Naturenz, a mixture of plant oxydase, protease, natural anti-oxydants, aminoacids and vitamins has been used for treating dioxin exposed patients. This preparation can improve the patients status. An icrease of SH-group, of total hem content and of anilin hydroxylase acitivty in blood, a decreasing of urine urobilinogen was notified on patients after administration
Dioxins ; Chemistry ; Poisons

Previous papers have reported that polyphenols from green tea (Camelia sinensis L.) were useful for controlling dental caries. This study examined the effects of the ethanol total polyphenol extract (CX) of green tea leaves on dental caries causing Streptococcus mutans. CX showed to inhibit the glycolysis, biofilm formation and respiration of S. mutans. At the concentration of 0.05%, CX suppressed 30% oxygen consumption in glucose excessive medium, totally inhibited NADH oxidase activity and killed the bacteria with D value of about 13 minutes. The combination of 0.025% CX and 0.25 mM NaF blocked pH drop during glycolysis. Polyphenols from green tea leaves inhibited therefore the adherence of S. mutans in vitro and proved to be effective against dental caries.
Tea ; Plants ; Biochemistry ; Dental Caries ; Streptococcus mutans

Background: Heparansulfate Interacting Protein (HIP) is up-regulated in various human cancer cell lines at both transcript and protein levels. HIP expression is related to the differentiation status and cancer development. Objectives: To determine HIP in benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer tissues. Materials and method: Western blot method was used to determine HIP expression in 3 different types of prostate tissue, including 11 prostate cancer samples, 2 benign prostatic hyperplasia samples and 11 prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia samples. Results. HIP was particularly up-regulated in prostate cancer and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, indicating that up-regulation of HIP expression may be an early event in tumorgenesis. Conclusion: The expression of HIP was different between cancer, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia tissue and benign prostatic hyperplasia. HIP may serve as a prognostic marker for prostate carcinoma.
HIP expression ; Prostate cancer ; Prostatic hyperplasia.

Sphaeranthus africanus is commonly used as a traditional remedy for sore throats and pain treatment in Vietnam. The aerial parts have been studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative properties. However, the antioxidant and antidiabetic potential of the plant has not been explored. In this work, hydrophilic extracts of the plant's aerial parts were prepared in order to investigate its antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties. Also, the cytotoxicity of the root was evaluated and compared to that of the aerial parts. All of the extracts inhibited lipid peroxidation with IC 50 values ranging from 2.05 to 3.56 µg/mL, indicating substantial antioxidant activity. At an IC 50 value of 4.80 μg/mL, the 50% ethanol extract exhibited the most potent inhibition of α-glucosidase. The cytotoxic activity of root extracts is 2 to 5-fold less than that of the aerial parts. Nevertheless, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of the root demonstrated a selective effect on leukemia cells, with no harm towards the normal HEK-293 cell line. This work provides a scientific support for the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of the plant. Hence, it may find a promising material for the development of novel antioxidant and antidiabetic agents. More research can be conducted on the phytochemistry and anticancer activities of the plant’s root.

Following the first report of Opisthorchis viverrini infection in a domestic duck in Phu My District of Binh Dinh Province, Central Vietnam, many other cases were observed in the province. We determined the infection rate and intensity of O. viverrini infection in ducks in 4 districts of the province. A total of 178 ducks were randomly selected from 34 farms for examination of flukes in the liver and gall bladder. An infection rate of 34.3% (range 20.7-40.4% among districts) was found; the intensity of infection was 13.8 worms per infected duck (range 1-100). These findings show the role of ducks as a host for O. viverrini, duck genotype, which is sympatric with the human O. viverrini genotype in this province. It also stresses the need for investigations on the zoonotic potential and the life cycle of this parasite.
Agriculture ; Ducks* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Life Cycle Stages ; Liver ; Opisthorchis* ; Parasites ; Prevalence* ; Trematoda* ; Urinary Bladder ; Vietnam*

Soluble epoxide hydrolases (sEH) are enzymes present in all living organisms, metabolize epoxy fatty acids to 1,2-diols. sEH in the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids plays a key role in inflammation. In addition, the endogenous lipid mediators in cardiovascular disease are also broken down to diols by the action of sEH that enhanced cardiovascular protection. In this study, sEH inhibitory guided fractionation led to the isolation of five phenolic compounds trans-resveratrol (1), trans-piceatannol (2), sulfuretin (3), (+)-balanophonin (4), and cassigarol E (5) from the ethanol extract of the seeds of Passiflora edulis Sims cultivated in Vietnam. The chemical structures of isolated compounds were determined by the interpretation of NMR spectral data, mass spectra, and comparison with data from the literature. The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity of isolated compounds was evaluated. Among them, trans-piceatannol (2) showed the most potent inhibitory activity on sEH with an IC₅₀ value of 3.4 µM. This study marks the first time that sulfuretin (3) was isolated from Passiflora edulis as well as (+)-balanophonin (4), and cassigarol E (5) were isolated from Passiflora genus.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Epoxide Hydrolases ; Ethanol ; Fatty Acids ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; Inflammation ; Metabolism ; Passiflora ; Passifloraceae ; Phenol ; Vietnam

Understanding the morphology of teeth is crucial in restorative dentistry in terms of restoring teeth’ anatomy, aesthetics, and function. Objectives: (1) this study describes an innovative method of teaching and learning tooth anatomy that applied shading techniques to 3D drawing the molar occlusal surfaces; (2) the study aims to survey learners’ opinions about the method’s effectiveness. Materials and methods: This study was conducted on 118 third-year dental students at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, from March to May 2022. The 3D occlusal surface drawing was developed and applied in teaching, and feedback was received from students. All statistical analysis was analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: Instructions for 3D drawing were detailed and explained step-by-step, from forming to shading the occlusal surfaces. Subsequently, 57.3% - 90.9% of students self-assessed their proficiency in comprehending the characteristics of the occlusal anatomy. 73.3% - 95.8% of students agreed on the utility. 73.1% of students agreed to be willing to apply the 3D drawing method in learning other subjects. Conclusion: Instructions for 3D drawing were built step-by-step, from forming to shading the occlusal surfaces. After completing the course, a high percentage of students agreed on the advantages of this method. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the 3D drawing method in clinical practice

Objective: To determine the concentration and rate of decay of maternal IgG antibodies against measles prevalence in infants of vaccinated or naturally infected mothers and study initial measles immunization occurs in nine-month-old children. Methods: In total, 401 pregnant women and the same number of their subsequent newborns were recruited in the Bavi district of Hanoi in 2016-2017; they were divided into two groups: Older women (born before 1985, n=201) and younger women (born after 1990, n=200). Samples were collected at five time-points; week 36 of pregnancy, birth (cord), and 3, 6, and 9 months after birth. Measles-specific IgG antibody levels were recorded. Results: In total, 77.06% of the 401 pregnant women were seropositive for measles-specific IgG antibodies. A significantly greater proportion of mothers aged 30 and older (88.06%) and their newborn (93.53%) were seropositive compared to the mothers aged 25 and younger (66.00%), and their newborn (72.00%) (P<0.001). The infants of older mothers had significantly higher geometric mean titres (GMT) of measles IgG antibodies than the infants of younger mothers (P<0.001) at all time-points of the study period. The proportion of measles IgG antibodies together with GMT decreased from 82.97% (506.96) at the age of three months to 23.19% (45.22) at the age of nine months. Conclusions: This study provides a profile of maternal antibodies against measles in Vietnamese infants and investigates the early susceptibility to measles in both the infants of vaccinated mothers and mothers with naturally acquired immunity. These data suggest that determining the appropriate age for measles vaccination is paramount for the elimination of measles in Vietnam.

Objective: To examine the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of the alkaloid enriched extract (ELA) from the roots of Eurycoma longifolia. Methods: The in vitro antiinflammatory effects of ELA were evaluated by examining its inhibitory activities against nitric oxide (NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expressions in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The level of NO produced in the culture media was determined by Griess method. The iNOS and COX-2 protein expressions were analyzed by Western blot. The in vivo effect of ELA was evaluated on LPS-induced septic shock in mice model. Mice mortality was monitored for 5 days after injection of LPS. The chemical contents of the ELA were determined by using various chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Results: The ELA was found to exhibit a significant anti-inflammatory effect in both in vitro and in vivo models. The results demonstrated that ELA dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced NO production as well as the protein iNOS and COX-2 expressions. In the septic shock model, ELA dose-dependently protected mice from LPS-induced mortality. Further study on the isolated components of ELA indicated that 9,10-dimethoxycanthin-6-one may contribute significantly to the anti-inflammatory effects of the extract. Conclusions: These results suggest that ELA exhibits the anti-inflammatory activity via suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as NO, iNOS, and COX-2 and protects mice from LPS-induced mortality in septic shock model.