Filaria monitoring visualization system: a geographical information system-based application to manage lymphatic filariasis in Andhra Pradesh, India

Among various public health diseases, filariasis constitutes a major public health problem in India, wherein an estimated 553.7 million people are at risk of infection. The aim of this article is to present a spatial mapping and analysis of filariasis data over a 3-year period (2004-2007) from Karimnagar, Chittoor, East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. The data include epidemiological and entomological studies (i.e., infection rate, infectivity rate, mosquito per man hour, and microfilaria rate). These parameters were customized on Geographical Information System (GIS) platform and developed filaria monitoring visualization system (FMVS) for identifying the endemic/risk areas of filariasis among these four districts. GIS map for filariasis transmission from the study areas was created and stratified into different spatial entities like low, medium, and high risk zones. On the basis of the data and FMVS maps, it was demonstrated that filariasis remained unevenly distributed within the districts. Balancing the intervention coverage in different villages with overall mass drug administration and continued promotion of the proper use of control measures are necessary for further reduction of filarial cases in these districts.     

Omega-6 fatty acids can inhibit Fas-mediated apoptosis in a human colorectal carcinoma cell line: a potential mechanism for escape from immune surveillance

The Fas/Fas ligand pathway may play an important role in the pathogenesis of colorectal carcinoma by allowing tumor cells to evade host immune defenses. Since dietary fats, in particular omega-6 fatty acids, facilitate tumor development their influence on the Fas/Fas ligand pathway needs to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of membrane free fatty acid (FFA) alterations on Fas expression and sensitivity. Two human colorectal carcinoma cell lines (CX-1 and CCL-188) were grown in cell culture media supplemented with omega-3 (docosahexanoic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid) fatty acids. Membrane alterations were confirmed by gas chromatography (GC). Cell surface Fas expression was determined with flow cytometry using an anti-Fas monoclonal antibody. Sensitivity to Fas mediated apoptosis was measured by now cytometric measurement of fragmented DNA stained with propidium iodide. Appropriate changes in the membrane FFA composition were found by GC. Cell surface Fas expression was unaffected in either cell line. Omega-3 fatty acids did not alter Fas sensitivity for either cell line compared to control (CX-1: 59.7%, +/- 5.4 vs 51.4% +/- 7.1 for control, CCL-188: 54.3% +/- 8.6 vs 51.2% +/- 4.8 for control). Omega-6 fatty acids produced a significant decrease in Fas-mediated apoptosis (CX-1: 34.2% +/- 4.8 and CCL-188: 22% +/- 6.0, p < 0.05 vs control). These data indicate that although membrane FFA alterations did not affect Fas expression, omega-6 fatty acids significantly decreased Fas-mediated apoptosis. This inhibitory effect may protect colorectal carcinoma cells from lymphocyte Fas-mediated cell death.     

Vulvar cancer in a patient with Fanconi's anemia, treated with 3D conformal radiotherapy

Fanconi's anemia (FA) is rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by aplastic anemia, congenital anomalies, and cancer susceptibility. FA patients have deficiencies in DNA repair pathways that cause cellular sensitivity to ionizing radiation and cross-link agents such as mitomycin C and diepoxybutane (DEB). If these patients survive until early adulthood, they are at high risk for developing solid tumors, most commonly squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, esophagus, and vulva. Treatment of these solid tumors with radiotherapy is complicated by the increased risk of normal tissue toxicity. Three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy is a technique that uses CT images to more accurately target tumors and maximize the dose to the tumor volume while limiting the dose to normal tissue. This report describes application of 3D conformal radiotherapy techniques to the treatment of vulvar cancer in a patient with FA in an attempt to limit the normal tissue volume exposed to radiation.     

Mitomycin C induced chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in lymphocytes of patients with precancerous and cancerous lesions of the uterine cervix

Baseline and mitomycin C (MMC)-induced chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in blood lymphocytes of patients with cervical precancerous and cancerous lesions and normal women were studied. The baseline frequency of chromosomal aberrations and SCEs revealed a significant increase in higher grades of precancerous (moderate and severe dysplasias) and cancerous lesions compared to those of controls. The MMC-induced chromosomal aberrations and SCEs did not show any differential response in the different groups studied. The results thus indicate that chromosomal instability as observed in precancerous and cancerous lesions is not associated with their sensitivity to mitomycin C.     

Antidiabetic and antioxidant potentials of spent turmeric oleoresin,a by-product from curcumin production industry

ObjectiveTo investigate the antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of spent turmeric oleoresin (STO).MethodsAntidiabetic activity of STO evaluated by α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition assays. The antioxidant capacity studied by DPPH., ABTS., superoxide radical scavenging and metal chelating activity methods.ResultsThe STO showed good antidiabetic activity by inhibiting key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes, viz α-glucosidase and α-amylase with an IC50values of 0.71 and 0.16μg/mL respectively. The IC₅₀values for DPPH. and ABTS. assay were 58.1 and 33 μg/mL respectively. STO effectively scavenged the superoxide free radical with an IC50 value of 61.5μg/mL and showed a moderate iron chelation property.ConclusionsThe above study reveals that the spent turmeric oleoresin being wasted at present can be used as antioxidant and antidiabetic agent in food and neutraceutical products.     

A variable number of tandem repeats in the 3′‐untranslated region of the dopamine transporter modulates striatal function during working memory updating across the adult age span

Dopamine modulation of striatal function is critical for executive functions such as working memory (WM) updating. The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates striatal dopamine signaling via synaptic reuptake. A variable number of tandem repeats in the 3′‐untranslated region of SLC6A3 (DAT1‐3′‐UTR‐VNTR) is associated with DAT expression, such that 9‐repeat allele carriers tend to express lower levels (associated with higher extracellular dopamine concentrations) than 10‐repeat homozygotes. Aging is also associated with decline of the dopamine system. The goal of the present study was to investigate the effects of aging and DAT1‐3′‐UTR‐VNTR on the neural activity and functional connectivity of the striatum during WM updating. Our results showed both an age‐related decrease in striatal activity and an effect of DAT1‐3′‐UTR‐VNTR. Ten‐repeat homozygotes showed reduced striatal activity and increased striatal–hippocampal connectivity during WM updating relative to the 9‐repeat carriers. There was no age by DAT1‐3′‐UTR‐VNTR interaction. These results suggest that, whereas striatal function during WM updating is modulated by both age and genetically determined DAT levels, the rate of the age‐related decline in striatal function is similar across both DAT1‐3′‐UTR‐VNTR genotype groups. They further suggest that, because of the baseline difference in striatal function based on DAT1‐3′‐UTR‐VNTR polymorphism, 10‐repeat homozygotes, who have lower levels of striatal function throughout the adult life span, may reach a threshold of decreased striatal function and manifest impairments in cognitive processes mediated by the striatum earlier in life than the 9‐repeat carriers. Our data suggest that age and DAT1‐3′‐UTR‐VNTR polymorphism independently modulate striatal function.     

Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of human male germ cell tumors: chromosome 12 abnormalities and gene amplification

We report karyotypic analysis of 24 male germ cell tumors (GCTs) with clonally abnormal karyotypes biopsied from testicular and extragonadal lesions from 20 patients belonging to the histologic categories seminoma, teratoma, embryonal carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, and endodermal sinus tumor. Chromosomes 1, 7, 9, 12, 17, 21, 22, and the X chromosome were nonrandomly gained in these tumors. Nonrandom structural changes affected most frequently chromosomes 1 and 12, the latter as i(12p) and/or del(12)(q13----q22). The i(12p) was seen in 90% of tumors which included all histologic subtypes and gonadal as well as extragonadal presentation. Our present results, along with those from published data on fresh GCT biopsies, establish that i(12p) is a highly nonrandom chromosome marker of all histologic as well as anatomic presentations of GCTs. in contrast, we found del(12)(q13----q22) exclusively in nonseminomatous GCTs (NSGCTs) and mixed GCTs (MGCTs) occurring in 44% of such lesions. Because successful cytogenetic analysis of fresh tumor specimens is not always possible, we developed a method based on DNA analysis to detect i(12p) as increased copy number of 12p. In addition to the changes affecting chromosome 12 identified above, we have detected, for the first time, cytological evidence of gene amplification in the form of homogeneously staining regions (HSRs) and double minute chromosomes (dmins) in treated as well as untreated primary extragonadal and metastatic GCTs and confirmed the presence of amplified DNA in one of these tumors at the molecular level by the in-gel renaturation method. Hybridization of DNA from cultured cells from an HSR-bearing tumor with a panel of probes for genes known to be amplified or otherwise perturbed in diverse tumor systems did not identify the amplified gene, suggesting amplification of a novel gene or genes. This study comprises the largest series of GCT cytogenetics attempted so far. Notably, it includes data on a series of primary mediastinal tumors, a group which previously has not been studied in any detail.