Displaying publications 101 - 120 of 361 in total

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  1. Fadhli, Y., Zulkifli, A., Razlan, M.
    MyJurnal
    This is a cross-sectional study to determine the association between religious perception and smoking behavior of secondary male students in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 526 secondary four male students from eight randomly selected schools in Kota Bharu. There were 182 (34.6%) students who were current smokers, 12 (2.3%) were ex-smokers and 332 (63.1%) were non·smokers. More than half of the current smokers (53.4%) smoked regularly. Student’s perceptions on the religious opinion on smoking were signihcantly associated with smoking behavior. Other significant risk factors were having close friends who smoke, their perceptions on benefits and negative effects of smoking and the level of
    y relationship with their fathers. These factors were also found to be good predictors of student's smoking status. Health education programs to control smoking should include the religious aspect of smoking to improve it’s effectiveness.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  2. Azmawati M.N., Aisah M., Norfazilah A.
    MyJurnal
    Children less than 6 years old are the most vulnerable group to get harm from Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) exposure, especially their respiratory system. To determine the prevalence of ETS exposure and its association with asthma like symptoms among children less than 6 years old. A cross sectional study was conducted in between January till April 2014 among parents with children less than 6 years old in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 142 parents were selected by simple random sampling and data were collected using guided questionnaire on ETS exposure and asthma like symptoms (cough and wheeze) among their children. A total of 52.8% of children found to be exposed to ETS, and 43.7% were exposed from their father. ETS exposure significantly associated with cough without cold (adjusted OR=5.46, 95% CI 2.37, 12.61), dry cough at night (adjusted OR=3.74, 95%CI 1.41, 9.95) and cough upon physical activity (adjusted OR=3.08, 95% 1.07, 8.89) among these children. Children less than 6 years old are vulnerable to respiratory problem due to ETS exposure especially on cough symptoms. More strategies should be developing to reduce the exposure to ETS.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  3. Khor, Poh Yen, Norshidah Harun, Fazreenizam Ishak, Nur Aimy Iryany Mohd Anuar, Noraini Abdul Karim, Aqirah Azman, et al.
    Int J Public Health Res, 2012;2(1):80-84.
    MyJurnal
    Accepted 13 January 2012.
    Introduction The purpose of this study is to explore the reasons of Shisha smoking among teenagers in Ipoh, Perak.
    Methods Data was collected using in-depth face to face interview. Purposive convenient sampling was used to select volunteer respondents from one of the Shisha restaurant located at Ipoh. The interviews were conducted for 15-20 minutes, recorded using video tape. The data obtained was transcribed and coded for the purpose of thematic analysis.
    Results All respondents were influenced by peers in their first attempt in Shisha smoking. Other reasons attracting them to continue smoking Shisha include appealing smell and the flavoured taste of Shisha, easy to access, perceived that Shisha was not addictive and its’ cheaper price. In terms of perception on health risk, all respondents believed that Shisha was less harmful compared to cigarette smoking.
    Conclusions More educational programme, health talk about risk of Shisha should be developed and conducted to rectify the misconception about health risk of Shisha smoking. The target population should be focus on male teenagers who smoke Shisha in order to control the widespread Shisha smoking in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  4. Sulaiman C, Abdul-Rahim AS, Chin L, Mohd-Shahwahid HO
    Chemosphere, 2017 Mar 06;177:224-231.
    PMID: 28292722 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.019
    This study examined the impact of wood fuel consumption on health outcomes, specifically under-five and adult mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa, where wood usage for cooking and heating is on the increase. Generalized method of moment (GMM) estimators were used to estimate the impact of wood fuel consumption on under-five and adult mortality (and also male and female mortality) in the region. The findings revealed that wood fuel consumption had significant positive impact on under-five and adult mortality. It suggests that over the studied period, an increase in wood fuel consumption has increased the mortality of under-five and adult. Importantly, it indicated that the magnitude of the effect of wood fuel consumption was more on the under-five than the adults. Similarly, assessing the effect on a gender basis, it was revealed that the effect was more on female than male adults. This finding suggests that the resultant mortality from wood smoke related infections is more on under-five children than adults, and also are more on female adults than male adults. We, therefore, recommended that an alternative affordable, clean energy source for cooking and heating should be provided to reduce the wood fuel consumption.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  5. Lim, K.H., Sumarni, M.G., Kee, C.C., Amal, N.M., Norhamimah, A.
    Medicine & Health, 2011;6(1):49-58.
    MyJurnal
    Susceptibility to smoking, which is defined as a lack of cognitive commitment not to smoke in the future, has been shown to be a predictor for adolescent smoking initiation in developed countries. This study aims to evaluate the utility of a susceptibility-tosmoke measure as a predictor of smoking initiation among adolescents in Kota Tinggi district, Johor Malaysia. Susceptibility to smoking was evaluated among 1763 adolescents at baseline using a two-item construct. At follow-up 12 months later, 1288 of the 1763 adolescents (73.1%) responded. Results showed 14.9% (n=188/1260) of the respondents were susceptible to smoking at baseline. Among the susceptible adolescents, 31.9% initiated smoking after one year. Respondents who were identified as susceptible to smoking by the measure were 3.7 times (95%; CI: 2.17- 6.30) more likely to initiate smoking compared to non-susceptible respondents after adjusting for gender, school locality, percentage of friends who smoke, father smoking, parental acceptance of smoking, and belief in the positive and negative consequences of smoking. The findings suggest that the susceptibility measure is a reliable predictor and can be used as a screening tool to identify adolescents who are at risk of initiating smoking.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  6. Chiew, Eng Wooi, Lim, Susan Lee Hong, Ambu, Stephen
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Kelantan, an east coast state of Peninsular Malaysia is rich in culture and supports a population that is dependent on agriculture. The crops cultivated are mainly paddy and rubber but in recent years tobacco is beginning to gain importance over paddy. We centered our study around Bachok District which is about 25 kilometers east of Kota Bharu, the state capital.
    Methods: Based on case reports we focused our study on cercarial dermatitis and also recorded the socioeconomic status of the people in the four study villages.
    Result: The ducks and cows were the common livestock kept by the farmers and these were found to be significantly associated (P=0.05) with the occurrence of dermatitis. Cercariae shedding by snails were found in waters used for irrigation.
    Conclusion: The results indicate that cercarial dermatitis is occupation specific, and its debilitating effect was having an influence on the socioeconomic status and general wellbeing of the population in these villages. The dermatitis occurred only during the field preparation and transplanting stages of paddy and was found to be significantly associated (P=
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  7. Rashid AK, Azizah AM
    MyJurnal
    Comparison of rates of smoking across countries revealed that students are more likely to begin smoking in medical school than to give it up and increase their cigarette consumption rather than decrease it. A cross-sectional survey of all consenting medical students in a private medical university in north Malaysia was conducted in 2008 to determine the prevalence and smoking habits among them. A self administered questionnaire which was returned to the investigators in a sealed envelope was used. Results were tabulated and analysed with SPSS version 13.0 software. The response rate was 83.3% (508/610). The prevalence rate for current smokers was 5.3% (27/508) and for ever smokers 9.3% (47/508). Factors significantly associated with smoking were gender (p<0.001), age group (p<0.001) and family income (p=0.003). The odds of being a smoker was 14 folds high when a family member smoked and the odds of being an ever smoker was almost 6 folds more when a family member smoked. Friends were the most common influence to start smoking and the most common reason to stop smoking among ever smokers. The reasons for not smoking among the never smokers were health concerns and the distasteful smell of cigarettes. A module on how to help medical students to stop smoking should be included in the curriculum of every medical school. This will not only help them become good educators but will prevent them from picking up the habit. Educational intervention should also include family members who smoke.
    Key words: smoking, medical students, university, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco Use Disorder
  8. Swee, W.F., Anza, E., Noor Hassim, I.
    Medicine & Health, 2007;2(1):93-98.
    MyJurnal
    A cross sectional study on work stress prevalence was carried out among 185 executives and managers in the head quarter of an international tobacco company. The aim of the study was to identify work stress prevalence in this company and work stressors that were associated with stress experienced by the workers. A questionnaire based on the Personal Stress Inventory by O'Donell (1984) was used. Data collected from participants included sociodemography factors, symptoms of stress and work stressors related to organizational policy, organizational structure, organizational process, and work environment. The study showed that the prevalence of stress among executives was 68.1% and managers were 67.9%. There was no significant difference in the level of stress between the executives and the managers in the company. The sociodemographic factors that were significantly associated with stress were salary, number of children and personal factors. The significant stressors in the workplace were lack of job recognition, over focusing on quality of work, heavy workload and long working hours.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  9. Mohd Yusoff Hasim, Rokiah Mohd, Rafidah Md Noor, Azizah Abd. Manan, Abd. Jamil Ahmad, Munsyi Abdullah, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Health impact related to smoking is a critical public health predicament especially in pregnancy. However there is not much data available to describe the magnitude of the problem. Hence this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of smoking and its socioeconomic factors among antenatal mother and their opinion related to tobacco control measures. A cross sectional study was carried out involving newly registered antenatal mothers attending all government health clinics in Penang. Prevalence of ever smoking among antenatal mother is 1.4%, of which 42.4% is still smoking at first antenatal visit. It was found that single mothers are more likely to smoke (OR, 14.23: C12.52-53.27). It was also noted that spouse smoking (OR, 5,14: CI 1.95-17.09), primigravida (OR, 2.7: C1 1.3-5.62), age group less than 30 years old (OR, 2.41; CI 1.03-6.09) and living in urban area (OR, 2.33; CI 1.01 — 6.47) have a higher risk to indulge in smoking behaviour. Muslim OR 0.29; C1 0.14 - 0.60) and Malay (OR 0.22; CI 0.10 - 0.47) pregnant mothers are noted to be less likely to smoke as compared to non Muslim and non Malay. More than 85% of them agreed with the tobacco control measures regardless of their smoking status. Most of respondents agreed the influential people in community L;11T · such as medical personnel, teachers and parents should not smoke.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  10. Amer Siddiq, A.N., Farizah, M.H.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Tobacco smoking kills and estimated six million lives annually worldwide of which include 10,000 Malaysian lives. Twenty three per cent of Malaysian adults smoke however, similar prevalence is not known among the mentally ill. Those with mental illness often have higher prevalence rates and greater disability due to smoking. This commentary aims to update the mental health community in Malaysia on the on-going efforts made locally to assist the national tobacco control agenda. Methods: A brief report of recent updates is provided for this article. Results and Conclusion: Three major significant activities are reported, all of which will move the tobacco control agenda within psychiatry forward. These activities will allow psychiatry be in a better position to align tobacco control activities for the mentally ill
    together with the general population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  11. Singh SK, Enzhong L, Reidpath DD, Allotey P
    Public Health, 2017 Mar;144:78-85.
    PMID: 28274388 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2016.11.022
    OBJECTIVE: To explore the initiating factors of waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) among youth.

    STUDY DESIGN: The analytic framework for this scoping review was performed using the methodology outlined by Arksey and O'Malley, which includes identification of the research question, study selection, charting the data, collating, summarizing and reporting the results that were primarily guided by the research question; 'what is known about the initiation of shisha smoking among youth?'

    METHODS: Electronic databases such as Cochrane, MEDLINE and PsycINFO were used to search for relevant articles. Articles included were all in English and published within the year of 2006 to 2015. Inclusion criteria; i) age range of 10 to 29 years; ii) examined the reasons why youth started or tried WTS; iii) in full text. Therefore, 26 articles were included in this scoping review.

    RESULTS: This review has identified and classified the initiating factors of WTS among youth in four subtopics: individual factors, interpersonal influences, cigarettes and alcohol use, and media influences. Individual factors and interpersonal influences played an important role in initiation factors of WTS among youth.

    CONCLUSION: This study concludes that public health professionals within the Southeast Asia region need to promote innovative preventive measures through peer-to-peer led interventions that are also easily assessable on social media platforms. The public health messages need to address the misconceptions of risk associated to WTS use.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco Products
  12. Lim KH, Lim HL, Teh CH, Kee CC, Khoo YY, Ganapathy SS, et al.
    Tob Induc Dis, 2017;15:9.
    PMID: 28163668 DOI: 10.1186/s12971-016-0108-5
    BACKGROUND: A multitude of studies have revealed that smoking is a learned behaviour during adolescence and efforts to reduce the incidence of smoking has been identified as long-term measures to curb the smoking menace. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence as well as the intra and inter-personal factors associated with smoking among upper secondary school students in selected schools in Peninsular Malaysia.

    METHODS: A study was carried out in 2013, which involved a total of 40 secondary schools. They were randomly selected using a two-stage clustering sampling method. Subsequently, all upper secondary school students (aged 16 to 17 years) from each selected school were recruited into the study. Data was collected using a validated standardised questionnaire.

    RESULTS: This study revealed that the prevalence of smoking was 14.6% (95% CI:13.3-15.9), and it was significantly higher among males compared to females (27.9% vs 2.4%, p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco Products
  13. Foth M, Ismail NFB, Kung JSC, Tomlinson D, Knowles MA, Eriksson P, et al.
    J Pathol, 2018 Nov;246(3):331-343.
    PMID: 30043421 DOI: 10.1002/path.5143
    Recent studies of muscle-invasive bladder cancer show that FGFR3 mutations are generally found in a luminal papillary tumour subtype that is characterised by better survival than other molecular subtypes. To better understand the role of FGFR3 in invasive bladder cancer, we examined the process of tumour development induced by the tobacco carcinogen OH-BBN in genetically engineered models that express mutationally activated FGFR3 S249C or FGFR3 K644E in the urothelium. Both occurrence and progression of OH-BBN-driven tumours were increased in the presence of an S249C mutation compared to wild-type control mice. Interestingly, at an early tumour initiation stage, the acute inflammatory response in OH-BBN-treated bladders was suppressed in the presence of an S249C mutation. However, at later stages of tumour progression, increased inflammation was observed in S249C tumours, long after the carcinogen administration had ceased. Early-phase neutrophil depletion using an anti-Ly6G monoclonal antibody resulted in an increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at later stages of pathogenesis, indicative of enhanced tumour pathogenesis, which supports the hypothesis that suppression of acute inflammation could play a causative role. Statistical analyses of correlation showed that while initial bladder phenotypes in morphology and inflammation were FGFR3-dependent, increased levels of inflammation were associated with tumour progression at the later stage. This study provides a novel insight into the tumour-promoting effect of FGFR3 mutations via regulation of inflammation at the pre-tumour stage in the bladder. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  14. Zurina AM, Asma' M, Raja Latifah RJ, Noriah Y
    Sains Malaysiana, 2014;43(11):1729-1735.
    Recent studies suggested that exposure to household smoking (HHS) could be a modifiable risk factor for caries development among children. Majority of the studies were cross sectional in nature. Therefore, a case-control study was designed to test the hypothesis that HHS is a risk factor to caries experience in permanent teeth. Calculation of sample size was based on the ratio of 1 case to 4 controls. Case was defined as a child aged 13-14 years old with caries in at least one second permanent molar and control was defined as a child from the same age and school with no caries second permanent molars. Matching was done for gender and ethnicity. School dental records provided information on oral health status and oral hygiene status. Information on HHS, socio-economic status, child’s smoking status and child’s oral health practices were obtained from a self- administered questionnaire, completed by the children and their parents. The result showed that 55.9% of the case group was exposed to HHS, as compared to 44.1% among the control group. In the final multiple logistic regression model after controlling for important risk factors for caries, children with caries were almost twice as likely to have been exposed to HHS for more than 10 years as compared to children with no caries, (Adjusted OR=1.90 and 95% CI=1.35, 2.60). In addition, children who only received dental care from the school dental service had reduced risk of having dental caries by more than one third (36%) as compared with those who received dental care from school dental service (SDS) as well as had additional dental problem solving visit outside SDS (Adjusted OR=0.64 and 95% CI=0.50, 0.90). It is concluded that exposure to HHS for a long duration (> than 10 years) increase the risk to have caries experience in permanent teeth of children.
    Study site: 12 secondary schools, Kelang District, Selangor, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco Smoke Pollution
  15. Marzo RR, Bhattacharya S, Ravichandran S, Lakshmanan P, Jeffery VR, Moralitheran P, et al.
    PMID: 32002422 DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_192_19
    INTRODUCTION: Smoking is one of the leading factors of mortality in Malaysia. Most youngsters start at adolescence, fascinated by the concept of smoking. Interventions that harness the broad availability of mobile phones, as well as adolescents' interest in their appearance, may be an innovative way to advance school-based prevention. This study aims to determine the perceptions of facial-aging apps among secondary school students.

    METHODOLOGY: For this research, descriptive cross-sectional study using simple random sampling method was used. Population sampling was targeted toward three government schools. The total number of respondents is 383, with all of them aged between 13 and- 16 years of age. Legal considerations were taken to maintain the confidentiality of respondents. The specific objectives are: 1. To determine the level of change of intention on smoking, 2. To know the perceived reactions of the peer groups on the appearances of students as nonsmokers, 3. To determine whether the students learned new benefits of nonsmokingand, 4. To measure the impact of a facial-aging app among students.

    RESULTS: The number of respondents who smoke was 40 (10.4%), while the number of respondents who do not smoke was 343 (89.6%). About 89% of the respondents agree that their three-dimensional selfie image motivates them not to smoke. In addition, 87.8% of respondents admit that the perceived reactions of their classmates make them think that they look better as nonsmokers. After learning the effects of smoking, about 86.4% of the respondents acknowledged that they would educate their peer groups. Furthermore, 85.9% of the respondents found this "Smokerface" app enjoyable.

    CONCLUSION: The facial-aging intervention was effective in motivating Malaysian pupils to stay away from tobacco use. Thus, the analysis on the study of facial app usage in smoking prevention among youngsters concludes that most of the adolescents concur that the "Smokerface" app helps in the prevention of smoking among youths.

    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco Use
  16. Nazerian E, Sijam K, Mior Ahmad ZA, Vadamalai G
    Plant Dis, 2011 Apr;95(4):491.
    PMID: 30743350 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-09-10-0683
    Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.) is one of the most important vegetables cultivated in Pahang and Kelantan, Malaysia. Pectobacterium carotovorum can cause soft rot on a wide range of crops worldwide, especially in countries with warm and humid climates such as Malaysia. Cabbage with symptoms of soft rot from commercial fields were sampled and brought to the laboratory during the winter of 2010. Disease symptoms were a gray to pale brown discoloration and expanding water-soaked lesions on leaves. Several cabbage fields producing white cultivars were investigated and 27 samples were collected. Small pieces of leaf samples were immersed in 5 ml of saline solution (0.80% NaCl) for 20 min to disperse the bacterial cells. Fifty microliters of the resulting suspension was spread on nutrient agar (NA) and King's B medium and incubated at 30°C for 48 h. Purification of cultures was repeated twice on these media. Biochemical and phenotypical tests gave these results: gram negative, rod shaped, ability to grow under liquid paraffin (facultative anaerobe); oxidase negative; phosphatase negative; positive degradation of pectate; sensitive to erythromycin; negative to Keto-methyl glucoside utilization, indole production and reduction sugars from sucrose were negative; acid production from sorbitol and arabitol was negative and from melibiose, citrate, and raffinose was positive. Hypersensitivity reaction on tobacco leaf with the injection of 106 CFU/ml of bacterial suspension for all strains was positive. Four representative strains were able to cause soft rot using cabbage slices (three replications) inoculated with a bacterial suspension at 106 CFU/ml. Inoculated cabbage slices were incubated in a moist chamber at 80% relative humidity and disease symptoms occurred after 24 h. Cabbage slices inoculated with water as a control remained healthy. The bacteria reisolated from rotted cabbage slices on NA had P. carotovorum cultural characteristics and could cause soft rot in subsequent tests. PCR amplification with Y1 and Y2 primers (1), which are specific for P. carotovorum, produced a 434-bp band with 15 strains. PCR amplification of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic transcribed spacer region (ITS) using G1 and L1 primers gave two main bands approximately 535 and 580 bp and one faint band approximately 740 bp when electrophoresed through a 1.5% agarose gel. The ITS-PCR products were digested with RsaI restriction enzyme. According to biochemical and physiological characterictics (2), PCR-based pel gene (1), and analysis by ITS-PCR and ITS-restriction fragment length polymorphism (3), all isolates were identified as P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. This pathogen has been reported from Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore with whom Malaysia shares its boundaries. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in cabbage from Malaysia. References: (1) A. Darraas et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:1437, 1994. (2) N. W. Schaad et al. Laboratory Guide for the Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria. 3rd ed. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, 2001. (3) I. K. Toth et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:4070, 2001.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  17. Hamidah H, Theresa A, Jennifer D Y, Nurfarina NJ, Siti Aisyah W
    MyJurnal
    1st UMS INTERNATIONAL NURSING CONFERENCE IN CONJUNCTION WITH 11TH INTERNATIONAL NURSING STUDENTS’ FORUM. A view into the future of nursing: Nursing Transformation towards IR-4.0
    Held at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. On 6-8th March 2020
    Introduction: Vaping is a use of electronic devices which do not produce smoke or steam, rather an aerosol consisting of fine particles, containing varying amounts of propylene glycol, glycerine, flavourings and other chemicals. It is battery-powered devices that mimic the action of smoking. In Malaysia, vaping has become a major trend. Videos are going viral on social media showing school students in uniform proudly puffing away. The aim of this study was to find out the acceptance of vaping among medical and nursing students.
    Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study with multiple stage of sampling technique on population of 624 medical and nursing students. Total samples were 389, by Krejci Morgan (1970) sampling technique. Structured questionnaires by A. Gorukanti (2018) with 15 items consisted of knowledge, attitude and acceptance and attitude and believe as data collection tools.
    Results: Results showed 9% to 10% of respondents are still smoking, they believed e-cigarette is safe and would not affect one’s health, as it is a water-based product trademarked. They also regard e-cigarette a way of quitting or cutting down smoking.
    Conclusion: 10% of respondents consistently believed e-cigarettes is harmless. Although the percentage may look small but the impact on the public is huge. However, 90% strongly agreed e-cigarettes ‘vapour is dan- gerous to babies and kids. What concerns us is the consistent group of the 10%, are students who will become our healthcare providers in the future. Their strong-belief in vaping will influence the future of the public understanding, “If doctors and nurses said vaping is safe ... it is safe… right? why not. which is harmful. However, this study has impelled us not only to look at the strength and the significance outcomes of study and neglecting the trifle ones that may prime to serious healthcare consequences of the future society.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco Products
  18. Shajib MS, Rashid RB, Ming LC, Islam S, Sarker MMR, Nahar L, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2018;9:85.
    PMID: 29515437 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00085
    Polymethoxylavones (PMFs) are known to exhibit significant anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, an annual Bangladeshi herb, is rich in polymethoxyflavones that possess significant analgesic and anxiolytic activities. The present study aimed to determine the antinociceptive and neuropharmacological activities of polyoxygenated flavonoids namely- 3,3',5,6,7,8-hexamethoxy-4',5'-methylenedioxyflavone (1), 3,3',4',5',5,6,7,8-octamethoxyflavone (exoticin) (2), 6,7,4',5'-dimethylenedioxy-3,5,3'-trimethoxyflavone (3), and 3,3',4',5,5',8-hexamethoxy-6,7-methylenedioxyflavone (4), isolated and identified fromN. plumbaginifolia. Antinociceptive activity was assessed using the acetic-acid induced writhing, hot plate, tail immersion, formalin and carrageenan-induced paw edema tests, whereas neuropharmacological effects were evaluated in the hole cross, open field and elevated plus maze test. Oral treatment of compounds1,3, and4(12.5-25 mg/kg b.w.) exhibited dose-dependent and significant (p< 0.01) antinociceptive activity in the acetic-acid, formalin, carrageenan, and thermal (hot plate)-induced pain models. The association of ATP-sensitive K+channel and opioid systems in their antinociceptive effect was obvious from the antagonist effect of glibenclamide and naloxone, respectively. These findings suggested central and peripheral antinociceptive activities of the compounds. Compound1,3, and4(12.5 mg/kg b.w.) demonstrated significant (p< 0.05) anxiolytic-like activity in the elevated plus-maze test, while the involvement of GABAAreceptor in the action of compound3and4was evident from the reversal effects of flumazenil. In addition, compounds1and4(12.5-25 mg/kg b.w) exhibited anxiolytic activity without altering the locomotor responses. The present study suggested that the polymethoxyflavones (1-4) fromN. Plumbaginifoliacould be considered as suitable candidates for the development of analgesic and anxiolytic agents.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco
  19. Pang SL, Ong SS, Lee HH, Zamri Z, Kandasamy KI, Choong CY, et al.
    Genet. Mol. Res., 2014;13(3):7217-38.
    PMID: 25222227 DOI: 10.4238/2014.September.5.7
    This study was directed at the understanding of the function of CCoAOMT isolated from Acacia auriculiformis x Acacia mangium. Full length cDNA of the Acacia hybrid CCoAOMT (AhCCoAOMT) was 1024-bp long, containing 750-bp coding regions, with one major open reading frame of 249 amino acids. On the other hand, full length genomic sequence of the CCoAOMT (AhgflCCoAOMT) was 2548 bp long, containing three introns and four exons with a 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) of 391 bp in length. The 5'UTR of the characterized CCoAOMT gene contains various regulatory elements. Southern analysis revealed that the Acacia hybrid has more than three copies of the CCoAOMT gene. Real-time PCR showed that this gene was expressed in root, inner bark, leaf, flower and seed pod of the Acacia hybrid. Downregulation of the homologous CCoAOMT gene in tobacco by antisense (AS) and intron-containing hairpin (IHP) constructs containing partial AhCCoAOMT led to reduction in lignin content. Expression of the CCoAOMT in AS line (pART-HAS78-03) and IHP line (pART-HIHP78-06) was reduced respectively by 37 and 75% compared to the control, resulting in a decrease in the estimated lignin content by 24 and 56%, respectively. AhCCoAOMT was found to have altered not only S and G units but also total lignin content, which is of economic value to the pulp industry. Subsequent polymorphism analysis of this gene across eight different genetic backgrounds each of A. mangium and A. auriculiformis revealed 47 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in A. auriculiformis CCoAOMT and 30 SNPs in A. mangium CCoAOMT.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco/genetics; Tobacco/metabolism
  20. Loy SL, Jan Mohamed HJ
    Women Health, 2014;54(2):145-60.
    PMID: 24329183 DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2013.870632
    This study aimed to examine the associations among prenatal nicotine exposure, oxidative stress, and postpartum visceral fat among women exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). The study was conducted in Kelantan, Malaysia, from April 2010 to December 2012. Blood samples were collected in the second and third trimesters from 135 healthy pregnant women who were followed-up at delivery, 2 months, 6 months and 12 months postpartum. Maternal hair nicotine and oxidative stress markers during pregnancy were measured. Visceral fat was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that maternal hair nicotine concentration was associated with increased DNA damage (tail moment: β=0.580, p=0.001) and decreased glutathione peroxidase (β=-12.100; p=0.009) in the second trimester of pregnancy. Increased DNA damage, protein oxidation and total antioxidant capacity in the second trimester were associated with 2, 6, and 12 months postpartum visceral fat. No direct association was found between prenatal hair nicotine level and postpartum visceral fat; however, these results suggest that any relation of SHS to visceral adiposity may be indirect, mediated via enhanced oxidative stress.
    Matched MeSH terms: Tobacco Smoke Pollution/adverse effects; Tobacco Smoke Pollution/statistics & numerical data*
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