HUMAN SECRETORY PHOSPHOLIPASE A2 (sPLA2) INHIBITION BY AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF MACROTYLOMA UNIFLORUM (SEED) AS AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY

Objective: Macrotyloma uniflorum (Horse gram) is an important legume widely consumed in the tropical south Asian countries including India. The present investigation is the elucidation of anti-inflammatory activity of M. uniflorum as it has several medicinal properties. The M. uniflorum was evaluated for inhibition of human secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) as a function of anti-inflammatory activity.Methods: The total phenols, antioxidant (DPPH scavenging), Anti-lipid peroxidation, PLA2 inhibition and lipoxygenase (5 & 15-LOX) inhibition activity of aqueous extracts of M. uniflorum coat and pulp were assayed by in vitro method. The aqueous extract of M. uniflorum seed coat was subjected to inhibit PLA2 enzymes from human inflammatory fluids (Human Synovial Fluid and Human Pleural Fluid) and snake venoms (Naja naja and Vipera russllii) using [14]C labeled E. coli by in vivo method. A further effect of substrate and calcium concentration on inhibition of VRV-PLA2 in presence and absence of M. uniflorum coat extract were assayed.Results: Aqueous coat extract of M. uniflorum shows higher phenolics and biological activity and inhibited all sPLA2 enzymes in concentration dependent manner. The IC50 values are found to be in the range of 11.42-20.88μg and IC50 values for 5-LOX and 15-LOX is 25.92μg and 32.47μg respectively. The extract effectively neutralized indirect hemolytic activity and showed similar potency in neutralizing the in vivo sPLA2 induced mouse paw edema.Conclusion: These findings suggest that, the active compound/s in extracts of M. uniflorum individually or synergistically responsible for observed sPLA2 inhibition.Â

Morphology, biology, and distribution of Ichthyophis kodaguensis (Amphibia:Gymnophiona), a rare caecilian from the Western Ghats, India

Of the amphibian orders, the Gymnophiona (caecilians) have the lowest number of species and are the least known. We report new information on the morphology, biology, range, and distribution of Ichthyophis kodaguensis, a striped ichthyophiid caecilian from the Western Ghats, India that shows the first evidence of possible sexual-dimorphism in this species. Based on the clutch size, limited range, relatively low fecundity, and agricultural practices in their habitats, we consider that I. kodaguensis is highly threatened when compared to other striped ichthyophiids from the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot.

Haplogroup heterogeneity of LHON patients carrying the m.14484T>C mutation in India

Purpose: To investigate the clinical and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup background of Indian Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) patients carrying the m.14484T>C mutation. Methods: Detailed clinical investigation and complete mtDNA sequencing analysis was carried out for eight Indian LHON families with the m.14484T>C mutation. Haplogroup was constructed based on the evolutionarily important mtDNA variants. Results: In the present study, we characterized eight unrelated probands selected from 187 LHON cases. The overall penetrance of the disease was estimated to be 19.75% (16/81) in eight pedigrees with the m.14484T>C mutation and showed substantially higher sex bias (male:female = 13:3). The mtDNA haplogrouping revealed that they belong to diverse haplogroups; i.e. F1c1, M31a, U2a, M*, I1, M6, M3a1 and R30a. Interestingly, we did not find an association of the m.14484T>C mutation with any specific haplogroup within the Indian population. We also did not find any secondary mutation(s) in these pedigrees, which might affect the clinical expression of LHON. Conclusions: Contrary to earlier reports showing preferential association of the m.14484T>C mutation with western Eurasian haplogroup J and increased clinical penetrance when present in J1 subhaplogroup background, the present study shows that m.14484T>C arose independently in a different mtDNA haplogroup and ethnic background in India, which may influence the clinical expression of the disease

Mouse Adapted SARS-CoV-2 (MA10) Viral Infection Induces Neuroinflammation in Standard Laboratory Mice

Increasing evidence suggests that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection impacts neurological function both acutely and chronically, even in the absence of pronounced respiratory distress. Developing clinically relevant laboratory mouse models of the neuropathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is an important step toward elucidating the underlying mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-induced neurological dysfunction. Although various transgenic models and viral delivery methods have been used to study the infection potential of SARS-CoV-2 in mice, the use of commonly available laboratory mice would facilitate the study of SARS-CoV-2 neuropathology. Herein we show neuroinflammatory profiles of immunologically intact mice, C57BL/6J and BALB/c, as well as immunodeficient (Rag2−/−) mice, to a mouse-adapted strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2 (MA10)). Our findings indicate that brain IL-6 levels are significantly higher in BALB/c male mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 MA10. Additionally, blood-brain barrier integrity, as measured by the vascular tight junction protein claudin-5, was reduced by SARS-CoV-2 MA10 infection in all three strains. Brain glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) mRNA was also elevated in male C57BL/6J infected mice compared with the mock group. Lastly, immune-vascular effects of SARS-CoV-2 (MA10), as measured by H&E scores, demonstrate an increase in perivascular lymphocyte cuffing (PLC) at 30 days post-infection among infected female BALB/c mice with a significant increase in PLC over time only in SARS-CoV-2 MA10) infected mice. Our study is the first to demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 (MA10) infection induces neuroinflammation in laboratory mice and could be used as a novel model to study SARS-CoV-2-mediated cerebrovascular pathology

Neuromuscular disease genetics in under-represented populations: increasing data diversity

\ua9 The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. Neuromuscular diseases (NMDs) affect ∼15 million people globally. In high income settings DNA-based diagnosis has transformed care pathways and led to gene-specific therapies. However, most affected families are in low-to-middle income countries (LMICs) with limited access to DNA-based diagnosis. Most (86%) published genetic data is derived from European ancestry. This marked genetic data inequality hampers understanding of genetic diversity and hinders accurate genetic diagnosis in all income settings. We developed a cloud-based transcontinental partnership to build diverse, deeply-phenotyped and genetically characterized cohorts to improve genetic architecture knowledge, and potentially advance diagnosis and clinical management. We connected 18 centres in Brazil, India, South Africa, Turkey, Zambia, Netherlands and the UK. We co-developed a cloud-based data solution and trained 17 international neurology fellows in clinical genomic data interpretation. Single gene and whole exome data were analysed via a bespoke bioinformatics pipeline and reviewed alongside clinical and phenotypic data in global webinars to inform genetic outcome decisions. We recruited 6001 participants in the first 43 months. Initial genetic analyses \u27solved\u27 or \u27possibly solved\u27 ∼56% probands overall. In-depth genetic data review of the four commonest clinical categories (limb girdle muscular dystrophy, inherited peripheral neuropathies, congenital myopathy/muscular dystrophies and Duchenne/Becker muscular dystrophy) delivered a ∼59% \u27solved\u27 and ∼13% \u27possibly solved\u27 outcome. Almost 29% of disease causing variants were novel, increasing diverse pathogenic variant knowledge. Unsolved participants represent a new discovery cohort. The dataset provides a large resource from under-represented populations for genetic and translational research. In conclusion, we established a remote transcontinental partnership to assess genetic architecture of NMDs across diverse populations. It supported DNA-based diagnosis, potentially enabling genetic counselling, care pathways and eligibility for gene-specific trials. Similar virtual partnerships could be adopted by other areas of global genomic neurological practice to reduce genetic data inequality and benefit patients globally

Deep HybridNet with hybrid optimization for enhanced medicinal plant identification and classification

Herbal leaves, known for their efficacy in treating a range of infectious diseases including cancer, asthma, and heart conditions, are still widely used by medical professionals. Traditionally, villagers have identified these plants visually, but given the similarity in appearance among various species, this method is prone to human error. Accurate identification of these plant species is critical for effective treatment. Hence, the development of an intelligent plant classification system is crucial to reduce the risk of misidentification and enhance treatment accuracy. This paper introduces the deep HybridNet with hybrid optimization module (DeepHybrid-OptNet) a novel deep learning framework for medicinal plant identification and classification. Merging convolutional and recurrent neural network architectures, deep HybridNet excels in extracting complex botanical features through channel-wise feature extraction modules in convolutional neural network (CNN) and feedback loop in recurrent neural network (RNN). The incorporation of a DeepHybrid-OptNet module enhances the model's learning efficiency and accuracy. Empirical results on the Mendley and folio dataset demonstrate the framework's superiority over existing methods in accuracy, precision, and recall making it a valuable asset for botany and herbal medicine research

A serial echocardiographic study of myocardial abscess in a patient surviving staphylococcal septicemia

2D echocardiography was performed on a 4-year-old child suffering from right thigh abscess due to MRSA infection following diagnosis of pericardial effusion by USG abdomen. It revealed myocardial abscess and pericardial effusion. This child underwent series of 2D echocardiographic studies which showed image appearance of myocardial abscess with its time course of healing

Conjunctival inclusion cysts following small incision cataract surgery

The occurrence of acquired conjunctival inclusion cysts following various ophthalmic surgeries such as strabismus surgery, scleral buckling, pars plana vitrectomy, ptosis surgery and phacoemulsification has been reported. We report two cases of conjunctival inclusion cysts following manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (SICS) in two male patients aged 65 and 67 years. The cysts originated from the scleral tunnel used for manual SICS. Both were treated by excision and confirmed histopathologically. No recurrence was noted at three months follow-up. To our knowledge, conjunctival inclusion cysts following SICS have not been reported previously. Careful reflection of conjunctiva during tunnel construction and posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation may prevent their occurrence