ABSTRACT
Background & objectives: Every year more than one billion people are infected and about one million people die from vector-borne diseases; of which mosquito-borne diseases remain as the world’s most severe insect-borne diseases with excessive rates of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the mosquito vectors and the possible diseases transmitted by them in the Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad, Kerala. Methods: The area selected for the present study was Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad district, Kerala, during 2019–2021. The collected specimen were subjected for morphological identification using taxonomic keys and were confirmed by DNA barcoding. Molecular phylogeny assessment was done for the collected species of vector mosquitoes. Results: A total of 17 mosquito species belonging to 5 genera, Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, Mansonia and Armigeres were identified. The mitochondrial COI gene sequences generated for molecular identification of these species were submitted to NCBI GenBank. Interpretation & conclusion: Overall, this study extends our understanding of the molecular evolution of mosquito vectors of medical and veterinary concern, which could aid in developing biotechnological approaches used in Culicidae control programs.
ABSTRACT
The present study was aimed to investigate behavioural and biochemical effects of chronic exposure of amplitude modulated and non-modulated microwave radiation on laboratory mice. Chronic microwave exposures were executed with 2.45 GHz of either modulated (power density, 0.029 mW/cm²; specific absorption rate, 0.019 W/Kg with sinusoidal modulation of 400 Hz) or nonmodulated continuous sinusoidal wave (power density, 0.033 mW/cm²; specific absorption rate, 0.023 W/Kg) for 2 hrs daily for 1 month. Mice subjected to non-modulated microwave exposure had significantly increased acetylcholinesterase activity and increased intracellular calcium and nitric oxide levels in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and also had increased glucose and corticosterone levels in blood compared to control mice. These non-modulated microwave-exposed mice exhibited anxiety-like and depression-like behaviours. In contrast, mice exposed to modulated microwave for the same period did not show such changes in concomitant biochemical and behavioural analyses. These results suggest that chronic non-modulated microwave, but not modulated microwave, radiation may cause anxiety-like and depression-like behaviours and calcium- and NO-related biochemical changes in the brain.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Absorption , Acetylcholinesterase , Anxiety , Brain , Calcium , Cerebral Cortex , Corticosterone , Depression , Glucose , Hippocampus , Microwaves , Nitric OxideABSTRACT
Bisphenol A (BPA) attenuated phenylbiguanide (PBG)-induced cardio-respiratory reflexes involving decreased vagal afferent activity. BPA leaches out from plastics thus it is expected that chronic exposure to plastic boiled (PBW) water will also produce similar changes. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of chronic ingestion of PBW on PBG evoked reflexes and were compared with BPA. Adult female rats were ingested BPA containing pellets (2 μg/kg body weight)/PBW/tap water (ad libitum) for 30 days. On day 30, the animals were anaesthetized and BP, ECG and respiratory excursions were recorded. Further, PBG was injected intravenously to evoke cardio-respiratory reflexes and at the end lungs were excised for histopathological examination. BPA concentration in PBW was 6.6 μg/ml estimated by HPLC. In rats receiving tap water, PBG produced bradycardia, hypotension and tachypnoea. In PBW/ BPA treated groups, PBG-induced reflexes were attenuated significantly along with emphysematous and consolidative changes in lungs. The present results indicate that PBW attenuates the protective cardio- respiratory reflexes and also produces histopathological changes in lungs.