Better retention of Malaysian opiate dependents treated with high dose methadone in methadone maintenance therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Methadone is a synthetic opiate mu receptor agonist that is widely used to substitute for illicit opiates in the management of opiate dependence. It helps prevent opiate users from injecting and sharing needles which are vehicles for the spread of HIV and other blood borne viruses. This study has the objective of determining the utility of daily methadone dose to predict retention rates and re-injecting behaviour among opiate dependents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Subjects comprised opiate dependent individuals who met study criteria. They took methadone based on the Malaysian guidelines and were monitored according to the study protocols. At six months, data was collected for analyses. The sensitivity and specificity daily methadone doses to predict retention rates and re-injecting behaviour were evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sixty-four patients volunteered to participate but only 35 (54.69%) remained active and 29 (45.31%) were inactive at 6 months of treatment. Higher doses were significantly correlated with retention rate (p < 0.0001) and re-injecting behaviour (p < 0.001). Of those retained, 80.0% were on 80 mg or more methadone per day doses with 20.0% on receiving 40 mg -79 mg.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We concluded that a daily dose of at least 40 mg was required to retain patients in treatment and to prevent re-injecting behaviour. A dose of at least 80 mg per day was associated with best results.</p

Regulatory Effects of Thymoquinone on Dopamine Level in Neuronal Cells Exposed to Amphetamine: An In Vitro Study

Introduction: Amphetamine (AT) is used to treat some medical conditions and also known to be abused recreationally. It is a potent central nervous system stimulant that is capable of producing damaging effects to the central dopaminergic pathway. Most of AT users are treated clinically for symptomatic treatment which is associated with neurological side effects. To date, there is growing interest in naturally occurring compounds which have lesser side effects to treat health problems. One of the potential compounds is thymoquinone (TQ), an active compound of Nigella sativa which is known for its cellular protective effects. Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the IC50 values of AT and TQ on differentiated SH-SY5Y neuronal cells and to evaluate the changes of dopamine (DA) level in the cells exposed to AT after co-administering with TQ. Methodology: Differentiated SH-SY5Y cells were grown in cell culture flask containing DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum and 1% (v/v) penicillin/streptomycin. The IC50 value of TQ and AT in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells was determined by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The DA level was determined by using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit. Result and Discussion: The IC50 values of AT and TQ were 1596 µM and 926 µM respectively. Co-administration of 40 µM of AT and 30 µM of TQ demonstrated a significant increase in DA level at 48 hours of exposure when compared to the administration of AT group (P≤0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggested that TQ has a role in maintaining the DA activity after a long-term AT exposure

Zamzam Water: Influence of Containers on Ionic Concentration and In-vitro Cytotoxic Effects on U87 Cell Line

Zamzam is holy water believed by Muslim to have remedial power for all kinds of diseases. It contains many electrolytes and the concentration of the electrolytes may be affected by the types of container used for its storage. This study was carried out to determine the difference in ions concentration of Zamzam water stored in plastic and glass containers, and to determine cytotoxicity effects of Zamzam water against U-87 cell line (human primary glioblastoma cell line). Ion Chromatography (IC) was used to analyze the concentration. The analyzed anions in the Zamzam water include bromide, chloride, phosphate, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate and fluoride whereas the cations were ammonium, lithium, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium. Subsequently, MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of Zamzam water on U-87 cell line. This study reveals that Zamzam water anions and cations concentration was not statistically significant neither in plastic nor glass container.  In addition, the Zamzam water did not cause any toxicity on the U87 cell line. We postulate that types of container do not have much influence on the ion concentration of Zamzam water and it is non-toxic on U87 cell line. Keywords: Zamzam water; ion concentration; plastic; glass; U87 cell line

Hydraulic bearing puller

A bearing puller tool is an essential repair aid when working on an engine or machine that has pressure-set bearings in its mechanisms. Without the tool, repair of bad bearings would be difficult and prone to a high risk of damage to the shaft or casing block of gearbox and engine. It is designed as a tool to make the removal and installation of bearings simple and efficient, bearing pullers often resemble a pair of scissors. In some cases, the configuration of the puller will allow the extraction of both gears and bearings, including those that are connected with a series of shafts within the mechanism. Different sizes of bearing pullers make it possible to use the device on everything from a pair of skates to complicated industrial machinery. ‘Hydraulic Bearing Puller' is one of the products that have been modified from the original product in the market. Extensive studies have been conducted on service centers to implement this product. Most workers remove the bearing from the shaft (shaft) a way tap so that it can be removed. Apart from that they also use the 'bearing puller' common but with high cost. From the original product, we have made modifications to equipment for easy used by employees

Potential Neuroprotective Effect of Apis dorsata Honey Against Morphine Tolerance: An in-vivo Study

Background: To determine the effects of Apis dorsata honey on the development of morphine tolerance and oxidative stress in rats. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 male Sprague Dawley rats were injected (subcutaneous) with 10 mg/kg of morphine following oral administration of A. dorsata honey (0.5, 1.5, and 2.5g/kg). On day 15, the rats were euthanized, and the thalamus, spinal cord, and hippocampus were homogenized to assess iNOS and MDA using ELISA kits.Results: The honey of A. dorsata significantly prevented morphine tolerance to analgesia in the hotplate test on Day 14 (p&lt;0.05). The biochemical assessment showed that A. dorsata honey significantly reduced MDA formation in the brain regions compared to the morphine control group at dose 2.5g/kg. Elevation of iNOS caused by chronic morphine intake was reduced in A. dorsata honey co-treatment. Conclusion: This study suggests the therapeutic role of A. dorsata honey in preventing morphine tolerance via inhibition of oxidative stress

Detection of malachite green and leuco-malachite green in fishery industry

This article summarises the current methods for total malachite green (MG) detectionwhich is known as a sum of MG and leuco-malachite green (LMG) that has been used extensively in aquaculture as fungicide, dye color in textile and other purposes in food industries. LMG is a reducing form of MG, where the MG is easily reduced due to the photo-oxidative de-methylation process. Nevertheless, the use of MG had become an issue due to its toxicity effects. Many analytical instruments such as HPLC, LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and spectrometry have been widely used for detection of MG. However, these methods require long time sample preparation and analysis, expensive, use hazardous reagents and indirect measurements. Hence, other analytical methods which are more sensitive, safe, rapid, inexpensive andportable are required. Alternatively, biosensors promise a more sensitive and rapid detection method for MG and LMG

Syzygium polyanthum protects against hypertensive induced kidney damage in spontaneous hypertensive rat model

Syzygium polyanthum is traditionally used as anti-hypertensive agent. However, the nephroprotective effects of S. polyanthum against hypertensive induced chronic kidney disease has yet to be elucidated. This study was conducted to determine the antioxidant properties and nephroprotective effects of aqueous extract of S. polyanthum (AESP) in the spontaneous hypertensive rat model (SHR). The phytochemical constituent was identified using the phytochemical screening and HPLC methods. The in vitro antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Fifty male SHR were equally divided into 5 groups, (n=10/group); Untreated-SHR, 20 mg/kg Losartan-treated SHR, 1500 mg/kg AESP treated SHR, 1750 mg/kg AESP treated SHR and 2250 mg/kg AESP treated SHR, while 10 male Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) were used as control. Losartan and AESP were administered by oral gavage. Rats were sacrificed after 12 weeks of experiment. The phytochemicals include phenolics, flavonoids and alkaloids were identified. AESP has high antioxidant activity as shown by antioxidant assays. AESP normalised systolic blood pressure (p<0.05) and significantly improved renal function (p<0.05). AESP also significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) (p<0.05) and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in the serum as compared to untreated-SHR group (p<0.05). Ultrastructure of renal damage improved by supplementation of AESP. Conclusively, S. polyanthum is potential to alleviate hypertensive induced chronic kidney disease through its antioxidant properties

The effects of MDMA on brain: An in vivo study in rats

Background and objective : 3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a powerful central nervous system stimulant that acts by increasing the activity of several neurotransmitter systems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different doses of MDMA on the level of serotonin in the brain measured from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and their effects on the neurons. Materials and methods : Twenty-six adult male rats were divided into 4 groups. The control group (n=7) received intraperitoneal (IP) injections of 1 mL/gm normal saline twice daily for one week. The MDMA treated groups (n= 6/7) were further subdivided into 3 groups, each receiving 5, 10 or 15mg/kg MDMA intraperitoneal (IP) injections twice daily for one week ; respectively. 24 hours after the last injection of the rats, the CSF was collected. The brains were dissected and processed for paraffin sections and stained by cresyl etch violet stain. Histology, morphometry and statistical analysis were done. Results : The administration of different doses of MDMA significantly increased the level of serotonin in comparison with the control group. The morphometry study indicated that the number of intact neurons in the hippocampus significantly decreased following the administration of different doses of MDMA comparing to the control group. The results also indicated that there was a strong negative correlation between the serotonin levels and the number of intact neurons. Conclusion : MDMA administration even at a low dose had degenerative effects on the neurons in the hippocampus as evidenced by morphometric study, and the intake should be avoided