High Seroprevalence Against Typhus Group and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiae in Rural Indigenous Populations of Peninsular Malaysia

Rickettsioses of the typhus group (TG) and spotted fever group (SFG) are emerging bacterial infections worldwide, especially in the tropics. Only a few studies on these pathogens and their respective clinical diseases have been conducted in Malaysia. Here, we performed a seroprevalence study among 544 healthy, afebrile indigenous people (Orang Asli) from peninsular Malaysia for TG and SFG rickettsioses in nine rural and peri-urban settlements. The study population encompassed children, adolescents, and adults. The overall seroprevalence of rickettsiosis in the Orang Asli was 48.5%, with 27.9% seroprevalence against TG rickettsiae and 20.6% seroprevalence against SFG rickettsiae. In 7.9% of the study participants, antibodies against both rickettsial groups were found. The highest seropositivity rates against TG and SRG rickettsiae were detected in young children and adults. Overall, there were no gender differences. Seroprevalences were similar among inhabitants of different settlements, except for two localities. More studies are needed to shed more light on the ecology and risk factors for TG and SFG rickettsioses in Malaysia

THE EFFECTS OF OPEN FIELD EXPOSURE ON THE ANXIETY AND LOCOMOTIVE BEHAVIOR OF ADULT MALE WISTAR RATS IN ELEVATED PLUS MAZE

Anxiety is a multifaceted emotional disorder which requires multiple research models for effective assessment of the condition. Usually, a large number of animals will be used for a single study which will not be reused in other studies. The use of different groups of animals for different aspects of any study may create inter-subject variations that can confound the observed results. Objective of this study is to investigate the effect of pre-exposure to open field (OF) on the anxiety and locomotor behaviors of male adult Wistar rats in elevated plus maze (EPM). We evaluated the effect of pre-exposure in OF on the anxiety and locomotor behaviors of rats at 3 different time intervals. The control group consisted of rats which underwent single exposure in EPM, and the other three groups consisted of rats which underwent a pre-exposure in OF immediately before the EPM session, 2 days before the EPM session, and a week before the EPM session. Our results show that there was no significant effect of OF pre-exposure on the anxiety and the locomotive behavior of rats in EPM at these 3 different intervals. In conclusions, these tests can be conducted successively with minimum time duration in the gap between these two tests

Effects of the mGluR5 antagonist MPEP on ethanol withdrawal induced anxiety-like syndrome in rats

Abstinence from chronic ethanol consumption leads to the manifestation of a variety of symptoms attributed to central nervous system hyperexcitability, such as increased irritability, anxiety, and restlessness. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) in addictive behaviours. This study investigates the effects of the mGluR5 antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP) on ethanol withdrawal induced anxiety using two behavioural paradigms. Male Wistar rats were fed a Modified Liquid Diet (MLD) containing low fat cow milk, sucrose, and maltodextrin with a gradual introduction of 2.4%, 4.8% and 7.2% ethanol for 20 days. Six hours into ethanol withdrawal, the rats were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline and MPEP (2.5, 5.0, 10, 20, 30 mg/kg) and were assessed for ethanol withdrawal induced anxiety-like syndrome using an automated elevated plus maze and an open field. MPEP at 10 mg/kg significantly attenuated ethanol withdrawal induced anxiety without any compromising effects on locomotor activities. Despite reversing several indices of ethanol withdrawal induced anxiety in both the elevated plus maze and the open field, low doses of MPEP (2.5, 5 mg/kg) significantly compromised the locomotor activities of ethanol withdrawn rats. High doses of MPEP (20 and 30 mg/kg) significantly attenuated withdrawal anxiety when tested in the elevated plus maze but not in the open field. Administration of MPEP (2.5, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg/kg) has no significant compromising effect on the locomotor activities of ethanol naïve rats. Despite significantly reducing withdrawal anxiety in both behavioural paradigms at 10 mg/kg, the compromising effects of low and high doses of MPEP must be further explored along with the therapeutic efficiency of this drug for relieving withdrawal induced anxiety

Comparison of THP-1 Macrophages Viability in Different Types of Culture Vessel

The ox-LDL generated apoptotic bodies using THP-1 macrophage is a useful tool to study foam cell formation in atherosclerosis. However, the common problem is the cells in the negative control (i.e., absence of ox-LDL) undergo apoptosis. Therefore, the type of cell culture vessel was proposed to be the key factor contributing to cell apoptosis. The THP-1 cells were differentiated into M1 macrophages using 10 ng/μL PMA, 5 ng/μL LPS, and 20 ng/μL IFN-? while 5 ng/μL PMA, 20 ng/μL IL-4 and 20 ng/μL IL-13 were used to differentiate THP-1 into M2 macrophages. Two types of cell culture vessels (6-well plate and T25 flask) were used to culture the macrophages. The cells were subsequently stained using Annexin V-FITC and Propidium Iodide prior to flow cytometry analysis. Interestingly, both M1 and M2 macrophages cultured in the T25 flask resulted in a significantly higher percentage of cell viability compared to macrophages cultured in 6-well plate [M1: 84.15% ± 4.39 vs 8.02% ± 1.55, p < 0.0001; M2: 95.95% ± 1.74 vs 10.50% ± 0.05, p < 0.0001]. In summary, the type of culture vessel is a vital factor in determining cell viability attributed to the surface area and cell seeding density in different types of vessels. Keywords: Apoptosis, cell viability, culture vessel, macrophage, THP-

Beverage Intake and the Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus:The SECOST

The contribution and impact of beverage intake to total nutrient and energy intake may be substantial. Given the link between lifestyle, diet, and the risk of pregnancy complications, this study investigated the association between the quantity and types of beverages with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. The study included 452 women from the Seremban Cohort Study (SECOST). The mean energy by beverage intake was 273 ± 23.83 kcal/day (pre-pregnancy), 349 ± 69.46 kcal/day (first trimester) and 361 ± 64.24 kcal/day (second trimester). Women significantly increased intake of maternal milks and malted drinks, but significantly reduced the intake of carbonated drinks and other drinks from before until the second trimester of pregnancy. For chocolate drinks, carbonated drinks, and soy milk, women increased intake from pre-conception to the first trimester, but reduced their intake from the first to the second trimester. While higher intake of cultured-milk drinks was associated with an increased risk of GDM, higher fruit juice intake was associated with a lower risk of GDM. However, these associations were only observed for intake prior to pregnancy and during the first trimester. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings and investigate the contributions of different beverages to overall diet quality as well as adverse health outcomes during pregnancy

Antibody prevalence and factors associated with exposure to Orientia tsutsugamushi in different aboriginal subgroups in West Malaysia

Background: Limited data is available on the current status of scrub typhus infection in the aboriginal population in Malaysia. This study was aimed to provide recent data on the degree of exposure of 280 individuals from seven aboriginal subgroups to Orientia tsutsugamushi (causative agent of scrub typhus) in West Malaysia. The environment, socioeconomic and behavioural risk factors associated with the disease were also investigated. Methods/Findings: The antibody prevalence to O. tsutsugamushi ranged from 0 to 36.4% in seven subgroups, with high prevalence rates noted in subgroups involved in agricultural activity and the lowest prevalence rates noted in subgroups whose main occupations were associated to fishing. Univariate analysis indicated populations with age above 18 years (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.02–1.30, P = 0.015), working (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.01–3.92, P = 0.044), working at agriculture area (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.98–1.42, P = 0.031), receiving household income less than US$166.7 (RM500) per month (OR = 2.43, 95$ 166.7 (RM500) per month and having close contact with animal pets are 3.6 times (95% CI = 1.81–7.03, P,0.001), 1.3 times (95% CI = 1.14–1.64, P = 0.002) and 1.2 times (95% CI = 1.05–1.06, P = 0.006) more likely to have exposure to O. tsutsugamushi, respectively. Conclusion: The present study indicates that scrub typhus is still an important disease in the aboriginal population in Malaysia. Awareness about the disease and education on the preventive measures are important in reducing the risk of acquiring scrub typhus in the population studied

Associations between the dietary patterns of pregnant Malaysian women and ethnicity, education, and early pregnancy waist circumference:A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the dietary patterns (DPs) of women during pregnancy. The present study aimed to identify the DPs of pregnant Malaysian women and their associations with socio-demographic, obstetric, and anthropometric characteristics.SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 737 participants enrolled in Seremban Cohort Study between 2013 and 2015. Food consumption was assessed using a validated 126-food item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) at four time-points, namely, pre-pregnancy and at each trimester (first, second, and third). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify DPs.RESULTS: Three DPs were identified at each time point and designated DP 1-3 (pre-pregnancy), DP 4-6 (first trimester), DP 7-9 (second trimester) and DP 10-12 (third trimester). DP 1, 4, and 7 appeared to be more prudent diets, characterized by higher intakes of nuts, seeds &amp; legumes, green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, eggs, fruits, and milk &amp; dairy products. DP 2, 5, 8, and 11 had greater loadings of condiments &amp; spices, sugar, spreads &amp; creamer, though DP 2 had additional sweet foods, DP 5 and 8 had additional oils &amp; fats, and DP 11 had additional tea &amp; coffee, respectively. DP 3 and 6 were characterized by high protein (poultry, meat, processed, dairy, eggs, and fish), sugars (mainly as beverages and sweet foods), and energy (bread, cereal &amp; cereal products, rice, noodles &amp; pasta) intakes. DP 9 had additional fruits. However, DP 12 had greater loadings of energy foods (bread, cereal &amp; cereal products, rice, noodles &amp; pasta), sugars (mainly as beverages, and sweet foods), and good protein sources (eggs, nuts, seeds &amp; legumes). Malays were more likely to have lower adherence (LA) for DP 1 and 10 than non-Malays. DP 2, 8, and 11 were more prevalent among Malays than non-Malays. Women with a higher education were more likely to have LA for DP 10, and women with a greater waist circumference at first prenatal visit were more likely to show LA for DP 11.CONCLUSIONS: DPs observed in the present study were substantially different from those reported in Western populations. Information concerning associations between ethnicity, waist circumference and education with specific DPs before and throughout pregnancy could facilitate efforts to promote healthy dietary behavior and the overall health and well-being of pregnant women.</p

Early pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain:A mediating or moderating factor for short stature and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus?

This study examined the association between height and the risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), and whether this association was mediated or moderated by early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) that are known independent risk factors for GDM. Data of a retrospective cohort of pregnant women (N = 1,945) were extracted from antenatal clinic cards. The cut-off values of height in relation to risk of GDM were identified using receiver operating characteristic analysis and four categories of height were derived: 160cm. Mediation analysis was performed using the Preacher and Hayes bootstrapping method while the moderation effect was tested with multiple regression analysis with interaction terms. Although there was no mediation effect of BMI and GWG on the association between height and risk of GDM, both factors moderated this association with a significant association between shorter height and risk of GDM was observed in overweight / obese women (height < 150 cm: AOR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.03-2.44; height 156-160 cm: AOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.03-2.14). Overweight / obese women with height < 150 cm and excessive GWG at the end of the second trimester (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.45-4.17) had significantly higher risk of GDM than those without these factors. Short stature (< 150 cm) was significantly associated with GDM risk among OW/OB women with excessive gestational weight gain at the end of second trimester. This finding underscores the importance of maintaining a healthy BMI during reproductive age and gaining weight in recommended range during pregnancy