TNF – α Polymorphism In Periodontitis: A Review.

A gene is the molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. A gene is said to be polymorphic if multiple allele occupies that gene’s locus within a given population. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pro-inflammatory adipokine involved in systemic inflammation and arouse acute phase reaction. Large amounts of TNF-α are released in response to lipopolysaccharides, other bacterial products, and Interleukin-1 (IL-1). TNF-α maps to chromosome 6p21.3, spans to about 3 kilobases and contains 4 exons. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the gene encoding TNF α are largely studied. Transcription activity and levels of TNF-α is dependent on the single nucleotide polymorphisms at the various intron and exon positions. This article sheds light on the many conditions associated with TNF-α polymorphism in relation to periodontitis and other systemic diseases in brief.

Effects of solvents and surfactants against Haemaphysalis bispinosa

As per the report published by FAO (2004), the tick population in India has developed resistance against all the available acaricides. Hence, newer methods of control including potential herbal agents are required to reduce the problems caused by the ticks. Most of the herbal extracts or their fractions are dissolved in polar or non-polar solvents or detergents before tested for acaricidal activity and these diluents should be of little acaricidal activity. In the present study, adult immersion test (AIT) was carried out on adult engorged female Haemaphysalis bispinosa ticks to detect the acaricidal activity of different solvents viz., nbutanol, glycerol, acetone, ethanol, methanol and surfactants (at 1 per cent dilution) like dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), tween 20 and triton X- 100. The study revealed that methanol was the least toxic solvent while tween 20 (1 per cent) was the least toxic detergent against H. bispinosa.