of trypsin-EDTA for 2 min, which led to the detachment of fibroblast-like-cells, with the rounded cells attached to the culture plate. The HERS cells displayed a typical cuboidal/squamous-shaped appearance. Characterization of the HERS cells using immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry analysis showed that these cells expressed pan-cytokeratin, E-cadherin, and p63 as epithelial markers. Moreover, RT-PCR confirmed that these cells expressed epithelial-related genes, such as cytokeratin 14, E-cadherin, and ΔNp63. Additionally, HERS cells showed low expression of CD44 and CD105 with absence of CD34 and amelogenin expressions. In conclusion, HERS cells have been successfully isolated using a selective digestion method, thus enabling future studies on the roles of these cells in the formation of cementum-like tissue in vitro.
  12. The effects of tempol on renal function and hemodynamics in cyclosporine-induced renal insufficiency rats
    Chia TY, Sattar MA, Abdulla MH, Rathore HA, Ahmad Fu, Kaur G, et al.
    Ren Fail, 2013 Aug;35(7):978-88.
    PMID: 23822648 DOI: 10.3109/0886022X.2013.809563
    This study investigated the effects of tempol, a superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic and L-NAME, a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor on the renal function and hemodynamics in cyclosporine A (CsA) induced renal insufficiency rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with either vehicle (C), tempol (T, 1 mmol/L in drinking fluid), L-NAME (L, 1 mmol/L in drinking fluid), CsA (Cs, 25 mg/kg/day via gavage), CsA plus tempol (TCs), CsA plus L-NAME (LCs) or CsA plus a combination of tempol and L-NAME (TLCs) for 21 consecutive days. At the end of treatment regimen, the renal responses to noradrenaline (NA), phenylephrine (PE), methoxamine and angiotensin II (Ang II) were determined. Cs and LCs rats had lower creatinine clearance (0.7 ± 0.1 and 0.6 ± 0.5 vs. 1.3 ± 0.2 mL/min/kg) and fractional excretion of sodium (0.12 ± 0.02 and 0.17 ± 0.01 vs. 0.67 ± 0.04%) but higher systolic blood pressure (145 ± 2 and 178 ± 4 vs. 116 ± 2) compared to the control (all p NA, PE and Ang II were lower than control by ∼35-48% (all p 
  13. Fulltext High resolution melting analysis of the NR1I3 genetic variants: Is there an association with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia?
    Cheung TP, Van Rostenberghe H, Ismail R, Nawawi NN, Abdullah NA, Ramli N, et al.
    Gene, 2015 Dec 1;573(2):198-204.
    PMID: 26188155 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.07.045
    Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) encoded by the nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group I, member 3 (NR1I3) gene regulates the elimination of bilirubin through activating the components of the bilirubin clearance pathway. Hence, NR1I3 genetic variants may affect bilirubin metabolism and result in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Thus far, research which investigates the association between NR1I3 variants and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia has not been undertaken in any population. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of MPJ6_1I3008 (rs10157822), IVS8+116T>G (rs4073054) and 540A>G (rs2307424) on neonatal hyperbilirubinemia development in the Malay population. Buccal swabs were collected from 232 hyperbilirubinemia and 277 control term newborns with gestational age ≥37weeks and birth weight ≥2500g. The NR1I3 variants were genotyped by using high resolution melting (HRM) assays and verified by DNA sequencing. Gender, mode of delivery and birth weight did not differ between hyperbilirubinemia and control groups. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of MPJ6_1I3008, IVS8+116T>G and 540A>G were not significantly different between the groups. However, stratification by gender revealed a significant inverse association between homozygous variant genotype of MPJ6_1I3008 and risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the females (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.20-0.95; p=0.034). This study demonstrates that the homozygous variant genotype of MPJ6_1I3008 was associated with a significant reduced risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in the females.
  14. Fulltext A preliminary report on ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) recovered from forensic entomological studies conducted in different ecological habitats in Malaysia
    Chen CD, Nazni WA, Lee HL, Hashim R, Abdullah NA, Ramli R, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2014 Jun;31(2):381-6.
    PMID: 25134909 MyJurnal
    This study reported the ant species that were recovered from monkey carcasses in three different ecological habitats in Malaysia. The study was conducted from 9 May - 10 October 2007, 6 May - 6 August 2008 and 26 May - 14 July 2009 in forested area (Gombak, Selangor), coastal area (Tanjong Sepat, Selangor) and highland area (Bukit Cincin, Pahang), respectively. Monkey carcass was used as a model for human decomposition in this study. A total of 4 replicates were used in each of the study sites. Ants were observed to prey on eggs, larvae, pupae and newly emerged flies. This study found that ant species could be found at all stages of decomposition, indicating that ants were not a significant indicator for faunal succession. However, different species of ants were obtained from monkey carcasses placed in different ecological habitats. Cardiocondyla sp. was only found on carcasses placed in the coastal area; while Pheidole longipes, Hypoponera sp. and Pachycondyla sp. were solely found on carcasses placed in the highland area. On the other hand, Pheidologeton diversus and Paratrechina longicornis were found in several ecological habitats. These data suggests that specific ant species can act as geographic indicators for different ecological habitats in forensic entomology cases in Malaysia.
  15. Prevalence and Factors Associated With Oral and Hand Hygiene Practices Among Adolescents in Malaysia: Findings From the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2017
    Che Salleh N, Mohamad Anuar MF, Abdullah NA, Yaw SL, Ibrahim Wong N, Teck Pei T, et al.
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2019 11;31(8_suppl):97S-104S.
    PMID: 31640393 DOI: 10.1177/1010539519880998
    This cross-sectional national survey aimed to determine the prevalence of oral and hand hygiene practices as well as associations between sociodemographic characteristics and oral and hygiene practice among adolescents aged 13 to 17 years during the past 30 days. A validated self-administered bilingual questionnaire adapted from the Malaysian Global School Health Survey with computer-scanable answer sheets was distributed to 30 823 adolescents attending government secondary schools in Malaysia; and 89.2% responded to the questionnaire given. More than 80% (87.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 86.24-87.96) of the adolescents reported that they had brushed their teeth at least twice daily and had always washed their hands after using the toilet (86.6%; 95% CI = 85.85-87.36). The odds of adolescents who brushed their teeth at least 2 times daily and washed their hands after using the toilet was significantly associated with sociodemographic characteristics. This study highlights the need to further improve the effectiveness of current oral health promotion programs with consideration for sociodemographic characteristics.
  16. Fulltext Renal targeting potential of a polymeric drug carrier, poly-l-glutamic acid, in normal and diabetic rats
    Chai HJ, Kiew LV, Chin Y, Norazit A, Mohd Noor S, Lo YL, et al.
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2017;12:577-591.
    PMID: 28144140 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S111284
    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Poly-l-glutamic acid (PG) has been used widely as a carrier to deliver anticancer chemotherapeutics. This study evaluates PG as a selective renal drug carrier.

    EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: 3H-deoxycytidine-labeled PGs (17 or 41 kDa) and 3H-deoxycytidine were administered intravenously to normal rats and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The biodistribution of these compounds was determined over 24 h. Accumulation of PG in normal kidneys was also tracked using 5-(aminoacetamido) fluorescein (fluoresceinyl glycine amide)-labeled PG (PG-AF). To evaluate the potential of PGs in ferrying renal protective anti-oxidative stress compounds, the model drug 4-(2-aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride (AEBSF) was conjugated to 41 kDa PG to form PG-AEBSF. PG-AEBSF was then characterized and evaluated for intracellular anti-oxidative stress efficacy (relative to free AEBSF).

    RESULTS: In the normal rat kidneys, 17 kDa radiolabeled PG (PG-Tr) presents a 7-fold higher, while 41 kDa PG-Tr shows a 15-fold higher renal accumulation than the free radiolabel after 24 h post injection. The accumulation of PG-AF was primarily found in the renal tubular tissues at 2 and 6 h after an intravenous administration. In the diabetic (oxidative stress-induced) kidneys, 41 kDa PG-Tr showed the greatest renal accumulation of 8-fold higher than the free compound 24 h post dose. Meanwhile, the synthesized PG-AEBSF was found to inhibit intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (a reactive oxygen species generator) at an efficiency that is comparable to that of free AEBSF. This indicates the preservation of the anti-oxidative stress properties of AEBSF in the conjugated state.

    CONCLUSION/IMPLICATIONS: The favorable accumulation property of 41 kDa PG in normal and oxidative stress-induced kidneys, along with its capabilities in conserving the pharmacological properties of the conjugated renal protective drugs, supports its role as a potential renal targeting drug carrier.

  17. Fulltext Withaferin A protects against palmitic acid-induced endothelial insulin resistance and dysfunction through suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation
    Batumalaie K, Amin MA, Murugan DD, Sattar MZ, Abdullah NA
    Sci Rep, 2016 06 02;6:27236.
    PMID: 27250532 DOI: 10.1038/srep27236
    Activation of inflammatory pathways via reactive oxygen species (ROS) by free fatty acids (FFA) in obesity gives rise to insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. Withaferin A (WA), possesses both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and therefore would be a good strategy to suppress palmitic acid (PA)-induced oxidative stress and inflammation and hence, insulin resistance and dysfunction in the endothelium. Effect of WA on PA-induced insulin resistance in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was determined by evaluating insulin signaling mechanisms whilst effect of this drug on PA-induced endothelial dysfunction was determined in acetylcholine-mediated relaxation in isolated rat aortic preparations. WA significantly inhibited ROS production and inflammation induced by PA. Furthermore, WA significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-6 production in endothelial cells by specifically suppressing IKKβ/NF-κβ phosphorylation. WA inhibited inflammation-stimulated IRS-1 serine phosphorylation and improved the impaired insulin PI3-K signaling, and restored the decreased nitric oxide (NO) production triggered by PA. WA also decreased endothelin-1 and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 levels, and restored the impaired endothelium-mediated vasodilation in isolated aortic preparations. These findings suggest that WA inhibited both ROS production and inflammation to restore impaired insulin resistance in cultured endothelial cells and improve endothelial dysfunction in rat aortic rings.
  18. Fulltext An efficient in vitro plantlet regeneration from shoot tip cultures of Curculigo latifolia, a medicinal plant
    Babaei N, Abdullah NA, Saleh G, Abdullah TL
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:275028.
    PMID: 24723799 DOI: 10.1155/2014/275028
    A procedure was developed for in vitro propagation of Curculigo latifolia through shoot tip culture. Direct regeneration and indirect scalp induction of Curculigo latifolia were obtained from shoot tip grown on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of thidiazuron and indole-3-butyric acid. Maximum response for direct regeneration in terms of percentage of explants producing shoot, shoot number, and shoot length was obtained on MS medium supplemented with combination of thidiazuron (0.5 mg L(-1)) and indole-3-butyric acid (0.25 mg L(-1)) after both 10 and 14 weeks of cultures. Indole-3-butyric acid in combination with thidiazuron exhibited a synergistic effect on shoot regeneration. The shoot tips were able to induce maximum scalp from basal end of explants on the medium with 2 mg L(-1) thidiazuron. Cultures showed that shoot number, shoot length, and scalp size increased significantly after 14 weeks of culture. Transferring of the shoots onto the MS medium devoid of growth regulators resulted in the highest percentage of root induction and longer roots, while medium supplemented with 0.25 mg L(-1) IBA produced more numbers of roots.
  19. Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers and analysis of genetic variability in Curculigo latifolia Dryand
    Babaei N, Abdullah NA, Saleh G, Abdullah TL
    Mol Biol Rep, 2012 Nov;39(11):9869-77.
    PMID: 22752726
    Curculin, a sweet protein found in Curculigo latifolia fruit has great potential for the pharmaceutical industry. This protein interestingly has been found to have both sweet taste and taste-modifying capacities comparable with other natural sweeteners. According to our knowledge this is the first reported case on the isolation of microsatellite loci in this genus. Hence, the current development of microsatellite markers for C. latifolia will facilitate future population genetic studies and breeding programs for this valuable plant. In this study 11 microsatellite markers were developed using 3' and 5' ISSR markers. The primers were tested on 27 accessions from all states of Peninsular Malaysia. The number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven, with allele size ranging from 141 to 306 bp. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged between 0.00-0.65 and 0.38-0.79, respectively. The polymorphic information content ranged from 0.35 to 0.74 and the Shannon's information index ranged from 0.82 to 1.57. These developed polymorphic microsatellites were used for constructing a dendrogram by unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis using the Dice's similarity coefficient. Accessions association according to their geographical origin was observed. Based on characteristics of isolated microsatellites for C. latifolia accessions all genotype can be distinguished using these 11 microsatellite markers. These polymorphic markers could also be applied to studies on uniformity determination and somaclonal variation of tissue culture plantlets, varieties identification, genetic diversity, analysis of phylogenetic relationship, genetic linkage maps and quantitative trait loci in C. latifolia.
  20. Relationship between various cytokines implicated in asthma
    Ayakannu R, Abdullah NA, Radhakrishnan AK, Lechimi Raj V, Liam CK
    Hum Immunol, 2019 Sep;80(9):755-763.
    PMID: 31054782 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2019.04.018
    Asthma is a complex disorder involving immunologic, environmental, genetic and other factors. Today, asthma is the most common disease encountered in clinical medicine in both children and adults worldwide. Asthma is characterized by increased responsiveness of the tracheobronchial tree resulting in chronic swelling and inflammation of the airways recognized to be controlled by the T-helper 2 (Th2) lymphocytes, which secrete cytokines to increase the production of IgE by B cells. There are many cytokines implicated in the development of the chronic inflammatory processes that are often observed in asthma. Ultimately, these cytokines cause the release of mediators such as histamine and leukotrienes (LT), which in turn promote airway remodeling, bronchial hyperresponsiveness and bronchoconstriction. The CD4+ T-lymphocytes from the airways of asthmatics express a panel of cytokines that represent the Th2 cells. The knowledge derived from numerous experimental and clinical studies have allowed physicians and scientists to understand the normal functions of these cytokines and their roles in the pathogenesis of asthma. The main focus of this review is to accentuate the relationship between various cytokines implicated in human asthma. However, some key findings from animal models will be highlighted to support the discoveries from clinical studies.
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