Cross sectional study to estimate the morbidity pattern in ascetics visited to a largest religious gathering in west central part of India.

Background: Ascetics are otherworldly creatures that have thought of being ethereal. To be spiritual one has to be physically fit because a healthy body has an intimate connection with spiritual health. Methods: Cross sectional survey was accomplished in a festive gathering to estimate morbidity pattern among ascetics in central India. Results: The sample size was 960. 352 participants (36.6%) were either overweight or obese, 284 participants (29.6%) had hypertension, 236 (24.6%) were diagnosed with cataract and 194 (20.2%) had anemia, Diabetes was found in 58 participants (6%) and 28 (2.9%) had fever. Conclusion: Obesity (and overweight) and hypertension were the top two morbidities came across during study. Morbidities were found to be more associated with socio-demographical factors than spirituality.

Characterization of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin as an effective antitubercular agent: structure-activity relationships.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antitubercular activity of amino and acyl amino derivatives of coumarins when used alone and in combination with isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin or ethambutol, and to decipher the mode of action of the most effective agent. METHODS: A series of amino and acyl amino coumarins were synthesized and screened for activity against the Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. These compounds were further evaluated by standard assay procedures to determine their MBCs, fractional inhibitory concentration index values and cytotoxicities. The MICs for a susceptible and a multidrug-resistant clinical isolate of M. tuberculosis were also determined. Electron and fluorescence microscopy of the test compound-treated mycobacterial samples were also carried out in an attempt to find out the target of action. RESULTS: 7-Amino-4-methylcoumarin (7-amino-4-methyl-2H-chromen-2-one; NA5) displayed the lowest MIC of 1 mg/L against not only H37Rv but also the susceptible as well as the multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Certain acyl amino coumarins were also found to inhibit the aforementioned strains and isolates with MICs in the range of 1.0-3.5 mg/L. They were also found to act in synergy with isoniazid/rifampicin. Electron microscopy revealed the cell-wall-attacking characteristic of these compounds, while fluorescence microscopy indicated that mycolic acid might be the target of action. CONCLUSIONS: The present study clearly demonstrated the in vitro antitubercular potential of the novel drug candidate NA5. Further studies are warranted to establish the in vivo efficacy and therapeutic potential of NA5.

Characterization of protein acyltransferase function of recombinant purified GlnA1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a moon lighting property.

The protein acetyltransferase (MTAase) function of glutamine synthetase of Mycobacterium smegmatis was established earlier. In this paper, studies were undertaken to examine MTAase function of recombinant glutamine synthetase (rGlnA1) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which showed >80% similarity with M. smegmatis GlnA. The specificity of MTAase to several acyl derivative of coumarins was examined. The results clearly indicated that MTAase exhibited differential specificities to several acyloxycoumarins. Further, MTAase was also found capable of transferring propionyl and butyryl groups from propoxy and butoxy derivatives of 4-methylcoumarin. These observations characterized MTAase in general as a protein acyltransferase. MTAase catalyzed acetylation of GST by 7,8-diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC), a model acetoxy coumarin was confirmed by MALDI-TOF-MS as well as western blot analysis using acetylated lysine polyclonal antibody. In order to validate the active site of rGlnA1 for TAase activity, effect of DAMC and L-methionine-S-sulfoximine (MSO) on GS and TAase activity of rGlnA1 were studied. The results indicated that the active sites of GS and TAase were found different. Acetyl CoA, a universal biological acetyl group donor, was also found to be a substrate for MTAase. These results appropriately characterize glutamine synthetase of Mtb exhibiting transacylase action as a moonlighting protein.

Calreticulin transacylase: genesis, mechanism of action and biological applications.

Our earlier investigations have identified a unique enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) termed Acetoxy Drug: Protein Transacetylase (TAase) catalyzing the transfer of acetyl group from polyphenolic acetates (PA) to certain receptor proteins (RP). An elegant assay procedure for TAase was developed based on the inhibition of glutathione S-transferase (GST) due to acetylation by a model acetoxycoumarin, 7, 8-Diacetoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DAMC). TAase purified from various mammalian tissue microsomes to homogeneity exhibited a molecular weight (M.wt) of 55kDa. Further, by N-terminal sequencing TAase was identified as Calreticulin (CR), a multifunctional Ca2+-binding protein in ER lumen. The identity of TAase with CR was evidenced by proteomics studies such as immunoreactivity with anti-CR antibody and mass spectrometry. This function of CR was termed Calreticulin transacetylase (CRTAase). CRTAase was also found to mediate the transfer of acetyl group from DAMC to RP such as NADPH Cytochrome c Reductase (CYPR) and Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS). The autoacetylation of purified human placental CRTAase concomitant with the acetylation of RP by DAMC was observed. CRTAase activity was found to be inhibited by Ca2+. Our investigations on the individual domains (N, P and C) of CR from a nematode Haemonchus contortus revealed that the P-domain alone was found to possess CRTAase activity. Based on the observation that the autoacetylated CR was a stable intermediate in the CRTAase catalyzed protein acetylation by PA, a putative mechanism was proposed. Further, CRTAase was also found capable of transferring propionyl group from a propoxy derivative of polyphenol, 7,8-Dipropoxy-4-methylcoumarin (DPMC) to RP and concomitant autopropionylation of CR was encountered. Hence, CRTAase was assigned the general term Calreticulin Transacylase. Also, CRTAase was found to act upon the biological acyl group donors, acetyl CoA and propionyl CoA. CRTAase mediated modulation of specific functional proteins by way of acylation was exploited to elicit the biological applications of PA.

Specificities of acetoxy derivatives of coumarins, biscoumarins, chromones, flavones, isoflavones and xanthones for acetoxy drug: protein transacetylase.

The earlier work carried out in our laboratory led to the identification of a novel rat liver microsomal enzyme termed as acetoxy drug: protein transacetylase (TAase), catalyzing the transfer of acetyl group from polyphenolic acetates (PA) to functional proteins. In this paper, we have reported the comparison of the specificities of acetoxy derivatives of coumarins, biscoumarins, chromones, flavones, isoflavones and xanthones with special reference to the phenyl moiety/bulky group on the pyran ring of PA. The results clearly indicated that compounds having phenyl moieties, when used as the substrates, resulted in a significant reduction of TAase catalyzed activity. The alteration in TAase catalyzed activation of NADPH cytochrome c reductase and inhibition of benzene-induced micronuclei in bone marrow cells by PA were in tune with their specificities to TAase.