Bioassay-Guided Fractionation and In Vitro Antiproliferative Effects of Fractions of Artemisia nilagirica on THP-1 cell line

Artemisia nilagirica (Clarke) is a widely used medicinal herb in Indian traditional system of medicine. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of A. nilagirica extracts/fractions on inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis in a human monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cell line. The crude extracts (A. nilagirica ethyl acetate extract [ANE] and A. nilagirica methanolic extract [ANA]) showed cytotoxic activity toward THP-1 cells with the IC₅₀ values of 38.21 ± 7.37 and 132.41 ± 7.19 µg/ml, respectively. However, the cytotoxic activity of active fractions (ANE-B and ANM-9) obtained after column chromatography was found to be much more pronounced than their parent extracts. The IC₅₀ values of ANE-B and ANM-9 were found to be 27.04 ± 2.54 µg/ml and 12.70 ± 4.79 µg/ml, respectively, suggesting greater susceptibility of the malignant cells. Cell cycle analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end-labeling (TUNEL) assay revealed that inhibition of cell growth by A. nilagirica fractions on THP-1 cells was mediated by apoptosis. Active fractions of A. nilagirica increased the expression levels of caspase-3, ?7, and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), a critical member of the apoptotic pathway. These results suggested that active fractions of A. nilagirica may play a promising role in growth suppression by inducing apoptosis in human monocytic leukemic cells via mitochondria-dependent and death receptor-dependent apoptotic pathways.     

Oncogenic extrachromosomal DNA functions as mobile enhancers to globally amplify chromosomal transcription

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Glycosylated hemoglobin and diabetic retinopathy

Estimation of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels by modified Fluckinger and Winterhalter's method was done in 25 normal persons, 25 diabetic patients without retinopathy, and 25 diabetic patients with retinopathy. The HbA1c values were significantly higher in diabetic patients with or without retinopathy than in the control group (P less than .001). In diabetic patients with retinopathy, the mean value of HbA1c was higher in proliferative retinopathy than in background retinopathy, but statistical analysis showed this was not significant (P greater than .6).     

Stroke in tuberculous meningitis

Stroke in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) occurs in 15-57% of patients especially in advance stage and severe illness. The majority of strokes may be asymptomatic because of being in a silent area, deep coma or associated pathology such as spinal arachnoiditis or tuberculoma. Methods of evaluation also influence the frequency of stroke. MRI is more sensitive in detecting acute (DWI) and chronic (T2, FLAIR) stroke. Most of the strokes in TBM are multiple, bilateral and located in the basal ganglia especially the 'tubercular zone' which comprises of the caudate, anterior thalamus, anterior limb and genu of the internal capsule. These are attributed to the involvement of medial striate, thalamotuberal and thalamostriate arteries which are embedded in exudates and likely to be stretched by a coexistent hydrocephalus. Cortical stroke can also occur due to the involvement of proximal portion of the middle, anterior and posterior cerebral arteries as well as the supraclinoid portion of the internal carotid and basilar arteries which are documented in MRI, angiography and autopsy studies. Arteritis is more common than infarction in autopsy study. The role of cytokines especially tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metaloproteineases (MMPs) in damaging the blood brain barrier, attracting leucocytes and release of vasoactive autocoids have been suggested. The prothrombotic state may also contribute to stroke in TBM. Corticosteroids with antitubercular therapy were thought to reduce mortality and morbidity but their role in reducing strokes has not been proven. Aspirin also reduces mortality and its role in reducing stroke in TBM needs further studies.