Other Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Apigenin Alleviates Autistic-Like Stereotyped Repetitive Behaviors And Mitigates Brain Oxidative Stress In Mice, Petrilla Jayaprakash, Dmytro Isaev, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Rami Beiram, Murat Oz, Bassem Sadek

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Studying the involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), specifically α7-nAChRs, in neuropsychiatric brain disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has gained a growing interest. The flavonoid apigenin (APG) has been confirmed in its pharmacological action as a positive allosteric modulator of α7-nAChRs. However, there is no research describing the pharmacological potential of APG in ASD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the subchronic systemic treatment of APG (10–30 mg/kg) on ASD-like repetitive and compulsive-like behaviors and oxidative stress status in the hippocampus and cerebellum in BTBR mice, utilizing the reference drug aripiprazole (ARP, 1 …

Characterizing Antibiotic Regimen Modification Behavior, Patient Characteristics, And Outcomes For Patients With Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections, A Retrospective Single-Center Study, Jason Yamaki, Mirna Mikhail, Richard Beuttler, Philip Robinson, Emre Yücel, Alexandre H. Watanabe

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Few studies describe the frequency of antibiotic regimen modification behaviors in the acute care setting. We sought to ascertain patient and treatment characteristics, details of regimen modification, and clinical outcomes with antibiotic modifications. This retrospective study included patients admitted to Hoag Memorial Hospital from 1 January 2019–31 March 2021 with a complicated infection caused by a Gram-negative organism resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins or with the potential for resistance (AmpC producers). A total of 400 patients were included. The predominant sources were bloodstream (33%), urine (26%), and respiratory (24%), including patients with multiple sources. The most isolated organisms were Pseudomonas spp. …

Modulation Of Hippocampal Protein Expression By A Brain Penetrant Biologic Tnf-Α Inhibitor In The 3xtg Alzheimer’S Disease Mice, Nataraj Jagadeesan, G. Chuli Roules, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Joshua Yang, Sanjana Kolluru, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Biologic TNF-α inhibitors (bTNFIs) can block cerebral TNF-α in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) if these macromolecules can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Thus, a model bTNFI, the extracellular domain of type II TNF-α receptor (TNFR), which can bind to and sequester TNF-α, was fused with a mouse transferrin receptor antibody (TfRMAb) to enable brain delivery via BBB TfR-mediated transcytosis. Previously, we found TfRMAb-TNFR to be protective in a mouse model of amyloidosis (APP/PS1) and tauopathy (PS19), and herein we investigated its effects in mice that combine both amyloidosis and tauopathy (3xTg-AD).

Methods

Eight-month-old female 3xTg-AD mice were injected intraperitoneally with …

Limonene Exerts Anti-Inflammatory Effect On Lps-Induced Jejunal Injury In Mice By Inhibiting Nf-Κb/Ap-1 Pathway, Sarmed H. Kathem, Yasameen Sh. Nasrawi, Shihab H. Mutlag, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The human gastrointestinal system is a complex ecosystem crucial for well-being. During sepsis-induced gut injury, the integrity of the intestinal barrier can be compromised. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria, disrupts the intestinal barrier, contributing to inflammation and various dysfunctions. The current study explores the protective effects of limonene, a natural compound with diverse biological properties, against LPS-induced jejunal injury in mice. Oral administration of limonene at dosages of 100 and 200 mg/kg was used in the LPS mouse model. The Murine Sepsis Score (MSS) was utilized to evaluate the severity of sepsis, while serum levels of urea and …

A Novel Micropeptide, Slitharin, Exerts Cardioprotective Effects In Myocardial Infarction, Ahmed G. E. Ibrahim, Alessandra Ciullo, Shukuro Yamaguchi, Chang Li, Travis Antes, Xaviar Jones, Liang Li, Ramachandran Murali, Innokentiy Maslennikov, Niveda Sundararaman, Daniel Soetkamp, Eugenio Cingolani, Jennifer Van Eyk, Eduardo Marbán

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: Micropeptides are an emerging class of proteins that play critical roles in cell signaling. Here, we describe the discovery of a novel micropeptide, dubbed slitharin (Slt), in conditioned media from Cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), a therapeutic cardiac stromal cell type.

Experimental design: We performed mass spectrometry of peptide-enriched fractions from the conditioned media of CDCs and a therapeutically inert cell type (human dermal fibrobasts). We then evaluated the therapeutic capacity of the candidate peptide using an in vitro model of cardiomyocyte injury and a rat model of myocardial infarction.

Results: We identified a novel 24-amino acid micropeptide …

Stability Indicating Validated Novel Rp-Hplc Method For Dexlansoprazole And Lc-Ms/Ms Study Of Degradation Product, Ritesh P. Bhole, Chandrakant G. Bonde, Ghansham Girase, Shaliendra Gurav

Palestinian Medical and Pharmaceutical Journal

This work effectively developed and validated a stability-indicating RP-HPLC technique for precisely measuring dexlansoprazole in bulk samples. An Acetonitrile and 0.5 mmol Ammonium Acetate (pH 4.5) gradient mobile phase, a 1 ml/min flow rate, and detection at 283 nm were all part of the method's unique chromatographic conditions. A Kromasil C18 column was also used. Dexlansoprazole had a 5.14-minute retention period, and the technique showed a linear range of 5–30 mg/ml with a strong correlation value of 0.997. The technique showed high sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.2 mg/ml and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.64 …

Repurposing Of Us-Fda-Approved Drugs As Negative Modulators Of Ubiquitin Specific Protease-7 (Usp7), Seema Zadi, Sumaira Javaid, Atia-Tul-Wahab, Humaira Zafar, Muhammad Awais, Innokentiy Maslennikov, M. Iqbal Choudhary

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ubiquitin-specific protease7 (USP7) regulates the stability of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and several other proteins critical for tumor cell survival. Aberrant expression of USP7 facilitates human malignancies by altering the activity of proto-oncogenes/proteins, and tumor suppressor genes. Therefore, USP7 is a validated anti-cancer drug target. In this study, a drug repurposing approach was used to identify new hits against the USP7 enzyme. It is one of the most strategic approaches to find new uses for drugs in a cost- and time-effective way. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-based screening of 172 drugs identified 11 compounds that bind to the catalytic domain of …

Genome-Wide Mutagenesis To Investigate The N-Terminal Methylome: The Protective Effects Of Hsp31 And Other Methylated Proteins In Yeast, James Rooney, Jacob Lindsey

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of methylation in regulating the cellular stress response of Hsp31 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells. Hsp31 is known to be methylated by the N-terminal methyltransferase Tae1. Changing the methylation site can affect the methylation status of Hsp31, which may play a role in the protective activity of Hsp31 against cellular stress. GLO1 is a gene in yeast involved in catalyzing the detoxification of methylglyoxal (MGO), which is a by-product of glycolysis. We established that S. cerevisiae in the glo1Δ and background is sensitive to cellular stress by MGO. Mutant strains …

Oxidative Stress And Ion Channels In Neurodegenerative Diseases, Razan Orfali, Adnan Z. Alwatban, Rawan S. Orfali, Liz Lau, Noble Chea, Abdullah M. Alotaibi, Young-Woo Nam, Miao Zhang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Numerous neurodegenerative diseases result from altered ion channel function and mutations. The intracellular redox status can significantly alter the gating characteristics of ion channels. Abundant neurodegenerative diseases associated with oxidative stress have been documented, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinocerebellar ataxia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species compounds trigger posttranslational alterations that target specific sites within the subunits responsible for channel assembly. These alterations include the adjustment of cysteine residues through redox reactions induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitration, and S-nitrosylation assisted by nitric oxide of tyrosine residues through peroxynitrite. Several ion channels have been directly …

Exploring Lgbtq+ Cultural Competency And Dei In Continuing Education: A Cross-Sectional Review Of U.S. Pharmacy Legislation, Jennifer Ko, Jeremy Carlos, Yvonne Nguyen

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, or other sexual orientations or gender identities (LGBTQ+) cultural competency training is offered in pharmacy curricula to variable extents. State legislation directly dictates pharmacist training through continuing pharmacy education (CPE) requirements.

Objectives

This study aimed to identify the U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) that require CPE or training on topics related to LGBTQ+ cultural competency or topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in general. In addition, this study quantified and compared each state’s CPE hours required for each renewal period.

Methods

This cross-sectional study retrospectively …

Modifying Peptide/Lipid-Associated Nucleic Acids (Planas) For Crispr/Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein Delivery, Abdulelah Alhazza, Parvin Mahdipoor, Ryley Hall, Arthur Manda, Sandeep Lohan, Keykavous Parang, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

With the first reports on the possibility of genome editing by Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (Cas)9 surfacing in 2005, the enthusiasm for protein silencing via nucleic acid delivery experienced a resurgence following a period of diminished enthusiasm due to challenges in delivering small interfering RNAs (siRNA), especially in vivo. However, delivering the components necessary for this approach into the nucleus is challenging, maybe even more than the cytoplasmic delivery of siRNA. We previously reported the birth of peptide/lipid-associated nucleic acids (PLANAs) for siRNA delivery. This project was designed to investigate the efficiency of …

Real-World Dispensing Of Buprenorphine In California During Prepandemic And Pandemic Periods, Yun Wang, Alexandre Chan, Richard Beuttler, Marc L. Fleming, Todd Schneberk, Michael Nichol, Haibing Lu

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: The opioid overdose crisis in the United States has become a significant national emergency. Buprenorphine, a primary medication for individuals coping with opioid use disorder (OUD), presents promising pharmacokinetic properties for use in primary care settings, and is often delivered as a take-home therapy. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the scarcity of access to buprenorphine, leading to dire consequences for those with OUD. Most existing studies, primarily focused on the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, highlight the challenges in accessing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs), particularly buprenorphine. However, these studies only cover a relatively short timeframe. Methods: To …

Pharmacovigilance Data As A Trigger To Identify Antimicrobial Adverse Effects: A Study Using Reports From Basra Pharmacovigilance Centre, Sarah T Omran

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Background: pharmacovigilance is the science and activities that used to detect, evaluate, understand, and prevent drugs' adverse effects and to ensure that medicines are used safely and effectively. Antimicrobials considered as an important curable medicine for diseases; however, irrational medical prescribing may lead to differing types of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) Aim of Study: The study aims to summarize besides analyzing data from the pharmacovigilance center in Basrah concerning antibiotic use-related ADR. Method: This study is a retrospective cohort study of antibiotic used in 2022-2023. The study population consists of patients who received antibiotics during the study period. The outcome …

Ai Renaissance: Pharmaceuticals And Diagnostic Medicine, Ty J. Feeney, Michael S. Sinha

All Faculty Scholarship

The explosive growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the modern era has led to significant advancements in the world of medicine. In drug discovery, AI technology is used to classify proteins as drug targets or non-targets for specific diseases, more accurately interpret and describe pharmacology in a quantitative fashion, and predict protein structures based on only a protein sequence for input. AI methods are used in drug development to generate predictive models for drug screening purposes, refine and modify candidate structures of drugs to optimize compounds, and predict a drug’s physiochemical properties, bioactivity, and toxicity. For medical devices, the advancement …

Tracing Antibacterial Compounds From Kaledang (Artocarpus Lanceifolius Roxb.) Stem Bark, Hamsidar Hasan, Tety Tuloli, Syamsul Bahri, La Ode Aman

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Artocarpus lanceifolius Roxb. or kaledang is a species of the mulberry family, Moraceae. Several extracts from its family have been reported to have antibacterial activity. Thus, it is necessary to determine compounds that have nature as antibacterial to be raw materials for antibacterial herbal medicines. The purpose of the study was to trace compounds that have antibacterial activity from Artocarpus lanceifolius stem bark. The study method was extraction by graded maceration, fractionation with column vacuum chromatography (CVC), isolation by radial chromatography, determination of antibacterial activity by agar diffusion method using the Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. The characterization …

Antimicrobial Activity Of Crude Fractions Of Gossypium Barbadense Leaves And Isolation Of Stigmasterol, Maryam Saddiq, Ahmed Salisu, Kamaluddeen Kabir, Yusuf Hassan

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Plants have been used in traditional medicine in different parts of the world to treat several diseases. Many studies have confirmed their medicinal values, which have led to the isolation and characterization of various potential drug candidates. This study focuses on the antimicrobial activity of crude fractions of Gossypium barbadense leaves and the isolation of active compound. The pulverized plant leave was soaked in ethanol (98% v/v), and a solvent-based fractionation was carried out using n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The obtained crude fractions were screened for antimicrobial activity against four (4) clinical isolates: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas …

Antioxidant Activities Of Roja Herbal Tea: Combination Of Rosella Flower (Hibiscus Sabdariffa L.) And Ginger Rhizome (Zingiber Officinale Rosc.), Wahyu Widowati, Teresa Liliana Wargasetia, Teddy Marcus Zakaria, Michael Sebastian Gunadi, Nathanael Halim, Sherly Santiadi, Hanna Sari Widya Kusuma, Nida Firyal Fauziyah

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Herbal teas and plant-based medicines have been widely used worldwide for their therapeutic and healing qualities. Rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) has various benefits in preventing digestive problems, liver disease, fever, and others. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) or known as jahe in Indonesia is believed to benefit numerous clinical conditions linked to oxidative stress, including pancreatitis, hypertension, diabetic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and tumor development. They have been utilized in traditional medical practice to treat conditions such as fever, nausea, and headaches. In this study, we aimed to determine the antioxidant activities of rosella flower tea, ginger tea, and …

Colon Targeted Delivery Dosage Forms For Probiotics: A Review, Gede Anom Anjasmara, Pietradewi Hartrianti, Raditya Iswandana

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Encapsulation was a promising method for protecting probiotics from extreme conditions during their passage through the gastrointestinal tract and delivering probiotics to specific sites in the colon for colonization. Various dosage forms have been used in recent years to encapsulate probiotics to maintain cell viability during processing, storage, and through the digestive tract to provide health benefits. However, research related to the encapsulation of probiotics as the dosage forms for colon-targeted delivery systems was still quite limited to conventional dosage forms due to the sensitivity of probiotics to extreme conditions during the process. This review focuses on various types of …

Study Of Anti-Hyperuricemia, Anti-Inflammatory, And Anti-Nociceptive Effects Of Hylocereus Undatus Stem Bark Extract In Animal Models, Tri Wahyuni, Sartika Harka Putri, Anton Bahtiar

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Dragon fruit, known as Hylocereus undantus (HU), has traditionally been utilized in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, for addressing gout and rheumatism. Despite its empirical use, there is a lack of reported pharmacological research on this plant. This study aimed to explore the properties of HU extract in treating hyperuricemia, inflammation, and pain. Adenine-potassium oxonate-induced mice were employed to evaluate anti-hyperuricemia activity, measuring uric acid, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine serum levels. Carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats was used to assess anti-inflammatory activity, while acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing and hot plate tests were conducted to investigate anti-nociceptive effects. The results …

The Potential Of Herbal Combinations As Adjunctive Therapy For Standard Care Of Covid-19 Patients: A Lesson Learned From Indonesia, Anna Rozaliyani, Satria Pratama, Findra Setianingrum, Fenny Yunita, C. Martin Rumende

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

The pandemic of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global disaster that occurred between the end of 2019 and 2023. It caused immeasurable damage to almost all aspects of human life. The disease has opened a lot of new perspectives on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) origins and pathogenesis, the nature of the virus, the potential for new treatments, and new policies to overcome this pandemic. This review aims to know the potential of plants that are beneficial to combat the diseases, including immunomodulators in the management of COVID-19. Studies reporting COVID-19 with the keywords SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, …

Subchronic Toxicity Study Of Sterculia Rubiginosa Zoll. Ex Miq. Leaves Extract, Rini Prastiwi, Ester Hidayati, Riska Anggraini, Cut Mauliza, Ita Anggraini, Ema Dewanti

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Ki hampelas (Sterculia rubiginosa Zoll. Ex Miq.) is traditionally used as an antiasthma. It also reported has antioxidant and nephroprotective activity. This study was conducted to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of the leaf extract of ki hampelas. The extract was orally administered to male and female Sprague-Dawley rats at doses of 50, 200, and 400 mg/kg bodyweight (BW) per day for 28 days. The rats were divided into four groups, consist of consist of normal group (Na CMC 0.5%), dose 1 (50 mg/kg BW), dose 2 (200 mg/kg BW), and dose 3 (400 mg/ kg BW) of extract. The …

Exploring Rosella (Hibiscus Sabdariffa L.) Calyx Extracts As Natural Dye And Antioxidants In Lip Cream Product: Formulation And Evaluation, Donna Maretta Ariestanti, Abdul Mun'im, Joshita Djajadisastra, Riska Amalia Putri Hutami, Redhalfi Fadhila, Richard Johari James

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Rosella, also known as Hibiscus sabdariffa L., is a plant that contains anthocyanin compounds in its calyx, which are known for their antioxidant properties. These compounds give the plant a captivating red color and can be used as natural dyes. This study aimed to exploit anthocyanins in rosella calyx as natural dyes and antioxidants in lip cream product. The formulations employed extracts from rosella calyx, a viscous extract from maceration in 96% ethanol (F1) and a commercially available powdered rosella extract (F2). Evaluation on the formulations demonstrated that both F1 and F2 effectively maintained the color integrity of the lip …

Describing The Evidence Linking Interprofessional Education Interventions To Improving The Delivery Of Safe And Effective Patient Care: A Scoping Review, Tamara Cadet, Joseph Cusimano, Shelley Mckearney, Julie Honaker, Cynthia O'Neal, Reza Taheri, Virginia Uhley, Yingting Zhang, Margaret Dreker, Judith S. Cohn

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Empirical evidence indicates that collaborative interprofessional practice leads to positive health outcomes. Further, there is an abundance of evidence examining student and/or faculty perceptions of learning or satisfaction about the interprofessional education (IPE) learning experience. However, there is a dearth of research linking IPE interventions to patient outcomes. The objective of this scoping review was to describe and summarize the evidence linking IPE interventions to the delivery of effective patient care. A three-step search strategy was utilized for this review with articles that met the following criteria: publications dated 2015–2020 using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods; the inclusion of healthcare …

The Concise Guide To Pharmacology 2023/24: Enzymes, Stephen P. H. Alexander, Doriano Fabbro, Eamonn Kelly, Alistair Mathie, John A. Peters, Emma L. Veale, Jane F. Armstrong, Elena Faccenda, Simon D. Harding, James A. Davies, Stephanie Annett, Detlan Boison, Kathryn Elisa Burns, Carmen Dessauer, Jürg Gertsch, Nuala Ann Helsby, Angela A. Izzo, Rennolds Ostrom, Andreas Papapetropoulos, Nigel J. Pyne, Susan Pyne, Tracy Robson, Roland Seifert, Johannes-Peter Stasch, Csaba Szabo, Mario Van Der Stelt, Albert Van Der Vliet, Val Watts, Szu Shen Wong

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24 is the sixth in this series of biennial publications. The Concise Guide provides concise overviews, mostly in tabular format, of the key properties of approximately 1800 drug targets, and about 6000 interactions with about 3900 ligands. There is an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to the open access knowledgebase source of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide constitutes almost 500 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the …

The Effects Of Sex Hormones On The Size Of Intestinal Lipoproteins, Andromeda M. Nauli, Ann Phan, Patrick Tso, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Larger intestinal lipoproteins are more likely to be retained longer in the intestinal wall, allowing more time for their fat to be hydrolyzed and subsequently taken up by the abdominal viscera. Since men generally accumulate more abdominal visceral fat than women, we sought to determine if males produce larger intestinal lipoproteins compared to females. Using the conscious lymph fistula mouse model, we discovered that the male mice indeed produced larger intestinal lipoproteins than the female mice when they were intraduodenally infused with lipid emulsion. We then employed our differentiated Caco-2 cell model with semipermeable membrane system to determine the effects …

Tiny But Mighty, An Exploration Of Microbes And Plants As Sources Of Small Novel Bioactive Compounds Against Invasive Mycoses., Hannah Mai Peacock, James Anthony O'Connor

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Despite the high mortality rate involved with invasive cerebral mycoses, there is a relative lack of research available around antifungals capable of crossing the blood brain barrier.

In this study the metabolites of four plants (Crocus vernus, Miniature Narcissus (daffodil), Osmanthus delavayi and Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)) and two bacteria (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Staphylococcus epidermidis) were extracted and assayed for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thin layer chromatography and bioautography were then employed to assess the activity of the constituent components of sources showing antifungal activity.

Metabolites of S.epidermidis, and extracts …

Functionalized Surface Of Plga Nanoparticles In Thermosensitive Gel To Enhance The Efficacy Of Antibiotics Against Antibiotic Resistant Infections In Endodontics: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Mona Arafa, Hadeel Moussa, Mohamed Medhat Kataia

Pharmacy

Enterococcus faecalis plays the key role in endodontic infections and is responsible for the formation of biofilm on dentin, which causes a resistance against periradicular lesions treatment, consequently the aim of this study is to use nanoparticles entrapping anibacterial agents coated with chitosan that in authors previous study showed a successful in vitro biofilm inhibition, additionally incorporated in thermoresponsive gel.to benefit nanoparticles` small size, and the positive charge of their surfaces that binds with the negatively charged surface of bacterial cell causing its destruction, in addition to the sustained release pattern of the drug based nanoparticles in gel. Therefore, Ciprofloxacin …

Structural Analysis And Activity Correlation Of Amphiphilic Cyclic Antimicrobial Peptides Derived From The [W4R4] Scaffold, Shaima Ahmed El-Mowafi, Anastasia G. Konshina, Eman H. M. Mohammed, Nikolay A. Krylov, Roman G. Efremov, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

In our ongoing quest to design effective antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), this study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms governing cyclic amphiphilic AMPs and their interactions with membranes. The objective was to discern the nature of these interactions and understand how peptide sequence and structure influence antimicrobial activity. We introduced modifications into the established cyclic AMP peptide, [W₄R₄], incorporating an extra aromatic hydrophobic residue (W), a positively charged residue (R), or the unique 2,5-diketopiperazine (DKP). This study systematically explored the structure–activity relationships (SARs) of a series of cyclic peptides derived from the [W₄R₄] scaffold, …

Role Of Midodrine On Vasopressor Duration In Patients With Sepsis, Kamah J. Ellena, Jenna L. Combs, Heather M. Draper, Julie J. Belfer

Journal of Shock and Hemodynamics

Existing literature evaluating the off-label use of midodrine has focused primarily on postoperative hypotensive patients requiring a single vasopressor. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of midodrine on vasopressor duration and length of stay in patients receiving vasopressors for sepsis-related hypotension. This is an institutional review board-approved, single-center, retrospective analysis of critically ill patients with hypotension secondary to sepsis who received midodrine and intravenous vasopressors compared to those who received intravenous vasopressors alone. Patients were matched by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, suspected source of infection, and presence of bacteremia. One hundred patients were included in …

Analyzing Functional Interactions Of Designed Peptides By Nmr Spectroscopy, Wonsuk Choi

Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS) Theses

The development of small peptide-based therapeutics can be accelerated by the knowledge of relationships between the peptide structure and its functional interactions. Here, we report the analysis of two groups of synthetic peptides designed for two applications – broad bactericidal action and inhibition of protein-protein interactions in human cells. Novel amphiphilic peptides designed for antibacterial application incorporated arginine as cationic amino acids and non-natural amino acids that have aromatic side chains with similar hydrophobic properties as tryptophan. The interaction of lead cyclic peptides and their linear analogs with a phospholipid bilayer mimicking a bacterial membrane was studied using nuclear magnetic …