Radiation Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles Capped with ß-Glucan and Its Immunostimulant Activity in Cytoxan-Induced Immunosuppressed Mice.

Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) with diameters from 64.8 to 110.1 nm were successfully synthesized by γ-irradiation of solutions containing Se4+ and water-soluble yeast ß-glucan. The size and size distribution of SeNPs were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Analytical X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern results confirmed the crystal structure of the Se nanoparticles and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that ß-glucan could interact with SeNPs through steric (Se…O) linkages leading to a homogeneous and translucent solution state for 60 days without any precipitates. In vivo tests in cytoxan-induced immunosuppressed mice revealed that the daily supplementation of SeNPs/ß-glucan at concentrations of 6 mg per kg body weight of tested mice significantly stimulated the generation of cellular immune factors (white blood cells, neutrophil, lymphocyte, B cells, CD4+ cells, CD34+ cells and natural killer cells) and humoral immune indexes (IgM, IgG, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-2) in peripheral blood, bone marrow and spleen of the immunosuppressed mice. The obtained results indicated that radiation-synthesized SeNPs/ß-glucan may be a candidate for further evaluation as an agent for the prevention of immunosuppression in chemotherapy.

The World Report on Disability in relation to the development of speech-language pathology in Viet Nam.

Wylie, McAllister, Davidson, and Marshall (2013) argue that recommendations made within the World Report on Disability provide an opportunity for speech-language pathologists to consider new ways of developing services for people with communication and swallowing disorders. They propose that current approaches to the delivery of speech-language pathology services are largely embedded within the medical model of impairment, thereby limiting the ability of services to meet the needs of people in a holistic manner. In this paper, the criticality of selecting an appropriate service delivery model is discussed within the context of a recently established post-graduate speech therapy education programme in Viet Nam. Driving forces for the implementation of the program will be explored, as will the factors that determined the choice of service delivery. Opportunities and challenges to the long-term viability of the program and the program's potential to meet the needs of persons with communication and swallowing disorders in Viet Nam will be considered.

Anti-inflammatory effects of essential oil isolated from the buds of Cleistocalyx operculatus (Roxb.) Merr and Perry.

Cleistocalyx operculatus (Roxb.) Merr and Perry buds (Myrtaceae) are widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of gastric ailments as well as an antiseptic agent in China, Vietnam and some other tropical countries. However, to be clinically useful, more scientific data are needed. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil of the C. operculatus buds (EO-CO). In the applied tests, EO-CO significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), in RAW 264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage-like cell line. Also the mRNA expression of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta was suppressed by treatment with EO-CO in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, reporter gene analysis revealed that the EO-CO significantly blocked LPS-induced transcriptional activation of NF-kappaB in RAW 264.7 cells. Nuclear translocation of p65 subunit was also suppressed by EO-CO treatment. In addition, EO-CO inhibited phorbol ester-induced increase in ear swelling and skin water content in BALB/c mice. These results suggest that EO-CO might exert an anti-inflammatory effect by suppressing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines which is mediated, at least in part, by blocking NF-kappaB activation.

Chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oil and the ethanol extract of Cleistocalyx operculatus (Roxb.) Merr and Perry buds.

In the present study, the essential oil isolated from the buds of Cleistocalyx operculatus by hydrodistillation was analyzed by GC and GC/MS. A total of 55 compounds representing 93.71% of the oil were identified. The oil significantly inhibited the growth of food spoilage (FS), food-borne (FB), skin pathogens (SP), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and multiantibiotic-resistant bacteria (MARB). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the oil against the tested microorganisms were found in the range of 1-20muL/mL. Whereas the ethanol extract exhibited potential antibacterial activity against the entire tested Gram positive bacteria and one food spoilage Gram negative bacterium P. aeruginosa. The MIC and MBC values of ethanol extract against the tested bacteria were found in the range of 0.25-32mg/mL. The scanning electron microscopic (SEM) studies demonstrated potential detrimental effect of the essential oil on the morphology of MRSA-P249 and VRE-B2332 at the used MIC values, along with the potential effect on cell viabilities of the tested bacteria. Moreover, the total antioxidant capacity and the scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals of the essential oil and the ethanol extract were also evaluated.

A randomized controlled pilot study of artesunate versus triclabendazole for human fascioliasis in central Vietnam.

Human fascioliasis caused by Fasciola hepatica or Fasciola gigantica is an increasing global problem. The mainstay of current treatment is triclabendazole, but resistance in animals has been described, and it is not available in many countries. The antimalarial artesunate has an excellent safety profile, and there is increasing evidence of its efficacy against other parasites both in vitro and in vivo. We performed a study to investigate the usefulness of artesunate in symptomatic human fascioliasis; 100 patients were enrolled. Patients treated with artesunate were significantly more likely to be free of abdominal pain at hospital discharge (50/50 versus 44/50, P = 0.027, relative risk 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.26), but the complete response rate at 3 months was lower than for patients treated with triclabendazole (38/50 versus 46/50, P = 0.05, RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.69-0.98, artesunate versus triclabendazole). There may be a role for artesunate in fascioliasis.