BIOCHEMISTRY RESEARCH DIVISION

Deputy Director & Head..... Dr. Nwe Nwe Oo MBBS (IM1) MMedSc (Biochemistry)(IMM)
Research Scientist..... Dr. Moe Thida Kyaw MBBS (IM1), MMedSc(Biochemistry) (UM2)
Research Officer.....
.....

Daw Mie Mie Nwe BSc (Botany) DFT (YU)
Dr. Khin Than Yee MBBS, MMedSc (Biochemistry) (UM1)

Laboratory Incharge.....
U Aung Myat Kyaw BA (Economics), DFT, PDCSc (YU)
Research Assistant (2).....
.....
U Tin Ko Ko Oo BA (Economics) (WC)
Daw Lwin Zar Maw BSc (Chemistry) (UDE) , DFT (YU)
Research Assistant (4) .....Daw Nwe Ni Aung BSc (Biotechnology) (DU)
Laboratory Attendant .....Daw Yi Yi Sein

The Biochemistry Research Division is actively involved in research activities of Malaria, Tuberculosis, Non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases, Snake bite and others.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

1. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

1.1. Tuberculosis

1.1.1. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in pulmonary tuberculosis patients undergoing DOTS regime

CRP protein is an acute phase reactant which increases in bacterial infection. This study aimed to analyze the pattern of CRP changes during the course of the anti-TB treatment and to find out the association of changes of CRP and prognostic parameters.  Prospective single cohort study with repeated measures was conducted on 30 newly diagnosed pulmonary TB patients, attending to National Tuberculosis Control Programme and getting DOTS regime. The patients were interviewed and their medical records including chest-X rays and sputum smear for acid fast bacilli were documented. Blood CRP levels were determined by using Photometric-turbidimetric test. Among 30 patients, 11 patients were sputum positive and 19 patients were sputum negative at baseline. All patients become sputum negative after 6 months treatment and there is no drug resistance case at the end of the study. The mean CRP levels at pre treatment (baseline), 2 months after and 6 months after treatment were (43.20 ± 33.80 mg/dl), (61.26 ± 10.55 mg/dl) and (51.84 ± 10.20 mg/dl) respectively. Normal value of CRP in adult is 0.5 mg/dl.  This study showed CRP values of tuberculosis patients were much higher than that of  normal level up to 6 months.

2. NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

2.1. Liver Diseases

2.1.1. Correlation of cardiovascular risk and non-invasive fibrosis score in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients

Patients with ultrasound proven NAFLD, attending the Out Patient Department (OPD) at Yangon General Hospital (YGH) were studied to find out the correlation between different lipid ratios and fibrosis scores in these patients. NAFLD fibrosis score (risk score) consisting of 6 variables which were routinely measured and readily available clinical and laboratory data were used. NAFLD fibrosis score was expressed by using the formula of (-1.675 + 0.037 x age (years) + 0.094 x BMI (kg/m2) + 1.13 x IFG/diabetes (yes = 1, no = 0) + 0.99 x AST/ALT ratio – 0.013 x platelet (x109/l) – 0.66 x albumin (g/dl). A total of 35 patients had an average age of 50.1 ± 10.7 years (range  ) with female predominance (65%). Mean BMI was 28.2 ± 5.6 kg/m2. Ten (28.5%) patients suffered from hypertriglyceridemia and 18 (51%) with low HDL-C. The mean fibrosis score of the patients was (-2.05 ± 1.12). By applying cut-off point -1.455, 57% (20/35) was classified as low score and 43% (15/35) as high score. In this study, liver biopsy and histological examination (the gold standard method of diagnosis) could not be done on these patients. 

2.2. DIABETES MELLITUS

2.2.1. Effect of dietary control and onion (Allium cepa) supplementation on blood glucose levels in participants with impaired glucose tolerance

To evaluate the effect of dietary control and onion supplementation on blood glucose levels in impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) participants, the first degree relatives of the diabetic patients attending the general practitioner’s clinic in Insein Township, the Diabetic Clinics of North Okkalapa General Hospital and Yangon General Hospital, the people residing at a ward in Insein Township, and volunteers from Department of Medical Research (Lower Myanmar) were requested for participation. Sixty-five people out of 475 requested people have agreed to participate in this study and five out of these people had IGT and five had diabetes mellitus. The subjects with IGT (n=5) were given 50g/day of raw onion with controlled diet daily for six weeks. At the start and at the end of intervention, body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio, fasting blood glucose levels and 2 hour post glucose load were determined. After intervention, changes of BMI (26.17  5.28 to 26.23  5.45 kg/m2, p = 0.687), waist hip ratio (0.94  0.05 to 0.93  0.08, p = 0.646), fasting blood glucose (80.6 13.79 to 74.8  2.68 mg/dl, p=0.433), 2 hour post glucose load (160.6  13.94 to 162.8  18.35 mg/dl, p = 0.787) were observed. Participants for the diet control only group have not been obtained. From this study, there is no effect of dietary control and onion supplementation on blood glucose levels of IGT participants which may be due to small sample size.

2.2.2. Effect of Terminalia catappa Linn (T.C Linn)(ဗံဒါ) fruits on fasting blood glucose level in alloxan induced diabetic rats

Terminalia catappa Linn (ဗံဒါ) is rich in tannins that are reported to be antidiabetic. There are two varieties of T.C Linn grown in Myanmar and blood glucose lowering effect of these fruits has not been investigated. Previously, two varieties of Terminalia catappa Linn trees have been morphologically and phytochemically identified. Fresh, unripe, green fruits have been collected from these two trees. Thirteen gram and 15.7g of watery extracts have been obtained from variety 1 and variety 2, respectively. Acute toxicity test was done on ICR mice by feeding various concentrations of watery extracts of variety 1 and variety 2, and LD50 was determined after one week. However, all the mice in each group were still alive even after one week of maximum soluble oral dose ingestion (3000mg/kg), suggesting that this watery extracts had no acute toxic effect. When 100mg/kg of Alloxan was injected intraperitoneally into forty Wistar rats and fasting blood glucose measurement was done after two days as well as after three weeks, all the rats had normal blood glucose levels. When 150mg/kg of Alloxan was injected into 79 Wistar rats, 32 rats have died because of severe hyperglycemia (>365mg/dl) while 13 rats had normal blood glucose levels. The remaining 34 rats were divided into 4 groups. The control group (6 rats) was given daily by oral normal saline (1ml). The second group (8 rats) was given by the standard drug, glibenclamide (10mg/kg). The third (15 rats) and fourth (5 rats) groups were given by the variety 1(Yellowish fruit) and 2 (Pink fruit) (each 600mg/kg, one fifth of LD50) of the watery extracts of Terminalia catappa Linn (Banda). All groups had to be monitored up to 3 weeks. For the control group, only 2 rats have survived after 3 weeks. Their mean fasting blood glucose levels before and after interventions were 252mg/dl and 425mg/dl respectively. Similarly, only one out of 5 rats (group 4) treated with variety 2 had survived after 3 weeks. Its fasting blood glucose levels before and after interventions were 300mg/dl and 482mg/dl respectively. Five out of 8 rats (the second group) treated with glibenclamide, have survived and their mean fasting blood glucose levels before, after one week and after interventions were 265.8mg/dl, 178.8mg/dl and 156.6mg/dl respectively. Seven out of 15 rats (the third group) treated with variety 1, have survived and their mean fasting blood glucose levels before, after one week and after interventions were 291.7mg/dl, 178.6mg/dl and 168.9mg/dl respectively. From this study, it can be shown that oral administration of both glibenclamide and variety 1 had hypoglycemic effects only for one week on alloxan (150mg/kg) induced diabetic rats while variety 2 had no effect on them.

2.3. SNAKE-BITE RESEARCH

2.3.1. Purification and coagulation activity of Phospholipase A2 enzyme from Russell’s viper (Vipera Russelli) venom

The objective of the study is to purify and determine the coagulation activity of PLA2 enzyme which may contribute the hemorrhagic activity of Russell’s viper venom in Myanmar. Phospholipase A2 was purified from Russell’s viper venom by Sephadex G-75 (superfine) gel filtration column chromatography (2.5x30 cm) for 10 times. By this step, three major protein peaks were obtained. About 17 mg of PLA2 enzyme were obtained from the 250mg of venom by this procedure. The specific activity was increased by 4 folds over crude RVV by this step. PLA2 fraction measured by phospholipase A enzyme activity assay was concentrtated with the lyophilizer or acetone. The concentrated PLA2 enzyme was being purified with DEAE Sepharose ion-exchange chromatography (1x30 cm) for three times. By this step, one protein peak was obtained. The fractions having PLA2 activity were pooled and concentrated again with acetone and analyzed with SDS-PAGE.

SERVICES PROVIDED

ACADEMIC

Sr.NameCourseResponsibility
1. Dr. Nwe Nwe Oo MMedSc (Paediatric) Co-supervisor
2. Dr. Nwe Nwe Oo 2nd year MBBS (UM2, UMMagwe)&
1st year MMedSc (Biochemistry),DSMA
External
Examiner
3. Dr. Nwe Nwe Oo Research Methodology and Bioethics
Workshop 2010
Facilitator
4. Dr.Moe Thida Kyaw Research Methodology and Bioethics
Workshop 2010
Facilitator
5. Dr. Nwe Nwe Oo
Dr.Moe Thida Kyaw
Daw Thet Thet Mar
Daw Lwin Zar Maw
1st year M.Med.Sc. (Biochemistry)&
1st year M.Med.Sc. (Pharmacology)
from UM1, UM2,DSMA.
1st year M.Pharm from University of Pharmacy
Teaching and
demonstration


LABORATORY

Sr.Name of testsTotal Number Tested
1. Serum creatine 7
2. Serum total protein 37
3. Serum albumin 37