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Orthosiphon stamineus Extracts Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis in Uterine Fibroid Cells

Pauzi N, Mohd KS, Abdul Halim NH, Ismail Z

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2018 Oct 26;19(10):2737-2744.
PMID: 30360599

Objectives: The effects of water and 50% ethanolic-water extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus Benth (OS) on cell proliferation and apoptotic activity against uterine leiomyosarcoma (SK-UT-1) cells were investigated. Methods: Anti-proliferation effect was evaluated through cell cycle analysis whereas apoptotic activity was determined via screening and quantifying using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. The effect of extracts on molecular mechanism was studied using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Results: Cell cycle flow cytometric analysis showed the induction of cell cycle arrests were behaves in a p53-independent manner. The examination using fluorescence microscopy and Annexin V flow cytometry revealed the presence of morphological features of apoptotic bodies. Downregulation of anti-apoptotic gene (Bcl-2) supports the apoptotic activity of OS extracts although poorly induce PARP-1 cleavage in Western blot analysis. The extracts also inhibit the SK-UT-1 growth by suppressing VEGF-A, TGF-β1 and PCNA genes, which involved in angiogenesis and cell proliferation. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that O. stamineus extracts are able to inhibit proliferation and induced apoptosis of uterine fibroid cells and is worth further investigation.
Fulltext The Effects of Lentivirus-Mediated Gene Silencing of RARβ on the Stemness Capability of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abu Halim NH, Zakaria N, Theva Das K, Lin J, Lim MN, Fakiruddin KS, et al.

J Cancer, 2021;12(12):3468-3485.
PMID: 33995625 DOI: 10.7150/jca.50793

Retinoic acid receptor beta is a nuclear receptor protein that binds to retinoic acid (RA) to mediate cellular signalling in embryogenic morphogenesis, cell growth, and differentiation. However, the function of RARβ in cancer stem cells (CSCs) has yet to be determined. This study aimed to understand the role of RARβ in regulating cell growth and differentiation of lung cancer stem cells. Based on the clonogenic assay, spheroid assay, mRNA levels of stem cell transcription factors, and cell cycle being arrested at the G0/G1 phase, the suppression of RARβ resulted in significant inhibition of A549 parental cell growth. This finding was contradictory to the results seen in CSCs, where RARβ inhibition enhanced the cell growth of putative and non-putative CSCs. These results suggest that RARβ suppression may act as an essential regulator in A549 parental cells, but not in the CSCs population. The findings in this study demonstrated that the loss of RARβ promotes tumorigenicity in CSCs. Microarray analysis revealed that various cancer pathways were significantly activated following the suppression of RARβ. The changes seen might compensate for the loss of RARβ function, CSCs population's aggressiveness, which led to the CSCs population's aggressiveness. Thus, understanding the role of RARβ in regulating the stemness of CSCs may lead to targeted therapy for lung CSCs.
Production and characterization of graphene from carbonaceous rice straw by cost-effect extraction

Uda MNA, Gopinath SCB, Hashim U, Halim NH, Parmin NA, Uda MNA, et al.

3 Biotech, 2021 May;11(5):205.
PMID: 33868892 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02740-9

This paper describes the synthesis of graphene-based activated carbon from carbonaceous rice straw fly ash in an electrical furnace and the subsequent potassium hydroxide extraction. The produced graphene has a proper morphological structure; flakes and a rough surface can be observed. The average size of the graphene was defined as up to 2000 nm and clarification was provided by high-resolution microscopes (FESEM and FETEM). Crystallinity was confirmed by surface area electron diffraction. The chemical bonding from the graphene was clearly observed, with -C=C- and O-H stretching at peaks of 1644 cm-1 and 3435 cm-1, respectively. Impurities in the graphene were found using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The measured size, according to zeta-potential analysis, was 8722.2 ± 25 nm, and the average polydispersity index was 0.576. The stability of the mass reduction was analyzed by a thermogravimetric at 100 °C, with a final reduction of ~ 11%.
Fulltext Targeting Lung Cancer Stem Cells: Research and Clinical Impacts

Zakaria N, Satar NA, Abu Halim NH, Ngalim SH, Yusoff NM, Lin J, et al.

Front Oncol, 2017;7:80.
PMID: 28529925 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00080

Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 1.8 million new cases and 1.6 million deaths in 2012. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is one of two types of lung cancer, accounts for 85-90% of all lung cancers. Despite advances in therapy, lung cancer still remains a leading cause of death. Cancer relapse and dissemination after treatment indicates the existence of a niche of cancer cells that are not fully eradicated by current therapies. These chemoresistant populations of cancer cells are called cancer stem cells (CSCs) because they possess the self-renewal and differentiation capabilities similar to those of normal stem cells. Targeting the niche of CSCs in combination with chemotherapy might provide a promising strategy to eradicate these cells. Thus, understanding the characteristics of CSCs has become a focus of studies of NSCLC therapies.
Effects of carboxymethyl cellulose fiber formations with chitosan incorporation via coating and mixing processes

Jafri NF, Mohd Salleh K, Ahmad Ghazali N, Nyak Mazlan NS, Ab Halim NH, Zakaria S

Int J Biol Macromol, 2023 Sep 18;253(Pt 4):126971.
PMID: 37729993 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126971

To date, the utilization of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) fibers are only restricted to weak mechanical application such as wound dressing. Physically, CMC has a weak mechanical strength due to the high hydrophilicity trait. However, this flaw was saved by the extensive number of reactive functional groups, allowing this macromolecule to form linkages with chitosan to ensure its versatility. This work successfully fabricated CMC-chitosan fiber via dissolution, crosslinking, dry-jet wet-spinning extrusion, and coagulation processes. Chitosan was constituted with CMC fiber in two approaches, coating, and inclusion at various concentrations. Morphologically, chitosan incorporation has triggered agglomerations and roughness toward CMC fibers (CMCF). Chemically, the interaction between CMC and chitosan was proved through FTIR analysis at peaks 1245 cm-1 (ECH covalent crosslinking), while 3340 cm-1 and 1586 cm-1 were due to ionic and hydrogen bonding. The result from analysis showed that at higher chitosan concentrations, the chitosan-included CMC fiber (CMCF-I) and chitosan-coated CMC fiber (CMFC) were mechanically enhanced (up to 86.77 and 82.72 MPa), thermally more stable (33 % residual mass), and less hydrophilic compared to the plain CMCF. The properties of CMC-chitosan fibers have opened up vast possible applications, especially as a reinforcement in a watery medium such as a hydrogel.
Potential of low-cost TiO2-PVC composite in photoelectrocatalytic degradation of reactive orange 16 under visible light

Jaafar NF, Nordin N, Mohamed Haris NY, Mohd Halim NH, Lahuri AH, Samad WZ

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Apr;30(16):47144-47157.
PMID: 36732455 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25623-3

In recent years, previously reported studies revealed a high efficiency of pollutant degradation by coupling photocatalysis and electrochemical processes (PECs) using titanium dioxide (TiO2) photoelectrode rather than using photocatalysis or electrocatalysis alone. However, some of the TiO2 photoelectrodes that have been reported were not cost-effective. This is due to the use of expensive chemicals and certain expensive equipment in the fabrication process, other than involving complicated preparation steps. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the PEC performance and stability of low-cost TiO2-polyvinyl chloride (TiO2-PVC) composite photoelectrode for Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) degradation. The materials characterisation using the ATR-FTIR, XRD and UV-Vis DRS proved that TiO2 and TiO2-PVC were successfully synthesised. The micrograph obtained for the surface characterisation using the FESEM showed that the smooth surface of freshly prepared photoelectrodes turned slightly rough with tiny pits formation after five continuous PEC processes. Nevertheless, the photoelectrode retained its original shape in good condition for further PEC processes. By PEC process, the fabricated photoelectrode showed 99.4% and 51.1% of colour and total organic carbon (TOC) removal, respectively, at optimised PEC parameters (1.0 mol L-1 NaCl concentration, 10 V applied voltage, 120 min degradation time and initial pH 2). Moreover, the fabricated photoelectrode demonstrated sufficient reusability potential (~ 96.3%) after five cycles of PEC processes. In summary, a low-cost and stable composite photoelectrode with high efficiency in RO16 degradation was successfully fabricated and could be potentially applied for other emerging pollutants degradation via the PEC degradation technique.
Variant Alleles in XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln Polymorphisms Increase Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancer in Sabah, North Borneo

Halim NH, Chong ET, Goh LP, Chuah JA, See EU, Chua KH, et al.

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2016;17(4):1925-31.
PMID: 27221877

BACKGROUND: The XRCC1 protein facilitates various DNA repair pathways; single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in this gene are associated with a risk of gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) with inconsistent results, but no data have been previously reported for the Sabah, North Borneo, population. We accordingly investigated the XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln SNPs in terms of GIC risk in Sabah.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed genotyping for both SNPs for 250 GIC patients and 572 healthy volunteers using a polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism approach. We validated heterozygosity and homozygosity for both SNPs using direct sequencing.
RESULTS: The presence of a variant 194Trp allele in the Arg194Trp SNP was significantly associated with a higher risk of GIC, especially with gastric and colorectal cancers. We additionally found that the variant 399Gln allele in Arg399Gln SNP was associated with a greater risk of developing gastric cancer. Our combined analysis revealed that inheritance of variant alleles in both SNPs increased the GIC risk in Sabah population. Based on our etiological analysis, we found that subjects ≥50 years and males who carrying the variant 194Trp allele, and Bajau subjects carrying the 399Gln allele had a significantly increased risk of GIC.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that inheritance of variant alleles in XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln SNPs may act as biomarkers for the early detection of GIC, especially for gastric and colorectal cancers in the Sabah population.
Production and characterization of silica nanoparticles from fly ash: conversion of agro-waste into resource

Uda MNA, Gopinath SCB, Hashim U, Halim NH, Parmin NA, Afnan Uda MN, et al.

Prep Biochem Biotechnol, 2021;51(1):86-95.
PMID: 32713293 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2020.1793174

A chemical method to synthesize amorphous silica nanoparticles from the incinerated paddy straw has been introduced. The synthesis was conducted through the hydrolysis by alkaline-acidic treatments. As a result, silica particles produced with the sizes were ranging at 60-90 nm, determined by high-resolution microscopy. The crystallinity was confirmed by surface area electron diffraction. Apart from that, chemical and diffraction analyses for both rice straw ash and synthesized silica nanoparticles were conducted by X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The percentage of silica from the incinerated straw was calculated to be 28.3. The prominent surface chemical bonding on the generated silica nanoparticles was with Si-O-Si, stretch of Si-O and symmetric Si-O bonds at peaks of 1090, 471, and 780 cm-1, respectively. To confirm the impurities of the elements in the produced silica, were analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The stability of silica nanoparticles was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis and zeta potential. The measured size from zeta potential analysis was 411.3-493 nm and the stability of mass reduction was located at 200 °C with final amount of mass reduced ∼88% and an average polydispersity Index was 0.195-0.224.
Fulltext Silica and graphene mediate arsenic detection in mature rice grain by a newly patterned current-volt aptasensor

Uda MNA, Gopinath SCB, Hashim U, Halim NH, Parmin NA, Uda MNA, et al.

Sci Rep, 2021 Jul 19;11(1):14688.
PMID: 34282233 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94145-0

Arsenic is a major global threat to the ecosystem. Here we describe a highly accurate sensing platform using silica nanoparticles/graphene at the surface of aluminum interdigitated electrodes (Al IDE), able to detect trace amounts of arsenic(III) in rice grain samples. The morphology and electrical properties of fabricated Al IDEs were characterized and standardized using AFM, and SEM with EDX analyses. Micrometer scale Al IDEs were fabricated with silicon, aluminum, and oxygen as primary elements. Validation of the bare Al IDE with electrolyte fouling was performed at different pH levels. The sensing surface was stable with no electrolyte fouling at pH 7. Each chemical modification step was monitored with current-volt measurement. The surface chemical bonds were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and revealed different peaks when interacting with arsenic (1600-1000 cm-1). Both silica nanoparticles and graphene presented a sensitive limit of detection as measured by slope calibration curves at 0.0000001 pg/ml, respectively. Further, linear regression was established using ΔI (A) = 3.86 E-09 log (Arsenic concentration) [g/ml] + 8.67 E-08 [A] for silica nanoparticles, whereas for graphene Y = 3.73 E-09 (Arsenic concentration) [g/ml] + 8.52 E-08 on the linear range of 0.0000001 pg/ml to 0.01 pg/ml. The R2 for silica (0.96) and that of graphene (0.94) was close to the maximum (1). Modification with silica nanoparticles was highly stable. The potential use of silica nanoparticles in the detection of arsenic in rice grain extract can be attributed to their size and stability.
Fulltext The use of a multi-disciplinary geriatric telemedicine service (TELEG) and its acceptance at a tertiary care centre in Malaysia

Ting CY, Abdul Halim NH, Ling JN, Tiong IK, Ahmad Shauki NIHJ, Lee YF, et al.

BMC Geriatr, 2024 Feb 05;24(1):133.
PMID: 38317117 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04676-0

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the widespread adoption of telemedicine in healthcare, particularly in Sarawak, Malaysia. This study investigates the use and acceptance of Sarawak's inaugural multidisciplinary geriatric telemedicine service, TELEG.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study took place at the Sarawak Heart Centre's geriatric department from July 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022. Convenient sampling included all TELEG-enrolled patients during this period, to achieve minimum sample size of 148. TELEG's utilization was assessed in terms of medication therapy and treatment plan optimization, as well as enhanced healthcare accessibility. Participants' acceptance of TELEG was measured using the Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ) administered through Google Forms. Descriptive statistics percentages illustrated the proportion of participants who found TELEG moderately to highly acceptable. Associations between baseline characteristics and overall acceptance were explored through bivariate analyses, including Pearson's correlation test, independent t-test, and ANOVA. The influence of six SUTAQ dimensions on overall acceptance, multivariable linear regression using enter method was employed. Statistical significance was determined by p-values less than 0.5.
RESULTS: Among 180 geriatric patients enrolled in TELEG during the study period, 149 agreed to participate. TELEG led to medication therapy optimization for 88.6% of participants, primarily involving dose adjustment (44.7%), de-prescribing (31.8%), and prescribing (15.9%). Additionally, 53.8% received treatment plan optimization, predominantly in the form of self-care education (56.3%), referrals for further treatment (33.8%), additional laboratory investigations (29.6%), and increased monitoring (26.8%). Among those educated in self-care (n = 40), dietary intake (27.5%), lower limb exercise (25.0%), and COVID-19 vaccination (12.5%) were the most common topics. All participants expressed moderate to high acceptance of TELEG (mean = 4.9, SD = 0.65, on a scale of 1 to 6). Notably, care personnel concern (B = 0.256; p
The Impact of Educational Intervention on Attitude Toward Organ Donation Among Health Care Workers in Malaysia

Wan Muhd Shukeri WF, Mazlan MZ, Kamaruzaman L, Budiman M, Mohamad Yusof A, Ramly NF, et al.

Transplant Proc, 2022 Jan 28.
PMID: 35094885 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2021.12.035

BACKGROUND: The attitudes of the health care workers (HCWs) are essential in influencing organ donation rate. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of an educational intervention on attitudes toward organ donation among HCWs.
METHODS: A questionnaire-based interventional study was conducted with 458 HCW from 5 hospitals in Malaysia. A 26-item self-administered questionnaire was distributed online as a preintervention test. Respondents then went through website-based educational materials followed by a post-intervention questionnaire.
RESULTS: A total of 345 (75.3%) respondents completed the tests. Their attitude toward organ donation was positive preintervention. After the intervention, respondents expressed an increase willingness to donate their own organs (P = .008) and their relatives' organs (P < .001) after death; were more willing to adopt organ donation as part of end-of-life care (P =.002); were more comfortable talking to relatives about organ donation (P =.001); and expressed an increase consideration to execute the action at any time (P =.001). There was increased willingness to admit to the intensive care unit for facilitating organ donation (P =.007); to employ the same resources to maintain a potential brain-dead donor (P < .001); and to support organ donation in case they or their relatives were diagnosed with end-stage organ failure (P =.008). However, there was an increase in negative attitudes regarding the association between organ donation with health care failure (P =.004) and with pain (P =.003). Positive attitude scores were higher after the intervention (P < .001).
CONCLUSION: An educational website-based intervention was able to improve the attitudes of HCWs toward organ donation.

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