Siti Zawiah Omar | University of Malaya, Malaysia (original) (raw)

Papers by Siti Zawiah Omar

Biomedical Research-tokyo, 2017

Curcuma zedoaria (C. zedoaria) is a rare species of Curcuma. The rhizomes of C. zedoaria, obtaine... more Curcuma zedoaria (C. zedoaria) is a rare species of Curcuma. The rhizomes of C. zedoaria, obtained from the central part of Myanmar. To our knowledge, the phytochemical components of C. zedoaria from Myanmar and their activities on ovarian cancer cells are not reported in the literature. The objectives of this study are to identify the active extracts of the Myanmar herbal plant, C. zedoaria, and to determine their cytotoxic activities on ovarian cancer cells and HUVEC cells. Hexane, chloroform, methanol and water were used for various extractions from the rhizome of C. zedoaria. Some of the compounds from the extracts were analysed by GC-MS. The various extracts of C. zedoaria were tested with CaOV 3 (epithelial ovarian cancer cells), SKOV 3 (metastatic ovarian cancer cells), HUVEC (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells) from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). For cytotoxic activity, the proliferative response and cell death of these cells were determined using Real Time Cell Analyzer (Roche) using Paclitaxel as positive control. Hexane and chloroform extract of C. zedoaria were found to have moderately potent cytotoxic activity on SKOV 3 (metastatic ovarian cancer cells) and HUVEC (Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells). Our study reveals cytotoxic activities of various extracts of C. zedoaria from Myanmar on metastatic ovarian cancer cells and HUVEC cells. Fifteen compounds identified in Hexane extract by using GC-MS.

BMJ Open, 2021

ObjectiveTo evaluate four foods in women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) on their agreeability a... more ObjectiveTo evaluate four foods in women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) on their agreeability and tolerability.DesignProspective, randomised, within-subject cross-over trial.SettingSingle-centre, tertiary, university hospital in Malaysia.Participants72 women within 24-hour of first admission for HG who were 18 years or above, with confirmed clinical pregnancy of less than 16 weeks’ gestation were recruited and analysed. Women unable to consume food due to extreme symptoms, known taste or swallowing disorder were excluded.InterventionsEach participant chewed and swallowed a small piece of apple, watermelon, cream cracker and white bread in random order and was observed for 10 min after each tasting followed by a 2 min washout for mouth rinsing and data collection.Outcome measuresPrimary outcome was food agreeability scored after 10 min using an 11-point 0–10 Visual Numerical Rating Scale (VNRS). Nausea was scored at baseline (prior to tasting) and 2 and 10 min using an 11-point VNR...

Scientific Reports, Mar 18, 2016

A peripheral intravenous catheter is often inserted as part of care during labour. The catheter i... more A peripheral intravenous catheter is often inserted as part of care during labour. The catheter is inserted into the back of the hand or lower forearm vein in usual practice. There is no trial data to guide the care provider on which is the better insertion site in any clinical setting. 307 women admitted to the labour ward who required insertion of intravenous catheter were randomised to back of hand or lower forearm vein catheter insertion. Catheter insertion is by junior to mid-grade providers. We evaluated insertion success at the first attempt, pain during insertion and catheter replacement due to malfunction as main outcomes. After catheter removal, we recorded patient satisfaction with site, future site preference and insertion site swelling, bruising, tenderness, vein thrombosis and pain. Insertion of a catheter into back of hand vein is more likely to be successful at the first attempt. Insertion pain score, catheter replacement rate, patient satisfaction, patient fidelity to site in a future insertion and insertion site complications rate are not different between trial arms. In conclusion, both insertion sites are suitable; the back of the hand vein maybe easier to cannulate and seems to be preferred by our frontline providers. Intravenous catheterisation in women admitted to the delivery suite is common due to linked practical considerations: for blood sampling, in anticipation of frequently needed intravenous hydration, antibiotics or oxytocin during labor and as a precaution in the case of hemorrhage. Clinical trials on peripheral intravenous catheterisation have focused on catheter longevity by evaluating timing of replacement 1 and intermittent flushing or infusion with or without heparin to maintain patency 2-4 , inline filters to reduce phlebitis 5 , timing of giving set changes 6 , various pain relief methods during insertion 7-14 , catheter dressings 15 and even local warming to aid insertion 16. Despite the ubiquitous presence of the peripheral intravenous catheters in women on many delivery suites, the very few published trials in obstetric patients have focused on catheter patency 17,18. In obstetric patients anatomic considerations can be different as distal veins are engorged counterbalanced by peripheral oedema of late pregnancy and catheters are often needed for a short period only. In these patients, insertion success, insertion pain and short-term catheter functionality are more relevant. Senior providers on our delivery suite encouraged catheter insertion at the forearm rather than dorsum of the hand vein based on the belief lower forearm insertion is just as likely to be successful 19 and less painful, infusant flow is better as the vein is larger or the catheter tip is not blocked by wrist movement, the catheter is easier to secure and sits more comfortably and the anaesthetist is less likely to insert an additional catheter if anaesthesia is needed for an unplanned procedure. We performed a pilot study, then a powered trial to test our hypothesis on the impact of catheter site (dorsum of the hand vs. lower forearm) in delivery suite patients on insertion success, insertion pain and catheter replacement due to malfunction.

Bone this rigid and dense connective tissue is a part of the human's skeleton and vertebrate ... more Bone this rigid and dense connective tissue is a part of the human's skeleton and vertebrate animals. Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in elderly that characterized by increased remodelling rate and negative bone balance, decreases in peak bone mass and micro architectural deterioration of bone tissue that accompanied by increase in bone weakness, fragility and liability to fracture in both sexes. Osteoporosis is becoming a most important health concern in industrialized societies and there are a lot of studies being done to prevent development of osteoporosis. Nowadays, many ways have been suggested for improving bone density such as hormone therapy, nutrition and exercise. The purpose of this study is present an overview of effects of exercise interventions and nutrition on bone health.

Neurourology and Urodynamics, 2016

Hypothesis / aims of study In this randomized controlled study, a novel intervention adapted from... more Hypothesis / aims of study In this randomized controlled study, a novel intervention adapted from Salat (1), an act of prayer for Muslims, has been developed in order to help increase the strength of the pelvic floor muscles (PFM). Salat is a series of repetitive physical movement equivalent to a form of slow moderate exercise which is normally performed five times a day. Based on research conducted for male erectile dysfunction, Salat was shown to activate pelvic floor muscles while increasing the blood flow toward these muscles (2). This study aims to investigate the effect of Salat exercise on female urinary stress incontinence when performed in combination with conventional pelvic floor exercise (PFE) and to compare with that of conventional pelvic floor exercise alone.

Archives of Medical Science, 2019

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been associated with sperm damage. In view of the fact t... more Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been associated with sperm damage. In view of the fact that quercetin possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, this compound may help to protect sperm against damage in DM. In this study, in-vivo effects of quercetin on sperm parameters in DM were investigated. Material and methods: Quercetin (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg/b.w.) was given orally to streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced adult male diabetic rats for 28 days. Following treatment completion, rats were sacrificed and sperm were harvested from the cauda epididymis. Sperm count, motility, viability, hyperosmotic swelling (HOS) tail-coiled sperm and morphology were assessed. Levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and anti-oxidative enzymes (SOD, CAT and GPx) in sperm with and without H 2 O 2 incubation were determined by biochemical assays. Expression levels of SOD, CAT and GPx mRNAs in sperm were evaluated by qPCR. Sperm DNA integrity was estimated by flow cytometry while expression levels of the inflammatory markers NF-κβ and TNF-α in sperm were determined by Western blotting. Results: In diabetic rats receiving quercetin, sperm count and motility, viability and HOS tail-coiled sperm increased (p < 0.05) while sperm with abnormal morphology decreased. Moreover, sperm SOD, CAT, GPx activities and their mRNA expression levels increased while sperm LPO, NF-κβ and TNF-α levels decreased. In normal and diabetic rat sperm incubated with H 2 O 2 , a further increase in MDA and further decreases in SOD, CAT and GPx were observed, and these were ameliorated by quercetin treatment. Conclusions: In-vivo administration of quercetin to diabetic rats helps to ameliorate sperm damage and improves sperm morphology and functions in DM.

International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2017

Objective: The use of medications during pregnancy may impose a potential risk to the fetus. Ther... more Objective: The use of medications during pregnancy may impose a potential risk to the fetus. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence and safety of medications used by pregnant women.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women who attended the antenatal clinic of a major teaching hospital in Malaysia, from January to April 2013. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire.Results: Of the 500 respondents in this study, 62% (95% confidence interval, CI: 57.7%, 66.3%) used at least one medication during their pregnancy and 30.8% (95% CI: 26.8%, 34.8%) took the medications during the first trimester. The classes of medications commonly used were analgesics (26.8%), followed by cough and cold medications (18.6%) and medications for gastrointestinal disorders (11.8%). Among the 697 medications used by the respondents during pregnancy, most of them were relatively safe, with approximately 50% being classified u...

Scientific Reports

The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Sajad Jamal... more The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Sajad Jamalpour, which was incorrectly given as Sajad Jamal pour. The original Article has been corrected.

Gestational diabetes mellitus is a serious global problem and needs urgent attention. Aberrant mi... more Gestational diabetes mellitus is a serious global problem and needs urgent attention. Aberrant microRNAs expression is potentially disease-specific and may contribute to GDM pathological processes. Even though GDM is diagnosed at the end of the second or beginning of the third trimester, there is no way to prevent pathological changes that may occur during the first and second trimesters. Therefore, to identify a specific miRNAs expression and their predicted target genes in maternal serum subjected with GDM in especially early stage, we performed miRNA expression profiling using miRNA PCR Array and in-silico analysis. In this study, demographic data and miRNAs expression levels and their specific potential as biomarkers were investigated. The findings showed that the expression levels of hsa-miR-193a, hsa-miR-21, hsa-miR-23a, and hsa-miR-361 are significantly upregulated while miR-130a is significantly downregulated in GDM patients. The ROC curve analysis revealed that hsa-miR-193a...

BMC Medical Genetics, 2015

Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is the major cause of death in newborn and the second major cause... more Background: Preterm birth (PTB) is the major cause of death in newborn and the second major cause of death in children less than 5 years old worldwide. Genetic polymorphism has been implicated as a factor for the occurrence of preterm birth. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether polymorphism in the progesterone receptor (PGR) is associated with susceptibility to preterm birth. Methods: A total of 135 women with preterm and 532 women with term deliveries were genotyped for PGR gene polymorphisms (rs660149, rs471767, rs10895068) using Sequenom MassARRAY platform. Results: The G allele of PGR rs660149 polymorphism was significantly associated with susceptibility to PTB in the Malay women. The odds of G allele occurring among Malay women with preterm delivery was twice that of Malay women with term delivery (OR 2.3, 95 % CI (1.2-4.5, P = 0.011). Alternatively, no significant association was observed between PGR rs660149 polymorphisms and susceptibility to PTB in Chinese and Indian women. Conclusions: This study shows that variability in the occurrence of PTB across ethnicities in Malaysia is partly due to differences in genetic background. We therefore suggest that in addition to life style and environmental factors, genetic factor should be greatly considered in this population. Prior information on the genetic composition of women may help in the identification and management of women at risk of preterm birth complication.

Journal of Diabetes Research

Background. Adipocytokines participate in regulating the inflammatory response in glucose homeost... more Background. Adipocytokines participate in regulating the inflammatory response in glucose homeostasis and type 2 diabetes. However, among these peptides, the role of adipocyte-specific fatty-acid-binding protein (AFABP), chemerin, and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) in gestational diabetes (GDM) has not been fully investigated. Method. The maternal fasting level of adipocytokines of 53 subjects with GDM and 43 normal pregnant (NGDM) was measured using multiplex immunoassay at 24–28 weeks, before delivery, immediate postpartum, and 2–6 months postpuerperium. Results. Higher levels of AFABP were associated with a 3.7-fold higher risk of GDM. Low chemerin levels were associated with a 3.6-fold higher risk of GDM. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) was inversely associated with the risk of GDM. SPARC had no association with GDM. AFABP was directly correlated to interleukin-6 ( r = 0.50 ), insulin resistance index ( r = 0.26 ), and body mass index ( r = 0.28 ) and inversely corr...

Background: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate Malaysian women's perception, acc... more Background: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate Malaysian women's perception, acceptance, and views on Implanon ® as a contraceptive method. We also aimed to identify women who favor Implanon, their vaginal bleeding patterns, nonmenstrual adverse events, reasons for discontinuation, and effect of Implanon on breastfeeding. Study design: This study followed up 140 women after insertion of Implanon at the University of Malaya Medical Centre by examination of their medical records and telephone interviews. User profile, discontinuation rate, reasons for choice of Implanon, discontinuation, menstrual and nonmenstrual side effects, and satisfaction rate were assessed. Results: The average age of users was 34.7 years, and 94.2% were para 2 and above. The ethnic distribution of the women reflected that of the general Malaysian population. The majority had at least secondary education (94.2%), with 41.2% having a higher degree. All of the users reported that they chose Implanon because it does not need compliance, and 72.1% felt that Implanon was cost-effective in the long term. Most users (70%) reported irregular menses and this was the main reason given for discontinuation. The vast majority reported an overall decrease in menstrual blood loss. Almost half (46%) suffered prolonged bleeding/spotting, and infrequent bleeding was experienced by 71 users (50.7%). Half of the women did not experience any nonmenstrual adverse events. The commonest complaint was weight gain, with the next most common complaints being hair loss, acne, headache, nausea, mood swings, and reduced libido. Most of the nursing mothers denied a reduction in breast milk. There was a high mean satisfaction score with Implanon. Conclusion: Implanon is well accepted by Malaysian women despite a high incidence of irregular bleeding which was found to be a major concern among women who discontinued the implant.

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, 2013

Objectives:To investigate the aetiology of rhinitis occurring in pregnancy, by (1) describing the... more Objectives:To investigate the aetiology of rhinitis occurring in pregnancy, by (1) describing the relationship between pregnancy rhinitis and serum oestrogen, progesterone, placental growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor, and (2) assessing the prevalence of pregnancy rhinitis among Malaysian women.Methods:Prospective study involving 30 pregnant women followed at an ante-natal clinic for 14 months. Hormone levels were analysed during pregnancy and the post-partum period.Results:Levels of all four hormones were elevated in the third trimester, compared with first trimester and post-partum values. Rhinitis patients had higher levels of oestrogen and insulin-like growth factor 1 in the third trimester than non-rhinitis patients, although these differences were not statistically significant. The prevalence of rhinitis was 53.3 per cent, with most cases occurring in the third trimester. Patients with pregnancy rhinitis had a higher prevalence of female babies, compared with non-rh...

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2012

Organized introduction of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can reduce the burd... more Organized introduction of prophylactic human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can reduce the burden of cervical cancer in developing countries. One of the most effective ways is through a national school-based in the success of any implementation. Objective: To assess teachers' knowledge and perception of HPV, cervical cancer and HPV vaccine prior to commencing a school-based HPV vaccination program in a multiethnic, Method: A bilingual questionnaire was applied to 1,500 secondary school teachers from 20 urban schools in Malaysia. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Results: 1,166 questionnaires were returned. From this group, 46.1% had never heard of HPV while 50.9% had never had a pap smear. However, 73.8% have heard of the HPV vaccine with 75% agreeing to have it. 96% considered themselves religious with 79.8% agreeing to have the vaccine. Conclusions: A national school-based HPV immunization program can be implemented effectively in a multiethnic, cultural and religious country despite limited knowledge of HPV-related pathology among

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2012

Objective To evaluate the effect of suggesting coitus as a safe and effective means to expedite l... more Objective To evaluate the effect of suggesting coitus as a safe and effective means to expedite labour on pregnancy duration and requirement for labour induction. Design A randomised trial. Setting Antenatal clinic in a university hospital in Malaysia. Population Women from 35 weeks of gestation with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy. Methods The advise-coitus arm was counselled that coitus at term is a safe, natural and effective means to initiate labour and to avoid labour induction. The control arm was told coitus was safe. Both arms were asked to record coital activity. Main outcome measures Pregnancy duration and labour induction. Results The intervention to delivery interval (mean ± SD) was 3.2 ± 1.4 versus 3.3 ± 1.3 weeks (P = 0.417), with a gestational age at delivery of 39.4 ± 1.2 versus 39.5 ± 1.2 weeks (P = 0.112), and with labour induction rates of 126/574 (22.0%) versus 120/576 (20.8%) (P = 0.666) for the advise-coitus and control arms, respectively, with no statistical difference between the groups. Coitus prior to delivery was more often reported in the advise-coitus arm compared with the control arm: 481/574 (85.3%) versus 458/576 (79.9%) (RR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.0, P = 0.019). Also, the median (interquartile range) reported number of coital acts of 3 (2-5) versus 2 (1-4) (P = 0.006) was higher for the advise-coitus arm. Other pregnancy and neonatal outcomes did not differ between the groups. Conclusions Labour onset and labour induction did not differ in the advise-coitus arm.

Scientific Reports, 2020

A case-controlled study was performed to evaluate taste and smell impairment, nausea or vomiting ... more A case-controlled study was performed to evaluate taste and smell impairment, nausea or vomiting (NV) response to taste and smell and toleration to food texture, item and cooking method in hyperemesis gravidarum patients (HG) compared to gestation-matched controls from a university hospital and primary care clinic in Malaysia. Taste strips (4 base tastes), sniff sticks (16 selected smells) and a food-related questionnaire were used. 124 participants were recruited. Taste impairment was found in 13%(8/62) vs. 0%(0/62) P = 0.003 and the median for correct smell identification was 5[4–6] vs. 9[7–9] P < 0.001 in HG vs. controls. In HG, bitter was most likely (32%) and sweet taste least likely (5%) to provoke NV. In both arms, fish smell was most likely to provoke NV, 77% vs. 32% P < 0.001 and peppermint smell least likely 10% vs. 0% P = 0.012; NV response was significantly more likely for HG arm in 10/16 smells. In HG, worst and best NV responses to food-texture were pasty 69% and...

Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2006

To determine the benefit of membrane sweeping at initiation of labor induction in conjunction wit... more To determine the benefit of membrane sweeping at initiation of labor induction in conjunction with formal methods of labor induction. METHODS: Two hundred seventy-four women at term with a singleton fetus in cephalic presentation and intact membranes were randomly assigned to receive membrane sweeping or no membrane sweeping at initiation of formal labor induction with either dinoprostone pessary or amniotomy. Outcome measures included mode of delivery, induction-to-delivery interval, dinosprostone dose, any oxytocin use and duration of oxytocin use in labor, visual analog score for pain associated with sweeping, and visual analog score for satisfaction with the birth process. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-four women (136 sweep and 128 no sweep) had their data analyzed. Ten women (4 sweep and 6 no sweep) were excluded because of exclusion criteria infringements. Swept women had higher spontaneous vaginal delivery rate (69% compared with 56%, P ‫؍‬ .041), shorter induction to delivery interval (mean 14 compared with 19 hours, P ‫؍‬ .003), fewer that required oxytocin use (46% compared with 59%, P ‫؍‬ .037), shorter duration of oxytocin infusion (mean 2.6 compared with 4.3 hours, P ‫؍‬ .001) and improved visual analog score for birth process satisfaction (mean 4.0 compared with 4.7, P ‫؍‬ .015). The reduction in dinoprostone dose used (mean 1.2 compared with 1.3, P ‫؍‬ .082) was not significant. Postsweeping visual analog score for pain (mean 4.7 compared with 3.5, P < .001) was significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Membrane sweeping at initiation of labor induction increased the spontaneous vaginal delivery rate, reduced oxytocic drug use, shortened induction to delivery interval, and improved patient satisfaction.

Taiwanese journal of obstetrics & gynecology, 2018

To validate the gene expression profile obtained from the previous microarray analysis and to fur... more To validate the gene expression profile obtained from the previous microarray analysis and to further study the biological functions of these genes in endometrial cancer. From our previous study, we identified 621 differentially expressed genes in laser-captured microdissected endometrioid endometrial cancer as compared to normal endometrial cells. Among these genes, 146 were significantly up-regulated in endometrial cancer. A total of 20 genes were selected from the list of up-regulated genes for the validation assay. The qPCR confirmed that 19 out of the 20 genes were up-regulated in endometrial cancer compared with normal endometrium. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to knockdown the expression of the upregulated genes in ECC-1 and HEC-1A endometrial cancer cell lines and its effect on proliferation, migration and invasion were examined. Knockdown of MIF, SOD2, HIF1A and SLC7A5 by RNAi significantly decreased the proliferation of ECC-1 cells (p < 0.05). Our results also showed...

Cytotechnology, 2016

The need to have a better and safer culture condition for expansion of human mesenchymal stem cel... more The need to have a better and safer culture condition for expansion of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is crucial particularly to prevent infection and immune rejection. This is normally associated with the use of animal-based serum in the culture media for cell expansion. The aim of this study is to investigate alternative culture conditions which may provide better and safer environment for cell growth. In the present study, human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) at passage 3 were subjected to treatment in 4 conditions: (1) 21 % O 2 with fetal bovine serum (FBS), (2) 21 % O 2 without FBS, (3) 2 % O 2 with FBS and (4) 2 % O 2 without FBS followed by subsequent analysis of their phenotype, viability and functionality. We observed that ASCs cultured in all conditions present no significant phenotypic changes. It was found that ASCs cultured in 2 % O 2 without serum showed an increase in viability and growth to a certain extent when compared to those cultured in 21 % O 2 without serum. However, ASCs cultured in 2 % O 2 without serum displayed a relatively low adipogenic and osteogenic potential. On the other hand, interestingly, there was a positive enhancement in chondrogenic differentiation of ASCs cultured in 21 % O 2 without serum. Our findings suggest that different culture conditions may be suitable for different indications. In summary, ASCs cultured in serum-free condition can still survive, proliferate and undergo subsequent adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Therefore, FBS is feasible to be excluded for culture of ASCs, which avoids clinical complications.