The present study was carried out to evaluate the seeds of Pennisetum glaucum for its blood pressure lowering effect in rats. Aqueous-methanolic extract of P. glaucum seeds in 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg doses was studied in normotensive, egg-feed diet and glucose-induced hypertensive rats using non-invasive technique. The extract significantly (p˂0.5 - p˂0.001) decreased blood pressure and heart rate with maximum effect at 1,000 mg/kg dose. The extract was found to prevent rise in blood pressure of egg and glucose fed rats as compared to control group in 21 days study. The extract was safe in mice up to dose of 4 g/kg and sub-chronic toxicity study showed that there was no significant alterations in blood chemistry of extract treated rats. It is conceivable, therefore, that aqueous-methanolic extract of P. glaucum seeds has exerted considerable antihypertensive activity which may be due to the presence of phytochemical constituents.

Background and Objectives: Dichromacy, an X-linked recessive disorder is identified worldwide, more in males than females. In European Caucasians, its incidence is 8% in males and 0.5% in females. In India, it is 8.73% in males and 1.69% in females, and in Iran, it is 8.18% in males and 0.43% in females. Population based epidemiological data about dichromacy in different ethnic groups in Pakistan is not available. The aim of this study was to find out the population prevalence of inherited red-green dichromacy in a heterogenous population of the district of Chiniot, Punjab, Pakistan, and to determine the impact of consanguinity and ethnicity. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, boys and girls of the higher secondary schools were examined in the three tehsils of district Chiniot. Pseudoisochromatic Ishihara Test has been employed for detection of dichromacy in the study population. The sample size was calculated statistically as 260, which was expanded to 705 and divided by population density of the three tehsils. Results: Screening of 359 males and 346 females revealed 19 (5.29%) dichromat males and only 2 (0.58%) females. The study population belonged to 23 castes / isonym groups. The consanguinity found in the district of Chiniot is 84.82% and in the dichromat families, it is 85.71%, of which 52.37% are first cousin. Interpretation & Conclusion: The study has shown that the incidence of dichromacy could be reduced through genetic counseling

Background: Some 200 million people worldwide have haemoglobinopathies of some sort. Pakistan, where 80% consanguinity prevails because of marriages within caste groups that are anthropologically same. The study aims to reveal the impact of consanguinity on thalassemia in various castes in Punjab, Pakistan. Subjects and Methods: 262 β-thalassemic patient’s families were studied. Patients were registered in various Thalassemia Blood Transfusion Hospitals/Centers, in the metropolitan city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Patients and parents were interviewed using structured questionnaire regarding information about name, age, sex, ethnicity (caste), educational status, consanguinity of parents, number of progenies, health status of children, pregnancy wastage and family history. Results: The 262 (couples) parents of β-thalassemic patients revealed 96% consanguineous marriages with 72% first cousins, 10% distant blood relatives and 14% Bradari . Inter-castes marriages were 4% only. These families produced 1646 children, 582 males and 464 females. Of these, 303 boys and 293 girls are healthy, while 279 boys and 171 girls are thalassemic. In 26 castes, the prevalence of thalassemia varied from 21% to 3%. Rajput tribe on top followed by Arain. Conclusion: Thalassemia is widely spread in Pakistani population. Its prevalence varied in caste groups due to endogamy, a major impact on the prevalence of thalassemia.

Today’s society is full of disease that are of different natures including genetic, infectious and metabolic etc. Every disease has its own mechanisms of affecting humans and different prevention mechanisms as per disease nature. These factors are included in epidemiology of disease. Other factors include prevalence and incidence of diseases in different populations. Exactly knowing about disease epidemiology helps governing authorities to prevent the disease. Unfortunately, under-developed and developing nations are not focusing on diseases epidemiology. On the other hand, all developing nations developed best public health practices based on diseases epidemiology data. These studies may vary from basic epidemiological surveys to identification of microorganism strains etc.

Background: Erufosine is a novel alkyl-phospholipid with promising anticancer activity. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of erufosine on breast and colorectal cancer cells, with a focus on cell cycle regulation related genes. Methods: Breast (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7) and colorectal cancer (SW480, SW620) cells were treated with erufosine, and cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. Afterwards, the cell lines were exposed to IC25, IC50, and IC75 concentrations of the test compound for 48 hours. qRT-PCR was used to examine expression changes in G2/M phase-related genes including CCNA2, CCNB1 and CDKN3. Fold differences were calculated by using Livak method between the groups. Results: Erufosine exhibited potent cytotoxicity at micro-molar concentrations in the cell lines. In MDA-MB-231 cells, erufosine induced concentration-dependent downregulation of all three G2/M genes. MCF-7 cells showed minimal induction at low concentrations, followed by marked inhibition at higher concentrations. In colorectal cancer cell lines, erufosine consistently inhibited the three selected genes at all applied concentrations. Conclusions: Erufosine induces cytotoxic effects and alterations in G2/M phase related genes in breast and colorectal cancer cells. This study provides molecular evidence for the cell cycle related effects of erufosine and supports its potential as a novel therapeutic agent for cancers, particularly for metastatic phases of disease.

Background: Ribosomal inactivating proteins comprise a big domain and inactivate the ribosomal machinery of the target cells irreversibly and induce toxic effects. Riproximin is a type II ribosomal inactivating protein which has been found lethal against various cancer cells originating from different tissues including breast and colorectal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of riproximin exposure on cell cycle relevant genes in breast and colorectal cancer cells. Methods: Toxic effects of riproximin in breast (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7) and colorectal cancer cell lines (SW480, SW620) were identified by MTT assay. AT molecular levels, the cell lines were treated with riproximin separately and expressional levels of the three S-phase cell cycle related genes (CDC6, MCM3, MCM5) were evaluated to identify the effects of riproximin. Untreated samples were used as controls throughout the study. Results: Riproximin induced toxic effects in breast and colorectal cancer cells (IC50<1.2ng/ml, 24 hours). Exposure of the cells with different concentrations of riproximin showed concentration dependent effects on expressional profile of the selected S-phase related genes. The selected genes were continuously down regulated by the protein in the breast and colorectal cancer cell lines. The riproximin associated effects were statistically significant. Conclusion: Riproximin imposed significant cytotoxic and gene modulation effects in breast and colorectal cancer cells. Further studies are required to understand the molecular features affected by riproximin in cancer cells.