Depleted circulatory complement-lysis inhibitor (CLI) in childhood cerebral malaria returns to normal with convalescence

BACKGROUND: Cerebral malaria (CM), is a life-threatening childhood malaria syndrome with high mortality. CM is associated with impaired consciousness and neurological damage. It is not fully understood, as yet, why some children develop CM. Presented here is an observation from longitudinal studies on CM in a paediatric cohort of children from a large, densely-populated and malaria holoendemic, sub-Saharan, West African metropolis. METHODS: Plasma samples were collected from a cohort of children with CM, severe malarial anaemia (SMA), uncomplicated malaria (UM), non-malaria positive healthy community controls (CC), and coma and anemic patients without malaria, as disease controls (DC). Proteomic two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and mass spectrometry were used in a discovery cohort to identify plasma proteins that might be discriminatory among these clinical groups. The circulatory levels of identified proteins of interest were quantified by ELISA in a prospective validation cohort. RESULTS: The proteome analysis revealed differential abundance of circulatory complement-lysis inhibitor (CLI), also known as Clusterin (CLU). CLI circulatory level was low at hospital admission in all children presenting with CM and recovered to normal level during convalescence (p < 0.0001). At acute onset, circulatory level of CLI in the CM group significantly discriminates CM from the UM, SMA, DC and CC groups. CONCLUSIONS: The CLI circulatory level is low in all patients in the CM group at admission, but recovers through convalescence. The level of CLI at acute onset may be a specific discriminatory marker of CM. This work suggests that CLI may play a role in the pathophysiology of CM and may be useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of children presenting with CM

Evaluation of the Impacts of Taurine on Oxidative Stress Indices in Sera and Brain of Rats Exposed to Cypermethrin

Cypermethrin is a pyrethroid insecticide applied for pest control on animals and the environment. Taurine is a putative antioxidant and bioprotective amino acid. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the impacts of taurine on oxidative stress indices in the sera and brains of rats exposed to cypermethrin. Forty rats were assigned to five groups of eight rats each. Distilled water was given to the first group, while the second group received soya oil (2 ml/kg). Cypermethrin (20 mg/kg) was administered to the third group. The Taurine50+Cypermethrin group received taurine (50 mg/kg) and cypermethrin, while the Taurine100+Cypermethrin group was administered with taurine (100 mg/kg) and Cypermethrin. The treatments were given once daily by oral gavage for 35 days. Sera were obtained from the blood samples of the rats after the completion of the study for the determination of the oxidative stress indices (malondialdehyde concentration and the activities of antioxidant enzymes). Oxidative stress indices were analysed in the brains. Taurine significantly (P&lt; 0.05) augmented the superoxide dismutase activity in the sera. However, other oxidative stress indices were not ameliorated by taurine in the sera and the brains. Cypermethrin (20 mg/kg) did not overtly evoke oxidative stress in the sera and the brains of the rats in this study, probably because it is a moderately toxic insecticide. This is the first study that has investigated the effects of taurine on cypermethrin toxicity. Further research is warranted to expound the mechanisms of action of taurine and cypermethrin in biological systems