Efficacy of Withania somnifera chemotypes NMITLI – 101R, 118R and Withaferin A against experimental visceral leishmaniasis

The immunoprophylactic and therapeutic potentials of root extracts of Withania somnifera chemotypes (NMITLI‐118, NMITLI‐101) and pure withanolide–withaferin A was investigated against Leishmania donovani infection in hamsters. The naive animals, fed orally with immunostimulatory doses of chemotypes 101R, 118R (10 and 3 mg/kg) and withaferin A (9 and 3 mg/kg) for five consecutive days and challenged with Leishmania parasites on day 6, were euthanized on days 30 and 45 p.c. for the assessment of parasite clearance, real‐time analysis of mRNAs of Th1/Th2 cytokines (IFN‐γ, IL‐12, TNF‐α, iNOS/IL‐4, IL‐10 and TGF‐β), NO production, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lymphocyte transformation test and antibody responses. By day 45 p.c., there was a significant increase in the mRNA expression of iNOS, IFN‐γ, IL‐12 and TNF‐α but decrease in IL‐4, IL‐10 and TGF‐β, an enhanced Leishmania‐specific LTT response as well as ROS, NO and antileishmanial IgG2 levels in 101R‐treated hamsters followed by 118R‐ and withaferin A‐treated ones, respectively. When these chemotypes were given to L. donovani‐infected hamsters at different doses, there was moderate therapeutic efficacy of chemotype 101R (~50%) at 30 mg/kg × 5 followed by the other two. The results established that the 101R is the most potential chemotype and can be evaluated for combination therapy along with available antileishmanials.     

Estimation of Quizalofop Ethyl Residues in Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.) by Gas Liquid Chromatography

Quizalofop ethyl, a phenoxy propionate herbicide is used for post emergence control of annual and perennial grass weeds in broad-leaved crops in India. The experiments were designed to study the harvest time residues of quizalofop ethyl in black gram for two seasons. At harvest time, the residues of quizalofop ethyl on black gram seed, foliage and soil were found to be below the determination limit of 0.01 mg kg^?1 following a single application of the herbicide at 50 and 100 g a.i. ha^?1 for both the periods. Application of the herbicide is quite safe from a consumer and environmental point of view.     

14-Deoxyandrographolide alleviates ethanol-induced hepatosteatosis through stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase activity in rats

Andrographis paniculata (AP) is a traditional medicinal plant of Ayurveda. It grows widely in Asia and is prescribed in the treatment of liver diseases. Here we have investigated the beneficial role of 14-deoxyandrographolide (14-DAG), a bioactive diterpenoid from AP, against alcoholic steatosis in rats. 14-DAG was extracted from aerial parts (leaves and stems) of AP. Rats were fed with ethanol for 8 weeks. Animals were treated with 14-DAG during the last 4 weeks of ethanol treatment. In vitro studies were undertaken in a human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line culture. Hepatosteatosis was assessed from histopathological studies of liver sections. Acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, and triglyceride contents were determined using commercially available kits. Fatty acid synthesis was evaluated from incorporation of 1-¹⁴C acetate. Regulation of fatty acid oxidation and lipogenesis were monitored with immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation studies. Ethanol exposure led to hepatotoxicity, as evident from the marked enhancement in the levels of AST and ALT. The values decreased almost to control levels in response to 14-DAG treatment. Results showed that ethanol feeding induced deactivation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) that led to enhanced lipid synthesis and decreased fatty acid oxidation, culminating in hepatic fat accumulation. Treatment with 14-DAG activated AMPK through induction of cyclic AMP-protein kinase A pathway. Activation of AMPK was followed by down-regulation of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase, leading to suppression of lipogenesis. This was associated with up-regulation of sirtuin 1 and depletion of malonyl-CoA, in favor of increased fatty acid oxidation. 14-DAG controlled ethanol-induced hepatosteatosis by interfering with dysregulation of lipid metabolism. In conclusion, our results indicated that 14-DAG was capable of preventing the development of fatty liver through AMPK-mediated regulation of lipid metabolism. This finding supported the hepatoprotective role of 14-DAG, which might serve as a therapeutic option to alleviate hepatosteatosis in chronic alcoholism.     

Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Response on Service Provision for Sexually Transmitted Infections,HIV, and Viral Hepatitis,England

Since the coronavirus disease pandemic response began in March 2020, tests, vaccinations, diagnoses, and treatment initiations for sexual health, HIV, and viral hepatitis in England have declined. The shift towards online and outreach services happened rapidly during 2020 and highlights the need to evaluate the effects of these strategies on health inequalities.     

Immunomodulatory and antimicrobial non-mulberry Antheraea mylitta silk fibroin accelerates in vitro fibroblast repair and regeneration by protecting oxidative stress

The antimicrobial nature of Antharaea mylitta silk-fibroin (SF) is reported but antioxidant potential and the immunomodulatory role towards the fibroblast cell repair process is not explored. Polyurethane is reported to have inflammatory potential by mononuclear cells directed cytokine release, which can guide fibroblast repair. Present study demonstrates the conjunctive effect of inflammatory PU/SF to regulate the favorable shift from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokine stimulation for accelerated fibroblast repair. Minimal inhibitory concentration of SF was determined against pathogenic strains and the effect of SF was investigated for fibroblast NIH3T3 cell adhesion. SF doses (8, 8.5, 9 mg mL⁻¹) were found to be greater than both the IC₅₀ of DPPH scavenging and the ED₅₀ for NIH3T3 proliferation. Anti-lipid peroxidase (ALP) activity of SF doses and citric acid-treated NIH3T3 cells were compared under hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) induced oxidative stress. 9 mg mL⁻¹ SF showed greater ALP activity than the citric acid standard. SF-driven protection to oxidative damage was measured by viable cell fraction in trypan blue dye exclusion assay where 9 mg mL⁻¹ SF showed the highest viability (p ≤ 0.05). 9 mg mL⁻¹ SF was blended with PU for scaffold (w/v = 2 : 5, 2 : 7, 2 : 9) fabrication. The protective effect of PU/SF (2 : 5, 2 : 7, 2 : 9) against oxidative stress was verified by damaged cell survival in MTT assay and DNA quantification. The highest number of cells survived on PU/SF (2 : 9) at all intervals (p ≤ 0.01) upon oxidative damage; PU/SF (2 : 9) was also fabricated by employing the immobilization technique. Immobilized PU/SF (2 : 9) exhibited a greater zone of microbial inhibition, a higher extent of inhibition to microbial adherence, and caused more LDH release from bacterial cell membrane due to membrane rupture, resulting in bacterial cell death (E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus) compared to the experimental results shown by blended PU/SF (2 : 9). The protective nature of PU/SF (2 : 9) against oxidative stress was ensured through the LDH activity of damaged NIH3T3 cells. Initial raised IL-6, TNF-alpha (pro-inflammatory cytokines) and lowered IL-8, IL-10 (anti-inflammatory cytokine) profiles coupled with fallen IL-6, TNF-alpha, and elevated IL-8, IL-10 at later hours synergistically progress the inflammatory phase of in vitro scratch wound repair in mononuclear culture treated by PU/SF (2 : 9).

Initially SF accelerated pro-inflammatory cytokines, restricted anti-inflammatory cytokines; later it regulated in reverse order. SF potentially eradicated ROS and promoted Ki-67 cellular regeneration whereas pristine PU could not.     

Improved biorefinery pathways of marine diatoms using a water miscible ionic liquid and its colloidal solution: efficient lipid extraction and in situ synthesis of fluorescent carbon dots for bio-imaging applications

In this study, a water-miscible ‘classic’ ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazoliumacetate ([EMIM][Ac]), has been used for lipid extraction from marine diatoms Thalassiosira lundiana CSIR-CSMCRI 001 by following a non-polar solvent partition method. The composition of lipid was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In total, 91.4 mg g⁻¹ (dry wt) of lipid was produced, out of which the percentage of docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), myristic acid, palmitic acid, and arachidonic acid was 19.6%, 15.1%, 11.2%, and 10.4%, respectively. The IL-inseparable residual waste solution was directly used to generate green fluorescent carbon dots (FCDs) by constructing a colloidal solution with the help of a surface-active IL, choline dioctyl sulfosuccinate ([Cho][AOT]). The stability of colloidal FCDs was examined using FTIR, FT-NMR, and Raman spectroscopy. FCDs were extracted from the colloidal solutions via the demicellization process and characterized using HR-TEM (2 to 5 nm) and PXRD techniques. The optical properties of colloidal FCDs were measured using UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy and showed a wide range of emission (λ_{460 nm} to λ_{590 nm}). Such FCD stabilized colloidal solutions could be effectively used in fluorescence imaging of yeast cells, thus making the biorefinery approach more sustainable.

In this study, a water-miscible ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazoliumacetate ([EMIM][Ac]), has been used for lipid extraction from marine diatoms Thalassiosira lundiana CSIR-CSMCRI 001 by following a non-polar solvent partition method.     

Judgment of facial expression of emotion in unilateral brain-damaged patients.

Patients with unilateral brain damage and normal controls were asked to give (1) inter-emotion judgment within the photographs of six facial emotions in terms of mutual similarities, and (2) intra-emotion judgment within the hemifacial composite photographs of an emotion in terms of intensity of expression. Right brain-damaged patients could differentiate between the emotion of happiness and all other emotions. Left brain-damaged patients differentiated between aroused-nonaroused emotions. Normal controls differentiated between positive-negative as well as aroused-nonaroused emotions. Left-left facial composites were judged to have expressed more intensely than right-right facial composites or normal/mirror-reversed facial orientations of emotions (except fear) by any group (p >.05).     

Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma ovary and associated pseudomyxoma peritonei: report of a case

Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is most commonly associated with intra-abdominal spread of an appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and very rarely seen in cases of primary ovarian tumours. Mucinous adenocarcinoma arising in a mature cystic teratoma giving rise to PMP is even rarer. Extensive medlar search has revealed only nine cases; we are reporting tenth such case.