Using the canine hookworm Ancylostoma caninum as model we aimed to investigate the anthelmintic activity of goat's milk in vitro by describing in detail the nature of damage taking place cross sectionally in the worm cuticle after exposure to goat's milk through careful observation by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Adult worms were obtained from routine culling of unwanted dogs from Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) animal detention center, Rawang, Malaysia. Fresh raw goat's milk was used. Worms were cut into 1mm3 slices, fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde, washed with 0.1sodium cacodylate buffer, post fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide, washed again in 1%sodium cacodylate buffer, dehydrated in acetone, embedded in resin, polymerized, ultrathin cross section cut and stained with uranyl acetate before being viewed under transmission electron microscope. Goat's milk resulted in worm cuticular damage in the form of irregularity and significant thinning similarly seen with cysteine proteinases mediated damage. Internal hypodermic changes were also observed in the form of mitochondrial degeneration which appeared as large vacuoles similarly seen in albendazole affected worms. Understanding anthelmintic mechanism through transmission electron micrography has provided critical information in developing novel therapies from natural products. It also provides basis for the consumption of goat's milk as functional food for parasitic worm control.

Introduction: Parasitic worm infection is a global affliction with significant disease burden. The disease however is endemic in the tropics where poverty stricken communities live in substandard living conditions. In Malaysia, the infection is largely limited to Orang Asli (aborigine) and rural communities across the country where prevalence may reach up to 90%. Objective: This study investigates the parasitic worm infection in an aboriginal primary school closely located to Cyberjaya, the modern IT capital of Malaysia. Materials and Methods: 42 pupils from Bukit Cheeding primary school participated in this study and were screened for hel- minth infection by faecal sample examination using Kato-Katz technique. Result: The overall prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection was 59.5%. Majority of pupils were infected with Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides and double infection with Trichuris and Ascaris constituted 16.6% prevalence. None of the pupils were infected with hookworm. The infection rate amongst the males (66.7%) seemed to be higher than the females (46.7%). The mean worm burden for Ascaris lumbricoides was 2495.6 ± 1709 while for Trichuris trichiura was 1093.1 ± 433. Conclusion: Despite the rising affluence in Malaysia's Klang Valley, minority communities such as the aborigine who live side by side to modernity are still plagued with soil-transmitted helminth infection. More efforts are needed to address this problem.

Mucus secretion by intestinal goblet cells constitutes an important mechanism in TH2 response following helminth infection mediated by the key cytokine IL-22. This indirect mechanism rather than directly attacking the parasite is important in preventing helminth attachment hence promoting helminth expulsion from the intestinal tract. We hypothesized that natural products having an anthelmintic activity like caprine milk may exert similar response. Using human intestinal LS174T cells treated with IL-22 to simulate helminth infection, we tested whether or not the co-treatment with caprine milk induces MUC1, MUC3, MUC4 and MUC5B genes expression. Optimal concentrations for caprine milk was determined to be 25% and 50% from cell viability assay. IL-22 induced helminth infection model was confirmed. However, the indirect anthelmintic effect of caprine milk was only relative as treatment of caprine milk in LS174T cells and IL-22 in vitro did not significantly induce MUC1, MUC3, MUC4 and MUC5B genes expression when compared to treatment with IL-22 alone. In conclusion, caprine milk was not significantly associated with the mechanism of increased mucus production through up regulation of mucin genes by intestinal cells. Caprine milk may possess direct anthelmintic effect rather than indirect.

Aim: This paper describes the surgical procedure for spleen auto transplantation in rats. Splenectomy is an important surgery protocol in research studies involving immunology and hematopoietic diseases. Spleen auto transplantation is an alternative method undertaken to preserve the splenic function as the absence of spleen (asplenia) is associated with lifelong risk for sepsis, especially by encapsulated bacteria. Method: Four six weeks old male Sprague-Dawley rats, with range of weight from 248-281 grams, underwent spleen autotransplantation via midline laparotomy incision. In this procedure the spleen was completely removed (total splenectomy); it involved removing the spleen and re-transplanted in greater omentum. A piece of the spleen weighing approximately 0.34 grams was transplanted inside the greater omentum and held in place with an absorbable suture knot. The muscle layer and skin incision were then closed using absorbable suture. The surgery was conducted under deep sedation and the rat was monitored post-operatively until it fully recovered. Outcome: The post-operative recovery of the rat was uneventful. Six-weeks after the surgery, the rat underwent a re-look laparotomy and the auto-transplanted spleen was examined. There was a three-fold increase in the size and weight of the spleen. Conclusion: This spleen auto transplantation model, which utilized an omental pouch, was not only successful in preserving the spleen, but also allowed for spleen regeneration. This model provides future platform for further research in auto-transplanted spleen.

Introduction: Psoriasis is a non-curable, T-cell mediated autoimmune chronic skin disease with a prevalence of 5% in Malaysia (cf. world average of 2%). Treatment options are essentially symptomatic dominated by oral or topical steroids and in severe cases require anti-cancer drug such as methotrexate or anti T-cells drug likes cyclosporine. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) leaves (SPL), a common edible plant in Malaysia has been anecdotally reported by a number of psoriatic patients to be effective in inducing remission. Materials and methods: Psoriasifom lesions were induced in 15 male BALB/c mice using imiquimoid for 21 days and divided into 3 equal groups. One group was designated as control and the other two groups were subjected to topical application of aqueous SPL extract and lipophilic SPL extract respectively. Modified psoriatic Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, histological changes and intracellular cytokines of TNF-? and IFN-? were compared between the groups for pre-induction, post induction and post treatment. Result: Both groups subjected to topical SPL extracts showed significant improvement compared to control group with slight therapeutic superiority shown by the lipophilic extract in all parameters. No toxicity effect evidenced by histological examination noted. Discussion: Synergistic effect of bioactive compounds within the SPL extracts especially by the lipophilic components showed promising potential to be a steroid-sparing anti-psoriactic medication. Further confirmation of its potential using psoriatic patients should be undertaken to assess its true potential.