Search

Visceral adiposity mediates insulin resistance, but their association among adults with prediabetes is scarce in the literature. This study is aimed to determine the association of visceral adiposity index (VAI) with insulin resistance in adults with prediabetes. This cross-sectional study was done among 117 adults with newly detected prediabetes [m/f; 23/94; mean ± SD: Age 36.30 ± 9.99 years, BMI 28.89 ± 4.35 kg/m2] based on American Diabetes Association 2018 criteria and 141 matched healthy controls [m/f: 28/113; mean ± SD: 35.30 ± 6.88 years, BMI 25.03 ± 4.58]. Waist circumference, body mass index, fasting triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and insulin were measured in each group to calculate VAI and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). People with prediabetes had significantly higher median value of VAI {3.08 (2.26) vs. 1.86 (2.31); p 1) (98.3% vs. 85.8%; p < 0.001) than the control population. HOMA-IR level was significantly higher in prediabetes with high VAI (cut-off of 2.64) than control with normal VAI [2.78 (2.22, 4.15) vs. 2.20 (1.53, 3.36); p = 0.002]. VAI was positively correlated with HOMA-IR in females with prediabetes (r = 0.299, p = 0.003). VAI had predictive association with prediabetes [OR (95% CI: 9.504 (2.173, 41.576); p = 0.03] and high insulin resistance (HOMA-IR ≥ 2.6) in females with prediabetes [OR (95% CI) = 3.50 (1.476, 8.297); p = 0.004] only. It could satisfactorily discriminate prediabetes in both sexes (male: AUC = 0.767, p = 0.001; female: AUC = 0.641, p < 0.001) and high insulin resistance in females with prediabetes (AUC = 0.641; p = 0.019) only. So, VAI was associated with prediabetes and insulin resistance only in females with prediabetes.

Flavonoids like quercetin and myricetin serve as naturally occurring antioxidants but their bioactivity is limited due to low aqueous solubility and oxidation under physiological conditions. In this current study, the antioxidant activity of quercetin and myricetin loaded chitosan nanoparticles during the induced oxidation of Ribonuclease A (RNase A) has been compared with the corresponding free flavonoids. Oxidation of RNase A leads to intermolecular dityrosine (DT) bond formation which shows a characteristic fluorescence emission around 405 nm. Although both quercetin and myricetin loaded nanoparticles initially exhibit lower antioxidant property compared to the free flavonoids, however, with increase in oxidant concentration over time the DT fluorescence showed greater increase for free flavonoids in comparison to the nanoparticles. The polyphenol loaded nanoparticles are also found to be effective in preventing bacterial cell damage in oxidizing medium. The slow release of flavonoids from the nanoparticles is responsible for their prolonged antioxidant effect in the oxidizing medium unlike the free flavonoids which are exhausted almost completely in the initial phase.

The challenge of next-generation nanoparticles (NPs) includes limited cellular uptake and loss by phagocytosis. General surface modification of NPs potentially enhances evasion from phagocytosis. However, active targeting and enhanced cellular uptake of nanoparticles are possible by surface functionalisation with molecules that have selective affinity for cancer cells. ROR1 is a cell surface receptor that is over-expressed in cancer cells. Hence, its conjugate antibody could be a potential surface functionalisation molecule. In the current study, anti-ROR1 antibody has been covalently attached to nanoparticles’ surface, thereby imparting its active targeting potential. Physicochemical and in vitro characterisations of the antibody-conjugated nanoparticles were performed. Surface functionalisation of nanoparticles was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, isothermal calorimetry, and elemental analysis. Additionally, biomarkers of metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were studied. Anti-ROR1 mAb tagged nanoparticles further confirmed therapeutic efficacy against colon cancer cells, SW480, thus, opening scope for further in vivo studies.

Glycation of ocular lens proteins plays a vital role in the development of diabetic cataract. In order to investigate the role of glycation in cataractogenesis, the extent of glycation of human γB-crystallin was determined by an in vitro glycation study in a solution of high glucose content for upto 28days. The glycated protein has been purified and the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) has been monitored spectroscopically. Size exclusion chromatographic studies showed that the covalent intermolecular crosslinking in the dimer formed was not due to disulfide bond formation. MALDI-TOF spectroscopy was employed to determine the number of glucose moieties attached to the protein due to glycation.

Films derived from natural sources such as proteins provide an advantage over synthetic films due to their noncytotoxicity, biodegradability, and vast functionality. A new protein source gained from the cataractous eye protein isolate (CEPI) obtained after surgery has been investigated for this purpose. Glycerol has been employed as the plasticizer and glutaraldehyde (GD) as a cross-linker. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to characterize the films. Nanoindentation and thermogravimetric analyses reveal improved mechanical and thermal properties of the cross-linked films. The films with 20% (w/w) GD exhibited properties such as the highest modulus and low water solubility. It is possible to tune the properties based on the extent of cross-linking. All the films were completely degraded by the enzyme trypsin. The similarity of these films was checked by using the prepared films as a delivery vehicle for a model compound, ampicillin sodium. The encapsulation efficiency was found to be 74%, and in vitro release studies showed significant amounts of drug release at physiological pH. This study will help us understand how the properties of protein films can be tuned to obtain the desired physicochemical properties. These biodegradable protein films could find use in pharmaceutical industries as delivery carriers.

Films have been prepared from the natural antioxidant gallic acid and a proteinaceous source, the discarded emulsion obtained after cataract surgery referred to as the cataractous eye protein isolate (CEPI). Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR) and SDS PAGE studies confirmed the crosslinking of gallic acid with CEPI. The cross-section and surface of films were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The decrease in crystallinity of the films was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. The thermal property of the films is enhanced by the addition of gallic acid as evidenced from the Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) studies. Films having 2% (w/w) gallic acid exhibited the maximum tensile strength of 2.88 ± 0.32 MPa comparable to other cross-linked films such as soy, casein, canola based protein films. The light barrier property of the films improved with incorporation of gallic acid. The cross-linked films were degraded by the application of the enzyme trypsin. The films also showed good antioxidant properties as determined from the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The gallic acid incorporated nontoxic CEPI films are biodegradable and possess appreciable mechanical properties and could find use in diverse applications including pharmaceuticals.

Different devices and techniques have been developed to retrieve fractured instruments during the endodontic procedures. This case report describes the management of a broken instrument, which was accidentally broken during cleaning and shaping of the root canal in right 2nd molar tooth. A # 25 stainless steel K-file was separated in mesiobuccal canal of the treated tooth. At first, a radiograph was taken to confirm the level of separation of the instrument. The instrument was found to be separated at the apical 3rd of the mesial canal and then file bypass technique was performed. Calcium hydroxide dressing was given for 7 days followed by obturation with guttapercha cone and zinc oxide eugenol sealer in lateral condensation technique. It can be concluded that bypass technique can be considered as simple and effective technique for the management of broken instrument into the root canal.

Interaction of two phenanthridine dyes, namely ethidium bromide (EB) and propidium iodide (PI) with polyriboadenylic acid was investigated using various spectroscopic techniques. They were found to bind only with the single stranded form of the polymer, while no affinity was observed for the double stranded form. Enhanced binding observed for PI compared to EB may be attributed to the presence of external alkyl chain in PI. Thermodynamic studies showed negative enthalpy and negative entropy changes for the binding of both the dyes. Salt dependent studies revealed a lesser electrolytic contribution compared to the nonelectrolytic contribution to the total Gibbs free energy change in each case. This indicated importance of hydrophobic and van der Waal's interaction for the binding process. Overall, the binding data and detail energetics of interaction presented here would be helpful in the design of phenanthridine based molecules that interact with specific RNA structure.

A case control study was done during the period of July 2004 to 2005. The study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka. 50 diagnosed chronic renal failure patients of both sexes not yet treated by dialysis and 50 age and sex matched healthy subjects were included in the study as case (Group-II) and control (Group-I) respectively. In this study, mean serum HS CRP concentration of CRF patients (50.938 ±38.88)mg/l found to be significantly elevated in comparison to control (1.12±.29mg/l). In CRF patients, serum HS CRP found to show a strong negative correlation with creatinine clearance and a strong positive correlation with blood urea, serum creatinine. This study shows an inverse linear relationship between HS CRP and CCRin contrast to the inverse curvilinear relationship found to exist between serum creatinine and creatinine clearance. Regression analysis between CCR and HS CRP shows a rise of HS CRP Y one unit (mg/l) is accompanied by creatinine clearance to be decreased by 0 .44ml/min. Mean serum HS CRP concentration in chronic renal failure increases significantly. Early phase of decreased CCR can not be detected by the serum creatinine because serum creatinine does not increase until there is significant fall ( 30 ml/min) of creatinine clearance. In contrast to this serum HS CRP begins to rise from the very beginning of the fall of creatinine clearance. So the early phase of decreased creatinine clearance could be detected by simultaneous rise of serum HS CRP. Key Words: HS CRP, CRF, CCR.    DOI = 10.3329/jom.v7i1.1356 J MEDICINE 2006; 7 : 10-14