Antiplasmodial β-hydroxydihydrochalcone from seedpods of Tephrosia elata

From the seedpods of Tephrosia elata, a new β-hydroxydihydrochalcone named (S)-elatadihydrochalcone was isolated. In addition, the known flavonoids obovatachalcone, obovatin, obovatin methyl ether and deguelin were identified. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. The crude extract and the flavonoids obtained from the seedpods of this plant showed antiplasmodial activities. The literature NMR data on β-hydroxydihydrochalcones is reviewed and the identity of some of the compounds assigned β-hydroxydihydrochalcone skeleton is questioned.     

Rapid and correct identification of intestinal Bacteroides spp. with chromosomal DNA probes by whole-cell dot blot hybridization

A dot blot hybridization procedure with 32P-labeled whole chromosomal DNA of the type strains as probes was developed as a rapid and simple method for identification of intestinal Bacteroides species. Bacterial cells were fixed onto membrane filters by slight suction, treated with 0.5 N NaOH, and hybridized with these probes. Of 65 Bacteroides strains isolated from 19 human fecal specimens, which were identified as B. fragilis, B. thetaiotaomicron, B. ovatus, B. caccae, B. uniformis, B. stercoris, B. vulgatus, B. distasonis, and B. merdae by conventional phenotypic characterization, 62 (95%) were correctly identified with this hybridization procedure.     

Intestinal microflora in rats: isolation and characterization of strictly anaerobic bacteria requiring long-chain fatty acids.

Three strains of strictly anaerobic bacteria, isolated from the cecal contents of rats, have strict requirements for long-chain fatty acids. The effect of exogenous fatty acids on the growth and fatty acid composition of the bacteria was examined. Biohydrogenation of linoleic acid into octadecenoic acid was observed. These observations suggest that long-chain fatty acids in the intestine are factors in controlling the localization and the population levels of indigenous bacteria in vivo in rats.     

Improved medium for selective isolation and enumeration of Bifidobacterium.

Petuely's selective medium for Bifidobacterium was improved by addition of riboflavin, nucleic acid bases, pyruvic acid, and nalidixic acid. The modified medium, when examined under strictly anaerobic conditions for efficient isolation of Bifidobacterium from human fecal samples, exhibited selective and high viable counts that were close to those found on the usual nonselective medium.     

Adequacy of control of cardiovascular risk factors in ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes attending diabetes out-patients clinic at a county hospital,Kenya

Background

Type 2 diabetes is associated with substantial cardiovascular morbidity and mortality arising from the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, poor glycaemic control and albuminuria. Adequacy of control of these risk factors determines the frequency and outcome of cardiovascular events in the patients. Current clinical practice guidelines emphasize primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes. There is scarce data from the developing countries, Kenya included, on clinical care of patients with type 2 diabetes in the regions that are far away from tertiary health facilities. So we determined the adequacy of control of the modifiable risk factors: glycaemic control, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity and albuminuria in the study patients from rural and peri-urban dwelling.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study on 385 randomly selected ambulatory patients with type 2 diabetes without overt complications. They were on follow up for at least 6 months at the Out-patient diabetes clinic of Nyeri County Hospital, a public health facility located in the central region of Kenya.

Results

Females were 65.5%. The study subjects had a mean duration of diabetes of 9.4 years, IQR of 3.0–14 years. Their mean age was 63.3 years, IQR of 56-71 years.Only 20.3% of our subjects had simultaneous optimal control of the three (3) main cardiovascular risk factors of hypertension, high LDL-C and hyperglycaemia at the time of the study. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors were as follows: HbA1c above 7% was 60.5% (95% CI, 55.6–65.5), hypertension, 49.6% of whom 76.6% (95% CI, 72.5–80.8) were poorly controlled. High LDL-Cholesterol above 2.0 mmol/L was found in 77.1% (95% CI 73.0–81.3) and Albuminuria occurred in 32.7% (95% CI 27.8–37.4). The prevalence of the other habits with cardiovascular disease risk were: excess alcohol intake at 26.5% (95% CI 27.8–37.4) and cigarette-smoking at 23.6%.A modest 23.4% of the treated patients with hypertension attained target blood pressure of <140/90 mmHg. Out of a paltry 12.5% of the statin-treated patients and others not actively treated, only 22.9% had LDL-Cholesterol of target <2.0 mmol/L.There were no obvious socio-demographic and clinical determinants of poor glycaemic control. However, old age above 50 yrs., longer duration with diabetes above 5 yrs. and advanced stages of CKD were significantly associated with hypertension. Female gender and age, statin non-use and socio-economic factor of employment were the significant determinants of high levels of serum LDL-cholesterol.

Conclusion

The majority of the study patients attending this government-funded health facility had high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors that were inadequately controlled. Therefore patients with type 2 diabetes should be risk-stratified by their age, duration of diabetes and cardiovascular risk factor loading. Consequently, composite risk factor reduction strategies are needed in management of these patients to achieve the desired targets safely. This would be achieved through innovative care systems and modes of delivery which would translate into maximum benefit of primary cardiovascular disease prevention in those at high risk. It is a desirable quality objective to have a higher proportion of the patients who access care benefiting maximally more than the numbers we are achieving now.

     

In vitro studies on distribution of indigenous lactobacilli of the gastrointestinal tract of rats

To learn the biochemical mechanisms controlling the distribution of indigenous lactobacilli in the gastrointestinal tracts of rats, the effect of pH and stomach and cecal contents on lactobacillus distribution was investigated in vitro with a mixed culture of three lactobacillus strains isolated from the rat intestine. The pH of the growth medium affected the growth of lactobacilli strongly, irrespective of the lumenal contents. Lactobacillus fermentum outnumbered L. acidophilus and L. murini at low pH (PH 4.5; average pH of stomach contents of conventional rats) but at near neutral pH (pH 6.5; average pH of cecal contents of conventional rats), the growth of L. murini was predominant with all strains. More lactic acid was formed by lactobacilli in medium consisting of stomach contents than in cecal contents medium. L. murini grew in the nondialyzable fraction of the stomach contents and L. fermentum grew in the dialyzable fraction, but L. acidophilus did not grow in either fraction. L. murini grew in the nondialyzable fraction treated with hyaluronidase. In contrast, the nondialyzable fraction treated with pronase or chondroitinase did not allow L. murini to grow at all.     

Comorbidity of GJB2 and WFS1 mutations in one family

It is rarely reported that two distinct genetic mutations affecting hearing have been found in one family. We report on a family exhibiting comorbid mutation of GJB2 and WFS1. A four-generation Japanese family with autosomal dominant sensorineural hearing loss was studied. In 7 of the 24 family members, audiometric evaluations and genetic analysis were performed. We detected A-to-C nucleotide transversion (c.2576G>C) in exon 8 of WFS1 that was predicted to result in an arginine-to-proline substitution at codon 859 (R859P), G-to-A transition (c.109G>A) in exon 2 of GJB2 that was predicted to result in a valine-to-isoleucine substitution at codon 37 (V37I), and C-to-T transition (c.427C>T) in exon 2 of GJB2 that was predicted to result in an arginine-to-tryptophan substitution at codon 143 (R143W). Two individuals who had heterozygosity of GJB2 mutations and heterozygosity of WFS1 mutations showed low-frequency hearing loss. One individual who had homozygosity of GJB2 mutation without WFS1 mutation had moderate, gradual high tone hearing loss. On the other hand, a moderate flat loss configuration was seen in one individual who had compound heterozygosity of GJB2 and heterozygosity of WFS1 mutations. Our results indicate that the individual who has both GJB2 and WFS1 mutations can show GJB2 phenotype.     

Structure of 6-deoxytalose-containing polysaccharide from the cell wall of Bifidobacterium adolescentis

The isolation and analysis of the cell wall and the polysaccharide-glycopeptide complexes of Bifidobacterium adolescentis YIT4011 are presented. Polysaccharide-glycopeptide complexes, PS-GP1 and PS-GP2, were solubilized from the cell wall by treatment with N-acetylmuramidase. PS-GP1 and PS-GP2 were found to be composed of glucose, 6-deoxytalose and a small amount of glycopeptide. The products of Smith degradation of the PS-GPs had no glucose-containing fraction, but were composed of 1,2/1,3-linked 6-deoxytalose. Furthermore, a second Smith degradation of this fraction yielded trisaccharide-glyceraldehyde. These results and methylation analysis led to the conclusion that PS-GP1 or 2 has a repeating unit of----3)6dTal(beta 1----3)6dTal(beta 1----3)6dTal(beta 1----2)-6dTal(alpha 1----2)6dTal(alpha 1----2)6dTal(alpha 1-, and that glucose residues are linked to position C-3 of the 2-O-substituted 6-deoxytalose residues.