Melatonin downregulates the increased hepatic alpha-fetoprotein expression and restores pancreatic beta cells in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model: a clinical, biochemical, immunohistochemical, and descriptive histopathological study

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder. Hepatopathy is one of the serious effects of DM Melatonin (MT) is a potent endogenous antioxidant that can control insulin output. However, little information is available about the potential association between melatonin and hepatic alpha-fetoprotein expression in diabetes.ObjectiveThis study was conducted to assess the influence of MT on diabetes-related hepatic injuries and to determine how β-cells of the pancreas in diabetic rats respond to MT administration.Materials and methodsForty rats were assigned to four groups at random (ten animals per group). Group I served as a normal control group. Group II was induced with DM, and a single dose of freshly prepared streptozotocin (45 mg/kg body weight) was intraperitoneally injected. In Group III, rats received 10 mg/kg/day of intraperitoneal melatonin (IP MT) intraperitoneally over a period of 4 weeks. In Group IV (DM + MT), following the induction of diabetes, rats received MT (the same as in Group III). Fasting blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and serum insulin levels were assessed at the end of the experimental period. Serum liver function tests were performed. The pancreas and liver were examined histopathologically and immunohistochemically for insulin and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) antibodies, respectively.ResultsMT was found to significantly modulate the raised blood glucose, HbA1c, and insulin levels induced by diabetes, as well as the decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Furthermore, MT attenuated diabetic degenerative changes in the pancreas and the hepatic histological structure, increased the β-cell percentage area, and decreased AFP expression in the liver tissue. It attenuated diabetes-induced hepatic injury by restoring pancreatic β-cells; its antioxidant effect also reduced hepatocyte injury.ConclusionCollectively, the present study confirmed the potential benefits of MT in downregulating the increased hepatic alpha-fetoprotein expression and in restoring pancreatic β-cells in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, suggesting its promising role in the treatment of diabetes

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Assessment of hepatitis B immunization programme among school students in Qatar

تقييم برنامج تطعيم طلاب المدارس ضد التهاب الكبد B في قطر. حمد الرميحي، هناء المصري، شيرين شوقي، محمد آل ثاني، صلاح العويدي، محمد أحمد جناحي، معتز دربالة، خالد الأنصاري، روبرت أليسون. الخلفية: في عام 2010 ، تَبَنَّت قطر هدف خفض معدل انتشار فيروس التهاب الكبد B إلى أقل من 1% لدى الأطفال بحلول عام 2015. ولقد قدر استيطان فيروس التهاب الكبد B بإقليم شرق المتوسط في منظمة الصحة العالمية بدرجة متوسطة، لأن معدل انتشاره يتراوح بين 2% و 7%. وتشير التقديرات إلى أن 4.3 مليون شخص يعيشون مع العدوى بفيروس التهاب الكبد B في الإقليم. الهدف: أجريت هذه الدراسة لتقييم معدل الانتشار المصلي لفيروس التهاب الكبد B لدى الأطفال، والتغطية بالتطعيم ضد التهاب الكبد B، والتعرُّض المحتمل لعوامل الخطر، ومعرفة الآباء/الأوصياء بعدوى التهاب الكبد B. طرق البحث: لقد أجرينا هذه الدراسة المقطعية في قطر خلال العام الدراسي 2015/2016 ، واستخدمنا العينة العنقودية المتعددة المراحل لاختيار عينة ممثلة على الصعيد الوطني تضم 2735 طالباً في الصف الأول من المدرسة بعمر 5 سنوات وأكثر، وجمعنا الدم بوخز الإصبع وفحصناه بالاختبار السريع/اختبار نقطة الرعاية، واستخدمنا الاستبيان الذي يُدار ذاتيًا، والذي أعددنا رموزه مسبقاً، لتقييم معرفة الآباء/الأوصياء عن فيروس التهاب الكبد B، وجمعنا المعلومات حول التغطية بالتطعيم ضد فيروس التهاب الكبد B. النتائج: كانت جميع عينات الدم سلبية للمستضد السطحي لفيروس التهاب الكبد B HBsAg، وكان لدى القطريين المشاركين بالدراسة بطاقات تطعيم وتم تطعيمهم بالكامل، لكن 17.7 % من المشاركين بالدراسة من غير القطريين لم يحملوا بطاقة تطعيم، ولم يكن معظم آبائهم/الأوصياء عليهم على علم بحالة التطعيم لأطفالهم، مما يعرّض الأطفال لمخاطر متعددة لممارسات تنقل العدوى بالتهاب الكبد B. فقد كانت معرفة الآباء/ الأوصياء بالتهاب الكبد B منخفضة. الاستنتاج: لقد تفادت قطر تهديد التهاب الكبد B وحافظت على تغطية عالية لتطعيم الأطفال ضده

Combining hydrophilic chemotherapy and hydrophobic phytotherapy via tumor-targeted albumin–QDs nano-hybrids: covalent coupling and phospholipid complexation approaches

Abstract Background The rationale of this study is to combine the merits of both albumin nanoparticles and quantum dots (QDs) in improved drug tumor accumulation and strong fluorescence imaging capability into one carrier. However, premature drug release from protein nanoparticles and high toxicity of QDs due to heavy metal leakage are among challenging hurdles. Following this platform, we developed cancer nano-theranostics by coupling biocompatible albumin backbone to CdTe QDs and mannose moieties to enhance tumor targeting and reduce QDs toxicity. The chemotherapeutic water soluble drug pemetrexed (PMT) was conjugated via tumor-cleavable bond to the albumin backbone for tumor site-specific release. In combination, the herbal hydrophobic drug resveratrol (RSV) was preformulated as phospholipid complex which enabled its physical encapsulation into albumin nanoparticles. Results Albumin–QDs theranostics showed enhanced cytotoxicity and internalization into breast cancer cells that could be traced by virtue of their high fluorescence quantum yield and excellent imaging capacity. In vivo, the nanocarriers demonstrated superior anti-tumor effects including reduced tumor volume, increased apoptosis, and inhibited angiogenesis in addition to non-immunogenic response. Moreover, in vivo bioimaging test demonstrated excellent tumor-specific accumulation of targeted nanocarriers via QDs-mediated fluorescence. Conclusion Mannose-grafted strategy and QD-fluorescence capability were beneficial to deliver albumin nanocarriers to tumor tissues and then to release the anticancer drugs for killing cancer cells as well as enabling tumor imaging facility. Overall, we believe albumin–QDs nanoplatform could be a potential nano-theranostic for bioimaging and targeted breast cancer therapy