Species identification from seized animal oil: a case study of suspected Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica).

Poaching of South Asian river dolphins is considered one of the main reasons for the rapid decline of their natural populations. To curb the escalated rate of poaching, high numbers of oil and meat seizures are recovered with subsequent convictions by the law enforcement agencies. In this connection, we report a case where suspected animal oil was confiscated by the forest official of West Bengal. We extracted DNA and successfully amplified partial fragments of Cytb and 16S rRNA mitochondrial genes. The generated sequences identified that the seized oil belonged to the Ganges river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) which is protected as Schedule I under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India and listed as "Endangered" under IUCN and APPENDIX I in CITES. In routine case work analysis, oil samples are not preferred for forensic DNA investigation due to low DNA yield and presence of inhibitors or contaminants leading to high failure rate. However, the present study generates hope for identifying species from seized animal oil and supports law enforcement in successful prosecution of the case.

Exploring the effect of nsSNPs in human YPEL3 gene in cellular senescence.

YPEL3 that induces cellular senescence in both normal and tumour cells of humans may show altered expression under the influence of incidental mutations. In this study, we proposed the first structure of Native YPEL3 protein and its five possible deleterious mutants-V40M, C61Y, G98R, G108S, and A131T and predicted their deleterious effects to alter stability, flexibility and conformational changes in the protein. The MD simulation (RMSD, RMSF, Rg, h-bond and SASA) analysis revealed that the variants V40M, G98R and G108S increased the flexibility in protein, and variant V40M imparted more compactness to the protein.. In general, variants attributed changes in the native conformation and structure of the YPEL3 protein which might affect the native function of cellular senescence. The study provides opportunities for health professionals and practitioners in formulating précised medicines to effectively cure various cancers. We propose in-vitro or in-vivo studies should consider these reported nsSNPs while examining any malfunction in the YPEL3 protein.

In Vivo and in Vitro Demonstration of Gold Nanorod Aided Photothermal Presoftening of B16F10 Melanoma for Efficient Chemotherapy Using Doxorubicin Loaded Graphene Oxide.

A combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy (chemo) were performed in vitro on B16F10 melanoma cells and in vivo using melanoma bearing C57BL/6 mice. The 785 nm (100 mW) irradiated gold nanorods (AuNRs) were used as the PT agent, and electrostatically conjugated Doxorubicin (Dox) to a nanocarrier graphene oxide (GO) worked as the chemotherapeutic. Selection of dosage was optimized from the individual viability studies, and finally a combined therapeutic (AuNR (100 ppm), GO (125, and 250 ppm), Dox (0.0058, and 0.00058 ppm)), was delivered in vitro. PTT, followed by chemo, sequentially, resulted in <10% viability, whereas simultaneous PTT with chemo resulted in a viability of ∼40% for the melanoma cells. Flow cytometry indicated optical inhomogeneity in the cells that internalized GO, and AuNR; however, the Dox amount was identical within the cells treated with or without PTT. Confocal microscopy revealed that GO+Dox was internalized, and Dox was distributed uniformly within the cells irrespective of the treatment protocol. In vivo results in melanoma bearing C57BL/6 mice resembled the in vitro data closely. The tumor growth inhibition index was highest at 0.78 for the group receiving sequential treatment, followed by 0.61 for those receiving simultaneous treatment, where the control group had a score of 0. For the sequential treatment, presoftening of the cells with PTT, followed by the chemo resulted in significantly improved toxicity of the treatment, whereas simultaneous PTT with chemo results were dominated by the Dox alone.

Functional validation of human-specific PowerPlex® 21 System (Promega, USA) in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to test the PowerPlex® 21 System (Promega, USA), used for human identification applications for its positive cross-species applicability in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in order to identify heterologous STRs which can be used for individual identification, paternity testing, relatedness establishment and reconstruction of pedigrees and studbook records for captive and wild chimpanzee breeding populations. RESULTS: Of 21 STRs in PowerPlex® 21 System (Promega, USA), 19 loci amplified and found to be polymorphic. Locus Aml showed differential banding patterns in males and females similar to those seen for humans and correctly assigned sexes of known identity. Altogether, 58 different alleles were found with an average 3.05 ± 0.28 alleles per locus. Mean observed (Ho), and expected heterozygosity (He) were 0.93 ± 0.03 and 0.52 ± 0.05, respectively.

Nicotine increases eclampsia-like seizure threshold and attenuates microglial activity in rat hippocampus through the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

OBJECTIVE: A considerable number of studies have demonstrated that nicotine, a α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) agonist, can dampen immune response through the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Evidence suggests that inflammation plays a critical role in eclampsia, which contributes to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In the present study, possible anti-inflammation and neuro-protective effects of nicotine via α7-nAChRs have been investigated after inducing eclampsia-like seizures in rats. METHODS: Rat eclampsia-like models were established by administering lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in pregnant rats. Rats were given nicotine from gestation day (GD) 14-19. Then, clinical symptoms were detected. Seizure severity was recorded by behavioral tests, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured by Luminex assays, microglia and astrocyte expressions were detected by immunofluorescence, and changes in neuronal number in the hippocampal CA1 region among different groups were detected by Nissl staining. RESULTS: Our results revealed that nicotine effectively improved fetal outcomes. Furthermore, it significantly decreased systolic blood pressure, and maternal serum levels of Th1 cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and IL-12P70) and an IL-17 cytokine (IL-17A), and dramatically increased eclampsia-like seizure threshold. Moreover, this attenuated neuronal loss and decreased the expression of microglial activation markers of the hippocampal CA1 region in the eclampsia-like group. Additionally, pretreatment with α-bungarotoxin, a selective α7-nAChR antagonist could prevent the protective effects of nicotine in eclampsia-like model rats. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the administration of nicotine may attenuate microglial activity and increase eclampsia-like seizure threshold in rat hippocampus through the α7 nicotinic receptor.