Neem leaf glycoprotein salvages T cell functions from Myeloid-derived suppressor cells-suppression by altering IL-10/STAT3 axis in melanoma tumor microenvironment.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) suppress antitumor immune functions. We have observed that an immunomodulator, neem leaf glycoprotein (NLGP), inhibits tumor-resident MDSCs and enhances antitumor CD8+ T cell immunity. NLGP inhibits the number as well as functions of tumor-resident MDSCs (Gr1±CD11b±) and enhances antitumor CD8± T cell immunity by downregulating arginase 1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase production in MDSCs. Accordingly, decreased T cell anergy and helper to regulatory T cell conversion have been observed in the presence of NLGP, which ultimately augments T cell functions. Mechanistically, NLGP-mediated rectification of T cell suppressive functions of MDSCs was primarily associated with downregulation of the interleukin (IL)-10/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling axis within the tumor microenvironment, as confirmed by knockdown of STAT3 (by STAT3-siRNA) and using IL-10-/- mice. Thus, NLGP-mediated suppression of MDSC functions in tumor hosts is appeared to be another associated effective mechanism for the eradication of murine melanoma by NLGP.

A new application of Trichoderma asperellum as an anopheline larvicide for eco friendly management in medical science.

Microfungal applications are increasing daily in the medical science. Several species of Trichoderma are widely used in agricultural fields as biological control and plant growth promoting agents. The application of Trichoderma asperellum as an entomopathogenic fungus against the Anopheles mosquito, a vector of malaria, is a novel control approach. Controlling malaria with eco-friendly management practices is an urgent need. We isolated three T. asperellum from different natural sources using serial dilution and mosquito baiting techniques. The fungi were identified on the basis of phenotypical and molecular characteristics. The fungi were grown in different natural media to examine spore production ability and the fungal spore suspensions were applied to the anopheline larvae to determine their larvicidal activity in vitro. We investigated the efficacy of crude ME (methanolic extract) and different methanolic fractions (MFs) of the fungal extracts against anopheline larvae. Methanolic Fraction 8 (MF8) exhibited the strongest larvicidal activity. A GC-MS analysis of MF8 and a Chemolibrary search were performed to identify the active agents in the fungal extracts. Among the three isolates of T. asperellum, the TaspSKGN2 isolate showed the lowest LD50 (2.68 × 107 conidia/mL) and LT50 values (12.33 h). The crude ME exhibited LD50 values of 0.073 mg/mL and LT50 values of 11.33 h. MF8 showed LD50 values of 0.059 mg/mL and LT50 values of 8.57 h. In GC-MS study of MF8, 49 compounds were found. Among these, seven compounds (2,3-di hydro thiopene, p-cymene, alpha-pinene, hexadecanoic acid, 8-methyl quinoline, (Z,Z)-9,12-octa decadienoic acid, methyl ester, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-Pyran-4-one-) with high abundance were found to have insecticidal efficacy by a literature survey. We detected a reduction in the phenoloxidase content inside the cuticle and hemolymph of the anopheline larvae after a few hours of interaction with ME (0.073 mg/mL). Thus Trichoderma asperellum has new applications for the control of Anopheles spp. malaria vectors.

Entomopathogenic potential of Trichoderma longibrachiatum and its comparative evaluation with malathion against the insect pest Leucinodes orbonalis.

The widespread use of chemical pesticides in agriculture has led to the pollution of environmental systems and has caused various health disorders in animals and humans. Biological pest control is one of the most environmentally friendly methods in modern agriscience. Such methods protect crops from pests and do not pollute the environment. A strain of Trichoderma longibrachiatum was isolated and identified from the soil environment of the North 24 Parganas District, eastern India. A spore suspension of this fungus was used to treat Leucinodes orbonalis, one of the major pests of brinjal (eggplant, Solanum melongena). In an in vitro system, fungal antagonism was determined by median lethal dose (LD50) and median lethal time (LT50) tests against insect larvae. The LD50 and LT50 of T. longibrachiatum were 2.87 × 10(7) spores ml(-1) and 11.7 days, respectively. T. longibrachiatum was formulated into a biopesticide, and its performance was evaluated in brinjal field trials in 2012 and 2013. In the field trials, brinjal treated with three spray applications of T. longibrachiatum (10(8) spores/ml) at 15-day intervals showed a 56.02 % higher crop yield than that of the control. This treatment showed similar efficacy to that of the pesticide malathion in the field trials. The results of this study indicate that this formulation may replace malathion to control the insect pest L. orbonalis in brinjal crops. This is the first report of the entomopathogenic property of T. longibrachiatum and its evaluation against an insect pest in field trials.

Pleomorphic adenoma of the base of the tongue--a case report.

Pleomorphic adenoma of the base of the tongue is a rare tumour. A case of a 40-year-old female with pleomorphic adenoma of the tongue base is reported here, with a review of the literature. Complete excision of the mass was done transorally under general anaesthesia.

Wegener's granuloma - a case report.

A 75-year-old man presented with nasal obstruction, purulent nasal discharge, crusting and a reddish ulcerated swelling over nose and upper lip. There was external nasal deformity. Histology of the lesions showed necrotic granulomatous vasculitis. There was no other systemic involvement. ANCA test was negative. The patient responded well to prednisolone and cyclophosphamide.

Neurofibroma of the external ear - a case report.

Neurofibromas are relatively common tumours of the nervous system, but only a few cases involving the external ear have been reported. We are reporting here a case of a 20-year-old female with neurofibroma of the external ear. The primary complaint was cosmetic deformity. There was partial occlusion of the external auditory canal. The swelling was excised by postauricular approach. Surgery resulted in an excellent functional and cosmetic outcome.

Malignant melanoma of the nasal cavity-A case report.

Mucosal melanoma of the nasal cavity is a rare tumour. Here we have reported a case of 54-year-old male patient presented with the black mass coming out from right nasal cavity and occasional slight bleeding from the mass. The tumour was excised by lateral rhinotomy. The surgery was followed by radiotherapy.

Parapharyngeal second branchial cyst: A case report.

Branchial cleft cysts extending to the lateral wall of the pharynx are rare. An eight year old female child presented with a cystic swelling in the left parotid region. A bluish cyst was seen anterior to the anterior pillar of left tonsil. CT scan showed the cyst extending into left parapharyngeal space. External part of the cyst was excised via a transcervical approach and the internal part was marsupalised per orally.

Rhinoplasty and young's operation in atrophic rhinitis.

Rhinoplasty in atrophic rhinitis is a difficult surgery because the dorsal skin is adherent to the underlying structures. There is also more chance of postoperative injection. Our experience of various types of rhinoplasly in 25 atrophic rhinitis patients are presented here. The patients were from the age group 16 to 35 years. Most of the operations were done under local anaesthesia. Commonest graft used was conchal cartilage. Bone graft was avoided for augmentation because of its high rate of absorption in atrophic rhinitis. In 10 patients Young's operation was done in one side along with rhinoplasty. Young's operation was done only with skin layer.