Effect of Olea oleaster and Juniperus procera leaves extracts on thioacetamide induced hepatic cirrhosis in male albino mice

The effect of Olea oleaster and Juniperus procera leaves extracts and their combination on thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatic cirrhosis were investigated in male albino mice. One hundred sixty mice were used in this study and were randomly distributed into eight groups of 20 each. Mice of group 1 served as controls. Mice of group 2 were treated with TAA. Mice of group 3 were exposed to TAA and supplemented with O. oleaster leaves extracts. Mice of group 4 were treated with TAA and supplemented with J. procera leaves extracts. Mice of group 5 were subjected to TAA and supplemented with O. oleaster and J. procera leaves extracts. Mice of groups 6, 7 and 8 were supplemented with O. oleaster, J. procera, and O. oleaster and J. procera leaves extracts respectively. Administration of TAA for six and twelve weeks resulted in a decline in body weight gain and increased the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin. Histopathological evaluations of hepatic sections from mice treated with TAA showed severe alterations including increase of fibrogenesis processes with structural damage. Treatment of mice with these extracts showed a pronounced attenuation in TAA induced hepatic cirrhosis associated with physiological and histopathological alterations. Finally, this study suggests that the supplementation of these extracts may act as antioxidant agents and could be an excellent adjuvant support in the therapy of hepatic cirrhosis.     

Children Domestic Accidents Profile in Jazan Region,a call for new policies to improve safety of home environment

High-frequency home accidents draw more attention to the protection of our home environment. WHO has reported that home deaths were among the first 20 causes of death in the 0–14 age group worldwide in 2012. This innovative research was designed to examine children under 15 years of age at home, in 2018 in the Jazan area of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected retrospectively from 19 hospitals in the Jazan area of southern Saudi Arabia during the period from September to December 2019. Data showed that, for the first time, the incidence rate of child home incidents in the Jazan area was 7.4 per 100 children in 2018. Falling, burning, swallowing foreign bodies, and domestic violence were among the most common types of injuries recorded. Home safety continued to be one of the main public health issues in the area with 29,812 home injuries in 1 year, 36.8% bone fractures, 31.6% body distortions, 9.2% distortion fractures and 5.3% child impairment. This study is a crucial step towards addressing the severity of home accidents in Saudi Arabia; troubling figures need further analysis, regular registry, informed policies and well-planned action to avoid these types of accidents.     

Mechanisms of Immunity in Post-Exposure Vaccination against Ebola Virus Infection

Ebolaviruses can cause severe hemorrhagic fever that is characterized by rapid viral replication, coagulopathy, inflammation, and high lethality rates. Although there is no clinically proven vaccine or treatment for Ebola virus infection, a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine is effective in mice, guinea pigs, and non-human primates when given pre-infection. In this work, we report that VLPs protect Ebola virus-infected mice when given 24 hours post-infection. Analysis of cytokine expression in serum revealed a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in mice given VLPs post-exposure compared to infected, untreated mice. Using knockout mice, we show that VLP-mediated post-exposure protection requires perforin, B cells, macrophages, conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), and either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Protection was Ebola virus-specific, as marburgvirus VLPs did not protect Ebola virus-infected mice. Increased antibody production in VLP-treated mice correlated with protection, and macrophages were required for this increased production. However, NK cells, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha were not required for post-exposure-mediated protection. These data suggest that a non-replicating Ebola virus vaccine can provide post-exposure protection and that the mechanisms of immune protection in this setting require both increased antibody production and generation of cytotoxic T cells.     

The sepsis induced defective aggravation of immune cells: a translational science underling chemico-biological interactions from altered bioenergetics and/or cellular metabolism to organ dysfunction

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Sepsis is described as a systemic immune response of the body to an infectious process that might result in dysfunctional organs that may lead to death. In...     

Beneficial effects of (−)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate on diabetic peripheral neuropathy in the rat model

Diabetic neuropathic pain is characterized by spontaneous pain with hyperalgesia and allodynia. We investigated whether (?)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate could improve diabetic neuropathic pain development through hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and anti‐inflammatory effects. Diabetes was induced in rats by streptozotocin (55 mg/kg/once) and treated with (?)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate (25 mg/kg/orally/once/daily/5 weeks). Diabetic rats showed an increase in serum levels of glucose, nitric oxide, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol with a decrease in high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol and body weight. Also, there was an elevation in brain malondialdehyde with a marked reduction in brain levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione‐S‐transferase. Furthermore, diabetic rats showed a clear reduction in plasma levels of insulin and an increase in plasma cytokines (interleukin‐6 and tumor necrosis factor‐α). Moreover, diabetic rats exhibited hyperalgesia as indicated by a hot plate, tail immersion, formalin, and carrageenan‐induced edema tests as well as brain histopathological changes (neuron degeneration, gliosis, astrocytosis, congestion and hemorrhage). (?)‐Epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate treatment ameliorated alterations in body weight, biochemical parameters, pain sensation, and histopathological changes in brain tissue. (?)‐Epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate offers promising hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects, which can prevent the development and progression of diabetic neuropathic pain.     

DNA barcoding of Oryx leucoryx using the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase gene

The massive destruction and deterioration of the habitat of Oryx leucoryx and illegal hunting have decimated Oryx populations significantly, and now these animals are almost extinct in the wild. Molecular analyses can significantly contribute to captive breeding and reintroduction strategies for the conservation of this endangered animal. A representative 32 identical sequences used for species identification through BOLD and GenBank/NCBI showed maximum homology 96.06% with O. dammah, which is a species of Oryx from Northern Africa, the next closest species 94.33% was O. gazella, the African antelope. DNA barcode sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase (COI) gene were determined for O. leucoryx; identification through BOLD could only recognize the genus correctly, whereas the species could not be identified. This was due to a lack of sequence data for O. leucoryx on BOLD. Similarly, BLAST analysis of the NCBI data base also revealed no COI sequence data for the genus Oryx.     

Characterization of Coxsackievirus B4 virus-like particles VLP produced by the recombinant baculovirus-insect cell system expressing the major capsid protein

Molecular Biology Reports - Coxsackievirus B4 (CV-B4) is suspected to be an environmental factor that has the intrinsic capacity to damage the pancreatic beta cells and therefore causes insulitis...     

Tinospora cordifolia (Thunb.) Miers (Giloy) inhibits oral cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner by inducing apoptosis and attenuating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

BackgroundTinospora cordifolia (Thunb.) Miers (Giloy) has been applied successfully as an anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and even as an anti-cancer agent. Yet, to date, the application of Giloy has not been explored concerning oral cancer.ObjectivesTo assess the effect of T cordifolia (Thunb.) Miers (Giloy) extract (TcE) on an oral cancer cell line.MethodsAW13516 (oral cancer cell line) cells were treated with the prepared aqueous extract of TcE for 24 h at various concentrations ranging between 5 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml and compared with control (cells without treatment). Thee effect of the extracts on apoptosis was assessed by through Annexin V flow cytometry assay and Luminometry based assessment of Caspase 8, 9 and caspase 3/7 activity. RNA was isolated from treated cells and gene expression of selected metastatic genes (MMP1, MMP10, and CXCL8); epithelial-mesenchymal stem cell genes (TWIST1, SNAIL, ZEB1, Oct4) and stemness related genses (Nanog, Sox2) were analyzed by using a quantitative real-time PCR system. The experiments were performed in triplicates.ResultsAqueous extract of TcE was found to induce apoptosis inducer in AW13516 cells in a concentration-dependent manner and was potent even at a low concentration of 5 μg/ml. The apoptosis induction was confirmed with the caspase activity assay. Treatment of the cells with the extract for 24 h exhibited a significant decrease in the expression of EMT genes in a dose-dependent manner without an effect on the metastatic genes.ConclusionAqueous extract of TcE induces apoptosis-mediated cell death in the oral cancer cell line AW13516 while attenuating its potential for epithelial mesenchymal transition.     

Characterization of the plant growth promoting bacterium,Enterobacter cloacae MSR1, isolated from roots of non-nodulating Medicago sativa

The aim of the present study was to characterize the endophytic bacterial strain designated MSR1 that was isolated from inside the non-nodulating roots of Medicago sativa after surface-sterilization. MSR1 was identified as Enterobacter cloacae using both 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis and API20E biochemical identification system (Biomerieux, France). Furthermore, this bacterium was characterized using API50CH kit (Biomerieux, France) and tested for antibacterial activities against some food borne pathogens. The results showed that E. cloacae consumed certain carbohydrates such as glycerol, d-xylose, d-maltose and esculin melibiose as a sole carbon source and certain amino acids such as arginine, tryptophan ornithine as nitrogen source. Furthermore, MSR1 possessed multiple plant-growth promoting characteristics; phosphate solubility, production of phytohormones acetoin and bioactive compounds. Inoculation of Pisum sativum with MSR1 significantly improved the growth parameters (the length and dry weight) of this economically important grain legume compared to the non-treated plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report addressing E. cloacae which exist in roots of alfalfa growing in Al-Ahsaa region. The results confirmed that E. cloacae exhibited traits for plant growth promoting and could be developed as an eco-friendly biofertilizer for P. sativum and probably for other important plant species in future.