Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp seeds extract prevents rotenone-induced motor- and non-motor features of Parkinson disease in mice: Insight into mechanisms of neuroprotection.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cajanus cajan (L) Millsp (Fabaceae) seed decoction is used by traditional healers in Nigeria as nerve tonic, hence, could be beneficial in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), a progressive and debilitating neurodegenerative disease that imposes great burden on the healthcare system globally. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effect of ethanol seed extract of Cajanus cajan (CC) in the treatment of rotenone-induced motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms associated with PD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To assess the protective action of CC on rotenone-induced motor- and non-motor symptoms of PD, mice were first pretreated with CC (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) an hour before oral administration of rotenone (1 mg/kg, p.o, 0.5% in carboxyl-methylcellulose) for 28 consecutive days and weekly behavioural tests including motor assessment (open field test (OFT), rotarod, pole and cylinder tests) and non-motor assessment (novel object recognition (NOR), Y-maze test (YM), forced swim and tail suspension, gastric emptying and intestinal fluid accumulation tests) were carried out. The animals were euthanized on day 28 followed by the collection of brain for assessment of oxidative stress, inflammatory markers and immunohistochemical analysis of the striatum (STR) and substantia nigra (SN). Phytochemicals earlier isolated from CC were docked with protein targets linked with PD pathology such as; catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and Leucine rich receptor kinase (LRRK). RESULTS: this study showed that CC significantly reduced rotenone-induced spontaneous motor impairment in OFT, pole, cylinder and rotarod tests in mice as well as significant improvement in non-motor features (significant reversal of rotenone-induced deficits discrimination index and spontaneous alternation behaviour in NORT and YM test, respectively, reduction in immobility time in forced swim/tail suspension test, gastrointestinal disturbance in intestinal transit time in mice. Moreso, rotenone-induced neurodegeneration, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation were significantly attenuated by CC administration. In addition, docking analysis showed significant binding affinity of CC phytochemicals with COMT, TH and LRRK2 receptors. CONCLUSION: Cajanus cajan seeds extract prevented both motor and non-motor features of Parkinson disease in mice through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Hence, could be a potential phytotherapeutic adjunct in the management of Parkinson disease.

A guide to oral vaccination: Highlighting electrospraying as a promising manufacturing technique toward a successful oral vaccine development.

Most vaccines approved by regulatory bodies are administered via intramuscular or subcutaneous injections and have shortcomings, such as the risk of needle-associated blood infections, pain and swelling at the injection site. Orally administered vaccines are of interest, as they elicit both systemic and mucosal immunities, in which mucosal immunity would neutralize the mucosa invading pathogen before the onset of an infection. Hence, oral vaccination can eliminate the injection associated adverse effects and enhance the person's compliance. Conventional approaches to manufacturing oral vaccines, such as coacervation, spray drying, and membrane emulsification, tend to alter the structural proteins in vaccines that result from high temperature, organic and toxic solvents during production. Electrohydrodynamic processes, specifically electrospraying, could solve these challenges, as it also modulates antigen release and has a high loading efficiency. This review will highlight the mucosal immunity and biological basis of the gastrointestinal immune system, different oral vaccine delivery approaches, and the application of electrospraying in vaccines development.

Taking tuberculosis preventive therapy implementation to national scale: the Nigerian PEPFAR Program experience.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy (TPT), including isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT), has been implemented within the Nigerian human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) programme since 2014. However, drug procurement and logistic support has remained the responsibility of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme. The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief-Nigeria (PEPFAR Nigeria) reviewed the key bottlenecks to TPT implementation in 2016. METHOD: The logistics of delivery of isoniazid (INH) were integrated with the antiretroviral (ARV) logistics management and information system (LMIS). Drug order and requisition forms at the facility level were revised to include INH, along with training on appropriate quantification and requisition of INH with ARVs. Support was provided for last mile delivery of INH directly to every implementing site, alongside ARV. REULTS: We observed an increasing trend in TPT uptake between the pre-and-post intervention periods: 6% in fiscal year (FY) 2015, 7% in FY2016 and 12% in FY2017. Overall, the logistical changes in the LMIS to include INH in 2016 led to a 69% increase in TPT by the end of FY2017; this was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Addressing logistical challenges to TPT implementation will ensure that the TB and HIV programmes can tackle the increasing burden of TB infection in people living with HIV. We recommended that the provider-to-client stage of TPT implementation be driven by the HIV programme and that cross-communication between the two programmes be improved.