Assessment of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Levels in Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension Patients

Objective. The objective of the study was to assess the serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in peripheral blood of patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and find association between serum VEGF levels and PIH. Methods. Thirtyfive PIH subjects, 35 normal pregnant females, and 20 normal healthy females were included in the study. Detailed history, clinical examination, and relevant biochemical parameters were assessed; serum VEGF levels were estimated using Double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The study groups were found to be age matched ( = 0.38). VEGF level in the pregnancy-induced hypertensive group (median = 109.19 (3.38 ± 619)) was significantly higher than the normal pregnant (median = 20.82 (1.7-619)) and control (median = 4.92 (1.13-13.07)) group and the difference between these three groups was significant ( < 0.0001). The 3 groups are found to be significantly different in terms of RBS ( = 0.01), urea ( < 0.0001), creatinine ( = 0.0005), AST ( = 0.0032), ALT ( = 0.0007), total protein ( = 0.0004), albumin ( < 0.0001), calcium ( = 0.001), and sodium ( = 0.02), while no statistically significant difference was found between total bilirubin ( = 0.167), direct bilirubin ( = 0.07), uric acid ( = 0.16), and potassium ( = 0.14). Conclusion. Significantly higher levels of serum VEGF were noted in PIH subjects compared to normal pregnant and control subjects

MBL2 variations and malaria susceptibility in Indian populations

Human Mannose-binding Lectin (MBL) encoded by the MBL2 gene is a pattern recognition protein and has been associated with many infectious diseases, including malaria. We sought to investigate the contribution of functional MBL2 gene variations to Plasmodium falciparum malaria in well-defined cases and in matched controls. We resequenced the 8.7 kb of the entire MBL2 gene in 434 individuals clinically classified with malaria from regions of India where malaria is endemic. The study cohort included 176 patients with severe malaria, 101 patients with mild malaria, and 157 ethnically matched asymptomatic individuals. In addition, 830 individuals from 32 socially, linguistically, and geographically diverse endogamous populations of India were investigated for the distribution of functional MBL2 variants. The MBL2 −221C (X) allelic variant is associated with increased risk of malaria (mild malaria odds ratio [OR] = 1.9, corrected P value [PCorr] = 0.0036; severe malaria OR = 1.6, PCorr = 0.02). The exon1 variants MBL2*B (severe malaria OR = 2.1, PCorr = 0.036; mild versus severe malaria OR = 2.5, PCorr = 0.039) and MBL2*C (mild versus severe malaria OR = 5.4, PCorr = 0.045) increased the odds of having malaria. The exon1 MBL2*D/*B/*C variant increased the risk for severe malaria (OR = 3.4, PCorr = 0.000045). The frequencies of low MBL haplotypes were significantly higher in severe malaria (14.2%) compared to mild malaria (7.9%) and asymptomatic (3.8%). The MBL2*LYPA haplotypes confer protection, whereas MBL2*LXPA increases the malaria risk. Our findings in Indian populations demonstrate that MBL2 functional variants are strongly associated with malaria and infection severity

Selaginella bryopteris

The effective long-term cryopreservation of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is an essential prerequisite step and represents a critical approach for their sustained supply in basic research, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering applications. Therefore, attempts have been made in the present investigation to formulate a freezing solution consisting of a combination of Selaginella bryopteris water-soluble extract with and without dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) for the efficient long-term storage of human umbilical cord blood- (hUCB-) derived MSCs. The cryopreservation experiment using the formulated freezing solution was further performed with hUCB MSCs in a controlled rate freezer. A significant increase in postthaw cell viability and cell attachment of MSCs was achieved with freezing medium containing Selaginella bryopteris water extract along with 10% Me2SO as compared to the freezing medium containing Me2SO (10% v/v) alone. Furthermore, the decreasing apoptotic events and reactive oxygen species production along with increasing expression of heat shock proteins also confirmed the beneficial effect of Selaginella bryopteris water extract. The beneficial effect of Selaginella bryopteris water extract was validated by its ability to render postpreservation high cell viability. In conclusion, the formulated freezing solution has been demonstrated to be effective for the standardization of cryopreservation protocol for hMSCs

Review Article Recent Advances and Future Direction in Lyophilisation and Desiccation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are a promising mammalian cell type as they can be used for the reconstruction of human tissues and organs. MSCs are shown to form bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle-like cells under specific cultivation conditions. Current technology of MSCs cryopreservation has significant disadvantages. Alternative technologies of mammalian cells preservation through lyophilisation or desiccation (air-drying) are among the upcoming domains of investigation in the field of cryobiology. Different protectants and their combinations were studied in this context. Loading of the protectant in the live cell can be a challenging issue but recent studies have shown encouraging results. This paper deals with a review of the protectants, methods of their delivery, and physical boundary conditions adopted for the desiccation and lyophilisation of mammalian cells, including MSCs. A hybrid technique combining both methods is also proposed as a promising way of MSCs dry preservation

Deep Rooting In-Situ Expansion of mtDNA Haplogroup R8 in South Asia

The phylogeny of the indigenous Indian-specific mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups have been determined and refined in previous reports. Similar to mtDNA superhaplogroups M and N, a profusion of reports are also available for superhaplogroup R. However, there is a dearth of information on South Asian subhaplogroups in particular, including R8. Therefore, we ought to access the genealogy and pre-historic expansion of haplogroup R8 which is considered one of the autochthonous lineages of South Asia.Upon screening the mtDNA of 5,836 individuals belonging to 104 distinct ethnic populations of the Indian subcontinent, we found 54 individuals with the HVS-I motif that defines the R8 haplogroup. Complete mtDNA sequencing of these 54 individuals revealed two deep-rooted subclades: R8a and R8b. Furthermore, these subclades split into several fine subclades. An isofrequency contour map detected the highest frequency of R8 in the state of Orissa. Spearman's rank correlation analysis suggests significant correlation of R8 occurrence with geography.The coalescent age of newly-characterized subclades of R8, R8a (15.4+/-7.2 Kya) and R8b (25.7+/-10.2 Kya) indicates that the initial maternal colonization of this haplogroup occurred during the middle and upper Paleolithic period, roughly around 40 to 45 Kya. These results signify that the southern part of Orissa currently inhabited by Munda speakers is likely the origin of these autochthonous maternal deep-rooted haplogroups. Our high-resolution study on the genesis of R8 haplogroup provides ample evidence of its deep-rooted ancestry among the Orissa (Austro-Asiatic) tribes

Oral Drug Delivery Systems Comprising Altered Geometric Configurations for Controlled Drug Delivery

Recent pharmaceutical research has focused on controlled drug delivery having an advantage over conventional methods. Adequate controlled plasma drug levels, reduced side effects as well as improved patient compliance are some of the benefits that these systems may offer. Controlled delivery systems that can provide zero-order drug delivery have the potential for maximizing efficacy while minimizing dose frequency and toxicity. Thus, zero-order drug release is ideal in a large area of drug delivery which has therefore led to the development of various technologies with such drug release patterns. Systems such as multilayered tablets and other geometrically altered devices have been created to perform this function. One of the principles of multilayered tablets involves creating a constant surface area for release. Polymeric materials play an important role in the functioning of these systems. Technologies developed to date include among others: Geomatrix® multilayered tablets, which utilizes specific polymers that may act as barriers to control drug release; Procise®, which has a core with an aperture that can be modified to achieve various types of drug release; core-in-cup tablets, where the core matrix is coated on one surface while the circumference forms a cup around it; donut-shaped devices, which possess a centrally-placed aperture hole and Dome Matrix® as well as “release modules assemblage”, which can offer alternating drug release patterns. This review discusses the novel altered geometric system technologies that have been developed to provide controlled drug release, also focusing on polymers that have been employed in such developments

Evaluating reuse of nontraditional water sources in agriculture and food production utilizing a scientometrics approach

Climate change is proving to be detrimental for agriculture and food production by depleting natural resources such as irrigation water. Researchers and growers are turning to alternative sources of irrigation water. Growers are potentially willing to accept nontraditional sources, provided they meet the chemical and microbial standards of existing sources. To help identify research gaps and suggest future research directions, a thorough analysis of existing literature needed to be done. The aim of this study was to categorize and analyze existing research on water reuse found on the Web of Science database using a scientometrics approach. The publication dataset comprising 3072 titles, published between 1990 and 2022, was analyzed for keywords and co-occurrence of commonly used phrase groups. The global and year-wise trends in publications were mapped and graphed to identify which countries were actively researching water reuse and whether the number of publications were progressing significantly per year. The highly cited publications were also analyzed for their content to understand what differentiated them from the other publications. Our results indicated that the numbers of publications have increased considerably over the years from 1990 to 2022 with a potential to further increase by 2060, indicating a growing interest in the area of water reuse. The global distribution of publications indicated that researchers across the globe have identified this as a potential future strategy and are actively working to understand various aspects of water reuse in agriculture and food production by using experimental and modeling based study methods. The current focus is on reclaimed water and roof harvested rainwater with other prospective sources being investigated. The findings indicate that a multidisciplinary approach is required to understand the multifaceted aspects of reusing nontraditional water sources as irrigation water for food crops. Based on our study, we suggest that collaborations between academic research, agricultural industries and government agencies could lead to the integration of nontraditional water sources as irrigation water, helping to alleviate the negative effects of climate change

A demographic study on relation between uric acid and diabetes parameters in the Chhattisgarh State of India

Objective: Epidemiological evidence suggest that conflicting data exist for the relation between serum uric acid (SUA) and various diabetes-associated parameters. Therefore, measurement of SUA levels could play a valuable role as predictor marker in early type 2 diabetics as well as a potent antioxidant therapeutic. This work is a small demographic study in the patients of Chhattisgarh to find a relation between the SUA level and diabetes parameters in diabetics and controls. Materials and Methods: This was a small sample set case–control study. Patients were divided into two groups, namely, control (n = 25) and type 2 diabetics (n = 30). Biochemical estimation of parameters was performed using commercially available enzymatic kits. Results: Plasma glucose, serum triglyceride, glycated haemoglobin and creatinine were higher in diabetic patients than in controls. SUA showed a significant lower level in test patients (2.97 ± 0.22) as compared to control (4.35 ± 0.64). A negative correlation of r = −0.8159 was obtained between SUA and plasma glucose levels. Conclusions: Results suggest that variation in uric acid (UA) levels from normal to pre-diabetes and diabetes condition could be an important biomarker. Further validations may pave the way for UA measurement as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in type 2 diabetes mellitus