Association of PPARα Intron 7 Polymorphism with Coronary Artery Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

The allelic variants of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) can influence the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) by virtue of its effect on lipid metabolism. However, the role of PPARα intronic polymorphism with CAD has received little attention. The association of allelic variants G/C at intron 7 of the PPAR-alpha gene with CAD was examined in a hospital-based Indian population. PPAR genotyping was performed in 110 male patients with CAD and 120 age and ethnically matched healthy males by PCR amplification of the gene followed by restriction digestion. Presence of C allele showed a positive association with CAD (OR = 2.9; 95% CI [1.65–4.145]; P = .009) and also with dyslipidaemia (OR = 2.95, 95% CI (1.5–4.39); P < .05). Impaired lipid metabolism in carriers of the PPARα Intron 7C allele is possibly responsible for the predilection to CAD

Isolation of ckit-positive cardiosphere-forming cells from human atrial biopsy

There is increasing interest in developing cell-based therapies to regenerate functional muscle and blood vessels in infarcted dysfunctional myocardium, using stem cells resident in the adult heart. The objective of our study was to identify an easy and cost-effective method for the isolation and expansion of human adult cardiac-resident stem cells. The cells were isolated from right atrial biopsy samples obtained from patients with ischemic heart disease, who were undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Two different isolation methods, enzymatic and nonenzymatic, were employed. The cell yield and cluster formation were not significantly different with either of the techniques used for cell isolation. The nonenzymatic method is recommended because of its simplicity and lower cost compared to the enzymatic method

Experiences of people with dementia and their caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic in India: a mixed-methods study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has unprecedented consequences for the management of chronic diseases such as dementia. However, limited evidence exists on the condition of persons with dementia and their caregivers during the pandemic in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). The study aimed to provide insights into the experiences of persons with dementia and their families during the early phases of the pandemic in India. Methods This study adopted a mixed-method approach. One hundred and four persons with dementia and their caregivers were evaluated via telephone using validated instruments and a semi-structured interview guide. We used the quantitative data collected to establish a baseline, whereas qualitative data were analysed thematically. Results The study revealed that persons with dementia and their caregivers experienced difficulties during the pandemic, which included worsening of behaviour, problems in accessing care, disruptions in functional activities and struggles in enforcing infection prevention contributing to caregiver distress. An important finding that emerged was the unchanging reality of caregiving for families. The relative success of the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic contrasted with the lack of awareness and formal support for dementia. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of persons with dementia and their caregivers. This calls for a collaborative reframing of medical care and public health policies to address dementia care

Mitigation of quorum sensing mediated virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa: the role of Meldrum’s acid activated furan

The rapid emergence of drug resistant pathogens is a major threat which has warranted the development of alternative strategies to combat infectious diseases. In this work, we have tested the anti-virulent activity of Meldrum’s acid activated furan (MAF) and 1,3-dimethyl barbituric acid activated furan (BAF) against Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It was found that MAF significantly reduced the violacein production and biofilm formation of C. violaceum at sub-inhibitory concentrations. The quorum sensing (QS) regulated virulence factors of P. aeruginosa including biofilm formation, motility, pigment production, and elastase activity were also found to be reduced considerably at sub-inhibitory concentrations of MAF. Additionally, MAF downregulated the expression of genes in the QS circuitry of P. aeruginosa, demonstrating the potential of MAF in lowering the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa. In silico studies demonstrated the potential of MAF to compete with the signaling molecules of C. violaceum and P. aeruginosa for the QS receptor interaction. In vivo studies using Caenorhabditis elegans demonstrated the anti-pathogenicity of MAF by enhancing the survival of P. aeruginosa-infected C. elegans. These results suggest that activated furan compounds could be potential inhibitors of QS-mediated virulence factors in C. violaceum and P. aeruginosa, encouraging their use in combating multidrug-resistant pathogens

Accelerated decline in cardiac stem cell efficiency in Spontaneously hypertensive rat compared to normotensive Wistar rat - Fig 5

<p><b>Age associated variation in cardiovascular differentiation of CSCs from WST and SHR determined by Western blot analysis</b> Representative blots and graphical representation of the expression of <b>(a)</b> Cardiac troponin I and <b>(b)</b> smooth muscle actin (n = 3) Data presented as mean ± SD. Variation was analysed by two way ANOVA followed by Student t-test. (†† p<0.01 and † p<0.05 WST & SHR of different ages compared to respective 1 week old pups. Two way ANOVA p<0.001).</p

Age associated variation in ROS levels of CSCs of WST and SHR based on H2DCFDA fluorescence.

<p>Data presented as mean ± SD. (n = 3) Variation was analysed by two-way ANOVA followed by Student t-test. (**p<0.01 and * p<0.05 SHR Vs age matched WST; and †† p<0.01 WST & SHR of different ages compared to respective 1 week old pups. Two way ANOVA p<0.001).</p

Age associated variation in the proportion of c-kit⁺ CSCs in ventricular digests from SHR and Wistar rats.

<p>Graphical representation of data expressed as percentage of total cells. (n = 3). Data presented as mean ± SD. Variation was analysed by two way ANOVA followed by Student t-test. (** p<0.01 and * p<0.05 SHR Vs Age matched WST; †† p<0.01 and † p<0.05 WST & SHR of different ages compared to respective 1 week old pups. Two way ANOVA p<0.001).</p

Age associated variation in expression of TERT mRNA, telomerase activity and level of DNA damage in SHR and Wistar rat.

<p><b>(a)</b> Graphical representation of TERT mRNA levels expressed as fold change (n = 3) <b>(b)</b> Representative photograph of telomerase activity <b>(c)</b> Graphical representation of telomerase activity (n = 3) <b>(d)</b> Representative photograph of DNA damage as evaluated by Comet assay <b>(e)</b> Graphical representation of DNA damage represented as comet tail moment (n = 3) Data presented as mean ± SD. Variation was analysed by two way ANOVA followed by Student t-test. **p<0.01 SHR Vs age matched WST; †† p<0.01 and † p<0.05 WST & SHR of different ages compared to respective 1 week old pups. Two way ANOVA p<0.001).</p

Age associated variation in growth characteristics of CSCs cultured from SHR and Wistar rats.

<p><b>(a)</b> Colony Forming Units representing number of colonies formed (n = 3) <b>(b)</b> Growth kinetics of 18-month old rats represented as cell number*10⁴ (n = 3) <b>(c)</b> Growth rate was calculated as LogN of the ratio of cell number at two fixed time points (n = 3) <b>(d)</b> Population doubling time (PDT) represented as number of days (n = 3) Data presented as mean ± SD. Variation was analysed by two way ANOVA followed by Student t-test. (** p<0.01 SHR Vs Age matched WST; †† p<0.01 and † p<0.05 WST & SHR of different ages compared to respective 1 week old pups. Two way ANOVA p<0.001).</p