Department of Medical Biochemistry

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://197.255.125.131:4000/handle/123456789/23049

Browse

Start date: 2020End date: 2024

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring Anti-Breast Cancer Effects of Live Pediococcus acidilactici and Its Cell-Free Supernatant Isolated from Human Breast Milk
    (International Journal of Breast Cancer, 2024) Adumuah, N.N.; Quarshie, J.T.; Danwonno, H.; et al.
    Current breast cancer treatment options are limited by drug resistance and adverse side effects, which calls for the need for alternatives or complementary remedies. Probiotic bacteria isolated from human breast milk have been shown to possess proapoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties against breast mastitis in breastfeeding mothers and are being studied as possible anticancer regimens. Thus, this study aimed at exploring the effect of lactic acid bacteria isolated from human breast milk on MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells. A total of twenty-two bacteria were isolated from four human breast milk samples. The isolates were characterized and identified using biochemical tests and Sanger sequencing, respectively. For in vitro In experiments, we used isolated P. acidilactici to treat MDA-MB-231 cells, and an MTT assay was used to detect proliferation. RT-qPCR and wound healing assays were performed to determine the effect of the isolated P. acidilactici on breast cancer cytokine expression and migration. Exposure of MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells to live P. acidilactici and its cell-free supernatant (CFS) for 24 hours resulted in a reduction in cancer cell viability. Also, the expression of the cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 in the breast cancer cells increased following exposure to P. acidilactici and its CFS for 24 and 72 h. Additionally, the levels of the SLUG gene remained unchanged, while the TWIST1 gene was upregulated following exposure of the cancer cells to bacteria, indicating that P. acidilactici may promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer. Finally, the CFS significantly inhibited cancer cell mobility. These findings serve as a foundation to further investigate the usefulness of P. acidilactici as a potential therapeutic agent in breast cancer therapy
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Alcohol intake, smoking, self-medication practices and burden of anaemia among traders in Tamale metropolis of Ghana
    (BMC Research Notes, 2023) Anabire, N.G.; Billak, G.D.; Helegbe, G.K.
    Objective Lifestyle choices including physical inactivity, smoking, abuse of alcohol and drugs, unhealthy diet are common among traders and market women and these behavioural activities predispose individuals to ill-health conditions including cardiovascular diseases and chronic anaemia. We evaluated lifestyle choices such as alcohol intake, smoking and resorting to self-medication among traders in the Tamale Central market in Ghana. We then associated these lifestyle choices with anaemia. Results A total of 400 participants were recruited for this study. Haemoglobin (Hb) levels of participants were measured using Mission® Plus Hb meter and anaemia was diagnosed by Hb<12 g/dl for non-pregnant females and Hb<13 g/dl for males. Of the participants, a majority (69.3%) were males, and most of them (56.0%) were within 18–35 years age bracket. While alcohol intake and smoking were uncommon, self-medication was a common practice among the participants. Anaemia was a common condition; diagnosed in 44.5% of participants, but was independent of age, alcohol intake and smoking. However, anaemia was more common in females (χ2=15.9, p<0.001) and was associated with self-medication (χ2=5.7, p=0.017). We recommend that traders in the Tamale metropolis should seek routine health check-ups to help avert adverse health consequences associated with anaemia.