Bacterial Growth Curve Measurements with a Multimode Microplate Reader.

Bacterial studies based on growth curves are common in microbiology and related fields. Compared to the standard photometer and cuvette based protocols, bacterial growth curve measurements with microplate readers provide better temporal resolution, higher efficiency, and are less laborious, while analysis and interpretation of the microplate-based measurements are less straightforward. Recently, we developed a new analysis method for evaluating bacterial growth with microplate readers based on time derivatives. Here, we describe a detailed protocol for this development and provide the homemade program for the new analysis method.

Conventional Risk Factors, Telomere Length, and Ischemic Heart disease: Insights into the Mediation Analysis.

Telomere length is regarded as a potential biomarker of biological ageing and is associated with various age-related diseases, such as ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, and cancer. As there is a paucity of study that deals with this influence, this study aimed to assess how the cardiovascular risk factors influence the risk of IHD by performing mediation analysis. A total of 407 males were included in the study. IHD was diagnosed through echocardiography and coronary angiography by determining the number of coronary vessels involved. Demographic data, clinical history, and laboratory investigations such as random blood sugar (RBS), fasting lipid profile, serum creatinine, and serum urea levels of all the subjects were measured and recorded. Serum uric acid and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were significantly higher in IHD subjects compared to non-IHD subjects (P < 0.05). Body mass index (BMI), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), RBS, serum uric acid, serum creatinine, BUN, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and telomere length significantly differed between subjects with and without IHD (P < 0.05). Further, telomere length (P < 0.001), BMI (P < 0.001), and total cholesterol level (P < 0.001) were risk factors that significantly affected the incidence of IHD, as proved by logistic regression. It indicates that shorter telomeres contribute to increased risk of IHD, influenced by BMI, HbA1c, BUN, total cholesterol levels, and RBS (P < 0.001). The study established a link between telomere shortening, conventional risk factors, and IHD; moreover, the study takes care in the role of mediation analysis which is a novel idea as little is done in this area of biostatistics with telomere length. Overall, this further establishes that telomeres length might serve as the promising biomarkers in predicting the risk of IHD.

Association of Telomere Length and Serum Vitamin D Levels with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and its Related Complications: A Possible Future Perspective.

Evidence show that shortened telomere length (TL) and low Vitamin D levels can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its associated complications. T2DM has been considered as an age-related disease, it may be associated with TL. The study aimed to evaluate the association of TL and Vitamin D levels with complications of T2DM and the impact of Vitamin D on TL in patients with T2DM. This 1-year cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital on 90 patients. Height, weight, body mass index, waist-hip ratio was calculated. Fasting blood sugars, postprandial blood sugar, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were analyzed. Absolute TL was obtained from quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Vitamin D estimation was done by chemiluminescent immunoassay. Descriptive analysis of the data was done using R i386 3.6.3. The study found a positive correlation between TL and Vitamin D levels (r = 0.64; P < 0.0001). The interaction with high HbA1c levels and lower levels of Vitamin D led to the shortening of TL (P = 0.0001). The median of TL and mean of Vitamin D levels were significantly less in the diabetic group (P < 0.0001). Vitamin D levels positively affected the TL and its levels had an inverse relation with the HbA1c levels. This association had a significant effect on the shortening of TL. Vitamin D also had a significant association with other diabetic complications that instigated the shortening of TL. Therefore, assessing the role of Vitamin D levels on the shortening of TL can prove to be crucial biomarkers in managing optimal glycemic levels in T2DM patients.

Association of Leptin and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: Leptin levels are increased in obesity and have been found to be strongly associated with obesity, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and morbidity. While, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is measured to predict atherosclerosis in early phase. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the leptin levels and CIMT in overweight and obese individuals. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involving 95 subjects, was performed over a period of 1 year in the Department of Medicine, King George's Medical University, Lucknow. Anthropometric measurements included weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and BMI (Kg/m2). Baseline investigations were fasting blood glucose and lipid profile. Quantitative estimation of leptin was done by leptin ELISA, and CIMT was measured using a high-resolution B-mode ultrasound scanner with a 7 MHz linear transducer. Unpaired t-test or ANNOVA was used to compare quantitative variables, and chi-square or fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical variables. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to test the strength of correlation. A p value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Based on both BMI and WC, mean leptin levels were significantly increased in overweight and obese subjects (p < 0.05) as compared to normal subjects. Similarly, based on both BMI and WC, significantly higher proportion of overweight and obese subjects had increased CIMT values (p < 0.05), as compared to normal subjects. Mean leptin levels were positively and significantly correlated with weight, WC, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, and CIMT. Similarly, CIMT values were positively and significantly correlated with age, weight, WC, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study indicates that overweight and obesity results in significant increase in both leptin levels and CIMT values. Furthermore, increased leptin levels and CIMT values are positively correlated with increase in BMI and WC.

Effects of lactational exposure of olanzapine and risperidone on hematology and lymphoid organs histopathology: a comparative study in mice neonates.

Body weight gain, sexual/reproductive dysfunction and hematological abnormalities are serious consequences of atypical antipsychotics treatment. No attempts however have been made preclinically to elucidate the adverse hematological impacts. Presently, effects of lactational exposure of olanzapine (4, 8 and 10 mg/kg) and risperidone (1 and 2 mg/kg) on hematology as well as lymphoid organ histopathology of mice neonates were investigated. Both olanzapine and risperidone transfers through milk and make the neonates susceptible to their adverse side effects. Corticosterone elevation tendency of both the drugs further enhance the susceptibility for immune dysfunction. Analysis of total and differential leukocytes counts revealed neutropenia with all the doses of olanzapine but only with risperidone 2mg/kg. Weight analysis and histopathology of thymus and spleen indicated a state of suppression; less in the risperidone-exposed groups. Significant plasma corticosterone elevation occurred on 4 and 8 mg/kg olanzapine exposures but not with 10 mg/kg as well as with both the risperidone doses. Elevation of plasma prolactin levels occurred dose-dependently for both the drugs. Hematological toxicity (neutropenia) might be the direct toxic effects of the drugs/unstable metabolites on circulating neutrophils and/or on the bone marrow hemopoietic cells. Direct toxicity of the drugs might also have suppressed the lymphoid organs thymus and spleen. Further, it could be associated to hormonal imbalance induced by adverse pharmacological effects of the drugs on the endocrine system. Suppression of lymphoid organs in olanzapine groups might have resulted because of corticosteronemia and hyperprolactinemia, while in risperidone it could be mediated by pronounced hyperprolactinemic effect alone.

Lactational exposure to atypical antipsychotic drugs disrupts the pituitary-testicular axis in mice neonates during post-natal development.

Olanzapine (OLNZ) and risperidone (RISP), two widely prescribed drugs for post-partum psychosis, transfer through milk to the neonates. Hence, neonates are susceptible to their adverse side effects. In the present study, the pituitary-testicular axis of lactationally exposed mice neonates (PND 28) was examined to evaluate the reproductive adverse effects. Testicular histopathology, immunocytochemistry and morphometric analysis of pituitary PRL (prolactin) and LH (luteinizing hormone) cells and plasma hormonal (PRL, LH and testosterone) levels were the various end points studied. Significantly regressed testes, reduced seminiferous tubules with disrupted germ-cell alignment, spermatogonial exfoliation into the tubule lumens and sparse sperms in the lumens were observed. PRL-immunointensity and plasma levels were elevated, whereas immunoreactivity and plasma levels of LH were decreased. Plasma testosterone levels were also decreased. The hypogonadism thus observed might be mediated by drug-induced hyperprolactinemia, which further inhibited secretions of LH and testosterone. Age may be the factor which made the neonates vulnerable to the PRL elevation by OLNZ which otherwise causes transient elevation in adults and is considered safe. The adverse impact was persistent until adulthood with higher doses of both of the drugs as evident by the analysis of testicular weight, histology and hormonal profiles of post-pubertal mice (PND 63) lactationally exposed as neonates.