MyMedR

Displaying publications 161 - 180 of 16729 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

A Review on the Expression and Metabolic Features of Orphan Human Cytochrome P450 2S1 (CYP2S1)

Yan P, Eng OC, Yu CJ

Curr Drug Metab, 2018;19(11):917-929.
PMID: 29804525 DOI: 10.2174/1389200219666180528090237

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome P450 2S1 (CYP2S1) is one of the 'orphan' CYPs, which is expressed primarily among extra-hepatic tissues and it is inducible by dioxin. Although the contribution of extra-hepatic CYPs in drug metabolism is considered less significant, they play more important roles in leading to in situ toxicity in organs with higher expression.
METHOD: A non-systemic search was performed to review articles relevant to CYP2S1 in literature. This review will update the findings related to the expression and regulation of CYP2S1 gene and protein, substrate profiles and metabolism mechanisms, genetic polymorphisms, and their association with diseases.
RESULTS: The expression of CYP2S1 was mainly in the epithelium of portal of entry organs such as respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) is believed to be partly involved in the induction of CYP2S1. CYP2S1 was found to activate and deactivate pro-drugs which resulted in toxicity and detoxification of carcinogens. The current knowledge of the endogenous functions of CYP2S1 is largely related to cell proliferation and lipid metabolisms. Several polymorphic alleles of CYP2S1 have been reported and documented to date.
CONCLUSION: Molecular-based investigations should be performed to better understand the regulation mechanism of CYP2S1 in various cells and tissues. It is pivotal to establish optimum expression and incubation systems in vitro to elucidate the substrate specificity of CYP2S1 and characterise the genetic consequences of variant CYP2S1 in vitro.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Review on the Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Humans and Animals Reported in Malaysia from 2008-2018

Nasiru Wana M, Mohd Moklas MA, Watanabe M, Nordin N, Zasmy Unyah N, Alhassan Abdullahi S, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 07 03;17(13).
PMID: 32635389 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17134809

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). Human toxoplasmosis seroprevalence in Malaysia has increased since it was first reported in 1973 as shown in previous reviews of 1991 and 2007. However, over a decade since the last review, comprehensive data on toxoplasmosis in Malaysia is lacking. This work aimed at reviewing articles on toxoplasmosis research in Malaysia in order to identify the research gaps, create public awareness, and efforts made so far and proffer management options on the disease. The present review examines the available published research articles from 2008 to 2018 related to toxoplasmosis research conducted in Malaysia. The articles reviewed were retrieved from nine credible databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Springer, Wiley online library, Ovid, and Cochrane using the keywords; Malaysia, toxoplasmosis, Toxoplasma gondii, toxoplasma encephalitis, seroprevalence, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, pregnant women, genotype strain, anti-toxoplasma antibodies, felines, and vaccine. The data highlighted seropositive cases from healthy community members in Pangkor Island (59.7%) and among migrant workers (57.4%) at alarming rates, as well as 42.5% in pregnant women. Data on animal seroprevalence were limited and there was no information on cats as the definitive host. Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from HIV patients; pregnant women, and domestic cats is lacking. This present review on toxoplasmosis is beneficial to researchers, health workers, animal health professionals, and policymakers. Therefore, attention is required to educate and enlighten health workers and the general public about the risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Review on the Protective Effects of Honey against Metabolic Syndrome

Ramli NZ, Chin KY, Zarkasi KA, Ahmad F

Nutrients, 2018 Aug 02;10(8).
PMID: 30072671 DOI: 10.3390/nu10081009

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of diseases comprising of obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. There are numerous pre-clinical as well as human studies reporting the protective effects of honey against MetS. Honey is a nutritional food low in glycemic index. Honey intake reduces blood sugar levels and prevents excessive weight gain. It also improves lipid metabolism by reducing total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which leads to decreased risk of atherogenesis. In addition, honey enhances insulin sensitivity that further stabilizes blood glucose levels and protects the pancreas from overstimulation brought on by insulin resistance. Furthermore, antioxidative properties of honey help in reducing oxidative stress, which is one of the central mechanisms in MetS. Lastly, honey protects the vasculature from endothelial dysfunction and remodelling. Therefore, there is a strong potential for honey supplementation to be integrated into the management of MetS, both as preventive as well as adjunct therapeutic agents.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Review on the Relationship between Tocotrienol and Alzheimer Disease

Chin KY, Tay SS

Nutrients, 2018 Jul 09;10(7).
PMID: 29987193 DOI: 10.3390/nu10070881

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is plaguing the aging population worldwide due to its tremendous health care and socioeconomic burden. Current treatment of AD only offers symptomatic relief to patients. Development of agents targeting specific pathologies of AD is very slow. Tocotrienol, a member of the vitamin E family, can tackle many aspects of AD, such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal cholesterol synthesis. This review summarizes the current evidence on the role of tocotrienol as a neuroprotective agent. Preclinical studies showed that tocotrienol could reduce oxidative stress by acting as a free-radical scavenger and promoter of mitochondrial function and cellular repair. It also prevented glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in the cells. Human epidemiological studies showed a significant inverse relationship between tocotrienol levels and the occurrence of AD. However, there is no clinical trial to support the claim that tocotrienol can delay or prevent the onset of AD. As a conclusion, tocotrienol has the potential to be developed as an AD-preventing agent but further studies are required to validate its efficacy in humans.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Scoping Review of the Skeletal Effects of Naringenin

Nor Muhamad ML, Ekeuku SO, Wong SK, Chin KY

Nutrients, 2022 Nov 16;14(22).
PMID: 36432535 DOI: 10.3390/nu14224851

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is caused by the deterioration of bone density and microstructure, resulting in increased fracture risk. It transpires due to an imbalanced skeletal remodelling process favouring bone resorption. Various natural compounds can positively influence the skeletal remodelling process, of which naringenin is a candidate. Naringenin is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound found in citrus fruits and grapefruit. This systematic review aims to present an overview of the available evidence on the skeletal protective effects of naringenin.
METHOD: A systematic literature search was conducted using the PubMed and Scopus databases in August 2022. Original research articles using cells, animals, or humans to investigate the bone protective effects of naringenin were included.
RESULTS: Sixteen eligible articles were included in this review. The existing evidence suggested that naringenin enhanced osteoblastogenesis and bone formation through BMP-2/p38MAPK/Runx2/Osx, SDF-1/CXCR4, and PI3K/Akt/c-Fos/c-Jun/AP-1 signalling pathways. Naringenin also inhibited osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption by inhibiting inflammation and the RANKL pathway.
CONCLUSIONS: Naringenin enhances bone formation while suppressing bone resorption, thus achieving its skeletal protective effects. It could be incorporated into the diet through fruit intake or supplements to prevent bone loss.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Scoping review of the effectiveness of control interventions of human and Canine Rabies in an effort to Rationalise the One Health Approach

Nur Asheila Abdul Taib, Razitasham Safii

Borneo Epidemiology Journal, 2020;1(1):16-34.
MyJurnal

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rabies is one of the 18 neglected tropical diseases, together with dengue, leprosy, and trachoma, among others. Despite being a vaccine-preventable disease, the latest estimate of annual human rabies mortality from a 2015 study is as high as 59,000 throughout 150 countries. In human rabies, more than 95% of the cases are due to dog bites, making the elimination of canine rabies a global priority by fighting the disease at its animal source. World Health Organization (WHO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) have warranted the One Health framework with the objective of complete eradication of dog-related human rabies by the year 2030. In an effort to rationalise the One Health approach, this scoping review found 17 studies on assessing the effectiveness of control interventions of human and canine rabies. Different strategies were implemented based on the endemicity of rabies in a particular country. Overall, the combined strategies using the One Health approach, which allows effectiveparticipation and communication between different agencies, have shown promising results in reducing rabies cases. These strategies will hopefully realise the goal in the Global Strategic Plan to achieve zero canine-mediated human rabies death by the year2030.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Sensitive, Colorimetric, High-Throughput Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Detection of Plasmodium knowlesi

Britton S, Cheng Q, Grigg MJ, William T, Anstey NM, McCarthy JS

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2016 07 06;95(1):120-2.
PMID: 27162264 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.15-0670

The simian parasite Plasmodium knowlesi is now the commonest cause of malaria in Malaysia and can rapidly cause severe and fatal malaria. However, microscopic misdiagnosis of Plasmodium species is common, rapid antigen detection tests remain insufficiently sensitive and confirmation of P. knowlesi requires polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thus available point-of-care diagnostic tests are inadequate. This study reports the development of a simple, sensitive, colorimetric, high-throughput loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (HtLAMP) diagnostic test using novel primers for the detection of P. knowlesi. This assay is able to detect 0.2 parasites/μL, and compared with PCR has a sensitivity of 96% for the detection of P. knowlesi, making it a potentially field-applicable point-of-care diagnostic tool.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Survey on The Knowledge, Attitude and Confidence Level of Adult Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Among Junior Doctors in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia

Chew F Z A W M N KS, Mohd Hashairi F, Ida Zarina Z, Shaik Farid AW, Abu Yazid MN, Nik Hisamuddin NA

Med J Malaysia, 2011 Mar;66(1):56-9.
PMID: 23765145 MyJurnal

Junior doctors are often the "first line" doctors called to attend to patients in cardiac arrest. We performed an anonymous questionnaire study from October 2008 to December 2008 to assess the knowledge, attitude and skill of cardiopulmonary resuscitation among junior doctors in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II. Out of the 100 questionnaire forms sent out, 70 were returned completed. The majority (85.8%) stated that they were not confident of managing a resuscitation case. There was a statistically significant (p<0.001) association between duration of clinical practice and confidence level. Up to 77.1% said that BLS should be re-certified every two years.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Synthetic Curcuminoid Analogue, 2,6-Bis-4-(Hydroxyl-3-Methoxybenzylidine)-Cyclohexanone (BHMC) Ameliorates Acute Airway Inflammation of Allergic Asthma in Ovalbumin-Sensitized Mice

Tham CL, Yeoh SY, Ong CH, Harith HH, Israf DA

Mediators Inflamm, 2021;2021:9725903.
PMID: 33883974 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9725903

2,6-Bis-(4-hydroxyl-3-methoxybenzylidine) cyclohexanone (BHMC), a synthetic curcuminoid analogue, has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in cellular models of inflammation and improve the survival of mice from lethal sepsis. We further evaluated the therapeutic effect of BHMC on acute airway inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma. Mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA), followed by intraperitoneal administration of 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg of BHMC. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, blood, and lung samples were collected, and the respiratory function was measured. OVA sensitization and challenge increased airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and pulmonary inflammation. All three doses of BHMC (0.1-10 mg/kg) significantly reduced the number of eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils, as well as the levels of Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as compared to OVA-challenged mice. However, serum level of IgE was not affected. All three doses of BHMC (0.1-10 mg/kg) were effective in suppressing the infiltration of inflammatory cells at the peribronchial and perivascular regions, with the greatest effect observed at 1 mg/kg which was comparable to dexamethasone. Goblet cell hyperplasia was inhibited by 1 and 10 mg/kg of BHMC, while the lowest dose (0.1 mg/kg) had no significant inhibitory effect. These findings demonstrate that BHMC, a synthetic nonsteroidal small molecule, ameliorates acute airway inflammation associated with allergic asthma, primarily by suppressing the release of inflammatory mediators and goblet cell hyperplasia to a lesser extent in acute airway inflammation of allergic asthma.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Therapeutic Efficacy of Heparin and Low Molecular Weight Heparins in Animal Studies of Traumatic Brain Injury

Aiyede M, Lim XY, Russell AAM, Patel RP, Gueven N, Howells DW, et al.

J Neurotrauma, 2023 Jan;40(1-2):4-21.
PMID: 35880422 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0020

The identification of effective pharmacotherapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major challenge. Treatment with heparin and its derivatives is associated with neuroprotective effects after experimental TBI; however, the optimal dosage and method of administration, modes of action, and effects on hemorrhage remain unclear. Therefore, this review aimed to systematically evaluate, analyze, and summarize the available literature on the use of heparin and low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) as treatment options for experimental TBI. We searched two online databases (PubMed and ISI Web of Science) to identify relevant studies. Data pertaining to TBI paradigm, animal subjects, drug administration, and all pathological and behavior outcomes were extracted. Eleven studies met our pre-specified inclusion criteria, and for outcomes with sufficient numbers, data from seven publications were analyzed in a weighted mean difference meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Study quality and risk of bias were also determined. Meta-analysis revealed that heparin and its derivatives decreased brain edema, leukocyte rolling, and vascular permeability, and improved neurological function. Further, treatment did not aggravate hemorrhage. These findings must be interpreted with caution, however, because they were determined from a limited number of studies with substantial heterogeneity. Also, overall study quality was low based on absences of data reporting, and potential publication bias was identified. Importantly, we found that there are insufficient data to evaluate the variables we had hoped to investigate. The beneficial effects of heparin and LMWHs, however, suggest that further pre-clinical studies are warranted.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
A Systematic Review and Meta-regression Analysis on the Impact of Increasing IgG Trough Level on Infection Rates in Primary Immunodeficiency Patients on Intravenous IgG Therapy

Lee JL, Mohamed Shah N, Makmor-Bakry M, Islahudin FH, Alias H, Noh LM, et al.

J Clin Immunol, 2020 07;40(5):682-698.
PMID: 32417999 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-020-00788-5

PURPOSE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-regression analysis to evaluate the impact of increasing immunoglobulin G (IgG) trough levels on the clinical outcomes in patients with PID receiving intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) treatment.
METHODS: Systematic search was conducted in PubMed and Cochrane. Other relevant articles were searched by reviewing the references of the reviewed article. All clinical trials with documented IgG trough levels and clinical outcome of interest in patients receiving IVIG treatment were eligible to be included in this review. Meta-regression analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-analysis Software. Additional sensitivity analyses were undertaken to evaluate the robustness of the overall results.
RESULTS: Twenty-eight clinical studies with 1218 patients reported from year 2001 to 2018 were included. The mean IVIG dose used ranges from 387 to 560 mg/kg every 3 to 4 weekly, and mean IgG trough obtained ranges from 660 to 1280 mg/dL. Random-effects meta-regression slope shows that IgG trough level increases significantly by 73 mg/dL with every increase of 100 mg/kg dose of IVIG (p

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Systematic Review of the Effects of Equol (Soy Metabolite) on Breast Cancer

Hod R, Maniam S, Mohd Nor NH

Molecules, 2021 Feb 19;26(4).
PMID: 33669783 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26041105

Equol is a soy isoflavone metabolite that can be produced by intestinal bacteria. It is lipophilic and resembles natural oestrogens with an affinity to oestrogen receptors. This review is focused on how equol affects breast cancer, as evidenced by in vivo and in vitro studies. Equol is considered chemoprotective in specific endocrine-related pathologies, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and menopausal symptoms. In humans, not everyone can produce equol from gut metabolism. It is postulated that equol producers benefit more than non-equol producers for all the endocrine-related effects. Equol exists in two enantiomers of R-equol and S-equol. Earlier studies, however, did not specify which enantiomer was being used. This review considers equol's type and concentration variations, pathways affected, and its outcome in in vivo and in vitro studies.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Systematic Review of the Protective Actions of Cat's Whiskers (Misai Kucing) on the Central Nervous System

Chung YS, Choo BKM, Ahmed PK, Othman I, Shaikh MF

Front Pharmacol, 2020;11:692.
PMID: 32477146 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00692

Orthosiphon stamineus (OS) or Orthosiphon aristatus var. aristatus (OAA) is commonly known as cat's whiskers or "misai kucing". It is an herbaceous shrub that is popular in many different traditional and complementary medicinal systems. Its popularity has been justified by the plethora of studies that have shown that the secondary metabolites of the plant has effects that range from anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective to anorexic and antihypertensive. As such, OS could also be a potential treatment for Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders. However, a cohesive synthesis of the protective actions of OS was lacking. This systematic review was therefore commenced to elaborate on the various protective mechanisms of OS in the CNS. The PRISMA model was used and five databases (Google Scholar, SCOPUS, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, and PubMed) were searched with relevant keywords to finally identify four articles that met the inclusion criteria. The articles described the protective effects of OS extracts on Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, learning and memory, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity. All the articles found were experimental or preclinical studies on animal models or in vitro systems. The reported activities demonstrated that OS could be a potential neuroprotective agent and might improve CNS conditions like neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Systematic Review on Non-mammalian Models in Epilepsy Research

Johan Arief MF, Choo BKM, Yap JL, Kumari Y, Shaikh MF

Front Pharmacol, 2018;9:655.
PMID: 29997502 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00655

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by seizures which result in distinctive neurobiological and behavioral impairments. Not much is known about the causes of epilepsy, making it difficult to devise an effective cure for epilepsy. Moreover, clinical studies involving epileptogenesis and ictogenesis cannot be conducted in humans due to ethical reasons. As a result, animal models play a crucial role in the replication of epileptic seizures. In recent years, non-mammalian models have been given a primary focus in epilepsy research due to their advantages. This systematic review aims to summarize the importance of non-mammalian models in epilepsy research, such as in the screening of anti-convulsive compounds. The reason for this review is to integrate currently available information on the use and importance of non-mammalian models in epilepsy testing to aid in the planning of future studies as well as to provide an overview of the current state of this field. A PRISMA model was utilized and PubMed, Springer, ScienceDirect and SCOPUS were searched for articles published between January 2007 and November 2017. Fifty-one articles were finalized based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were discussed in this review. The results of this review demonstrated the current use of non-mammalian models in epilepsy research and reaffirmed their potential to supplement the typical rodent models of epilepsy in future research into both epileptogenesis and the treatment of epilepsy. This review also revealed a preference for zebrafish and fruit flies in lieu of other non-mammalian models, which is a shortcoming that should be corrected in future studies due to the great potential of these underutilized animal models.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
A TRIZ-inspired bat algorithm for gene selection in cancer classification

Al-Betar MA, Alomari OA, Abu-Romman SM

Genomics, 2019 Oct 29.
PMID: 31676302 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.09.015

Gene expression data are expected to make a great contribution in the producing of efficient cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Gene expression data are coded by large measured genes, and only of a few number of them carry precious information for different classes of samples. Recently, several researchers proposed gene selection methods based on metaheuristic algorithms for analysing and interpreting gene expression data. However, due to large number of selected genes with limited number of patient's samples and complex interaction between genes, many gene selection methods experienced challenges in order to approach the most relevant and reliable genes. Hence, in this paper, a hybrid filter/wrapper, called rMRMR-MBA is proposed for gene selection problem. In this method, robust Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevancy (rMRMR) as filter to select the most promising genes and an modified bat algorithm (MBA) as search engine in wrapper approach is proposed to identify a small set of informative genes. The performance of the proposed method has been evaluated using ten gene expression datasets. For performance evaluation, MBA is evaluated by studying the convergence behaviour of MBA with and without TRIZ optimisation operators. For comparative evaluation, the results of the proposed rMRMR-MBA were compared against ten state-of-arts methods using the same datasets. The comparative study demonstrates that the proposed method produced better results in terms of classification accuracy and number of selected genes in two out of ten datasets and competitive results on the remaining datasets. In a nutshell, the proposed method is able to produce very promising results with high classification accuracy which can be considered a promising contribution for gene selection domain.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Taphonomic Study of Crocodylus porosus (Crocodylidae) and Tomistoma schlegelii (Gavialidae) Remains from Western Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo: Applications for Public Education

Ruhana Hassan, Nur Fatimah Mohd Azizi, Muhammad Amirul Arib Md Adzhar, Mohd Izwan Zulaini Abdul Gani, Rambli Ahmad, Charles Leh Moi Ung

Trends in Undergraduate Research, 2018;1(1):0-0.
MyJurnal

This study documented details of the dentitions, skulls and other skeletal remains of Crocodylus porosus and Tomistoma schlegelii, from western part of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The remains of both reptiles were exhumed, followed by standard cleaning procedures and then detail morphological assessments were carried out accordingly. Both species show similar structure of vertebral columns, but T. schlegelii has the following unique structures: a long and narrower snout, D-shaped eye sockets, long and sharp pointed protruding quadratojugal bones, straight maxillae and dentary, a smooth surfaced skull, elongated triangular suborbital fenestrae, round shaped internal nares and visible supraoccipital from a dorsal view. C. porosus has heterodont dentition with blunt-pointed and irregular size of teeth whereas T. schlegelii has almost homodont dentition with sharp and similar size teeth. This is the first collection of teeth, skulls and other skeletal remains of both species obtained from Sarawak, and the materials have been used regularly to educate the public through science exhibitions, hoping they will spark the interests of young budding scientists to be involved in wildlife taphonomic studies in the future.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A VLP-based vaccine provides complete protection against Nipah virus challenge following multiple-dose or single-dose vaccination schedules in a hamster model

Walpita P, Cong Y, Jahrling PB, Rojas O, Postnikova E, Yu S, et al.

NPJ Vaccines, 2017;2:21.
PMID: 29263876 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-017-0023-7

Nipah virus is a highly lethal zoonotic paramyxovirus that was first recognized in Malaysia during an outbreak in 1998. During this outbreak, Nipah virus infection caused a severe febrile neurological disease in humans who worked in close contact with infected pigs. The case fatality rate in humans was approximately 40%. Since 2001, NiV has re-emerged in Bangladesh and India where fruit bats (Pteropus spp.) have been identified as the principal reservoir of the virus. Transmission to humans is considered to be bat-to-human via food contaminated with bat saliva, or consumption of contaminated raw date palm sap, although human-to-human transmission of Nipah virus has also been documented. To date, there are no approved prophylactic options or treatment for NiV infection. In this study, we produced mammalian cell-derived native Nipah virus-like particles composed of Nipah virus G, F and M proteins for use as a novel Nipah virus vaccine. Previous studies demonstrated that the virus-like particles were structurally similar to authentic virus, functionally assembled and immunoreactive. In the studies reported here, purified Nipah virus-like particles were utilized either alone or with adjuvant to vaccinate golden Syrian hamsters with either three-dose or one-dose vaccination regimens followed by virus challenge. These studies found that Nipah virus-like particle immunization of hamsters induced significant neutralizing antibody titers and provided complete protection to all vaccinated animals following either single or three-dose vaccine schedules. These studies prove the feasibility of a virus-like particle-based vaccine for protection against Nipah virus infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
A Volume Celebrating the Life of Don Colless, Australian Dipterist 1922–2012

Yeates DK, Cranston PS

Zootaxa, 2013;3680:1-211.
PMID: 26146692 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3680.1.1

Donald Henry Colless (24 August 1922–16 February 2012) was a taxonomist at the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) from 1960 until his retirement in 1987. He continued working in ANIC as an Honorary Fellow until his death in 2012. Don’s main scientific interests were in the taxonomy and biology of true flies, and in the theory of phylogenetic reconstruction and classification. Don was trained in entomology at the University of Sydney, and spent nearly two decades of his early career in Asia studying mosquitoes and disease transmission, first in the Army during the Second World War in New Guinea and Borneo (1942–45), then after the war in North Borneo (1947–1952) and as a lecturer in the Department of Parasitology at the University of Malaya (1952–1960) in Singapore. We list the 127 scientific papers and book chapters that Don published during his scientific career that spanned 64 years. Six of these papers were published in the prestigious international journal Nature, and he was Chief Curator of the ANIC from 1971–1977. Don had extremely broad taxonomic interests, publishing on the taxonomy of 18 families of Diptera that spanned the phylogenetic breadth of the order. He described as new to science the fly families Perissommatidae and Axiniidae, thirteen new genera and over 120 species and, with David McAlpine, authored the Diptera chapters in both editions of The Insects of Australia (Melbourne University Press, 1970 and 1991). He published a number of influential critiques of cladistic theory in the 1960's and 1970's, and advocated a phenetic approach to the discovery of taxonomic groups, and phylogenetic reconstruction.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Zebrafish Embryo as an Animal Model for the Treatment of Hyperpigmentation in Cosmetic Dermatology Medicine

Lajis AFB

Medicina (Kaunas), 2018 May 25;54(3).
PMID: 30344266 DOI: 10.3390/medicina54030035

For years, clinical studies involving human volunteers and several known pre-clinical in vivo models (i.e., mice, guinea pigs) have demonstrated their reliability in evaluating the effectiveness of a number of depigmenting agents. Although these models have great advantages, they also suffer from several drawbacks, especially involving ethical issues regarding experimentation. At present, a new depigmenting model using zebrafish has been proposed and demonstrated. The application of this model for screening and studying the depigmenting activity of many bioactive compounds has been given great attention in genetics, medicinal chemistry and even the cosmetic industry. Depigmenting studies using this model have been recognized as noteworthy approaches to investigating the antimelanogenic activity of bioactive compounds in vivo. This article details the current knowledge of zebrafish pigmentation and its reliability as a model for the screening and development of depigmenting agents. Several methods to quantify the antimelanogenic activity of bioactive compounds in this model, such as phenotype-based screening, melanin content, tyrosinase inhibitory activity, other related proteins and transcription genes, are reviewed. Depigmenting activity of several bioactive compounds which have been reported towards this model are compared in terms of their molecular structure and possible mode of actions. This includes patented materials with regard to the application of zebrafish as a depigmenting model, in order to give an insight of its intellectual value. At the end of this article, some limitations are highlighted and several recommendations are suggested for improvement of future studies.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals
Fulltext A Zinc Morpholine Complex Prevents HCl/Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcers in a Rat Model

Salama SM, Gwaram NS, AlRashdi AS, Khalifa SA, Abdulla MA, Ali HM, et al.

Sci Rep, 2016 07 27;6:29646.
PMID: 27460157 DOI: 10.1038/srep29646

Zinc is a naturally occurring element with roles in wound healing and rescuing tissue integrity, particularly in the gastrointestinal system, where it can be detected in the mucosal and submucosal layers. Zinc chelates are known to have beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal mucosa and in cases of gastric ulcer. We synthesized complexes of zinc featuring a heterocyclic amine binding amino acids then investigated their ability to enhance the gastric self-repair. Zinc-morpholine complex, Zn(L)SCN, namely showed strong free-radical scavenging, promotion of the DNA and RNA polymerases reconstruction and suppression of cell damage. The complex's mode of action is proposed to involve hydrogen bond formation via its bis(thiocyanato-k)zinc moiety. Zn(L)SCN complex had potent effects on gastric enzymatic activity both in vitro and in vivo. The complex disrupted the ulcerative process as demonstrated by changes in the intermediate metabolites of the oxidative pathway - specifically, reduction in the MDA levels and elevation of reduced glutathione together with an attenuation of oxidative DNA damage. Additionally, Zn(L)SCN restored the gastric mucosa, inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF and the caspases), and preserved the gastric mucous balance. Zn(L)SCN thus exhibited anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities, all of which have cytoprotective effects on the gastric lining.

Matched MeSH terms: Animals

Filters

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links