Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2012 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 9 Articles
Background: The experimental murine model of leishmaniasis has been widely used to characterize the immune\r\nresponse against Leishmania. CBA mice develop severe lesions, while C57BL/6 present small chronic lesions under\r\nL. amazonensis infection. Employing a transcriptomic approach combined with biological network analysis, the\r\ngene expression profiles of C57BL/6 and CBA macrophages, before and after L. amazonensis infection in vitro, were\r\ncompared. These strains were selected due to their different degrees of susceptibility to this parasite.\r\nResults: The genes expressed by C57BL/6 and CBA macrophages, before and after infection, differ greatly, both\r\nwith respect to absolute number as well as cell function. Uninfected C57BL/6 macrophages express genes involved\r\nin the deactivation pathway of macrophages at lower levels, while genes related to the activation of the host\r\nimmune inflammatory response, including apoptosis and phagocytosis, have elevated expression levels. Several\r\ngenes that participate in the apoptosis process were also observed to be up-regulated in C57BL/6 macrophages\r\ninfected with L. amazonensis, which is very likely related to the capacity of these cells to control parasite infection.\r\nBy contrast, genes involved in lipid metabolism were found to be up-regulated in CBA macrophages in response\r\nto infection, which supports the notion that L. amazonensis probably modulates parasitophorous vacuoles in order\r\nto survive and multiply in host cells.\r\nConclusion: The transcriptomic profiles of C57BL/6 macrophages, before and after infection, were shown to be\r\ninvolved in the macrophage pathway of activation, which may aid in the control of L. amazonensis infection, in\r\ncontrast to the profiles of CBA cells....
Purpose: To determine the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) load in peripheral blood specimens of patients with renal abnormality reporting to the nephrology unit and to correlate the viral load with different biomarkers in serum.\r\n Materials and Methods: Fifty peripheral blood specimens were obtained from patients reporting to the nephrology unit and these patients were categorized into three groups as Group I: Renal Transplant patients, Group II: Dialysis patients, Group III: Other patients. with elevated liver enzymes and renal pathology. Peripheral blood specimens collected from kidney transplant recipients (n = 11), dialysis (n=17) and others (n =22) were subjected to detection of antibodies to HCV, determination of viral load by Real Time PCR and biochemical profiling consisting of estimation of bilirubin, total protein, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. Antibodies to HCV were detected by ELISCANââ??¢ HCV and the viral load by using HCV RG RTPCR kit (QIAGEN, Hilden). Statistical analysis - T test and the logistic regression analysis assessing the correlation between viral load and serum bilirubin, Serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), Alkaline phosphatase, total protein were performed using SPSS software version 14.0\r\n Results: Antibodies to HCV were detected by ELISA in 39 (78%) peripheral blood samples and genomic HCV was detected in 31 (62%) by RTPCR. In 8 (16%) patients, HCV antibodies only were detected and RTPCR did not reveal the presence of HCV in these specimens. Logistic regression analysis performed on biochemical parameters and viral load revealed correlation between alkaline phosphatase enzyme levels and viral load (Hosmer and Lemehow test P value< 0.05 statistically significant).\r\n Conclusion: Determination of viral load is a reliable diagnostic test in detection of HCV infection. Elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase enzyme could be associated with increased viral load. To the best of our knowledge, this finding is the first being reported in Indian literature....
In this review, we correlate Leukemia (ALL) With SNP. The word acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is synonymous with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The latter term is more commonly used to denote cases in children. Acute leukemia is a rapidly progressing disease that affects frequently cells that are amorphous or immature i.e. not yet fully developed or differentiated. The relevance of innovative genetic as well as genomic technologies to the study of acute leukemia has commonly be a proving view for such approaches in cancer. modern-day development of high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays may possibly comprehensive estimation of the genomes in cancer genetics research....
We live in an era of rapidly changing global landscapes and local environments. Viruses with RNA as their genetic material can quickly adapt to and exploit these varying conditions because of the high error rates of the virus enzymes (polymerases) that replicate their genomes. It comes as no surprise, then, that several prominent recent examples of emerging or re-emerging diseases are caused by RNA viruses. However, a complex interplay of factors can influence disease emergence. In addition to virus genetic variation (mutation, recombination and reassortment), environmental factors (including ecological, social, health care, and behavioral influences) can play important roles. These can include changing weather patterns and damming of rivers, which alters potential virus vector or host abundance and distribution, and tropical deforestation, which brings humans in close contact with these species-rich (hosts and their parasites) environments. Such factors, coupled with enormous increases in the human population during the last 50 years and urbanization in many developing countries, have greatly expanded the number of sampling events testing the fitness of RNA virus variants in different human cell backgrounds and potential transmission modes. This change, together with the advances in the speed and volume of global transportation, combines to create increased opportunity for emergence and re-emergence of influenza viral diseases. The purpose of this review is to present some prominent recent examples of emerging and re-emerging influenza virus diseases, to try to convey a sense of the excitement within this field and the important advances coming about as new technologies are being applied to research the basic question of how new disease outbreaks occur and whether we can gain predictive capability....
Cyanobacteria are one of the richest sources of biomedical compounds with extensive therapeutic pharmaceutical applications. The present study to evaluate anti hyperlipidemic activity of marine cyanobacteria Oscillatoria salina in high cholesterol diet induced hyperlipidemic wistar albino rats. Hyperlipidemia was induced in rats by giving high cholesterol diet 2%, sodium cholate 1% and coconut oil 2%, with standard powdered standard animal food for 30 days. The ethanol extract of Oscillatoria salina (1.0) mg/Kg body weight) was orally administered once a day to rats fed with high cholesterol 30 for seven days. Fenofibrate drug were orally administered as reference standard. To assess the total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) low density lipoprotein (LDL). Hence the present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti hyperlipidemic effect of a marine cyanobacteria, Oscillatoria salina. In this study oral treatment of Oscillatoria salina 1.0 g/Kg per day, significantly reduced the level of serum cholesterol, TG, LDL and VLDL and increase the HDL level in hyperlipidemic rats nearer to standard drug....
Background: Beside its anti-proliferative, anti-hypertensive and anti-inflammatory effects, heparin has shown\r\nthe apoptotic effect in lymphoblasts. In the study, it is aimed to show the apoptotic effect of heparin in lymphoblasts\r\nwith measuring intracellular calcium and using DNA analysis by flow cytometry, in vitro.\r\nMethods: Twenty-three newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients were included in the study.\r\nWe added 10 and 20 U/ml heparin into the seperated lymphoblast samples and determined the percentages of\r\napoptosis and intracellular Ca++ levels at 0, 1 and 2 hours by flow cytometry, in vitro.\r\nResults: The apoptotic effect on the lymphoblasts were established in 10 and 20 U/ml heparin concentrations\r\nat 0, 1 and 2 hours (p=0.005). The apoptotic effect of heparin in lymphoblasts was higher at the first hour than\r\nthose at 0 and 2 hours in 10 and 20 U/ml heparin concentrations (p=0.005). The highest apoptosis was determined\r\nin 20 U/ml heparin concentration at the first hour. Statistically significant increase in intracellular Ca++ levels were\r\ndetermined in 10 and 20 U/ml heparin concentrations at 1 and 2 hours (p=0.005). In 10 and 20 U/ml heparin\r\nconcentrations, intracellular Ca++ levels were significantly higher at the first hour than 0 and 2 hours (p=0.005). The\r\nhighest intracellular Ca++ concentration was determined in 20 U/ml heparin concentration at the first hour.\r\nConclusion: Heparin induces apoptosis in lymphoblasts and intracellular Ca++ levels of the lymphoblasts\r\nsynchronously increase with apoptosis. The increase of intracellular Ca++ level supports a concept that the\r\nmitochondria plays a role heparin-induced apoptosis in lymphoblasts....
Background: Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen that causes emetic or diarrheal types of food poisoning. The\r\nincidence of B. cereus food poisoning has been gradually increasing over the past few years, therefore, biocontrol\r\nagents effective against B. cereus need to be developed. Endolysins are phage-encoded bacterial peptidoglycan\r\nhydrolases and have received considerable attention as promising antibacterial agents.\r\nResults: The endolysin from B. cereus phage B4, designated LysB4, was identified and characterized. In silico\r\nanalysis revealed that this endolysin had the VanY domain at the N terminus as the catalytic domain, and the\r\nSH3_5 domain at the C terminus that appears to be the cell wall binding domain. Biochemical characterization of\r\nLysB4 enzymatic activity showed that it had optimal peptidoglycan hydrolase activity at pH 8.0-10.0 and 50�°C. The\r\nlytic activity was dependent on divalent metal ions, especially Zn2. The antimicrobial spectrum was relatively\r\nbroad because LysB4 lysed Gram-positive bacteria such as B. cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Listeria monocytogenes and\r\nsome Gram-negative bacteria when treated with EDTA. LC-MS analysis of the cell wall cleavage products showed\r\nthat LysB4 was an L-alanoyl-D-glutamate endopeptidase, making LysB4 the first characterized endopeptidase of this\r\ntype to target B. cereus.\r\nConclusions: LysB4 is believed to be the first reported L-alanoyl-D-glutamate endopeptidase from B. cereusinfecting\r\nbacteriophages. The properties of LysB4 showed that this endolysin has strong lytic activity against a\r\nbroad range of pathogenic bacteria, which makes LysB4 a good candidate as a biocontrol agent against B. cereus\r\nand other pathogenic bacteria....
Isolation and characterization of more efficient amylolytic fungal species from the forest soils by serial dilution method was followed for the production of industrially important fungal amylases. Qualitative screening yields 15 fungal species, among them more efficient six fungal strains were selected based on the rate of zone of clearance on the starch agar plates by starch hydrolysis test. Production of amylase was done by submerged fermentation (SmF), Production medium supplemented with 2% (w/v) soluble starch incubated under shake culture at a temperature of 28±1ºC, pH-7.0 for 7 days. Maximum amylolytic activity was observed with crude enzyme at 3rd day of incubation by Penicillium sp. (0.87±0.05 U/mL) followed by Penicillium chrysogenum (0.69±0.05 U/mL), Aspergillus candidus (0.67±0.03 U/mL), Aspergillus fumigatus (0.066±0.06 U/mL) and at 7th day of incubation was by Penicillium sp. (1.13±0.03 U/mL) followed by Penicillium chrysogenum (1.12±0.004 U/mL) than the other isolates. Partially purified amylolytic enzyme activities were maximum at 7th day of incubation by Penicillium sp. (0.67±0.03 U/mL) followed by Aspergillus flavus (0.63±0.01 U/mL) and Aspergillus fumigatus (0.63±0.03 U/mL). Soluble crude protein content was maximum by Penicillium chrysogenum (150±3 µg/mL), Aspergillus fumigatus (90±4 µg/mL) and Penicillium sp. (88±4 µg/mL) and partially purified protein content was maximum by Aspergillus flavus (118±3.6 µg/mL), Penicillium sp. (90±2 µg/mL) and Aspergillus fumigatus (88±4.6 µg/mL) at 7th day of incubation....
Background: Our ultimate goal is to detect the entire human microbiome, in health and in disease, in a single\r\nreaction tube, and employing only commercially available reagents. To that end, we adapted molecular inversion\r\nprobes to detect bacteria using solely a massively multiplex molecular technology. This molecular probe\r\ntechnology does not require growth of the bacteria in culture. Rather, the molecular probe technology requires\r\nonly a sequence of forty sequential bases unique to the genome of the bacterium of interest. In this\r\ncommunication, we report the first results of employing our molecular probes to detect bacteria in clinical\r\nsamples.\r\nResults: While the assay on Affymetrix GenFlex Tag16K arrays allows the multiplexing of the detection of the\r\nbacteria in each clinical sample, one Affymetrix GenFlex Tag16K array must be used for each clinical sample. To\r\nmultiplex the clinical samples, we introduce a second, independent assay for the molecular probes employing\r\nSequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection. By adding one unique oligonucleotide barcode for each\r\nclinical sample, we combine the samples after processing, but before sequencing, and sequence them together.\r\nConclusions: Overall, we have employed 192 molecular probes representing 40 bacteria to detect the bacteria in\r\ntwenty-one vaginal swabs as assessed by the Affymetrix GenFlex Tag16K assay and fourteen of those by the\r\nSequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection assay. The correlations among the assays were excellent....
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