Data on known anti-virals in combating CoVid-19

Design and development of effective anti-virals in combating CoVid-19 is a great challenge worldwide. Known drugs such as chloroquine, lopinavir, favipiravir and remdesivir are used in the management of CoVid - 19. It is known that Ivermectin and remdesivir both are effective against filoviruses, paramyxo viruses. Available data also shows that ivermectin and remedesivir repress the replication of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, we document the potential use of ivermectin and remdesivir in the management of CoVid -19.     

The attitudes of riparian communities to the presence of water hyacinth in the Wouri River Basin,Douala, Cameroon

Since publication of the first record of Eichhornia crassipes in Cameroon in 1997, the weed has become highly invasive in the Wouri River Basin. Between June and September 2014, a socio-economic survey using participatory and qualitative methods was undertaken in the riparian villages of the Wouri River Basin to assess the perception of respondents to the presence of water hyacinth. The survey revealed that water hyacinth was a significant threat to activities along the river, which included fishing, sand extraction and river transportation. The presence of water hyacinth mats reduced catch rates of several common fish species, river transportation by 75%, and significantly reduced the income for sand extraction. Cameroon employs manual clearing of water hyacinth; however, respondents indicated they would consider other control methods, provided they do not have any negative impacts.     

Cytokine physiognomies of MSCs from varied sources confirm the regenerative commitment post-coculture with activated neutrophils

The interaction of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with paracrine signals and immunological cells, and their responses and regenerative commitment thereafter, is understudied. In the current investigation, we compared MSCs from the umbilical cord blood (UCB), dental pulp (DP), and liposuction material (LS) on their ability to respond to activated neutrophils. Cytokine profiling (interleukin-1α [IL-1α], IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interferon-γ [IFN-γ], transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β]), cellular proliferation and osteogenic differentiation patterns were assessed. The results showed largely comparable cytokine profiles with higher TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in LSMSCs owing to their mature cellular phenotype. The viability and proliferation between LS/DP/UCB MSCs were comparable in the coculture group, while direct activation of MSCs with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed comparable proliferation with significant cell death in UCB MSCs and slightly higher cell death in the other two types of MSC. Furthermore, when MSCs post-neutrophil exposure were induced for osteogenic differentiation, though all the MSCs devoid of the sources differentiated, we observed rapid and significant turnover of DPMSCs positive of osteogenic markers rather than LS and UCB MSCs. We further observed a significant turnover of IL-1α and TGF-β at mRNA and cytokine levels, indicating the commitment of MSCs to differentiate through interacting with immunological cells or bacterial products like neutrophils or LPS, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that MSCs have more or less similar cytokine responses devoid of their anatomical niche. They readily switch over from the cytokine responsive cell phenotype at the immunological microenvironment to differentiate and regenerate tissue in response to cellular signals.     

Altered expression of MUC2 and MUC5AC in response to Shigella infection,an in vivo study

Infection of mucosal epithelial cells by Shigella species leads to an intense and acute inflammatory bowel disease that is characterized by watery diarrhea and purulent discharge. Mucin production is a common defense mechanism to protect the underlying mucosa against pathogens. The molecular mechanism(s) underlying mucin induction is unknown in Shigellosis. In this study, we have evaluated the relationship between Shigella infection, the expression of MUC2 and MUC5AC and the participation of signaling molecules TNF-α, PKC and ERK1/2. Shigella infection up-regulated MUC2 and MUC5AC expression in 6–8 h, through activation of TNF-α, PKC and ERK1/2. These results confirm that, in response to Shigella infection, the normal expression pattern of MUC-2 and MUC-5AC is altered. This in vivo study brings new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of Shigellosis and new potential therapeutic targets for Shigellosis.