A novel approach for laparoscopic retrieval of dermoid cyst

A dermoid cyst is a germ cell tumour, benign in nature and common in young women under the age of 30. They are usually asymptomatic and often detected incidentally on imaging. Resection of the cyst is important owing to complications like torsion or malignancy. Laparoscopic surgery is the modality of choice in today’s era. However, rupture of the cyst during laparoscopic retrieval is any surgeon’s nightmare. Hence, good surgical skill and a reliable method of retrieval are of prime importance here. Authors present a novel method of dermoid extraction done laparoscopically with a sterile urine collection (urobag) bag. This is an easy and simple method which decreases the rate of spillage owing to the strength of the bag

Footprint lesion: a mirror image of an endometrial polyp

Endometrial polyps may present with a variety of symptomatology. They are mostly benign and commonly encountered in the reproductive age group. Hysteroscopy is an emerging tool for diagnostic as well as a therapeutic purposes. We report a case of endometrial polyp diagnosed on hysteroscopy, with a “footprint”, that is contact lesion visible. This is a relatively rare phenomenon, and there is sparse information and literature regarding this entity. Hence the true nature of its effects is yet unknown

Endoscopy in the management of a rudimentary non-communicating functional horn

Mullerian anomalies are developmental malformations of the female reproductive tract, often diagnosed late. They are classified into numerous types like a septate uterus, bicornuate or unicornuate uterus etc. A rudimentary non-communicating functional horn is a rare variant of a unicornuate uterus. It may present with a wide spectrum of symptoms like severe dysmenorrhea, infertility, lump in abdomen or rarely maybe diagnosed with a ruptured ectopic in the horn. The diagnosis of this entity is a difficult and challenging. Authors present a case of a young adolescent diagnosed with this Mullerian anomaly, the role of hysteroscopy in confirmation of diagnosis and the management of the patient by laparoscopy successfully. The patient was completely relieved of her symptoms post-surgery

IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL INHIBITORS FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL LEVEL BY INHIBITING PCSK9

ABSTRACTObjective: PCSK9 has medical significance in lowering cholesterol levels. Inhibitors target and inactivate PCSK9 in the liver. Knocking out PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9) reduces the amount of harmful LDL cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream. There are two known inhibitors for treating the cardiovascular disease Arilocumab†and Evalocumabâ€. However there are many side-effects. The current study is to identify natural and synthetic inhibitor using the pharmacophoric feature of the known inhibitor and validating the short listed candidates using Molecular dynamics and ADMET properties.Methods: Known inhibitors for the PCSK9 Protein were taken from the BINDING DATABASE. Molecular docking was performed for the known inhibitors with the PCSK9 protein. After docking the best inhibitor was selected and the docking result was then imported to find the pharmacophoric features.Results: The pharmacophore model was generated with 3 features containing  1 hydrogen bond acceptor(A),1 Hydrogen bond donor(B) and 1 Aromatic ring. The constructed e-pharmacophore model was screened with more than 20000 natural compounds. 5 compounds were short listed. Among them ZINC85625485 has  glide  score  of  -13.03  kcal/mol  with  glide  energy  was  -57.62 kcal/mol and ZINC85625406 has glide score of -8.1kcal/mol with glide energy was -39.33kcal/mol were taken as the best Hits.Conclusion: PCSK9 is known to be a therapeutic agent as it controls the plasma LDL cholesterol levels by posttranslational regulation of the LDL receptor. Therefore, up-regulation of PCSk9 can lead to elevated cholesterol level in such case inhibition of PCSK9 will be a effective remedy. In this study already known inhibitors were taken and pharmacophore feature was generated. Zinc database was screened to find out novel compounds with similar pharmacophore features that can act as potentially active compound against PCSK9. ZINC85625485 and ZINC85625406 were short listed as lead compounds with Molecular dynamics simulation and checking the ADMET properties. Keywords: PCSK9, Docking, ADMET, Molecular Dynamics.                                                            Â

Evidence of co-infection of chikungunya and densonucleosis viruses in C6/36 cell lines and laboratory infected Aedes aegypti (L.) mosquitoes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Densonucleosis viruses are the etiological agents of insect's disease. We have reported the isolation of densovirus from India and its distribution among the natural populations of <it>Aedes aegypti </it>mosquitoes across the country. Since densonucleosis virus persistently infects mosquito populations, and is demonstrated to negatively affect multiplication of dengue virus in <it>Aedes albopictus</it>, it would be interesting to study if this virus has a role in determining the susceptibility of the vector mosquito <it>Ae. aegypti </it>to chikugunya virus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mosquito cell lines and adult <it>Ae. aegypti </it>mosquitoes infected with densovirus were superinfected with Chikungunya virus and both the viruses were quantitated by determining their genomic copy number by real time amplification. Comparison was made between the log of genomic copy numbers of the viruses in the presence and absence of each other.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The log of copy number of the viruses did not vary due to co-infection. Even though the RNA copy number of chikungunya virus increased over the period of time, no change was observed in the RNA copy number between the control and the co-infected group on any given day. Similarly, DNA copy number of densovirus also remained unchanged between the control and the co-infected groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Chikungunya virus neither stimulates the replication of densovirus nor is its own replication suppressed due to co-infection. <it>Ae. aegypti </it>mosquitoes with densovirus infection were as susceptible to infection by chikungunya virus as the uninfected mosquitoes.</p

Recent Ancestry of Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus

Clinicians in Asia should consider this disease when diagnosing acute febrile illnesses

The Aedes aegypti Toll Pathway Controls Dengue Virus Infection

Aedes aegypti, the mosquito vector of dengue viruses, utilizes its innate immune system to ward off a variety of pathogens, some of which can cause disease in humans. To date, the features of insects' innate immune defenses against viruses have mainly been studied in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, which appears to utilize different immune pathways against different types of viruses, in addition to an RNA interference–based defense system. We have used the recently released whole-genome sequence of the Ae. aegypti mosquito, in combination with high-throughput gene expression and RNA interference (RNAi)-based reverse genetic analyses, to characterize its response to dengue virus infection in different body compartments. We have further addressed the impact of the mosquito's endogenous microbial flora on virus infection. Our findings indicate a significant role for the Toll pathway in regulating resistance to dengue virus, as indicated by an infection-responsive regulation and functional assessment of several Toll pathway–associated genes. We have also shown that the mosquito's natural microbiota play a role in modulating the dengue virus infection, possibly through basal-level stimulation of the Toll immune pathway

Absence of knockdown resistance suggests metabolic resistance in the main malaria vectors of the Mekong region

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As insecticide resistance may jeopardize the successful malaria control programmes in the Mekong region, a large investigation was previously conducted in the Mekong countries to assess the susceptibility of the main malaria vectors against DDT and pyrethroid insecticides. It showed that the main vector, <it>Anopheles epiroticus</it>, was highly pyrethroid-resistant in the Mekong delta, whereas <it>Anopheles minimus sensu lato </it>was pyrethroid-resistant in northern Vietnam. <it>Anopheles dirus sensu stricto </it>showed possible resistance to type II pyrethroids in central Vietnam. <it>Anopheles subpictus </it>was DDT- and pyrethroid-resistant in the Mekong Delta. The present study intends to explore the resistance mechanisms involved.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>By use of molecular assays and biochemical assays the presence of the two major insecticide resistance mechanisms, knockdown and metabolic resistance, were assessed in the main malaria vectors of the Mekong region.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two FRET/MCA assays and one PCR-RFLP were developed to screen a large number of <it>Anopheles </it>populations from the Mekong region for the presence of knockdown resistance (<it>kdr</it>), but no <it>kdr </it>mutation was observed in any of the study species. Biochemical assays suggest an esterase mediated pyrethroid detoxification in <it>An. epiroticus </it>and <it>An. subpictus </it>of the Mekong delta. The DDT resistance in <it>An. subpictus </it>might be conferred to a high GST activity. The pyrethroid resistance in <it>An. minimus s.l</it>. is possibly associated with increased detoxification by esterases and P450 monooxygenases.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>As different metabolic enzyme systems might be responsible for the pyrethroid and DDT resistance in the main vectors, each species may have a different response to alternative insecticides, which might complicate the malaria vector control in the Mekong region.</p