ANTICARCINOGENIC ACTIVITY OF RICE BRAN PHYTIC ACID AGAINST HUMAN BREAST CANCER CELL LINE (MCF-7)

Phytic acid (PA) has been reported for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer activity. However, molecular mechanism of anticancer activity is not clear. This study investigated the anticancer activity of rice bran PA against breast cancer (MCF-7). Cytotoxicty of PA (0 to 7 mM) against MCF-7 cells was examined by MTT and LDH assays after 24 and 48 h treatment. Apoptotic activity was evaluated by expressional analysis of apoptosis-regulatory genes [i.e., p53, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and -9] by reverse transcriptase-PCR and DNA fragmentation assay. PA inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in a concentration dependent manner (p≤0.04). After 48 h treatment, cells viability was recorded 80.9, 71.1, 59.8, 36.6, 26.7 and 15.9% in MTT assay and 85.3, 72.6%, 62.3%, 42.1, 31.7 and 21.7% in LDH assay at concentration of 1.4, 2.2, 3.0, 3.8, 4.6, and 5.4 mM respectively. Hence, treatment of PA for 24 h, recorded viability of cells 84.6, 73.8, 61.0, 47.0, 28.8 and 17.3% in MTT assay and 87.8, 77.5%, 62.9%, 49.8, 35.7 and 23.3% in LDH assay at concentration of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 mM, respectively. PA treated MCF-7 cells showed up-regulation of p53, Bax, caspase-3 and -9, and down-regulation of Bcl-2 gene (p ≤0.03). At IC50 (3.4 mM) of PA, the p53, Bax, caspase 3 and -9 genes were up-regulated by 6.34, 4.90, 23.45 and 15.03 folds respectively. Also, the fragmented genomic DNA in PA treated cells showed the signs of apoptosis. Our study endorsed the biological activity of PA and demonstrated the PA induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by modulating the expression of apoptosis-regulatory genes. Keyword: Phytic acid, antioxidant, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, caspases, p53, Bax, Bcl-2, DNA fragmentatio

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Calotropis gigantea and Tridax procumbens on Carrageenin-Induced Paw Edema in Rats

The anti-inflammatory activities of extract of Calotropis gigantea R.Br. and Tridax procumbens Linn., were assessed on carrageenin-induced paw edema along with standard drug, Ibuprofen. The Ibuprofen significantly reduced paw edema at the dose of 200mg/Kg bw orally. The oral administration equi-effective dose (ED50) of C. gigantea (600mg/Kg bw) and T. procumbens (400 mg/Kg bw) individually revealed about 20-35% more activity than the one rendered by administration of 50mg/Kg bw of Ibuprofen. The effect of C. gigantea and T. procumbens along with various dose regimen of Ibuprofen showed greater anti-inflammatory activities than the Ibuprofen alone

Allelic dimorphism of Plasmodium vivax gam-1 in the Indian subcontinent

BACKGROUND: Genetic polymorphism is an inevitable component of a complex organism especially in multistage infectious organisms such as malaria parasites. Understanding the population genetic structure of the parasites would provide valuable information for effective malaria control strategies. Recently, the development of molecular tools like PCR has made analysis of field samples possible and easier and research on Plasmodium vivax has also been strengthened. Not many reports are available on the genetic polymorphism of P. vivax from the Indian sub-continent. This study evaluates the extent of diversity in field isolates of India with respect to Pvgam-1. METHODS: A study was designed to assess the diversity of Pvgam-1 among field isolates from India, using a nested PCR assay. Field isolates were collected from different regions of the country and the observed variability was confirmed by sequencing data. RESULTS: Both Belem and Chesson type alleles were present either exclusively or in mixed form among isolates of all 10 study sites. The Belem type allele was predominant, occurring in 67% of isolates. The proportion of isolates showing the mixed form (both Belem and Chesson type alleles occurring together in the same isolate) was about 13 overall (up to 38.5% in some isolates). Sequencing of the PCR-amplified Belem and Chesson type alleles confirmed the PCR results. Among the 10 study sequences, 11 polymorphic sites and four singleton variations were observed. All the nucleotide substitutions were non-synonymous. CONCLUSION: Study shows limited diversity of Pvgam-1 marker in Indian isolates with well representation of both Belem and Chesson type alleles

Plasmodium vivax lineages: geographical distribution, tandem repeat polymorphism, and phylogenetic relationship

Background: Multi-drug resistance and severe/ complicated cases are the emerging phenotypes of vivax malaria, which may deteriorate current anti-malarial control measures. The emergence of these phenotypes could be associated with either of the two Plasmodium vivax lineages. The two lineages had been categorized as Old World and New World, based on geographical sub-division and genetic and phenotypical markers. This study revisited the lineage hypothesis of P. vivax by typing the distribution of lineages among global isolates and evaluated their genetic relatedness using a panel of new mini-satellite markers. Methods: 18S SSU rRNA S-type gene was amplified from 420 Plasmodium vivax field isolates collected from different geographical regions of India, Thailand and Colombia as well as four strains each of P. vivax originating from Nicaragua, Panama, Thailand (Pak Chang), and Vietnam (ONG). A mini-satellite marker panel was then developed to understand the population genetic parameters and tested on a sample subset of both lineages. Results: 18S SSU rRNA S-type gene typing revealed the distribution of both lineages (Old World and New World) in all geographical regions. However, distribution of Plasmodium vivax lineages was highly variable in every geographical region. The lack of geographical sub-division between lineages suggests that both lineages are globally distributed. Ten mini-satellites were scanned from the P. vivax genome sequence; these tandem repeats were located in eight of the chromosomes. Mini-satellites revealed substantial allelic diversity (7-21, AE = 14.6 +/- 2.0) and heterozygosity (He = 0.697-0.924, AE = 0.857 +/- 0.033) per locus. Mini-satellite comparison between the two lineages revealed high but similar pattern of genetic diversity, allele frequency, and high degree of allele sharing. A Neighbour-Joining phylogenetic tree derived from genetic distance data obtained from ten mini-satellites also placed both lineages together in every cluster. Conclusions: The global lineage distribution, lack of genetic distance, similar pattern of genetic diversity, and allele sharing strongly suggested that both lineages are a single species and thus new emerging phenotypes associated with vivax malaria could not be clearly classified as belonging to a particular lineage on basis of their geographical origin

Synthesis and mechanistic studies of diketo acids and their bioisosteres as potential antibacterial agents

A series of diketo esters and their pertinent bioisosteres were designed and synthesized as potent antibacterial agents by targeting methionine amino peptidases (MetAPs). In the biochemical assay against purified MetAPs from Streptococcus pneumoniae (SpMetAP1a), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtMetAP1c), Enterococcus faecalis (EfMetAP1a) and human (HsMetAP1b), compounds 3a, 4a and 5a showed more than 85% inhibition of all the tested MetAPs at 100 μM concentration. Compounds 4a and 5a also exhibited antibacterial potential with MIC values 62.5 μg/mL (S. pneumoniae), 31.25 μg/mL (E. faecalis), 62.5 μg/mL (Escherichia coli) and 62.5 μg/mL (S. pneumoniae), 62.5 μg/mL (E. coli), respectively. Moreover, 5a also significantly inhibited the growth of multidrug resistant E. coli strains at 512 μg/mL conc., while showing no cytotoxic effect towards healthy CHO cells and thus being selected. Growth kinetics study showed significant inhibition of bacterial growth when treated with different conc. of 5a. TEM analysis also displayed vital damage to bacterial cells by 5a at MIC conc. Moreover, significant inhibition of biofilm formation was observed in bacterial cells treated with MIC conc. of 5a as visualized by SEM micrographs. Interestingly, 5a did not cause an alteration in the hemocyte density in Galleria mellonella larvae which is considered in vivo model for antimicrobial studies and was non-toxic up to a conc. of 2.5 mg/mL

Plasmodium vivax lineages: geographical distribution, tandem repeat polymorphism, and phylogenetic relationship

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Multi-drug resistance and severe/complicated cases are the emerging phenotypes of vivax malaria, which may deteriorate current anti-malarial control measures. The emergence of these phenotypes could be associated with either of the two <it>Plasmodium vivax </it>lineages. The two lineages had been categorized as Old World and New World, based on geographical sub-division and genetic and phenotypical markers. This study revisited the lineage hypothesis of <it>P. vivax </it>by typing the distribution of lineages among global isolates and evaluated their genetic relatedness using a panel of new mini-satellite markers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>18S SSU rRNA S-type </it>gene was amplified from 420 <it>Plasmodium vivax </it>field isolates collected from different geographical regions of India, Thailand and Colombia as well as four strains each of <it>P. vivax </it>originating from Nicaragua, Panama, Thailand (Pak Chang), and Vietnam (ONG). A mini-satellite marker panel was then developed to understand the population genetic parameters and tested on a sample subset of both lineages.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>18S SSU rRNA S-type </it>gene typing revealed the distribution of both lineages (Old World and New World) in all geographical regions. However, distribution of <it>Plasmodium vivax </it>lineages was highly variable in every geographical region. The lack of geographical sub-division between lineages suggests that both lineages are globally distributed. Ten mini-satellites were scanned from the <it>P. vivax </it>genome sequence; these tandem repeats were located in eight of the chromosomes. Mini-satellites revealed substantial allelic diversity (7-21, <it>AE </it>= 14.6 ± 2.0) and heterozygosity (<it>He </it>= 0.697-0.924, <it>AE </it>= 0.857 ± 0.033) per locus. Mini-satellite comparison between the two lineages revealed high but similar pattern of genetic diversity, allele frequency, and high degree of allele sharing. A Neighbour-Joining phylogenetic tree derived from genetic distance data obtained from ten mini-satellites also placed both lineages together in every cluster.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The global lineage distribution, lack of genetic distance, similar pattern of genetic diversity, and allele sharing strongly suggested that both lineages are a single species and thus new emerging phenotypes associated with vivax malaria could not be clearly classified as belonging to a particular lineage on basis of their geographical origin.</p

Enhanced anti-tumor efficacy of paclitaxel with PEGylated lipidic nanocapsules in presence of curcumin and poloxamer: In vitro and in vivo studies

International audienceCancer chemotherapeutic drug containing PEGylated lipidic nanocapsules (D-LNCs) were formulated by the controlled addition of organic phase (combined solution of paclitaxel and curcumin in a mixture of oleic acid and MPEG2000-DSPE (90:2.5 molar ratio) in acetone) to the aqueous phase (consist of Poloxamer 407 as emulsifying agents and glycerol as a co-solvent) at a temperature of 55-60°C followed by evaporation of organic solvent. The obtained pre-colloidal dispersion of D-LNCs was processed through high pressure homogenization to get more uniformly and nano-sized particles. Effect of concentration of emulsifying agent and process variables of high pressure homogenization (pressure and number of cycles) on average particle size and entrapment efficiency was further investigated by constructing Box-Behnken experimental design to achieve the optimum manufacturing process. D-LNCs were characterized by dynamic light scattering, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. In vitro release studies showed a sustained release pattern of drug from the PEGylated D-LNCs, whereas in vivo pharmacokinetic studies after a single-dose intravenous (i.v.) administration of paclitaxel (15mg/kg) in Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT)-bearing female Swiss albino mice showed a prolonged circulation time and slower elimination of paclitaxel from D-LNCs as compared with marketed formulation (Paclitec®). From the plasma concentration vs. time profile, i.v. bioavailability (AUC0-∞) of paclitaxel from D-LNCs was found to be increased approximately 2.91-fold (P<0.001) as compared to Paclitec®. In vitro cell viability assay against MCF-7 and MCF-7/ADR cell lines, in vivo biodistribution studies and tumor inhibition study in EAT-bearing mice, all together prove its significantly improved potency towards cancer therapy

Paraffin Sections of Sputum Block: Description of a New Method for Pathological and Molecular Study

Aim: This study was designed to enhance the scope of sputum analysis by using it as a clinical tool in gene/protein expression, by making the paraffin embedded blocks. Methodology: The specimens were prepared as smear and cell blocks for cytopathologic examination. The preparation of paraffin-embedded block from sputum samples employs fixation and dehydration of the cell specimens. The sputum specimen is first exposed to a suitable fixating agent, Formalin, and graded acetone was employed to dehydrate the samples and saved as pellet. Paraffin blocks containing embedded pellet were taken out gently from the tube. The solidified paraffin-embedded tissue blocks through this novel approach were found to be easy to process for immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis. Results: Immunohistochemistry staining was performed on paraffin section of sputum block for Cytokeratin (CK) and was found to be easy to process for immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: The sputum block preparation is feasible and non-invasive, can be useful to identify new biomarkers of exposure or susceptibility in patients with lung pathology to enhance the understanding of airways changes due to different etiological factors and may be useful to find new biomarkers in order to assess and monitor early lung damage

Na-Montmorillonite-Dispersed Sustainable Polymer Nanocomposite Hydrogel Films for Anticancer Drug Delivery

Nanocomposite hydrogels have found a wide scope in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and smart drug delivery applications. The present study reports the formulations of biocompatible nanocomposite hydrogel films using carboxymethyl cellulose-hydroxyethyl cellulose-acrylonitrile-linseed oil polyol (CHAP) plain hydrogel and Na-montmorillonite (NaMMT) dispersed CHAP nanocomposite hydrogel films (NaCHAP) using solution blending technique. The structural, morphological, and mechanical properties of resultant nanocomposite hydrogel films were further investigated to analyze the effects of polyol and NaMMT on the characteristic properties. The synergistic effect of polyol and nanofillers on the mechanical strength and sustained drug-release behavior of the resultant hydrogel films was studied, which revealed that the increased cross-link density of hydrogels enhanced the elastic modulus (up to 99%) and improved the drug retention time (up to 72 h at both pHs 7.4 and 4.0). The release rate of cisplatin in nanocomposite hydrogel films was found to be higher in CHAP-1 (83 and 69%) and CHAP-3 (79 and 64%) than NaCHAP-3 (77 and 57%) and NaCHAP-4 (73 and 54%) at both pHs 4.0 and 7.4, respectively. These data confirmed that the release rate of cisplatin in nanocomposite hydrogel films was pH-responsive and increased with decrease of pH. All nanocomposite hydrogel films have exhibited excellent pH sensitivity under buffer solution of various pHs (1.0, 4.0, 7.4, and 9.0). The in vitro biocompatibility and cytotoxicity tests of these films were also conducted using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay of human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) and human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines up to 48 h, which shows their biocompatible nature. However, cisplatin-loaded nanocomposite hydrogel films effectively inhibited the growth of human breast MCF-7 cancer cells. These studies suggested that the proposed nanocomposite hydrogel films have shown promising application in therapeutics, especially for anticancer-targeted drug delivery

High mobility group box (HMGB) proteins of Plasmodium falciparum: DNA binding proteins with pro-inflammatory activity

High mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB1), known as an abundant, non-histone architectural chromosomal protein, is highly conserved across different species. Homologues of HMGB1 were identified and cloned from malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Sequence analyses showed that the P. falciparum HMGB1 (PfHMGB1) exhibits 45, 23 and 18%, while PfHMGB2 shares 42, 21 and 17% homology with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, human and mouse HMG box proteins respectively. Parasite PfHMGB1and PfHMGB2 proteins contain one HMG Box domain similar to B-Box of mammalian HMGB1. Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) showed that recombinant PfHMGB1 and PfHMGB2 bind to DNA. Immunofluorescence Assay using specific antibodies revealed that these proteins are expressed abundantly in the ring stage nuclei. Significant levels of PfHMGB1 and PfHMGB2 were also present in the parasite cytosol at trophozoite and schizont stages. Both, PfHMGB1 and PfHMGB2 were found to be potent inducers of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα from mouse peritoneal macrophages as analyzed by both reverse transcription PCR and by ELISA. These results suggest that secreted PfHMGB1 and PfHMGB2 may be responsible for eliciting/ triggering host inflammatory immune responses associated with malaria infection