Other Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

The Effects Of Testosterone Supplementation On Cognitive Functioning In Older Men, Eka Wahjoepramono, Prita Asih, Vilia Aniwiyanti, Kevin Taddei, Satvinder Dhaliwal, Stephanie Fuller, Jonathan Foster, Malcolm Carruthers, Giuseppe Verdile, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Reduction in testosterone levels in men during aging is associated with cognitive decline and risk of dementia. Animal studies have shown benefits for testosterone supplementation in improving cognition and reducing Alzheimer’s disease pathology. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study of men with subjective memory complaint and low testosterone levels, we investigated whether testosterone treatment significantly improved performance on various measures of cognitive functioning. Forty-four men were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to establish the baseline prior to being randomly divided into two groups. The first group (Group A) received 24 weeks of testosterone treatment (T treatment) followed by 4 …

Effects Of Repeated Quetiapine Treatment On Conditioned Avoidance Responding In Rats, Jun Gao, Min Feng, Natashia Swalve, Collin Davis, Nan Sui, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The present study characterized the behavioral mechanisms of avoidance–disruptive effect of quetiapine in the conditioned avoidance response test under two behavioral testing (2 warning signals vs. 1 warning signal) and two drug administration conditions (subcutaneous vs. intravenous). In Experiments 1 and 2, well-trained adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were tested under the subcutaneous (s.c.) quetiapine treatment (5.0, 15.0, 25.0, 50.0 mg/kg) for 7 days in a novel procedure consisting of two conditioned stimuli (CS) (white noise serving as CS1 and pure tone as CS2). Only the highest dose (50.0 mg/kg) produced a persistent suppression of the avoidance response without impairing the …

The Effectiveness Of A Preoperative Multimodal Antiemetic Regimen On Reducing Early Postoperative Nausea And Vomiting In Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients, Jerry Mosley

Doctoral Projects

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) occurs frequently in all types of surgeries including after total joint orthopedic procedures. The resulting PONV can lead to many unwanted occurrences including immobilization, distress, and many serious adverse health complications. These unwanted occurrences may then lead to increased cost to the patient and healthcare facility. Administration of a preoperative multimodal regimen known to reduce PONV has the potential to reduce such unwanted anesthetic side effects influencing a reduction in overall healthcare cost. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the preoperative kit which includes the administration of metoclopramide, famotidine, ondansetron, …

Targeting Oncogenic Mirnas With Small Molecules For Breast Cancer Therapy, Paloma Del C. Monroig

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The crucial role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer pathobiology has driven the introduction of new drug development approaches such as miRNA inhibition. In order to advance miRNA-therapeutics, there is a need to develop screening strategies that can target tumors in a specific way. Small molecule inhibitors represent an attractive approach to pursue this. However, the absence of molecular structures for most of the miRNAs makes it very difficult to predict which inhibitors can bind to them. Herein we designed a strategy to screen for small molecules by assesing whether they could directly bind/ interact with miR-10b/miR-21. As part of our …

The Controversy Of Vaccinations, Nicholas G. Aboreden

The Kabod

Recently vaccination has become a controversial topic. There is a growing number of people who believe that vaccines carry great health risks to patients and therefore refuse to be vaccinated or to vaccinate their children. This ill-informed view of immunizations is beginning to cause serious problems in the United States as growing numbers of disease cases are being seen. A closer look into the science of vaccines and the benefits they have brought, clearly show that not only do vaccines carry very little risk to patients, but they are responsible for the eradication and reduction of multiple debilitating diseases.

Application Of Ichip To Grow “Uncultivable” Microorganisms And Its Impact On Antibiotic Discovery, Rinzhin T. Sherpa, Caretta J. Reese, Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose. Antibiotics have revolutionized modern medicine, allowing significant progress in healthcare and improvement in life expectancy. Development of antibiotic resistance by pathogenic bacteria is a natural phenomenon; however, the rate of antibiotic resistance emergence is increasing at an alarming rate, due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics in healthcare, agriculture and even everyday products. Traditionally, antibiotic discovery has been conducted by screening extracts of microorganisms for antimicrobial activity. However, this conventional source has been over-used to such an extent that it poses the risk of “running out” of new antibiotics. Aiming to increase access to a greater diversity of microorganisms, …

Investigation Of Stilbenoids As Potential Therapeutic Agents For Rotavirus Gastroenteritis, Judith M. Ball, Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, Katelyn D. Defrates, Emily Hambleton, Megan E. Hurlburt, Lingling Fang, Tianhong Yang, Luis Nopo-Olazabal, Richard L. Atwill, Pooj Ghai, Rebecca D. Parr

Faculty Publications

Rotavirus (RV) infections cause severe diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide. Vaccines are available but cost prohibitive for many countries and only reduce severe symptoms. Vaccinated infants continue to shed infectious particles, and studies show decreased efficacy of the RV vaccines in tropical and subtropical countries where they are needed most. Continuing surveillance for new RV strains, assessment of vaccine efficacy, and development of cost effective antiviral drugs remain an important aspect of RV studies. This study was to determine the efficacy of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory stilbenoids to inhibit RV replication. Peanut (A. hypogaea) hairy root cultures were induced …

Molecular Overlap In The Regulation Of Sk Channels By Small Molecules And Phosphoinositides, Miao Zhang, Xuan-Yu Meng, Ji-Fang Zhang, Meng Cui, Diomedes E. Logothetis

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) directly interacts with the small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ 2-a (SK2-a) channel/calmodulin complex, serving as a critical element in the regulation of channel activity. We report that changes of protein conformation in close proximity to the PIP2 binding site induced by a small-molecule SK channel modulator, NS309, can effectively enhance the interaction between the protein and PIP2 to potentiate channel activity. This novel modulation of PIP2 sensitivity by small-molecule drugs is likely not to be limited in its application to SK channels, representing an intriguing strategy to develop drugs controlling the activity of the large number of PIP2-dependent proteins.

Instituting Patient-Self Test Meters In Adults On Warfarin In A Cardiology Practice, Melvyn Grace Manzano Rabanal

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: Warfarin is the oral anticoagulant that is most commonly used to control and prevent thromboembolic disorders. It requires meticulous testing and dosing adjustments to attain therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) levels. Patient self-testing (PST) is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality and lower rates of thromboembolism and bleeding. PST meters offers convenience and promotes self-initiative of care.

Purpose: The purpose of the project is to evaluate the effectiveness of INR PST in adult patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, and mechanical heart valve on warfarin therapy in a Cardiology practice compared to traditional …

Effect Of Novel Dietary Supplement On Metabolism In Vitro And In Vivo, Robert A. Vaughan, Ailish C. White, Jason R. Beam, Nicholas P. Gannon, Randi Garcia-Smith, Roy M. Salgado, Marco Bisoffi, Kristina A. Trujillo, Carole A. Conn, Christine M. Mermier

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Obesity is an increasingly prevalent and preventable morbidity with multiple behavioral, surgical and pharmacological interventions currently available. Commercial dietary supplements are often advertised to stimulate metabolism and cause rapid weight and/or fat loss, although few well-controlled studies have demonstrated such effects. We describe a commercially available dietary supplement (purportedly containing caffeine, catechins, and other metabolic stimulators) on resting metabolic rate in humans, and on metabolism, mitochondrial content, and related gene expression in vitro. Human males ingested either a placebo or commercially available supplement (RF) in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over fashion. Metabolic rate, respiratory exchange ratio, and blood pressure were …

Flavour Chemicals In Electronic Cigarette Fluids, Peyton A. Tierney, Clarissa D. Karpinski, Jessica E. Brown, Wentai Luo, James F. Pankow

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Most e-cigarette liquids contain flavour chemicals. Flavour chemicals certified as safe for ingestion by the Flavor Extracts Manufacturers Association may not be safe for use in e-cigarettes. This study identified and measured flavour chemicals in 30 e-cigarette fluids.

Methods: Two brands of single-use e-cigarettes were selected and their fluids in multiple flavour types analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. For the same flavour types, and for selected confectionary flavours (eg, bubble gum and cotton candy), also analysed were convenience samples of e-cigarette fluids in refill bottles from local ‘vape’ shops and online retailers.

Results: In many liquids, total flavour chemicals …

Drug Testing Government Assistance Recipients, Justin Galles

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Eligibility for government assistance is based on income levels and is generally given to single parents and lower income families. Government assistance programs like welfare, SNAP (food stamps), and unemployment all help support people who have less income than what is necessary to support themselves and or their families. Programs like welfare and unemployment give checks that can be cashed and used at the discretion of the recipient. Who is to say recipients aren’t spending tax payer dollars on illegal drugs? People aren’t going to admit to government officials that they use illegal drugs so to be sure that they …

Effects Of (R)-(-)-5-Methyl-1-Nicotinoyl-2-Pyrazoline On Glutamate Transporter 1 And Cysteine/Glutamate Exchanger As Well As Ethanol Drinking Behavior In Male, Alcohol-Preferring Rats, Munaf Aal-Aaboda, Hasan Alhaddad, Francis Osowik, Surya M. Nauli, Youssef Sari

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Alcohol consumption is largely associated with alterations in the extracellular glutamate concentrations in several brain reward regions. We recently showed that glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) is downregulated following chronic exposure to ethanol for 5 weeks in alcohol-preferring (P) rats and that upregulation of the GLT-1 levels in nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex results, in part, in attenuating ethanol consumption. Cystine glutamate antiporter (xCT) is also downregulated after chronic ethanol exposure in P rats, and its upregulation could be valuable in attenuating ethanol drinking. This study examines the effect of a synthetic compound, (R)-(−)-5-methyl-1-nicotinoyl-2-pyrazoline (MS-153), on ethanol drinking and expressions of …

Analysis Of Humira, Electro-Acupuncture, And Pulsatile Dry Cupping On Reducing Joint Inflammation In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Natalie Noll

AUCTUS: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Humira, an anti-TNF drug aimed at decreasing inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, can cause skin diseases from rashes to skin cancer. Humira works by blocking the chemical receptor RANKL which inhibits the production of osteoclasts. Osteoclasts are cells that attack and eat bone and cartilage therefore an inhibitory mechanism would cause inflammation.. By analyzing Humira’s effect on the human body, Humira can be compared to other treatments such as electro-acupuncture and pulsatile dry cupping to determine the viability of these alternative treatment methods in regards to their abilities to decrease inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients through blocking RANKL. An analysis …

Drug Interactions With Glutaredoxin Orthologues, Kahlilah R. Napper, Thomas C. Leeper, Ram Khattri, Daniel Morris, Caroline Davis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Glutaredoxin, an enzymatic protein, is an important component of cell viability and function. It catalyzes reactions involved in DNA synthesis and innate immunity [1,4]. Glutaredoxin is also essential in antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacterial species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in particular is responsible for infecting the lung tissue of its human hosts, resulting in the development of pneumonia and cystic fibrosis [3]. Because glutaredoxin is pertinent in cell proliferation of eukaryotic and bacterial cells alike, medicinal fragments that take advantage of the subtle differences in protein structure of the orthologous proteins can be synthesized and enhanced to bind bacterial glutaredoxins, without inhibiting …

Ketamine, A Brighter Future For Those In Darkness, Matthew D. Gayhart

Undergraduate Research Posters

Millions of people around the world suffer from Major Depressive Disorder, and many of these people are given drugs to help treat this potentially devastating disease. For many, the first treatment is successful, and if not, certainly the second treatment gives them the relief they so desperately need. Others, however, are not so lucky, people with treatment resistant depression undergo numerous treatments, some of which are more aggressive than others, but still nothing helps alleviate their depression. Recently an older anesthetic, the drug Ketamine, has been making some news as a new depression treatment. This paper will compare Ketamine to …

Chronic Behavioral And Cognitive Deficits In A Rat Survival Model Of Organophosphate Toxicity, Beverly Huang

Theses and Dissertations

Organophosphates (OPs) are a major class of pesticides and nerve agents that elicit acute toxicity by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the enzyme responsible for the degradation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Acetylcholine accumulation following extensive AChE inhibition leads to an acute cholinergic syndrome characterized by autonomic dysfunction, involuntary movements, muscle fasciculations, respiratory distress, and seizures. Despite their classification as moderate to highly toxic, OP pesticides are the most widely used class of insecticides in the U.S., and are even more commonly used worldwide. Additionally, there is a growing concern that OP nerve agents could be …

Dual Pi3k/Mtor Inhibition With Bez235 Augments The Therapeutic Efficacy Of Doxorubicin In Cancer Without Influencing Cardiac Function, David E. Durrant

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer continues to be a leading cause death in the United States despite improved treatments. Cancerous lesions form after acquiring oncogenic driver mutations or losing tumor suppressor function in normal cells. Traditional therapies have included use of genotoxic substances that take advantage of the increased growth rate and loss of tumor suppressor function to cause cell death. One such drug is the anthracycline antibiotic doxorubicin (DOX). DOX interchelates into DNA and disrupts transcriptional machinery while also poisoning topoisomerase II. This results in single and double stranded DNA breaks, which if severe enough leads to either necrotic or apoptotic cell death. …

Effects Of Pde4 Pathway Inhibition In Rat Experimental Stroke, Fan Yang, Rachita K. Sumbria, Dong Xue, Chuanhui Yu, Dan He, Shuo Liu, Annlia Paganini-Hill, Mark J. Fisher

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE: The first genomewide association study indicated that variations in the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene confer risk for ischemic stroke. However, inconsistencies among the studies designed to replicate the findings indicated the need for further investigation to elucidate the role of the PDE4 pathway in stroke pathogenesis. Hence, we studied the effect of global inhibition of the PDE4 pathway in two rat experimental stroke models, using the PDE4 inhibitor rolipram. Further, the specific role of the PDE4D isoform in ischemic stroke pathogenesis was studied using PDE4D knockout rats in experimental stroke. METHODS: Rats were subjected to either the …

Tissue Engineering: Applications In Developmental Toxicology, Stephanie N. Thiede, Nimisha Bajaj, Kevin Buno, Sherry L. Voytik-Harbin

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In vivo toxicology assays are expensive, low-throughput, and often not predictive of a human response. Three-dimensional in vitro human cell-based tissue systems incorporating cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions have promise to provide high-throughput, physiologically-relevant information on the mechanism of the toxin and a more accurate assessment of the toxicity of a chemical before progression to human trials. Quantification of the disruption of vasculogenesis, the de novo formation of blood vessels from endothelial progenitor cells, can serve as an appropriate indicator of developmental toxicity since vasculogenesis is critical to the early development of the circulatory system. The current routinely used in vitro …

Synthesis And Biological Study Of Adenylyl Cyclase Inhibitors, Siyuan Sun, Zhishi Ye, Mingji Dai

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Adenylyl cyclases (AC) is a critical family of enzymes which modulates the dynamic cellular level of cAMP, cyclic adenosine monophosphate. The study of cAMP showed that it is indispensable for the signal transduction cascades during many physiological processes, such as immune responses and metabolism which highly relate to cancers. Previous studies of AC inhibitors have been limited due to a lack of isoform-selective small molecule modulators. Selectivity of the molecules is imperative to the activation of only the desired AC inhibitor. The design of the described project was to test the structure activity relationship (SAR) by synthesizing a class of …

Production Of Recombinant Human Coagulation Factor Ix By Transgenic Pig, Weijie Xu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Hemophilia B is the congenital bleeding disorder caused by deficiency in functional coagulation factor IX (FIX) and about 28,000 patients worldwide in 2012. And current treatment is restricted to protein-replacement therapy, which required FIX concentrates for patients’ life-time. Approximately 1 billion units FIX were consumed in 2012. However, still about 70-80% patients, mostly in developing countries, received inadequate or no treatment because of the unavailable and/or unaffordable FIX concentrates. Considering safety reasons, e.g. transmission of blood-borne diseases, the recombinant human FIX (rFIX) is recommended other than the plasma-derived FIX. However, only one rFIX is currently available on the market. The …

Chemical Profiling And Biological Activity Of Two Tunicate-Associated Marine Bacteria, Lyubina Yankova

Honors Scholar Theses

Marine natural products have recently been an increasingly abundant source of novel antibiotics. Given that there is an increasing resistance to current drug therapies, finding new sources such as marine natural products is essential. Tunicate-associated marine bacteria can be a significant source of antibacterial compounds. Two tunicates of the species Eudistoma were collected from Portobelo National Park on the Salmedina Reef of Panama in the Caribbean Sea. Bacteria associated with the tunicate were isolated, cultured, extracted, and fractionated. Fractions were tested against an array of clinically relevant bacterial pathogens in the BioMAP assay. Two fractions MB0086E and MB0088E demonstrated activity …

A Systematic Column Performance Comparison For The Confirmation Of Opioids Used In Pain Management By Lc-Ms, Derek Stallard

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, three different chromatographic column chemistries (C18, Pentafluorophenyl (PFP), Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC)) were compared under optimal conditions to determine which stationary performed best in the separation and detection of a mixture of opioids using LC-MS. Furthermore, these stationary phases were examined in three different column technologies – traditional silica, porous shell, and porous polymer (PRP). The PRP column had the best peak shape for all 13 opioids and dominated for later-eluting compounds. In terms of column reproducibility, the Hamilton C18 column had the lowest %RSD values. The Kinetex HILIC produced the most theoretical plates and best resolution …

The Reversal Effects Of Curcumin, An Herbal Remedy, On The Impairments Induced By Vmat-2 Inhibitor Tetrabenazine, Emily Qian, Samantha E. Yohn

Honors Scholar Theses

Substantial evidence has shown that dopamine (DA), particularly in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), is involved in behavioral activation and effort-related processes, such as overcoming work related response costs. Interference with accumbens DA transmission through administration of the vesicular monoamine transportor-2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ) produces an alteration of response allocation in the concurrent FR5/chow choice procedure, biasing animals toward the lower effort alternative. It has been suggested that these drug-induced shifts in effort-related choice behavior seen in rodents are analogous to symptoms such as psychomotor retardation, anergia, and fatigue, which can be observed in people with depression and other related …

Characterization Of Extraction Methods To Recover Phenolic-Rich Antioxidants From Blue Green Algae (Spirulina) Using Response Surface Approaches, Ahmad Salamatullah

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Blue green algae (spirulina) is a dietary system that is widely consumed as a whole food or as a supplement in many Asian countries where populations are mostly unaffected by many of the diseases currently afflicting western societies, such as cancer, heart disease and arthiritis. Indeed, spirulina is a rich source of antioxidants with the phenolic compounds playing a significant role. As components of a complex dietary system, phenolic compounds can act alone or through synergistic mechanisms to impart a greater biologic effect than can be elicited by a sum of the individual parts. Therefore, an understanding of the antioxidative …

Effects Of Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury On The P-Glycoprotein Activity At The Liver Canalicular Membrane And Blood-Brain Barrier Determined By In Vivo Administration Of Rhodamine 123 In Rats, M. K. Miah, Imam H. Shaik, Ulrich Bickel, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose To investigate the effects of normothermic hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury on the activity of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the liver and at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of rats using rhodamine 123 (RH-123) as an in vivo marker.

Methods Rats were subjected to 90 min of partial ischemia or sham surgery, followed by 12 or 24 h of reperfusion. Following intravenous injection, the concentrations of RH-123 in blood, bile, brain, and liver were used for pharmacokinetic calculations. The protein levels of P-gp and some other transporters in the liver and brain were also determined by Western blot analysis.

Results P-gp protein …

Β-Lactam Estrogen Receptor Antagonists And A Dual-Targeting Estrogen Receptor/Tubulin Ligand, Niamh O'Boyle, Jade K. Pollock, Miriam Carr, Andrew Js Knox, Seema M. Nathwani, Shu Wang, Laura Caboni, Daniela M. Zisterer, Mary Meegan

Articles

Twelve novel β-lactams were synthesised and their antiproliferative effects and binding affinity for the predominant isoforms of the estrogen receptor (ER), ERα and ERβ, were determined. β-Lactams 23 and 26 had the strongest binding affinities for ERα (IC₅₀ values: 40 and 8 nM respectively) and ERβ (IC₅₀ values: 19 and 15 nM). β-Lactam 26 was the most potent in antiproliferative assays using MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and further biochemical analysis showed that it caused accumulation of cells in G₂/M phase (mitotic blockade) and depolymerisation of tubulin in MCF-7 cells. Compound 26 also induced apoptosis and downregulation …

Biochemical Assay Optimization And Computational Screening Efforts To Identify Potential Luxs Inhibitors, Keeshia Q. Wang

Master's Theses

Quorum sensing (QS) is a process of coordination of bacterial gene expression in response to cell population. System two QS is regulated by the small signaling molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2) and is implicated in the infectious behaviors of various bacterial species. AI-2 is biosynthesized from S-ribosylhomocysteine (SRH) by the enzyme LuxS and induces interspecies cell-to-cell communication. Inhibition of LuxS would therefore inhibit interspecies QS. Herein, a search for novel molecular species that will competitively bind with SRH in the LuxS binding site is performed in silico. Computational screening results are then validated in vitro using an optimized LuxS inhibition …

Developing A Presumptive Test For Select Synthetic Cannabinoids, Carrie Snyder

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic cannabinoids (SC's) began to gain popularity around the world in 2009. Since then, many of the compounds have been outlawed and methods developed to detect them and their metabolites using mass spectrometry. Our work investigated the possibility of developing a colorimetric presumptive test. The SC JWH-019 was synthesized and its ketone targeted as a possible reaction site. Many SC's contain ketones and thus a reaction at this site would be applicable to many of the compounds. Since JWH-019 is costly and time consuming to synthesize, much of the experimental work was done using benzophenone (BP). BP contains a diaryl …