Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 48 in total

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  1. Goh, Y.C., Lau, S.L., Ramanathan, A., Swaminathan, D.
    Ann Dent, 2013;20(2):24-28.
    MyJurnal
    The purpose of this study was to assess the tissue
    response of Type 2 diabetic subjects towards non surgical
    periodontal therapy as compared with matched, nondiabetic
    subjects. This was a retrospective, comparative
    study using periodontal case notes of 40 subjects attending
    undergraduates’ periodontal clinics (20 diabetics, 20 nondiabetics),
    who were selected based on the inclusion
    and exclusion criteria. Response towards non surgical
    periodontal therapy was assessed through three clinical
    periodontal parameters, namely plaque score, gingivitis
    score and number of periodontal pocket ≥5mm at the
    baseline and after initial non surgical periodontal therapy.
    Data obtained was then analyzed by SPSS Version 12.
    Both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects showed significant
    improvements (p-value = 0.021; 0.000; 0.001 and 0.010;
    0.014; 0.001) in all three parameters after the therapy.
    However, when comparison was made between the two
    groups, there was no significant difference (p-value = 0.913;
    0.892 and 0.903) in any of the parameters. Periodontal
    conditions improved clinically in both diabetic and nondiabetic
    subjects after non-surgical periodontal therapy.
    Therefore, both groups responded similarly towards the
    therapy and thus it can be postulated that well-controlled
    diabetic status does not have a significant effect on the
    outcome of periodontal therapy.
  2. Choon, Y.F., Ramanathan, A., Ali, H., Ghani, W.M.N., Cheong, S.C., Zain, R.B.
    Ann Dent, 2011;18(1):8-17.
    MyJurnal
    Background: MDM2 and p53 are involved in a negative feedback loop where p53 regulates MDM2 at the transcriptional level. MDM2, in turn, downregulates p53. This co-ordinated interaction between these proteins is set to play an important role in the regulation of cell cycle progression following DNA damage to cells. The over-expression of both p53 and MDM2 has been reported in various cancers. However there are only few studies discussing the co-expression of MDM2 with p53 in oral squamous cell carcinoma Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation of co-expression of p53, MDM2, and Ki-67 proteins with clinico-pathological factors in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to conduct a systematic review of the co-expression of p53/MDM2.

    Method: This is a retrospective descriptive study and a systematic review. Formalin-fixed paraffinembedded tissues from 45 OSCC cases were stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for p53, MDM2, and Ki-67 proteins.

    Results: Immuno-reactivity for p53, MDM2, and Ki-67 was seen in 75.6%, 97.8%, and 62.2% cases of OSCC respectively. The co-expression of p53 and MDM2 (p53/MDM2) was detected in 97.1%, however there was no significant correlation between p53 and MDM2 expression. Notably, p53/MDM2 coexpression was significantly associated with tumour differentiation (p-value = 0.045). The Ki-67LI was not significantly associated with neither MDM2 nor p53/MDM2 co-expression (p-value = 0.268, 0.916 respectively).

    Conclusion: The expression of MDM2 was not signif icantly associated with p53 expression suggesting that MDM2 expression is mediated by p53-independent pathways or mutated p53 could not induce the expression of MDM2 in this set of OSCCs. The only clinico-pathological parameter that correlates significantly with co-expression of p53/MDM2 is tumour differentiation where it is suggestive that the co-expression of these 2 proteins is indicative of aggressive tumour behavior.
  3. Abdul Rahim, N.I.H., Ngah, N.A., Ramanathan, A., George, T., Ismail, S.M.
    Ann Dent, 2011;18(1):24-29.
    MyJurnal
    Osteosarcoma is a primary malignant neoplasm of the bone. Osteosarcoma of the jaws especially those of maxilla is rare. The diagnosis of osteosarcomas is difficult and challenging. In this case report we highlight a rare case of osteosarcoma of the maxilla in a 29 year old male patient which was highly aggressive and was initially diagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma. This case highlights the difficulty in diagnosing osteosarcoma merely from incisional biopsy specimens which may not be representative of the whole tumour. Limited clinical information at incisional biopsy also adds to the difficulty in arriving at the definitive diagnosis. We further discuss the treatment modalities followed in this case.
  4. Kallarakkal TG, Ramanathan A, Zain RB
    Int J Dent, 2013;2013:298249.
    PMID: 24223590 DOI: 10.1155/2013/298249
    Verrucous papillary lesions (VPLs) of oral cavity are diagnostically challenging as they include a spectrum of benign, potentially malignant, and frankly malignant lesions. A majority of the benign VPLs have viral aetiology and include commonly occurring squamous papilloma along with verruca vulgaris, focal epithelial hyperplasia, and condyloma. Current understanding of potentially malignant VPLs is perplexing and is primarily attributed to the use of confusing and unsatisfactory terminology. Clinically and histologically oral verrucous hyperplasia, a potentially malignant disorder, resembles oral verrucous carcinoma and may be indistinguishable from one another. The most reliable way to separate these entities on routine haematoxylin-eosin stained tissue sections is to recognize the exophytic growth patterns of oral verrucous hyperplasia from the combined exophytic and endophytic growth patterns associated with verrucous carcinoma. A review of the literature showed that there is a lot of confusion regarding the current clinical and histopathological guidelines to diagnose this potentially malignant entity. The criteria elaborated by different authors in establishing the diagnosis of oral verrucous hyperplasia are discussed in detail. A brief overview of the treatment modalities adopted is also discussed. The need for establishing a clear understanding of this potentially malignant entity is stressed as it may have far reaching implications on its management.
  5. Shindi O, Kanesan J, Kendall G, Ramanathan A
    Comput Methods Programs Biomed, 2020 Jun;189:105327.
    PMID: 31978808 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2020.105327
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In cancer therapy optimization, an optimal amount of drug is determined to not only reduce the tumor size but also to maintain the level of chemo toxicity in the patient's body. The increase in the number of objectives and constraints further burdens the optimization problem. The objective of the present work is to solve a Constrained Multi- Objective Optimization Problem (CMOOP) of the Cancer-Chemotherapy. This optimization results in optimal drug schedule through the minimization of the tumor size and the drug concentration by ensuring the patient's health level during dosing within an acceptable level.

    METHODS: This paper presents two hybrid methodologies that combines optimal control theory with multi-objective swarm and evolutionary algorithms and compares the performance of these methodologies with multi-objective swarm intelligence algorithms such as MOEAD, MODE, MOPSO and M-MOPSO. The hybrid and conventional methodologies are compared by addressing CMOOP.

    RESULTS: The minimized tumor and drug concentration results obtained by the hybrid methodologies demonstrate that they are not only superior to pure swarm intelligence or evolutionary algorithm methodologies but also consumes far less computational time. Further, Second Order Sufficient Condition (SSC) is also used to verify and validate the optimality condition of the constrained multi-objective problem.

    CONCLUSION: The proposed methodologies reduce chemo-medicine administration while maintaining effective tumor killing. This will be helpful for oncologist to discover and find the optimum dose schedule of the chemotherapy that reduces the tumor cells while maintaining the patients' health at a safe level.

  6. Gubod ER, Ramanathan A, Mohamad Zaini Z, Warnakulasuriya S
    Cureus, 2021 Aug;13(8):e17376.
    PMID: 34584786 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.17376
    We present a rare case of ulcerative oral lichen planus that was associated with a thymoma discovered during the management phase, seven months after the initial diagnosis of oral lichen planus. Thymectomy was performed and investigations revealed pure red cell aplasia. Although rare, the association of a thymoma should be considered in recording the medical history of patients presenting with oral lichen planus.
  7. Al-Afifi N, Alabsi A, Kaid F, Bakri M, Ramanathan A
    Clin Oral Investig, 2019 May;23(5):2287-2301.
    PMID: 30291495 DOI: 10.1007/s00784-018-2685-6
    OBJECTIVES: In vivo study was performed to determine the chemopreventive efficacy of the DC resin methanol extract on a 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) oral cancer animal model.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study involves administration of 4NQO solution for 8 weeks alone (cancer induction) or with Dracaena cinnabari (DC) extract at 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg. DC extract administration started 1 week before exposure until 1 week after the carcinogen exposure was stopped. All rats were sacrificed after 22 weeks, and histological analysis was performed to assess any incidence of pathological changes. Immunohistochemical expressions of selected tumor marker antibodies were analyzed using an image analyzer computer system, and the expression of selected genes involved in apoptosis and proliferative mechanism related to oral cancer were evaluated using RT2-PCR.

    RESULTS: The incidence of OSCC decreased with the administration of DC extract at 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg compared to the induced cancer group. The developed tumor was also observed to be smaller when compared to the induced cancer group. The DC 1000 mg/kg group inhibits the expression of Cyclin D1, Ki-67, Bcl-2, and p53 proteins. It was observed that DC 1000 mg/kg induced apoptosis by upregulation of Bax and Casp3 genes and downregulation of Tp53, Bcl-2, Cox-2, Cyclin D1, and EGFR genes when compared to the induced cancer group.

    CONCLUSIONS: The data indicated that systemic administration of the DC resin methanol extract has anticarcinogenic potency on oral carcinogenesis.

    CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Chemoprevention with DC resin methanol extract may significantly reduce morbidity and possibly mortality from OSCC.

  8. Al-Afifi NA, Alabsi AM, Bakri MM, Ramanathan A
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2018 Feb 05;18(1):50.
    PMID: 29402248 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2110-3
    BACKGROUND: Dracaena cinnabari (DC) is a perennial tree that located on the Southern coast of Yemen native to the Socotra Island. This tree produces a deep red resin known as the Dragon's blood, the Twobrother's Blood or Damm Alakhwain. The current study performed to evaluate the safety of the DC resin methanol extract after a single or 28 consecutive daily oral administrations.

    METHODS: In assessing the safety of DC resin methanol extract, acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests performed following OECD guidelines 423 and 407, respectively, with slight modifications. In acute oral toxicity test, DC resin methanol extract administered to female Sprague Dawley rats by oral gavage at a single dose of 300 and 2000 mg/kg body weight. Rats observed for toxic signs for 14 days. In sub-acute oral toxicity test, DC resin methanol extract administered to the rats by oral gavage at 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg body weight daily up to 28 days to male and female Spradgue Dawley rats. The control and high dose in satellite groups were also maintained and handled as the previous groups to determine the late onset toxicity of DC resin methanol extract. At the end of each test, hematological and biochemical analysis of the collected blood were performed as well as gross and microscopic pathology.

    RESULTS: In acute oral toxicity, no treatment-related death or toxic signs were observed. It revealed that the DC resin methanol extract could be well tolerated up to the dose 2000 mg/kg body weight and could be classified as Category 5. The sub-acute test observations indicated that there are no treatment-related changes up to the high dose level compared to the control. Food consumption, body weight, organ weight, hematological parameters, biochemical parameters and histopathological examination (liver, kidney, heart, spleen and lung) revealed no abnormalities. Water intake was significantly higher in the DC resin methanol extract treated groups compared to the control.

    CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates tolerability of DC resin methanol extract administered daily for 28 days up to 1500 mg/kg dose.

  9. John J, Ann Mani S, Palaniswamy K, Ramanathan A, Razak AA
    J Prosthodont, 2015 Apr;24(3):233-8.
    PMID: 24976147 DOI: 10.1111/jopr.12191
    PURPOSE: The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the flexural properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: The flexural strength and flexural modulus of three OPEFB fiber-reinforced PMMA were compared with a conventional and a commercially available reinforced PMMA. The three test groups included OPEFB fibers of 0.5 mm thickness, 2.0 mm thickness, and OPEFB cellulose.

    RESULTS: All test group specimens demonstrated improved flexural strength and flexural modulus over conventional PMMA. Reinforcement with OPEFB cellulose showed the highest mean flexural strength and flexural modulus, which were statistically significant when compared to the conventional and commercially reinforced PMMA used in this study. OPEFB fiber in the form of cellulose and 0.5 mm thickness fiber significantly improved flexural strength and flexural modulus of conventional PMMA resin. Further investigation on the properties of PMMA reinforced with OPEFB cellulose is warranted.

    CONCLUSIONS: Natural OPEFB fibers, especially OPEFB in cellulose form, can be considered a viable alternative to existing commercially available synthetic fiber reinforced PMMA resin.

  10. Ramanathan A, Mahmoud HA, Hui LP, Mei NY, Valliappan V, Zain RB
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(4):1633-7.
    PMID: 24641380
    BACKGROUND: Lymphoma is a malignant neoplasm of lymphoid tissue classified into Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's types. It mostly affects lymph nodes although a considerable proportion of Non-Hodgkin's cases occur in extranodal sites.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Selected cases diagnosed as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) during the period of 1980 to 2012 were retrieved from the archives of the Oral Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. The sections from the formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks were stained with H and E as well as with LCA, CD20, and CD3.

    RESULTS: The mean age was 41.6 years with a male: female ratio of 1.3:1. Out of the forty two cases, nineteen were Malays, eighteen were Chinese, followed by Indians (3) and Indonesians (2). The most common site of involvement was the mandible (22.2%), followed by the maxilla and palate (19.4% each). Most of the lesions presented as a painless progressive swelling. Only thirty six cases were further subdivided into B or T cell types. The majority were B-cell type (26 cases), of these 6 cases were Burkitt's lymphomas. Only ten cases were T-cell lymphoma, with three cases of NK/T-cell lymphoma.

    CONCLUSIONS: In this series of 42 patients diagnosed as extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the lesions appeared as painless swellings, mostly in men with the mandible as the most frequent site of involvement. Majority were B-cell lymphomas with Malays and Chinese being equally affected whereas lymphomas were rare in the Indian ethnicity. T-cell lymphomas were found to be common in the Chinese ethnic group.

  11. Mahdey HM, Ramanathan A, Ismail SM, Abraham MT, Jamaluddin M, Zain RB
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(9):2199-204.
    PMID: 22296356
    INTRODUCTION: Several molecular markers have been studied for their usefulness as prognostic markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). One such molecular marker is cyclin D1 which is a proto-oncogene located on 11q13 in humans.

    OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of using cyclin D1 as a prognostic marker in tongue and cheek SCC by the fluorescent-in-situ hybridization (FISH) method.

    METHODS: Fifty paraffin-embedded samples (25 each of cheek and tongue SCCs) were obtained from the archives of the Oral Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory. Sociodemographic data, histopathologic diagnoses, lymph node status and survival data were obtained from the Malaysian Oral Cancer Database and Tissue Bank System (MOCDTBS)coordinated by the Oral Cancer Research and Coordinating Centre (OCRCC), University of Malaya. The FISH technique was used to detect the amplification of cyclin D1 using the Vysis protocol. Statistical correlations of cyclin D1 with site and lymph node status were analyzed using the Fisher exact test. Kaplan-Meier and Log Rank (Mantel-Cox) test were used to analyze cyclin D1 amplification and median survival time.

    RESULTS: Positive amplification of cyclin D1 was detected in 72% (36) of OSCCs. Detection of positive amplification for cyclin D1 was observed in 88% (22) and 56% (14) of the tongue and cheek tumors, respectively, where the difference was statistically significant (P=0.012). Lymph node metastasis of cheek SCCs showed a trend towards a significant association (P= 0.098) with cyclin D1 amplification whereas the lymph node metastasis of tongue SCC was clearly not significant (P=0.593).There was a statistically significant correlation between cyclin D1 positivity and survival rate (P=0.009) for overall SCC cases and (P<0.001) for cheek SCC cases.

    CONCLUSION: The present study found that cyclin D1 amplification may differ in different subsites of OSCC (tongue vs cheek) and its positive amplification implies an overall poor survival in OSCCs, particularly those arising in cheeks.

  12. Chan SW, Liew LH, Wong GR, Kallarakkal TG, Abraham MT, Ramanathan A, et al.
    Int. J. Surg. Pathol., 2016 Aug;24(5):401-9.
    PMID: 27006298 DOI: 10.1177/1066896916639372
    BACKGROUND: Turnaround time (TAT) is the benchmark to assess the performance of a laboratory, pathologists, and pathology services, but there are few articles on TAT of surgical pathology, particularly in relation to oral or head and neck specimens. This study investigates the TAT for oral histopathology reporting in an academic institution's training laboratory and offers recommendations to achieve better overall quality of diagnostic services.

    METHODS: This study examined data obtained from biopsy request forms for specimens received from the Oro-Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang in the Oral Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, over a period of 3 years between January 2012 and October 2014.

    RESULTS: TAT for surgical and decalcified specimens were increased significantly compared to biopsies. Additional special handling did not influence TAT, but increased specimen volume resulted in greater TAT. Slide interpretation was the most time-consuming stage during histopathology reporting. Overall, mean TAT was acceptable for most specimens, but the TAT goals were less than satisfactory.

    CONCLUSION: A TAT goal appropriate for this laboratory may hence be established based on this study. Collective efforts to improve the TAT for various specimens are essential for better laboratory performance in the future.
  13. Mohd Tahir MKA, Ramanathan A, Foo GBT, Gopalan S, Zainal Abidin M, Abdul Rahman F
    Ann Dent, 2020;27(1):28-32.
    MyJurnal
    Pilomatrixoma is a relatively common benign tumour arising from the matrix and inner sheath of a normal hair follicle as well as hair cortex. It is usually presented as a superficial, solitary, firm mass which is asymptomatic and slowly growing. It accounts for about 0.2% of all routine skin specimens and may poses a diagnostic challenge as it may resemble other common benign lesions found in the head and neck region. We report a case of a 33-year old men presented to us with a pilomatrixoma of the right cheek, surgical management and histological findings.
  14. Gunawardena TNA, Masoudian Z, Rahman MT, Ramasamy TS, Ramanathan A, Abu Kasim NH
    PLoS One, 2019;14(5):e0216003.
    PMID: 31042749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216003
    Alopecia is a clinical condition caused by excessive hair loss which may result in baldness, the causes of which still remain elusive. Conditioned media (CM) from stem cells shows promise in regenerative medicine. Our aim was to evaluate the potential CM of dental pulp stem cells obtained from human deciduous teeth (SHED-CM) to stimulate hair growth under in vitro and in vivo conditions. SHED and hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) (n = 3) were cultured in media combinations; i) STK2, ii) DMEM-KO+10% FBS, iii) STK2+2% FBS and profiled for the presence of positive hair growth-regulatory paracrine factors; SDF-1, HGF, VEGF-A, PDGF-BB and negative hair growth-regulatory paracrine factors; IL-1α, IL-1β, TGF-β, bFGF, TNF-α, and BDNF. The potential of CM from both cell sources to stimulate hair growth was evaluated based on the paracrine profile and measured dynamics of hair growth under in vitro conditions. The administration of CM media to telogen-staged synchronized 7-week old C3H/HeN female mice was carried out to study the potential of the CM to stimulate hair growth in vivo. SHED and HFSCs cultured in STK2 based media showed a shorter population doubling time, higher viability and better maintenance of MSC characteristics in comparison to cells cultured in DMEM-KO media. STK2 based CM contained only two negative hair growth-regulatory factors; TNF-α, IL-1 while DMEM-KO CM contained all negative hair growth-regulatory factors. The in vitro study confirmed that treatment with STK2 based media CM from passage 3 SHED and HFSCs resulted in a significantly higher number of anagen-staged hair follicles (p<0.05) and a significantly lower number of telogen-staged hair follicles (p<0.05). Administration of SHED-CM to C3H/HeN mice resulted in a significantly faster stimulation of hair growth in comparison to HFSC-CM (p<0.05), while the duration taken for complete hair coverage was similar for both CM sources. Thus, SHED-CM carries the potential to stimulate hair growth which can be used as a treatment tool for alopecia.
  15. Obade AY, Pandarathodiyil AK, Oo AL, Warnakulasuriya S, Ramanathan A
    Clin Oral Investig, 2021 Sep;25(9):5411-5419.
    PMID: 33629155 DOI: 10.1007/s00784-021-03849-0
    OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to differentiate ex vivo epithelial structure of benign disorders, dysplastic, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in comparison with the structure of normal marginal mucosa of oral biopsies. As a secondary objective, we examined the inter- and intra-observer variations of OCT measurements of two calibrated assessors.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Oral biopsies (n = 44) were scanned using the swept source OCT (SSOCT) and grouped by pathology diagnosis to benign, dysplasia or carcinoma. Two trained and calibrated assessors scored on the five OCT variables: thickness of keratin layer (KL), epithelial layer (EL), homogeneity of lamina propria (LP), basement membrane integrity (BMI), and the degree of reflection of the epithelial layer (Ep Re). Chi-square tests and Fischer's exact method were used to compare the data.

    RESULTS: The OCT images showed breached BM status in all the OSCC samples (100%). Epithelial reflection was noted to be hyper-reflective in all the OSCC and oral dysplasia samples (100%). An increase in KL in 66.67% of the OSCC and 100% of the oral dysplasia samples was found. EL was increased in all the OSCC samples (100%) and 85.72% of the oral dysplasias. Kappa values showed that there was very good agreement (over 0.7) when scoring individual parameters between the two assessors.

    CONCLUSION: The study showed that the BM status was a key parameter in the detection of SCC and for differentiating SCC from oral dysplasia or benign disorders.

    CLINICAL RELEVANCE: OCT is a non-invasive and non-radioactive adjunct diagnostic tool that can provide immediate results on the structure of oral mucosa. The BM status measured ex vivo was a key parameter in the detection of SCC and for differentiating SCC from oral dysplasia or benign disorders.

  16. Kaid F, Alabsi AM, Alafifi N, Ali-Saeed R, Ameen Al-Koshab M, Ramanathan A, et al.
    J Toxicol, 2019;2019:6493286.
    PMID: 31178909 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6493286
    Goniothalamin (GTN) is an isolated compound from several plants of the genus Goniothalamus, and its anticancer effect against several cancers was reported. However, there is no scientific data about effects of its higher doses on internal organs. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the acute and subacute effects of higher doses of GTN on the hematology, biochemistry, and histology of selected internal organs of male Sprague-Dawley rats. In acute study, 35 rats were distributed in 5 groups (n=7) which were intraperitoneally (IP) injected with a single dose of either 100, 200, 300, 400, or 500 mg/kg of GTN, while extra 7 rats serve as a normal control. In subacute study, 7 rats were IP-injected with a daily dose of 42 mg/kg of GTN for 14 days, while another 7 rats serve as a normal control group. The normal controls in both studies were IP-injected simultaneously with 2 ml/kg of 10% DMSO in PBS. At the end of both tests, rats were sacrificed to collect blood for hematology and biochemistry and harvest livers, kidneys, lungs, hearts, spleens, and brains for histology. During acute and subacute exposure, no abnormal changes were observed in the hematology, biochemistry, and histology of the internal organs. However, the 300, 400, and 500 mg/kg of GTN during acute exposure were associated with morbidities and mortalities. Ultimately, GTN could be safe up to the dose of 200 mg/kg, and the dose of 42 mg/kg of GTN was tolerated well.
  17. Al-Afifi NA, Alabsi AM, Shaghayegh G, Ramanathan A, Ali R, Alkoshab M, et al.
    Arch Oral Biol, 2019 Aug;104:77-89.
    PMID: 31176147 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2019.05.030
    OBJECTIVE: To study the potential for apoptosis induction of Dracaena cinnabari Balf. f methanolic extract (DCBME) on tongue squamous cell carcinoma cell line, H103. We evaluated the chemopreventive activity of DCBME against 4-nitroquinolone-1-oxide (4NQO)-induced tongue carcinogenesis in rat.

    DESIGN: Phase contrast microscope, acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) analysis of cells under fluorescence microscope, annexin-V flow-cytometry, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and caspase 3/7, 8 and 9 assays were performed. In vivo study, the rats were given 4NQO in their drinking water. The tongue was subjected to histopathological study to evaluate the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

    RESULTS: DCBME showed cytotoxic effect on H103 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, DCBME showed low cytotoxic effect on a normal cell line. In H103 cells, it caused cell morphology changes, S and G2/M-phase cell cycle arrest, significant reduction of cell migration and induced apoptosis through the intrinsic (mitochondrial) pathway. The incidence of SCC was 85.7% in the induced cancer and vehicle groups while in rats treated with DCBME at 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg was 57.1%, 28.6% and 14.3%, respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: (DCBME)-apoptosis induction reported in this work can be exploited as a potential antitumor agent with applications in medicinal treatments of tongue SCC.

  18. Chidambaram S, Panda B, Keesari T, Prasanna MV, Singh DK, Ramanathan AL
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2022 Jan;174:113273.
    PMID: 35090268 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113273
    The dynamics of the coastal aquifers are well-expressed by geochemical and isotopic signatures. Coastal regions often exhibit complex groundwater recharge pattern due to the influence of depression in the Bay of Bengal, tidal variations on surface waters, saline water intrusion and agricultural return flows. In this research, groundwater recharge processes occurring in coastal Tamil Nadu, South India were evaluated using major ion chemistry and environmental isotopes. A total of 170 groundwater samples were collected from shallow and deep aquifers during both post-monsoon (POM) and pre-monsoon (PRM) seasons. The isotopic results showed a wide variation in the shallow groundwater, suggesting contribution from multiple recharge sources. But, the deeper groundwater recharge is mainly from precipitation. The northern part of the study area showed more depleted isotopic values, which rapidly changed towards south from -6.8 to -4.4‰. Alternatively, central and southern parts exhibited relatively enriched isotopic content with variation from -0.58 to -2.7‰. Groundwater was discerned to be brackish to saline with chloride content, 600-2060 mgL-1 and δ18O ranging from -5.8 to -4.5‰, suggesting influence of the saline water sources. A minor influence of anthropogenic activities was also observed in the deeper groundwater during PRM, which was confirmed by tritium and Cl- trends. The old groundwater with depleted isotopic content infer recharged by distant sources while modern groundwater with enriched isotopes points to the influence of evaporated recharge.
  19. Pandarathodiyil AK, Ramanathan A, Garg R, Doss JG, Abd Rahman FB, Ghani WMN, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2021 Oct 01;22(10):3227-3235.
    PMID: 34710999 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.10.3227
    BACKGROUND: We examined the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme levels in the saliva of vapers (e-cigarette users) and compared the data with cigarette smokers and a control group of non-smokers and non-vapers.

    METHODS: Subjects were recruited among those responding to a social media announcement or patients attending the SEGi Oral Health Care Centre between May and December 2019, and among some staff at the centre. Five ml of unstimulated   whole saliva was collected and salivary LDH enzyme activity levels were measured with a LDH colorimetric assay kit. Salivary LDH activity level was determined for each group and compared statistically.

    RESULTS: Eighty-eight subjects were categorized into three groups (control n=30, smokers n=29, and vapers n=29). The mean ± standard deviation (SD) values for salivary LDH activity levels for vapers, smokers, and control groups were 35.15 ± 24.34 mU/ml, 30.82 ± 20.73 mU/ml, and 21.45 ± 15.30 mU/ml, respectively. The salivary LDH activity levels of smoker and vaper groups were significantly higher than in the control group (p = 0.031; 0.017). There was no significant difference of salivary LDH activity level in vapers when compared with smokers (p= 0.234).

    CONCLUSION: Our findings showed higher LDH levels in the saliva of vapers when compared with controls, confirming cytotoxic and harmful effects of e-cigarettes on the oral mucosa.

  20. Ramanathan A, Srijaya TC, Sukumaran P, Zain RB, Abu Kasim NH
    Arch Oral Biol, 2018 Jan;85:23-39.
    PMID: 29031235 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2017.09.033
    OBJECTIVES: Homeobox genes are a group of conserved class of transcription factors that function as key regulators during the embryonic developmental processes. They act as master regulator for developmental genes, which involves coordinated actions of various auto and cross-regulatory mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the expression pattern of homeobox genes in relation to the tooth development and various signaling pathways or molecules contributing to the specific actions of these genes in the regulation of odontogenesis.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic search was undertaken using combination of keywords e.g. Homeobox genes, tooth development, dental diseases, stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, gene control region was used as search terms in PubMed and Web of Science and relevant full text articles and abstract were retrieved that were written in English. A manual hand search in text books were also carried out. Articles related to homeobox genes in dentistry and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine of odontogenesis were selected.

    RESULTS: The possible perspective of stem cells technology in odontogenesis and subsequent analysis of gene correction pertaining to dental disorders through the possibility of induced pluripotent stem cells technology is also inferred.

    CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the promising role of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine on odontogenesis, which can generate a new ray of hope in the field of dental science.

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