Correlation between genotoxicity and interleukin-6 in smokers: a rodent model

Objective: to investigate the relation between genotoxicity and interleukin-6 in rats exposed to cigarette smoke

Study Design: an experimental study

Place and Duration of Study: army Medical College, Rawalpindi and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi, in 2016

Methodology: seventy healthy Sprague Dawley rats were placed in smoke chambers at animal house of National Institute of Health, Islamabad. Cigarette smoke was given to them for 3 months. Genotoxicity was assessed by Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus [CBMN] assay. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] kit was used to determine Interleukin-6 in study samples. Pearson correlation was used to find the correlation between genotoxicity and IL-6

Results: the mean IL-6 and micronuclei frequency was 49.48 +/- 19.69 ng/L and 6.77 +/- 0.73, respectively. Weak positive association was found between micronuclei frequency and IL-6 in smoke exposed rats [r=0.266, N=70, p=0.026]

Conclusion: genotoxicity and inflammation are associated in smokers. The present study concluded that smoke exposure elicited a proinflammatory profile, which might have promoted DNA damage in smokers

Model studies of transmembrane interaction of FcEpsilonRIAlpha/FcRGamma reveal novel strategies to inhibit allergic responses

The high-affinity IgE receptor complex plays an essential part in allergic responses and involved in downstream signaling, released inflammatory mediators that cause allergic responses. The transmembrane region of the high-affinity IgE has a conserved motif [LFAVDTGL] where a polar aspartate [D194] is important for the ligand binding. This modeling study proposes novel potential binding sites between high affinity immunoglobulin E receptor Alpha subunit [FcEpsilonRIAlpha] and FcRGamma and as a consequence, we propose a new model of FcEpsilonRIAlpha and FcRGamma interaction [T194] which can mediate downstream signaling in allergic response. The docking of FcRGamma with wild-type [D194] and mutant human high affinity immunoglobulin E receptor Alpha subunit [D194T, D194I, D194L, D194A, D194V, D194E, D194S and D194R] has been performed on Autodock Vina. This modeling study is based on lab data obtained by carrying out sitedirected mutagenesis done at residue D194 of FcEpsilonRIAlpha to assess its functional importance for the mediation of intracellular signal cascade. HuFcEpsilonRIAlpha D194 residue was replaced with threonine, leucine, serine, arginine, alanine, asparagine and glutamic acid. FcRGamma docking on mutated huFcEpsilonRIAlpha [D194T] indicated a new site of interaction and emphasizes the significance of the charge and size of an amino acid at position 194 in huFcEpsilonRIAlpha subunit. Amino acids D and T at position 194 are important for cell surface localization, interactions, distribution and downstream signaling of IgE receptor subunit. These proposed models may herald in better therapeutic interventions to combat unfavorably allergic diseases

Correlation between serum amyloid a-low density lipoprotein and genotoxicity in smokers

Objective: To investigate the relation between serum amyloid A-low density lipoprotein [SAA-LDL] and genotoxicity in smokers

Study Design: An experimental study

Place and Duration of Study: Army Medical College, Rawalpindi and National Institute of Health [NIH], Islamabad, from June 2014 to February 2015

Methodology: Seventy healthy Sprague Dawley rats were purchased from NIH and exposed to cigarette smoke in smoke chamber for three months. Blood samples were drawn from each rat at the end of the study period. SAA-LDL was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. Genotoxicity was assessed by cytokinesis block micronucleus [CBMN] assay. Pearson correlation was used to find correlation between SAA-LDL and genotoxicity

Results: Strong positive correlation was found between SAA-LDL and micronuclei frequency in smoke-exposed rats [r=0.799, N=70, p <0.01]

Conclusion: Statistically significant strong positive correlation between SAA-LDL and genotoxicity in smoke-exposed rats shows that changes in one is associated with changes in other and vice versa

Intrahepatic detection of insulin receptor substrate 2 in chronic hepatitis C patients

Objective: To detect hepatic insulin receptor substrate 2 in chronic hepatitis C patients. Study Design: Comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: Center for research in experimental and applied medicine [CREAM], Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Army Medical College and Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, from Dec 2011 to Nov 2012. Diagnosed patients of chronic hepatitis C were included in the study. Known cases of diabetes mellitus, patients with pancreatic disease and liver pathology other than hepatitis C were excluded from the study

Material and Methods: Twenty seropositive non diabetic HCV infected patients and 10 control subjects were recruited. Liver biopsy specimen was obtained from seropositive HCV patients while blood samples were obtained from controls as biopsy sample was not possible from normal controls. Both types of specimens were studied for detection of insulin receptor substrate 2 [IRS-2]

Results: No alteration in the content of insulin receptor substrate 2 in both seropositive patients and control samples were detected

Conclusion: Hepatitis C virus has no effect on insulin receptor substrate 2 content thus indicating absence of hepatic insulin resistance in patients with HCV infection

Detection of stat-1 in patients co-infected with hepatitis b and c resistant to interferon

Objective: Current study was designed to determine the STAT-1 in co-infected patients of hepatitis B and C resistant to interferon therapy

Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Gastroenterology departments of various hospitals of Rawalpindi

Material and Methods: The study included 15 co-infected patients of hepatitis B and C resistant to interferon therapy and 15 healthy individuals as control

Methodology: Detection of STAT-1 was done by conventional PCR technique

Results: Sixty seven percent of the patients were expressing STAT-1 in their blood while 33% of the patients did not have STAT-1. Controls showed 57% detection of STAT-1 and 43% did not exhibit STAT-1. Mean age of the patients and controls was 35.90 +/- 8.95.Comparison between patients and controls was done by chi square test. Fisher exact probability value obtained was 0.287 which was not significant

Conclusion: Patients suffering from hepatitis B and C co-infection resistant to interferon therapy revealed higher detection of STAT-1 which indicate greater liver damage, fibrosis and an extensive and severer disease course in co-infection

IL-6 dependent effect of oral warfarin in heart valve replacement patients by measuring interacting clinical and demographic variables

Objective: To examine an inflammatory effect of warfarin and comparing with IL-6 levels along with different demographic and clinical variables

Study Design: Qusai experimental study

Place and Duration of Study: Center of Research in Experimental and Applied Medicine [CREAM], Army Medical College/National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad from Oct 2013 to Oct 2015

Material and Methods: The study design was Quasi Experimental study. Samples were collected by Nonprobability convenience sampling. Total 76 patients were included according to warfarin dose response in warfarin therapy patients, i.e. 32[42%] were taking <5mg/day, 37[49%] had been put on dose 5-10mg/day and 7[09%] were taking>10mg/day of warfarin dose. Patient's demographic and clinical variables were noted i.e. age, gender, BMI, duration of therapy, INR history, hepatic, gastrointestinal and diabetic complications. Human IL-6 ELISA assay was performed

Results: The statistically significant difference was found between age groups [in years] and different levels of warfarin dose [p=0.046] along with IL-6 production. There is a negative correlation between warfarin dose and age group i.e. as age increases, the dose of warfarin decreases. Among the inter and intra-patient variability age and serum IL-6 levels were found to be statistically significant with warfarin dose response. BMI and warfarin dose were found to be weak positively correlated

Conclusion: A marked immunomodulatory response of warfarin was noted by measuring IL-6 levels. IL-6 levels retained a significant association with warfarin dose

Comparative evaluation of Nigella sativa [Kalonji] and simvastatin for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and in the induction of hepatotoxicity

Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for incidence of coronary artery disease. Simvastatin is a synthetic lipid lowering drug and Nigella sativa seeds found helpful in controlling hyperlipidemia. The study performed to evaluate the efficacy of Nigella sativa in comparison to simvastatin to treat hyperlipidemia. Thirty Sprague Dawley rats fed on an ad libitum diet for 02 weeks, on cholesterol diet for 08 weeks. Then group II treated with simvastatin and group III with Nigella sativa for 06 weeks. Blood samples analyzed for serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C and serum ALT. The results evident that Nigella sativa [kalonji] and simvastatin showed significant improvement in the lipid profile of rats in respective groups after treatment. The p value <0.05 of group II and III documented that Nigella sativa [kalonji] affect the lipid profile in the same way as of simvastatin. However, ALT levels significantly raised in group II treated with simvastatin compared to group III. Nigella sativa and simvastatin showed comparable effects in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Nigella sativa showed protective role in terms of hepatic dysfunction and can be used as a cholesterol lowering agent

Effective time management practices: awareness and perceptions

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the role of time management skills among academic and administrative staff in an institute

Study Design: Descriptive Study

Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at a Army Medical College, Rawalpindi from July 2015 to September 2015

Materials and Methods: Fifty participants were selected through random sampling. After the informed consent the questionnaire was given to the administration and faculty staff of the public sector medical college. Questionnaire based survey was conducted to collect data regarding demographic, awareness about time management and practices to manage time effectively at the institution. Does their organization observe active time management? Has time execution effectively been useful in the accomplishment of their set objectives? Does interaction with the difficult people, role of procrastination and appropriate scheduling effects the effective time management

Results: Twenty-eight [fifty six percent] males and twenty-two [forty four percent] females with mean age of 43.54 +/- 7.58 participated in the study. Four [eight percent] were not married and 46[ninety two percent] weremarried. Mean job experience of the participants was17.55 +/- 7.36

Conclusion: The awareness and perception of the both the genders regarding the effectivetime managementfactors is important to plan and execute institutemanagement