High Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis Infection among Schoolchildren in Three Townships around Yangon,Myanmar

In order to determine the status of Enterobius vermicularis infection among schoolchildren in suburban areas of Myanmar, 761 primary schoolchildren in 3 different townships around Yangon City were subjected to a survey using cello-tape anal swabs. The subjected schoolchildren were 383 boys and 378 girls who were 5-7 years of age. Only 1 anal swab was obtained from each child. The overall egg positive rate of E. vermicularis was 47.2% (359 positives), and sex difference was not remarkable (48.6% in boys and 45.8% in girls). However, the positive rate was the highest in South Dagon (54.6%) followed by Hlaing Thayar (43.8%) and North Dagon (34.8%). This difference was highly correlated with the living standards of the people in each township. Nucleotide sequence of the 5S rDNA from the eggs on the cello-tape (2 children) revealed 99.7% identity with that of E. vermicularis reported in GenBank. The results indicated that E. vermicularis infection is highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren around Yangon, Myanmar.     

Sustained-release prostacyclin analog ONO-1301 ameliorates tubulointerstitial alterations in a mouse obstructive nephropathy model

Tubulointerstitial injuries are crucial histological alterations that predict the deterioration of renal function in chronic kidney disease. ONO-1301, a novel sustained-release prostacyclin analog, accompanied by thromboxane synthase activity, exerts therapeutic effects on experimental pulmonary hypertension, lung fibrosis, cardiomyopathy, and myocardial ischemia, partly associated with the induction of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). In the present study, we examined the therapeutic efficacies of ONO-1301 on tubulointerstitial alterations induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). After inducing unilateral ureteral obstruction in C57/BL6J mice, a single injection of sustained-release ONO-1301 polymerized with poly (D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) sustained-release ONO-1301 (SR-ONO) significantly suppressed interstitial fibrosis, accumulation of types I and III collagen, increase in the number of interstitial fibroblast-specific protein-1 (FSP-1)(+) cells, and interstitial infiltration of monocytes/macrophages (F4/80(+)) in the obstructed kidneys (OBK; day 7). Treatment with SR-ONO significantly suppressed the increase of the renal levels of profibrotic factor TGF-β and phosphorylation of Smad2/3, and elevated the renal levels of HGF in the OBK. In cultured mouse proximal tubular epithelial cells (mProx24), ONO-1301 significantly ameliorated the expression of fibroblast-specific protein-1 and α-smooth muscle actin as well as phosphorylation of Smad3 and increased the expression of zonula occludens-1 and E-cadherin in the presence of TGF-β1 as detected by immunoblot and immunocytochemistry, partly dependent on PGI(2) receptor-mediated signaling. Administration of rabbit anti-HGF antibodies, but not the control IgG, partly reversed the suppressive effects of SR-ONO on tubulointerstitial injuries in the OBK. Taken together, our findings suggest the potential therapeutic efficacies of ONO-1301 in suppressing tubulointerstitial alterations partly mediated via inducing HGF, an antifibrotic factor counteracting TGF-β.     

Validation of G6PD Point-of-Care Tests among Healthy Volunteers in Yangon,Myanmar

Primaquine and other 8-amnoquinoline based anti-malarials can cause haemolysis in subjects with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Correct diagnosis of G6PD status in patients is crucial for safe treatment of both relapsing stages of Plasmodium vivax and transmitting forms of Plasmodium falciparum. Lack of suitable point-of-care tests has hampered a much needed wide use of primaquine for malaria elimination. In this study we have assessed the performances of two qualitative tests, the fluorescent spot test (FST) and the G6PD CareStart test (CST), against the gold standard quantitative spectrophotometric assay in a population of 1000 random adult healthy volunteers living in Yangon, Myanmar. The prevalence of G6PD deficiency in the Bamar, Karen and in the whole sample set was 6.6% (10.1% in males), 9.2% (21.0% in males) and 6.8% (11.1% in males) respectively. The FST and CST showed comparable performances with sensitivity over 95% and specificity over 90%, however for cases with severe G6PD activity the FTS had improved performance. If used with a conservative interpretation of the signal, the CareStart test has the potential to be used in the field and, by allowing a wider use of primaquine, to help malaria elimination.     

The 2.3 Genotype of ESRRA23 of the ERRα Gene Is Associated with a Higher BMI Than the 2.2 Genotype

ERRα (NR3B1) is an orphan nuclear receptor believed to be involved in energy metabolism and obesity. A 23‐base pair sequence in the 5′‐flanking region of the ERRα gene, referred to as ESRRA23, is polymorphic in human chromosomes. Here, we investigated the influence of the ESRRA23 polymorphism on obesity in 703 Japanese individuals by analyzing indices of obesity and related lifestyle factors. The frequency of genotypes was similar to that reported in whites. The 2.3‐genotype was associated with a significantly higher BMI than was the 2.2‐genotype. An increased number of ESRRA23 repeats may be a genetic factor in human obesity.     

Seasonality in the infection and invasion of Marteilioides chungmuensis in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas

The protozoan parasite Marteilioides chungmuensis causes irregular enlargement of the ovary in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The parasite invades the oyster through the epithelial tissue of the labial palp, replicates in the connective tissue, and then moves to the gonad, producing spores inside the oocytes. In this study the seasonality and invasion period of the parasite into the host was investigated over a 1 yr cycle. Uninfected 1 and 0 yr old (spat) oysters were placed in an epizootic area every month from July 2004 to July 2005 and September 2005 to March 2006, respectively, and left for 1 mo. Labial palps and gonad were sampled monthly and examined for infection by nested PCR and histological observations. Prevalence of infection detected by PCR was 70% or higher from August to October, but declined sharply in November and reached 7% or lower from February to April. To explain the low detection rate in winter, 1 yr old uninfected oysters were placed in an epizootic area in winter (water temperature: 8 to 10 degrees C) for 2 wk and then transferred to M. chungmuensis-free seawater at 24 degrees C. Although prevalence of infection was ca. 7% before transfer to heated seawater, levels of 87% were detected after 1 wk. After a 3 wk exposure to heated seawater, parasites were found in host oocytes by histological observation. It was concluded that the low prevalence in winter was due to insufficient replication of M. chungmuensis at low seawater temperatures, resulting in levels not detectable by nested PCR, and not to the absence of invasion.     

Primary and secondary somatic embryogenesis in Chrysanthemum cv. Euro

Somatic embryogenesis was induced from in vivo grown leaf explants of Chrysanthemum cv. Euro incubated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2.0 mg/L Kinetin, yielding the highest mean number of embryos (42 ± 5.97) per explant after 5 weeks of culture. We evaluated the effects of basal medium, various concentrations of sucrose, and timentin on the proliferation of secondary somatic embryos. MS medium was observed to be the more effective in promoting the proliferation of somatic embryos than half-strength Murashige and Skoog (1/2MS). In addition, timentin was also more efficient in induction of secondary embryogenesis than sucrose. Whole plantlets were obtained by culturing of secondary embryos on hormone-free MS medium and successfully acclimated in the green house.