Local origin or external input: modern horse origin in East Asia.

BACKGROUND: Despite decades of research, the horse domestication scenario in East Asia remains poorly understood. RESULTS: The study identified 16 haplogroups with fine-scale phylogenetic resolution using mitochondrial genomes of 317 horse samples. The time to the most recent common ancestor of the 16 haplogroups ranges from [0.8-3.1] thousand years ago (KYA) to [7.9-27.1] KYA. With combined analyses of the mitochondrial control region for 35 extant Przewalski's horses, 3544 modern and 203 ancient horses across the world, researchers provide evidence for that East Asian prevalent haplogroups Q and R were indigenously domesticated or they were involved in numerous distinct genetic components from wild horses in the southern part of East Asia. These events of haplotypes Q and R occurred during 4.7 to 16.3 KYA and 2.1 to 11.5 KYA, respectively. The diffusion of preponderant European haplogroups L from west to East Asia is consistent with the external gene input. Furthermore, genetic differences were detected between northern East Asia and southern East Asia cohorts by Principal Component Analysis, Analysis of Molecular Variance test, the χ2 test and phylogeographic analyses. CONCLUSIONS: All results suggest a complex picture of horse domestication, as well as geographic pattern in East Asia. Both local origin and external input occurred in East Asia horse populations. And besides, there are at least two different domestication or hybridization centers in East Asia.

A rapid and efficient DNA extraction protocol from fresh and frozen human blood samples.

BACKGROUND: Different methods available for extraction of human genomic DNA suffer from one or more drawbacks including low yield, compromised quality, cost, time consumption, use of toxic organic solvents, and many more. Herein, we aimed to develop a method to extract DNA from 500 µL of fresh or frozen human blood. METHODS: Five hundred microliters of fresh and frozen human blood samples were used for standardization of the extraction procedure. Absorbance at 260 and 280 nm, respectively, (A260 /A280 ) were estimated to check the quality and quantity of the extracted DNA sample. Qualitative assessment of the extracted DNA was checked by Polymerase Chain reaction and double digestion of the DNA sample. RESULTS: Our protocol resulted in average yield of 22±2.97 µg and 20.5±3.97 µg from 500 µL of fresh and frozen blood, respectively, which were comparable to many reference protocols and kits. CONCLUSION: Besides yielding bulk amount of DNA, our protocol is rapid, economical, and avoids toxic organic solvents such as Phenol. Due to unaffected quality, the DNA is suitable for downstream applications. The protocol may also be useful for pursuing basic molecular researches in laboratories having limited funds.

Elevated levels of C-reactive protein and IL-6 among the antipsychotic medicating schizophrenia patients of Siliguri, West Bengal, India.

PURPOSE: Chronic, low-grade inflammation is a proposed etiological factor associated with schizophrenia. Thus, various studies have been conducted to understand the role of inflammatory process in schizophrenia by using inflammatory maker C-reactive protein (CRP) with conflicting findings. Inadvertently, studies of CRP among the Indian schizophrenia patients are very few. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the role of inflammatory process among Indian Bengalee schizophrenia patients of Siliguri, using the marker CRP and its stimulating cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6). In addition, the study also intended to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of antipsychotic medication on serum levels of CRP and IL-6. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The serum levels of CRP and IL-6 were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) among 67 antipsychotic medicating, 28 psychotropic medication-free schizophrenia patients, and it was compared with 72 age, sex and ethnicity-matched controls. RESULTS: A significantly higher level of CRP and IL-6 were recorded among the antipsychotic medicating patients. Although CRP was found to be higher among the psychotropic medication-free patients than the controls, it was not found to be significant. However, a significantly higher level of IL-6 was observed in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide the evidence for a possible immunomodulatory effect of antipsychotic drugs on CRP. Future investigations including the study of antipsychotics separately may help to understand the differential effects of individual antipsychotics on CRP level. Additional studies with a larger sample size of psychotropic medication-free patients may help to verify the role of inflammation in schizophrenia patients of this region.

Radical Scavenging Activities of Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. Petal Extracts and its hepato-protection in CCl4-intoxicated mice.

BACKGROUND: Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. has medicinal importance. Bioactive phytochemicals isolated from different parts of L. speciosa, have revealed hypoglycemic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hepato protective properties. Despite one report from Philippines detailing the use of L. speciosa as curative for fever and as well as diuretic, there is no experimental evidence about the hepatoprotective activity of the flower extracts. METHODS: Several spectroscopic methods, including GC-MS, were used to characterize phytochemicals present in the petal extract of L. speciosa. Ethanol extract of petals was evaluated for anti-oxidant and free radical scavenging properties by using methods related to hydrogen atom transfer, single electron transfer, reducing power, and metal chelation. This study has also revealed the in vitro antioxidant and in vivo hepatoprotective properties of petal extract against carbon tetra chloride (CCl4)-induced liver toxicity in Swiss albino mice. Hepatoprotection in CCl4 -intoxicated mice was studied with the aid of histology and different enzymatic and non-enzymatic markers of liver damage. Cytotoxicity tests were done using murein spleenocytes and cancareous cell lines, MCF7 and HepG2. RESULT: GCMS of the extract has revealed the presence of several potential antioxidant compounds, of them γ-Sitosterol and 1,2,3-Benzenetriol (Pyrogallol) were the predominant ones. The antioxidants activities of the flower-extract were significantly higher than curcumin (in terms of Nitric oxide scavenging activity; p = 0.0028) or ascorbic acid (in terms of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay; p = 0.0022). The damage control by the flower extract can be attributed to the reduction in lipid peroxidation and restoration of catalase activity. In vitro cytotoxicity tests have shown that the flower extract did not affect growth and survivability of the cell lines. It left beyond doubt that a flower of L. speciosa is a reservoir of antioxidant and hepatoprotective agents capable of reversing the damage inflicted by CCl4-intoxication. CONCLUSION: Results from the present study may be used in developing a potential hepato-protective health drink enriched with antioxidants from Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers.

Toxicological assessment of Diplazium esculentum on the reproductive functions of male Swiss albino mouse.

CONTEXT: Diplazium esculentum, a commonly consumed seasonal vegetable, has been reported to have some pathological effects in some animals. But, its effect on the male reproductive function has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of boiled D. esculentum (BDE), the form which human consumes, on male reproductive functions of Swiss albino mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male (120 in no.) and female (80 in no.) Swiss albino mice (6-8 weeks of age) were fed orally with 80, 160 and 320 mg/kg bw of BDE within a span of 180 d. After the treatment, body weight, absolute- and relative-testis weight, relative-weight of other organs, their biochemical parameters, hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) of spermatozoa, testis histology and fertility and fecundity tests were performed to justify the toxic effects of D. esculentum on male reproductive functions. RESULTS: Significant dose- and time-dependent decreases were observed in body weight, absolute- and relative-testis weight, relative-weights of other organs and their biochemical parameters, percentage of live spermatozoa and percentage of fertility and fecundity in BDE fed mice. Significant decreases were observed in diameter, perimeter and area of the seminiferous tubules of mice treated for 180 d. The percentage of empty seminiferous tubules was increased significantly in BDE treated mice when compared to the controls. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the intake of D. esculentum, even after cooking, may induce infertility by altering the male reproductive function, and therefore, should be evaluated further as a potential antifertility agent.

Haloalkane induced hepatic insult in murine model: amelioration by Oleander through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, an in vitro and in vivo study.

BACKGROUND: Nerium oleander L. (syn. Nerium indicum Mill, Nerium odorum Aiton) belongs to the family Apocynaceae. It is used for its anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer and hepatoprotective activities in traditional medicine. Previous pharmacognostic studies suggested that 70 % hydro-methanolic extracts of oleander possess potent free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities, both of which are helpful against hepatotoxicity. METHODS: Hydro-methanolic extracts of oleander stem and root were evaluated for their hepatoprotective activities in acute CCl4 intoxicated mouse through in vitro and in vivo studies. Silymarin was used as positive reference. Antioxidant enzymes, pro-inflammatory markers and liver enzymatic and biochemical parameters were studied. The extracts were further chemically characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS: CCl4 toxicity caused fatty liver formation by increase of relative liver weight (32.53 g) compared to control group (16.08 g). The elevated liver enzymatic and biochemical parameters due to CCl4 toxicity were considerably normalized by the extracts treatment under both in vivo and in vitro models. Oleander stem (NOSE) and root (NORE) extracts increased the reduced hepatic catalase activity 27.37 and 25.25 %, whereas peroxidase activity was increased 18.19 and 22.78 %, respectively. The extent of lipid peroxidation was significantly (p < 0.01) lowered 20.76 % (NOSE) and 21.12 % (NORE) compared to CCl4 group. The levels of pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was lowered 71.33 % (NOSE) and 61.60 % (NORE). Histopathological study demonstrated substantial reduction of hepatocellular necrosis, fatty infiltration, sinusoidal dilation, bile duct proliferation, vascular congestion, leukocyte infiltration in the silymarin and extract treated groups. Furthermore, various bioactive compounds were identified in the extracts such as apocynin, tocopherol, squalene, vanillin, isoeugenol, amyrin, lupeol etc. CONCLUSION: The present study provided convincing evidence that oleander extracts possess potent hepatoprotective capacity which was primarily governed by its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The collegial bioactivities of the phytochemicals may be accredited behind the hepatoprotective activity of oleander.

Assessment of haemolytic, cytotoxic and free radical scavenging activities of an underutilized fruit, Baccaurea ramiflora Lour. (Roxb.) Muell. Arg.

Baccaurea ramiflora Lour. (Roxb.) Muell. Arg. is an underutilized juicy fruit bearing plant found in sub-Himalayan area, South China, Indo-Burma region, etc. The fruit is considered to be nutritive, and in this study, we evaluated its antioxidant, haemolytic and cytotoxic properties. The juice was examined for the quenching activity of hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, singlet oxygen, peroxynitrite, total antioxidant activity (TAA), erythrocyte membrane stabilizing activity (EMSA) along with quantification of phenolic and flavonoid contents and also tested for its potential activity as iron chelator, inhibitor of lipid peroxidation and total reducing power. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were also performed to correlate antioxidant capacities with the phenolic and flavonoid content. Haemolytic activity on murine erythrocyte and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) cytotoxic test was performed on murine splenocytes, thymocytes, hepatocytes and peritoneal exudates macrophage to examine the cytotoxic effect of its juice. The result exhibited its potent free radical scavenging activity. In case of TAA, DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), EMSA and lipid peroxidation, the fruit juice was found to have significant (P < 0.001) antioxidant capacity, which is evident from low IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) value. Results obtained from haemolytic inhibition assay and MTT cytotoxic test confirms that the juice does not contain any cytotoxic effect and the fruit is safe for consumption. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra analysis exhibited high possibility of presence of flavonoid compounds in the juice.

Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity and standardisation of hydro-methanol extract of underground tuber of Dioscorea alata.

Context The underground edible tuber of Dioscorea alata L. (Dioscoreaceae) is a functional food with high nutritive value and therapeutic potential. The tuber is known to possess anti-inflammatory properties in traditional medicine. Objective The present study explores the anti-inflammatory activity and standardisation of D. alata tuber hydromethanol extract. Materials and methods Hydromethanol extract (70%) of D. alata tuber was chemically characterised using HPLC and GC-MS techniques. Murine lymphocytes were cultured for 48 h with six different concentrations (0-80 µg/mL) of the extract. The expression of nitric oxide (NO), TNF-α, COX-1, COX-2, and PGE2 were evaluated using colorimetric and ELISA methods. Results Dioscorea alata extract inhibited the expression of NO and TNF-α with an IC50 value of 134.51 ± 6.75 and 113.30 ± 7.44 µg/mL, respectively. The IC50 values for inhibition of total COX, COX-1, COX-2 activities and PGE2 level were 41.96 ± 3.07, 141.41 ± 8.99, 32.50 ± 1.69, and 186.34 ± 15.36 µg/mL, respectively. Inhibition of PGE2 level and COX-2 activity was positively correlated (R(2) = 0.9393). Gallic acid (GA), 4-hydroxy benzoic acid (4HBA), syringic acid (SYA), p-coumaric acid (PCA), and myricetin (MY) were identified and quantified using HPLC. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 13 different phytocompounds such as hexadecanoic acid, methyl stearate, cinnamyl cinnamate, and squalene. Conclusion The D. alata extract significantly down-regulated the pro-inflammatory signals in a gradual manner compared with control (0 µg/mL). Different bioactive phytocompounds individually possessing anti-inflammatory activities contributed to the overall bioactivity of the D. alata tuber extract.

West Eurasian mtDNA lineages in India: an insight into the spread of the Dravidian language and the origins of the caste system.

There is no indication from the previous mtDNA studies that west Eurasian-specific subclades have evolved within India and played a role in the spread of languages and the origins of the caste system. To address these issues, we have screened 14,198 individuals (4208 from this study) and analyzed 112 mitogenomes (41 new sequences) to trace west Eurasian maternal ancestry. This has led to the identification of two autochthonous subhaplogroups--HV14a1 and U1a1a4, which are likely to have originated in the Dravidian-speaking populations approximately 10.5-17.9 thousand years ago (kya). The carriers of these maternal lineages might have settled in South India during the time of the spread of the Dravidian language. In addition to this, we have identified several subsets of autochthonous U7 lineages, including U7a1, U7a2b, U7a3, U7a6, U7a7, and U7c, which seem to have originated particularly in the higher-ranked caste populations in relatively recent times (2.6-8.0 kya with an average of 5.7 kya). These lineages have provided crucial clues to the differentiation of the caste system that has occurred during the recent past and possibly, this might have been influenced by the Indo-Aryan migration. The remaining west Eurasian lineages observed in the higher-ranked caste groups, like the Brahmins, were found to cluster with populations who possibly arrived from west Asia during more recent times.

Chemical characterization and assessment of antioxidant potentiality of Streptocaulon sylvestre Wight, an endangered plant of sub-Himalayan plains of West Bengal and Sikkim.

BACKGROUND: S. sylvestre Wright is an extremely rare plant, found only in the sub-Himalayan Terai region of West Bengal and neighboring Sikkim foot-hills. The plant has never been evaluated for any pharmaceutical properties. The phytochemical status of the plant is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore the antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities and analysis of bioactive compounds present in S. sylvestre. METHODS: S. sylvestre methanolic extract (SSME) was evaluated for different free radical scavenging activities such as hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, singlet oxygen, hypochlorous acid, peroxynitrite, superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging etc. Iron chelating capacity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation were studied in addition to the assessment of haemolytic activity and erythrocyte membrane stabilizing activity (EMSA). Chemical characterization of SSME were performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). RESULTS: The results indicate that SSME possess potent antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 113.06 ± 5.67 µg/ml, 63.93 ± 4.16 µg/ml and 142.14 ± 6.13 µg/ml for hydroxyl radical, superoxide radical and hypochlorous acid, respectively. HPLC analysis revealed presence of different phenolic secondary metabolites such as gallic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, syringic acid, myricetin, quercetin etc. GC-MS analysis displayed the predominance of γ-sitosterol, vitamin E and squalene in SSME. CONCLUSION: The present study provides a convincing evidence that S. sylvestre not only possess potent antioxidant activity but also can be used as a source of natural bioactive phytochemicals in the future.

Oleander attenuates hepatic inflammation in a TLR4-independent manner and by favorable modulation of hepatocellular global metabolome that supports cytoprotection.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Nerium oleander is used to treat liver-associated chronic metabolic diseases in traditional medicinal systems across the globe. The hepatoprotective effects of oleander are mentioned in Indian and Chinese traditional medicinal literature. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study aimed to investigate the cellular mechanisms behind the hepatoprotective effects of a non-toxic dose of oleander (NO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hepatoprotective effects of NO were tested against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated HepG2 cells. Oxidative stress response was studied using cellular enzymatic assays, and gene expression was analyzed using qRT-PCR. HepG2 cells were pretreated with TAK-242 (pharmacological inhibitor of TLR4) to decipher the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of NO. Cell-free metabolites were analyzed using GCMS and were subjected to pathway enrichment analysis. RESULTS: NO reduced systemic inflammation, serum lipid peroxidation byproducts, and glucose without affecting serum transaminase levels and hepatic histopathological features. NO attenuated the inflammation-induced loss of antioxidant enzyme activities and mRNA expressions of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor κß (NFκß)-dependent inflammatory genes. In TAK-242 pretreated cells, LPS was unable to induce inflammatory and oxidative responses. However, NO treatment in TAK-242 pretreated cells with LPS stimulation further reduced the signs of inflammation and improved hepatoprotective activities. A comparative analysis of the intracellular global metabolome from HepG2 cells with and without NO treatment indicated NO-mediated favorable modulation of intracellular metabolic pathways that support cytoprotective activities. CONCLUSION: NO protects HepG2 cells from LPS-induced oxidative and inflammatory injury. The hepatoprotective effects of NO are mediated by a TLR4-independent process and through a favorable modulation of the intracellular global metabolome that supports cytoprotection.

Lack of association of IL-6 (-174 G>C) and TNF-α (-238 G>A) variants with paranoid schizophrenia in Indian Bengalee population.

Schizophrenia is a chronic debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder with complex etiopathology. Growing evidence suggests a significant role of chronic low grade inflammation in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Multiple immunological, genetic polymorphism and gene expression studies have established crucial roles of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines in the immune-mediated risk of schizophrenia. Although genetic studies suggest some variants within the pro-inflammatory IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α genes conferring risk to schizophrenia, the results however have been contradictory in various populations. In the present investigation, promoter SNPs of IL-6 (-174 G>C) and TNF-α (-238 G>A) genes have been studied to evaluate whether these variants contribute to schizophrenia susceptibility in Indian Bengalee population. Genotyping of the above SNPs was done in 100 well characterized and confirmed cases of paranoid schizophrenia and equal number of healthy donors belonging to the same ethnic group by using ABI 3730 Genetic Analyzer. No significant differences in genotype as well as allele frequencies were observed for IL-6 and TNF-α variants between the patient and control groups.

Assessment of the immunosuppressive and hemolytic activities of an edible fern, Diplazium esculentum.

CONTEXT: Diplazium esculentum is the most commonly consumed fern throughout Asia and Oceania. Systemic toxicity and pathological effects on its consumption have already been demonstrated. But, the immunosuppressive and hemolytic activities of the boiled Diplazium esculentum (BDE), the form in which human consumes it, have not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the immunosuppressive as well as hemolytic activities, if any, of BDE in Swiss albino mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Body weight, relative spleen weight, plaque forming cell assay, hemaggutination antibody (HA) titer assay and macrophage counting were performed in BDE treated mice and respective control groups within a span of 180 days, and in vitro assays such as counting of cultured splenocytes, splenocytes proliferation assay and hemolytic assay were performed to justify the immunomodulatory as well as hemolytic activities of D. esculentum. RESULTS: Body weight and relative spleen weight were significantly decreased in BDE fed mice. Significant decreases were observed in the number of plaques formed, HA titer value and in the number of peritoneal macrophages within a span of 180 d. Significant dose-dependent decrease was observed in the number of cultured splenocytes. Significant dose-dependent increases in the percentage inhibition of splenocyte proliferation as well as percentage of hemolysis were evident by in vitro assays. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that the intake of D. esculentum may evoke immune dysfunction as well as may cause destruction of erythrocytes even after cooking. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the consumption of D. esculentum is alarming and may act as immunosuppressive agent.

Revisiting the role of the Himalayas in peopling Nepal: insights from mitochondrial genomes.

Himalayas was believed to be a formidably geographical barrier between South and East Asia. The observed high frequency of the East Eurasian paternal lineages in Nepal led some researchers to suggest that these lineages were introduced into Nepal from Tibet directly; however, it is also possible that the East Eurasian genetic components might trace their origins to northeast India where abundant East Eurasian maternal lineages have been detected. To trace the origin of the Nepalese maternal genetic components, especially those of East Eurasian ancestry, and then to better understand the role of the Himalayas in peopling Nepal, we have studied the matenal genetic composition extensively, especially the East Eurasian lineages, in Nepalese and its surrounding populations. Our results revealed the closer affinity between the Nepalese and the Tibetans, specifically, the Nepalese lineages of the East Eurasian ancestry generally are phylogenetically closer with the ones from Tibet, albeit a few mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, likely resulted from recent gene flow, were shared between the Nepalese and northeast Indians. It seems that Tibet was most likely to be the homeland for most of the East Eurasian in the Nepalese. Taking into account the previous observation on Y chromosome, now it is convincing that bearer of the East Eurasian genetic components had entered Nepal across the Himalayas around 6 kilo years ago (kya), a scenario in good agreement with the previous results from linguistics and archeology.

Inland post-glacial dispersal in East Asia revealed by mitochondrial haplogroup M9a'b.

BACKGROUND: Archaeological studies have revealed a series of cultural changes around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Asia; whether these changes left any signatures in the gene pool of East Asians remains poorly indicated. To achieve deeper insights into the demographic history of modern humans in East Asia around the Last Glacial Maximum, we extensively analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplogroup M9a'b, a specific haplogroup that was suggested to have some potential for tracing the migration around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Eurasia. RESULTS: A total of 837 M9a'b mitochondrial DNAs (583 from the literature, while the remaining 254 were newly collected in this study) pinpointed from over 28,000 subjects residing across East Eurasia were studied here. Fifty-nine representative samples were further selected for total mitochondrial DNA sequencing so we could better understand the phylogeny within M9a'b. Based on the updated phylogeny, an extensive phylogeographic analysis was carried out to reveal the differentiation of haplogroup M9a'b and to reconstruct the dispersal histories. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that southern China and/or Southeast Asia likely served as the source of some post-Last Glacial Maximum dispersal(s). The detailed dissection of haplogroup M9a'b revealed the existence of an inland dispersal in mainland East Asia during the post-glacial period. It was this dispersal that expanded not only to western China but also to northeast India and the south Himalaya region. A similar phylogeographic distribution pattern was also observed for haplogroup F1c, thus substantiating our proposition. This inland post-glacial dispersal was in agreement with the spread of the Mesolithic culture originating in South China and northern Vietnam.

Increased interleukin-4 and decreased interferon-γ levels in serum of children with asthma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Immune and inflammatory responses, mediated by cytokines, play important roles in the pathophysiology of asthma. These responses are associated with over expression of T helper (Th)-2 cytokine, particularly interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5, and decreased expression of Th-1 cytokine, IL-2 and IFN-γ. We hypothesized that there would be an imbalance in the levels of circulating IL-4 and IFN-γ in the asthmatic subjects. METHOD: We investigated serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ among eighty children (18 steroid-naïve, 30 steroid-treated children with asthma and 32 healthy controls) using commercially available ELISA kits. RESULTS: Serum level of IL-4 was significantly higher in steroid-naïve group of asthmatic children compared to the healthy control subjects and was lower in steroid-treated group though the level was statistically not significant. In contrast, serum levels of IFN-γ were significantly lower in both steroid-naïve and steroid-treated groups of asthmatic children compared to healthy control subjects. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that serum level of IL-4 may be elevated in concert with decreased level of IFN-γ in asthma. Determination of serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ may be a useful tool for understanding the disease processes in asthma.

Study of HLA Class I gene in Indian schizophrenic patients of Siliguri, West Bengal.

The authors studied the prevalence of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) Class I gene in 136 (85 male, 51 female) India-born schizophrenia patients residing in and around the Siliguri subdivision of West Bengal by the PCR-SSP method. The control group consisted of 150 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals from the same ethnic group as the patients. Increased frequency of HLA A*03 as well as decreased frequencies of HLA A*31 and HLA B*51, was noted. The study suggests the possible existence of a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia within the HLA region.

Mitochondrial haplogroup N1a phylogeography, with implication to the origin of European farmers.

BACKGROUND: Tracing the genetic origin of central European farmer N1a lineages can provide a unique opportunity to assess the patterns of the farming technology spread into central Europe in the human prehistory. Here, we have chosen twelve N1a samples from modern populations which are most similar with the farmer N1a types and performed the complete mitochondrial DNA genome sequencing analysis. To assess the genetic and phylogeographic relationship, we performed a detailed survey of modern published N1a types from Eurasian and African populations. RESULTS: The geographic origin and expansion of farmer lineages related N1a subclades have been deduced from combined analysis of 19 complete sequences with 166 N1a haplotypes. The phylogeographic analysis revealed that the central European farmer lineages have originated from different sources: from eastern Europe, local central Europe, and from the Near East via southern Europe. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained emphasize that the arrival of central European farmer lineages did not occur via a single demic diffusion event from the Near East at the onset of the Neolithic spread of agriculture into Europe. Indeed these results indicate that the Neolithic transition process was more complex in central Europe and possibly the farmer N1a lineages were a result of a 'leapfrog' colonization process.

Decreased serum levels of interleukin-2 and interleukin-6 in Indian Bengalee schizophrenic patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Autoimmune process is thought to be involved in the pathophysiology in some cases of schizophrenia. Alteration in interleukin (IL) regulation is regarded as additional proof of autoimmunological background in schizophrenia. Most of the research in interleukin activity in schizophrenia has been in Caucasian and some Mongoloid patients. We have studied the serum IL-2 and IL-6 level in psychotropic medication free and antipsychotic medicating schizophrenic patients who are Indian Bengalee by ethnicity. METHOD: Twenty psychotropic medication free and 30 antipsychotic medicating schizophrenic patients who fulfilled DSM-IV-TR criteria and 30 of the same age and sex matched controls were recruited. Serum level of IL-2 and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULT: There was a significant decrease of IL-2 and IL-6 in both antipsychotic medicating and psychotropic medication free patients. Further the medicating patients showed lower level of IL-2 and IL-6 than the psychotropic medication free patients. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to describe a decrease serum level of IL-6 in schizophrenic patients. The study provides the evidence that some kind of immune dysregulation is involved in pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The study also provides the evidence for the immunosuppressive effect of antipsychotic drugs.

Correlative metabolomic fingerprinting and molecular docking studies of dermatological phytotherapeutics of South-Eastern Himalaya.

Viburnum erubescens Wall., Rhododendron arboretum Sm., Eurya japonica Thumb., Symplocos lucida (Thunb.) Siebold & Zucc, and Symplocos pyrifolia Wall. ex G. Don are extensively used by the native and ethnic populations of the South-Eastern Himalayan region for several dermatological conditions, yet their phytochemical composition remained largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore the therapeutically relevant volatile phytochemical compositions and study the molecular interactions against intracellular cytoregulatory transcription factors. Leaves of the five plants were subjected to Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GCMS) post silylation derivation. The results were further analyzed using multivariate statistical methods such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA). A total of 115 compounds were identified in the five plants. Multivariate analysis revealed optimum metabolomic correlation between S. pyrifolia and S. lucida (0.876), whereas lowest correlation was found between E. japonica and V. erubescens (-0.242). Arbutin, ß-amyrin, betulin, ß-sitosterol and stigmasterol demonstrated highest interaction with the molecular targets. Collectively, the present study revealed the bioactive volatile phytochemicals responsible the therapeutic uses against diverse skin conditions.