Hepatoprotective potential of glyceryl trinitrate against chemically induced oxidative stress and hepatic injury in rats

Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) has been used widely as a potent vasodilator to treat heart conditions, such as angina pectoris and chronic heart failure. This study aims to elucidate the effect of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) administration, using GTN, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in rats. The results obtained demonstrated that NO generated by the administration of GTN affords protection against CCl4-induced oxidative stress and liver injury. Administration of CCl4 resulted in a significant (p < 0.001) increase in lipid peroxidation and tissue damage markers (aspartate and alanine transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase) release in serum. Parallel to these changes, CCl4 also caused downregulation of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and several fold induction in γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity. Subsequent administration of GTN resulted in significant (p < 0.001) recovery of GSH-metabolizing enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. Further, administration of NO inhibitor, NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), exacerbated CCl4-induced oxidative tissue injury. Overall, the study suggests that GTN might suppress oxidant-induced tissue injury and hepatotoxicity in rats

Ectopic (tubal) Molar Gestation: Report Of Two Cases

Ectopicmolar gestation is a rare event. Itsmalignant potential is similar to that of an intrauterine molar pregnancy. To document two cases of tubalmolar gestations seen over a 10-year period. Case series. Two young Nigerian undergraduates presented with features of ruptured tubal pregnancy. They had total salpingectomy and histopathological analysis of the tubal specimens revealed complete hydatidiform mole.HCGlevel normalized in both caseswithin threeweeks of treatment. Ectopic molar gestation does occur occasional in our setting. It is pertinent that clinicians in this part of the world be aware of this and to take routine histological examination of tubal specimens in ectopic pregnancy very seriously in order to diagnosed cases of ectopic molar gestations early and mount appropriate post treatment surveillance. Keywords: ectopic,Tubal,MolarGestation. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 11 (4) 2008: pp. 392-39

Ascertaining the Impact of Cleanliness and Healthy Life Style (The Art of Living) in Human Health (Physical & Mental) and Its Relevance in Nation Building

Cleanliness means that there is no dirt, no dust, no stains, and no bad smells. The purpose of cleanliness is health, beauty, absence of offensive odor and to avoid the spreading of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. To be in good health is to be in a state of balance. Health is a biological equilibrium that exists within our body. In order to achieve this balance, we need to fine tune our body to all levels, which can be achieved by doing meaningful works, in a conscientious and responsible manner, exercise, eating correctly and having a positive attitude towards ourselves and others. Much is said rhetorically about cleanliness in our society but practically its application is missing. A quick observation can reveal how insensitive a culture we have developed regarding cleanliness and hygiene. There are many other examples which can be cited to indicate the pathetic condition of cleanliness and hygiene in our society. Hence, conscious efforts are needed to tackle this issue. There is a dire need to educate and sensitize people about the importance of cleanliness in light of our faith. In this regard social institutions such as educational institutions, the media and religious institutions can play a vital role. According to the concept of health and disease in Unani System of Medicine, human body has two states i.e. healthy state and disease state. As described by great Unani sages that, “There are certain causes of health and disease.” The causes for health are called as, The Six Life Style Factors viz. Air, Food and Beverages, Physical Activity and Repose, Mental Activity and Repose, Sleep and Wakefulness, Retention and Evacuation. These essential factors are those which influence the body throughout the life. As all living creatures have qualities associated with them, so too do each of the six life style factors. The food and drinks we consume, the weather, our environment and our emotions, all exert different qualities of heat, coldness, moistness and dryness that can either be of benefit or detriment to us. “Cleanliness is a freedom movement for an aspiring Nation. Culture of cleanliness will influence the hygiene, health, aesthetics and natural setting of the nation, which is a new age currency of a country.

KENABIAN MARYAM DALAM TAFSIR AL-MISBAH DAN TAFSIR AL-AZHAR (STUDI KOMPARATIF TERHADAP QS. ALI IMRAN AYAT 42)

Kenabian merupakan salah satu hal yang prinsipil dalam agama Islam, termasuk didalamnya adalah isu kenabian perempuan. Isu ini menggeliat dalam dunia tafsir, kemudian direspon oleh para ulama dan menghasilkan dua sikap, ada ulama yang mendukung isu tersebut dan ada yang menolaknya, masing-masing kedua kubu tersebut memiliki argumentasi. penelitian ini akan membahas masalah seputar eksistensi isu kenabian perempuan ini dalam tradisi intelektual ulama Islam, kemudian eksistensi isu kenabian Maryam dalam tafsir al-misbah dan tafsir al-azhar, dan alasan isu ini bisa sampai dan diakomodir oleh kedua mufassir indonesia. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah Pertama, terdapat dua kubu dalam merespon isu kenabian perempuan, ada yang menolak dan ada yang menerima. Adapun yang menolak adalah Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Ja’far al-Ashili, Fakhruddin al-Razi, Ibn Katsir, serta al-Qusyairi. Sedangkan yang menerima adalah Abu Bakar Muhammad bin Mawhab al-Tujibi al-Qabri, Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi, Al-Qurthubi, serta Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani dengan argumentasi masing-masing. Kedua, isu kenabian Maryam terdapat dalam tafsir al-misbah dan tafsir al-azhar ketika membahas Qs. Ali-Imran: 42. Ketiga, terdapat dua alasan mengapa isu kenabian Maryam diakomodir dalam tafsir al-misbah dan tafsir al-azhar, pertama, kedua pengarang dari tafsir tersebut yaitu Quraish Shihab dan Hamka masing-masing mengusung spirit gender equality. Kedua, karena sifat dari tafsir itu sendiri yang genealogis sehingga sebuah wacana yang masuk dalam dunia tafsir sulit untuk dihapuskan dan dihilangkan

Antiproliferative Efficacy of Zerumbone-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier in BALB/C Mice Model of Breast Cancer

Recently, we showed that the antiproliferative effect of ZER-NLC on Jurkat cells is through the apoptotic intrinsic pathway via activation of caspase-3 and -9, release of cytochrome c (cyt-c) from mitochondria into cytosol, and subsequent cleavage of polyADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). However, there has been no available information of ZER-NLC affects murine breast cancer cells in vivo. Thus, In this study, in vivo effects of ZER-NLC on murine breast cancer 4T1 cells were investigated. Outcomes of histopathology, immunohistochemistry and TUNEL assays of BALB/c mice bearing breast cancer revealed that the number of cancer cells were significantly decreased in mammary gland tissues after four weeks of oral administration of various doses of ZER-NLC

NO-Mediated [Ca2+]cyt Increases Depend on ADP-Ribosyl Cyclase Activity in Arabidopsis.

Cyclic ADP ribose (cADPR) is a Ca(2+)-mobilizing intracellular second messenger synthesized from NAD by ADP-ribosyl cyclases (ADPR cyclases). In animals, cADPR targets the ryanodine receptor present in the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum to promote Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores to increase the concentration of cytosolic free Ca(2+) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), and cADPR has been proposed to play a central role in signal transduction pathways evoked by the drought and stress hormone, abscisic acid, and the circadian clock. Despite evidence for the action of cADPR in Arabidopsis, no predicted proteins with significant similarity to the known ADPR cyclases have been reported in any plant genome database, suggesting either that there is a unique route for cADPR synthesis or that a homolog of ADPR cyclase with low similarity might exist in plants. We sought to determine whether the low levels of ADPR cyclase activity reported in Arabidopsis are indicative of a bona fide activity that can be associated with the regulation of Ca(2+) signaling. We adapted two different fluorescence-based assays to measure ADPR cyclase activity in Arabidopsis and found that this activity has the characteristics of a nucleotide cyclase that is activated by nitric oxide to increase cADPR and mobilize Ca(2.)This work was supported by the Islamic Development Bank and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust (SMA-A), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CTH) and BBSRC UK grant BB/D017904/1 (AND) awarded to AARW.This is the author accepted manuscript. It is permanently embargoed to comply with the publisher’s copyright terms. The final version is available from American Society of Plant Biologists via https://doi.org10.1104/pp.15.0196

Halo score (temporal artery, its branches and axillary artery) as a diagnostic, prognostic and disease monitoring tool for Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)

Background Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a common large vessel vasculitis of the elderly, often associated with sight loss. Glucocorticoids (GC remain the mainstay of treatment, although biologic treatments have been approved. Biomarkers predicting disease severity, relapse rates and damage are lacking in GCA. EULAR recommends ultrasound (US) as the first investigation for suspected GCA. The cardinal US finding, a non-compressible halo, is currently categorised as either negative or positive. However, the extent and severity of this finding may vary. In this study, we hypothesise whether the extent and severity of the halo sign [calculated as a single composite Halo score (HS)] of temporal and axillary arteries may be of diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring importance; whether baseline HS is linked to disease outcomes, relapses and damage; whether HS can stratify GCA patients for individual treatment needs; whether HS can function as an objective monitoring tool during follow up. Methods This is a prospective, observational study. Suspected GCA Participants will be selected from the GCA FTC at the participating centres in the UK. Informed consent will be obtained, and patients managed as part of standard care. Patients with GCA will have HS (temporal and axillary arteries) measured at baseline and months 1,3,6 and 12 long with routine clinical assessments, blood sampling and patient-reported outcomes (EQ5D). Non-GCA patients will be discharged back to the referral team and will have a telephone interview in 6 months. We aim to recruit 272 suspected GCA referrals which should yield 68 patients (25% of referrals) with confirmed GCA. The recruitment will be completed in 1 year with an estimated total study period of 24 months. Discussion The identification of prognostic factors in GCA is both timely and needed. A prognostic marker, such as the HS, could help to stratify GCA patients for an appropriate treatment regimen. Tocilizumab, an IL-6R blocking agent, switches off the acute phase response (C-Reactive Protein), making it difficult to measure the disease activity. Therefore, an independent HS, and changes in that score during treatment and follow-up, maybe a more objective measure of response compare to patient-reported symptoms and clinical assessment alone

A comparative clinical study of bioceramic and calcium hydroxide based root canal sealer in the treatment of non-vital permanent tooth with periapical lesion

Introduction: The use of Bioceramic sealer in the obduration of the root canal system has been expected by many of the previous studies. However, the clinical outcome has not yet been established. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of bioceramic and calcium hydroxide based root canal sealer in treatment of non-vital permanent teeth with periapical lesion (Periapical periodontitis). Materials and Methods: A total 100 mature permanent anterior teeth were selected after clinical and radiological examination which had non-vital pulp with periapical lesion. Clinically pulp vitality test, palpation and percussion test was performed maintaining standard procedure. Following cavity preparation and biomechanical preparation, each canal was obturated either with bioceramic (Endosequence BC) or calcium hydroxide based sealer (Sealapex, Kerr). All participants were evaluated immediately after obturation, at 3 and 6 months for the assessment of change in size of periapical lesion, condition of periodontal ligament space, lamina dura and incidence of post-operative pain, swelling. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi- square(X2) test and t-test. A value of p<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Bioceramic was more effective in reducing the lesion size than that of calcium hydroxide. At 6 months, the mean lesion size was reduced from 3.52±0.7 to 1.30±0.462 mm in Bioceramics and from 3.48±1.07 to 1.58± 0.498 mm in sealapex treated teeth.. Furthermore, 98% of bioceramic treated teeth and 94% of sealapex treated teeth showed absence of swelling. The differences between two groups were statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this short period of study, Bioceramics based sealer seems to be more effective than calcium hydroxide based sealer in repair of periapical lesions of the nonvital teeth