RNA-interference in rice against Rice tungro bacilliform virus results in its decreased accumulation in inoculated rice plants

Rice tungro is a viral disease seriously affecting rice production in South and Southeast Asia. Tungro is caused by the simultaneous infection in rice of Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV), a double-stranded DNA virus and Rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV), a single-stranded RNA virus. To apply the concept of RNA-interference (RNAi) for the control of RTBV infection, transgenic rice plants expressing DNA encoding ORF IV of RTBV, both in sense as well as in anti-sense orientation, resulting in the formation of double-stranded (ds) RNA, were raised. RNA blot analysis of two representative lines indicated specific degradation of the transgene transcripts and the accumulation of small molecular weight RNA, a hallmark for RNA-interference. In the two transgenic lines expressing ds-RNA, different resistance responses were observed against RTBV. In one of the above lines (RTBV-O-Ds1), there was an initial rapid buildup of RTBV levels following inoculation, comparable to that of untransformed controls, followed by a sharp reduction, resulting in approximately 50-fold lower viral titers, whereas the untransformed controls maintained high levels of the virus till 40 days post-inoculation (dpi). In RTBV-O-Ds2, RTBV DNA levels gradually rose from an initial low to almost 60% levels of the control by 40 dpi. Line RTBV-O-Ds1 showed symptoms of tungro similar to the untransformed control lines, whereas line RTBV-O-Ds2 showed extremely mild symptoms

Human Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells Acquire Epithelial Characteristics through Fusion with Gastrointestinal Epithelial Cells

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have the ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types and are a potential source for epithelial tissue repair. Several studies have demonstrated their ability to repopulate the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in bone marrow transplanted patients or in animal models of gastrointestinal carcinogenesis where they were the source of epithelial cancers. However, mechanism of MSC epithelial differentiation still remains unclear and controversial with trans-differentiation or fusion events being evoked. This study aimed to investigate the ability of MSC to acquire epithelial characteristics in the particular context of the gastrointestinal epithelium and to evaluate the role of cell fusion in this process. In vitro coculture experiments were performed with three gastrointestinal epithelial cell lines and MSC originating from two patients. After an 8 day coculture, MSC expressed epithelial markers. Use of a semi-permeable insert did not reproduce this effect, suggesting importance of cell contacts. Tagged cells coculture or FISH on gender-mismatched cells revealed clearly that epithelial differentiation resulted from cellular fusion events, while expression of mesenchymal markers on fused cells decreased over time. In vivo cell xenograft in immunodeficient mice confirmed fusion of MSC with gastrointestinal epithelial cells and self-renewal abilities of these fused cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that fusion could be the predominant mechanism by which human MSC may acquire epithelial characteristics when in close contact with epithelial cells from gastrointestinal origin . These results could contribute to a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms allowing MSC engraftment into the GIT epithelium

Validity of a surveillance system for childhood injuries in a rural block of Tamilnadu

<b>Background:</b> Childhood injuries are increasingly getting the attention of public health experts following WHO&#x2032;s report on global burden of diseases. Surveillance is an important component of control of any disease and effectiveness of the surveillance system depends upon completeness of the information about occurrence of the health related events to the public health authorities. <b> Aims:</b> This study aimed to set up a surveillance system for childhood injuries and validate it by a survey and thereafter estimate the incidence of childhood injuries using capture recapture method. Settings and Design: Observational study design. <b> Materials and Methods:</b> Passive surveillance system for childhood injuries was created for 26,811 children of less than fourteen years of Kaniyambadi block and it was validated by cross sectional study at the end of surveillance period. Using these two independent information systems, capture recapture method was applied to find out the possible incidence of injuries in the given population at a given period of time. <b> Statistics:</b> Chi square, Lincoln Peterson formula for capture re-capture method. <b> Results:</b> Surveillance and survey for childhood injuries identified 13.59/1000 child-years (CI: 11.86 -15.32) and 341.89/1000 child-years (CI: 254.46-429.33) of injury rates, respectively. <b> Conclusion:</b> Passive surveillance system underreports childhood injuries markedly but it does identify childhood injuries of serious nature

Antimicrobial activity of various root extracts of Coleus forskohlii

Abstract The antimicrobial activity and phytochemical properties were screened using ethanol, methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether, hexane, hot water, and acetone extracts of Coleus forskohlii, Lamiaceae. Root extracts of Coleus forskohlii were evaluated by agar well diffusion method against six bacterial species and five fungal species. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the root extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, amino acids, flavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds and terpenoids in the different root extracts was established. The ethanol extract was more effective against Bacillus cereus and Micrococcus luteus and Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas acetone extract was more effective against Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus cereus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The different extracts were also found to be effective against the test fungi such as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The results of the present study suggest that Coleus forskohlii roots can be used in treating diseases caused by the tested organisms

XAV-939 Suppress Metastasis by Inhibiting Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Dysfunctions of Wnt, Hedgehog and Notch pathways are evident in multiple tumor types and Malignancies. A number of studies have suggested that dysregulation of Wnt/?-catenin signaling occurs in human breast cancer. Specifically, inhibition of Wnt/ ?-catenin pathway is implicated in arresting of cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subset of cancer cells capable of self-renewal and differentiation into heterogeneous tumor cells. Here, we investigated tumor initiating property of breast cancer stem cell in-vitro with XAV-939 an inhibitor of Wnt/?-catenin signaling pathway. Targeting Wnt/?-catenin signaling with this inhibitor represents a promising strategy to suppress metastasis