Effect of extracts from Phyllanthus watsonii Airy Shaw on cell apoptosis in cultured human breast cancer MCF-7 cells

Species of Phyllanthus have traditionally been used for hundreds of years for treating many ailments including diabetes, anemia, bronchitis and hepatitis. The present study aims to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of methanol (PWM), hexane (PWH) and ethyl acetate (PWE) extracts from the leaves of the endemic plant Phyllanthus watsonii Airy Shaw (Phyllanthaceae) on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. We observed that the PWM, PWH and PWE extracts were cytotoxic and selectively inhibited the growth and proliferation of MCF-7 cells compared to untreated control in a dose dependent manner with an IC₅₀ of 12.7 ± 4.65, 7.9 ± 0.60 and 7.7 ± 0.29 μg/ml, respectively. However, the extracts were not toxic at these concentrations to normal human lung fibroblast MRC-5 cells. Cell death induced by PWM, PWH and PWE extracts were mainly due to apoptosis which was characterized by apoptotic morphological changes and a nuclear DNA fragmentation. Caspase-3 activation following P. watsonii extracts treatment was also evident for apoptotic cell death which was preceded by an S phase cell cycle perturbation. The results suggested that the cytotoxic activity of P. watsonii extracts was related to an early event of cell cycle perturbation and a later event of apoptosis. Hence, P. watsonii displays potential to be further exploited in the discovery and development of new anticancer agents.     

Immune-stimulatory potential of hot water extracts of selected edible mushrooms

Polysaccharides isolated from mushrooms have recently attracted attention due to its potential immune-stimulatory activity. The aim of this study was to validate the in vitro immune-stimulatory activities of various mushroom extracts. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay revealed that Pleurotus eryngii, with the highest β-glucan (18.94%) content, displayed highest viability on macrophage cells of 62.59% at 200?μg/ml concentration. Pleurotus cystidiosus, with 18.16% β-glucan, content showed highest activation of NF-kB (0.7?µg/ml) at a concentration of 100?µg/ml. Termitomyces heimii, with the lowest percentage of β-glucan (0.51%), exhibited highest phagocytosis index of 9.38 at 12.5?µg/ml. The brown strain of Agaricus bisporus with 1.54% of β-glucan stimulates the highest nitric oxide (NO) production of 12.39?µM nitrite oxide at 100?µg/ml. This study revealed that hot water extracts of mushrooms have different β-glucan contents and produced varying immune-stimulatory activities. Among these, Pleurotus spp. demonstrated the highest percentage of β-glucan content and viability of macrophage cells. Pleurotus spp. are deemed immune-stimulatory by increasing phagocytic activity, NO production, and triggered the activation of NF-kB.     

Controlled release of a plant growth regulator, alpha-naphthaleneacetate from the lamella of Zn-Al-layered double hydroxide nanocomposite.

Formation of the so-called organic-inorganic nanohybrid material was exploited for the preparation of a controlled release formulation. The inorganic Zn-Al-layered double hydroxide (LDH) was used as a matrix, hosting an active agent or a guest, alpha-naphthaleneacetate (NAA), a plant growth regulator by self-assembly technique. The reverse process, i.e., the deintercalation or release of the guest, NAA was found to be rapid initially, followed by a more sustained release thereafter and this behavior was dependent on the pH of the release medium, the aqueous solution. The mechanism of release has been interpreted on the basis of the ion-exchange process between the NAA anion intercalated in the lamella host and nitrate or hydroxyl anions in the aqueous solution.     

Chest wall resection and reconstruction: a case series of 20 patients in Hospital Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia

Chest wall resection is defined as partial or full-thickness removal of the chest wall. Significant morbidity has been recorded, with documented respiratory failure as high as 27%. Medical records of all patients who had undergone chest wall resection and reconstruction were reviewed. Patients’ demographics, length of surgery, reconstruction method, size of tumor and chest wall defect, histopathological result, complications, duration of post-operative antibiotics, and hospital stay were assessed. From 1 April 2017 to 30 April 2019, a total of 20 patients underwent chest wall reconstructive surgery. The median age was 57 years, with 12 females and 8 males. Fourteen patients (70%) had malignant disease and 6 patients (30%) had benign disease. Nine patients underwent rigid reconstruction (titanium mesh for sternum and titanium plates for ribs), 6 patients had non-rigid reconstruction (with polypropylene or composite mesh), and 5 patients had primary closure. Nine patients (45%) required closure with myocutaneous flap. Complications were noted in 70% of patients. Patients who underwent primary closure had minor complications. In total, 66.7% of patients who had closure with either fasciocutaneous or myocutaneous flaps had threatened flap necrosis. Two patients developed pneumonia and 3 patients (15%) had respiratory failure requiring tracheostomy and prolonged ventilation. There was 1 mortality (5%) in this series. In conclusion, chest wall resections involving large defects require prudent clinical judgment and multidisciplinary assessments in determining the choice of chest wall reconstruction to improve outcomes.     

The Concurrent Validity and Reliability of Single Leg Squat Among Physically Active Females with and without Dynamic Knee Valgus

BackgroundThe single leg squat (SLS) motion imitates various maneuvers in sports. It is commonly used as a functional test for the lower limb. SLS with two-dimensional (2-D) video analysis is regularly performed in the clinical setting to assess dynamic knee valgus (DKV). However, 2-D video analysis may not be able to demonstrate the same level of accuracy as three-dimensional (3-D) motion analysis.PurposeThis study aimed to determine the within- and between-day reliability as well as the concurrent validity of 2-D and 3-D motion analysis of lower limb kinematics during 45° and 60° SLS among physically active females with and without DKV.Study DesignCross-sectional studyMethodsA total of 34 physically active females (17 individuals with excessive DKV and 17 without DKV) participated in the study. Their DKV was determined based on the cut-off values of knee frontal plane projection angle during drop landing. Their lower limb kinematics during SLS at 45° and 60° knee flexion were captured simultaneously by digital cameras (2-D motion capture) and infrared cameras (3-D motion capture). Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used as an indicator for within- and between-day reliability tests of both groups. Bland-Altman Plot and Pearson correlation were used to examine the validity of 2-D and 3-D motion capture methods in evaluating knee valgus angle.ResultsTwo-dimensional knee FPPA and 3-D knee angle measured during 45° and 60° SLS in normal and excessive DKV groups showed moderate to excellent within-day and between-day reliability (ICC≥ 0.50). The current study showed that the 2-D knee frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) during 45° SLS were valid for the non-dominant leg in both groups. Additionally, the 2-D knee FPPA during 60° SLS were valid for non-dominant leg in excessive DKV group and dominant leg in normal group.ConclusionTwo-dimensional knee FPPA during 45° and 60° SLS also showed high within-and between-day reliability for both groups. The validity of 2-D knee FPPA during SLS depends on the squat depth, stance leg, and presence of DKV.Level of Evidence2B     

Performance Evaluation of Modified Rubberized Concrete Exposed to Aggressive Environments

Recycling of the waste rubber tire crumbs (WRTCs) for the concretes production generated renewed interest worldwide. The insertion of such waste as a substitute for the natural aggregates in the concretes is an emergent trend for sustainable development towards building materials. Meanwhile, the enhanced resistance of the concrete structures against aggressive environments is important for durability, cost-saving, and sustainability. In this view, this research evaluated the performance of several modified rubberized concretes by exposing them to aggressive environments i.e., acid, and sulphate attacks, elevated temperatures. These concrete (12 batches) were made by replacing the cement and natural aggregate with an appropriate amount of the granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) and WRTCs, respectively. The proposed mix designs’ performance was evaluated by several measures, including the residual compressive strength (CS), weight loss, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), microstructures, etc. Besides, by using the available experimental test database, an optimized artificial neural network (ANN) combined with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) was developed to estimate the residual CS of modified rubberized concrete after immersion one year in MgSO₄ and H₂SO₄ solutions. The results indicated that modified rubberized concrete prepared by 5 to 20% WRTCs as a substitute to natural aggregate, provided lower CS and weight lose expose to sulphate and acid attacks compared to control specimen prepared by ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Although the CS were slightly declined at the elevated temperature, these proposed mix designs have a high potential for a wide variety of concrete industrial applications, especially in acid and sulphate risk.     

Tuberculous aortic pseudoaneurysm treated with in situ silver-impregnated vascular inlay graft

A 62-year-old man presented with continuous, persistent backache shortly after completion of antituberculosis medication for tuberculosis (TB) of the spine. Computed tomography scan revealed a pseudoaneurysm involving the infrarenal aorta. He was restarted on anti-TB medication and underwent repair of the pseudoaneurysm with an in situ silver-coated bifurcated Dacron graft. His postoperative recovery was uneventful and he remained well up to 12 months of follow up. To our knowledge, this is the first case in the literature where an in situ silver-impregnated vascular graft has been successfully used in treating a tuberculous pseudoaneurysm.     

Performance status and deaths among children registered in Kuwait National Primary ImmunoDeficiency Disorders Registry

Children with primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDD) have an increased risk of suffering from physical, social, and psychological problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance status and mortality of children with PIDD in Kuwait and to determine the variables and co-morbidities that may affect their performance and risk of death. The data for the children were obtained from Kuwait National Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders Registry describes the patients' characteristics, comorbidities and their treatment regimens. Each patient was scored using the Lansky Play Performance Scale (LPPS), and we evaluated the number of deaths among the children and the effects of different variables on their LPPS scores and mortality. We examined 98 pediatric patients with a mean delay in diagnosis of 21.2 months. Antimicrobial prophylaxis was administered to 57.2% of the patients, whereas intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy was used in 44%. Eight patients underwent bone marrow transplants. The mean LPPS score for all the patients was 65.5, and there was a significant disparity in the mean LPPS scores across PIDD categories. Twenty-one patients died. The variables that were found to have a significant effect on both the LPPS score and the risk of death were an age of onset of less than 6 months, a history of CMV infection, parental consanguinity, the use of antimicrobial prophylaxis and IVIG therapy. In conclusion, patients with PIDD have a poor performance status and a high rate of mortality. Early diagnosis and aggressive therapeutic interventions directed at patients with early onset of symptoms and CMV infections can help improve the quality of life of patients with PIDD.