BALB/c Mice as Animal Model in Dengue Infection Research: Role of Endothelial Activation

Introduction. There were various challenges in using experimental animals model for dengue infection studies aside from the fact that dengue infection only naturally affects humans and does not manifest clinical signs as in humans. Various experimental animals have been used in dengue research, but the mouse model is more widely used since it is easier to obtain although sometimes they do not show clinical symptoms but may still measure the immune response. BALB/c mice are immunocompetent mice that have the potential to be used in dengue infection research. Endothelial cell activation plays a role in the pathogenesis of dengue virus infection which contributes to plasma leakage. One of the biomarkers of endothelial cell activation is soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1).Method. An analytic observational study was conducted using BALB/c mice aged 8 weeks and weighed 40 grams. Selected BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to serotype 2 dengue virus containing 2.1 x 106 pfu/ml intraperitoneally, given only once. A total of 11 mice were injected with dengue virus serotype 2 and 11 mice were not injected with dengue virus. On the second day of virus injection, non structural (NS) 1 antigen dengue examination was carried out to prove that the BALB/c mice were indeed infected with dengue virus. In BALB/c mice that were proven to be infected with dengue virus, sICAM-1 levels were examined in serum after 7 days of infection. Mice that were not injected with dengue virus also examined sICAM-1Results. All of BALB/c mice injected with dengue virus were proven to be infected, as indicated by the detection of NS1 antigen in their serum. The mean serum level of NS1 antigen was 88.35 ng/ml (mean 95.34 ng/ml and standard deviation 21.94). The level of sICAM-1 in BALB/c mice infected with dengue virus (mean = 1.34) was significantly higher than mice that were not infected (mean =  0.79), with a p-value 0.045Conclusions. BALB/c mice were proven to be infected with dengue virus by detecting ns1 dengue virus antigen in the serum. The sICAM-1 levels in the group of BALB/c mice infected with dengue serotype 2 were significantly higher than the BALB/c mice that were not infected with dengue virus

Aqueous Extract of Purple Sweet Potato Tuber Increases Sod And Decreases VCAM-1 Expression By Increasing Nrf2 Expression In The Aortic Endothelia Of Hypercholesterolemic Rabbits

Aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber are supposed to prevent oxidative stress and protect endothelial function by unknown mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to prove the ability of purple sweet potato tuber aqueous extract in preventing oxidative stress through increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) via Nrf2 upregulation and decreasing VCAM-1 expression in rabbit aortic endothelium. This study was experimental laboratoric study, with randomized post-test only control group design. The rabbits were randomized into 3 groups (6 rabbits per group). The control group was treated with standard diet, treatment 1 was treated with high-cholesterol diet, and treatment 2 was treated with high-cholesterol diet plus aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber with the dose of 4 mL/kg bw/day. After 12 weeks of treatment, blood samples were obtained for the examination of SOD, MDA and total cholesterol level. The expression of Nrf2, SOD-2 and VCAM-1 in aortic endothelium was evaluated based on immunohistochemical methods. One-way ANOVA  test were applied in data analysis, followed by path analysis. The results demonstrated significantly decreased MDA and increased blood SOD level, accompanied by statistically-significant increase in SOD-2 and Nrf2 expression, and decrease of VCAM-1 expression in the treatment group 2 compared to treatment group 1 (p <0.05). It can be concluded that the purple sweet potato tuber aqueous extract prevents oxidative stress by increasing the expression of SOD-2, via Nrf2 protein up-regulation, resulting in decreased VCAM-1 expression in the aortic endothelia of high-cholesterol diet-fed rabbits. Keywords: Purple sweet potato, oxidative stress, SOD-2, Nrf2, VCAM-1, rabbit aort

The Antioxidant Capacity of Peristrophe Bivalvis (L.) Merr. as Natural-Based Nephroprotection

The kidneys as one of the important body organs have a very important role in maintaining a healthy body. The kidneys function to regulate fluid balance in the body the concentration of salt in the blood, acid-base balance in the blood, and excretion of waste materials such as urea and other nitrogenous waste in the blood. Magenta plants (Peristrophe bivalvis (L.) Merr.) contain secondary metabolites, namely alkaloids, saponins, triterpenoids, tannins, and flavonoids as antioxidants. The abundance of antioxidants sourced from natural sources for various diseases is often used as a complementary therapy and is one of the current therapeutic choices. However, the development of natural sources must also consider kidney function during an intervention. The incidence of kidney failure can be caused either by the occurrence of oxidative stress or exposure to drugs and other chemical compounds must also consider the physiological functions of important organs in the body such as the liver and kidneys. This study was conducted to determine the protective role of magenta leaves extract (Peristrophe bivalvis (L.) Merr.) on the kidneys after being given an acetaminophen hepatotoxic dose. In this study, the effectiveness of magenta leaves antioxidants and the safety of use was analyzed by looking at the kidney function in the experimental model of Wistar strain male white rats, using a Randomized Post Test Only Control Group Design. Four treatment groups showed that magenta leaves extract (Peristrophe bivalvis (L.) Merr.) at 125 and 250 mg/kg BW can protect the kidneys with average creatinine levels of 0.63 and 0.75 and with a normal range (0.7 - 1.2). It means that these two groups could protect the kidney function although in the histopathology test only the group administering extracts of 250 mg/Kg BW showed good results. It can be concluded that administration of the magenta leaves extracts at 250 mg/kg BW can protect renal function as seen from serum creatinine levels. Besides, histopathological features can provide a protective effect on the kidneys with the incidence of necrosis in the kidneys of less than 60% of the toxic dose of acetaminophen

Purple Sweet Potato Aqueous Extract Lowers Blood Pressure and Prevents Oxidative Stress in Hypertensive Elderly Patients at Nyuhkuning Village, Mas, Ubud, Bali

Purple sweet potato tubers found in Bali are rich in anthocyanins and has been studied as an antioxidant in experimental animals. Aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tubers has been shown to lower blood pressure through increased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in hypertensive rats. Research on the antihypertensive and antioxidative effects of aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tubers in hypertensive patients has not been done. The purpose of this study was to prove that the aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tubers could lower blood pressure and prevent oxidative stress in hypertensive patients especially in the elderly ones. This study was a limited clinical trial with one group pre- and post-test design, involving the elderly population in Nyuhkuning Village, Mas, Ubud, Bali as subjects of study. Seventeen subjects were included in this study with baseline characteristics such as 60-69 years of age, blood pressure above 140/95 mmHg, and does not suffer from certain diseases. After being given aqueous extract of purple sweet potato for one month, they showed a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly (p < 0.05), a decrease in MDA level accompanied by an increase in blood superoxide dismutase (SOD) level significantly (p < 0.05). From these results, it can be concluded that the aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber can lower blood pressure and prevent oxidative stress in hypertensive elderly patient. Keywords: aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber, elderly patients, hypertension, oxidative stres

Comparison of Potential Antihypertensive and Antioxidant Between Aqueous Extract of Purple Sweet Potato Tuber and Captopril in Hypertensive Patients

Hypertension is a cardiovascular disease that accompanied by oxidative stress. Treatment of hypertension with conventional drugs such as captopril could be expected to cope  oxidative stress, but often cause side effects such as cough. It is necessary to find an alternative medicine instead of captopril, which has  antihypertensive and antioxidant activities. Purple sweet potato tubers  has been studied as an antioxidant in vivo, and has shown to decrease blood pressure in hypertensive rats. The purpose of this study was to compare the aqueous extract of purple sweet potato and captopril in relation with  theire effects  on blood pressure and oxidative stress in hypertensive patients. This research was limited clinical trials with randomized pre - test and post- test control group design, with a population of hypertensive patients. A total of 30 hypertensive patients were included in this study and they were divided into three groups  of  10 patients each. The control group was given captopril only, treatment-1 group was given a purple sweet potato aqueous  extract only, and treatment-2 were given a combination of captopril and purple sweet potato extract. This treatment was carried out for four weeks. The results showed that all treatments significantly (p<0.05)  decreased the blood pressure  and blood MDA levels. However a significant (p<0.05) increase in SOD was resulted from the group given aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber, while in the group given captopril, an increase in SOD was not significant ( p > 0.05 ). The conclusion from this study is that the aqueous extract of purple sweet potato obviously decreased the blood pressure and blood MDA levels that comparable to captopril, and a better ability to increase blood SOD levels in hypertensive patients. Keywords: Purple sweet potato, captopril, antioxidant, hypertensive patient

Antioxidant activity of apis mellifera sp. propolis extract from Java (Indonesia)

Propolis was one of natural antioxidant source in the flavonoid and phenolic acid form. The propolis antioxidant potential was influenced by the plant factors that grow in geographic area wherein the bees alive. The propolis biological effect was known and have been used since antiquity. This research was intended to investigate the propolis antioxidant potential originating from Java (Indonesia). The method that was used to test its antioxidant character with the total of flavonoid activity test and the total of phenol. The strength for its antioxidant was measured by DPPH IC50 test. The result was obtained that propolis antioxidant potential from Java has a very strong potency with DPPH 35,6 µg/ml. The conclusion was Apis Mellifera sp propolis from Java has a high potential to be developed. The high drug activity and propolis therapeutic effectiveness were expected to giving a positive value and contribution to dentistry practice

Potential use of glucosamine, chondroitine, chitosan and phytoestrogen for patients with osteoarthritis

The burden of musculoskeletal disease has increased significantly to become the second leading cause of YLD (years of life with disability). Osteoarthritis (OA) therapy that is often given is ibuprofen (NSAID) often give side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a literature review to explore evidence of how much potential these materials have for treating OA. The literature review was conducted on four databases, e.g., Pubmed, Scopus, Science direct, Clinical Key. We used several keywords to find each topic of discussion. Topic 1, benefits of glucosamine chondroitine; topic 2, benefits of chitosan; topic 3, benefits of phytoestrogens. Data from included studies were then extracted. Obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. Glucosamine-chondroitin had a significant effect in reducing pain, reducing inflammation, reducing the rate of joint space narrowing and helping to improve joint function in OA patients with long-term use. Furthermore, the potential of chitosan can help bone remodeling, reduce pain, and inflammation. Besides, phytoestrogens also have the potential to increase bone mineral density, reducing the rate of bone turnover and reduce the occurrence of obesity through its anti-cholesterol effects. The complexity of the mechanism of action given, ranging from preventing the biggest risk factor, namely obesity; treating the main causes such as inflammation and cartilage damage; and also to treating the symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness. In the future, it is necessary to conduct clinical trials study using the ingredients glucosamine, chondroitin, chitosan and phytoestrogens to treat patients with OA

AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PURPLE SWEET POTATO INCREASED SOD-2, AND SOD-3 EXPRESSION ON HUMAN UMBILICAL VEIN ENDOTHELIAL CELLS IN VITRO

Oxidative stress is thought to be one of the causes of impaired function of vascular endothelial cells, causing a variety of cardiovascular disorders. Studies in various animal experiments proved the aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber has antioxidant potential, through the mechanism of enhancement of endogenous antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), that protects endothelial cells from oxidative stress. Effect of aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber in  increasing SOD has not been proven in human vascular endothelial cells. This study aims to prove whether aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber may increase the expression of SOD-2 and SOD-3 in human vascular endothelium. This research was an experimental study on umbilical vein endothelial cells experiencing oxidative stress created by administering H2O2 in vitro, and protected with aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber at various concentrations. Observation of the SOD-2 and SOD-3 on endothelial cells was done by using immunohystochemestry with monoclonal antibodies. The results showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase  in SOD-2 and SOD-3 on endothelial protected with   aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber at concentration of 1.5625- 3.125 µg/ml for SOD-2 and at concentration of 1.5625- 25µg/ml for SOD-3. From these results it can be concluded that the aqueous extract of purple sweet potato tuber could protect endothelial cells from oxidative stress through increasing  expression of SOD-2 and SOD-3. Keywords: Aqueous  extract of purple sweet potato, SOD, HUVEC

Comparison of Antibacterial Activity of Sambiloto (Andrographis paniculata) Ethanol and Water Stem Extract Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) ATCC 3351 In Vitro

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is penicillin and cephalosporine resistant Staphylococcus aureus which is a major cause of nosocomial infection. Various studies have been conducted for resistant cases, especially herbs which have antibacterial activity. Sambiloto (Andrographis paniculata) is an example of herb which has antibacterial activity due to the presence of andrographolide. Andrographolide soluble in ethanol and poorly in water, while extraction with alcohol causes andrographolide’s degradation. This study aimed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of ethanol and water stem extract and compare them against MRSA ATCC 3351 in vitro.Methods: This is an experimental study with a post-test only control group design and conducted by disc diffusion technique to obtain an inhibition zone against MRSA.Result: The result of this study showed the mean inhibitory zone of ethanol stem extract was 5,87mm, 6,77mm, 7,87mm respectively for 25%, 50%, and 100% concentrations, while 1% concentration did not show antibacterial activity. Water stem extract at 1%, 25%, 50%, and 100% concentrations showed mean inhibitory zone was at 4,57mm, 7,17mm, 8,67mm, and 9,67mm respectively.Conclusion: Ethanol and water stem extract showed antibacterial activity against MRSA. The independent sample t-test didn’t show a difference between ethanol and water stem extract of Andrographis paniculata toward MRSA (p>0,05)