Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Regulating Neuronal Growth With Structurally Defined Glycans, Gabriella D. Hartman

Honors Theses

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) and keratan sulfate proteoglycans (KSPGs) play an important role in neural development. Aggrecan, a CSPG, operates in the neural extracellular matrix where it negatively regulates neurite outgrowth to prevent aberrant process formation. Unfortunately, this aggrecan or CSPG-rich/KSPG-rich barrier can also prevent neuronal regeneration, which contributes to the inability to repair brain and spinal cord injuries. Removal of CSPGs and KSPGs has been shown to increase neurite outgrowth. We extend these findings by testing the ability of structurally-defined glycans to outcompete aggrecan and allow neurite outgrowth. Our overall goal is to determine if there is a particular …

The Teaching Of Performance Enhancing Drugs In U.S. Schools And Colleges Of Pharmacy, Sara Dorothy Green

Honors Theses

The teaching of performance enhancing drugs in U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy is necessary to better help patients who are athletes especially those who compete in high-level athletics such as the Olympics or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). There is no master list for banned substances, they differ for each organization and have many exceptions. Pharmacists can play a key role in preventing unintentional disqualifications of athletes as there are many medications considered performance enhancing drugs including some supplements and stimulants. For example, commonly used cold medications may contain pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, a banned substance in the world of …

Studies Of Salvinorin-Based Antagonists To Elucidate Pertinent Interactions For Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonism, Madeline Keane

Honors Theses

Opioid abuse, leading to addiction and related deaths, has created a chronic epidemic in the United States for the past 30 years. This crisis has sprung from reliance on the prescription of opioid analgesics as the primary method for the management of pain in the 1990s. At that time, these drugs, specifically Purdue Pharma’s OxyContin, were marketed as non-addictive. Due to this systemic minimization of the addictive properties of opioid analgesics, as prescription rates increased, opioid-related mortality rates climbed. This epidemic continues to be pervasive, as opioid-related overdose resulted in 47,600 deaths in 2017. In addition to the opioid epidemic, …

Fluorometric Characterization Of A Methylene Blue Derivative Sensitive To Reactive Oxygen Species (Ros), Matthew Weeks

Honors Theses

Methylene blue (MB) has many uses within both microbiology and pharmacology. MB can treat disorders such as methemoglobinemia, malaria, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain forms of cancer. MB is also useful for molecular imaging due to its off-on fluorescent capabilities. MB derivatives with a urea bond at the 10-N position have been cleavable by triggers such as light. However, I was interested in sensitivity to reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, I wanted to determine if the MB derivative MB-EA exhibited sensitivity to ROS. MB-EA was exposed to varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and MB release was measured. I concluded …

Impacts Of Embryonic Exposure To Cannabidiol Or ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol On Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Frailty In F0 And F1 Generations, Anika Faruque

Honors Theses

Exposure to cannabinoids during critical development periods has increased with epileptic children being commonly prescribed CBD for seizures and pregnant women taking it recreationally. Many studies have been done on the possible benefits and drawbacks of cannabinoid exposure on the human brain, but not much is known about how it can affect the developing brain long-term. To see the potential adverse effects of cannabinoid exposure during critical stages of development and discover potential developmental origins of disease in consuming cannabinoids during embryogenesis, zebrafish embryos (6-96 hours post fertilization) were exposed to varying concentrations of CBD (0.02, 0.1, 0.5 µM), THC …

The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Largazole: A Potential Chemotherapeutic Agent, Hannah Lynn Carson

Honors Theses

Histone deacetylase enzymes are known for their inherent activity as epigenetic modifiers. Although, they have become recognized for their role in cancer progression and other diseases. But also, histone deacetylases have other non-histone targets, for example, microtubules, which play important roles in cancer metastasis, apoptosis, and replication. With histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), our research explored HDACi effects on breast cancer cell lines. The overall goal was to understand the potential of largazole, a class one histone deacetylase inhibitor on breast cancer cell lines. The research consisted of two parts: sulforhodamine B (SRB) viability assays under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. The …

In-Vitro Assessment Of Cb1/Cb2 Receptor Binding And Function, Joey M. Davis

Honors Theses

Cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 are G protein-coupled receptors that have a variety of physiological effects on the human body. Many natural product agonists and antagonists are presumed to interact with the cannabinoid receptors and are therefore heavily studied in drug discovery. Assays are used to study the binding of compounds to these receptors. However, a limited number of these assays are efficient in determining the functional activity of ligands associated with CB1 and CB2. Of those, many use radioactivity which is both expensive and potentially dangerous to the researcher. In this study, we first validated the assays already found …

An Evaluation Of The Treatment Of Asthma In The State Of Mississippi Using Hedis Quality Control Measures, Kyle Kantor

Honors Theses

Introduction: Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the lungs that can have significant impacts on a patient’s quality of life. Asthma attacks can be very uncomfortable and even deadly in some cases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the treatment of asthma in the state of Mississippi and to describe the disparities between demographics to help healthcare providers identify patients who might be at risk for poor treatment and help those patients receive quality healthcare. Methods: The data was retrospectively collected from January to December 2014 Mississippi Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services claims data. This study is …

Does It Get Any Worse Than Acne? It Does, Actually. An In-Depth Review Of Accutane’S Regulatory History., Bridget A. Betts

Honors Theses

Isotretinoin, most often recognized by the brand name Accutane®, is regarded by many patients and prescribers as the miracle cure for acne. Its unsurpassed efficacy is paired with serious risk of adverse events and birth defects, which poses ethical questions regarding its safety and necessity. Its regulatory history established precedent in Food and Drug Administration Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies and brought awareness to the sharp dangers of teratogenic drug use.

This medication came as a breakthrough solution to patients that suffered years of unsuccessful regimens for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Some question the risk-benefit evaluation of such a …

Multi-Generational Effects Of ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure On Gene Expression In Liver Tissue, Kayla Lovitt

Honors Theses

Cannabis is the most commonly used, cultivated, and trafficked illicit drug worldwide. Increased availability and acceptance of cannabis and cannabinoid-containing products provide the necessity for understanding how these substances influence aging. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to concentrations of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (0.08, 0.4, 2 µM) during embryonic-larval development, the effects on aging were measured 30 months later and in the offspring of the exposed fish (F1 generation. We observed results indicating a biphasic and hormetic effect. Treatment with the lowest concentration of THC significantly increased egg production, while higher concentrations resulted in impaired …

Multicenter, Observational Cohort Study Evaluating Third-Generation Cephalosporin Therapy For Bloodstream Infections Secondary To Enterobacter, Serratia, And Citrobacter Species, Caroline Derrick, P. Brandon Bookstaver, Zhiqiang K. Lu, Christopher M. Bland

Faculty and Student Publications

Objectives: There is debate on whether the use of third-generation cephalosporins (3GC) increases the risk of clinical failure in bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by chromosomally-mediated AmpC-producing Enterobacterales (CAE). This study evaluates the impact of definitive 3GC therapy versus other antibiotics on clinical outcomes in BSIs due to Enterobacter, Serratia, or Citrobacter species. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study evaluated adult hospitalized patients with BSIs secondary to Enterobacter, Serratia, or Citrobacter species from 1 January 2006 to 1 September 2014. Definitive 3GC therapy was compared to definitive therapy with other non-3GC antibiotics. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression evaluated the impact of …

Pregnane Steroidogenesis Is Altered By Hiv-1 Tat And Morphine: Physiological Allopregnanolone Is Protective Against Neurotoxic And Psychomotor Effects, Jason Paris, Philippe Lière, Sarah Kim, Fakhri Mahdi, Meagen E. Buchanan, Sara R. Nass, Alaa N. Qrareya, Mohammed F. Salahuddin, Antoine Pianos, Neïké Fernandez, Zia Shariat-Madar, Pamela E. Knapp, Michaël Schumacher, Kurt F. Hauser

Faculty and Student Publications

Pregnane steroids, particularly allopregnanolone (AlloP), are neuroprotective in response to central insult. While unexplored in vivo, AlloP may confer protection against the neurological dysfunction associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). The HIV-1 regulatory protein, trans-activator of transcription (Tat), is neurotoxic and its expression in mice increases anxiety-like behavior; an effect that can be ameliorated by progesterone, but not when 5α-reduction is blocked. Given that Tat's neurotoxic effects involve mitochondrial dysfunction and can be worsened with opioid exposure, we hypothesized that Tat and/or combined morphine would perturb steroidogenesis in mice, promoting neuronal death, and that exogenous AlloP would …

Concordance Between Electronic Health Record Data And Medicare Part D Claims Data For Oral Anticancer Drug Use, Manvi Sharma, Michael L. Johnson, Hui Zhao, Sharon H. Giordano, Holly M. Holmes

Faculty and Student Publications

Real-world evidence from electronic health records (EHRs) and claims data are being evaluated for use in regulatory decision-making.^1,2 The objective of our study was to determine the concordance between EHR and Medicare Part D (MPD) claims data for the receipt of oral anticancer agents, a rapidly growing treatment option for cancer.

Weaving Charlotte's Web: An In-Depth Guide To Cannabidiol, Lauren Pitts

Honors Theses

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, first gathered national spotlight after Charlotte Figi and her mother Paige were able to find two physicians willing to prescribe CBD to treat Charlotte’s seizures. Charlotte suffered from Dravet Syndrome, but was able to find relief from CBD, which decreased the number and severity of her seizures. This sparked national interest and was the catalyst that lead to research and changes surrounding CBD uses and legality. Cannabidiol is a single cannabinoid that is found within the Cannabis sativa plant family—the same family that includes marijuana. This cannabinoid differs from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and does not provide …

Research News. Grants, 2020. Volume 1, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy, Soumyajit Majumdar

Grants (2015-)

Grants and contracts awarded during January - March 2020

School Of Pharmacy Intellectual Property Report Fy20, Third Quarter Report, Soumyajit Majumdar

U. S. Patents, School of Pharmacy

School of Pharmacy Intellectual Property Report FY20, Third Quarter Report (as of 3/31/2020)

Cancer Stem Cell Chemotherapeutics Assay For Prospective Treatment Of Recurrent Glioblastoma And Progressive Anaplastic Glioma: A Single-Institution Case Series, Tulika Ranjan, Candace M. Howard, Alexander Yu, Linda Xu, Khaled Aziz, David Jho, Jodi Leonardo, Muhammad A. Hameed, Stephen M. Karlovits, Rodney E. Wegner, Russell Fuhrer, Seth T. Lirette, Krista L. Denning, Jagan Valluri, Pier Paolo Claudio

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy-resistant cancer stem cells (CSC) may lead to tumor recurrence in glioblastoma (GBM). The poor prognosis of this disease emphasizes the critical need for developing a treatment stratification system to improve outcomes through personalized medicine. METHODS: We present a case series of 12 GBM and 2 progressive anaplastic glioma cases from a single Institution prospectively treated utilizing a CSC chemotherapeutics assay (ChemoID) guided report. All patients were eligible to receive a stereotactic biopsy and thus undergo ChemoID testing. We selected one of the most effective treatments based on the ChemoID assay report from a panel of FDA …

Concordance Between Electronic Health Record Data And Medicare Part D Claims Data For Oral Anticancer Drug Use, Manvi Sharma, Michael L. Johnson, Hui Zhao, Sharon H. Giordano, Holly M. Holmes

Faculty and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Promising Selective Mao-B Inhibition By Sesamin, A Lignan From Zanthoxylum Flavum Stems, Shaymaa M. Mohamed, Narayan D. Chaurasiya, Nesma M. Mohamed, Soad A.L. Bayoumi, Babu L. Tekwani, Samir A. Ross

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 The Author(s) Monoamine oxidase inhibition is an important therapeutic approach for various neurodegenerative disorders. Reversible MAO inhibitors selectively targeting only one isoform possess substantial merit in terms of safety, efficacy, and side effect profile. This study aimed to isolate the secondary metabolites of Zanthoxylum flavum stems and evaluate their recombinant human MAO inhibition, antimicrobial, and antiprotozoal activities. As a result, fourteen compounds were isolated and identified (nine of them were reported from Z. flavum for the first time). Compound 3 (sesamin) exhibited potent selective MAO-B inhibition (IC50 value of 1.45 ± 0.05 µM) which reported herein for the …

A Public Health Issue: Dietary Supplements Promoted For Brain Health And Cognitive Performance, Cindy Crawford, Courtney Boyd, Bharathi Avula, Yan Hong Wang, Ikhlas A. Khan, Patricia A. Deuster

Faculty and Student Publications

© Cindy Crawford, et al. 2020; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2020. Background: Dietary supplements targeting brain health have quickly emerged in the marketplace as cognitive performance becomes an important public health issue. While manufacturers are required to report the exact ingredients and formulations listed on the Supplement Facts labels of products, many reports have indicated such labels are not always truthful, and the content of some products is inconsistent with the ingredients listed on the Supplement Facts label. Objectives: To identify dietary supplement products and ingredients marketed for brain health and cognitive performance and perform analyses of select …

Phad 795: Section 1 Special Topics: Applied Longitudinal Modeling, John P. Bentley Ph.D.

GMAS Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Research News. Publications, 2020. Volume 1, University Of Mississippi. School Of Pharmacy, Soumyajit Majumdar

Publications (2015-)

Publications that appeared during the period January 1 through March 31, 2020

Assessing The Dyadic Relationship Between Sleep And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pd Patients And Their Caregivers Using The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (Apim), Sushmitha Inguva

Graduate Student Council Research Grants

Overview: My name is Sushmitha Inguva. I am a 4th year doctoral student in the Department of Pharmacy Administration in the School of Pharmacy. My primary area of interest is in Health Economics and Outcomes Research. For my dissertation, I am focusing on sleep disorders and their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and caregivers.

Intellectual Merit: PD is caused by loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. PD patients experience motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS). Among NMS, sleep disorders are the most common, occurring in about 60-90% of patients. Sleep disorders in patients …

Disparate Central And Peripheral Effects Of Circulating Igf-1 Deficiency On Tissue Mitochondrial Function, Gavin Pharaoh, Daniel Owen, Alexander Yeganeh, Pavithra Premkumar, Julie Farley, Shylesh Bhaskaran, Nicole Ashpole, Michael Kinter, Holly Van Remmen, Sreemathi Logan

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2019, The Author(s). Age-related decline in circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 is associated with reduced cognitive function, neuronal aging, and neurodegeneration. Decreased mitochondrial function along with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and accumulation of damaged macromolecules are hallmarks of cellular aging. Based on numerous studies indicating pleiotropic effects of IGF-1 during aging, we compared the central and peripheral effects of circulating IGF-1 deficiency on tissue mitochondrial function using an inducible liver IGF-1 knockout (LID). Circulating levels of IGF-1 (~ 75%) were depleted in adult male Igf1f/f mice via AAV-mediated knockdown of hepatic IGF-1 at 5 months of …

The Regression Of Endometriosis With Glycosylated Flavonoids Isolated From Melilotus Officinalis (L.) Pall. In An Endometriosis Rat Model, Mert Ilhan, Zulfiqar Ali, Ikhlas A. Khan, Hakkı Taştan, Esra Küpeli Akkol

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2020 Objective: Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall. is commonly used for treating bronchitis, painful menstruation, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, ulcers of the eyes, earache, and hardening and swelling of uterus. The European Medicines Agency reported the use of M. officinalis orally against stomach ache, gastric ulcer, and disorders of the liver and uterus in folk medicine. The present study aimed to appraise the activity of M. (L.) Pall. aerial parts in endometriosis rat model. Materials and methods: The endometriosis rat model was used to evaluate the potential activity of M. officinalis aerial parts based on its folkloric usage. The aerial parts …

School Of Pharmacy Intellectual Property Report Fy20, Second Quarter Report, Soumyajit Majumdar

U. S. Patents, School of Pharmacy

School of Pharmacy Intellectual Property Report FY20, Second Quarter Report (as of 12/31/2019)

Chemical Composition Of Volatile Oils Of Fresh And Air-Dried Buds Of Cannabis Chemovars, Their Insecticidal And Repellent Activities, Amira S. Wanas, Mohamed M. Radwan, Suman Chandra, Hemant Lata, Zlatko Mehmedic, Abbas Ali, K. H.C. Baser, Betul Demirci, Mahmoud A. Elsohly

Faculty and Student Publications

© The Author(s) 2020. The volatile oils of fresh and air-dried buds of 3 different varieties of Cannabis, namely, high cannabidiol (CBD) chemotype, intermediate CBD/tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) chemotype, and high THC chemotype were prepared by hydrodistillation. Gas chromatography analysis of the volatile oils resulted in the identification of 71 compounds, of which 33 were monoterpenes and 38 were sesquiterpenes. The volatile oil obtained from the THC chemotype showed an increase in the ratio of the sesquiterpenes to monoterpenes content. The content of terpinolene was dramatically decreased upon drying of THC chemotype. Moderate increase in β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide was observed. However, …

Associations Of Polypharmacy And Inappropriate Medications With Adverse Outcomes In Older Adults With Cancer: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mostafa R. Mohamed, Erika Ramsdale, Kah Poh Loh, Asad Arastu, Huiwen Xu, Spencer Obrecht, Daniel Castillo, Manvi Sharma, Holly M. Holmes, Ginah Nightingale, Katherine M. Juba, Supriya G. Mohile

Faculty and Student Publications

© AlphaMed Press 2019 Background: Polypharmacy (PP) and potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) are highly prevalent in older adults with cancer. This study systematically reviews the associations of PP and/or PIM with outcomes and, through a meta-analysis, obtains estimates of postoperative outcomes associated with PP in this population. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Register of Clinical Trials using standardized terms for concepts of PP, PIM, and cancer. Eligible studies included cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, meta-analyses, and clinical trials which examined outcomes associated with PP and/or PIM and included older adults with cancer. A random …

A Validated Uplc-Pda Method For Simultaneous Determination Of 3 Biologically Active Isoflavans In Trigonella Stellata Extract, Safa M. Shams Eldin, Mohamed M. Radwan, Amira S. Wanas, Abdel Azim M. Habib, Fahima F. Kassem, Hala M. Hammoda, Mahmoud A. Elsohly

Faculty and Student Publications

© The Author(s) 2020. In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/photodiode array method was developed for the simultaneous determination of trigonellan glucoside (1), isotrigonellan (2), and methoxy-isotrigonellan (3) in Trigonella stellata extract using an external standard method. The extract was prepared using a standardized method by maceration of the dried plant material in ethanol. The 3 isoflavans (1-3) were separated on an Acquity UPLC C18 column using gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution and 0.1% (v/v) formic acid in acetonitrile, and ultraviolet detection. The method provides a linear correlation for all …

Evaluation Of 18F-Iam6067 As A Sigma-1 Receptor Pet Tracer For Neurodegeneration In Vivo In Rodents And In Human Tissue, François Xavier Lepelletier, Matthias Vandesquille, Marie Claude Asselin, Christian Prenant, Andrew C. Robinson, David M.A. Mann, Michael Green, Elizabeth Barnett, Samuel D. Banister, Marco Mottinelli, Christophe Mesangeau, Christopher R. Mccurdy, Inga B. Fricke, Andreas H. Jacobs, Michael Kassiou, Hervé Boutin

Faculty and Student Publications

© The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). See http://ivyspring.com/terms for full terms and conditions. The sigma 1 receptor (S1R) is widely expressed in the CNS and is mainly located on the endoplasmic reticulum. The S1R is involved in the regulation of many neurotransmission systems and, indirectly, in neurodegenerative diseases. The S1R may therefore represent an interesting neuronal biomarker in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's (PD) or Alzheimer's diseases (AD). Here we present the characterisation of the S1R-specific 18F-labelled tracer 18F-IAM6067 in two animal models and in human …