Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Studies On The Leukocyte-Associated Ig-Like Inhibitory Receptor-1 Signaling Pathway In T Lymphocytes, Chidi Zacheaus

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Inflammation is a natural process in which the immune system concertedly responds to pathogens and abnormal cell growth to protect the host. For an efficient/effective immune response that circumvents tissue atrophy, a delicate balance between stimulatory and inhibitory mechanisms is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. Immuno-receptor Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif (ITIM)-bearing receptors in immune cells, including T lymphocytes, play a major role in preventing autoimmune responses. Leukocyte-associated Ig-like Inhibitory Receptor 1 (LAIR-1) is one of ITIM-bearing receptors. The mechanism by which LAIR-1 attenuates T-cell response has yet to be completely understood. In this study, I investigated a …

May / June 2023, Randy Curry, Cindy Brooks

RURAL ROCKS

This is the May & June 2023 issue of Rural Rocks from the SWOSU College of Pharmacy.

President’S Address: Dr. Vince Benivegna, Vince Benivegna Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Dr. Vince Benivegna, the outgoing President of the Michigan Dental Association, addressed the House of Delegates, emphasizing the significant progress in enhancing Adult Dental Medicaid coverage and reimbursement in Michigan. He thanked the dedicated individuals who supported him during his tenure and shared his journey. Dr. Benivegna lauded Michigan's accomplishments in reducing opioid prescribing and highlighted the MDA's role as a model state society in advocacy, leadership, mentorship, continuing education, diversity, equity, and inclusion. He praised Michigan's achievements in improving Adult Dental Medicaid, encouraging Michigan dentists to participate and help address oral health disparities. Dr. Benivegna underscored how this aligns …

Mitigating Risks To Improve Hypertension Medication Adherence In A Medically Vulnerable Population, Donna Hales-Teat

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This project assessed the effect of an evidence-based medication adherence intervention on adherence rates at a Northern Indiana clinic led by a sole nurse practitioner, receptionist, and continuous rotation of graduate nursing students from several nursing programs in the Northern Indiana area. Patient education and comprehension were poor in terms of understanding disease process, treatment options, and disease management that led to poor communication with the medical provider. The process and steps in which patients matriculate through was described by Johnson’s (2002) Medication Adherence Model (MAM) with concepts of purposeful action, pattern behavior, and feedback; these helped to construct, steer, …

Influence Of Material Properties On Granules Prepared By Dry Co-Rotating Twin Screw Extrusion And Counterrotating Batch Mixing, Afstathios Steve Pafiakis

Dissertations

Recently, the pharmaceutical industry has shown interest in continuous granulating technology because of the flexibility it offers as an option that bypasses the costly scale-up process associated with batch manufacturing. However, the granulation mechanism(s) using twin screw co-rotating hot melt extrusion (HME) has not been fully explored, and it is not yet well understood. This leads to costly experiments during development and process reliability problem in commercial manufacturing. The main objective of this dissertation is to increase the mechanistic understanding of the twin screw granulation process of systems containing an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and a polymer excipient. This is …

Design, Synthesis, Biological And Computational Studies Of Flavonoid Acetamide Derivatives, Daniel Kasungi Isika

Dissertations

Flavonoid compounds (FC) have extensive biological applications through potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antioxidant properties. These applications are nevertheless limited by low bioavailability, poor aqueous solubility, enzymatic degradation, rapid metabolism, and fast body clearance. FC show unique structure-activity relationships (SARs) essential in assessing and mitigating the prevalent challenges impeding their applications. These challenges can be addressed by structural modification of the FC through functionalization of the phenolic rings, modification of the ketone group, and modification of the phenolic hydroxyl groups with bioisosteres.

The objectives of this work are to (i) design and synthesize novel flavonoid acetamide derivatives (FADs) and …

Catecholamine System Function Of The Medial Prefrontal Cortex Following Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury And The Use Of Benzoyl Chloride To Quantify And Identify Neurotransmitters, Leah Horvat

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious global health burden that causes a wide range of neurocognitive symptoms. These cognitive processes are regulated by catecholamine signaling within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) region of the brain. To quantify functional deficits in catecholamine signaling after TBI, norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) levels within the PFC were quantified from microdialysate samples using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrochemical detection. A method for benzoyl chloride derivatization of neurotransmitters and analysis with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry instrumentation was also developed to detect and analyze these neurotransmitters. Overall, it was found that catecholamine signaling …

Novel Natural Compounds Derived From Tcm In The Treatment Of Food Induced Anaphylaxis, Ibrahim Musa

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Food allergy is a highly prevalent disease affecting about 30 million people in the U.S. It is managed primarily by food avoidance due to lack of promising treatment options. ASHMI (anti-asthma herbal intervention) which consists of three components, Sophorae flavescentis, Ganoderma lucidum, Glycyrrhiza uralensis has been shown to inhibit allergic lung inflammation in antigen sensitized and challenged mice. In this study we isolate and identify the active compound in Sophorae flavescentis, characterized the mechanism of IgE inhibitory effect, biomarkers and potential to prevent food anaphylaxis.

To separate and identify the compounds we used column chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, mass …

Alcohol As A Modifiable Risk Factor For Alzheimer’S Disease—Evidence From Experimental Studies, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Ross A. Steinberg, Derick Han, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive impairment and memory loss. Epidemiological evidence suggests that heavy alcohol consumption aggravates AD pathology, whereas low alcohol intake may be protective. However, these observations have been inconsistent, and because of methodological discrepancies, the findings remain controversial. Alcohol-feeding studies in AD mice support the notion that high alcohol intake promotes AD, while also hinting that low alcohol doses may be protective against AD. Chronic alcohol feeding to AD mice that delivers alcohol doses sufficient to cause liver injury largely promotes and accelerates AD pathology. The mechanisms by which alcohol can …

Assessment Of Readability And Quality Of Consumer-Oriented Pediatric Drug Information Websites, Kimberly A. Pesaturo, Ellie Ouellette, Peyton Calvao, Mike Mannheim

Faculty Publications - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Introduction: The Internet is often a first-line medical resource for parents seeking childhood lay medical advice. Concerns exist regard- ing readability and quality of consumer-oriented Internet drug infor- mation, particularly where readability should be aimed at a sixth grade reading level.

Research Question or Hypothesis: This study sought to assess popular pediatric drug information websites for consumer-oriented readability and information quality.

Study Design: Sample websites were identified by simulating searches on three top United States search engines using pre-identified terms. The primary outcome was website readability according to the English-language and healthcare-validated Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) Index. The secondary …

Computer-Aided Drug Design Of Bakuchiol-Inspired Lxrα Modulators Against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Dillon P. Cao

LSU Master's Theses

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of cancer in children, accounting for approximately 25% of pediatric malignancies. Although glucocorticoids are commonly used to treat ALL, prolonged use can lead to steroid resistance, rendering the drug regimen ineffective. Therefore, alternative treatment avenues are needed for high- risk pediatric patients that do not respond well to traditional regimens.

Liver X Receptor α (LXRα) is presented as a potential alternative drug target for pediatric patients that exhibit suboptimal response to glucocorticoids. Limitations of the current LXRα modulators such as indiscriminate isoform selectivity between LXRα and LXRβ and consequent adverse effects …

Exploring The Potential Of Nanotechnology In Pediatric Healthcare: Advances, Challenges, And Future Directions., Hossein Omidian, Kwadwo Mfoafo

HPD Articles

The utilization of nanotechnology has brought about notable advancements in the field of pediatric medicine, providing novel approaches for drug delivery, disease diagnosis, and tissue engineering. Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of materials at the nanoscale, resulting in improved drug effectiveness and decreased toxicity. Numerous nanosystems, including nanoparticles, nanocapsules, and nanotubes, have been explored for their therapeutic potential in addressing pediatric diseases such as HIV, leukemia, and neuroblastoma. Nanotechnology has also shown promise in enhancing disease diagnosis accuracy, drug availability, and overcoming the blood-brain barrier obstacle in treating medulloblastoma. It is important to acknowledge that while nanotechnology offers significant opportunities, there …

Artemisinin And Its Derivatives Reactions: Characterization Of The Reaction Products Using Lc/Tof Ms, Kogila Vijayan

Theses and Dissertations

Artemisinin (ART) is a sesquiterpene lactone and a popular malaria drug with potential anticancer properties. In this work, LC/TOF MS was used to investigate the reaction of ART with DNA bases and estradiol. ART-deoxyadenosine and ART-deoxycytidine interactions were studied in the presence of Fe (II) ions. ART-deoxyadenosine and ART-deoxycytidine reaction mixtures gave chromatographic signatures that remained unchanged at room temperature but grew after incubation at 37°C. The change in temperature from room temperature to 37°C was the main driver of adduct formation in these reactions. ART was found to react with Fe (II) ions as observed from several new chromatographic …

Computational Study Of Foldamer-Based Water Channels, Shadi Houshyar Azar

Theses and Dissertations

One of the most serious global challenges of this century is water scarcity, stemming primarily from the growing demand for freshwater and the depletion of freshwater resources. Water desalination has the potential to address this problem, but current technologies are expensive and inadequate. Here, we present novel, computationally designed channels with high water permeability and selectivity against ions, inspired by natural water channels, aquaporins. Aquaporin's unique property of transporting water while rejecting protons and other ions has led to numerous studies on incorporating such channels into different membranes for water purification applications. However, use of an aquaporin-incorporated membrane is limited …

Design, Synthesis, And Antiproliferative Activity Of Benzopyran-4-One-Isoxazole Hybrid Compounds, Shilpi Gupta, Shang Eun Park, Saghar Mozaffari, Bishoy El-Aarag, Keykavous Parang, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The biological significance of benzopyran-4-ones as cytotoxic agents against multi-drug resistant cancer cell lines and isoxazoles as anti-inflammatory agents in cellular assays prompted us to design and synthesize their hybrid compounds and explore their antiproliferative activity against a panel of six cancer cell lines and two normal cell lines. Compounds 5a–d displayed significant antiproliferative activities against all the cancer cell lines tested, and IC₅₀ values were in the range of 5.2–22.2 μM against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, while they were minimally cytotoxic to the HEK-293 and LLC-PK1 normal cell lines. The IC₅₀ values of 5a–d …

Development And Validation Of A Uplc-Ms/Ms Method To Investigate The Plasma Pharmacokinetics Of A KCa2.2/KCa2.3 Positive Allosteric Modulator In Mice, Mohammad Asikur Rahman, Devaraj Venkatapura Chandrashekar, Young-Woo Nam, Basir Syed, David Salehi, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Miao Zhang, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Rationale

There is currently no treatment for spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), which are a group of genetic disorders that often cause a lack of coordination, difficulty walking, slurred speech, tremors, and eventually death. Activation of K_Ca2.2/K_Ca2.3 channels reportedly exerts beneficial effects in SCAs. Here, we report the development and validation of an analytical method for quantitating a recently-developed positive allosteric modulator of K_Ca2.2/K_Ca2.3 channels (compound 2q) in mouse plasma.

Methods

Mouse plasma samples (10 μL) containing various concentrations of 2q were subjected to protein precipitation in the presence of a structurally similar internal …

Improved Synthesis And Anticancer Activity Of A Potent Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitor, Dhananjayan Vasu, Cory T. Reidl, Eric Wang, Sun Yang, Richard B. Silverman

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

An improved synthesis of 4-methyl-7-(3-((methylamino)methyl)phenethyl)quinolin-2-amine (1) is reported. A scalable, rapid, and efficient methodology was developed to access this compound with an overall yield of 35%, which is 5.9-fold higher than the previous report. The key differences in the improved synthesis are a high yielding quinoline synthesis by a Knorr reaction, a copper-mediated Sonogashira coupling to the internal alkyne in excellent yield, and a crucial deprotection of the N-acetyl and N-Boc groups achieved under acidic conditions in a single step rather than a poor yielding quinoline N-oxide strategy, basic deprotection conditions, and low yielding copper-free conditions that …

Development And Validation Of An Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method To Investigate The Plasma Pharmacokinetics Of A KCa2.2/KCa2.3 Positive Allosteric Modulator In Mice, Mohammad Asikur Rahman, Devaraj Venkatapura Chandrashekar, Young-Woo Nam, Basir Syed, David Salehi, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi, Miao Zhang, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Rationale

There is currently no treatment for spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), which are a group of genetic disorders that often cause a lack of coordination, difficulty walking, slurred speech, tremors, and eventually death. Activation of K_Ca2.2/K_Ca2.3 channels reportedly exerts beneficial effects in SCAs. Here, we report the development and validation of an analytical method for quantitating a recently developed positive allosteric modulator of K_Ca2.2/K_Ca2.3 channels (compound 2q) in mouse plasma.

Methods

Mouse plasma samples (10 μL) containing various concentrations of 2q were subjected to protein precipitation in the presence of a structurally similar …

Scoping Review Of The Best Practices In Drug Courts In The United States, Elise Crumrine, Blakely Camille Culp

Honors Theses

Purpose: Drug courts are reform programs that are utilized in America to reduce the amount of incarcerations due to non violent drug charges. A successful drug court has a high number of graduates and low recidivism rates. To accomplish this, a variety of methods are utilized such as medication assisted therapy (MAT), random and mandatory drug testing, positive reinforcement in the form of words or tangible items, etc. The purpose of our study was to identify the best practices of drug courts, as defined as increased graduation rates and decreased recidivism, so that the findings may be applied in the …

Magnetic Resonance Image-Based Estimates Of Hepatic Blood Flow In Children With And Without Obesity; Implications For Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Models, Yoon Cho, Sherwin S. Chan, Chance S. Friesen, Valentina Shakhnovich

Research Days

Background: Physiologically based pharmacokinetic models for simulating drug pharmacokinetics are useful to guide drug dosing for pediatric patients. Hepatic blood flow could be a useful variable to use in these models.

Objectives/Goal: In this study, we explored 2-D phase contrast non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure hepatic blood flow in children with and without obesity.

Methods/Design: In this IRB-approved study, we imaged pediatric patients with abdominal MRI with 2D phase contrast imaging of the descending aorta (AO) at the diaphragm, the inferior vena cava (IVC) at the right atrium, and inferior to hepatic drainage above the renal vein confluence …

Safety And Efficacy Of Brexanolone As A Novel Treatment Option For Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review., Husna Rahim, Barry Brown

Research Day

Introduction: With the recognition of postpartum depression as a distinct medical condition since the release of the 2013 DSM-V, there simultaneously arose a need for therapy. As of March 2019, brexanolone became the first FDA approved medication indicated for the treatment of postpartum depression. The purpose of this review is to consolidate and present the safety and efficacy data of a new treatment option for postpartum depression.

Methods: A date range was specified of January 2015 to May 2022 with the last search being conducted June 28, 2022. Cochrane, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar were utilized to identify appropriate trials. …

The Impact Of Medication Therapy Management Services On Pediatric Patients With Medical Complexities, Charisma Osuagwu, Erica Wong, Savion Carswell, Sophia Jenkins, Xinyu Wang, Yujin Kim

Research Day

Introduction

Medication Therapy Management (MTM) is a service provided by healthcare providers to ensure the best medical outcomes, particularly for those with multiple chronic conditions. It is often provided for senior populations supported under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Studies show that patients provided with MTM services have higher medication adherence rates and experience fewer complications. However, there are few studies on MTM counseling in pediatric populations. In this literature review study, we investigated the potential impact of MTM services for underserved pediatric populations with chronic conditions or disabilities who are likely to benefit from MTM services.

Methods …

Is My Prescription Ready Yet? A Qualitative Examination Of Patients' Understanding Of The Prescription Filling Process In Community Pharmacies, Maria Sallee

Honors Theses

Long lines at the pharmacy can frustrate patients. Consequently, patients becoming frustrated can add stress to an already overworked pharmacy. Without knowing what patients understand about the often complicated prescription filling process at community pharmacies, it can be difficult for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to communicate the reason behind any delays in patients receiving their medication. To learn what patients understand about the prescription filling process, fifteen interviews were conducted over the phone after mailing recruitment flyers to members of a diabetes research collaborative in North Mississippi. The interviews revealed that while patients have a positive relationship with their pharmacists, …

The Opioid Epidemic: How Genetics Play A Role In Addiction And Treatment, Kirsten Houston

Honors College Theses

The opioid epidemic is an issue within the pharmaceutical industry in the United States of America due to prescription and non-prescription substances being made available to the population. Opioids include chemical substances that affect the body and brain through opioid receptors, including the mu, kappa, and delta receptors. These substances are derived and synthesized from the poppy plant. Multiple causes have been linked to opioid abuse disorder, including but not limited to employment, income, housing, nutrition, mental health disorders, and genetics. By gathering information from previous literature, genetics may be the main cause of narcotic analgesic tolerance and abuse. Specific …

Factors Affecting Initiation And Retention Of Medication-Assisted Recovery (Mar) Within A Pilot Pharmacist-Involved Practice Model At A Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (Fqhc) During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tiffany Nguyen, Thomas Craig Cheetham, Souhiela Fawaz, Richard Beuttler, Sharon Xavioer

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid-related overdose deaths increased. Although Medication-Assisted Treatment or Recovery (MAT or MAR) is available, initiation and retention rates vary. The goal of this study was to evaluate clinical, demographic, and Social Determinant of Health factors affecting MAR initiation, on-time initiation of medications, and successful retention in the program. The secondary goal was to evaluate the impact of a novel interprofessional practice model incorporating pharmacists. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using electronic health record data from a pilot MAR Program initiated within a California Federally Qualified Healthcare Center. Results: From September 2019 to August 2020, …

All Clear: A Workbook For Sexually Active Accutane Users Who Can Become Pregnant, Taylor Petersen

Honors Projects

Accutane is a pill-based derivative of Vitamin A used to treat cystic acne. The process to start and continue the medication each month is tedious and full of potential for error. This is especially true for female patients who are able to become pregnant as they have the additional step of monitoring and updating their birth control through an online portal. Patients are treated like numbers and there is little to no customization within Accutane treatment from patient to patient. To make this worse, reliable information about the drug is scarce and many turn to social media platforms or other …

The Great Transition: A Qualitative Examination Of The Transition From Pharmacy Student To Pharmacist, Jessica Marlee Wilson

Honors Theses

Background: Over the years, community pharmacy practice has expanded and increased the number of responsibilities pharmacists must manage. Tasks such as managing the pharmacy, counseling patients, and administering vaccines are among the duties that pharmacists must carry out. The recent Covid-19 pandemic placed a significant strain on the retail pharmacy work environment and acted as an obstacle to the jobs of community pharmacists. Recent pharmacy graduates are often thrown into this variable work environment, and it seems that there is limited literature regarding the preparedness that they feel in this area of pharmacy work.

Objectives: To uncover the level of …

Medical Cannabis In Mississippi: Practitioner Education And Continuing Research, Andrea Cleveland

Honors Theses

Use of medical cannabis in Mississippi was legalized in February 2022 following many years of cannabis research at the University of Mississippi. Issues immediately became apparent, beginning with the lack of education about medical cannabis among providers. A 2017 study showed that the majority of physicians are not exposed to information about medical cannabis despite its legalization in 37 states. Another issue with Mississippi’s medical cannabis program is the cost of the product itself. The most effective way to decrease spending on medication is for patients to have access to medication that is guaranteed to work. Further research on cannabis …

Synthesis Of Tert-Butyl Ester And Ethyl Ester Prodrugs Of L-Gamma-Methyleneglutamic Acid Amides For The Treatment Of Cancer, Tristan D. Tran

Honors Theses

Metabolic pathways differ in cancer cells compared to noncancerous cells. Glutaminolysis is the primary producer of biosynthetic precursors in cancer cells, which allows for the cells to proliferate. In previous publications, the Le lab has established efficient synthetic routes to L-γ-methyleneglutamic acid amides which have shown to be as efficacious as tamoxifen and olaparib in inhibiting the growth of various breast cancer cell lines. These compounds have shown to inhibit the growth of MCF-7, SK-BR-3, and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines after 24 or 72 h of exposure. Furthermore, these compounds were selective in inhibiting the growth of cancer …

Oxidative Stress And Micrornas In Endothelial Cells Under Metabolic Disorders, Morgan Minjares, Wendy Wu, Jie-Mei Wang

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are radical oxygen intermediates that serve as important second messengers in signal transduction. However, when the accumulation of these molecules exceeds the buffering capacity of antioxidant enzymes, oxidative stress and endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction occur. EC dysfunction shifts the vascular system into a pro-coagulative, proinflammatory state, thereby increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular (CV) diseases and metabolic disorders. Studies have turned to the investigation of microRNA treatment for CV risk factors, as these post-transcription regulators are known to co-regulate ROS. In this review, we will discuss ROS pathways and generation, normal endothelial cell physiology and ROS-induced …