High In-Vitro Antitumour Activity of Triphenyltin Coumarin 3-Carboxylate and its Coordination Complexes With Monodentate Oxygen Donor Ligands Against the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)-DNA Positive Raji and the P-388 Murine Leukaemia Cell Lines, and Evidence for the Suppression by Organotin of the Early Antigen Complex in the EBV Lytic Cycle

Triphenyltin coumarin-3-carboxylate and its coordination complexes with ethanol, triphenylphosphine oxide, triphenylarsine oxide, diphenylcyclopropenone and quinoline N-oxide exhibited high in vitro cytotoxicity (LC50 values in the range 0.25-3.4 μg/mL) when tested against EBV-DNA positive Raji cells and P-388 leukaemia cells, compared to the standard drug 5-Fluorouracil, which showed LC50 values of 11 and >50 μg/mL, respectively, against these cells. Additional tests performed on the Raji cells incubated with the quinoline N-oxide complex in the presence of the tumour promoters, TPA and sodium butyrate, revealed that the diffused and restricted protein components of the early antigen complex were suppressed relative to the control containing only the promoters, indicating impaired function of the genes involved as transactivators in the early lytic cycle of the EBV. The failure of the restriction enzymes Eco R1 and Hind III to cleave the extracted DNA from such treated cells in contrast to the control, coupled with the amplification of the BMLF-1 gene by the PCR technique which was realised only with the DNA of the control and not of the treated sample, point to a punitive interaction of the organotin with the nuclear DNA of the Raji cells

Insecticidal Effects of Organotin(IV) Compounds on Plutella Xylostella (L.) Larvae. II. Inhibitory Potencies Against Acetylcholinesterase and Evidence for Synergism in Tests With Bacillus Thuringiensis(BER.) and Malathion

Features of pesticide synergism and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition (in vitro) were studied using a selected range of organotin compounds against the early 4th instar larvae of a highly resistant strain of the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, a major universal pest of cruciferous vegetables

Highly Divergent Mitochondrial ATP Synthase Complexes in Tetrahymena thermophila

Tetrahymena ATP synthase, an evolutionarily divergent protein complex, has a very unusual structure and protein composition including a unique Fo subunit a and at least 13 proteins with no orthologs outside of the ciliate lineage

Household Environmental Risk Factors for Fall in Older People (≥ 65 Years) in Rural Pondicherry

Background: Most households in rural India have potential environmental hazards for fall among older people. There is limited information available on magnitude of these factors in our context. Objective: To assess the potential environmental risk factors for fall in and around the rural households of older people. Methods: The cross sectional survey was done in 14 villages of Primary Health Care Centre (PHC) Thirubhuvanai, Pondicherry. Representative samples of 570 houses were observed for risk factors using pre-designed and pre-tested checklist, which was carried out by trained post-graduates in Community Medicine. Environmental factors such as the type of house, presence of stairs without support, unstable furniture, adequate lighting arrangement, presence/use of latrine, supports in the toilet and bathroom were observed. Frequencies of variables were obtained by using SPSS (Version 24.0). Results: Out of 570 houses, 285(50%) houses were pucca and 340 (59.6%) houses had cemented floor. Unstable furniture was present in 203 (59.4%) houses. Among houses, the latrine was present in 333 (58.4%) houses, where toilet was in use in 284 (85.2%) whereas 315 (94.3%) houses didn’t have any support in their latrine. Bathroom was present in 338 (59.3%) houses and only 11 bathrooms (3.2%) had support. Majority of the houses had adequate lighting in living room and toilets; however, it was relatively low in the kitchen. Conclusion: Majority of households had potential environmental risk factors. Interventions at household level are required to minimize these risk factors. The results of this study indicate the need for environmental inspection and hazard reduction measures in their houses

Study of risk factors in myopic individuals among medical students in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Background: The incidence of myopia is increasing at an alarming rate. Investigating the causes of myopia gives us a better understanding of it. This gives us better odds of preventing the occurrence and retarding the condition's progression. The study used a method called stratified sampling to select 100 individuals who were near-sighted. They belonged to the age of 17-30 years old and pursued medicine in the district of Kanchipuram. The role of risk factors was assessed through a questionnaire. Result: The percentage of subjects with low, medium, and high myopia was 77, 18, and 5, respectively. The role of heredity, diet, academic performance, time spent doing near work, and outdoor work was indeed found to play significant roles in the development and progression of myopia. Conclusion: The incidence of myopia is constantly increasing, especially in Asian countries. To prevent myopia and its complications, we need to take significant steps to reduce the risk factors that can be changed

CLAG3 Self-Associates in Malaria Parasites and Quantitatively Determines Nutrient Uptake Channels at the Host Membrane

Malaria parasites increase host erythrocyte permeability to ions and nutrients via a broad-selectivity channel known as the plasmodial surface anion channel (PSAC), linked to parasite-encoded CLAG3 and two associated proteins. These proteins lack the multiple transmembrane domains typically present in channel-forming proteins, raising doubts about their precise roles. Using the virulent human Plasmodium falciparum parasite, we report that CLAG3 undergoes self-association and that this protein’s expression determines channel phenotype quantitatively. We overcame epigenetic silencing of clag3 paralogs and engineered parasites that express two CLAG3 isoforms simultaneously. Stoichiometric expression of these isoforms yielded intermediate channel phenotypes, in agreement with observed trafficking of both proteins to the host membrane. Coimmunoprecipitation and surface labeling revealed formation of CLAG3 oligomers. In vitro selections applied to these transfectant lines yielded distinct mutants with correlated changes in channel activity. These findings support involvement of the identified oligomers in PSAC formation and parasite nutrient acquisition.Malaria parasites are globally important pathogens that evade host immunity by replicating within circulating erythrocytes. To facilitate intracellular growth, these parasites increase erythrocyte nutrient uptake through an unusual ion channel. The parasite CLAG3 protein is a key determinant of this channel, but its lack of homology to known ion channels has raised questions about possible mechanisms. Using a new method that allows simultaneous expression of two different CLAG3 proteins, we identify self-association of CLAG3. The two expressed isoforms faithfully traffic to and insert in the host membrane, while remaining associated with two unrelated parasite proteins. Both the channel phenotypes and molecular changes produced upon selections with a highly specific channel inhibitor are consistent with a multiprotein complex that forms the nutrient pore. These studies support direct involvement of the CLAG3 protein in channel formation and are relevant to antimalarial drug discovery projects targeting parasite nutrient acquisition