Selenium alone or in combination with lycopene modifies liver metabolizing enzymes against galactosamine – A time bound study

Background: Hepatitis is one of the major public health problems worldwide. This study was designed to evaluate the potential hepatoprotective effects of lycopene (Lyco) and selenium (Se) against  galactosamine (Gala) induced hepatitis in rats.Materials and Methods: Seventy five (75) male albino rats were grouped into five of fifteen rats each. GP 1: Control. Animals in Groups (II-V) were injected i.p with Gala (300 mg/kg b.w daily) for 5 days. GP III: Rats were orally pretreated with Lyco (15 mg/kg b.w). GP IV: rats were pretreated orally sodium selenite (0.1 mg/kg b.w) by gavages. GP V: Rats treated with both Lyco and Se. The treatment was continuous for 30 days.Results: The levels of serum inflammatory markers interleukine-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor TNF- α, nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdhyde (MDA) were markedly elevated in rats injected with Gala compared with control group. Administration of Lyco combined with Se reversed these effects and significantly reduced the levels of these markers (p<0.001) compared with Gala. In addition, combined treatment resulted in a significant improvement in antioxidant activities as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase compared with untreated. Non-significant changes were recorded in the activities of  UDP-glucuronyltransferase and sulphotransferase in rats injected with Gala but the activity of glutathione Stransferase was significantly elevated (p<0.001).Conclusion: The combined effect of Lyco + Se showed a significant hepatoprotective action against Gala induced hepatitis in rats through inhibition of release of inflammatory mediators and enhancement of antioxidant capacity.Key words: Galactosamine- Lycopene- selenium- hepatitis- rats

POTENTIAL ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY OF CURCUMIN WITH RETINYLESTER MICRO-CAPSULED FORMULA

Background: The Bioavailabilty, efficacy and disease resistance of chemotherapy are the limitations of cancer treatment. This study was designed to formulate a microcapsules containing curcumin and retinylester as core material and tested the anti-cancer activity against different cancer cell lines. Materials and methods: This study involved the design and formulation of microcapsules containing curcumin and retinylester as (core materials) embedded in dextrin/gelatin as wall materials. It was examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR and tested against HeLa and HepG2 cancer cell lines. Results: Analysis of microcapsule by FTIR showed the characteristic band (2000cm-1~ 3800cm-1) that is indicated mainly from OH-, – CH3 and double bond. These bond stretching showed spectral bands peak 2975cm-1and 2670cm-1, 2836cm-1 respectively. The anticancer activity of these microcapsules on HeLA and HepG2 showed inhibition percent 87% and 85% respectively and non-toxic effect on normal cells. Conclusion: Micro capsulated form of curcumin-retinylester showed an efficient medicinal mixture displayed a significant effect to HeLa and HepG2 cells which is very promising effective in the treatment of cancer

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of antimicrobial and antioxidant potential of stevia extract

Background: The current trend globally is the utilization of natural products as therapeutic agents given its minimum side effects. The leaves of Stevia contain several active ingredient compounds such as rebaudioside. Stevia extract have been used for many purposes. Active oxygen radicals can induce base modifications, DNA breakage, and intracellular protein crosslink's. This study was done to evaluate the potential of stevia extract as antibacterial and antioxidants actions.Materials and methods: Antibacterial activity of different extracts of stevia was tested in vitro against different species of bacteria and hepato-protective efficacy was testes in rats injected with CCl4 as hepatotoxic.Results: Acetone extract exhibited antibacterial activity against selected five bacteria species. The acetone extract suppressed the elevation of serum ALT (p <0.05) and AST (p <0.001) activities induced by CCl4. Animals given stevia extract showed prevention against deleterious effects of CCl4 by lowering lipid peroxidation and enhancement of antioxidant activities as SOD and CAT. The protection trial is better than treatment trial. Total phenolic content of aqueous and acetone extracts were found 30 mg and 85 mg gallic /gm extract respectively. While the total flavonoids were 40 mg and 80 mg quercetin/g respectively. The GC-MS analysis showed that monoterpene and indole are the main components. Aqueous extract don’t show any antibacterial activity against the tested strains. The antioxidant properties were attributable to its phenolic content to scavenge free radicals.Conclusion: Acetone extract possess a potent antimicrobial and activity against deleterious effect of CCl4-caused liver damage.Keywords: antibacterial, antioxidant enzymes, hepatic damage, stevi

SELENIUM ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH LYCOPENE MODIFIES LIVER METABOLIZING ENZYMES AGAINST GALACTOSAMINE – A TIME BOUND STUDY

Background: Hepatitis is one of the major public health problems worldwide. This study was designed to evaluate the potential hepatoprotective effects of lycopene (Lyco) and selenium (Se) against galactosamine (Gala) induced hepatitis in rats. Materials and Methods: Seventy five (75) male albino rats were grouped into five of fifteen rats each. GP 1: Control. Animals in Groups (II-V) were injected i.p with Gala (300 mg/kg b.w daily) for 5 days. GP III: Rats were orally pretreated with Lyco (15 mg/kg b.w). GP IV: rats were pretreated orally sodium selenite (0.1 mg/kg b.w) by gavages. GP V: Rats treated with both Lyco and Se. The treatment was continuous for 30 days. Results: The levels of serum inflammatory markers interleukine-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor TNF- α, nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdhyde (MDA) were markedly elevated in rats injected with Gala compared with control group. Administration of Lyco combined with Se reversed these effects and significantly reduced the levels of these markers (

IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF STEVIA EXTRACT.

Background: The current trend globally is the utilization of natural products as therapeutic agents given its minimum side effects. The leaves of Stevia contain several active ingredient compounds such as rebaudioside. Stevia extract have been used for many purposes. Active oxygen radicals can induce base modifications, DNA breakage, and intracellular protein crosslink's. This study was done to evaluate the potential of stevia extract as antibacterial and antioxidants actions. Materials and methods: Antibacterial activity of different extracts of stevia was tested in vitro against different species of bacteria and hepato-protective efficacy was testes in rats injected with CCl4 as hepatotoxic. Results: Acetone extract exhibited antibacterial activity against selected five bacteria species. The acetone extract suppressed the elevation of serum ALT (

Prevalence of Muscle Dysmorphia and Associated Health Activities in Male Medical Students in Karachi, Pakistan

Background: Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) is a subtype of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and is currently classified under anxiety disorders (subheading: Obsessive-compulsive disorder) in DSM 5. MD is hypothesized to affect the self-esteem and social outlook of the younger generation. MD shows a higher rate in males and may influence their self-confidence rendering them more prone towards using steroids, supplementary proteins and other drugs to alter their physical outlooks as shown in previous studies. This problem has been on the rise lately due to revolutionary advancement in the media and film industry and the abrupt changes about the standards of physical good looks and body shapes. With the lack of studies done in our population, our study will be helpful to consider the prevalence of the disease in our setting and increase awareness in the general public and clinicians. We hope to help clinicians/ therapists find better options in managing the disease. Materials: We performed a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 246 medical school students in Karachi to collect data through self-administered questionnaires. We used the DSM 5 criteria for the diagnosis of BDD and additional questions on the presence of MD. Nutritional habits, exercise routines, use of supplements and drugs were also obtained for exploratory analysis. Results: Our study predicted the prevalence of MD to be 25%. Other main findings included statistical significant associations between MD and the thoughts and practice of steroid use for muscularity. Conclusion: MD is an underdiagnosed and often unrecognized disease that we believe has significant consequences for the young male population. Further work is needed on this in our part of the world. Our research, we believe, can be a stepping stone for further studies that would incorporate wider populations

Effect of a multicomponent intervention on antihypertensive medication intensification in rural South Asia: post-hoc analysis of a cluster RCT

BACKGROUND: Inadequate treatment of hypertension is a widespread problem, especially in South Asian countries where cardiovascular disease mortality rates are high. We aimed to explore the effect of a multicomponent intervention (MCI) on antihypertensive medication intensification among rural South Asians with hypertension. METHODS: A post-hoc analysis of a two-year cluster-randomized controlled trial including 2645 hypertensives aged≥ 40 years from 30 rural communities, 10 each, in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Independent assessors collected information on participants' self-reports and physical inspection of medications. The main outcomes were the changes from baseline to 24 months in the following: 1) the therapeutic intensity score (TIS) for all (and class specific) antihypertensive medications; 2) the number of antihypertensive medications in all trial participants. RESULTS: At 24 months, the mean increase in the TIS score of all antihypertensive medications was 0.11 in the MCI group and 0.03 in the control group, with a between-group difference in the increase of 0.08 (95% CI (0.03, 0.12); P=0.002). In MCI compared to controls, a greater increase in the TIS of renin angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers (0.05; 95% CI (0.02, 0.07); P<0.001) and calcium channel blockers (0.03; 95% CI (0.00, 0.05);p=0.031) , and in the number of antihypertensive medications (0.11, 95% CI (0.02, 0.19);P=0.016) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, MCI led to a greater increase in antihypertensive medication intensification compared to the usual care among adults with hypertension. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02657746

Duplex PCR assay for the detection of avian adeno virus and chicken anemia virus prevalent in Pakistan

Avian Adeno viruses and Chicken Anemia Viruses cause serious economic losses to the poultry industry of Pakistan each year. Timely and efficient diagnosis of the viruses is needed in order to practice prevention and control strategies. In the first part of this study, we investigated broilers, breeder and Layer stocks for morbidity and mortality rates due to AAV and CAV infections and any co-infections by examining signs and symptoms typical of their infestation or post mortem examination. In the second part of the study, we developed a duplex PCR assay for the detection of AAV and CAV which is capable to simultaneously detect both the viral types prevalent in Pakistan with high sensitivity and 100% specificity

Budget impact and cost-effectiveness analyses of the COBRA-BPS multicomponent hypertension management programme in rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka

Background: COBRA-BPS (Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), a multi-component hypertension management programme that is led by community health workers, has been shown to be efficacious at reducing systolic blood pressure in rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In this study, we aimed to assess the budget required to scale up the programme and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios.Methods: In a cluster-randomised trial of COBRA-BPS, individuals aged 40 years or older with hypertension who lived in 30 rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were deemed eligible for inclusion. Costs were quantified prospectively at baseline and during 2 years of the trial. All costs, including labour, rental, materials and supplies, and contracted services were recorded, stratified by programme activity. Incremental costs of scaling up COBRA-BPS to all eligible adults in areas covered by community health workers were estimated from the health ministry (public payer) perspective.Findings: Between April 1, 2016, and Feb 28, 2017, 11 510 individuals were screened and 2645 were enrolled and included in the study. Participants were examined between May 8, 2016, and March 31, 2019. The first-year per-participant costs for COBRA-BPS were US$10·65 for Bangladesh,$10·25 for Pakistan, and $6·42 for Sri Lanka. Per-capita costs were$0·63 for Bangladesh, $0·29 for Pakistan, and$1·03 for Sri Lanka. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were $3430 for Bangladesh,$2270 for Pakistan, and $4080 for Sri Lanka, per cardiovascular disability-adjusted life year averted, which showed COBRA-BPS to be cost-effective in all three countries relative to the WHO-CHOICE threshold of three times gross domestic product per capita in each country. Using this threshold, the cost-effectiveness acceptability curves predicted that the probability of COBRA-BPS being cost-effective is 79·3% in Bangladesh, 85·2% in Pakistan, and 99·8% in Sri Lanka.Interpretation: The low cost of scale-up and the cost-effectiveness of COBRA-BPS suggest that this programme is a viable strategy for responding to the growing cardiovascular disease epidemic in rural communities in low-income and middle-income countries where community health workers are present, and that it should qualify as a priority intervention across rural settings in south Asia and in other countries with similar demographics and health systems to those examined in this study.Funding: The UK Department of Health and Social Care, the UK Department for International Development, the Global Challenges Research Fund, the UK Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust

POSSIBLE CARDIOPROTECTIVE ACTION OF POMEGRANATE JUICE PUNICA GRANATUM AND PROPOLIS AGAINST MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION INDUCED IN RATS.

Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective role of pomegranate juice alone or in combination with propolis extract against isoproterenol (ISO) induced myocardial infarction in rats. Material and Methods: Male Wister albino rats (n=60) weighing 220-280 g were divided into six groups each group contain ten rats; group I: negative control fed standard diet. Group (II-VI): Rats were injected subcutaneously with isoproterenol (150 mg/kg) for 3 days. Group III: Rats were given pomegranate juice 1ml /rat / day. Group IV: Rats were given propolis extract (50 mg/kg BW). Group V: Rats were given pomegranate juice + propolis extract. Group VI: Rats were given glyceronitrate (2.6mg/kg.bw/day). Results: The ISO-induced myocardial infarction in untreated rats has indicated by significant (p < 0.001) elevation of cardiac marker enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), and cardiac troponin I (CnI ) when compared with control group. Rats treated with pomegranate juice and propolis extracts showed highly significant (