The second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly is Parkinson’s disease (PD). Its etiology is unclear and there are no available disease-modifying medicines. Therefore, more evidence is required concerning its pathogenesis. The use of the neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is the basis of most animal models of PD. MPTP is metabolized by monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) to MPP + and induces the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra in mammals. Zebrafish have been commonly used in developmental biology as a model organism, but owing to its perfect mix of properties, it is now emerging as a model for human diseases. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are cheap and easy to sustain, evolve rapidly, breed transparent embryos in large amounts, and are readily manipulated by different methods, particularly genetic ones. Furthermore, zebrafish are vertebrate species and mammalian findings obtained from zebrafish may be more applicable than those derived from genetic models of invertebrates such as Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans. The resemblance cannot be taken for granted, however. The goal of the present review article is to highlight the promise of zebrafish as a PD animal model. As its aminergic structures, MPTP mode of action, and PINK1 roles mimic those of mammalians, zebrafish seems to be a viable model for studying PD. The roles of zebrafish MAO, however, vary from those of the two types of MAO present in mammals. The benefits unique to zebrafish, such as the ability to perform large-scale genetic or drug screens, should be exploited in future experiments utilizing zebrafish PD models.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common brain motor disorder, characterized by a substantial loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Motor impairments, such as dyskinesia, bradykinesia, and resting tremors, are the hallmarks of PD. Despite ongoing research, the exact PD pathogenesis remains elusive due to the disease intricacy and difficulty in conducting human studies. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as an ideal model for researching PD pathophysiology. Even though 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) has been used to induce PD in zebrafish, behavioural findings are frequently limited to a single time point (24 hours post-injection). In this sense, we aim to demonstrate the effects of MPTP on zebrafish swimming behaviour at multiple time points. We administered a single dosage of MPTP (200μg/g bw) via intraperitoneal injection (i/p) and assessed the locomotor activity and swimming pattern at 0h, 24h, and 96h post-injection through an open field test. Analysis of the behaviour revealed significant reductions in swimming velocity (cm/s) and distance travelled (cm), concurrent with an increase in freezing maintenance (duration and bouts) in zebrafish injected with MPTP. In addition, the MPTP-injected zebrafish exhibited complex swimming patterns, as measured by the turn angle, meander, and angular velocity, and showed abnormal swimming phenotypes, including freezing, looping, and erratic movement. To conclude, MPTP administration into adult zebrafish induced hypolocomotion and elicited motor incoordination. Plus, the effects of MPTP were observable 24 hours after the injection and still detectable 96 hours later. These findings contribute to the understanding of MPTP effects on adult zebrafish, particularly in terms of swimming behaviours, and may pave the way for a better understanding of the establishment of PD animal models in the future.

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Objective: Basic life support (BLS) refers to the skills that require no or few equipment to save cardiac or respiratory arrest patients and it is a skill that required by all healthcare providers including medical-based students in order to save the life-threatening victims. This study determined the level of knowledge, attitude and awareness of BLS among students at International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Kuantan campus. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study with convenience sampling study was conducted among 167 students at IIUM Kuantan Campus, from November to December 2020. Data were gathered by using Google Forms which available in English Language and distributed to year 3, 4 and 5 students. The questionnaire was adapted from three sets questionnaires, which two sets questionnaires were from American Heart Association in 2015, and another set questionnaire from European Resuscitation Council (ERC) 2010 Resuscitation Guidelines. Results: The majority of the respondents have high awareness and positive attitude towards BLS but having below average score for knowledge on BLS. There is a significantly association between courses and previous exposure of BLS training with BLS knowledge (p<0.05). Age, courses and previous exposure of BLS training are significantly associated with awareness level of BLS (p<0.05). A significant association also observed between previous exposure of BLS training with positive attitude towards BLS training (p<0.05). Conclusion: Health sciences university students was concluded to having positive attitude and high awareness towards BLS training despite having below average level of BLS knowledge score. Therefore, the university may provide more BLS educational programs and even practical to the students to promote their knowledge and improve their skills on BLS.

Salmonella typhimurium is a Gram negative pathogen that commonly causes severe gastroenteritis. It is resistant to a wide range of antibiotics and is able to form biofilm on both biotic and abiotic surfaces. To date, essential and non-homologous proteins in S. typhimurium biofilm remain not well investigated. Therefore, the present work was performed to analyze essential and non-homologous proteins in S. typhimurium biofilm using a combination of one-dimensional SDS-PAGE, HPLC - ESI - QTOF and bioinformatics. Results demonstrated that seven major protein bands (78.1 kDa, 51.2 kDa, 41.5 kDa, 37.3 kDa, 35.1 kDa, 27.6 kDa, and 25.4 kDa) were present in whole-cell protein extract of S. typhimurium biofilm. A total of 75 proteins were successfully identified from both 25.4 kDa and 51.2 kDa protein bands. Approximately 54.67% of QTOF-identified whole-cell proteins were found to be essential to the survival of S. typhimurium biofilm and were non-homologous to human proteome. Majority of essential and non-homologous S. typhimurium biofilm proteins were associated with transport and protein synthesis. The findings from the present work may be useful for development of novel antibiofilm agent.