Defence Life Science Journal
Not a member yet
454 research outputs found
Sort by
Ethnomedicinal Knowledge for Management of Leeches in Assam
Get PDFLeech infestation is a common health problem in Assam that affects people of all ages, sexes and even livestock. Ethnomedicinal practice for management of leech infestations among ethnic groups in Assam is discussed. Data collection included ethnobotanical methods of group discussions and semi-structured interview. A total of 13 medicinal plants and 08 non-plant products are used by ethnic groups for management of leech infestation. Mikania scandens and Chromolaena odorata while among non-plant sources common salt and kerosene are the most extensively used ethnomedicines against leech infestation. In rare cases of intraperitoneal leech bites, Cucumis sativus or raw duck blood is taken to expel the leech. Ethnobotanical studies followed by chemical evaluation of locally used anti-leech plants can provide valuable clues about the bioactive compounds and prioritize species for further pharmacological investigation
Kinetic Study on Removal of Sulphur Mustard on Granular Activated Carbon from Aqueous Solution
Get PDFSulphur mustard is a powerful blister agent and has been worked as a chemical warfare agent. No specific antidote is available for its wound. Therefore, adsorptive removal is an effective way of removal. Here, adsorptive removal of sulphur mustard from aqueous solution was studied on activated carbon and screened out MeOH : H2O (1 : 1) solution as a good solvent than others used solvent. Adsorption isotherm of sulphur mustard was compared with its hydrolysis in the same solution. Kinetics of sulphur mustard removal on carbon from aqueous solution was found to be slower than hydrolysis and follow pseudo first order kinetics with the rate constant 5.04 X 10–3 min-1 and half life 137.5 min. The hydrolysis of sulphur mustard in MeOH : H2O (1 : 1) solution was found to be following the pseudo first order kinetics with the rate constant 8.68 x10-3 min-1 and half life 79.8 min
Breast Cancer Metastasis: Role of Tumor Microenvironment and Resident Macropahges
Get PDFMetastatic breast cancer is a stage of breast cancer wherever the disease has spread to distant parts of the body. Onset of metastasis is one of the biggest obstacles to the successful treatment of cancer. The potential of a tumor cell to metastasize profoundly depends on its microenvironment, or “niche” interactions with local components. Macrophages provide tropic support to tumors. Resident macrophages contribute a set of common functions, including their capability to defend against microbial infections, to maintain normal cell turnover and tissue remodelling, and to help repair sites of injury. Macrophages are recruited into the tumor microenvironment where they differentiate to become Tumor-associated-macrophages (TAMs). TAMs are the most abundant subpopulation of tumor-stroma and actively drive cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Cancer metastasis is not solely regulated by the deregulation of metastasis promoting or suppressing genes in cancer cells. Recently the interaction between the stromal cells and cancer cells has been demonstrated to promote cancer metastasis. TAMs can advocate epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cancer cells. Loss of e-cadherin, a major phenomenon of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), reduces adhesiveness and releases cancer cells to distant (secondary) sites. A positive correlation between tumor progression and the expression of matrix metallo proteinases (MMPs) in tumor tissues has been demonstrated in numerous human and animal studies. The dynamic interactions of cancer-cells with TAMs actively promote invasion-metastasis cascade through intercellular-signalling-networks that need better elucidation
Co-Authorship Networks among DRDO Life Science Scientists
Get PDFThe modern scientific ecosphere increasingly involves collaborative research, wherein diverse talent pools fuse to produce a research output, and ‘co-authorship’ can be treated a quantifiable measure of scientific collaboration. The present initiative of a Life Science Journal catering to the needs of life-science/bio-medical science researchers offers a suitable occasion to investigate the existing social structure of science in the defence life science research establishment in India. This short communication describes a meta-analysis of co-authorship networks of this community and we find very interesting inter-disciplinary connections that highlight the significance of this new journal for research impact in the long term
Seasonal Variation in Arsenic Concentration and its Bioremediation Potential of Marine Bacteria Isolated from Alang-Sosiya Ship-Scrapping Yard, Gujarat, India
Get PDFThis work investigates seasonal variations in arsenic concentration at Alang-Sosiya, world’s largest ship-scrapping yard situated on the Gulf of Khambhat. Annually, hundreds of ships have been dismantled, which lead to discharge large amounts of detrimental and persistent pollutants at this location. In all seasons, the arsenic concentration was significantly elevated in sediments and seawaters in the intertidal zone of Alang-Sosiya ship-scrapping yard as compared to the reference station at Ghogha, 42 km away towards the northeast. The highest arsenic concentrations in seawater and sediment samples were observed during the Winter season and Summer season respectively. The marine environment affected by ship-scrapping activity and contaminated with arsenic is the potential location to get arsenic hyper-tolerant bacterial isolates. Out of 16 isolated bacterial strains, KKDK-1 and KKDK-2 sustained 600 mM and 500 mM arsenate respectively. The 16S rRNA ribotyping identified strains KKDK-1 and KKDK-2 as Halomonas species. The strain KKDK-1 showed the maximum arsenic accumulation of 21.7±3.3 mg g-1 cell dry weight at exponential phase (60 h), followed by sudden extrusion of arsenic during stationary phase (84 h) of bacterial growth. Whereas, strain KKDK-2 accumulated 6.8±1.12 mg Arsenic g-1 cell dry weight during exponential phase (72 h), which remains almost invariable during stationary phase (96-144 h) of bacterial growth. These results indicate the hypertolerance of arsenic by KKDK-1 and KKDK-2 with its higher accumulation capacity, signifying them as potential candidates for arsenic detoxification of arsenic contaminated sites
Sulphur Mustard Induced Toxicity, Mechanism of Action and Current Medical Management
Get PDFSulphur mustard (SM), chemically, bis (2-chloroethyl) sulphide is a bifunctional alkylating agent that causes cutaneous blisters in human or animals. It was first used in the World War I. Since then, there have been 11 conflicts where SM allegedely had caused mass distruction. Additionally, discarded weapons and stockpiles periodically come to surface during agricultural or fishing activities leading to serious injury. Concerns for threat to modern societies by the serious effects of SM, agreements to ban its production and the use has been made as per 1993 chemical weapons convention (CWC) and agent destruction programs. This short review attempts to discuss the histroy, chemical nature, mechanism of toxicity, toxicokinetics, animal models used for SM induced skin and systemic lesions, pathogenesis of SM induced lesions including medical countermeasures for SM toxicity
Identification of New PCR Targets and its Validation for Development of Nucleic Acid-based Detection Assay for Melioidosis
Get PDFBurkholderia pseudomallei the gram negative, soil saprophyte is the causative agent of melioidosis in human and animals. Development of rapid, sensitive, species specific and cost effective molecular assays are needed for detection of B. pseudomallei from clinical and environmental samples and to differentiate it from other closely related bacterial species. In this study, insilico approach was used to identify new species specific gene targets for molecular diagnosis of B. pseudomallei. The identified targets were then analyzed by SYBR Green real time PCR assay for their specificity, sensitivity and presence across different Indian clinical and soil isolates of B. pseudomallei. Out of the three targets studied SYBR Green real time PCR assay targeting bpss0091 gene of B. pseudomallei was found 100% specific, having detection limit of 12.3fg/µl DNA. The bpss0091 gene target was present in all clinical and soil isolates of B. pseudomallei tested thus suggesting bpss0091 gene based SYBR Green real time PCR assay will be useful for detection of B. pseudomallei in different geographical regions
Ultrafine Particles of Diesel Exhaust Induces Cytochrome P450 1A1 Mediated Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Cultured Blood and Lung Cells
Get PDFAttempts were made to investigate the role of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) on similarities in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA damage in IM9, a human B lymphoblastic cell line with A549, the human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line on exposure of diesel exhaust particles (DEP). A suspension of ultrafine particles (< 0.2 μM) of DEP (1mg/ml) in DMEM-F12 medium, at a concentration range of 1-100 μg/ml, was added to the cells for 6-48h. Expression studies revealed that DEP induced similar increase in the expression of CYP1A1, generation of ROS and DNA damage in both the cells. Pre-incubation with 3-methylcholanthrene (MC), a CYP1A1 inducer resulted in higher magnitude of induction of CYP1A1, ROS and DNA damage. This synergistic effect was lowered when α-naphthoflavone (α-NF), an inhibitor of CYP1A1 catalysed reactions, was added to these cells. Though the magnitude of alterations was lower in IM9 cells when compared to A549 cells, similarities in the alterations in blood and lungs cells has further suggested that blood lymphocytes can be used as a surrogate to monitor toxicity of vehicular emissions
Special Issue on Defence Against Biological and Chemical Agents
Get PDFWELCOME to the inaugural issue of the Defence Life Science Journal. The Defence Life Science Journal (DLSJ) is an international journal and is published by Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre (DESIDOC) on behalf of Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The journal is dedicated to publishing research covering a wide spectrum of applications in the emerging field in the field of defence/military life support system. Broadly it will cover; Molecular biology, biophysics, biochemistry, psychology, physiology, biotechnology, pharmacology and toxicology (animals, plants, microbial and viral cells), and related areas like bio-medicine, bio-engineering, bio-electronics, etc
Nanocurcumin Prevents Oxidative Stress Induced following Arsenic and Fluoride Co-exposure in Rats
Get PDFThe present study is in continuation of our previous efforts to investigate the preventive efficacy of encapsulated curcumin nanoparticles (nanocurcumin) in mitigating effects of arsenic and/or fluoride. Curcumin was encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles having a size distribution in the range of 50 nm. Sodium arsenite (2 mg/kg, orally) and Fluoride (50 ppm in drinking water) either alone or in combination were administered to male Wistar rats for four weeks to evaluate the efficacy of nanocurcumin (15 mg/kg) in rats. The preventive efficacy of nanocurcumin was evaluated against various altered biochemical variables suggestive of oxidative stress in liver and kidneys, and concentration of As and F in blood. Nanocurcumin co-administration with arsenic and fluoride resulted in lowering of reactive oxygen species and restoration of blood glutathione level which were found to be altered in arsenic and fluoride intoxicated groups. Nanocurcumin were also found to be effective in reversing δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) inhibition caused by arsenic exposure. The most promising result from our study shows that nanocurcumin removes not only arsenic but also fluoride from blood which may be due to the enhanced bioavailability and moderate chelating potential of nanocurcumin