Chelapram K. Firoz

Neuroprotective Role of Steroidal Sex Hormones: An Overview.

Progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone are the well‐known steroidal sex hormones, which have been reported to have “nonreproductive “effects in the brain, specifically in the neuroprotection and neurotrophy. In the last one decade, there has been a surge in the research on the role of these hormones in neuroprotection and their positive impact on different brain injuries. The said interest has been sparked by a desire to understand the action and mechanisms of these steroidal sex hormones throughout the body. The aim of this article was to highlight the potential outcome of the steroidal hormones, viz. progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone in terms of their role in neuroprotection and other brain injuries. Their possible mechanism of action at both genomic and nongenomic level will be also discussed. As far as our knowledge goes, we are for the first time reporting neuroprotective effect and possible mechanism of action of these hormones in a single article.

Synopsis on the linkage of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease with chronic diseases.

Neurodegeneration is the progressive loss of neuronal structure and function, which ultimately leads to neurological disorders such as Alzheimers disease (AD), Parkinsons disease (PD), multiple sclerosis, and Huntingtons disease. Even after the recent significant advances in neurobiology, the above‐mentioned disorders continue to haunt the global population. Several studies have suggested the role of specific environmental and genetic risk factors associated with these disorders. However, the exact mechanism associated with the progression of these disorders still needs to be elucidated. In the recent years, sophisticated research has revealed interesting association of prominent neurodegenerative disorders such as AD and PD with chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Several common molecular mechanisms such as generation of free radicals, oxidative DNA damage, aberrations in mitochondrial DNA, and dysregulation of apoptosis have been highlighted as possible points of connection. The present review summarizes the possible mechanism of coexistence of AD and PD with other chronic diseases.

Neopterin: An immune biomarker of coronary artery disease and its association with other CAD markers

Neopterin has been considered as an important marker of cellular inflammation. The primary objective of the current study was to determine the role of neopterin in cardiovascular disease and its association with other well known cardiac markers. The study was composed of total 200 subjects (100 confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, 50 recently diagnosed, and 50 managed CAD patients) both men and women and 100 healthy control individuals of matching age and weight. Serum neopterin analysis was done using commercial available ELISA kits. Other cardiac markers viz. troponin, creatine kinase (CK), CK MB isoenzyme (CKMB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), fibrinogen, C‐reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) estimation was done by standard routine biochemical methods. Neopterin level was found to be remarkably enhanced by 150% and 513% in the recently diagnosed and managed CAD patients, respectively. CK level also showed a significant rise by 62% in the managed patients. However, recently diagnosed patients did not show any significant change. Moreover, cross correlation study showed statistically significant (P < 0.01) change in neopterin and CK levels between recently and managed patients. In the other studied CAD markers such as CKMB, fibrinogen and LDH also showed a significant increase in both categories of patients. CRP level was also found to be significantly enhanced by 357% (P < 0.01) and 341% (P < 0.05) in recently diagnosed and managed patients respectively. Because of cost effectiveness, easy and quick analysis of neopterin in the serum sample, we propose neopterin as the prognostic as well as diagnostic biomarker of CAD before other markers could be tested especially in Saudi population.

An overview on the correlation of neurological disorders with cardiovascular disease

Neurological disorders (NDs) are one of the leading causes of death especially in the developed countries. Among those NDs, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD) are heading the table. There have been several reports in the scientific literatures which suggest the linkage between cardiovascular disorders (CVDs) and NDs. In the present communication, we have tried to compile NDs (AD and PD) association with CVDs reported in the literature. Based on the available scientific literature, we believe that further comprehensive study needs to be done to elucidate the molecular linking points associated with the above mentioned disorders.

Assessment of genetic diversity in IL-6 and RANTES promoters and their level in Saudi coronary artery disease patients.

The present study consisted of a total of 200 subjects (100 confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD) patients), both men and women, and 100 healthy control individuals.

Current Updates on Therapeutic Advances in the Management of Cardiovascular Diseases

Despite the significant advances in the medical research and treatment methods, the rate of mortality associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is continuously rising and it remains the leading cause of death worldwide. There are several treatment methods for CVD and associated complications that have been considered till now. The current treatment methods cannot produce rapid cure, but could prevent or reduce the progression of this devastating disease. In the current article, we have summarized the use of various pharmacological agents viz. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), antihypertensive, thrombolytic and anticoagulation agents that are currently being used for the management of CVD which targets different biochemical or molecular events. Based on our article, more research in this field is advocated which will provide the rapid and effective treatment methods in order to avoid fatal complications associated with CVD.

Comparative study of non-high density lipoproteins cholesterol level and lipid profile in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVES The present study compares the role and significance of non-high density lipoproteins (non-HDL) cholesterol level in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. This study also compares non-HDL cholesterol level between males and females and with different age groups as well. METHODS An observational study was conducted among 3830 randomly selected individuals to envisage the association of non-HDL cholesterol and other lipid parameters with age, gender, and diabetic status. On the basis of health status, the subjects were classified as diabetic, pre-diabetic and normal. Fasting blood samples were collected and analyzed on Roche p-800 modular system. Total cholesterol, high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL) and fasting triglycerides were also measured. From the above mentioned parameters, the level of non-HDL cholesterol level was also calculated. RESULTS Significant association was observed with non-HDL cholesterol level and all other studied lipid parameters (total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides) compared with age and gender of the subjects studied. Moreover, the calculated non-HDL level, total cholesterol and triglycerides were found to be significantly co-related with diabetic status of the patients involved in the study. However, HDL and LDL values did not show any significant association with diabetic status of the patients. CONCLUSION In this study, we found that age and gender of the studied subjects are associated with non-HDL cholesterol. Moreover, our data clearly indicates the positive association of non-HDL cholesterol level with pre-diabetic and diabetic status of the patients. Based on our study, we recommend estimation of non-HDL level in routine clinical practice to differentiate pre-diabetic and diabetic patients.

Assessment of IL-18 Serum Level and Its Promoter Polymorphisms in the Saudi Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Patients

The purpose of the current study was to find out the possible changes polymorphic site at the promoter region of IL‐18 gene in Saudi CAD patients. We have also measured serum IL‐18 level to find out, the likely association between its level and polymorphic site. The present study included total 197 subjects (98 confirmed CAD patients both men and women and 99 healthy control individuals). Serum concentration of IL‐18 was measured by enzyme linked immuno‐sorbent assay. For SNPs analysis, sanger method of DNA sequencing was followed. We observed variable numbers of SNPs at −137 C/G, −607 A/C, and −656 T/G promoter sites in our studied samples. However, the observed changes in the number of SNP hotspots were found to be non‐significant compared with control. IL‐18 level was found to be significantly (P < 0.001) elevated in CAD patients compared with control individuals. The highest rise of around 36% (P < 0.001) in IL‐18 level was recorded in unstable angina (UA) patients. Moreover, the group belonging to UA and non‐ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) showed only 6% rise. On the basis of our result, inflammation seems to have a role in the pathogenesis of CAD but not leading to the significant changes at the genetic level. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 1849–1854, 2017.

A putative association of interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms with cardiovascular disease

Interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) is an anti inflammatory cytokine involved in the ongoing coronary inflammation and related patho‐physiological processes. The piece of work presented herein is aimed at investigating possible association of polymorphisms in IL‐10 promoter with Saudi cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. The study included 80 confirmed CVD patients with diabetes and 75 healthy control individuals both men and women. Concentration of IL‐10 in the serum samples were measured by ELISA method. For single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, Sanger method of DNA sequencing was followed. The IL‐10 level was found to be significantly elevated in CVD patients (P < 0.001) and its associated complications viz. ST‐elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] (P <0.01), non ST‐elevation myocardial infarction [NSTEMI] (P < 0.05), and unstable angina [UA] (P < 0.001). We also observed a significant association between polymorphisms in IL‐10 promoter at −1082 and −819 locus with Saudi CVD patients. Moreover, at −1082 A/G locus, AA haplotype was found to be less frequent in the CVD patients compared with control individuals. On the other hand, highly significant rise in heterozygous (A/G genotype) condition was observed in patient samples compared with control ones (P < 0.001). Similarly, the genotypic frequencies at −819 C/T locus were also found to be significantly associated (P < 0.001) with CVD patients compared with control individuals. Our study provides the status of polymorphism in IL‐10 promoter and its association with CVD risk in Saudi population. As per our information, ours is the first article that shows the genetic diversity in IL‐10 promoters and its level in the Saudi CVD patients.

Alzheimer disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus: the link to tyrosine hydroxylase and probable nutritional strategies.

Alzheimer disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are chronic health disorders that affect millions of people around the world. According to recent studies, there are molecular similarities in the inflammatory pathways involved in both AD and T2DM, which opens a new avenue for researchers with different perspectives to target the cause of these diseases rather than their obvious symptoms. Several links between inflammation, cardiovascular disease, T2DM and central nervous system disorders such as AD and Parkinsons disease have been elucidated. Mutations in the hippocampal-β-amyloid precursor protein gene in genetically high-risk individuals have been shown to cause the early onset of AD symptoms. The overexpression of β-amyloid protein in the hippocampal region and the synaptotoxicity that occurs as a result have been considered a typical feature of AD and leads to neuronal loss and cognitive decline. However, the identity of the cellular components that cause the late onset of the disease seen in the majority of the cases is still unknown. Synaptic insults associated with neuronal dysfunction may involve several cascades and molecules, one of which has been hypothesized to be tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The axons of the noradrenergic cells that project to the hippocampus appear to be affected by the β-amyloid protein, which subsequently contributes to TH loss in Alzheimer brain cells. In this review, we attempt to shed light on the important mechanisms involved in AD as well as T2DM such as inflammatory factors, abnormalities in the insulin signaling system and the possible role of the endocrine enzyme TH.