Association between Leptin (G2548A) and Leptin Receptor (Q223R) Polymorphisms with Plasma Leptin, BMI, Stress, Sleep and Eating Patterns among the Multiethnic Young Malaysian Adult Population from a Healthcare University.

Relative leptin resistance in childhood to absolute leptin resistance in maturity suggests sleep, eating behaviour, and the psychological state as probable causes. The current body of research provides inconclusive evidence linking G2548A and Q223R to obesity. Furthermore, we could find very little data that have observed the association between the environment and gene polymorphism, especially in the multiethnic population that exists in Malaysia.

COVID-19, Oxidative Stress and Male Reproduction: Possible Role of Antioxidants.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) involves a complex pathogenesis and with the evolving novel variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the long-term impacts of the unceasing COVID-19 pandemic are mostly uncertain. Evidence indicates deleterious impact of this disease upon male reproductive health. It is concerning that COVID-19 may contribute to the already global declining trend of male fertility.

The potential protective effect of Commelina nudiflora L. against carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats, mediated by suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Background: This study aims to assess the hepatoprotective potential of Commelina nudiflora against CCl-induced hepatic injury in rats.

Method: Antioxidant activities were determined. Phytochemical analysis was performed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS).

Assessment of Musculoskeletal Strength and Levels of Fatigue during Different Phases of Menstrual Cycle in Young Adults.

Introduction: Some of the physiological factors and athletic performance might show variation along the phases of menstrual cycle. The alterations seen in these physiological parameters of various systems relating to oscillations in hormonal levels do affect the autonomic nervous system and metabolic functions. Former studies heave inconclusively about the influence of hormones on exercise performance, predominantly muscle strength and rate of fatigue during different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Mood-stabilizers differentially affect housekeeping gene expression in human cells.

Recent studies have revealed that antidepressants affect the expression of constitutively expressed "housekeeping genes" commonly used as normalizing reference genes in quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments. There has yet to be an investigation however on the effects of mood-stabilizers on housekeeping gene stability. The current study utilized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) derived from patients with mood disorders to investigate the effects of a range of doses of lithium (0, 1, 2 and 5 mM) and sodium valproate (0, 0.

Putative transcriptomic biomarkers in the inflammatory cytokine pathway differentiate major depressive disorder patients from control subjects and bipolar disorder patients.

Mood disorders consist of two etiologically related, but distinctly treated illnesses, major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BPD). These disorders share similarities in their clinical presentation, and thus show high rates of misdiagnosis. Recent research has revealed significant transcriptional differences within the inflammatory cytokine pathway between MDD patients and controls, and between BPD patients and controls, suggesting this pathway may possess important biomarker properties.

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to diazinon and its effect on spermatogram and pituitary gonadal hormones in male offspring of rats at puberty and adulthood.

The objective of this research is to study the possible reproductive adverse effects of diazinon on rat offspring exposed in utero and during lactation. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley female rats (10-12 week old) were randomly assigned to four groups, each consisting of six rats. Group 1 served as the control and these rats were given normal saline orally.

Lipid peroxidation and decline in antioxidant status as one of the toxicity measures of diazinon in the testis.

The rapid emergence of various pesticides in the market is inevitable due to the demands from agriculture industries and domestic needs to control nuisance pests and to sustain green resources worldwide. However, long-term exposure to pesticide has led to adverse effects on male fertility. Organophosphate diazinon (O,O-diethyl-O-[2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinyl] phosphorothiote) is an often abusively used pesticide, as it is effective and economical.

Allele-specific expression of the serotonin transporter and its transcription factors following lamotrigine treatment in vitro.

Lamotrigine, a mood stabilizer used clinically in the treatment of bipolar disorder, is thought to exert actions on the serotonin system. However lamotrigine's exact mechanism of action remains unclear. The current study investigated whether lamotrigine might exert its effects through altering the expression of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene and its regulatory transcription factors Y box binding protein 1 (YB-1) and CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF).

Pre- and postnatal toxicity of diazinon induces disruption of spermatogenetic cell line evidenced by increased testicular marker enzymes activities in rat offspring.

The objective of this study was to study the possible reproductive adverse effects of the diazinon on rat offspring exposed in utero and during lactation. Dams were gavaged daily (10, 15, and 30 mg/kg) before mating, during mating, and during pregnancy and lactation in separate groups. Reproductive outcome data of dams were examined.

ATP-binding cassette sub-family F member 1 (ABCF1) is identified as a putative therapeutic target of escitalopram in the inflammatory cytokine pathway.

The inflammatory cytokine pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for major depressive disorder (MDD). Previous reports suggest that antidepressants have anti-inflammatory properties and can cause a reduction in proinflammatory cytokines. Recent evidence suggests this might be mediated at the level of the transcriptome.

Tumor necrosis factor and its targets in the inflammatory cytokine pathway are identified as putative transcriptomic biomarkers for escitalopram response.

Converging evidence suggests that the activation of the inflammatory cytokine pathway is important in the pathophysiology of unipolar depression. Antidepressants have anti-inflammatory properties and evidence suggests that inter-individual variability in response to antidepressants may reflect genetic differences in the inflammatory cytokine pathway. In particular, protein levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and the SNPs rs1126757 in interleukin-11 (IL11), and rs7801617 in interleukin-6 (IL6), have previously been implicated in the clinical response to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant escitalopram.

Endosulfan induced early pathological changes in vital organs of rat: a biochemical approach.

Aim: To evaluate the pathogenesis in heart and liver by the early induction of biochemical and antioxidant derangements in rats exposed to endosulfan.

Materials And Methods: Wistar rats were gavaged with endosulfan (0.5, 1 and 1.

Allele-specific transcriptional activity of the variable number of tandem repeats in 5' region of the DRD4 gene is stimulus specific in human neuronal cells.

The dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) gene includes several variable number of tandem repeat loci that have been suggested to modulate DRD4 gene expression patterns. Previous studies showed differential basal activity of the two most common variants of a tandem repeat (120 bp per repeat unit) located in the 5' region adjacent to the DRD4 promoter in human cell lines. In this communication, we further characterized the ability of this polymorphic repeat to elicit tissue-, allele- and stimuli-specific transcriptional activity in vitro.

A genetic association study of DNA methylation levels in the DRD4 gene region finds associations with nearby SNPs.

Background: Dopamine receptor D4(DRD4) polymorphisms have been associated with a number of psychiatric disorders, but little is known about the mechanism of these associations. DNA methylation is linked to the regulation of gene expression and plays a vital role in normal cellular function, with abnormal DNA methylation patterns implicated in a range of disorders. Recent evidence suggests DNA methylation can be influenced by cis-acting DNA sequence variation, that is, DNA sequence variation located nearby on the same chromosome.

Association between neonatal temperament, SLC6A4, DRD4 and a functional polymorphism located in TFAP2B.

Genetic studies on human personality have provided little satisfactory results to date mainly because of the complexity of this trait. Neonatal temperament using observational measures is an alternative phenotype to approach genetics to human behavior. An association study was conducted on 117 Caucasian newborns.

Formulation and evaluation of fast dissolving films of levocitirizine di hydrochloride.

Introduction: Levocetirizine dihydrochloride is an orally active, third-generation non-sedative antihistamine used in the symptomatic relief of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. The present work aimed at preparing quick release films of levocetirizine with the purpose of developing a dosage form for a very quick onset of action, which is beneficial in managing severe conditions of allergies, aiding in the enhancement of bioavailability, and is very convenient for administration, without the problem of swallowing and using water.

Materials And Methods: The films of levocetirizine dihydrochloride were prepared by using polymers such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), as either single polymer or in combination of two, by a solvent casting method.

Physician participation in clinical research and trials: issues and approaches.

The rapid development of new drugs, therapies, and devices has created a dramatic increase in the number of clinical research studies that highlights the need for greater participation in research by physicians as well as patients. Furthermore, the potential of clinical research is unlikely to be reached without greater participation of physicians in research. Physicians face a variety of barriers with regard to participation in clinical research.

Effects of pesticide use on semen quality among farmers in rural areas of Sabah, Malaysia.

Objectives: To determine the relationship between semen quality and exposure to pesticide residues.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among male farmers from 3 different communities in Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 152 farmers participated in this study of whom 62 farmers had been exposed to either paraquat or malathion or both to varying extents.

Supporting medical students with learning disabilities in Asian medical schools.

Learning disabilities (LDs) represent the largest group of disabilities in higher education (HE) institutes, including medical schools, and the numbers are continuing to rise. The worrying concern is that two-thirds to half of these students with LDs remain undiagnosed when they start their undergraduate education and may even graduate without having their disabilities diagnosed. These students struggle with their academic abilities, receive poor grades and, as a result, develop lower perceptions of their intellectual abilities than do those students without LDs.

Exogenous leptin administration decreases sperm count and increases the fraction of abnormal sperm in adult rats.

Daily intraperitoneal injection of 5-30 microg/kg body weight of leptin for 42 days to adult rats decreases sperm count and increases the fraction of abnormal sperm.

Genes within the serotonergic system are differentially expressed in human brain.

Background: Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter with wide-ranging functions throughout the central nervous system. There is strong evidence to suggest that regulation of serotonergic gene expression might be related to genetic variability, and several studies have focused on understanding the functional effects of specific polymorphisms within these genes on expression levels. However, the combination of genotype together with gender and brain region could have an overall effect on gene expression.