Causes of Sudden Cardiac Death on Autopsy Findings; a Four-Year Report

Introduction: Incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) has been steadily increasing all over the world. While knowing the cause of SCD is one of the favorites of the physicians involved with these cases, it is very difficult and challenging task for the forensic physician. The present report is a prospective study regarding cause of SCDs on autopsy examination in four-year period, Bangalore, India. Methods: The present prospective study is based on autopsy observations, carried out for four-year period from 2008 to 2011, and analyzed for cause of SCDs. The cases were chosen as per the definition of sudden death and autopsied. The material was divided into natural and unnatural groups. Finally, on histopathology, gross examination, hospital details, circumstantial, and police reports the cause of death was inferred. Results: A total of 2449 autopsy was conducted of which 204 cases were due to SCD. The highest SCDs were reported in 50-60 years age group (62.24%; n-127), followed closely by the age group 60-69 (28.43%; n-58). Male to female ratio was around 10:1. The maximum number of deaths (n=78) was within few hours (6 hours) after the onset of signs and symptoms. In 24 (11.8%) cases major narrowing was noted in both the main coronaries, in 87 (42.6%) cases in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), and in 18 (51.5%) cases in the right coronary artery (RCA). The major cardiac pathology resulting in sudden death was coronary artery disease (n-116; 56.86%) and myocardial infarction (n-104; 50.9%). most of the SCDs occurred in the place of residence (n-80; 39.2%) followed closely by death in hospital (n-49; 24.01%). Conclusion: Coronary occlusion was the major contributory cause of sudden death with cardiac origin and the highest number of deaths were reported in the age 50-59 years with male to female ratio of 10:1.

EVALUATION OF THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF COMBINATION OF ETHANOL EXTRACTS OF AZADIRACHTA INDICA (NEEM) AND LAWSONIA INERMIS (HENNA)

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Azadirachta indica (neem) and Lawsonia inermis(henna) individual extract and in combination using the same solvent.Methods: The leaf material of A. indica and L. inermis was collected from surroundings of Aditya College of Pharmacy, Kakinada, East Godavari.Powdered material was subjected to successive solvent extraction process. The yield was collected and prepared different concentrations (50, 100,and 200 μg/ml) of plant extracts. Diclofenac sodium was used as standard drug. The anti-inflammatory activity was performed by in vitro methodssuch as albumin denaturation method and human red blood cells membrane lysis method.Results: Denaturation of proteins is a well-documented cause of inflammation. Neem showed a significant membrane stabilizing activity of 46.62% and protein denaturation inhibition activity of 57.32% at concentration of 200 μg/ml. Henna showed a significant membrane stabilizing activity of 39.89% and protein denaturation inhibition activity of 53.75% at 200 μg/ml. In combination, both the extracts showed a significant membranestabilizing activity of 56.63% and protein denaturation inhibition activity of 67.69% at concentration of 200 μg/ml.Conclusion: The present study concluded that combination of A. indica and L. inermis possesses significant anti-inflammatory activity when comparedwith individual extract.Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, Human red blood cell, Protein denaturation, Lawsonia inermis, Azadiracta indica

Interference of phenol during quantification of a bacterial lipoprotein

Accurate protein estimation is an essential requirement for any biochemical investigation. The bacterial Braun liporotein (BLP) from E. coli (a Toll-2 receptor ligand) is purified via phenol extraction on the basis of selective extraction of the lipoprotein. The procedure leaves behind the major endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that acts through the related Toll-4 receptor. However, as low as 0.00001% of phenol carried over during lipoprotein isolation interferes in the Lowry’s method of protein estimation. A simple gel filtration on sephadex G-50 efficiently separates lipoproteins from phenol thereby avoiding inaccurate protein estimation of the lipoprotein content and making it suitable ligand for Toll-2 receptor.Keywords: Lipoproteins; Lipopolysaccharide (LPS); Lowry's method; Phenol interferenc

Utilization of sewage sludge as a potting media for tree nursery

Dumping of sewage sludge in the outer of cities leads to silting of nearby tanks, polluting the lands andalso air they burn, which is a burning problem in urban areas. This sewage sludge is rich in nutrientsand their use has been found to improve the physical condition of the soil as well as increase productivityof green biomass. As it contains heavy metals it threatens the human life by way of entering into foodchain. Hence, the best possible alternative is to utilize the sewage sludge as a potting media for raisingtree seedlings in tree nursery especially timber, energy and industrial wood species. An experimentwith an objective of utilizing sewage sludge as a potting media for tree nursery was conducted atTamil Nadu Agricultural University, Mettupalayam with different potting media mixtures as treatmentsviz., T ~ Soil + Sand + FYM (1: 1: 1 ratio); T, ~ Soil +Sand + Raw Sewage Sludge (1: 1: 1 ratio); T3-Soil + Sand + 2 weeks Cornposted Sewage Sludge (1: 1: 1 ratio); T~ ~ Soil + Sand + 4 weeks CompostedSewage Sludge (I: 1:1 ratio); T ~ Raw Sewage Sludge alone; 1 6 ~ Two weeks Composted SewageSludge alone and Th~Four weeks Composted Sewage Sludge alone. Eucalyptus tereticornis, Tecto,?agrandis, Azadirac ta indica, Casuarina equisetifolia and Acacia nilotica were them grown 111polythene bags containing the above potting media. Plant height and collar diameter at two intervalsviz.,3 months and 6 months after transplanting and drymatter production at 300 DAT were recorded.The results revealed that the plant height of the E. tereticornis and T grandis at 3 months aftertransplanting was significantly higher in T 6 whereas the plant height of the other three tree speciesviz., C equisetifloia, A. indica and Acacia nilotica was significantly higher in T " At 6 months aftertransplanting the plant height of all the tree species significantly higher in T4 T3,' Ts' T4'and T i respectively.At 10 months after transplanting E. tereicornis, T grandis and C equisetifolia recorded the maximumdry matter in Ts whereas A. indica and A. nilotica recorded maximum dry matter. in T7 and T ,.Though the sewage sludge is having sufficient major nutrients, it has heavy metals especially, lead,chromium, nickel and cadmium. In this context, the nutrients and heavy metals present in the pottingmedia were analyzed at initial and 300 DAT of seedlings. The results showed that the potting mediahave considerable quantity of major nutrients and heavy metals also. But the tree seedlings haveabsorbed the heavy metals from the potting media to some extent. Hence, sewage sludge which hastoxic substances or heavy metals could be used as a potting media for raising tree seedlings especiallyenergy, industrial and timber species as they do not affect the food chain. It is concluded that Sewagesludge is an effective substitute to farm yard manure and could be used as a potting media in forestnursery on a large scale

Studies on utilization of sewage waste water for greening wastelands through afforestation

One of the major burning problems in urban areas is the disposal of sewage water, which degradesthe environment, and as well as creates health hazards to human beings. One opening to this bottleneckis that this sewage water could be diverted for irrigation purpose especially for afforestation purpose.Sewage water provides nutrients and using it for irrigation has been found to enrich soil, improveuptake of plants and ameliorate degraded soils. It was found that sewage water irrigated tree speciesrecorded maximum height and basal diameter when compared to bore well water irrigation. It showedthat it boosted the growth of tree species. Hence the utilization of sewage water as irrigation waterfor tree crops is the one of best option for increasing biomass and protecting environment deteriorationfrom deforestation of land and water by sewage water.In this context, a field experiment was conducted at sewage farm and the following tree species viz.,Eucalyptus tereticornis, Tectona grandis, Casuarina equisetifolia, Azadirachta indica and Acacianilotica were planted and irrigated with sewage water at 2 weeks interval. The same 5 species werealso planted near the sewage farm and irrigated with bore well water. The growth parameters viz.,height and basal diameter were recorded at periodical interval. The results revealed that the heightand basal diameter of all the five selected tree species were higher under sewage water irrigationwhen compared to bore well water irrigation. The results inferred that at 3 MAP, the percent increasein height and basal diameter respectively was 15 % and 18 % for Casuarina equisetifolia, 39 % and 20 % for Tectono grandis, 17 % for Acacia nilotica. 24 % and 20 % for Azodirachta indica, 23 %and 18 % for Eucalyptus tereticornis over bore well water irrigation. At 6 MAP, the percent inheight and basal diameter was 7 % each for Casuarina equisetifolia, 13 % and 6 % for Tectonagrandis, 13 % and 6% for Acacia ni/otica, 15 % and 9 % for Azadirachta indica, 14 % and 12 %for Eucalyptus tereticornis under sewage water irrigation over bore well water irrigation.At 9 MAP, the increase in height and basal diameter was 8 % each for Casuarina equisetifolia, 9 %and 6 % for Tectona grandis, 12 % and 9 % for Acacia nilotica. 10 % and 4 % for Azadirachtaindica, 21 % and 11 % for Eucalyptus tereticornis over bore well water irrigation. At 12 MAP.increase in height and basal diameter was 7 % and 4 % for Casuarina equisetifolia, 7 % and 4 %for Tectona grandis, 6 % and 4 % for Acacia nilotica, 47 % and 4 % for Azadirachta indica, 8 %and 7 % for Eucalyptus tereticornis over bore well water irrigation. At 15 MAP under sewagewater irrigation, the percent increase was 4% each for Casuarina equisetifolia, 5 % and 3 % forTectona grandis, 6 % and 5 % for Acacia nilotica, 7 % and 5 % for Azadirachta indica, 10 % and8 % for Eucalyptus tereticornis over bore well water irrigation.From the study, it was found that sewage water can be better used for raising tree plantation onrelatively unferti le wastelands through afforestation, urban forestry plantation, social forestry plantationto safeguard the planet earth from global warming, severe drought, adverse climatic condition, pollution etc.

Povezanost genskih varijanti akvaporina 7 s kvalitetom sjemena u murrah bivola

The Aquaporin 7 (AQP7) gene, a member of the aqua-glyceroporins, was characterised using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis, in order to investigate the association of genetic variants of the AQP7 gene with semen quality in Murrah bulls. In this study, genomic DNA was extracted from the blood of Murrah bulls (n = 69) using the high salt method. Sequence data were analyzed using Bio Edit software (version 7.0.5) for detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Statistical analysis was carried out using repeated GLM procedure measures (SAS 9.3). Analysis revealed 17 different SSCP variants in the AQP7 gene in Murrah buffaloes. Three unique SSCP band patterns were observed in exons 1 and 4. Exons 5, 7 and 8 showed five, four and two unique SSCP band patterns, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed a total of 20 SNPs (8 in exonic and 12 in intronic region). PCR-SSCP variants of exon 5 were significantly associated (P<0.01) with sperm concentration. SSCP variants of exons 5 and 8 were associated (P<0.05) with sperm viability and post thaw motility (PTM), respectively. The study revealed a high degree of genetic variability in the AQP7 gene in Murrah bulls. The SSCP variants observed are associated with semen parameters which suggests the possibility of using the AQP7 gene as a candidate gene for identification of markers for semen quality traits in buffaloes.Gen akvaporin 7 (AQP7), koji pripada akvagliceroporinima, analiziran je kombinacijom lančane reakcije polimerazom i utvrđivanjem polimorfizma jednolančane konformacije (PCR-SSCP) s ciljem da se istraži povezanost genskih varijanti s kvalitetom sjemena u Murrah bivola. Genomska DNA izdvojena je iz krvi bivola (n = 69) high salt metodom. Za otkrivanje polimorfizma pojedinačnih nukleotida (SNP) sekvencije su analizirane programom Bio Edit (verzija 7.0.5). Statistička analiza provedena je GLM procedurom ponovljenih mjerenja (SAS 9.3). Analiza je pokazala 17 različitih SSCP varijanti AQP7gena u Murrah bivola. Tri jedinstvena SSCP rasporeda linija utvrđena su u egzonima 1 i 4. Egzoni 5, 7 i 8 pokazali su pet, četiri i dva jedinstvena SSCP rasporeda linija. Sekvenciranje je pokazalo ukupno 20 SNP-a (8 u egzonima i 12 u intronima). PCR-SSCP varijante egzona 5 statistički su značajno povezane (P<0,01) s koncentracijom sjemena. SSCP varijante egzona 5 i 8 značajno su povezane (P<0,05) s vijabilnošću spermija i njihovom pokretljivošću nakon odmrzavanja. Istraživanje je pokazalo visok stupanj genetičke varijabilnosti akvaporina 7 u Murrah bivola. Utvrđene SSCP varijante koje su povezane s pokazateljima kakvoće sjemena upućuju na mogućnost upotrebe akvaporina 7 gena kao kandidatnog gena za identifikaciju biljega kvalitete sjemena bivola

Genetic Variation Is the Major Determinant of Individual Differences in Leukocyte Endothelial Adhesion

Objective: To determine the genetic contribution to leukocyte endothelial adhesion.Methods: Leukocyte endothelial adhesion was assessed through a novel cell-based assay using human lymphoblastoid cell lines. A high-throughput screening method was developed to evaluate the inter-individual variability in leukocyte endothelial adhesion using lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from different donors. To assess heritability, ninety-two lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from twenty-three monozygotic twin pairs and twenty-three sibling pairs were compared. These lymphoblastoid cell lines were plated with the endothelial cell line EA.hy926 and labeled with Calcein AM dye. Fluorescence was assessed to determine endothelial cell adhesion to each lymphoblastoid cell line. Intra-pair similarity was determined for monozygotic twins and siblings using Pearson pairwise correlation coefficients.Results: A leukocyte endothelial adhesion assay for lymphoblastoid cell lines was developed and optimized (CV = 8.68, Z′-factor = 0.67, SNR = 18.41). A higher adhesion correlation was found between the twins than that between the siblings. Intra-pair similarity for leukocyte endothelial adhesion in monozygotic twins was 0.60 compared to 0.25 in the siblings. The extent to which these differences are attributable to underlying genetic factors was quantified and the heritability of leukocyte endothelial adhesion was calculated to be 69.66% (p-valueConclusions: There is a heritable component to leukocyte endothelial adhesion. Underlying genetic predisposition plays a significant role in inter-individual variability of leukocyte endothelial adhesion.</p

Gendered vulnerabilities to climate change: insights from the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia

Emerging and on-going research indicates that vulnerabilities to impacts of climate change are gendered. Still, policy approaches aimed at strengthening local communities’ adaptive capacity largely fail to recognize the gendered nature of everyday realities and experiences. This paper interrogates some of the emerging evidence in selected semi-arid countries of Africa and Asia from a gender perspective, using water scarcity as an illustrative example. It emphasizes the importance of moving beyond the counting of numbers of men and women to unpacking relations of power, of inclusion and exclusion in decision-making, and challenging cultural beliefs that have denied equal opportunities and rights to differently positioned people, especially those at the bottom of economic and social hierarchies. Such an approach would make policy and practice more relevant to people’s differentiated needs and responses

Suppression of MMP-2 Attenuates TNF-α Induced NF-κB Activation and Leads to JNK Mediated Cell Death in Glioma

BACKGROUND: Abrogation of apoptosis for prolonged cell survival is essential in cancer progression. In our previous studies, we showed the MMP-2 downregulation induced apoptosis in cancer cell lines. Here, we attempt to investigate the exact molecular mechanism of how MMP-2 depletion leads to apoptosis in glioma xenograft cell lines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: MMP-2 transcriptional suppression by MMP-2siRNA (pM) induces apoptosis associated with PARP, caspase-8 and -3 cleavage in human glioma xenograft cells 4910 and 5310. Western blotting and cytokine array showed significant decrease in the cellular and secreted levels of TNF-α with concomitant reduction in TNFR1, TRADD, TRAF2, RIP, IKKβ and pIκBα expression levels resulting in inhibition of p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in pM-treated cells when compared to mock and pSV controls. In addition MMP-2 suppression led to elevated Fas-L, Fas and FADD expression levels along with increased p38 and JNK phosphorylation. The JNK-activity assay showed prolonged JNK activation in pM-transfected cells. Specific inhibition of p38 with SB203580 did not show any effect whereas inhibition of JNK phosphorylation with SP600125 notably reversed pM-induced cleavage of PARP, caspase-8 and -3, demonstrating a significant role of JNK in pM-induced cell death. Supplementation of rhMMP-2 counteracted the effect of pM by remarkably elevating TNF-α, TRADD, IKKβ and pIκBα expression and decreasing FADD, Fas-L, and phospho-JNK levels. The EMSA analysis indicated significant reversal of pM-inhibited NF-κB activity by rhMMP-2 treatment which rescued cells from pM-induced cell death. In vivo studies indicated that pM treatment diminished intracranial tumor growth and the immuno histochemical analysis showed decreased phospho-p65 and enhanced phospho-JNK levels that correlated with increased TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells in pM-treated tumor sections. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: In summary, our study implies a role of MMP-2 in the regulation of TNF-α mediated constitutive NF-κB activation and Fas-mediated JNK mediated apoptosis in glioma xenograft cells in vitro and in vivo

MMP-2 siRNA Inhibits Radiation-Enhanced Invasiveness in Glioma Cells

Our previous work and that of others strongly suggests a relationship between the infiltrative phenotype of gliomas and the expression of MMP-2. Radiation therapy, which represents one of the mainstays of glioma treatment, is known to increase cell invasion by inducing MMP-2. Thus, inhibition of MMP-2 provides a potential means for improving the efficacy of radiotherapy for malignant glioma.We have tested the ability of a plasmid vector-mediated MMP-2 siRNA (p-MMP-2) to modulate ionizing radiation-induced invasive phenotype in the human glioma cell lines U251 and U87. Cells that were transfected with p-MMP-2 with and without radiation showed a marked reduction of MMP-2 compared to controls and pSV-transfected cells. A significant reduction of proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of cells transfected with p-MMP-2 and in combination with radiation was observed compared to controls. Western blot analysis revealed that radiation-enhanced levels of VEGF, VEGFR-2, pVEGFR-2, p-FAK, and p-p38 were inhibited with p-MMP-2-transfected cells. TUNEL staining showed that radiation did not induce apoptosis in U87 and U251 cells while a significant increase in TUNEL-positive cells was observed when irradiated cells were simultaneously transfected with p-MMP-2 as compared to controls. Intracranial tumor growth was predominantly inhibited in the animals treated with p-MMP-2 alone or in combination with radiation compared to controls.MMP-2 inhibition, mediated by p-MMP-2 and in combination with radiation, significantly reduced tumor cell migration, invasion, angiogenesis and tumor growth by modulating several important downstream signaling molecules and directing cells towards apoptosis. Taken together, our results demonstrate the efficacy of p-MMP-2 in inhibiting radiation-enhanced tumor invasion and progression and suggest that it may act as a potent adjuvant for radiotherapy in glioma patients