The antifolate drugs sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine are commonly used to treat Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, they can also affect the Plasmodium vivax parasite if it coexists with P. falciparum, as both species have common drug targets. Resistance to the antifolate drugs arises due to point mutations in the target enzymes of the respective parasite. To assess the cross-species impact of antifolate drug treatment, we describe here the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) mutations among field isolates of P. vivax and P. falciparum. The overall DHFR mutation rate for P. vivax was lower than that for P. falciparum. However, both species of Plasmodium followed similar trends of DHFR mutations. Similar to P. falciparum, the DHFR mutation rate of P. vivax also varied from region to region. It was lower in P. vivax-dominant regions but higher in the P. falciparum-dominated areas and highest where antifolates are used as the first line of antimalarial treatment. In conclusion, the antifolate treatment of falciparum malaria is proportionately affecting the DHFR mutations of P. vivax, suggesting that the drug should be used with caution to minimize the development of cross-species resistance in the field.

Quadruple mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (PFDHFR) enzyme give rise to the highest level of pyrimethamine resistance leading to treatment failures. We describe here the presence of these quadruple mutations in a majority of P. falciparum isolates from Car Nicobar (Andaman and Nicobar) Island, India. Isolates from the mainland, however, continue to show a prevalence of double PFDHFR mutations and some with triple but none with quadruple mutations. In conclusion, the antifolate drug pressure is very high in the island, which should be a cause of concern for the malaria control program in the country.

Malaria is a major global health problem, with an estimated 300 to 500 million clinical cases occurring annually. Malaria remains one of the leading causes of disease and death in the tropics, mainly of children under 5 years of age. The most prevalent and dangerous type of malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum. P. vivax is a common cause of malaria in Latin America, Asia, and Oceania, but not Africa. P. malariae and P. ovale are much less common. Antimalarials are used in three different ways: prophylaxis, treatment of falciparum malaria, and treatment of non-falciparum malaria. Prophylactic antimalarials are used almost exclusively by travelers from developed countries who are visiting malaria-endemic countries. The antimalarials in common use come from the following classes of compounds: the quinolines (chloroquine, quinine, mefloquine, amodiaquine, primaquine), the antifolates (pyrimethamine, proguanil and sulfadoxine), the artemisinin derivatives (artemisinin, artesunate, artemether, arteether) and hydroxynaphthaquinones (atovaquine).

Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles on hydroxyapatite nanorod based nanostructures (Fe3O4/HAp) were synthesized using hydrothermal techniques at 180 °C for 12 h and were used as drug delivery nanocarriers for cancer cell therapeutic applications. The synthesized Fe3O4/HAp nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)-analysis, and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The morphologies of the Fe3O4/HAp nanocomposites show 15 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticles dispersed in the form of rods. The BET result shows that the synthesized samples have a high specific surface area of 80 m2 g−1 with mesoporous structures. Magnetic measurements revealed that the sample has high saturation magnetization of 18 emu/g with low coercivity. The Fe3O4/HAp nanocomposites had a large specific surface area (SSA), high mesoporous volume, and good magnetic property, which made it a suitable nanocarrier for targeted drug delivery systems. The chemotherapeutic agent, andrographolide, was used to investigate the drug delivery behavior of the Fe3O4/HAp nanocomposites. The human epidermoid skin cancer cells (A431) were used as the model targeting cell lines by treating with andrographolide loaded Fe3O4/HAp nanosystems and were further evaluated for their antiproliferative activities and the induction of apoptosis. Also, the present nanocomposite shows better biocompatibility, therefore it can be used as suitable drug vehicle for cancer therapy applications.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL)

Malaria constitutes persistent threat to the human health and remains a distinct cause of morbidity and mortality, 40% of the world population is at risk of exposure to this menace in 100 countries (WHO, 2001). Present data represents the registered cases of malaria in the hospitals and clinics in India. Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum infections were recorded 63.86%, 66.06%, 62.58% and 36.13%, 33.93%, 37.41%, respectively, amongst individuals with symptoms of intermittent high fever for three days. Maximum transmission with highest slide positivity rates (SPR) 61.76% and 50.14% was periodically and strategically observed during September and October while lowest yearly transmission slide positivity rates (SPR) (19.60-24.07%) was estimated in the months of March and April. Average relapse rates (ARR) in P. vivax was recorded 17.1%. Short term relapses were more recurring than the long term in the ratio of 4:1. Eighty-eight patients who were administered with total of 1500 mg chloroquine and 75 mg primaquine through divided doses also showed relapse rate of 4.5%. Patients suffering from falciparum malaria showed resistance against chloroquine in 10.6% cases after getting 1500 mg chloroquine based on divided doses (i.e. 600 mg on day 1 and 300 mg after 8 h and followed by 300 mg daily for 2 days.)

Calcium (Ca+2) is a ubiquitous messenger in eukaryotes including Caenorhabditis. Ca+2-mediated signalling processes are usually carried out through well characterized proteins like calmodulin (CaM) and other Ca+2 binding proteins (CaBP). These proteins interact with different targets and activate it by bringing conformational changes. Majority of the EF-hand proteins in Caenorhabditis contain Ca+2 binding motifs. Here, we have performed homology modelling of CaM-like proteins using the crystal structure of Drosophila melanogaster CaM as a template. Molecular docking was applied to explore the binding mechanism of CaM-like proteins and IQ1 motif which is a ∼25 residues and conform to the consensus sequence (I, L, V)QXXXRXXXX(R,K) to serve as a binding site for different EF hand proteins. We made an attempt to identify all the EF-hand (a helix-loop-helix structure characterized by a 12 residues loop sequence involved in metal coordination) containing proteins and their Ca+2 binding affinity in Caenorhabditis by analysing the complete genome sequence. Docking studies revealed that F165, F169, L29, E33, F44, L57, M61, M96, M97, M108, G65, V115, F93, N104, E144 of CaM-like protein is involved in the interaction with IQ1 motif. A maximum of 170 EF-hand proteins and 39 non-EF-hand proteins with Ca+2/metal binding motif were identified. Diverse proteins including enzyme, transcription, translation and large number of unknown proteins have one or more putative EF-hands. Phylogenetic analysis revealed seven major classes/groups that contain some families of proteins. Various domains that we identified in the EF-hand proteins (uncharacterized) would help in elucidating their functions. It is the first report of its kind where calcium binding loop sequences of EF-hand proteins were analyzed to decipher their calcium affinities. Variation in Ca+2-binding affinity of EF-hand CaBP could be further used to study the behaviour of these proteins. Our analyses postulated that Ca+2 is likely to be key player in Caenorhabditis cell signalling.

Fallisia arabica n. sp. was described from peripheral blood smears of the Skink lizard, Scincus hemprichii from Jazan Province in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. Schizogony and gametogony take place within neutrophils in the peripheral blood of the host. Mature schizont is rosette shaped 17.5 ± 4.1 × 17.0 ± 3.9 μm, with a L/W ratio of 1.03(1.02-1.05) μm and produces 24(18-26) merozoites. Young gametocytes are ellipsoidal, 5.5 ± 0.8 × 3.6 ± 0.5 μm, with a L/W of 1.53(1.44-1.61) μm. Mature macrogametocytes are ellipsoidal, 9.7 ± 1.2 × 7.8 ± 1.0 μm, with a L/W of 1.24(1.21-1.34) μm and microgametocytes are ellipsoidal, 7.0 ± 1.1 × 6.8 ± 0.9 μm. with a L/W of 1.03(1.01-1.10) μm. In comparison to the described Fallisia species, this new taxon has rosette schizonts and is larger than F. dominicensis, in Hispaniola, F. bipocrati, F. poecilopi, in Panama, F. thecadactyli in Venezuela, and F. effusa, F. simplex, F. modesta, in Brazil. F. arabica has fewer merozoites than F. effusa, F. poecilopi, F. thecadactyli and F. siamense in Thailand. This new species has more merozoites than F. dominicensis and F. modesta. All of these species belong to diverse saurian families (Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Polychrotidae, Scincidae and Teiidae) parasitize only thrombocytes or lymphocytes and some species parasitize immature erythroid cells and leucocytes.