26 results match your criteria: "University Grants Commission (UGC)[Affiliation]"

Elevated levels of histamine cause over-secretion of gastric hydrochloric acid (HCl), leading to gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and anxiety. Ranitidine is an antihistamine drug widely used in the management of GI disorders, as it works by blocking the histamine-2 receptors in parietal cells, thereby reducing the production of HCl in the stomach. While some reports indicate the neuroprotective effects of ranitidine, its role against GI disorder-related anxiety remains unclear.

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Arsenic contamination in soil and water is one of the major environmental problems in multiple countries including Nepal imposing a serious threat to the ecosystem and public health. Many soil bacteria can detoxify arsenic, including genus . With an objective to gauge the plant growth-promoting activities of arsenic-resistant species, 36 samples (soil, rice, cauliflower, and beans) were collected from the region of Nepal.

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Background: Botulinum toxin (BoNT) is a widely used therapeutic agent that blocks the excessive release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction. Previously, repeated intracremasteric injections and slight overdose of BoNT have been reported to induce adverse effects in the testicular parameter of experimental rodents. However, a mild dose of BoNT is highly beneficial against skin ageing, neuromuscular deficits, overactive urinary bladder problems, testicular pain and erectile dysfunctions.

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SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Neuropathogenesis, Deterioration of Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Dementia.

Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen

February 2022

Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.

A significant portion of COVID-19 patients and survivors display marked clinical signs of neurocognitive impairments. SARS-CoV-2-mediated peripheral cytokine storm and its neurotropism appear to elicit the activation of glial cells in the brain proceeding to neuroinflammation. While adult neurogenesis has been identified as a key cellular basis of cognitive functions, neuroinflammation-induced aberrant neuroregenerative plasticity in the hippocampus has been implicated in progressive memory loss in ageing and brain disorders.

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Microbially produced gamma poly glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a commercially important biopolymer with many applications in foods and various other substances and are abundantly used in different parts of the world. With an aim to study the potent γ-PGA producing species, a total of 47 different samples (, soil, and water) were randomly collected from different locations across the country, and sp. were selectively isolated, screened, and characterized by performing physiological, biochemical, morphological, and rRNA gene sequencing.

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BOTOX® counteracts the innate anxiety-related behaviours in correlation with increased activities of key antioxidant enzymes in the hippocampus of ageing experimental mice.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun

September 2021

Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli- 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Faculty Recharge Program, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi-110002, India. Electronic address:

Cholinergic crisis and oxidative stress in the hippocampus of the brain have been known to induce anxiety disorders upon ageing. BOTOX® is a widely used therapeutic form of botulinum neurotoxin that acts by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine (ACh) from the nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junction. BOTOX® can migrate from the muscle to the brain through retrograde axonal transport and modulate neuroplasticity.

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The emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria which is attributable to extended spectrum -lactamases (ESBLs) production of CTX-M types is an obvious problem worldwide. This study is aimed at determining the prevalence of CTX-M -lactamases producing multidrug resistant and among patients attending Bir Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and September 2019 at Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, and Department of Microbiology, National College, Kathmandu, Nepal.

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COVID-19 and Parkinson's disease: Defects in neurogenesis as the potential cause of olfactory system impairments and anosmia.

J Chem Neuroanat

September 2021

Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Faculty Recharge Programme, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi, 110002, India. Electronic address:

Anosmia, a neuropathogenic condition of loss of smell, has been recognized as a key pathogenic hallmark of the current pandemic SARS-CoV-2 infection responsible for COVID-19. While the anosmia resulting from olfactory bulb (OB) pathology is the prominent clinical characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD), SARS-CoV-2 infection has been predicted as a potential risk factor for developing Parkinsonism-related symptoms in a significant portion of COVID-19 patients and survivors. SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to alter the dopamine system and induce the loss of dopaminergic neurons that have been known to be the cause of PD.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which resulted from the pandemic outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes a massive inflammatory cytokine storm leading to multi-organ damage including that of the brain and testes. While the lungs, heart, and brain are identified as the main targets of SARS-CoV-2-mediated pathogenesis, reports on its testicular infections have been a subject of debate. The brain and testes are physiologically synchronized by the action of gonadotropins and sex steroid hormones.

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NF-κB signalling as a pharmacological target in COVID-19: potential roles for IKKβ inhibitors.

Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol

March 2021

Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, 620024, India.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been characterized by lymphopenia as well as a proinflammatory cytokine storm, which are responsible for the poor prognosis and multiorgan defects. The transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) modulates the functions of the immune cells and alters the gene expression profile of different cytokines in response to various pathogenic stimuli, while many proinflammatory factors have been known to induce NF-κB signalling cascade. Besides, NF-κB has been known to potentiate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to apoptosis in various tissues in many diseases and viral infections.

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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread around the world causing global public health emergency. In the last twenty years, we have witnessed several viral epidemics such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 and most recently Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). There were tremendous efforts endeavoured globally by scientists to combat these viral diseases and now for SARS-CoV-2.

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Cell cycle re-entry of neurons and reactive neuroblastosis in Huntington's disease: Possibilities for neural-glial transition in the brain.

Life Sci

December 2020

Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Faculty Recharge Programme, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi 110002, India. Electronic address:

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant pathogenic condition that causes progressive degeneration of GABAergic neurons in the brain. The abnormal expansion of the CAG repeats in the exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene (HTT gene) has been associated with the onset and progression of movement disorders, psychiatric disturbance and cognitive decline in HD. Microglial activation and reactive astrogliosis have been recognized as the key pathogenic cellular events in the brains of HD subjects.

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The COVID-19 is an international public health emergency and threatens psychological resilience. Here we assess the general health status of the public in India during the COVID-19 outbreak. A population-based cross-sectional study conducted using a General Health Questionnaire and the relationship between mental health and sociodemographic factors were analyzed.

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Herein we report a facile and sustainable method for the preparation of ZnS@graphene nano-composites (NCs). An appreciable amount of graphene is obtained by liquid-phase exfoliation using a zinc-containing surface active ionic liquid (SAIL). It is followed by preparation of ZnS quantum dot (QD) decorated graphene sheets at room temperature for the first time.

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Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second leading form of memory loss after Alzheimer's disease (AD). Currently, there is no cure available. The etiology, pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of VaD are extremely heterogeneous, but the impaired cerebral blood flow (CBF) represents a common denominator of VaD.

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Perspectives for the use of therapeutic Botulinum toxin as a multifaceted candidate drug to attenuate COVID-19.

Med Drug Discov

June 2020

Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, Tamil Nadu, India.

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) resulting from a distinctive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to evolve in many countries and pose life-threatening clinical issues to global public health. While the lungs are the primary target for the SARS-CoV-2-mediated pathological consequence, the virus appears to invade the brain and cause unpredicted neurological deficits. In the later stage, COVID-19 can progress to pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, neurodegeneration and multi-organ dysfunctions leading to death.

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a cluster of neurodevelopmental and genetic disorders that has been characterized mainly by social withdrawal, repetitive behavior, restricted interests, and deficits in language processing mainly in children. ASD has been known to severely impair behavioral patterns and cognitive functions including learning and memory due to defects in neuroplasticity. The biology of the ASD appears to be highly complex and heterogeneous, and thus, finding a therapeutic target for autism remains obscure.

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Inspired by the nano-segregation of ionic liquids (ILs) into bi-continuous structures constituting of arrays of ionic and non-ionic components, herein, a new and sustainable strategy for preparation of mesh-like nano-sheet α-FeO nanoparticles and their photo-catalytic activity under sunlight, is presented. For the purpose, metal (iron) containing ionic liquids (MILs), 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrachloroferrates, [C mim][FeCl], ( = 4, 8 and 16), which not only act as precursors and solvents but also as structure directing agents have been used. Thus prepared NPs show MIL dependent structural, photophysical and magnetic properties.

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Deterioration of neuroregenerative plasticity in association with testicular atrophy and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in Huntington's disease: A putative role of the huntingtin gene in steroidogenesis.

J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol

March 2020

School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Faculty Recharge Programme, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi, India. Electronic address:

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorder mainly affecting the structure and functions of the striatum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus leading to movement disorders, cognitive dysfunctions and emotional disturbances. The onset of HD has been linked to a pathogenic CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that encodes for the polyglutamine (polyQ) stretches in the huntingtin (Htt) protein. Notably, the neuropathogenic events of the mutant HTT gene appear to be primed during adulthood and magnified along the ageing process.

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The hippocampus-derived neuroestradiol plays a major role in neuroplasticity, independent of circulating estradiol that originates from gonads. The response of hypothalamus-pituitary regions towards the synthesis of neuroestradiol in the hippocampus is an emerging scientific concept in cognitive neuroscience. Hippocampal plasticity has been proposed to be regulated via neuroblasts, a major cellular determinant of functional neurogenesis in the adult brain.

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Neuroplasticity, limbic neuroblastosis and neuro-regenerative disorders.

Neural Regen Res

August 2018

Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University; Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center, Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.

The brain is a dynamic organ of the biological renaissance due to the existence of neuroplasticity. Adult neurogenesis abides by every aspect of neuroplasticity in the intact brain and contributes to neural regeneration in response to brain diseases and injury. The occurrence of adult neurogenesis has unequivocally been witnessed in human subjects, experimental and wildlife research including rodents, bats and cetaceans.

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Luminescent micellar nano-interfaces of surface active ionic liquid for the selective recognition of ADP in aqueous medium.

Chem Commun (Camb)

July 2018

Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University Grants Commission (UGC) Centre for Advanced Studies-II, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143005, Punjab, India.

Luminescent benzimidazolium based surface active ionic liquid (SAIL) is found to form micelles in aqueous medium, which act as nano-interfaces for the selective recognition of ADP in the nanomolar range. A significant enhancement in fluorescence emission demonstrating the conversion and amplification of molecular information using micellar nano-interfaces is observed for the first time.

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The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the reciprocal relationship between adult neurogenesis, cognitive and motor functions have been an important focus of investigation in the establishment of effective neural replacement therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. While neuronal loss, reactive gliosis and defects in the self-repair capacity have extensively been characterized in neurodegenerative disorders, the transient excess production of neuroblasts detected in the adult striatum of animal models of Huntington's disease (HD) and in post-mortem brain of HD patients, has only marginally been addressed. This abnormal cellular response in the striatum appears to originate from the selective proliferation and ectopic migration of neuroblasts derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ).

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Unprecedented self-assembled architectures of surface-active ionic liquids in aqueous medium.

Chem Commun (Camb)

March 2018

Department of Chemistry, University Grants Commission (UGC) Centre for Advanced Studies-II, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143005, Punjab, India.

The formation of ultra-thin 2D crystalline nano-sheets, -spindles and -ribbons by self-assembly of benzimidazolium-based single-tailed surface active ionic liquids (SAILs) is observed for the first time. The nature of formed bilayer architectures is governed by the functionalization of alkyl chains of SAILs via an amide or ester moiety.

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Micellization behavior of morpholinium-based amide-functionalized ionic liquids in aqueous media.

Langmuir

August 2014

Department of Chemistry, University Grants Commission (UGC) Centre for Advanced Studies-I, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar-143005, Punjab, India.

Morpholinium-based amide-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) [C(n)AMorph][Br], where n = 8, 12, and 16, have been synthesized and characterized for their micellization behavior in aqueous medium using a variety of state of the art techniques. The adsorption and micellization behavior of [CnAMorph][Br] ILs at the air-solution interface and in the bulk, respectively, has been found to be much better compared to that observed for nonfunctionalized homologous ILs and conventional cationic surfactants, as shown by the comparatively higher adsorption efficiency, lower surface tension at the critical micelle concentraiton (γ(cmc)), and much lower critical micelle concentration (cmc) for [C(n)AMorph][Br] ILs. Conductivity measurements have been performed to obtain the cmc, degree of counterion binding (β), and standard free energy of micellization (ΔG(m)°).

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