In vitro anti-inflammatory activity of fractionated Euphorbia hirta aqueous extract on rabbit synovial fibroblasts.

Background: Euphorbia hirta has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. This study was carried out to determine the prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) inhibition activity of the fractions of the E. hirta aqueous extract on rabbit synovial fibroblast cells (HIG-82).

Bacillus thuringiensis parasporal proteins induce cell-cycle arrest and caspase-dependant apoptotic cell death in leukemic cells.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) parasporal proteins with selective anticancer activity have recently garnered interest. This study determines the efficacy and mode of cell death of Bt 18 parasporal proteins against 3 leukemic cell lines (CEM-SS, CCRF-SB and CCRF-HSB-2).Cell-based biochemical analysis aimed to determine cell viability and the percentage of apoptotic cell death in treated cell lines; ultrastructural analysis to study apoptotic changes and Western blot to identify the parasporal proteins' binding site were performed.

Inhibitory activities of microalgal extracts against Epstein-Barr virus DNA release from lymphoblastoid cells.

This study aimed to assess the inhibitory activities of methanol extracts from the microalgae Ankistrodesmus convolutus, Synechococcus elongatus, and Spirulina platensis against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in three Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines, namely Akata, B95-8, and P3HR-1. The antiviral activity was assessed by quantifying the cell-free EBV DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The methanol extracts from Ankistrodesmus convolutus and Synechococcus elongatus displayed low cytotoxicity and potent effect in reducing cell-free EBV DNA (EC(50)<0.

Isolation and characterization of Acanthamoeba spp. from air-conditioners in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

During a study on the quality of the indoor environment, Acanthamoeba spp. were detected in 20 out of 87 dust samples collected from air-conditioners installed in a four-story campus building located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty-one cloned Acanthamoeba isolates designated as IMU1 to IMU21 were established from the positive primary cultures.