Irving S. Wright Award: Cellular recycling in aging and disease: The importance of taking out the trash

Aging is greatly influenced by quality-control processes that keep the materials inside our cells in proper shape and function. One of these processes is called autophagy, which means "self-eating". This cellular recycling process can digest damaged components to provide new and better parts for the cell. Autophagy plays important roles in many age-related diseases and has been directly linked to aging. In our laboratory, we use the microscopic soil-dwelling round worm C. elegans to understand how autophagy is linked to aging and disease. In this Wright Award seminar, I will discuss our progress on understanding how autophagy is regulated during normal aging and how it may promote a long and healthy lifespan.

Ascaris lumbrocoides in the Right Maxillary Sinus-a rare case

Introduction: Sinusitis is fairly a common condition in an Otolaryngology clinic.However sinusitis due to Ascaris lumbrocoides obstructing the maxillary ostium is a very rare case. Objective: To report a very rare case of round worm in the Right Maxillary sinus. Case report: A nine year old girl presented with right nasal blockage and dull aching pain over the right maxilla and foul smelling discharge from the right nostril for a week duration. Examination revealed a cord like structure in the right nostril which was very painful on manipulation. Examination under generl anesthesia revealed a 15 cm long dead Ascaris lumbrocoides in the right nostril emerging from the right maxillary sinus obstructing its ostium. After removal of the round worm, patient and the immediate family members were treated with Albendazole. Conclusion: In rare occasions, particularly in underdeveloped countries, clinicains should be midful that round worms can be a cause of sinusitis. J Dhaka Medical College, Vol. 28, No.1, April, 2019, Page 126-128

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Toxocara canis infection among primary schoolchildren from rural areas of southern Thailand

BackgroundHuman toxocariasis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by a parasite in the genus Toxocara and is transmitted mainly by accidental ingestion of embryonated Toxocara canis (dog round worm) or T. cati (cat round worm) eggs. Several studies reported that children were the main population at risk for T. canis infection. Currently, no reports on the seroprevalence of T. canis infection in Thailand are available, and its status remains unknown among children who live in rural areas of southern Thailand.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of T. canis infection and its associated risk factors among primary schoolchildren in rural areas of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand.MethodsA total of 177 schoolchildren between 6 and 13 years of age were recruited between June and July 2019. Serum anti-T. canis IgG antibodies were detected with a commercial ELISA kit. A questionnaire administered by direct interviews was used to collect demographic and behavioral risk factor data.ResultsThe overall seroprevalence of T. canis infection was 58.2% (103 of 177). The univariate analysis revealed that schoolchildren who did not practice handwashing before a meal (crude odds ratio (COR) = 3.67, 95% CI: 1.93-6.95, P < 0.001), did not practice hand washing after animal contact (COR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.53-5.47, P = 0.001), and drank untreated water (COR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.00-3.48, P = 0.049) had an increased risk of acquiring T. canis infection. However, after adjusting for confounders, only a lack of handwashing before a meal remained a significant risk factor (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.11-4.34, P = 0.023). Age, sex, owning a dog and eating fresh vegetables were not significantly associated with T. canis infection in the current study.ConclusionsThis is the first serological investigation of T. canis infection among schoolchildren in Thailand. The high rate of Toxocara seropositivity reflected high levels of exposure to T. canis among schoolchildren in rural areas of southern Thailand. The results also provide baseline data regarding modifiable risk behaviors for effective T. canis infection prevention strategies in southern Thailand, especially strengthening hand washing practices among schoolchildren.

Mechanoreceptors and touch

“Mechanoreceptors and touch” is the fifth chapter of the book Sensory Transduction and describes general mechanisms of touch sensitivity in animals. It begins with a review of mechanoreception in the single-celled protozoan Paramecium and transduction of touch in the round worm Caenorhabditis elegans. A thorough treatment is next given of the crayfish stretch receptor and insect mechanoreceptors, including a description of NOMPC channels in Drosophila. The chapter then reviews the anatomy and physiology of mechanoreceptors and touch in mammals, both in glabrous and hairy skin. It concludes with recent discoveries of the molecular biology and physiology of Merkel cells, known to be responsible for much of mammalian touch sensation.

Antihelminthic Activity in Aqueous Leaf Extract of Moringa oleifera Lam.

The objective of the study is to evaluate the antihelminthic property of Moringa oleifera aqueous leaf extract by studying the paralysis and mortality time of Tubiflex tubiflex (blood worm). The aqueous extract at 200mg/ml exhibited paralysis time of 1 minute and death time of 2 minutes which was on par with synthetic drug Albendazole at 20mg/ml. Crude condensed tannin paralysed T.tubiflex at 60 seconds with mortality time of 9 minutes at 1mg/ml. T.tubiflex was selected for the study since they share a similar anatomical and physiological aspects with the intestinal round worm. The study indicated that T.tubiflex was inhibited effectively by condensed tannin in Moringa oleifera aqueous leaf extract and perhaps might be more effective on the round worms as well, since it is consumed as vegetable for its nutritive and medicinal values in tropical and subtropical regions.

Pancreatic-Biliary Ascariasis in an Infant

Ascaris infestation that too causing biliary obstruction is very rare in infancy even in endemic area. Adult Ascaris diameter (3-6 mm) is more than the average diameter of CBD in paediatric population, which is 1.27 +/- 0.67 mm. We are reporting a baby of seven months who presented with conjugated hypebilirubinemia and pancreatitis due to Round Worm in CBD.

‘Warrior in the wind pipe’: Round worm in airway causing difficult endo-tracheal intubation

not availableJ MEDICINE July 2016; 17 (2) : 130