Volume 1, Issue 1 (2014)
Review Article
SERUM BIOMARKERS IN EVALUATION AND VALIDATION OF DISEASES
H.D. Khanna
Abstract: Biomarkers are key molecular or cellular events that link a specific environmental exposure to a health outcome. Biomarkers play an important role in understanding the relationships between exposure to environmental chemicals, the development of chronic human diseases, and the identification of subgroups that are at increased risk for disease. The validation of biomarkers as early predictors of clinical disease can enhance health risk assessment and contribute to effective new disease prevention policies in environmental and occupational settings. The process of validating biomarkers involves dealing with a range of characteristics that include the intrinsic qualities of the biomarker, its determinants, and the analytic procedure. The principal goal is to discover biomarkers, with the ultimate objective of identifying differentially expressed proteins between diseased and healthy controls. Novel and fast high-throughput systems dramatically enhance the analysis of thousands of proteins and genes with very low volumes. It is becoming clear that the consideration of a single biomarker might not be potent enough to improve diagnostic specificity. Thus, it is essential to develop methods to measure several biomarkers together in a single well or on a biochip to create an accurate prognostic profile. Plasma/serum measurements are the gold standard in clinics, because they are minimally invasive and can be easily collected and processed. Plasma/serum data reflect a broad spectrum of changes. A major advantage of blood samples is that patients can be followed up and screened over several years.
Review Article
PHYSICAL MAPPING OF GENOME AND GENES
Rekha Dixit, Jayanand, DV Rai, Rashi Agarwal, Aditya Pundhir
Abstract: Mapping genome of an organism is an important tool to provide a guide for the sequencing experiments by showing the exact positions of genes and other distinctive features in the chromosomal DNA. Whole genome sequencing of eukaryotic genomes is greatly facilitated by high- density genome maps. The highdensity maps serve as foundation during organizing and assembling the nucleotide sequences of genomes. Reference to the map ensures that regions containing repetitive DNA are assembled correctly. Distinctive
features on the genome map are used as landmarks to aid assembly of master sequence from huge number of short sequences obtained from genomic library. First step for manipulation of genes for various applications is cloning that relies on mapping close to a convenient marker. A complete physical-genetic map of genome is necessary for comparative genomics studies with other genomes. High-resolution comparative physical maps will reveal regions of colinearity and rearrangement and will have important
implications for phylogenetic studies and genome evolution.
Review Article
ROLE OF BIOMARKERS IN CARDIOTOXICITY
Vrish Dhwaj Ashwlayan and Akansha Gupta
Abstract: Cardiotoxicity is the ‘toxicity that affects the heart which includes direct effect of the drug on the heart as well as indirect effect due to enhancement of haemodynamic flow alterations or due to thrombotic events. It is associated with small changes in blood pressure and arrhythmias to cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a cardiac disorder is associated with asymmetric cardiac hypertrophy with involvement of the interventricular septum. HCM is caused by mutation in genes such as Myosin-binding protein C (MYBC3), heavy chain of beta myosin (MYH7), troponin T (TNNT2) and troponin I (TNNI3). The most recurrent mutation is seen in MYBC3, MYH7 around 13-25% while TNNT2, TNNI3 shows below 5%. Similarly, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an obstructive disorder of the smallest pulmonary arteries, in which progressive narrowing increases pulmonary vascular resistance which leads to right heart failure and death. PAH is caused by imbalance of activation of transforming growth factor--β (TGF-β) receptors coupled with the impaired mutations in bone morphogenetic proteins receptor type 2 (BMPR2) which involves bone growth and repair. Therefore, cardiotoxicity can be assessed by markers such as Troponin T which is indicative for myocardiocyte damage and is used in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia. Anthracycline is a cytotoxic drug which causes elevation of Troponin T level which is associated with a decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction. Another biochemical marker is BNP (B type-natriuretic peptide), a hormone secreted by the myocytes of the heart. Elevation in the level of BNP causes increase in plasma concentrations which lead to left ventricular dysfunction.
Research Article
STUDIES ON METABOLIC ALTERATIONS IN PEBRINISED FIFTH INSTAR LARVAE OF TROPICAL TASAR SILKWORM Antheraea mylitta drury (DABA TV)
Lakshmi Marepally and G.Benarjee
Abstract: Pebrine is one of the dreadful diseases seen in Anthereae mylitta drury – a tropical tasar silkworm causes significant yield loss. The present research has been carried out on pebrinised fifth instar larvae of 3 rd and fifth day samplings to analyse the effect of pebrine disease on biochemical components like aminoacids, proteins and enzymes like alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase of haemolymph, silkgland and fatbody. The results revealed that aminoacids of fifth day sampling have shown 4% increase in haemolymph and decrease in fatbody (15%) and silkgland (18%) whereas third day shown 2% increase (Haemolymph), 9% and 6% reduction in fatbody and silkgland. .Proteins of fifth day and third day samplings have shown a drastic reduction in the range of 17-21% and 13-16% in comparison with respective controls and corresponding tissues. Enzymes like alanine aminotransferase have shown significant increase in its activity in the range of 33.3 -36% in fifth day sample whereas third day sample had shown 9-32%.Aspartate aminotransferase activity levels found increased in the range of 25-41% in fifth day sample and 15.4-39% in third day of respective tissues.
Research Article
TOTAL PHENOLICS AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF WATER EXTRACT OF FESTUCA
Garima Gupta, Anamika Verma, Charu Sharma
Abstract: The grasses- Poaceae (Gramineae), grass family of monocotyledonous flowering plants is the most important group of useful plants. Some of the grass species have been proved to show therapeutic effect and have been effective in treatment of inflammation and sclerosis as they contain bioactive components called antioxidants which delay or prevent the oxidation of cellular substrates. These antioxidants exert their effect by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) or preventing their generation. ROS are usually generated in physiological processes to produce energy and metabolites or to generate defenses against invasive microorganisms but can also cause oxidative damage associated with many degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Polyphenols like flavonoids and phenolic acids are one of the most important natural antioxidants present in this grass family. Examples of flavonoids are glycosides of apigenin, luteolin and tricin and examples of phenolic acids are ferulic acid, caffeic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. These compounds show a wide spectrum of chemical and biological activities including radical scavenging activity. This paper will discuss the total content of phenolic compounds present in the sample of Festuca grass, species of Poaceae family by Folin-Ciocalteu method. The paper will also highlight the total flavonoid content with the help of aluminium chloride colorimetric method. The results indicated that Festuca grass is a good natural source of antioxidant compounds for use in food and pharmaceutical industry.
Review Article
BIOMARKERS GENESIS AND THEIR PERSPECTIVES
R.K. Saxena and D.V. Rai
Abstract: Biomarkers are an index develops in living systems before/during pathophysiological situations. Their elevation or reduction can provide the status of diseases and can help in the development of therapeutics for ailment at initial level for the alleviation of etiology of disease. A particular type of the physical characteristics generated in living system can be used to measure or indicate the etiopathological nature of development, effects or progress of a disease, illness or abnormal or pathological conditions. A distinct types of biochemical, genetic or molecular characteristic or substance or indices i.e. an indicator of a particular biological condition or process. Disease biomarkers have been used in several clinical areas, including oncology, metabolic disorders, neurological disease and immune systems malfunctioning. In recent years because of the progress of analysis technology (Biomarker system) several new biomarkers continue to be devised and used as diagnostic, predictive, prognostic, and toxic marker. In drug development area, biomarkers are used as surrogate endpoint to substitute for a clinical endpoint and needed for rational drug development.