BackgroundEnsuring that no baby is born with HIV is an essential step towards achieving an AIDS-free generation. To achieve this, strategies that decouple links between childbirth and HIV transmission are necessary. Traditional forms of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT), has been recommended. Recognizing the importance and challenges of combination of methods to achieve rapid PMTCT, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended option B Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) for all HIV-positive pregnant women. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the HAART in PMTCT. A cohort of HIV-infected pregnant women in Kenya were obtained from the DREAM Center, Nairobi. The study participants underwent adherence counselling and Option B of HAART [Nevirapine(NVP) + Lamivudine + Zidovudine] at the fourth week of gestation followed by an intravenous NVP administration intrapartum and postpartum NVP syrup to the respective infants for six weeks. Absolute pre-HAART and post-HAART CD4 counts and viral loads counts were determined. Comparison of the CD4 counts and viral loads before and after administration of HAART were done using Wilcoxon’s Matched Pairs Signed-Ranks Test.FindingsThe mean absolute CD4 cell counts in mothers after administration of HAART was significantly higher (Z = 15.664, p < 0.001) than before the administration of HAART). Also the viral load of the mothers significantly (Z = 11.324, p < 0.001) reduced following HAART treatment. Following the HAART administration in mothers, up to 90% of children were confirmed to be HIV negative.ConclusionAdministration of HAART to mothers and children demonstrated an effective mechanism of PMTCT. However, other aspects of HAART such as adherence, costs, mothers behaviour during HAART, and the child feeding programme during the therapy should further be evaluated and ascertained how they can affect the overall efficacy of option B HAART in PMTCT.
This study was conducted to establish optimal temperature, pH and incubation time for bacteria from gin trash, for enhancing wax removal during cotton bioscouring. Universal Rotatable Experimental Design was used for the process of optimisation and efficiency assessed by the percentage weight loss after solvent extraction of the treated fibres. Optimum wax of 0.765% out of 1.2% present in the fibres was removed at 45°C, pH 8 within 1 h. Minitab 15 and Monte Carlos were used for the parameter modelling and sensitivity analysis. A second-order polynomial regression model was fitted and found adequate with a determination coefficient, R 2 , of 0.94032 (p < 0.005). At 45°C, pH 8, maximum 0.747% wax was removed by the bacteria in pectinase treatment within 1 h. 0.752% wax was removed from bulkier treated fibres, without significant change in fibre strength. Temperature was found to be the most significant variable in the bacterial cotton wax removal.
Medicinal plants present a plausible source for anticancer agents. Combination of plant extracts and plant-derived compounds with the currently used cancer drugs has shown a marked improvement of the conventional drugs' efficacy and reduced toxicity. This study evaluated; phytochemical screening, antiproliferative activity and drug interaction potentials of Moringa oleifera and Indigofera arrecta leaf extracts with 5-fluoro uracil against selected cancer cell lines. Phytochemical screening was done using standard procedures. The common 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yr) -2, 5diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay was used to determine the growth inhibitory potential of the extracts towards cancer cells. Drug interaction assays were done using constant ratio combination method. Alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols and saponins were found to be present in the plant's extracts. M. oleifera and I. arrecta methanol-dichloromethane extracts had the highest activity compared to water extracts. All the extracts showed antiproliferative activities towards; HCC 1395 (breast), DU145 (prostate) and Hela (cervical) cancer cell lines. The extracts were not cytotoxic towards Vero cells (IC 50 >1000 µg/ml). I. arrecta and M. oleifera inhibited DU145 the most with IC 50 values of 111.110 µg/ml and 66.290 µg/ml respectively. The plant extracts synergistically inhibited the growth of cancer cells (CI<1). Combination of the plant extracts and 5-Fluorouracil depicted that the concentration of the conventional drug could be reduced and yet achieve the same desired effect against cancerous cells (Dose reduction index (DRI) >1). Further studies to isolate the bioactive compounds and deduce the probable mechanisms of action are recommended.
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