Prediction of cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome in adults from Saudi Arabia using the logarithm of triglyceride/HDL-cholesterol ratio.

Objective: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally. Metabolic syndrome (MtS) is a risk factor that increases the likelihood of CVD. The atherogenic index (AIP), calculated as the logarithm of the ratio of triglycerides (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) cholesterol in plasma, is a valuable marker for highly atherogenic small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol particles. This study aimed to explore MtS prevalence and investigate the potential of using the AIP as a predictor for CVD risk factors in adults from the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: The cross-sectional study enrolled 589 participants from public hospitals in nine major cities who completed a detailed questionnaire on health, diet, and lifestyle. Anthropometric measurements and some clinical parameters were measured. Results: The findings indicated a significant prevalence of MtS (37.5%) among participants from the Qassim Area, which was higher in males (39.9%) than females (34.9%). Nevertheless, a significant prevalence was shown for CVD risk factors among participants, with hyperglycemia (78.1%), hypertriglyceridemia (39.0%), hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia (38.9%), and hypertension (21.6%) being common. The AIP's performance in identifying CVD risk factors showed a receiver operating characteristic value of 0.909 (P < 0.001). The optimal cutoff value for the AIP was determined to be 0.468, demonstrating high sensitivity (84.8%) and specificity (78.6%). Conclusion: Incorporating AIP into clinical practice could enhance CVD risk prediction compared to using lipid profiles alone. These findings suggest that there is a high prevalence of MtS among adults in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. Further longitudinal studies are needed to recommend AIP as a robust tool for predicting CVD in clinical settings.

Fermented camel milk enriched with plant sterols improves lipid profile and atherogenic index in rats fed high -fat and -cholesterol diets.

The current study was designed to explore the effect of fermented camel milk, plant sterols and their combination on the blood levels of sd-LDL and atherogenicity in rats fed on high-fat-cholesterol diets (HFC). Forty male Wistar rats were distributed into five groups: Normal control (NC), Positive control (PC, HFC), plant sterol (PS, HFC containing 1% (w/w) ß-sitosterol:Stigmasterols; 9:1), FM (HFC containing 4% (w/w) lyophilized fermented camel milk), and PSFM (HFC containing 1% (w/w) plant sterols +4% (w/w) lyophilized fermented camel milk). Antioxidant activity showed that ß-sitosterol had the highest radical scavenging activity, followed by fermented camel milk and stigmasterol (p < 0.05). Feeding rats on HFC for 8 weeks resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in blood lipids of PC group compared with NC group. Administration of PS, FM, and PSFM resulted in a significant reduction in atherogenic index (50, 24.5, and 41.5 %, p < 0.05), and sd-LDL levels (73, 45, and 59%, p < 0.05), respectively. Only the FM group showed a significant reduction in triglycerides levels of rats. Administration of PS, FM and PSFM decreased serum MDA levels significantly by 58.7, 45.4, and 69% (p < 0.05), and increased total antioxidant capacity by 35.9, 84.8, and 38.3% (p < 0.05), respectively. This is the first report to the best of our knowledge that shows fermented camel milk enriched with plant sterol could reduce atherogenesis and cardiovascular diseases activity via inhibition of the status of small dense LDL and oxidative stress.

Differential effects of dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone in prostate and colon cancer cell apoptosis: the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors.

Tumor growth is fostered by inhibition of cell death, which involves the receptiveness of tumor to growth factors and hormones. We have recently shown that testosterone exerts proapoptotic effects in prostate and colon cancer cells through a membrane-initiated mechanism. In addition, we have recently reported that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) can control cell fate, activating nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors, namely tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk)A and p75 neurotrophin receptor, in primary neurons and in PC12 tumoral cells. NGF was recently involved in cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. In the present study, we explored the cross talk between androgens (testosterone and DHEA) and NGF in regulating apoptosis of prostate and colon cancer cells. DHEA and NGF strongly blunted serum deprivation-induced apoptosis, whereas testosterone induced apoptosis of both cancer cell lines. The antiapoptotic effect of both DHEA and NGF was completely reversed by testosterone. In line with this, DHEA or NGF up-regulated, whereas testosterone down-regulated, the expression of TrkA receptor. The effects of androgens were abolished in both cell lines in the presence of TrkA inhibitor. DHEA induced the phosphorylation of TrkA and the interaction of p75 neurotrophin receptor with its effectors, Rho protein GDP dissociation inhibitor and receptor interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 2. Conversely, testosterone was unable to activate both receptors. Testosterone acted as a DHEA and NGF antagonist, by blocking the activation of both receptors by DHEA or NGF. Our findings suggest that androgens may influence hormone-sensitive tumor cells via their cross talk with NGF receptors. The interplay between steroid hormone and neurotrophins signaling in hormone-dependent tumors offers new insights in the pathophysiology of these neoplasias.

Long-term exposure to incense smoke alters metabolism in Wistar albino rats.

The burning of incense is an important source of indoor air pollution in Asia. We assessed the effect of long-term exposure to incense smoke on the body weight and levels of circulating glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, insulin, adiponectin and leptin in Wistar albino rats. Two groups of rats were used. First group (n = 12) was exposed daily to incense smoke for 4 months at the rate of 4 g day(-1) in the exposure chamber. Another group of rats (n = 12), was used as non-exposed control. Blood samples were collected from all animals after 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of exposure. Serum glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol insulin, adiponectin and leptin were measured. Our results showed that incense smoke exposure was associated with decreased weight gain and the adverse metabolic changes of increased triglycerides and decreased HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Exposure to incense was also associated with a transient increase of leptin levels. Taken together, these data suggest that incense smoke influences metabolism adversely in rats. The effect of incense smoke on human health and the underlying mechanisms need to be studied further.

Fungicide methyl thiophanate binding at sub-domain IIA of human serum albumin triggers conformational change and protein damage.

Fluorescence quenching data on interaction of a fungicide methyl thiophanate (MT) with human serum albumin (HSA) elucidated a primary binding site at sub-domain IIA. Stern-Volmer algorithm and double log plot revealed the binding affinity (K(a)) and capacity (n) of HSA as 1.65 x 10(4)M(-1) and 1.0 (r(2)=0.99), respectively. Cyclic voltammetric and circular dichroism (CD) studies reaffirmed MT-HSA binding and demonstrated reduction in alpha-helical content of HSA. Substantial release of the carbonyl and acid-soluble amino groups from MT treated HSA suggested protein damage. The plausible mechanism of methyl ((+)CH(3)) group transfer from MT to side chain NH group of tryptophan and HSA degradation elucidates the toxicological and clinical implications of this fungicide.

Methyl thiophanate as a DNA minor groove binder produces MT-Cu(II)-DNA ternary complex preferably with AT rich region for initiation of DNA damage.

Interaction of a genotoxic fungicide methyl thiophanate (MT) has been studied in vitro with calf thymus DNA. Fluorescence quenching data revealed the binding constant (K(a)=3.23 x 10(4)M(-1)) and binding capacity (n=1.1) of MT with ctDNA. Ligand displacement studies using specific probes suggested the MT binding at DNA minor groove. The docking analysis further substantiated MT interaction with at least three AT base pairs within the DNA groove. A discernable change in E(0)' value with decreased peak currents in cyclic voltammogram, and peak shifts in CD spectra reflected the formation of MT-ctDNA and MT-ctDNA-Cu(II) complexes. The results elucidate the significance of specific MT-DNA interactions as an initiating event in MT-induced DNA damage.

Monoclonal gammopathy in a tertiary referral hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Monoclonal gammopathies reflect conditions of plasma B-cell disorders. Our objective was to identify the prevalence and types of these gammopathies in our population. METHODS: A 10year retrospective study was conducted. Serum and/or urine protein electrophoresis were performed on 6624 samples. Positive bands were further tested by immunofixation (IFE). RESULTS: Homogenous bands were detected in 7% of the patients. IFE method confirmed 6.3% in which 59% were males and 41% were females. The mean age was 64.7 for females and 66.5 for males. The sensitivity and specificity were 91% and 99% respectively. The most common protein was IgG kappa 41%, followed by IgG lambda 19%. Sixty-eight percent of these patients had monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and 14.6% had multiple myeloma. CONCLUSION: The majority of the studied population had MGUS. This observation is in concord with other western populations. The sensitivity and specificity of protein electrophoresis is diagnostically and reasonably acceptable.

Regulatory elements in the 5'region of 16SrRNA gene of Bacillus sp. strain SJ-101.

Advancement in bioinformatics with the development of computational tools has enabled the in-silico prediction and identification of transcription regulatory factors and other genetic elements with great ease. In this study, computational analysis of sequence homology of 546 bp 5' region of 16SrRNA gene of Bacillus sp. strain SJ-101 resulted in identification of promoter-like sequences within the rrn gene. Using BPROM tool, the regulatory motifs like -35 and -10 boxes were mapped at 392 and 411 positions, respectively. Furthermore, the cis-acting elements as the binding sites for transcription factors (TF) cpxR and argR were identified at positions 413 and 416 at the upstream of an open reading frame (ORF). The probable functions of the putative TFs were predicted through the Uni-Prot/Swiss-Prot protein database. Search for the Shine-Dalgarno sequence (SD) found the presence of highly conserved SD sequence (AATACC), and a short 42 bp coding sequence/ORF bounded with characteristic transcription start site (AAC) and a stop codon (TGA) at positions 426 and 465 downstream to the promoter elements. A 13 amino acid long translation product of a short ORF has exhibited 100% homology with protein sequences of Bacillus spp., while showing some degree of polymorphism with other reference strains. The comparative homology of the small protein exhibited maximum similarity with Prolyl-4 hydroxylase of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with 4.11 ZSCORE. The highly conserved regulatory elements and the putative ORF predicted within the 16SrRNA gene may help understand the role of relatively unexplored short ORFs within rrn operon, and their functional products in genetic regulatory mechanisms in eubacteria.

Effect of DNA hypomethylation on genotoxicity and apoptogenicity of sodium arsenite in laboratory mice.

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of DNA hypomethylation state on genotoxicity and apoptogenicity induced by sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) in normal adult male SWR/J mouse bone marrow cells. Animals were treated with intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with (2.25, 4.50 or 9 mg kg(-1) b.wt. of NaAsO2 which represent 0.25, 0.50 or 1 of LD5, respectively) and killed 24 h later. Another different group of male mice was treated with three doses of 5-Azacitidine (5-AzaC), 5 mg kg(-1) b.wt. each dose and 3 h intervals between them. NaAsO2 administered after 6 days of the last dose. The three single doses of sodium arsenite alone significantly (p<0.05) increased the rate of total structural Chromosomal Aberrations (CAs), rate of Sister Chromatid Exchanges (SCEs), micronucleus (MNs) formation, PARP and Lamia-A degradation and apoptosis as compared with the negative control. The combined treatment with hypomethylation agent 5-AzaC significantly increased the rate of SCEs induced by NaAsO2 at low dose. Moreover, this treatment significantly increased the rate of polyploidy at all combined used doses. Furthermore, this treatment induced apoptosis at all used doses. The present study has shown that DNA hypomethylation had a negative effects represented in rate of (CAs), polyploidy, PARP degradation and apoptosis induced by (NaAsO2). On the other hand, DNA hypomethylation had positive effects represented in decreas rate of pulverized chromosomes, centromeric attenuations, (SCEs), (MNs) formation, prevent Lamina-A degradation and apoptosis.

Ultrastructural changes of pneumocytes of rat exposed to Arabian incense (Bakhour).

OBJECTIVE: Impacts of air pollution on the human health have been recognized over the last decades. Smokes, in particular, have deleterious effects on the respiratory system. According to a local tradition, incense "Bakhour" is burnt and the resultant heavy smokes are inhaled. The objective of the present study is to investigate the ultrastructural pulmonary changes which can be induced by Arabian incense, Bakhour, exposure. METHODS: The study was conducted from September through to December 2003, at the Animal House, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two groups of Wister albino rats, Rattus norvegicus, were used. One group (n=16) was exposed to 420 grams of Bakhour for 14-weeks at the rate of 4 grams/day in the exposure chamber. Additional group of rats, of equal number, was used as non-exposed control. At the end of the exposure period, lung tissues were removed from all experimental animals and processed for electron microscopy. RESULTS: Alveolar pneumocytes of exposed animals revealed significant ultrastructural changes which involved the cell organelles and surfactant material of type II cells. Hyperplasia of alveolar cells was a feature in the affected lung tissue. Neutrophils were recognized infiltrating pulmonary alveoli and accompanied with degenerative and necrotic changes of the alveolar cells. Deposition of collagen fibrils in the alveolar walls was also observed. CONCLUSION: Basing upon the results of electron microscopy, it was concluded that exposure to Bakhour can induce ultrastructural pulmonary changes which may imply compromised respiratory efficiency.