Quassia borneensis has been traditionally used as antihypertensive agent without any scientific literature on its mechanism of action. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antiproliferation properties of Q. borneensis extracts. The hexane, chloroform and aqueous extracts of root and bark of Q. borneensis were subjected to nitric oxide (NO) inhibition assay in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) protein level was analyzed by Western blot. The antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of the extracts on HL-60 cells were determined using Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and MTT assays, respectively. The chloroform extract of Q. borneensis root obtained by soxhlet method (CSR) significantly inhibited 97.64 ± 0.96% of NO production (p < 0.001) and suppressed iNOS expression (p < 0.05) at the highest concentration of 1.0 μg/ml. The chloroform extract of bark obtained by maceration (CMB) exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity in the absence and presence of HL-60 cells, where the FRAP value were 125.45 ± 9.10 μM FeSO4.7H2O and 181.55 ± 3.45 μM FeSO4.7H2O, respectively. The greatest inhibition of HL-60 cell proliferation was exhibited by the chloroform extract of bark obtained by soxhlet method (CSB) with the IC50 of 5.0 μg/ml. The findings suggested that the chloroform extracts of Q. borneensis possess antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.

The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; DNA, Protozoan/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Schizophrenia/*complications ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/immunology/*parasitology ; Young Adult

The aim of this cross sectional case control study was to examine the serofrequency and serointensity of Toxoplasma gondii (Tg) IgG, IgM, and DNA among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 101 patients with schizophrenia and 55 healthy controls from Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) were included in this study. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The presence of Tg infection was examined using both indirect (ELISA) and direct (quantitative real-time PCR) detection methods by measuring Tg IgG and IgM and DNA, respectively. The serofrequency of Tg IgG antibodies (51.5%, 52/101) and DNA (32.67%, 33/101) among patients with schizophrenia was significantly higher than IgG (18.2%, 10/55) and DNA (3.64%, 2/55) of the controls (IgG, P=0.000, OD=4.8, CI=2.2-10.5; DNA, P=0.000, OD=12.9, CI=2.17-10.51). However, the Tg IgM antibody between patients with schizophrenia and controls was not significant (P>0.005). There was no significant difference (P>0.005) in both serointensity of Tg IgG and DNA between patients with schizophrenia and controls. These findings have further demonstrated the strong association between the active Tg infection and schizophrenia.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; DNA, Protozoan/*blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Schizophrenia/*complications ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology/immunology/*parasitology ; Young Adult

The complement cascade is a central component of innate immunity which plays a critical role in brain inflammation. Complement C3a receptor (C3aR) is a key mediator of post-ischemic cerebral injury, and pharmacological antagonism of the C3a receptor is neuroprotective in stroke. Cerebral ischemia injures brain endothelial cells, causing blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption which further exacerbates ischemic neuronal injury. In this study, we used an in vitro model of ischemia (oxygen glucose deprivation; OGD) to investigate the protective effect of a C3aR antagonist (C3aRA, SB290157) on brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3). Following 24 hours of reperfusion, OGD-induced cell death was assessed by TUNEL and Caspase-3 staining. Western blot and immunocytochemistry were utilized to demonstrate that OGD upregulates inflammatory, oxidative stress and antioxidant markers (ICAM-1, Cox-2, Nox-2 and MnSOD) in endothelial cells and that C3aRA treatment significantly attenuate these markers. We also found that C3aRA administration restored the expression level of the tight junction protein occludin in endothelial cells following OGD. Interestingly, OGD/reperfusion injury increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and C3aR inhibition significantly reduced the activation of ERK suggesting that endothelial C3aR may act via ERK signaling. Furthermore, exogenous C3a administration stimulates these same inflammatory mechanisms both with and without OGD, and C3aRA suppresses these C3a-mediated responses, supporting an antagonist role for C3aRA. Based on these results, we conclude that C3aRA administration attenuates inflammation, oxidative stress, ERK activation, and protects brain endothelial cells following experimental brain ischemia.
Blood-Brain Barrier ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Complement C3a ; Complement System Proteins ; Encephalitis ; Endothelial Cells ; Glucose ; Immunity, Innate ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; In Vitro Techniques ; Inflammation ; Ischemia ; Neurons ; Occludin ; Oxidative Stress ; Phosphorylation ; Reperfusion ; Stroke ; Tight Junctions

Human lactation is a dynamic physiological process that produces a complex biological fluid that provides nutritive and nonnutritive factors for an optimal child growth and well-being. Several factors play a formidable role in maternal breast milk production with respect to quality, and quantity, which will adequately sustain the child for at least the first 6 months after delivery. Evidence has shown majority of new mothers who wished to immediately commence exclusive breastfeeding after birth as recommended by the WHO, are unable to initiate lactation immediately. In view of this lactation insufficiency, health-care personnel have not only been campaigning on appropriate breastfeeding education but also offer early lactation support such as encouraging liberal fluid intake, dietary modifications, and in a worst-case scenario, administering agents/drugs such as galactogogue. Orthodox galactogogues in current use are either hormonal or antipsychotics; most of them have relative efficacy and safety limitations. Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic which has been used for decades with established safety in lactating mothers and the highest propensity to induce galactorrhea as a secondary effect when compared to other antipsychotics that are currently being used as galactogogues. We call the attention of the medical community in conducting further researches on its possible adoption as a galactogogue, using this review as an insight.
Galactogogues ; lactation ; Low Breast Milk ; peripartum ; risperidone

Introduction: The morphology of the condyles changes naturally with age, gender, face type, occlusal force, functional load, malocclusion type, and the right and left sides. Although condylar shape and size differ throughout populations, there have been few investigations on condylar morphology, particularly in the Malaysian population. Methods: This retrospective, observational, cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of Sarawak General Hospital from September 2021 to March 2022, involving radiographic assessment of condylar morphology from 893 panoramic radiographs. Age, gender, ethnicity and dentition status using Eichner index were extracted from the data. Descriptive statistics were used. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to determine the association between the independent variables (age, gender, ethnicity and dentition status) and the shape of the mandibular condyle. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Only 450 panoramic radiographs were included in this study. The condyles were outlined and grouped into four categories, namely pointed (40.2%), round (32.8), angled (18.8), and flat (8.2%). Condylar morphology was found to be significantly associated with gender (p<0.005) and insignificant with other independent variables. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the most prevalent condylar morphology among the Sarawak population is the pointed shape, in contrast with other previous studies that reported the round shape condylar morphology as the majority shape.