Pharmacological attenuation of melanoma by tryptanthrin pertains to the suppression of MITF-M through MEK/ERK signaling axis.

Melanoma is the most aggressive among all types of skin cancers. The current strategies against melanoma utilize BRAF, as a focal point for targeted therapy. However, therapy resistance developed in melanoma patients against the conventional anti-melanoma drugs hinders the ultimate benefits of targeted therapies.

Effects of animal source food and micronutrient fortification in complementary food products on body composition, iron status, and linear growth: a randomized trial in Cambodia.

Background: Poor nutritional quality of complementary foods often limits growth. Animal source foods, such as milk or meat, are often unaffordable. Local affordable alternatives are needed.

The effect of a controlled 8-week metabolic ward based lysine supplementation on muscle function, insulin sensitivity and leucine kinetics in young men.

Background & Aims: The 2007 FAO/WHO/UNU lysine requirement is 30 mgkg(-1)d(-1). Developing country populations may be at risk of lysine deficiency, with effects on muscle and its function. The effect of an 8 wk lysine supplementation diet on muscle mass and function was assessed.

Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency & levels of metabolites in an apparently normal urban south Indian elderly population.

Background & Objectives: There is no published literature on the extent of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency in elderly Indians as determined by plasma vitamin B₁₂ levels and methylmalonic acid (MMA) levels. Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency is expected to be higher in elderly Indians due to vegetarianism, varied socio-economic strata and high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection. We therefore, studied the dietary habits of south Indian urban elderly population and measured vitamin B₁₂, MMA red cell folate and homocysteine (Hcy) levels.

Micronutrient supplementation improves physical performance measures in Asian Indian school-age children.

Micronutrients are important in physical work capacity and therefore performance. The impact of a multi-micronutrient-fortified nutritional beverage on physical performance measures among clinically healthy school-age children was assessed in a double-blind (for test and placebo groups), placebo-controlled, randomized trial in children aged between 7 and 10.5 y (n = 300).

Limited predictive ability of surrogate indices of insulin sensitivity/resistance in Asian-Indian men.

Insulin resistance is highly prevalent in Asian Indians and contributes to worldwide public health problems, including diabetes and related disorders. Surrogate measurements of insulin sensitivity/resistance are used frequently to study Asian Indians, but these are not formally validated in this population. In this study, we compared the ability of simple surrogate indices to accurately predict insulin sensitivity as determined by the reference glucose clamp method.

Cardiac autonomic responses to hyperinsulinemia are associated with skeletal muscle function in healthy human subjects.

Hyperinsulinemia related to obesity may result in activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Acute autonomic responsiveness to insulin is influenced by body composition, particularly obesity. However, it is unclear whether skeletal muscle mass or function determines autonomic responsiveness to insulin.

A pilot study on hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp based insulin sensitivity in young adult Indian males with low body mass index.

Background & Objective: Indians have decreased insulin sensitivity (IS) and a greater adiposity at a lower body mass index (BMI) when compared with other ethnic groups. Despite this, IS has not been studied in Indians of low BMI. This study thus used the hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp (HEC) technique to compare IS in young normal weight (NW) and low BMI (LBMI) Indian males.