Effect of Certain Antibiotics Against Filarial Parasite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brugia malayi</Emphasis> In Vitro: Possible Role of Oxidative Stress

WHO-Tropical Disease Research scheme highlighted the need for development of new anti-filarial drugs. Certain antibiotics have recently been found effective against Wolbachia, co-existing symbiotically with filarial parasites. Inflammatory response entails oxidative mechanism to educe direct anti-microbial effect. In the present study microfilariae were maintained in vitro in medium supplemented with varying concentrations of tetracycline, doxycycline (20–100 μg/ml) or ciprofloxacin (50–250 μg/ml) separately to find out any involvement of oxidative mechanism in the anti-filarial effect of these antibiotics. Loss of motility of the microfilariae was measured after 48 h and correlated with the levels of MDA, nitric oxide and protein-carbonylation. Significant loss of microfilarial motility was recorded with increasing concentration of tetracycline and doxycycline but with ciprofloxacin the effect was not marked. Agents with high antifilarial activity revealed significant association with oxidative parameters in a dose dependent manner. The result suggests that oxidative effect might be exploited to design novel antifilarial drug candidate.     

Hypolipidemic Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Celastrus paniculatus</Emphasis> in Experimentally Induced Hypercholesterolemic Wistar Rats

The objective of the present study was to evaluate hypolipidemic effect of methanolic extract of Celastrus paniculatus in experimentally induced hypercholesterolemic rats. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding the animals with high fat diet. Oral administration of methanolic seed extract (50%) of Celastrus paniculatus at the optimized dose of 65 mg/kg body weight, substantially reduced the plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in comparison with induced hypercholesterolemic animal group and the results were comparable with the standard hypocholesterolemic drug and almost similar to the control group. Atherogenic index and liver weight of treated animals also showed significant decrease compared to the hypercholesterolemic animals. It substantially increased the HDL cholesterol level as compared to control group. A significant increase in the activities of lipoprotein lipase and plasma LCAT enhanced hepatic bile acid synthesis and thereby, increased degradation of cholesterol to neutral sterols. Furthermore, the activities of HMG-CoA reductase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase were significantly reduced. Histological studies showed less cholesterol deposits in the aorta of animals fed with seed extract of C. paniculatus compared to the induced hypercholesterolemic animals not given C. paniculatus supplement.     

Anti-Oxidative Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cassia auriculata</Emphasis> on Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

The anti oxidative effect of administration of 100 mg/kg bw and 200 mg/kg bw of the flower powder of Cassia auriculata (CFP) for 45 days to normoglycemic and diabetic rats (streptozotocin induced) was studied. Anti oxidative effect was not observed in normoglycemic rats in the experiment. There was significant (P > 0.05) increase in the level of Thio Barbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS), hydroperoxide and conjugated dienes and significant (P > 0.05) decrease in the catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and in the level of ascorbic acid, vitamin E and reduced glutathione in diabetic rats. The flower powder of Cassia auriculata significantly (P > 0.05) decreased the TBARS, hydroperoxide and conjugated dienes and increased the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and non enzymic anti oxidants (ascorbic acid, vitamin E and reduced glutathione). The antioxidatve effect of 200 mg/kg bw CFP was significantly (P > 0.05) better than 100 mg/kg bw CFP and the reference drugs (tolbutamide and metformin). The mode of action of CFP remains to be elicited.     

Antioxidant Activities of Hydroalcoholic Extract of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ocimum sanctum</Emphasis> Against Cadmium Induced Toxicity in Rats

The present study was undertaken to analyze the antioxidant (both enzymic and nonenzymic) activities of leaves of Ocimum sanctum hydroalcoholic extract against cadmium induced damage in albino rats. Oral administration of cadmium as CdCl₂ (6.0 mg/kg body weight) led to significant elevation of lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and significantly decreased Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), Reduced Glutathione (GSH) and Vitamin C (Ascorbate) levels. Administration of Ocimum sanctum extract (100 mg/kg body weight, po) and (200 mg/kg body weight, po) before and after cadmium intoxication showed a significant decrease in LPO levels and significant increase in SOD, CAT, GPx, GSH and Ascorbate levels. The results suggest that oral administration of Ocimum sanctum extract provides significant protection against cadmium induced toxicity in Wistar albino rats.     

Efficient Expression of Bioactive Human Leptin in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> in Soluble Fusion Form

Leptin, a 16 kDa nonglycosylated hormone, is produced by mature adipocytes and functions primarily in the hypothalamus to reduce food intake and body weight. To explore a new approach for high-level expression of human Leptin in Escherichia coli, the human Leptin gene, synthesized according to the published sequence, was cloned into the vector pET32a to construct a fusion expression plasmid: Trx–Leptin/pET32a. Our data showed that more than 40% of the fusion protein Trx–Leptin was expressed in soluble form. After purified by Ni-IDA affinity chromatography, cleaved by enterokinase and applied Ni-IDA affinity chromatography again, purified Leptin with homogeneity over 96% was achieved. The bio-functional experiments of purified Leptin showed a significant reduction in food intake and body weight of female mice treated with Leptin by comparing with control mice, and it indicated that the purified Leptin has full biological activity. In addition, our expression system was a very low-cost and efficient prokaryotic expression system. So taken together, our results demonstrated that our expression system of bio-active Leptin provided a new method for producing Leptin in big scale and would be widely applied in commercial Leptin producing industries.     

Potential Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacopa monnieri</Emphasis> on Nitrobenzene Induced Liver Damage in Rats

The study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri in acute experimental liver injury induced by Nitrobenzene in rats. The extract at the dose of 200 mg/kg body weight was administered orally once every day for 10 days. The increased serum marker enzymes, Aspartate transaminase, Alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase were restored towards normalization significantly by the extract. Significant increase in SOD, CAT and GPx was observed in extract treated liver injured experimental rats. Histopathological examination of the liver tissues supported the hepatoprotection. It is concluded that the ethanolic extract of Bacopa monieri plant possess good hepatoprotective activity.     

Kinetics of Inhibition of Monoamine Oxidase Using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cymbopogon martinii</Emphasis> (Roxb.) Wats.: A Potential Antidepressant Herbal Ingredient with Antioxidant Activity

The study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and effect of Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb.) Wats. (Poaceae) leaves on the activity of monoamine oxidase and kinetics of enzyme inhibition. Ethanol extract of C. martinii and rat brain mitochondrial monoamine oxidase preparation ware used to study the kinetics of enzyme inhibition using double reciprocal Lineweaver–Burk plot. The DPPH was used as a source of free radical to evaluate antioxidant potential. It is observed that, the ethanolic extract of C. martinii inhibits the monoamine oxidase activity with competitive mode of inhibition. The V _max (0.01 mM/min) remained constant while, K _m varied from 21.00 ± 1.1, 43.33 ± 1.5 and 83.33 ± 1.4 mM for 100–500 μg/ml concentration of C. martinii. The K _i values were calculated to be 90.00 ± 0.87, 75.00 ± 0.69, 68.18 ± 0.68 μg for 100–500 μg/ml concentration of C. martini. It also shows a significant DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazine) radical scavenging (IC₅₀ = 0.34 ± 0.05 mg/ml) and reducing activity (IC₅₀ = 0.70 ± 0.22 mg/ml). The C. martini can be considered as a possible source of MAO inhibitor used in the treatment of depression and other neurological disorders.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dis</Emphasis>closive Ethics and Information Technology: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Disclosing Facial Recognition Systems</Emphasis>

This paper is an attempt to present disclosive ethics as a framework for computer and information ethics – in line with the suggestions by Brey, but also in quite a different manner. The potential of such an approach is demonstrated through a disclosive analysis of facial recognition systems. The paper argues that the politics of information technology is a particularly powerful politics since information technology is an opaque technology – i.e. relatively closed to scrutiny. It presents the design of technology as a process of closure in which design and use decisions become black-boxed and progressively enclosed in increasingly complex socio-technical networks. It further argues for a disclosive ethics that aims to disclose the nondisclosure of politics by claiming a place for ethics in every actual operation of power – as manifested in actual design and use decisions and practices. It also proposes that disclosive ethics would aim to trace and disclose the intentional and emerging enclosure of politics from the very minute technical detail through to social practices and complex social-technical networks. The paper then proceeds to do a disclosive analysis of facial recognition systems. This analysis discloses that seemingly trivial biases in recognition rates of FRSs can emerge as very significant political acts when these systems become used in practice. Paper prepared for the Technology and Ethics Workshop at Twente     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">DRD4</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">DAT1</Emphasis> VNTR Genotyping in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The dopamine receptor-D4 and the dopamine transporter have been investigated for their role in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Reports of their genetic association with ADHD have shown mixed results. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) of the DRD4 and DAT1 genes with ADHD in children. A pilot 1:1 case control study, with 44 clinically confirmed ADHD cases and 44 age/gender matched healthy controls, was conducted at a tertiary care centre in Mumbai. Variable number tandem repeats of DRD4 exon 3, DAT1 intron 8 and 3′UTR were genotyped by PCR-AGE. Several allele repeats of the genes were observed in the screened subjects. Statistical significance was observed for the 10R/10R genotype of the DAT1 3′UTR VNTR between cases and controls.     

Effect of water extract of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichosanthes dioica</Emphasis> fruits in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

In rats with streptozotocin induced severe diabetes mellitus, aqueous extract of Trichosanthes dioica fruits at a dose of 1000mg/kg body weight daily once for 28 days reduced the levels of fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose, asparate amino transferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, urine sugar and urine protein where as total protein and body weight was increased. No toxic effect was observed during LD50. Our study suggests that further detailed toxicity studies and mechanism of action of T. dioica would be useful for undertaking human trials.     

Effect of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Coccinia indica</Emphasis> (L.) and<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abroma augusta</Emphasis> (L.) on glycemia,lipid profile and on indicators of end-organ damage in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

InAyurvedic system of medicine in India, not only extracts of one plant or the other but also a combination of plant extracts are used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The present paper reports the combined effect ofAbroma augusta andCoccinia indica known to be useful for the treatment of diabetes in Ayurveda on the fasting blood sugar, glucose tolerance and lipid profile of Streptozotocin (STZ) induced albino rats. 300mg of water extract of the mixture of dried powdered roots ofA. augusta and leaves ofC. indica in equal proportions was given once daily for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks of treatment of Streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats, the fasting blood sugar came down to almost normal value and improvement in glucose tolerance and serum lipid profile were also observed.     

Enhanced anti-proteases in<Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis> fed with diet containing herbal ingredients

Aqueous root extract ofAchyranthes aspera was incorporated in the experimental diet ofLabeo rohita (rohu). Control diet was prepared without root extract. Feeding of fishes with experimental diet has significantly (p<0.05) enhanced the serum anti-proteases level than fishes fed with control diet.     

Ameliorating reactive oxygen species-induced <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> lipid peroxidation in brain,liver, mitochondria and DNA damage by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zingiber officinale</Emphasis> Roscoe

Iron is an essential nutrient for a number of cellular activities. However, excess cellular iron can be toxic by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion (O₂⁻) and hydroxyl radical (HO^·) that damage proteins, lipids and DNA. Mutagenic and genotoxic end products of lipid peroxidation can induce the decline of mitochondrial respiration and are associated with various human ailments including aging, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer etc. Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) is a widely used spice around the world. The protective effect of aqueous ethanol extract of Z. officinale against ROS-induced in vitro lipid peroxidation and DNA damage was evaluated in this study. The lipid peroxidation was induced by hydroxyl radical generated from Fenton’s reaction in rat liver and brain homogenates and mitochondrial fraction (isolated from rat liver). The DNA protection was evaluated using H₂O₂-induced changes in pBR-322 plasmid and Fenton reaction-induced DNA fragmentation in rat liver. The results indicated that Z. officinale significantly (P<0.001) protected the lipid peroxidation in all the tissue homogenate/mitochondria. The extract at 2 and 0.5 mg/ml could protect 92 % of the lipid peroxidation in brain homogenate and liver mitochondria respectively. The percent inhibition of lipid peroxidation at 1mg/ml of Z. officinale in the liver homogenate was 94 %. However, the extract could partially alleviate the DNA damage. The protective mechanism can be correlated to the radical scavenging property of Z. officinale. The results of the study suggest the possible nutraceutical role of Z. officinale against the oxidative stress induced human ailments.     

Relationship between <Emphasis Type="Italic">PON1L55M</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Q192R</Emphasis> gene polymorphisms and high APO B/APO A-I ratios

Elevated Apolipoprotein B Apolipoprotein A-I ratio is a risk factor for predicting coronary artery disease (CAD). Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is a high density lipoprotein (HDL) associated serum enzyme. PON1 protects lowdensity lipoproteins (LDLs) from oxidative modifications and thus has a protective effect against CAD progression. There are two common polymorphisms, Q192R and L55M, in PON1 gene. There may be a relationship between these polymorphisms and elevated ApoB/ApoA-I ratios. Therefore, we decided to evaluate effect of these polymorphisms on individuals with high and normal ApoB/ApoA-I ratios. To evaluate Q192R and L55M polymorphisms in Iranian case group (n=75) with high ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, and control group (n=75) with normal ApoB/ApoA-I ratio, we carried out PCR using specific primers. Then, we digested PCR products by RFLP. ApoB and ApoA-I levels were determined by immunoturbidimetry method. Genotype frequencies for Q192R were determined: 49.3%QQ, 44%QR, 6.7%RR in case group, and 53.3%QQ, 33.3%QR, 13.4%RR in controls (P= 0.236). Genotype frequencies for L55M were determined: 21.3%LL, 68%LM, 10.7%MM in case group and 42.7%LL, 52%LM, 5.3%MM in controls (P= 0.016). A significant relationship between L55M polymorphism and familial history of cardiovascular disease was found (P= 0.011). In our study PON1L55M polymorphism was associated with high ApoB/ApoA-I ratios in case group. Thus, L55M polymorphism may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Since L55M polymorphism was associated with familial history of cardiovascular disease, it is better to evaluate L55M polymorphism in younger ages even in the absence of high ApoB/ApoA-I ratios.     

Activating <Emphasis Type="Italic">quasi</Emphasis>-organizational memory in environmental scenario building

This paper presents the results of an on-going research project aiming at developing GraviCS, an information system supporting local government and citizens in managing argumentations during the setting up of a Regional Natural Park in Southern Italy. We consider that organizational memory, structured within information systems supporting decision-making and action in organizational environments, can be a useful means for developing multilevel (individual, group, organizational) collaborative learning; in this sense the system architecture was designed referring to the organizational domain emerging in the decision making context of a Natural Park and was finalized to the dynamic representation of the organizational memory. Starting from the case study – the process for the Gravina Natural Park setting-up – , the paper describes the system's architecture and discusses some issues related to: possible dynamic representations of organizational memory; creation, use and storage of decision/learning histories.