Sedative, Cognitive Impairment and Anxiolytic Effects of Acute Mitragyna Speciosa in Rodents

Mitragyna speciosa, a plant from Rubiaceae family, was reported to have an opium-like effect and their coca-like stimulative ability to combat fatigue and enhance tolerance to hard work. There are lack of information regarding to the effect of Mitragyna speciosa on cognitive and behavioural performances. Therefore the project was conducted to observe the effect of Mitragyna speciosa on cognitive behavior of rats and mice. Mitragyna speciosa in methanol extract form and aqueous extract form with same dosage distributions were used; 10 mg/kg, 30 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg. Four tests were conducted to observe the behavioural changes of the animal namely locomotor, cognitive performances, anxiety and rotarod performance. Results showed that all dosage of treatment reduced locomotor and impaired cognitive performance significantly. Study showed that Mitragyna speciosa induce sedative effect in dose dependant manner. Interestingly, Mitragyna speciosa increased the time spent in open arm of plus maze indicating low anxiety level of the rodent, As conclusion, Mitragyna speciosa caused sedative effect, impairment in working memory, and possess anxiolytic properties.     

BLAP18/RMI2, a novel OB-fold-containing protein, is an essential component of the Bloom helicase-double Holliday junction dissolvasome

Bloom Syndrome is an autosomal recessive cancer-prone disorder caused by mutations in the BLM gene. BLM encodes a DNA helicase of the RECQ family, and associates with Topo IIIalpha and BLAP75/RMI1 (BLAP for BLM-associated polypeptide/RecQ-mediated genome instability) to form the BTB (BLM-Topo IIIalpha-BLAP75/RMI1) complex. This complex can resolve the double Holliday junction (dHJ), a DNA intermediate generated during homologous recombination, to yield noncrossover recombinants exclusively. This attribute of the BTB complex likely serves to prevent chromosomal aberrations and rearrangements. Here we report the isolation and characterization of a novel member of the BTB complex termed BLAP18/RMI2. BLAP18/RMI2 contains a putative OB-fold domain, and several lines of evidence suggest that it is essential for BTB complex function. First, the majority of BLAP18/RMI2 exists in complex with Topo IIIalpha and BLAP75/RMI1. Second, depletion of BLAP18/RMI2 results in the destabilization of the BTB complex. Third, BLAP18/RMI2-depleted cells show spontaneous chromosomal breaks and are sensitive to methyl methanesulfonate treatment. Fourth, BLAP18/RMI2 is required to target BLM to chromatin and for the assembly of BLM foci upon hydroxyurea treatment. Finally, BLAP18/RMI2 stimulates the dHJ resolution capability of the BTB complex. Together, these results establish BLAP18/RMI2 as an essential member of the BTB dHJ dissolvasome that is required for the maintenance of a stable genome.     

Pharmacokinetics of ethynyloestradiol in women from different populations

The pharmacokinetics of a dose of 50μg ethynyloestradiol administered orally was studied in fourteen centres. Absorption was rapid and the highest serum concentrations of total ethynyloestradiol were found in most subjects at 1 h and by 24 h concentrations were less than 250 pg/ml. Calculation of the half-lives for absorption, distribution and elimination showed wide variations between subjects, the half-life of elimination varying from 2.5 h to more than 30 h. Bioavailability as measured by the area under the serum ethynyloestradiol concentration-time curve also showed more than a ten-fold variation. Intra-centre differences in the various parameters measured were as large as the inter-centre differences.     

Microdose intravaginal levonorgestrel contraception: a multicentre clinical trial. III. The relationship between pregnancy rate and body weight. World Health Organization. Task Force on Long-Acting Systemic Agents for Fertility Regulation

This paper investigates the relationship between pregnancy rates and body weight of 1005 women using a vaginal ring releasing 20 micrograms levonorgestrel per 24 hours. While the overall pregnancy rate at one year was 3.7%, it was found that women have an increasing risk of pregnancy with increasing body weight. For example, a woman of 40 kg has an estimated pregnancy rate of 1.7% in contrast to 9.8% for a woman of 80 kg weight.     

Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (dmpa) and risk of edometrial cancer

This is a report of results from a case-control study of the relationship of the long-acting progestational contraceptive, depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) to risk of endometrial carcinoma. Prior use of DMPA and information on known and suspected risk factors for endometrial cancer were ascertained in personal interviews with 122 women with histologically confirmed disease and 939 controls selected from 2 hospitals in Bangkok and 1 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Based on 3 exposed cases and 84 exposed controls, the relative risk of endometrial cancer was estimated to be 0.21 (95% confidence interval = 0.06,0.79) in women who had ever used DMPA (but who had not first used DMPA in the year prior to diagnosis). All 3 exposed cases had also received estrogens pre-menopausally. Exposure to such estrogens enhanced risk of endometrial cancer and reduced the apparent protective effect of DMPA. Although based on small numbers of exposed women, the protective effect of DMPA appeared to last for at least 8 years after cessation of use. The reduction in risk of endometrial cancer is at least as great for DMPA as for combined oral contraceptives.     

Comparison of fatty acids, vitamin E and physicochemical properties of Canarium odontophyllum Miq. (dabai), olive and palm oils

Canarium odontophyllum Miq. fruit (dabai) is an important food and oil resource for the native people in Sarawak, Malaysia. However, there is little information regarding their oil composition. In this paper, fatty acid compositions, vitamin E contents and physicochemical properties of dabai pulp and kernel oils were studied. These parameters were compared with commercial olive and palm oils. The content of total saturated fatty acid was found to be 44.4% in dabai pulp, kernel (60.8%), palm oil (47.9%) and olive (25.5%) oils. Palmitic, myristic, oleic and linoleic acids were detected in dabai pulp oil (36.1, 5.8, 41.5 and 11.8%) dabai kernel oil (46.4, 9.3, 35.1 and 2.8%), palm oil (33.8, 9.2, 39.7 and 10.9%) and olive oil (9.9, 12.9, 64.4 and 5.1%). Vitamin E was not detected in the dabai pulp oil, while palm oil had the highest vitamin E content, followed by dabai kernel oil and olive oil. In addition, the physicochemical characteristics of dabai oils show better quality than the studied commercial oils. The present study also showed that dabai pulp and kernel oils have good fatty acid composition and a high potential to be developed into healthy cooking oils.     

A comparative study of topical anesthesia for laparoscopic sterilization with the use of the tubal ring

A study of 300 women undergoing sterilization via standard or open laparoscopy was conducted at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand; one aspect of the study was designed to determine whether application of topical anesthesia to the fallopian tubes reduces the degree of pain experienced by the patient. The use or nonuse of topical anesthesia was randomized for all cases. Overall, data from this study indicate that application of topical anesthesia to the fallopian tubes tends to diminish surgical pain of patients sterilized by use of either the standard laparoscopy or the open laparoscopy approach and that pain in the recovery period is also reduced for open laparoscopy patients.     

Lipid lowering effect of antioxidant alpha-lipoic Acid in experimental atherosclerosis

Accumulating data demonstrated that hypercholesterolemia and oxidative stress play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. In the present study, a protective activity of alpha-lipoic acid; a metabolic antioxidant in hypercholesterolemic-induced animals was investigated. Eighteen adult male New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit were segregated into three groups labelled as group N, HCD and ALA (n = 6). Group N (normal control) was fed with normal chow, the rest (HCD and ALA) were fed with 100 g/head/day of 1% cholesterol rich diet to induce hypercholesterolemia. Four point two mg/body weight of alpha lipoic acid was concomintantly supplemented to the ALA group. Drinking water was given ad-libitum. The study was designed for 10 weeks. Blood sampling was taken from the ear lobe vein at the beginning, week 5 and week 10. Plasma was prepared for lipid profile estimation and microsomal lipid peroxidation index indicated with malondialdehyde (MDA) formation. At the end of the experiment, the animals were sacrificed and the aorta were excised for intimal lesion analysis. The plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were found to be significantly low in ALA group compared to that of the HCD group (p<0.05). Similarly, low level of MDA (p<0.05) in ALA group was observed compared to that of the HCD group showing a significant reduction of lipid peroxidation activity. Histomorphometric intimal lesion analysis of the aorta showing less of atheromatous plaque formation in alpha lipoic acid supplemented group (p<0.05) compared to HCD group. These findings suggested that alpha lipoic acid posses a dual lipid lowering and anti-atherosclerotic properties indicated with low plasma TC and LDL levels and reduction of athero-lesion formation in hypercholesterolemic-induced rabbits.