Combined extract (Curcuma longa-Glycyrrhiza glabra) alleviates the inflammations of Achilles tendinopathy in Wistar rats.

OBJECTIVE: Achilles tendinopathy is a frequent pathological condition in adults with overused ankles, causing microtrauma, inducing tenocyte apoptosis and inflammatory response. Common treatment involves oral prescription or injection of anti-inflammatory agents, surgery, or shock-wave therapy. However, prolonged administration is not advisable due to adverse effects. Therefore, a novel and safe regimen is needed. Curcuma longa and Glycyrrhiza glabra extracts are known for their anti-inflammatory effects owing to their active compounds (curcumin and glycyrrhizin, respectively). This study aimed to determine the effect of combined extracts of Curcuma longa and Glycyrrhiza glabra on tendon healing in an animal model of Achilles tendinopathy (Wistar rats). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study took place from February to May 2022 and compared the regimens administered to 32 animal models of Wistar rats with 4 healthy rats as a control group to determine the most effective therapeutic regimen: immobilization, immobilization with ibuprofen, or immobilization with the combined extract. The outcomes were measured to find which intervention provided the lowest inflammatory markers [High Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB-1), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), Chemokin motif ligand 12 (CXCL-12)], and improved tissue morphology represented by the BONAR score, decreased cross-sectional area (CSA), and increased Macrophage 2 (M2) differentiation. RESULTS: After Achilles tendinopathy was induced, total immobilization (I1) was proven to be the most effective with the lowest CSA, whereas immobilization+175 mg/kg Curcuma longa+110 mg/kg Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (I5) was the most effective with the lowest HMGB-1 levels and the lowest CXCL-12 levels. Immobilization+131 mg/kg Curcuma longa+82.5 mg/kg Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (I6) was the most effective with the lowest Bonar score, while immobilization+87.5 mg/kg Curcuma longa+55 mg/kg Glycyrrhiza glabra extract (I7) was proven to be the most effective with the highest M2 coverage area and the lowest TNF-α levels. CONCLUSIONS: We found that combined extract therapy was the most effective intervention for treating Achilles tendinopathy due to its ability to provide the lowest inflammatory markers.

Relationship of Anterior Knee Pain with Quadriceps Angle and Anthropometric Measurements in an Asian Female Population.

Introduction: Quadriceps angle (Q-angle) is the angle formed from the intersection of quadriceps femoris muscle and patellar tendon. Q-angle can be used to assess mechanical aspects of the patellofemoral discomfort and attracts considerable attention from clinicians. Anterior knee pain (AKP) is defined as mild pain localised around the peripatellar area exacerbated by physical activity such as climbing stairs, squatting, jumping, running, and/or sitting with the knee flexed for long periods. A higher Q-angle is one of the risk factors for AKP. In addition, several studies have found a relationship between anthropometric parameters, especially body mass index (BMI), to the occurrence of AKP. This study aims to determine the Q-angle and several anthropometric parameters between the population with AKP and without AKP in the adult population in Indonesia. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional, analytic experimental study was performed on female population divided into the comparison group consisted of 40 patients aged between 18-25 years with right side anterior knee pain (Kujala score <82) and the control group consisted of 40 patients aged between 18-25 years without anterior knee pain (Kujala score >82). Both groups had to be right-handed and had no history of knee fractures, knee surgery, congenital anomalies, or obesity. The Q-angle of the right knee was measured in all participants using a universal goniometer. Results: The mean Q-angle in the comparison group was 20.60±1.26°, and in the control group was 14.85±0.99°. All of these differences were statistically significant (p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between anthropometric parameters (body weight, body height, and body mass index) with AKP. Conclusion: The Q-angle can be used to predict the risk of AKP in the female population. The greater the Q-angle the higher the risk of AKP. Anthropometric measurements cannot predict the risk of AKP.

Characteristics of deceased and quality of death certificates for cases subjected to Indonesia's management of the dead protocol for bodies with COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted many aspects of life, including death care. International and national protocols have been implemented for the management of the dead. This study aims to determine the characteristics of decedents managed according to COVID-19 protocols in Indonesia and the quality of their death certificates. This study uses a descriptive, cross-sectional design. Secondary data of deaths with COVID-19 were taken from hospital death registries, medical records, and death certificates. Data were collected from nine referral hospitals and one funeral home in 6 cities in Indonesia. The majority of the decedents were male, Muslim, with a median age of 57. Most were treated in non-intensive isolation wards, and almost half had known comorbidities. Many were still awaiting the result of their confirmative PCR at the time of death. Almost all were managed compliant with the standard protocol, and most were buried in COVID-only cemeteries. There were still deficiencies in the completeness and accuracy of the death certificates. "COVID-19" was mentioned as a cause of death in only about half of the cases, with a wide variety of terms and spelling. Management of the dead protocols for bodies with COVID-19 can generally be implemented in Indonesia. The quality of the death certificates should, however, be continuously improved.

Participatory Epidemiology: Principles, Practice, Utility, and Lessons Learnt.

Participatory epidemiology (PE) evolved as a branch of veterinary epidemiology and has been largely employed for the control and early warning of infectious diseases within resource-limited settings. It was originally based on combining practitioner communication skills with participatory methods to facilitate the involvement of animal caretakers and owners (embracing their knowledge, experience, and motivations) in the identification and assessment of animal disease problems, including in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of disease control programs, policies, and strategies. With the importance of understanding social perceptions and drivers receiving increasing recognition by epidemiologists, PE tools are being adapted for an increasingly wide range of settings and endeavors. More recently, PE tools have been adapted for use in food and nutrition security programs, One Health activities, wildlife disease surveillance and as part of mixed-methods research across a range of socio-economic settings. This review describes the evolution of PE (in relation to veterinary epidemiology and briefly in relation to public health epidemiology), the underpinning philosophy and principles essential to its effective application and the importance of gender-sensitive approaches and data triangulation, including conventional confirmatory testing. The article also provides illustrative examples highlighting the diversity of approaches and applications of PE, hallmarks of successful PE initiatives and the lessons we can learn when these are missing. Finally, we look forward, describing the particular utility of PE for dealing with emerging infectious diseases, gaining attention of field-level cross-sector officials who can escalate concerns to a higher level and for continuing to raise the voices of those less-heard (such as women, minority groups, and remote communities with limited exposure to formal education) in defining the problems and planning activities that will likely impact directly on their well-being and livelihoods.

Mercury Exposure in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Communities in Sukabumi, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is one of the largest sources of mercury (Hg) pollution in Indonesia. In West Java Province, ASGM is found in Bogor, Cianjur, and Sukabumi Regencies. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate Hg contamination effects and socioeconomic factors in communities living around ASGM operations in Sukabumi Regency. METHODS: A quantitative method was used to describe socioeconomic ASGM communities. The concentrations of total mercury (T-Hg) in hair were measured in 71 respondents. This study also assessed perception of the use of Hg in the gold ore processing and their impact on the environment. RESULTS: The population of gold miners in the studied three villages was 1300 households (25.77% from a total of 5044 households). Artisanal and small-scale gold mining involves both men and women employed as miners and gold amalgam processors, respectively. The average monthly income generated as much as Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) 272 000-2 000 000 (about 19-140 USD). Total Hg analysis was conducted for hair samples of 71 respondents (38 men, 33 women). The results showed an average T-Hg in men of 3.27±2.89 ppm, and women of 5.91±4.69 ppm. The level of T-Hg in the respondents was associated with distance to the ball mills and not related to distance to the mine site. PARTICIPANT CONSENT: Obtained. ETHICS APPROVAL: This study was approved by Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Geographic distribution, socio-economic disparity and policy determinants of smoke-free policy adoption in Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Indonesia has the second highest smoking prevalence among adult males in the world, and smoking prevalence is increasing among youths.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the smoke-free policy (SFP), a flagship national tobacco control programme, by providing evidence on geographic distribution, socio-economic disparities and policy determinants of SFP adoption by district in Indonesia.METHODS: We employed spatial and quantitative methods to obtain data respectively on geographic distribution of SFP adoption, and on disparities and associations between national and provincial SFP regulations and SFP adoption by the districts.RESULTS: Twenty-one of 34 provinces, and 345 of 514 districts adopted SFP. We found significant geographic disparities: all districts outside of Papua were up to 6.3 times more likely to adopt the policy and to implement it for a period of up to 3 years longer in duration. We also found significant socio-economic disparities: urban districts, those that were wealthiest and those most educated were respectively 3.9, 9.1 and 2.8 times more likely to adopt the policy. Moreover, districts in provinces that had SFP regulation were 3.2 times more likely to adopt. Finally, the adoption rate in the period after the 2012 national regulation was up to 7.8 times higher than that before.CONCLUSION: In addition to geographic and socio-economic disparities, national and provincial regulations and policies were determinants of SFP adoption.

Reducing transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a surgical ward of a resource-limited hospital in Indonesia: an intervention study.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is endemic in healthcare settings in Indonesia. AIM: To evaluate the effect of a bundle of preventive measures on the transmission and acquisition of MRSA in a surgical ward of a resource-limited hospital in Indonesia. METHODS: The study consisted of a pre-intervention (7 months), intervention (2 months), and post-intervention phase (5 months) and included screening for MRSA among eligible patients, healthcare workers (HCWs), and the hospital environment. In the intervention phase, a bundle of preventive actions was introduced, comprising: a hand hygiene educational program, cohorting of MRSA-positive patients, decolonization therapy for all MRSA-positive patients and HCWs, and cleaning and disinfection of the ward's innate environment. Hand hygiene compliance was assessed throughout the study period. The primary outcome was the acquisition rate of MRSA among patients per 1,000 patient-days at risk. Clonality of MRSA isolates was determined by Raman spectroscopy and multilocus sequence typing. FINDINGS: In total, 1,120 patients were included. Hand hygiene compliance rate rose from 15% pre-intervention to 65% post-intervention (P<0.001). The MRSA acquisition decreased from 9/1,000 patient-days at risk pre-intervention to 3/1,000 patient-days at risk post-intervention, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.08). Raman type 9 which belonged to ST239 was the single dominant MRSA clone. CONCLUSION: The introduction of a bundle of preventive measures may reduce MRSA transmission and acquisition among surgery patients in a resource-limited hospital in Indonesia, but additional efforts are needed.

Feasibility of the salivary transcriptome as a novel biomarker in determining disease susceptibility.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The salivary transcriptome may present as a readily available and non-invasive source of potential biomarkers. The development of chronic periodontitis is determined by individual patient susceptibility; hence, the aim of this study was to determine the potential of the salivary transcriptome as a biomarker of disease susceptibility using chronic periodontitis as an example. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using an Oragene® RNA kit, the total RNA was purified from the saliva of 10 patients with chronic periodontitis and 10 patients without chronic periodontitis. The quantity and quality of the total RNA was determined, and a measure of gene expression via cDNA was undertaken using the Affymetrix microarray system. The microarray profiling result was further validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Spectrophotometric analysis showed the total RNA purified from each participant ranged from 0.92 µg/500 µL to 62.85 µg/500 µL. There was great variability in the quantity of total RNA obtained from the 2 groups in the study with a mean of 10.21 ± 12.71 µg/500 µL for the periodontitis group and 15.97 ± 23.47 µg/500 µL for the control group. Further the RNA purity (based on the A260 /A280 ratio) for the majority of participants (9 periodontitis and 6 controls) were within the acceptable limits for downstream analysis (2.0 ± 0.1). The study samples, showed 2 distinct bands at 23S (3800 bp) and 16S (1500 bp) characteristic of bacterial rRNA. Preliminary microarray analysis was performed for 4 samples (P2, P6, H5 and H9). The percentage of genes present in each of the 4 samples was not consistent with about 1.8%-18.7% of genes being detected. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the total RNA purified from each sample was mainly bacterial RNA (Uni 16S) with minimal human mRNA. CONCLUSION: This study showed that minimal amounts of human RNA were able to be isolated from the saliva of patients with periodontitis as well as controls. Further work is required to enhance the extraction process of human mRNA from saliva if the salivary transcriptome is to be used in determining individual patient susceptibility.

The effectiveness of preventative mass vaccination regimes against the incidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza on Java Island, Indonesia.

We conducted an operational research study involving backyard and semicommercial farms on Java Island, Indonesia, between April 2008 and September 2009 to evaluate the effectiveness of two preventive mass vaccination strategies against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). One regimen used Legok 2003 H5N1 vaccine, while the other used both Legok 2003 H5N1 and HB1 Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine. A total of 16 districts were involved in the study. The sample size was estimated using a formal power calculation technique that assumed a detectable effect of treatment as a 50% reduction in the baseline number of HPAI-compatible outbreaks. Within each district, candidate treatment blocks with village poultry populations ranging from 80 000 to 120 000 were created along subdistrict boundary lines. Subsequently, four of these blocks were randomly selected and assigned one treatment from a list that comprised control, vaccination against HPAI, vaccination against HPAI + ND. Four rounds of vaccination were administered at quarterly intervals beginning in July 2008. A vaccination campaign involved vaccinating 100 000 birds in a treatment block, followed by another 100 000 vaccinations 3 weeks later as a booster dose. Data on disease incidence and vaccination coverage were also collected at quarterly intervals using participatory epidemiological techniques. Compared with the unvaccinated (control) group, the incidence of HPAI-compatible events declined by 32% (P = 0.24) in the HPAI-vaccinated group and by 73% (P = 0.00) in the HPAI- and ND-vaccinated group. The effect of treatment did not vary with time or district. Similarly, an analysis of secondary data from the participatory disease and response (PDSR) database revealed that the incidence of HPAI declined by 12% in the HPAI-vaccinated group and by 24% in the HPAI + ND-vaccinated group. The results suggest that the HPAI + ND vaccination significantly reduced the incidence of HPAI-compatible events in mixed populations of semicommercial and backyard poultry.

Establishing and managing a periodontal biobank for research: the sharing of experience.

Periodontal bio-repositories, which allow banking of clinically validated human data and biological samples, provide an opportunity to derive biomarkers for periodontal diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic activities which are expected to improve patient management. This article presents the establishing of the Malaysian Periodontal Database and Biobank System (MPDBS) which was initiated in 2011 with the aim to facilitate periodontal research. Partnerships were established with collaborating centres. Policies on specimen access, authorship and acknowledgement policies were agreed upon by all participating centres before the initiation of the periodontal biobank. Ethical approval for the collection of samples and data were obtained from institutional ethics review boards. A broad-based approach for informed consent was used, which covered areas related to quality of life impacts, genetics and molecular aspects of periodontal disease. Sample collection and processing was performed using a standardized protocol. Biobanking resources such as equipment and freezers were shared with the Malaysian Oral Cancer Database and Tissue Bank System (MOCDTBS). In the development of the MPDBS, challenges that were previously faced by the MOCDTBS were considered. Future challenges in terms of ethical and legal issues will be faced when international collaborations necessitate the transportation of specimens across borders.

A novel high throughput method based on the DPPH dry reagent array for determination of antioxidant activity.

A stable chromogenic radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) is commonly used for the determination of antioxidant activity. In this paper, DPPH was dried into 96 well microplate to produce DPPH dry reagent array plate, based on which the highly sensitive and high throughput determination of antioxidant activities was achieved. The spectrophotometric characterization of the microplate containing dried or fresh DPPH free radicals was reported. The response of the DPPH dry reagent array towards different standard antioxidants was studied. The reaction for DPPH in fresh or dry reagent array with Trolox was reported and compared. The DPPH dry reagent array was used to study the antioxidant activity of banana, green tea, pink guava, and honeydew and the results were compared to the samples reacted with freshly prepared DPPH. The proposed method is comparable to the classical DPPH method, more convenient, simple to operate with minimal solvent required and excellent sensitivity.

Involvement of monoaminergic system in the antidepressant-like effect of aqueous extract of Channa striatus in mice.

BACKGROUND: In our previous study, the aqueous extract of Channa striatus (family: Channidae) fillet (AECSF) showed an antidepressant-like effect in mice. However, the mechanism of the antidepressant-like effect is unknown. AIM: The objective of this study was to explore the involvement of monoamines in the antidepressant-like effect of AECSF in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AECSF was prepared by steaming the fillets of C. striatus. The male ICR mice were pretreated with various monoaminergic antagonists viz., p-chlorophenylalanine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), prazosin (1 mg/kg, i.p.) and yohimbine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), SCH23390 (0.05 mg/kg, s.c.) and sulpiride (50 mg/kg, i.p.) followed by treatment with AECSF and tested in tail suspension test (TST). Two-way ANOVA with Tukey test were used at p < 0.05 for significance. RESULTS: The pretreatments with p-chlorophenylalanine, prazosin and yohimbine, but not with SCH23390 and sulpiride, were able to reverse the antidepressant-like effect of AECSF in TST. CONCLUSIONS: The antidepressant-like effect of AECSF may be mediated through the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems and not through the dopaminergic system.

Evaluation of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for free flaps using planar optical oxygen sensors. Preliminary results.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine if a) hyperbaric oxygen increases the tissue oxygenation of free flaps and b) verification of this effect is possible by using a recently validated and innovative method for two-dimensional pO2 measurement (Luminescence lifetime imaging = LLI). METHODS: Six patients with a free parascapular flap transplanted to the lower limb received hyperbaric oxygen (HBOT) therapy. The HBOT regimen consisted of treatment over 90 minutes with 100% O2 (FiO2 1.0) at 240 kPa (Marx-Schema). The transcutaneous oxygen partial pressure (ptcO2) was measured over the entire flap with the use of luminescence lifetime imaging (LLI) before and 30, 60, 120 minutes after treatment. The LLI is based on the oxygen dependent quenching of phosphorescence of the indicator dye platinum (II)-octaethyl-porphyrin implemented in a polystyrene sensor foil. RESULTS: In all six free flaps we could find a significant increase of tissue oxygen over the entire flap in form of increased R-values as well as subsequently calculated absolute ptcO2 values over a period of 120 min after hyperbaric therapy. The ptcO2 values increased significantly from 42.59 ± 1.11 Torr before to 81.14 ± 5.95 Torr after hyperbaric treatment (p < 0.001). Even after 2 hours the ptcO2 values were significantly higher (83.45 ± 13.80 Torr) compared with values prior to HBOT (p < 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study demonstrated an increase of oxygen supply over the entire flap after hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The relationship between milking interval and somatic cell count in automatic milking systems.

The aim of this study was to explore whether, during automatic milking, milking interval or its variation is related to somatic cell count (SCC), even when corrected for effects of production, lactation stage, and parity. Data on milking interval and production level were available from the automatic milking systems of 151 farms. Data on SCC, parity, and lactation stage were derived from dairy herd improvement records of the same farms. Mainly due to incomplete records, data of 100 farms were used in the final analysis. For every cow, only 1 test day was used in the final analysis. Milking interval, the coefficient of variation of milking interval, production rate, the difference in production rate between short- and long-term, parity, days in milk, and some biologically relevant interactions were used in a linear mixed model with farm as random variable to assess their association with log10-transformed SCC. None of the interactions was significantly related to SCC, whereas all main effects were, and thus, stayed in the final model. The effect of milking interval was, although significant, not very strong, which shows that the effect of milking interval on SCC is marginal when corrected for the other variables. The variation in milking intervals was positively related with SCC, showing that the variation in milking interval is even more important than the milking interval itself. In the end, this study showed only a limited association between milking interval and SCC when milking with an automatic milking system.

Antidepressant-like effect of aqueous extract of Channa striatus fillet in mice models of depression.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Channa (C.) striatus (Malay-Haruan), is a fresh water snakehead fish, consumed as a rejuvenating diet in post-parturition period in local Malay population. The aqueous extract of C. striatus fillet (AECSF) was reported to act through serotonergic receptor system in a previous study. There is no scientific report on neuropharmacological effects of C. striatus. Based on these data, the antidepressant-like effect of C. striatus was evaluated in mice models of depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AECSF was prepared by steaming the fillets as described previously. Antidepressant activity was studied in male ICR mice using forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Open-field test was used to evaluate any psychomotor stimulant activity. AECSF was administered intraperitoneally at the concentrations of 30%, 40% and 50% w/v at the dosage of 10 ml/kg. Amitriptyline (10 mg/kg) was used as positive control. RESULTS: All the three concentrations of AECSF (30%, 40% and 50% w/v) significantly reduced the immobility time (p < 0.001) in FST and TST. All the three concentrations of AECSF (30%, 40% and 50% w/v) significantly (p < 0.001) reduced locomotor activity in a dose-dependent manner in open-field test. CONCLUSIONS: AECSF produced significant reduction of immobility time in both FST and TST. Amitriptyline produced a significant reduction of immobility time in both FST and TST similar to previous findings. The AECSF produced a dose-dependent decrease in locomotor activity in the open-field test. This hypolocomotion effect indicated the absence of any psychomotor stimulant activity thereby supporting the antidepressant-like effect of the AECSF. The pharmacological mechanisms of the observed antidepressant-like effect and hypolocomotion effect are not understood from our study. Hence, further studies are required.

Antidepressant-like effect of mitragynine isolated from Mitragyna speciosa Korth in mice model of depression.

Mitragyna speciosa Korth. leaves have been used for decades as a traditional medicine to treat diarrhea, diabetes and to improve blood circulation by natives of Malaysia, Thailand and other regions of Southeast Asia. Mitragynine is the major active alkaloid in the plant. To date, the role of mitragynine in psychological disorders such as depression is not scientifically evaluated. Hence, the present investigation evaluates the antidepressant effect of mitragynine in the mouse forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), two models predictive of antidepressant activity and the effect of mitragynine towards neuroendocrine system of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by measuring the corticosterone concentration of mice exposed to FST and TST. An open-field test (OFT) was used to detect any association of immobility in the FST and TST with changes in motor activity of mice treated with mitragynine. In the present study, mitragynine at dose of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg i.p. injected significantly reduced the immobility time of mice in both FST and TST without any significant effect on locomotor activity in OFT. Moreover, mitragynine significantly reduced the released of corticosterone in mice exposed to FST and TST at dose of 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg. Overall, the present study clearly demonstrated that mitragynine exerts an antidepressant effect in animal behavioral model of depression (FST and TST) and the effect appears to be mediated by an interaction with neuroendocrine HPA axis systems.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the ethanol extract of Alpinia conchigera rhizomes in various animal models.

Alpinia conchigera Griff. (Zingiberaceae), locally known to the Malays as "lengkuas ranting", is native to Peninsular Malaysia. The Malays traditionally used it to treat infection and rashes, and as a health drink. This study evaluated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of A. conchigera rhizomes in mice and rats, respectively. The analgesic activity was elucidated using the acetic acid-induced writhing test, hot plate test, and formalin test, while the anti-inflammatory activity was determined using carrageenan-induced paw edema. The extract (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) given intraperitoneally (i.p.) exhibited antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities in all tests used. The range of percentage of analgesia obtained for all doses of extract in the writhing test was 50-92%, and in the early and late phases of the formalin test was 25-62% and 63-98%, respectively. In addition, naloxone (5 mg/kg) given subcutaneously (s.c.) was found to reverse the extract (300 mg/kg)-induced antinociceptive activity in the writhing, hot plate, and formalin tests. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the ethanol extract of A. conchigera rhizomes possessed a peripheral and central antinociceptive activity that was mediated, in part, via the opioid receptor, as well as anti-inflammatory activity.

Effects of mitragynine from Mitragyna speciosa Korth leaves on working memory.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Mitragyna speciosa Korth from Rubiaceae family is a tropical plant indigenous to Southeast Asia particularly in Thailand, Peninsular of Malaysia and Indonesia. The leaves have been used by natives for their opium-like effect and cocaine-like stimulant ability to combat fatigue and enhance tolerance to hard work. However there is no scientific information about the effect of mitragynine on the cognitive performances. This study is designed to examine the working memory effects of mitragynine which is extracted from Mitragyna speciosa mature leaves. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cognitive effect was studied using object location task and the motor activity in open-field test. Mitragynine 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg and were administered by intraperitoneal (IP) for 28 consecutive days and evaluated on day 28 after the last dose treatment. Scopolamine was used as the control positive drug. RESULTS: In this study there is prominent effects on horizontal locomotor activity was observed. Mitragynine significantly reduced locomotor activity in open-field test compared with vehicle. In object location task mitragynine (5, 10 and 15 mg/kg) did not showed any significances discrimination between the object that had changed position than the object that had remain in a constant position. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that chronic administration of mitragynine can altered the cognitive behavioral function in mice.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the aqueous extract of Kaempferia galanga leaves in animal models.

This study was performed to determine the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous extract of Kaempferia galanga leaves using various animal models. The extract, in the doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg, was prepared by soaking (1:10; w/v) the air-dried powdered leaves (40 g) in distilled water (dH(2)O) for 72 h and administered subcutaneously in mice/rats 30 min prior to the tests. The extract exhibited significant (P < 0.05) antinociceptive activity when assessed using the abdominal constriction, hot-plate and formalin tests, with activity observed in all tests occurring in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the antinociceptive activity of K. galanga extract was significantly (P < 0.05) reversed when prechallenged with 10 mg/kg naloxone. The extract also produced a significantly (P < 0.05) dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity when assessed using the carrageenan-induced paw-edema test. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that K. galanga leaves possessed antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities and thus supports the Malay's traditional uses of the plant for treatments of mouth ulcer, headache, sore throat, etc.

Mediastinal B-cell lymphoma with sclerosis: clinical features and treatment results in 10 patients.

Mediastinal large-B-cell lymphoma with sclerosis is now considered to be a discrete subtype of lymphoma. It probably originates in the thymus, a T-cell organ. Early publications consider this lymphoma as an aggressive disorder with poor prognosis. We studied retrospectively ten consecutive patients with mediastinal B-cell lymphoma with sclerosis seen in the department of hematology. Nine were women. The median age at diagnosis was 38.3 years (16-60). Dyspnea (experienced by 7 patients), chest pain (5) and cough (10) were the most common clinical features at presentation. Superior vena cava syndrome occurred in three patients. Five had infiltration of the chest wall or of the pulmonary tissue. Four patients were in clinical stage I (all bulky > 10 cm), four in stage IIE, one was in stage IIE and one in stage IV (Ann Arbor classification). All patients were treated with intensive chemotherapy, mostly containing cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine or vindesine, bleomycin and prednisone, combined with etoposide or teniposide and methotrexate. Nine patients responded well to chemotherapy (tumor reduction > 75%). One patient progressed. Eight patients received involved field radiotherapy (36-40 Gy) after chemotherapy. The two other patients were treated with intensive chemotherapy (BEAC, BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, cyclophosphamide), followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation. Two patients died: one patient received autologous bone marrow transplantation in partial remission and relapsed after 6 months; the other patient had progressive disease despite chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. Mean follow-up is 54.6 months (15-118) with 8 patients still remaining in complete remission. In patients with mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, tumour localisation is often limited to the thorax.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)