IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia (IMJM)
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Upregulation Mechanism of CCND1 in Apoptosis on MCF-7 Cell Line upon Treatment with Quranic Verses
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Ruqyah Shar'iyyah, one of the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has shown therapeutic benefits in breast cancer by utilizing Quranic verses in reducing symptoms and enhancing their quality of life as a result of invasive standard therapies. However, scientific evidence is required to demonstrate Ruqyah Shar'iyyah's effectiveness on gene expression and molecular pathways in carcinogenesis. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Ruqyah Shar’iyyah on breast cancer cell line on apoptosis and CCND1 expression in related signaling pathways. MATERIALS AND METHODS : MCF-7 cell lines were treated with direct recitation of several Quranic verses for 12 hours and 24 hours. Cell viability was observed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of CCND1 was determined using RT-qPCR technique. The molecular mechanism and signalling pathways were evaluated using Reactome database for in silico analysis. RESULTS: Cell viability data showed 95.69% and 93.54% exhibiting slight reduction for 12-hour treatment in untreated and treated MCF-7, respectively. Meanwhile more reduction was observed in 24-hour treatment with 95.11% in untreated cell line as compared to 92.34% in treated cell line. The cell morphology also exhibited apoptotic activity in the treated group for both two time points. Gene expression analysis of CCNDI also demonstrated upregulation with 1.81-fold change. The data was supported by the in-silico analysis in which 25 relevant significant signalling pathways related to CCND1 highlighting the role of the gene in breast cancer development. CONCLUSION: CCND1 may have a function in signalling pathways that control the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells
Role of Microstructural White Matter Changes of Somatosensory Cortex in Stress Among Non-Clinical Population: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Get PDFIntroduction: Stress is a common response to stressors or potential threats, resulting in physical, affective, and cognitive changes. Emotions are linked to interpretations of bodily alterations, with the somatosensory cortex, including the postcentral gyrus, playing a key role in emotional processing. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between stress and microstructural white matter changes in the somatosensory cortex among healthy adults, crucial for early detection and treatment of stress in non-clinical populations.
Materials and Methods: A total of 30 participants were recruited. The participants were administered the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire. All subjects underwent MRI brain scanning, with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) used to assess white matter integrity. The association between stress scores in DASS-21 and DTI parameters was analyzed.
Results: A significant negative correlation between stress scores and fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the left postcentral gyrus (r = -0.393, p = 0.32) was found, indicating early impairment by stress. No significant correlation was found in the right postcentral gyrus (r = -0.300, p = 0.107).
Conclusion: Our research results demonstrated that the microstructural somatosensory cortex, especially the left postcentral gyrus, might have early changes impairment by stress using the technique of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Therefore, the microstructural white matter changes in the brain before suffering the disorder may be crucial and can be a novel potential biomarker for the early detection and intervention of the disease in the non-clinical population
Effect of Tualang Honey-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles on TNF-α level, Caspase-3 Activity and Hippocampal Morphology in Kainic Acid-Induced Neurodegeneration in Male Rats
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Despite being common disorder, the curative treatment for degenerative diseases are not yet available. Although Tualang honey (TH) has been reported to protect against neurodegeneration, but the effect of TH-mediated silver nanoparticles (THSN) on neurodegeneration is poorly understood. Thus, we conducted this study aimed to determine the effects of THSN on the levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), caspase-3 activity, and hippocampal morphology in Kainic Acid (KA) induced neurodegeneration in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 72 Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into six groups which were the control, THSN 10mg, THSN 50 mg, KA only, KA+THSN 10 mg, and KA+THSN 50 mg groups. Each group was pre-treated orally with either distilled water or THSN (10 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg), according to their respective group. Following the last pre-treatment, each rat was injected with KA (15 mg/kg) or saline. After 24 h and 5 days of KA induction, all rats were sacrificed, and the hippocampus from each rat was harvested. Cresyl Violet and Fluoro Jade C staining were carried out to examine the number of viable cells and degenerating neurons. TNF-α level and caspase-3 activity in the hippocampus were measured using commercially available ELISA kits. RESULTS: Rats with KA-induced neurodegeneration demonstrated a significant increase (p<0.05) of TNF-α level and caspase-3 activity with a lower number of viable cells and increased number of degenerating neurons in the hippocampus. The pre-treatments of THSN groups improved these changes by lowering the TNF-α level and caspase-3 activity and decreasing the number of degenerating neurons. CONCLUSION: THSN could have potential neuroprotective effects in ameliorating TNF-α level, caspase-3 activity, and hippocampal damage in KA-induced male rats
Assessment Tools for Detecting Malnutrition among Elderly in Shelter Homes: A Systematic Review
Get PDFAssessing nutritional status in older people is essential to screen for malnutrition and identify the individuals requiring nutritional intervention for a better quality of life and longer life expectancy. This review aimed to investigate malnutrition and the role of nutritional assessment tools among older people in Malaysia. We systematically reviewed the publications from 2000 to 2019 using PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases, recovering 15 original articles published until January 2022. This systematic review was conducted from May to September 2022. Two reviewers were involved in the process of the selection of articles and data extraction. Only research papers on malnutrition among older people in institutionalized settings in Malaysia were included. Four articles related to malnutrition in older people in old folk homes in Malaysia were included in this review. The tools with the most significant evidence were Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Nutritional Health Checklist (NHC) in residential care for the elderly. It was found that the incidence of malnutrition among the elderly in old folk homes in Malaysia ranged from 12.3% to 17.4%. Meanwhile, 40.4% to 57.7% of the population are documented to be at risk of malnutrition. NA and DETERMINE NHC were found to be most suitable for use in residential care due to their high sensitivity and specificity. A subsequent study is proposed to build and implement a scoring system to rate screening tools based on the validity, suitability, and practicability of the tools to help with malnutrition screening research and clinical practice in Malaysia and internationally
Psychosocial Factors Affecting Mental Well-Being of Dental Students: A Qualitative Study
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Dental students often faced high levels of mental distress which contributed to lower mental well-being. This has a negative impact on their health and academic performance. Many previous studies focused on students who were already in a 'diseased' state with little focus on students who are well but at risk of developing poor mental well-being. A better understanding of the factors affecting the mental well-being dental students is needed. This study was aimed to explore the factors associated with mental well-being of dental students and to identify steps to promote their mental well-being. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this qualitative study, individual interviews were conducted among undergraduate dental students using semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded, transcribed via verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analysis revealed three main themes; i) Impression of dentistry, ii) Stressors and iii) Mental health experience. CONCLUSION: Undergraduate dental students often experienced low mental well-being due to the stressors they faced. Identifying the factors that influenced the mental well-being of dental students would allow for early intervention and fostering of mental well-being among dental students
Characterisation of Human-Wildlife Conflict and Casualties Caused by Wildlife Attacks in Peninsular Malaysia
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: This study examines human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in Peninsular Malaysia, a consequence of human population expansion, natural resource demand, deforestation, resettlement, infrastructure development, urbanization, and agricultural land growth. We analyze HWC incidents and human casualty statistics from wildlife attacks recorded by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, between 2011-2018 and 2008-2019, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected on HWC cases reported to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia (locally known as PERHILITAN), from 2011 to 2018. This data underwent processing, analysis, and presentation in tables and bar charts. RESULTS: There was an increasing trend in reported HWC cases from 2012 to 2018 (5,602 to 7,967 cases). The majority of these incidents in Peninsular Malaysia involved mammalian species such as the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), wild boar (Sus scrofa), elephant (Elephas maximus), civets (Viverridae family), and pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), totaling 33,198, 6,614, 3,797, 3,219, and 2,232 cases respectively. Notably, snakes accounted for over 80% of fatalities and injuries. CONCLUSION: This report is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of HWC cases and casualties due to wildlife attacks in Peninsular Malaysia. Our findings highlight the urgent need for policy evaluation and improved inter-agency coordination for effective HWC management, wildlife conservation, and reduction of wildlife attack casualtie
Mapping Out Factors that Undermining Vaccine Uptake in Malaysia: A Multiple Perspective
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Malaysia has recorded a sporadic increase in vaccine-preventable diseases in many different states such as Johor, Perak, Selangor, and Sabah, to name a few. What is more worrying was the drastic drop in vaccination for children especially the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination during the early period of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. On this basis, this paper is intended to interrogate why vaccine uptake has decreased over the years. When vaccination became a global concern with the surge of COVID-19 cases in the first quarter of 2020, further questions were posed to understand the reality behind vaccine rejections and refusals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study employs a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews to explore the vaccine refusal phenomenon in Malaysia. Theoretical sampling led to the recruitment of participants from health institution, media organisation, and vaccine refusal individuals as they are useful to provide different yet connected insights into the phenomenon under study. RESULTS: Under the constructivist-interpretivist paradigm, grounded theory revealed that micro and macro factors jointly contribute to vaccination refusals. CONCLUSIONS: Considering these factors, this study suggests the importance of health literacy and synergised policies to protect, educate, and guide society on vaccine-related matters
The Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Increased Self-Esteem for Mental Disorders in the Community
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: The increasing number of mental disorders causes various problems, so treatment and rehabilitation programs are needed to increase adaptability and prevent recurrences in the community. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study used a quasi-experimental method with a pre-post test between the intervention and control groups. Effects of horticultural therapy on self-esteem were analysed using paired t-tests. RESULTS: The results showed a significant difference in the self-esteem scores of patients with mental disorders before and after treatment in the intervention group with horticultural therapy (p-value of 0.00). CONCLUSION: A significant difference exists in the self-esteem scores of patients with mental disorders before and after treatment in the intervention group given horticultural therapy marked. The participants in the study had various mental disorders, including schizophrenia and depression. Both schizophrenia and depression are associated with symptoms of low self-esteem. Horticultural therapy positively enhances self-esteem regardless of specific mental disorders
Reappraisal of the Use of X-Rays in Acute Ankle and Midfoot Injuries. A Prospective Evaluation of the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) in a Single Tertiary Trauma Centre
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Acute ankle and foot injuries commonly present to the emergency departments, often resulting in routine radiography referrals, despite the fact that less than 15% of cases exhibit clinically significant fractures. The OAR has been designed to reduce the number of unnecessary radiographs ordered for these patients. We evaluated the OAR for predicting ankle and midfoot fractures in a cohort of patients treated in a single tertiary trauma centre. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A prospective study was conducted in the emergency department and orthopaedic clinics of a tertiary trauma centre. 73 patients aged 18 years and older were recruited during a 12-month study period. Radiographs were performed for all patients after clinical evaluation findings were recorded. The main outcomes measured were sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and likelihood ratios (positive and negative) of the OAR. RESULTS: 41 patients had ankle injuries, 21 around the midfoot, and 11 within both areas. In detecting ankle fractures, OAR had a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 73.68%, and a negative predictive value of 100% compared to the detection of midfoot fractures (100%, 84.61%, and 100%, respectively). The OAR had the potential of reducing radiographs by 42.47%. CONCLUSION: OAR is an accurate and highly sensitive tool to detect ankle and midfoot fractures. The implementation would lead to a significant reduction in the request for radiographs without missing any clinically significant fractures, thus, reducing costs, radiation exposures, and waiting times
Incidence of Fall and its Associated Factor: A Single Centre Experience
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Patient falls during hospitalisation can cause catastrophic injuries and remain one of the major patient-safety issues faced by hospitals. This study was designed to determine the inpatient falls rate and the association between fall-related injury and sociodemographic variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective record review was conducted for a one-time inpatient fall in a single centre between January 2017 and December 2019. Pearson chi-square or Fisher's exact test were performed to assess association between the categorical variables. RESULTS: There were 44 inpatient falls who fell one time between January 2017 and December 2019. The inpatients fall rate was 3.0 per 10000 patient-days from 2017 to 2019. Overall, the patients who fell experienced an injury (n=24, 55%). There was no significant difference between age group, gender, time of fall, assisted type, history of fall, fall risk assessment, mental status, the department involved, and injurious fall outcome. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a low incidence of fall rate per 10000 patient-days for 2017-2019. More than half of the fallers experienced an injurious fall. The highest fall rate was noted in the surgical based departments. However, there was no significant difference between injurious fall outcomes and sociodemographic variables. Risk assessments and management strategies should focus on education, particularly bed safety