An Arsenic-resistant Tick and its Control with “Gammexane” Dips.—Part II

1949 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. M. Whitnall ◽  
B. Bradford
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Chemical Analyses ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Biological Tests ◽  
Excellent Control ◽  
Oil Emulsions ◽  
Paralysis Tick

The rapid spread of the single host arsenic-resistant blue tick, B. decoloratus, a transmitter of piroplasmosis and anaplasmosis, seriously affected a large and important cattle ranching area in South Africa.Biological tests, using the laboratory technique described in an earlier paper, enabled the most effective “Gammexane” preparations to be rapidly selected from numbers of experimental dips. The technique was also employed as a supplement to chemical analyses of dip wash samples where only the total hexachlorocyclohexane and not gamma isomer was estimated. Twenty-thousand adult female ticks were used in these in vitro tests. Oil emulsions seemed more active than dispersible powders or pastes, but all tests indicated that 50 parts per million “Gammexane” should satisfactorily control the tick in the field.Laboratory tests with larvae of the blue tick showed that “Gammexane” had a persistent action and was very toxic to this stage of the tick. Excellent control of larval ticks could be anticipated in the field.In vitro tests indicated that “Gammexane” was effective against the two- and three-host ticks, R. evertsi, R. appendiculatus, A. hebraeum, H. silacea and Hyalomma spp., but hand dressing and shorter dipping intervals might be necessary to control these ticks in the field. The sheep paralysis tick, I. pilosus, seemed to be resistant to “Gammexane” but was readily killed by arsenic.

scholarly journals RIC in COVID-19—a Clinical Trial to Investigate Whether Remote Ischemic Conditioning (RIC) Can Prevent Deterioration to Critical Care in Patients with COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean M. Davidson ◽  
Kishal Lukhna ◽  
Diana A. Gorog ◽  
Alan D. Salama ◽  
Alejandro Rosell Castillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Inflammatory Cytokines ◽  
In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽  
Cytokine Storm ◽  
Remote Ischemic Conditioning ◽  
Ischemic Conditioning ◽  
The United Kingdom

Abstract Purpose Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has, to date, been diagnosed in over 130 million persons worldwide and is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Several variants of concern have emerged including those in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil. SARS-CoV-2 can cause a dysregulated inflammatory response known as a cytokine storm, which can progress rapidly to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multi-organ failure, and death. Suppressing these cytokine elevations may be key to improving outcomes. Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a simple, non-invasive procedure whereby a blood pressure cuff is inflated and deflated on the upper arm for several cycles. “RIC in COVID-19” is a pilot, multi-center, randomized clinical trial, designed to ascertain whether RIC suppresses inflammatory cytokine production. Methods A minimum of 55 adult patients with diagnosed COVID-19, but not of critical status, will be enrolled from centers in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and South Africa. RIC will be administered daily for up to 15 days. The primary outcome is the level of inflammatory cytokines that are involved in the cytokine storm that can occur following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The secondary endpoint is the time between admission and until intensive care admission or death. The in vitro cytotoxicity of patient blood will also be assessed using primary human cardiac endothelial cells. Conclusions The results of this pilot study will provide initial evidence on the ability of RIC to suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines in the setting of COVID-19. Trial Registration NCT04699227, registered January 7th, 2021.

scholarly journals A Review of Plants Used in South African Traditional Medicine for the Management and Treatment of Hypertension

Planta Medica ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (04) ◽  
pp. 312-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatai Balogun ◽  
Anofi Ashafa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
South African ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Research Councils

AbstractSouth Africa contains 9% of the worldʼs higher plants, and despite its rich biodiversity, it has one of the highest prevalence of hypertension in Africa. This review provides information on medicinal plants embraced in South Africa for hypertension management, with the aim of reporting pharmacological information on the indigenous use of these plants as antihypertensives. This review not only focuses on the activity of antihypertensive medicinal plants but also reports some of its phytochemical constituents and other ethnopharmacological and therapeutic properties. Information obtained from scientific and or unpublished databases such as Science Direct, PubMed, SciFinder, JSTOR, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and various books revealed 117 documented antihypertensive plant species from 50 families. Interestingly, Asteraceae topped the list with 16 species, followed by Fabaceae with 8 species; however, only 25% of all plant species have demonstrated antihypertensive effects originating from both in vitro and in vivo studies, lending credence to their folkloric use. Only 11 plant species reportedly possess antihypertensive properties in animal models, with very few species subjected to analytical processes to reveal the identity of their bioactive antihypertensive compounds. In this review, we hope to encourage researchers and global research institutions (universities, agricultural research councils, and medical research councils), particularly those showing an interest in natural products, for the need for concerted efforts to undertake more studies aimed at revealing the untapped potential of these plants. These studies are very important for the development of new pharmaceuticals of natural origin useful for the management of hypertension.

In vitro release of insulin aspart incorporated into water-in-oil emulsions

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 455-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Jorgensen ◽  
C. Vermehren ◽  
S. Bjerregaard ◽  
S. Frokjaer
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Aspart ◽  
In Vitro Release ◽  
Oil Emulsions ◽  
Vitro Release

scholarly journals Medicinal Plants Used for the Traditional Management of Diabetes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: Pharmacology and Toxicology

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 2759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Odeyemi ◽  
Graeme Bradley
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Insulin Mimetic ◽  
Almost All

The use of medicinal plants for the management of diabetes mellitus is on the rise in the developing countries, including South Africa. There is increasing scientific evidence that supports the claims by the traditional healers. In this review, we compare the families of previously reported anti-diabetic plants in the Eastern Cape by rating the anti-diabetic activity, mode of action and also highlight their therapeutic potentials based on the available evidence on their pharmacology and toxicity. Forty-five plants mentioned in ethnobotanical surveys were subjected to a comprehensive literature search in the available electronic databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Elsevier, by using “plant name” and “family” as the keywords for the primary searches to determine the plants that have been scientifically investigated for anti-diabetic activity. The search returned 25 families with Asteraceae highly reported, followed by Asphodelaceae and Alliaceae. Most of the plants have been studied for their anti-diabetic potentials in vivo and/or in vitro, with most of the plants having a higher percentage of insulin release and inhibition against carbohydrate digesting enzymes as compared with insulin mimetic and peripheral glucose uptake. Almost all the investigated plants also inhibit oxidative stress as part of their hypoglycemic activity with less toxicity. However, the isolation of their bioactive molecules is still lacking. This review provides a resource to enable thorough assessments of the therapeutic profiles of available medicinal plants used for the management of diabetes in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Further studies such as the identification of the active ingredients of potent plants still need to be carried out; this may lead to new molecules in drug discovery and development.

scholarly journals Laboratory and clinical trials of cocamide diethanolamine lotion against head lice

PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian F. Burgess ◽  
Elizabeth R. Brunton ◽  
Christine M. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Study ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
Head Louse ◽  
Test Material ◽  
Single Application ◽  
Louse Infestation ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Head Louse Infestation

Context.During the late 1990s, insecticide resistance had rendered a number of treatment products ineffective; some companies saw this as an opportunity to develop alternative types of treatment. We investigated the possibility that a surfactant-based lotion containing 10% cocamide diethanolamine (cocamide DEA) was effective to eliminate head louse infestation.Settings and Design.Initialin vitrotesting of the lotion formulation versus laboratory reared body/clothing lice, followed by two randomised, controlled, community-based, assessor blinded, clinical studies.Materials and Methods.Preliminary laboratory tests were performed by exposing lice or louse eggs to the product using a method that mimicked the intended use. Clinical Study 1: Children and adults with confirmed head louse infestation were treated by investigators using a single application of aqueous 10% cocamide DEA lotion applied for 60 min followed by shampooing or a single 1% permethrin creme rinse treatment applied to pre-washed hair for 10 min. Clinical Study 2: Compared two treatment regimens using 10% cocamide DEA lotion that was concentrated by hair drying. A single application left on for 8 h/overnight was compared with two applications 7 days apart of 2 h duration, followed by a shampoo wash.Results.The initial laboratory tests showed a pediculicidal effect for a 60 min application but limited ovicidal effect. A longer application time of 8 h or overnight was found capable of killing all eggs but this differed between batches of test material. Clinical Study 1: Both treatments performed badly with only 3/23 (13%) successful treatments using cocamide DEA and 5/25 (23.8%) using permethrin. Clinical Study 2: The single overnight application of cocamide DEA concentrated by hair drying gave 10/56 (17.9%) successes compared with 19/56 (33.9%) for the 2 h application regimen repeated after 1 week. Intention to treat analysis showed no significant difference (p= 0.0523) between the treatments. Over the two studies, there were 18 adverse events possibly or probably associated with treatment, most of which were increased pruritus after treatment.Conclusions.Cocamide DEA 10% lotion, even when concentrated by hair drying, showed limited activity to eliminate head louse infestation.

scholarly journals Biological Activity of Wastewater Assessed Using in Vitro Cell-Based Assays

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adamo R. Petosa ◽  
Monica Nowierski ◽  
Viviane Yargeau
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Estrogenic Activity ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Chemical Analyses ◽  
Untreated Wastewater ◽  
17Β Estradiol ◽  
Receiving Waters

Abstract Bioanalytical tools, namely in vitro bioassays, can be employed in tandem with chemical analyses to assess the efficacy of wastewater treatment and the potential for adverse effects from the discharges of wastewater into receiving waters. In the present study, samples of untreated wastewater (i.e. influent) and treated wastewater (i.e. effluent) were collected from two wastewater treatment plants and a wastewater treatment lagoon serving municipalities in southern Ontario, Canada. In addition, grab samples of surface water were collected downstream of the lagoon discharge. After solid phase extraction (SPE) using ion-exchange columns for basic/neutral and acidic compounds, respectively, the extracts were analyzed for a suite of 16 indicator compounds. The two SPE extracts were combined for analysis of biological responses in four in vitro cell-based bioassays. The concentrations of several indicator compounds, including the estrogens, 17β-estradiol and 17α-ethinylestradiol, were below the limits of detection. However, androstenedione and estrone were detected in several influent samples. The concentrations of these steroid hormones and some of the other indicator compounds declined during treatment but acesulfame K, carbamazepine, trimethoprim and DEET persisted in the effluent. The MTS- CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay (MTS) indicated that cell viability was not affected by exposure to the extracts. The Qiagen Nuclear Receptors 10-Pathway Reporter Array indicated that several cellular pathways were upregulated, with the greatest upregulation observed with the estrogen receptor (i.e. induction ratios 12 to 47) and the liver X receptor (i.e. induction ratios 10 to 45). The ERα CALUX assay indicated that estrogenic activity was lower in effluents compared to influents, with the greatest estrogenic activity observed for grab samples of influent from the lagoon (i.e. 56-215 ng L-1 17β-estradiol equivalents). Finally, the results of the Nrf2 Luciferase Luminescence Assay indicated a lower oxidative stress in the effluent samples. Overall, the present study demonstrates that chemical analyses are limited in their ability to predict or explain reductions in the toxicity of treated wastewater. There are thus advantages to using a combination of chemical analyses and in vitro bioassays to monitor the treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment plants and to predict the potential impacts of wastewater discharges into receiving waters.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of the “Guanidez” disinfectant on the agents of bee infectious diseases in laboratory conditions

2019 ◽  
pp. 59-62
Author(s):  
O. S. Sirenko ◽  
O. V. Desyatnikova ◽  
V. B. Gurieva
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Peroxide ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Laboratory Tests ◽  
American Foulbrood ◽  
Combined Use ◽  
Microbiological Methods ◽  
Paenibacillus Alvei ◽  
Bactericidal Properties ◽  
European Foulbrood

The aim of the work is to study the effect of the disinfectant “Guanidez” on bee infectious diseases agents in vitro. Clinical-epizootological and microbiological methods have been used in the work. There were detected high disinfecting properties of the disinfectant “Guanidez” against pathogens of putrefactive diseases of bees. According to the results of the research, the technological regulation for the manufacturing of the preparation was developed: polyhexamethyleneguanidine hydrochloride at a concentration of at least 20.0%, hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of at least 35.0% and dimethylsulfoxide — 0.05 %. Disinfectant “Guanidez” exhibits pronounced bactericidal properties against the following cultures of microorganisms: Paenibacillus larvae (pathogen of American foulbrood), Melissococcus pluton, Paenibacillus alvei (pathogens of European foulbrood). The results of the “Guanidez” test indicate the effectiveness of the combined use of polyhexamethyleneguanidine hydrochloride, hydrogen peroxide and dimethylsulfoxide. The analysis of the results of laboratory tests of the “Guanidez” disinfectant for prophylactic and forced disinfection confirm its effectiveness and expediency of use for the control of putrefactive diseases

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 escape in vitro from a highly neutralizing COVID-19 convalescent plasma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Andreano ◽  
Giulia Piccini ◽  
Danilo Licastro ◽  
Lorenzo Casalino ◽  
Nicole V. Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Antibody Response ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Receptor Binding Domain ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Effective Immune Response ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
Natural Variants

ABSTRACTTo investigate the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the immune population, we co-incubated authentic virus with a highly neutralizing plasma from a COVID-19 convalescent patient. The plasma fully neutralized the virus for 7 passages, but after 45 days, the deletion of F140 in the spike N-terminal domain (NTD) N3 loop led to partial breakthrough. At day 73, an E484K substitution in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) occurred, followed at day 80 by an insertion in the NTD N5 loop containing a new glycan sequon, which generated a variant completely resistant to plasma neutralization. Computational modeling predicts that the deletion and insertion in loops N3 and N5 prevent binding of neutralizing antibodies. The recent emergence in the United Kingdom and South Africa of natural variants with similar changes suggests that SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to escape an effective immune response and that vaccines and antibodies able to control emerging variants should be developed.One Sentence SummaryThree mutations allowed SARS-CoV-2 to evade the polyclonal antibody response of a highly neutralizing COVID-19 convalescent plasma.

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