Showing papers by "Ammara Saleem published in 2018"

Association of textile industry effluent with mutagenicity and its toxic health implications upon acute and sub-chronic exposure

Abstract: Complex industrial discharges pose certain risks to the ecosystem. This study was aimed at identifying acute and sub-chronic toxicological effects of the textile industry wastewater. The textile wastewater was evaluated for the metals and organic pollutants by atomic absorption spectrophotometer and GC-MS respectively. In vitro genotoxicity and mutagenicity were assessed by Comet assay in peripheral lymphocytes isolated from Ovis aries and Ames test in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA-100 and 102 respectively. Physiological and behavioral changes along with systemic toxicity were determined in Rattus norvegicus albinus following acute and sub-chronic exposure. High amount of heavy metals such as Cr, Pb, Hg, As, and Cd were detected in textile wastewater. Organic pollutants such as 25-deacetoxy cucurbitacin-b, E-14-Hexadecenal, 11-Tricosene, and phthalates were also found. In vitro genotoxicity assessment in lymphocytes showed statistically significant DNA damaging potential of textile wastewater. Textile wastewater also showed significantly higher (p˂ 0.05) mutagenic potential in Salmonella TA-100 and TA-102 strains than sodium azide and 2-amino anthracycline. Acute exposure of textile wastewater to Rattus norvegicus was associated with several physiological changes and behavioral symptoms. Sub-chronic exposure of textile wastewater in Rattus norvegicus instigated the degeneration and necrosis of epithelial cells in renal tubules, hydropic degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes, peri-bronchiolar infiltration and emphysema of the alveoli, and the degradation of myocardial cells. This study concludes that the textile wastewater may cause genotoxicity and mutagenicity, result in physiological and behavioral changes upon acute exposure, and inflict various pathological lesions upon sub-chronic exposure.

Increasing beta cell mass to treat diabetes mellitus.

Abstract: Finding a radical cure for diabetes has reached paramount importance in medicine due to the widespread prevalence of the disease. A substantial reduction in insulin-secreting beta cells is evident in diabetes. The failure of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and cyclins to access the nucleus is responsible for quiescence or senescence in human and rodent beta cells. The augmentation of beta cell proliferation is supposed to reverse diabetes. This concept has inspired the discovery of newer drugs that encourage the proliferation of beta cells. Although it is a rational step towards a cure for diabetes, the differences in biochemical pathways in rodents and human beta cells pose difficulty in promoting the proliferation of human beta cells. Primarily, it is mandatory to clearly understand the intracellular pathways involved in the proliferation of beta cells so as to pave the way for therapeutic interventions. There are several intrinsic factors that trigger the proliferation of beta cells. Furthermore, it is also obvious that the early death of beta cells due to oxidative stress-related upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes also predisposes individuals to diabetes mellitus. Polyphenols, exendin 4, histone deacetylase inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide 1, phenyl pyruvic acid glucoside, and several flavonoids reduce the early apoptosis of beta cells partly through their role in the reduction of oxidative stress. A better understanding of intracellular pathways, the identification of specific mitogens, the induction of beta cell proliferation, and the inhibition of apoptosis may help us treat diabetes mellitus through an increase in beta cell mass.

Hepatoprotective potential and chemical characterization of Artocarpus lakoocha fruit extract

Abstract: Artocarpus lakoocha fruits are widely consumed as food. The study was aimed at evaluating its hepatoprotective activity and chemical constituents. The extract was analysed by HPLC for the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Hepatoprotective potential was determined in mice following 8 days of extract or silymarin (standard therapy) administration. Hepatotoxicity was induced by administration of paracetamol (500 mg/kg). The blood and liver of treated and untreated mice were collected 24 hours post-paracetamol intoxication. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of chromatotropic acid, quercetin, gallic acid, vanillic acid, cinnamic acid, ferulic acid and kaempferol. Acute toxicity study showed no observed effect at more than 2,000 mg/kg. The fruit extract prevented the rise in liver function tests and paracetamol related histopathological alterations. The hepatoprotective activity of extract was dose-dependent. This study confirms the preventive effect of methanolic extract of monkey jack fruits against paracetamol-induced liver toxicity. Video Clip of Methodology : 7 min 25 sec: Full Screen Alternate

Impact of Empowerment & Emotional Labor on Teacher’s Work Engagement: A Moderating Role of Job Experience

Abstract: Teaching profession is one with highest demand regarding empowerment and emotional labour. Emotional labor is the management of emotions for performance excellence (Hochschild ,1983). This study has examined the relationship among the emotional labour, teacher’s overall empowerment and their work engagement. The study also aimed to determine either the job experience moderates the empowerment and work engagement relation. A sample of 223 university teachers of 14 different universities was selected. 145 respondent’s data was found complete to be used for analysis. Valid scales like Utrecht Work Engagement was used to measure overall work engagement, Cuckar & Mann’s Emotional Requirement Inventory scale was used for measuring emotional labor and Short & Rinehart scale was used to measure the teacher empowerment. SPSS statistical software was used for data analysis. Different SPSS tools were used to measure the strength and significance of studied relationships. Moreover, a model was built to measure the overall work engagement of university teachers. A significant relation was found b/w empowerment, work engagement and emotional labor whereas the role of job experience was found to be insignificant. This study further suggested future research direction.