Assessment of genotoxicity induced by helminthes parasites in freshwater fishes of river Ganges

Several parasites have been shown to induce genotoxicity in humans and fish are important intermediate hosts for completing the life cycle of many parasites, posing a huge economic loss worldwide through the ecosystem food chain. In the present study, we assessed the genotoxic potential of helminth Rostellascaris sp. through a benchmark of comet assay and micronucleus (MNi) tests on the hepatocytes, muscle, and whole blood of infected fish Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton) collected from different sites of the river Ganges. The percentage of the mean tail length of the comet was 10.28±0.36 in the reticulocytes of the infected fish which was significantly (P ?0.05) longer compared to the control (2.86±0.12). Similarly, a significantly (P ?0.05) higher DNA damage was observed in hepatocytes of parasite-infected fish (12.15±0.24) when compared to the control (3.024±0.013). A comparatively higher DNA damage was observed in the hepatocytes than the reticulocytes, indicative of tissue-specific DNA damage as hepatocytes are the biomarkers of metabolic functions prone toward biotic stress. A higher induction of MN was observed in infested fish (0.18±0.07) as compared to the control. Our results suggest that parasites contribute to the induction of cellular and DNA damage in fish during the progression of the host-parasite interaction.

Level of PAX5 in differential diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Background & objectives: The PAX5, a paired box transcription factor and B-cell activator protein (BSAP), activates B-cell commitment genes and represses non-B-cell lineage genes. About 14 transcript variants of PAX5 have been observed in human. Any alteration in its expression pattern leads to lymphogenesis or associated diseases and carcinogenesis in non-lymphoid tissues. Its mechanisms of function in pathophysiology of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) are unclear. This study was intended to explore influence of PAX5 in cascade of NHL pathogenesis and diagnosis. Methods: Samples of 65 patients were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for cellular localization of PAX5, CD19, CD3, cABL, p53, Ras and Raf and by TUNEL assay, RNA-isolation and reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR, Western blot analysis, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) specific staining. Results: B-cell type NHL patients were positive for PAX5, p53, Ras, CD19, Raf and CD3. All of them showed TUNEL-positive cells. The differential expression pattern of PAX5, CD19, p53, CD3, ZAP70, HIF1α, Ras, Raf and MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) at the levels of transcripts and proteins was observed. The LDH assay showed modulation of LDH4 and LDH5 isoforms in the lymph nodes of NHL patients. Interpretation & conclusions: The histological observations suggested that the patients represent diverse cases of NHL like mature B-cell type, mature T-cell type and high grade diffuse B-cell type NHL. The findings indicate that patients with NHL may also be analyzed for status of PAX5, CD19 and ZAP70, and their transcriptional and post-translational variants for the differential diagnosis of NHL and therapy.