Introduction: Immunomodulation properties of mesenchymal stem cells have attracted tremendous attention that eventually could regress liver fibrosis process. Aim: The study aims to demonstrate the immunomodulation activities of Umbilical cord-derived Mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) affecting interleukin-10 (IL-10) and hyaluronic acid (HA) secretion post intraperitoneal injection of CCl 4 , potent hepatotoxin, induced liver fibrosis among experimental rats. Methods: There were 18 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats divided into three treatment groups (G1 sham group, G2 untreated liver fibrosis group, and G3 UC-MSCs treated-group) and isolated in Stem Cell and Cancer Research Facility, Semarang, Indonesia. Blood examination was conducted after 3 and 14 days of UC-MSCs transplantation using sandwich based ELISA followed by the histopathological analysis of rat liver tissue. ANOVA and posthoc LSD tests were determined the significance against all groups based on their quantitative measurement. Results: UC-MSCs have been successfully extracted and isolated as well as positive with osteogenic differentiation (Alizarin dye). In further analysis, there were significant mean differences among all groups through the ANOVA test, both IL-10 and HA secretion, concurrent with low-grade liver fibrosis in G3. IL-10 elevates during the early phase of UC-MSCs transplantation, and HA significantly reduced on the 14th day of transplantation, it characterizes the liver fibrosis that has been attenuated. Conclusion: The transplantation of UC-MSCs has given an opportunity for the treatment of a wide range of chronic liver diseases through the immunomodulation properties via its paracrine effects that regulate specific cytokine to suppress fibrosis development.

BACKGROUND:Stroke is a leading cause of disability and remains the second leading cause of death in the world. Some of the pathogenesis of stroke are interactions between genetic and acquired risk factors, the interaction is related with the atherosclerotic which is the main pathogenesis of ischaemic stroke. Previous studies demonstrated an association between methylene tetra hydro folate reductase (MTHFR) genotype and ischaemic stroke; the MTHFR C677T genotype is one of the independent risk factor.AIM:This study aims to know about the role of polymorphism gen MTHFR C677T in ischaemic stroke patients with and without hypertension.METHODS:This study is a cross-sectional study, the sample was taken consecutively, after approval by the Medical Faculty Science’s Ethics Committee at University Sumatera Utara. All sample matched with inclusion and exclusion criteria, demography data and blood sample were taken. Demography data were analysed using descriptive statistic.RESULTS:Of the 106 ischaemic stroke patients were divided into two groups, the first group is patients with hypertension (53 patients), and the second group is without hypertension (53 patients). We have done the PCR- RFLP to all the patients, we got 78 patients with 677CC of MTHFR genotype, 23 patients with 677CT genotype and 5 patients with 677TT genotype. We found polymorphism C677T is more frequent in ischaemic stroke patients with hypertension (16 patients; 69.5%), and all the patient with 677TT genotype are an ischaemic stroke with hypertension (5 patients; 100%).CONCLUSION:We concluded that polymorphism MTHFR C677T have an important role in hypertension and ischaemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Puguntano (Curanga feel-terrae Merr.) contains flavonoids, saponins, tannins, and steroids/ terpenoids which improved post-receptor insulin signalling in rats model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of puguntano leaf extract on p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) levels and glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4) expression in diabetic rats muscle. METHODS: Forty-eight male Wistar rats had T2DM induced using a combination of feeding a high-fat diet for 5 weeks and multiple intraperitoneal injections of low-dose streptozotocin (30 mg/kg). The diabetic rats were randomly divided into control and treatment groups, and 200 mg/kg/day puguntano extract was administered orally for 10 days to treatment group. Subsequently, p38 MAPK levels were measured by Sandwich Elisa and plasma membrane GLUT-4 expression was evaluated by Immunohistochemistry in their gastrocnemius muscles. RESULTS: There were significantly higher p38 MAPK levels and GLUT-4 expression in the treatment group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that a puguntano leaf extract can improve post-receptor insulin signalling by enhancing p38 MAPK levels and GLUT-4 expression in a rat model of T2DM.

BACKGROUND: Severe TBI is leading in death and disability worldwide. The initial stage resulted from direct tissue damage and impaired autoregulation of cerebral blood flow. The level of S-100β, IL-6 and AQ4 in CSF increased in neuronal injury and BBB damage. PROG effect is assessed on biomarkers of S-100β, IL-6, and AQP4. AIM: The study examined the 1st to 4th day of progesterone administration. METHODS: The sample consisted of 23 participants in the control group and 16 participants in the treated group. Patients with GCS 4–8, not surgical, aged 15-50 years, coming in the first 24 h and patient’s family agreed to this research are included. The sample was taken from the serum, and the biomarker processed using ELISA. GOS 3 months used as prognostic. RESULTS: The result showed the mean value serum level of S100β, AQP4, and IL-6 increased on 24 h and 96 h after given PROG. Change of mean value of S100β day to day was 44.75 (96 h)–40.57 (24 h) – 4.18. In control group, change of S100β decrease to 42.51 (96 h)–46.11 (24 h) = −3.60, showing effect still unclearly proven in repairing neuronal injury, BBB disruption or another consideration on concentration of S100β, AQP4, and IL-6 in serum. CONCLUSION: S-100β serum levels is significant to predict outcome of severe TBI. Progesterone still unclearly proven in repairing neuronal injury and/or BBB disruption. Another consideration is temporal trajectory of S100β, AQP4, and IL-6. In future study, natural endogenous PROG should be sought. S-100β in future pharmaceutical trials may be possible as pharmacological target.

BACKGROUND: Defects in post-receptor insulin signalling are the major cause of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). AIM: This study aimed to investigate the correlations between insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 with phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) levels after puguntano (Curanga fel-terrae [Merr.]) leaf extract treatment in a rat model of T2DM. METHODS: A combination of high-fat diet-feeding (HFD) and multiple low dose intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin was used to induced T2DM in 48 Wistar rats, which were then randomly divided into control and treatment groups (n = 24 per group). Puguntano leaf extract was administered to the treatment group once daily (200 mg/kg.bw) for 10 days. IRS-1, PI3K and p38 MAPK levels were measured in skeletal muscle using sandwich ELISAs in control group after becoming T2DM and in the treatment group after 10 days of puguntano treatment. Data were analysed using the Wilcoxon test and Spearman’s correlation. RESULTS: IRS-1, PI3K and p38 MAPK levels were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group. There were also significant positive correlations between IRS-1 with PI3K and p38 MAPK levels (r = 0.375, p = 0.035; r = 0.552, p = 0.003; respectively) after the treatment. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated significant positive correlations between IRS-1 with PI3K and p38 MAPK levels after puguntano leaf extract treatment of T2DM rats.