Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 26 in total

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  1. Determination of sulfonamides in selected Malaysian swine wastewater by high-performance liquid chromatography
    Malintan NT, Mohd MA
    J Chromatogr A, 2006 Sep 15;1127(1-2):154-60.
    PMID: 16806241
    An analytical HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of eight sulfonamides in swine wastewater was developed. The samples were collected from three states in Malaysia. Sample clean up was carried out by employing solid-phase extraction using a 60 mg Oasis HLB (Waters) cartridge with 3 ml reservoir. The HPLC column used was Supelcosil C18 (250 mm x 4.6mm I.D.) and elution was carried out using gradient mode. The mobile phases used were acetonitrile and 0.5% acetic acid in purified water. Antibiotics were detected using UV absorbance at 272 nm. Recoveries obtained for sulphanilamide ranged from 31.9+/-5.1% to 36.2+/-1.0%, while recoveries for other sulfa drugs studied were from 91.9+/-5.0% to 106.0+/-1.1%. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for sulfamerazine, sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxypyridazine was 7.5 ng/L, while the LOQ for the other studied antibiotics was 5.0 ng/L. The method was used to analyse sulfonamides in wastewater collected from selected Malaysian swine facilities.
  2. Analysis of endosulfan and its metabolites in rat plasma and selected tissue samples by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
    Chan MP, Mohd MA
    Environ Toxicol, 2005 Feb;20(1):45-52.
    PMID: 15712329
    A method has been developed for the determination of trace levels of alpha-endosulfan, beta-endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, and endosulfan diol in rat plasma and tissue samples. Endosulfan and its metabolites in the plasma samples were extracted with solid-phase extraction Chromabond-end-capped C18 cartridges and analyzed by a Shimadzu QP-5050A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS) with quadrupole detector in selected-ion-monitoring mode. The analysis of endosulfan and its metabolites in liver and kidney samples involved solvent extraction, Florisil solid-phase-extraction cleanup, and quantitation by GCMS. Recovery experiments for the plasma and tissue samples were conducted over concentration ranges of 10-100 ng mL(-1) and 100-1000 ng mL(-1), respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of trace levels of endosulfan and its metabolites in plasma and tissue samples collected from an animal study. Trace levels of alpha-endosulfan and beta-endosulfan in the ranges of undetectable to 3.11 microg g(-1) and undetectable to 1.19 microg g(-1), respectively, were detected in the kidney samples, whereas trace levels of endosulfan sulfate in the range of 0.02-0.22 microg g(-1) were detected in the liver samples of rats. Neither endosulfan nor its metabolites was detected in any of the plasma samples.
  3. Ellagic acid, phenolic acids, and flavonoids in Malaysian honey extracts demonstrate in vitro anti-inflammatory activity
    Kassim M, Achoui M, Mustafa MR, Mohd MA, Yusoff KM
    Nutr Res, 2010 Sep;30(9):650-9.
    PMID: 20934607 DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2010.08.008
    Natural honey has been used in traditional medicine of different cultures throughout the world. This study looked into the extraction of Malaysian honey and the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of these extracts. It was hypothesized that honey extracts contain varying amounts of phenolic compounds and that they possess different in vitro anti-inflammatory activities. Honey extracts were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify and compare phenolic compounds, whereas high-performance liquid chromatography was used for their quantification. Subsequently, honey methanol extract (HME) and honey ethyl acetate extract (HEAE) were tested in vitro for their effect on nitric oxide production in stimulated macrophages. The extracts were also tested for their effects on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) cytotoxicity in L929 cells. The major phenolics in the extracts were ellagic, gallic, and ferulic acids; myricetin; chlorogenic acid; and caffeic acid. Other compounds found in lower concentrations were hesperetin, p-coumaric acid, chrysin, quercetin, luteolin, and kaempferol. Ellagic acid was the most abundant of the phenolic compounds recorded, with mean concentrations of 3295.83 and 626.74 μg/100 g of honey in HME and HEAE, respectively. The median maximal effective concentrations for in vitro nitric oxide inhibition by HEAE and HME were calculated to be 37.5 and 271.7 μg/mL, respectively. The median maximal effective concentrations for protection from TNF cytotoxicity by HEAE and HME were 168.1 and 235.4 μg/mL, respectively. In conclusion, HEAE exhibited greater activity in vitro, whereas HME contained a higher concentration of phenolic compounds per 100 g of honey.
  4. Baicalein impairs vascular tone in normal rat aortas: role of superoxide anions
    Machha A, Achike FI, Mohd MA, Mustafa MR
    Eur J Pharmacol, 2007 Jun 22;565(1-3):144-50.
    PMID: 17442302
    Acute exposure to the flavonoid baicalein inhibited endothelium-dependent relaxation in physiological arteries, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. We investigated the effect of baicalein on vascular tone in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat isolated aortic rings in the presence and absence of oxidative stress to further determine the underlying mechanisms. Exposure to baicalein (10 microM) completely abolished endothelium-dependent relaxation induced by acetylcholine and attenuated significantly the endothelium-independent relaxation induced by sodium nitroprusside. Baicalein, similar to Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 microM), potentiated significantly the contractile response of aortic rings to alpha1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine. In the presence of L-NAME the baicalein effect on phenylphrine contraction or acetylcholine relaxation was unaltered, suggesting that these effects of baicalein are (like L-NAME effect) endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)/endothelium-derived nitric oxide-dependent. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase activity with indomethacin (10 microM) or scavenging of superoxide anions with superoxide dismutase (150 units/ml), but not scavenging of hydrogen peroxide with catalase (800 units/ml), enhanced significantly by an essentially similar extent the relaxation to acetylcholine in baicalein-pretreated aortic rings. Relaxant effect to acetylcholine was significantly attenuated in control aortic rings, but was completely abolished in baicalein-pretreated aortic rings in the presence of reduced form of beta-nicotinamide adenine di-nucleotide (beta-NADH, 300 microM). Baicalein blocked beta-NADH (300 microM)-induced transient contractions, suggesting that baicalein may have inhibited activity of NADH/NADPH-oxidase. Baicalein did not alter the failure of acetylcholine to induce relaxation in the presence of pyrogallol (300 microM). In summary, acute exposure to baicalein impairs eNOS/endothelium-derived nitric oxide-mediated vascular tone in rat aortas through the inhibition of endothelium-derived nitric oxide bioavailability coupled to reduced bioactivity of endothelium-derived nitric oxide and to cyclooxygenase-mediated release of superoxide anions.
  5. Bioassay-guided isolation of a vasorelaxant active compound from Kaempferia galanga L
    Othman R, Ibrahim H, Mohd MA, Mustafa MR, Awang K
    Phytomedicine, 2006 Jan;13(1-2):61-6.
    PMID: 16360934
    Bioassay-guided fractionation was performed on a crude dichloromethane extract of Kaempferia galanga L. using chromatography techniques. Screening of the extract for biological activity started with the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, followed by the study of its antihypertensive activity on anaesthetized rats, which involved monitoring of the extract's effect on mean arterial blood pressure. The components of the fractions obtained from the separation procedures were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC). The yield of the CH(2)Cl(2) extract was 0.29% of the crude plant extract. Analysis of the data for brine shrimp lethality test using the Finney computer program showed that this extract exhibited potent bioactivity with an ED(50) value of 7.92+/-0.13 microgml(-1). Intravenous administration of the extract induced a dose-related reduction of basal mean arterial pressure (MAP) (130+/-5 mmHg) in the anaesthetized rat, with maximal effects seen after 5-10 min of injection. The gas chromatogram showed that the common compound in the active fractions obtained from the bioassay-guided fractionation of the CH(2)Cl(2) extract was ethyl cinnamate. This vasorelaxant active compound, ethyl cinnamate, was isolated as a colorless oil. Ethyl p-methoxycinnamic acid was also isolated as white needles but did not exhibit any relaxant effect on the precontracted thoracic rat aorta.
  6. Performance of chlorination process during nanofiltration of sulfonamide antibiotic
    Ramli MR, Sulaiman NM, Mohd MA, Rabuni MF
    Water Sci Technol, 2015;72(9):1611-20.
    PMID: 26524453 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2015.367
    The effectiveness of combined nanofiltration and disinfection processes was studied by comparing the pre-disinfection and post-disinfection when in combination with nanofiltration. Four types of sulfonamide (sulfanilamide, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfadimethoxine) were chosen as substrates, with sodium hypochlorite as a disinfectant. A laboratory-scale nanofiltration system was used to conduct the following sets of experiment: (1) a pre-chlorination system, where the free active chlorine (FAC) was added to the membrane influent; and (2), a post-chlorination system, where the FAC was added to the membrane effluent. Overall, the pre-disinfection nanofiltration system showed higher sulfonamide removal efficiency compared to the post-chlorination nanofiltration system (>99.5% versus >89.5%). In the case of limited FAC ([FAC]0: [sulfonamide]0≤1), the removal efficiency for the post-chlorination nanofiltration system was higher, due to the prior nanofiltration process that could remove 12.5% to 80% of sulfonamide. The flux of the treated feed system was considerably higher than in the untreated feed system; however, the membrane was observed to be slightly damaged due to residual chlorine attack.
  7. Assessment of pubertal development in juvenile male rats after sub-acute exposure to bisphenol A and nonylphenol
    Tan BL, Kassim NM, Mohd MA
    Toxicol Lett, 2003 Aug 28;143(3):261-70.
    PMID: 12849686
    The effects of bisphenol A and nonylphenol on pubertal development in the intact juvenile/peripubertal male Sprague-Dawley rats was observed in this study from PND23-52/53. Two groups of rats were administered orally with either 100 mg/kg body weight of nonylphenol or bisphenol A. Another group of rats were administered orally with a mixture of 100 mg/kg body weight of nonylphenol and bisphenol A. Control group was administered with the vehicle of Tween-80 with corn oil (1:9 v/v). Observations made in this study included growth, age at preputial separation, thyroid, liver, testis and kidney weight and histology, epididymal and seminal vesicle plus coagulation gland weight. Nonylphenol and bisphenol A have been observed to cause delay in puberty onset as well as testicular damage in the treatment groups when compared to the control; spermatogenesis was affected in most treated rats. Bisphenol A also caused the enlargement of the kidney and hydronephrosis. Administration of nonylphenol and bisphenol A as a mixture has caused less than additive effects.
  8. Fulltext Trace Level Detection of Bisphenol A Analogues and Parabens by LC-MS/MS in Human Plasma from Malaysians
    Wiraagni IA, Mohd MA, Rashid RA, Haron DEBM
    Biomed Res Int, 2020;2020:2581287.
    PMID: 32420332 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2581287
    In this study, a novel LC-MS/MS method was designed using a simple extraction procedure that was scientifically developed to capture the most relevant bisphenol A (BPA) analogues (BPB, BPF, BPS, and BPAF) and parabens (propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, and methylparaben) in human plasma. The LC-MS/MS method was validated using US FDA guidelines, and all validation requirements were satisfactory. This is the method that allows for the detection of plasma bisphenols and parabens in one run and is also the fastest BPA analogue and paraben detection technique for human plasma. The method was used to analyze samples from 150 healthy volunteers from Malaysia who enrolled in the study. No BPB was detected in any of the volunteers; however, 99.3% were positive for BPF. Only 24% and 10.7% of volunteers were positive for BPAF and BPS, respectively. A high percentage of volunteers were negative for propylparaben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, and methylparaben (56%, 68%, 86.7%, and 83.3%, respectively). These results suggest that persons in Malaysia are exposed to different BPA analogues and parabens, from both the daily use of products (cosmetic and plastic products) and the environment.
  9. Transcriptional regulation of retinol binding protein 4 by Interleukin-6 via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and CCAAT/Enhancer binding proteins
    Mohd MA, Ahmad Norudin NA, Muhammad TST
    Mol Cell Endocrinol, 2020 04 05;505:110702.
    PMID: 31927097 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110702
    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a major mediator of the acute phase response (APR) that regulates the transcription of acute phase proteins (APPs) in the liver. During APR, the plasma levels of negative APPs including retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) are reduced. Activation of the IL-6 receptor and subsequent signaling pathways leads to the activation of transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), which then modulate APP gene expression. The transcriptional regulation of RBP4 by IL-6 is not fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of PPARα and C/EBP isoforms in mediating IL-6 regulation of RBP4 gene expression. IL-6 was shown to reduce the transcriptional activity of RBP4, and functional dissection of the RBP4 promoter further identified the cis-acting regulatory elements that are responsible in mediating the inhibitory effect of IL-6. The binding sites for PPARα and C/EBP present in the RBP4 promoter were predicted at -1079 bp to -1057 bp and -1460 bp to -1439 bp, respectively. The binding of PPARα and C/EBPs to their respective cis-acting elements may lead to antagonistic interactions that modulate the IL-6 regulation of RBP4 promoter activity. Therefore, this study proposed a new mechanism of interaction involving PPARα and different C/EBP isoforms. This interaction is necessary for the regulation of RBP4 gene expression in response to external stimuli, particularly IL-6, during physiological changes.
  10. Anti-diabetic effects of Centratherum anthelminticum seeds methanolic fraction on pancreatic cells, β-TC6 and its alleviating role in type 2 diabetic rats
    Arya A, Looi CY, Cheah SC, Mustafa MR, Mohd MA
    J Ethnopharmacol, 2012 Oct 31;144(1):22-32.
    PMID: 22954496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.08.014
    Seeds of Centratherum anthelminticum (Asteraceae) have been popularly used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat diabetes and skin disorders. Folk medicine from Rayalaseema (Andhra Pradesh, India) reported wide spread usage in diabetes.
  11. Bisphenol S in urine from the United States and seven Asian countries: occurrence and human exposures
    Liao C, Liu F, Alomirah H, Loi VD, Mohd MA, Moon HB, et al.
    Environ Sci Technol, 2012 Jun 19;46(12):6860-6.
    PMID: 22620267 DOI: 10.1021/es301334j
    As concern regarding the toxic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) grows, BPA in many consumer products is gradually being replaced with compounds such as bisphenol S (BPS). Nevertheless, data on the occurrence of BPS in human specimens are limited. In this study, 315 urine samples, collected from the general populations in the United States, China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam, were analyzed for the presence of total BPS (free plus conjugated) concentrations by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). BPS was detected in 81% of the urine samples analyzed at concentrations ranging from below the limit of quantitation (LOQ; 0.02 ng/mL) to 21 ng/mL (geometric mean: 0.168 ng/mL). The urinary BPS concentration varied among countries, and the highest geometric mean concentration [1.18 ng/mLor 0.933 μg/g creatinine (Cre)] of BPS was found in urine samples from Japan, followed by the United States (0.299 ng/mL, 0.304 μg/g Cre), China (0.226 ng/mL, 0.223 μg/g Cre), Kuwait (0.172 ng/mL, 0.126 μg/g Cre), and Vietnam (0.160 ng/mL, 0.148 μg/g Cre). Median concentrations of BPS in urine samples from the Asian countries were 1 order of magnitude lower than the median concentrations reported earlier for BPA in the same set of samples, with the exception of samples from Japan. There were no significant differences in BPS concentrations between genders (male versus female), or among age groups (categorized as ≤ 19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥ 50 years), or races (Caucasian versus Asian). The daily intake (EDI) of BPS was estimated on the basis of urinary concentrations using a simple pharmacokinetic approach. The median EDI values of BPS in Japan, China, United States, Kuwait, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, and Korea were 1.67, 0.339, 0.316, 0.292, 0.217, 0.122, 0.084, and 0.023 μg/person, respectively. This is the first study to report the occurrence of BPS in human urine.
  12. Urinary metabolic evaluation of stone formers-a Malaysian perspective
    Hong YH, Dublin N, Razack AH, Mohd MA, Husain R
    Urology, 2012 Sep;80(3):529-34.
    PMID: 22578827 DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2012.02.053
    To investigate the urinary metabolic excretion pattern among local stone formers given the great differences in the intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors as well as the urinary metabolic excretions compared with other populations.
  13. Fulltext In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of 17-O-acetylacuminolide through the inhibition of cytokines, NF-κB translocation and IKKβ activity
    Achoui M, Appleton D, Abdulla MA, Awang K, Mohd MA, Mustafa MR
    PLoS One, 2010;5(12):e15105.
    PMID: 21152019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015105
    17-O-acetylacuminolide (AA), a diterpenoid labdane, was isolated for the first time from the plant species Neouvaria foetida. The anti-inflammatory effects of this compound were studied both in vitro and in vivo.
  14. Occurrence of phthalate metabolites in human urine from several Asian countries
    Guo Y, Alomirah H, Cho HS, Minh TB, Mohd MA, Nakata H, et al.
    Environ Sci Technol, 2011 Apr 1;45(7):3138-44.
    PMID: 21395215 DOI: 10.1021/es103879m
    The occurrence of 14 phthalate metabolites was found in human urine samples collected from seven Asian countries: China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Phthalate metabolites were found in all samples, indicating widespread exposure of humans to phthalates in these Asian countries. The highest total (the sum of 14 phthalates) phthalate metabolite concentrations were found in samples collected from Kuwait (median: 1050 ng/mL), followed in decreasing order by samples from India (389 ng/mL), China (234 ng/mL), Vietnam (133 ng/mL), Japan (120 ng/mL), Korea (117 ng/mL), and Malaysia (94.9 ng/mL). The creatinine-adjusted median concentrations of total phthalates for urine samples from Kuwait, India, China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia were 692, 506, 289, 119, 103, 104, and 169 μg/g creatinine, respectively. Monomethyl phthalate (mMP), monoethyl phthalate (mEP), mono (2-isobutyl phthalate) (miBP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (mBP), and metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were the dominant compounds, collectively accounting for >95% of the total concentrations in the samples from the seven countries. The profiles of urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations varied among the samples collected from the seven countries. Urine samples from Kuwait contained the highest concentrations of mEP (median: 391 ng/mL), mBP (94.1 ng/mL), and the metabolites of DEHP (202 ng/mL), whereas samples from China and Japan contained the highest concentrations of miBP (50.8 ng/mL) and mMP (17.5 ng/mL), respectively. mEP was the predominant metabolite in urine samples from India and Kuwait (accounting for 49% of the total), mBP and miBP were the predominant compounds in samples from China (52%), and DEHP metabolites were the predominant compounds in samples from Korea (46%) and Vietnam (52%). Based on the urinary concentrations of mEP, mBP, miBP, and DEHP metabolites of the samples from the seven Asian countries, we estimated daily intake rates of diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and DEHP. The results indicated that people in the seven Asian countries are exposed to DEP, DBP, and DEHP at levels well below the reference doses (RfD) suggested as unsafe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The estimated exposure doses to DEHP in Kuwait, however, were above the RfD recommended by the EPA.
  15. Twenty-four hour and spot urine metabolic evaluations: correlations versus agreements
    Hong YH, Dublin N, Razack AH, Mohd MA, Husain R
    Urology, 2010 Jun;75(6):1294-8.
    PMID: 19914693 DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2009.08.061
    OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlations and agreements between the solute/creatinine ratios from the 24-hour and early morning spot urine samples for metabolic evaluation in stone-formers given the various pitfalls with the 24-hour urinary metabolic evaluation in stone-formers.
    METHODS: 30 urinary stone-formers out of an initial 62 recruited provided a complete 24-hour urine and early morning spot urine samples for metabolic evaluation. Pearson correlation and Bland and Altman Test were used to assess the correlations and agreements.
    RESULTS: Significant correlations were established between the 24-hour urinary solute excretions and the corresponding early morning spot urine solute/creatinine ratios for calcium, magnesium, urate, potassium, oxalate, citrate, and the Differential Gibb's free energy value of calcium oxalate DG(CaOx) values. However, all these solute/creatinine measurements between the 24-hour and early morning spot urine samples were judged to be not within the acceptable limits based on the estimated "limit of agreement" by the Bland and Altman Test of Agreement. Diurnal circadian rhythm and postprandial excretion surge are thought to be responsible for the disagreements.
    CONCLUSIONS: Thus, the early morning spot urine is not suitable to be used interchangeably to replace the 24-hour urine collection in the evaluation of urinary metabolic abnormalities in stone-formers. A good correlation does not translate to an agreement between the 2 measurements.
  16. The influence of CYP3A gene polymorphisms on cyclosporine dose requirement in renal allograft recipients
    Eng HS, Mohamed Z, Calne R, Lang CC, Mohd MA, Seet WT, et al.
    Kidney Int, 2006 May;69(10):1858-64.
    PMID: 16612333
    Cyclosporine is a substrate of cytochrome P-450 3A (CYP3A) subfamily of enzymes and characterized by a narrow therapeutic range with wide interindividual variation in pharmacokinetics. A few single-nucleotide polymorphisms detected in CYP3A genes have been shown to correlate significantly with the CYP3A protein expression and activity. We therefore postulated that these polymorphisms could be responsible for some of the interindividual variation in cyclosporine pharmacokinetics. The objective of our study is to determine correlation if any between single-nucleotide polymorphisms of CYP3A5 and CYP3AP1 on cyclosporine dose requirement and concentration-to-dose ratio in renal allograft recipients. Cyclosporine-dependent renal allograft recipients were genotyped for CYP3A5 A6986G and CYP3AP1 G-44A. The cyclosporine dosages prescribed and the corresponding cyclosporine trough levels for each patient were recorded so that cyclosporine dose per weight (mg/kg/day) and concentration-to-dose ratio (C(0)/D, whereby C(0) is trough level and D is daily dose per weight) could be calculated. A total of 67 patients were recruited for our study. The dose requirement for 1, 3, and 6 months post-transplantation ranged 2.3-11.4, 1.0-9.0, and 1.4-7.2 mg/kg/day, respectively. Patients with *1*1*1*1 (n=5) CYP3A5- and CYP3AP1-linked genotypes needed higher dose of cyclosporine compared to patients with *1*3*1*3 (n = 27) and *3*3*3*3 (n = 33) linked genotypes in months 3 and 6 post-transplantation (P < 0.016). The identification of patients with *1*1*1*1 by CYP3A5 and CYP3AP1 genotyping may have a clinically significant and positive impact on patient outcome with reduced rejection rate by providing pretransplant pharmacogenetic information for optimization of cyclosporine A dosing.
  17. Concentrations and profiles of urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites (OH-PAHs) in several Asian countries
    Guo Y, Senthilkumar K, Alomirah H, Moon HB, Minh TB, Mohd MA, et al.
    Environ Sci Technol, 2013 Mar 19;47(6):2932-8.
    PMID: 23409981 DOI: 10.1021/es3052262
    Concentrations of 12 hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) were determined in 306 urine samples collected from seven Asian countries (China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam) by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The total concentrations of OH-PAHs found in the seven Asian countries were in the following increasing order: Malaysia (median: 2260 pg/mL) < Japan (4030 pg/mL) < China (5770 pg/mL) < India (6750 pg/mL) < Vietnam (8560 pg/mL) < Korea (9340 pg/mL) < Kuwait (10170 pg/mL). The measured urinary concentrations of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-PYR) in samples from Malaysia, Korea, and Japan (∼ 100 pg/mL) were similar to those reported for North America and Western Europe. The concentrations of 1-PYR in urine samples from China, India, and Vietnam were 4-10 times higher than those reported for other countries, thus far. Among the 12 OH-PAH compounds analyzed, hydroxynaphthalene (NAP: sum of 1-hydroxynaphthalene and 2-hydroxynaphthalene) was the dominant compound (accounting for 60-90% of total OH-PAHs), followed by hydroxyphenanthrene (PHEN: sum of 2-hydroxyphenanthrene, 3-hydroxyphenanthrene, 4-hydroxyphenanthrene, and 9-hydroxyphenanthrene [3-16%]), 2-hydroxyfluorene (3-20%), and 1-PYR (2-8%). The total daily intakes (DIs) of PAHs were estimated based on the urinary concentrations of their metabolites. The DIs of naphthalene were found to be higher for populations in Korea, Kuwait, and Vietnam (> 10 μg/day) than those of the other countries studied (∼ 5 μg/day). The DIs of phenanthrene and pyrene (> 10 μg/day) in the populations of China, India, and Vietnam were higher than those estimated for the populations in the other countries studied (∼ 5 μg/day).
  18. The methanolic fraction of Centratherum anthelminticum seed downregulates pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, and hyperglycemia in STZ-nicotinamide-induced type 2 diabetic rats
    Arya A, Cheah SC, Looi CY, Taha H, Mustafa MR, Mohd MA
    Food Chem Toxicol, 2012 Nov;50(11):4209-20.
    PMID: 22939938 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2012.08.012
    This study aimed to ascertain the potential of Centratherum anthelminticum seeds methanolic fraction (CAMFs) for the management of type 2 diabetes and its associated complications. CAMFs was initially tested on β-TC6 cells for H(2)O(2)-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) translocation effects. The result displayed that CAMFs significantly inhibited NF-κB translocation from cytoplasm into the nucleus, dose-dependently. Furthermore, a 12-week sub-chronic CAMFs study was carried out on streptozotocin (STZ)-nicotinamide-induced type 2 diabetic rat model to evaluate glycemia, essential biochemical parameters, lipid levels, oxidative stress markers, and pro-inflammatory cytokines level. Our study result showed that CAMFs reduced hyperglycemia by increasing serum insulin, C-peptide, total protein, and albumin levels, significantly. Whereas, elevated blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, lipids and enzyme activities were restored to near normal. CAMFs confirmed antioxidant potential by elevating glutathione (GSH) and reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in diabetic rats. Interestingly, CAMFs down-regulated elevated tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in the tissues and serum of the diabetic rats. We conclude that CAMFs exerted apparent antidiabetic effects and demonstrated as a valuable candidate nutraceutical for insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes and its associated complications such as dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
  19. Fulltext Acaudina molpadioides mediates lipid uptake by suppressing PCSK9 transcription and increasing LDL receptor in human liver cells
    Jack A, Mohd MA, Kamaruddin NN, Mohd Din LH, Hajri NA, Tengku Muhammad TS
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2021 Dec;28(12):7105-7116.
    PMID: 34867013 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.08.003
    Acaudina molpadioides has been long used as traditional medicinal resources and reported to demonstrate various important bioactivities such as anticoagulation, antithrombosis, anti-hyperglycemia and anticancer. However, its lipid lowering activity is yet to be fully explored. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is an enzyme that enhances the lysosomal degradation of hepatic low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) resulting in excessive accumulation of the plasma levels of LDL-cholesterols (LDL-C) which subsequently accelerate atherosclerosis. In the present study, A. molpadioides fractions were subjected to promoter-reporter luciferase assay to determine its role as PCSK9 inhibitors. It was found both fractions (EFA and EFB) reduced the transcriptional activity of PCSK9 promoter. Among the seven 5'end deletion constructs of PCSK9 promoter, fragments D1 (-1,711/-94), D3 (-709/-94) and D4 (-440/-94), were suppressed in the presence of both fractions whereas D2 (-1,214/-94), and, D6 (-351/-94) as well as D7 (-335/-94) were inhibited only by EFA and EFB, respectively. Further transcription factor binding sites prediction using MatInspector software discovered various potential cis-regulatory elements namely, PPAR, KLFs, RBPJ-kappa and SREBP that may potentially be involved in ameliorating the transcriptional activity of PCSK9. Immunofluorescence staining was used to evaluate the effects of both fractions on LDL-C and LDLR. Results showed that levels of LDL-C uptake in EFA-treated cells were 69.1% followed by EFB at 32.6%, as compared to untreated control after 24 h treatment. The LDLR protein distribution was induced by 62.41% and 32.2%, which corresponded to an increase in LDL-C uptake in both EFA and EFB treatment, respectively. Hence, the inhibition of PCSK9 by bioactive compounds in EFA and EFB could be another promising therapeutic agent in reducing the cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis by targeting PCSK9.
  20. Fulltext Central Corneal Thickness and Intraocular Pressure in Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
    Kan KW, Wan Mohd MA, Nik-Ahmad-Zuky NL, Shatriah I
    Cureus, 2023 Mar;15(3):e35996.
    PMID: 37041894 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.35996
    INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy causes an increase in central corneal thickness (CCT) and a reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP), especially in the third trimester. However, there is very limited published data regarding CCT and IOP in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on diet control. This study is aimed to compare the means of CCT and IOP between pregnant women with GDM on diet control, healthy pregnant women, and healthy non-pregnant women.

    METHODS: This is a comparative cross-sectional study. A total of 184 women were recruited and divided into the following three groups: 61 pregnant women with GDM on diet control, 63 healthy pregnant women, and 60 healthy non-pregnant women as control. All subjects have undergone ocular examination during their 36-40 weeks of gestation. CCT measurement was done using a specular microscope and IOP measurement using a non-contact tonometer. Data from the right eye were analyzed.

    RESULTS: The mean age was 32 (4.0) years in GDM on diet control, 29 (3.0) years in healthy pregnant women, and 27 (5.4) years in healthy non-pregnant women. The number of gravidas was 2.5 (0.8) in women with GDM on diet control and 2.3 (0.8) in healthy pregnant women. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the mean CCT in women with GDM on diet control compared to healthy pregnant and healthy non-pregnant women. The mean IOP is significantly lower in both pregnant women with GDM on diet control and healthy pregnant groups, compared to the healthy non-pregnant women group.

    CONCLUSION: Women with GDM showed significantly thicker mean CCT than healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women. The mean IOP is significantly lower in both pregnant women with GDM on diet control and healthy pregnant groups, compared to the healthy non-pregnant women group.

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