A peptide mainly of hypothalamus and placental origin named 'kisspeptin' suppresses metastasis of melanoma cells. As several malignant tumors lead to impaired blood coagulation, we hypothesized if kisspeptin acts also as a potential anticoagulant. The effect was studied in vivo through intraperitoneal administration of kisspeptin to laboratory rats, and application of kisspeptin ex vivo to rat and human blood. In another set of experiments, clotting factors in the form of rat fresh plasma were injected into rats' prior to kisspeptin administration. Standard anticoagulation parameters were studied through established methods and commercially available kits. Herein, we demonstrate dose-dependent anticoagulation effect following in vivo kisspeptin administration. Coagulation time, bleeding time, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were significantly (P < 0.0002) prolonged, international normalized ratio increased, while plasma calcium concentration and mean platelet count were significantly decreased (P < 0.001). Mean platelet volume increased only at the highest tested dose while platelet distribution width remained unaltered. Where fresh plasma was administered prior to kisspeptin treatment, results were similar to kisspeptin alone treatment except for significantly (P < 0.001) increased plasma calcium concentration. Application of kisspeptin ex vivo to rat and human blood produced similar results. This is the first report on kisspeptin's role in the anticoagulation of blood and suggests that it may increase the bleeding tendency possibly via modulation of calcium-signaling or inactivating calcium action, inhibition of thrombin and quick reduction in platelet numbers. A detailed investigation of the anticoagulation role of kisspeptin would help to clarify its use as an anticoagulant and thrombolytic agent.
Apoptotic response in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells is impaired because of interconnectivity of proteins into complexes and signaling networks that are highly divergent in time and space. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has emerged as an attractive anticancer agent reported to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Although diametrically opposed roles of TRAIL are reported both as an inducer of apoptosis and regulator of metastasis, overwhelmingly accumulating experimental evidence highlighting apoptosis inducing activity of TRAIL is directing TRAIL into clinical trials. Insights from TRAIL mediated signaling in HCC research are catalyzing new lines of study that should not only explain molecular mechanisms of disease but also highlight emerging paradigms in restoration of TRAIL mediated apoptosis in resistant cancer cells. It is becoming progressively more understandable that phytochemicals derived from edible plants have shown potential in modelling their interactions with their target proteins. Rapidly accumulating in vitro and in-vivo evidence indicates that phytonutrients have anticancer activity in rodent models of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review we bring to limelight how phytonutrients restore apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by rebalancing pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins. Evidence has started to emerge, that reveals how phytonutrients target pharmacologically intractable proteins to suppress cancer. Target-based small-molecule discovery has entered into the mainstream research in the pharmaceutical industry and a better comprehension of the genetics of patients will be essential for identification of responders and non-responders.
The information generated from the completion of the genome sequence of Plasmodium falciparum in 2002 helped revolutionize molecular biological research on malarial parasites. Malaria is among the oldest documented diseases of humans and even today organisms in the genus Plasmodium infect more people than do the vectors of any other infectious disease (1). Temporal variation of malaria cases shows a significant positive association with meteorological variables including average monthly rainfall and temperature (2). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 135 to 287 million cases and 473,000 to 789,000 deaths due to malaria were reported in 2012 (3).Four species of malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium ovlae, and Plasmodium malariae, are known to infect humans (4). Among these, P. vivax puts billions of the world's population at risk of infection due to greater survival ability in challenging environments (5-7). Malarial infection is one of the gravest problems prevailing in Pakistan, where population explosion, low per capita income, poor health facilities, poor nutrition in joint family systems, lack of education, and unhygienic communities contribute towards an increase in the incidence of malarial infections. According to the WHO, 60% of the Pakistani population lives in endemic malarial regions (3). After eradication efforts in the 1960s, malaria surged back to an epidemic level in the 1970s. An upward trend in the prevalence of malaria was partially attributed to floods that affected approximately 20 million people in over 60 districts (8). Despite a well-established malaria control program, 500,000 malaria infections and 50,000 malaria-attributable deaths occur each year in Pakistan ( 9), with approximately 37% of cases occurring in regions along the borders with Afghanistan and Iran (10).Detection of mixed infections can be difficult due to varying levels of parasitemia, low organism density, and Background/aim: The prevalences of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax are increasing rapidly in Pakistan, but recent data on the epidemiology of malaria are not properly reported with scarce diagnostic methods for quick diagnosis. This study was designed to determine the current prevalence and distribution of Plasmodium species in the vicinity of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and report on the validity of the immunochromatographic test (ICT) in diagnosing malarial infections.Materials and methods: A total of 1500 blood samples obtained from a local hospital were screened during the course of this study via microscopic examination and ICT.Results: It was seen that malaria was highly endemic in this region. Both P. vivax and P. falciparum were prevalent in all age groups with high seasonal variations, showing a summer peak for P. vivax and a winter peak for P. falciparum. In a comparative study of the diagnostic methods it was observed that the ICT is 95% sensitive and 100% specific for both P. falciparum and P. vivax, while microscopic study was 100% sens...
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver tumor and represents the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. The incidence of HCC continues to increase worldwide, with a unique geographic, age, and sex distribution. The present study is aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in sub-urban Rawalpindi Pakistan and to evaluate the role of its associated risk factors. Blood samples were collected and different biochemical blood tests were performed in this study. The study was conducted from August 2015 to July 2016. Blood samples collected and processed after serum separation., The current result showed that people between the age of 30-60 years are potentially at a higher risk of getting HCCfemales are higher risk of getting HCC than males (P<0). The clinicopathological result showed that including the higher value in HCC patients than the normal NON-HCC people.
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