Four out of 10 diploid orchid species showed "complement fractionation" a complex cytological phenomenon, hitherto reported only in polyploid plants. The manifestation of this phenomenon during meiosis is the formation of chromosome subgroups resulting eventually in cells with more than the usual four sporads; five or six being the optimum number in the investigated orchid species. No implications whatsoever can be deduced as to the genetic or genomic constitution of the end products. The presence of the phenomenon in these orchid species could perhaps indicate a polyploid ancestry or concealed hybridity. The operation of "complement fractionation", however, could be interpreted as an alternative evolutionary pathway opposed to polyploidy.
A retrospective study of 95 patients with retinal vein occlusion was carried out to determine the clinical presentation and pattern of distribution in the local Malaysian population. There was no significant difference found in its distribution with regards to sex. In comparing branch retinal vein occlusion with central retinal vein occlusion, no significant differences were found in its racial distribution. Branch retinal vein occlusion occurred more commonly among the older patients whereas the converse is true for central retinal vein occlusion. Reduced vision represents the commonest mode of presentation. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia and haematological disorders are important associated systemic conditions.
Based on an improved C-banding technique, the C-banding patterns of all 11 diploid Aegilops species were described and compared. All diploid species exhibit characteristically different patterns which enable the chromosomes of any complement to be identified individually. These patterns confirm existing genome symbols and provide further evidence for the suggested changes in genome symbols of Ae. umbellulata and Ae. sharonensis, U and S(sh) respectively. Furthermore, Ae. uniaristata should be given a separate symbol, probably N. Aegilops speltoides and Ae. sharonensis could be possible donors to the B genome of wheat. Interspecific divergence in these diploid species has been accompanied by either amplification or deletion as well as massive repatterning of heterochromatin from the centromere to the telomere.
Thirty girls who had been detained in a remand home on suspicion of prostitution were examined in the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur. All except two were below 21 years old. Endocervical and high vaginal swabs were taken for cultures. A sample of blood was taken for serology. Eleven of the girls [37%] had no evidence of a sexually transmitted disease. The others [63%] had one or more of the following: 5 with positive serology for syphilis, 3 had gonorrhoea, 6 with trichomonas, 2 with candidiasis.rl with Chlamydia trachomatls, 2 with Ureaplasma urealyticum and 1 with C. vaginale. With such a high incidence of STD in these young girls with a history of prostitution, it is recommended that a more regular and comprehensive screening be carried out on such high risk women.
Study site: University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
An anthropometric assessment was conducted on a sample of 309 children, aged twelve years and below, from an urban squatter community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The community consists mainly of Malays and Indians and is fairly established with a mean length of residence of about fifteen years. There was not much difference between the two ethnic groups with regard to educational status or income. Most of the residents were unskilled or semiskilled workers employed in factories and government agencies. About 40 percent of the infants and toddlers were found to be wasted, while about one-third of the older children were stunted. There appears to be some association between income per capita and nutritional status.
The healing of wound is a complex process which requires the interactions of different cells and extracellular molecules. The normal wound healing process can be divided into four overlapping phases i.e. haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. In diseased condition like diabetes mellitus, the wound healing process is grossly impaired, resulting in chronic wounds which fail to heal. In the past decades, several researchers have tested various traditional medicines obtained from the plants for their wound healing properties. Such traditional plants are Aloe vera, Calotropis procera, Portulaca oleracea, Acalypha langiana, Plagiochasma appendiculatum and Momordica charantia. Perhaps one of the most popular and easily available plant is Momordica charantia (bitter gourd). The present article presents an extensive review on the impaired wound healing process in diabetes mellitus and highlights the use of traditional medicines in diabetic wounds.
Momordica charantia (MC; bitter gourd) is a traditional herb commonly used for its antidiabetic, antioxidant, contraceptive and antibacterial properties. It is also used for the rapid healing of wounds.
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis is a common problem in communities with poor socio-environmental conditions. This study was undertaken to identify important socio-environmental predictors of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Bachok, a rural community in Kelantan for the development and implementation of an effective prevention and control program. Of 363 children randomly sampled, 38.8% were infected with soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Risk predictors of soil-transmitted helminthiasis found to be significant after adjustment included poor household hygiene score and large household size. The probability of being infected was 0.58 amongst children with both of these risk factors.
Screening by culture of endocervical specimens revealed four cases of gonorrhea among 744 pregnant women attending the prenatal clinic at the University Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The observed prevalence of gonorrhea (0.54%) in pregnant women is similar to that in Great Britain (0.2-0.7%), but lower than the prevalences reported for North America (2.5-7.5%) and Thailand (11.9%). The results indicate that routine screening of pregnant women attending prenatal clinics in Malaysia would aid in the control of gonorrhea in that country.
Aim: Diabetic liver is associated with biochemical, physiological and pathological changes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the histological changes following administration of Momordica charantia (MC) in the streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats.
Materials and methods: Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats (n=18) were taken for this study. The animals were divided into 3 groups:- non-diabetic (n=6), untreated diabetic (n=6) and diabetic treated with MC extract (n=6). Diabetes was induced in the experimental rats via intravenous injection of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg body weight). MC extract (50 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally to the treated diabetic rats 10 days following induction. The liver tissues were collected on the 10th day following treatment and the histological study was performed using different staining methods which included hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Verhoeff's van Gieson (VvG) and periodic acid Schiff (PAS).
Results: The liver of the diabetic rats showed involvement of the hepatocytes with features of inflammation. The portal triad in the diabetic liver showed extensive involvement in terms of accumulation of mucopolysaccharide deposits. Liver damage in the diabetic animals showed features of healing with administration of the MC extract.
Conclusions: The MC extract due to its antioxidant role may be helpful in reversing the changes in the liver in diabetes mellitus.
Momordica charantia (MC) or bitter gourd is widely known for its antidiabetic properties. The aim of the present study was to observe the protective effect of MC extract on the kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Eighteen male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=18) weighing 200+/-50 g were taken for the study. The study comprised of three groups i.e. a non-diabetic, diabetic untreated and diabetic treated with MC extract, with each group comprising of six (n=6) rats. Diabetes was induced in the overnight fasted rats by intramuscular injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg body weight). The MC extract (50 mg/kg body weight) was administered via oral gavage. Both the kidneys were collected on the tenth day following treatment. Histological study using Verhoeff's van Gieson (VvG) and Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS) stains were performed. The kidneys of the diabetic rats showed thickening of the basement membrane of the Bowman's capsule, edema and hypercellurarity of the proximal tubules, necrosis and hyaline deposits. These features were found to be reversed when the MC extract was administered to the experimental animals. The MC extract acted as an antioxidant thereby preventing the oxidative damage involved in the diabetic kidney. The administration of MC extract prevents oxidative damage in diabetic nephropathy.