Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Bioavailability And Spatial Distribution Of Fatty Acids In The Rat Retina After Dietary Omega-3 Supplementation, Elisa Vidal, Bokkyoo Jun, William C. Gordon, Marie Annick Maire, Lucy Martine, Stéphane Grégoire, Spiro Khoury, Stephanie Cabaret, Olivier Berdeaux, Niyazi Acar, Lionel Bretillon, Nicolas G. Bazan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Spatial changes of FAs in the retina in response to different dietary n-3 formulations have never been explored, although a diet rich in EPA and DHA is recommended to protect the retina against the effects of aging. In this study, Wistar rats were fed for 8 weeks with balanced diet including either EPA-containing phospholipids (PLs), EPA-containing TGs, DHA-containing PLs, or DHA-containing TGs. Qualitative changes in FA composition of plasma, erythrocytes, and retina were evaluated by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Following the different dietary intakes, changes to the quantity and spatial organization of PC and PE species in retina were determined …

Cyclosporine Shows Benefit As Compared To Methotrexate For Treatment Of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis Refractory To Topical Medications When Rapidity Of Clinical Response Is Of Key Importance To The Patient, Connor R. Buechler, Steven Daveluy Md

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report appraising El-Khalawany MA, Hassan H, Shaaban D, Ghonaim N, Eassa B. Methotrexate versus cyclosporine in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis in children: a multicenter experience from Egypt. European Journal of Pediatrics. 2012;172(3):351-356. https://doi.org10.1007/s00431-012-1893-3 for a pediatric patient with severe atopic dermatitis.

Can We Turn Off The “Covid-Biting-Tail” Inflammation?, Valentina Giudice, Amelia Filippelli, Carmine Selleri

Translational Medicine @ UniSa

To date, SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 32 million people, and 30% of cases needs intensive care treatment for severe Covid-19 and related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Despite medical efforts, mortality rate is still high, and no specific therapies have been outlined yet. Preliminary evidence from case reports and clinical trials using anti-inflammatory and anti-complement drugs shows a deep and overwhelmed inter-play between adaptive and immune responses triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, a combinatorial therapeutic strategy targeting both inflammation and immune system might more efficiently stop this inflammatory loop and prevent the development of ARDS.

Types And Risk Factors Of Violence Experienced By People Living With Hiv, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study, Safia Awan, Nukhba Zia, Fatima Sharif, Sharaf Ali Shah, Bushra Jamil

Department of Medicine

Background: In Pakistan, data are lacking on the violence experienced by people living with HIV.
Aims: This study determined the prevalence and risk factors of violence (physical, psychological and sexual) in people living with HIV in Karachi, Pakistan.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in 2016 of people living with HIV attending clinics of Bridge Consultants Foundation, a community-based care provider. Date were collected using an interview-based questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to assess the risk factors for violence with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) presented.
Results: The sample included 250 people living with …

Effect Of Hyperprolactinemia On Male Fertility, Ghazi Tadmori, Najwa Fakhal, Marwan Halabi

Al Jinan الجنان

This study aims at the investigation of the effect of prolactinemia on male fertility. The study group included 30 males with infertility problems and accompanied with high prolactin hormone levels in the blood. Hormone and seminal fluid analyses were performed before and after treatments with Cabergoline (DostinexTM), and results were comparable to those observed in a control group consisting of 14 healthy males. Results have shown that the increase in prolactin levels led to flaws in sexual hormone concentrations and to a decrease in sperm count and mobility compared to the control group. For this purpose, two groups were tested. …

Contraceptive Methods In The United States: The Question Of Abortive Mechanisms, Tara Ferenczy

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis reviews the many methods of contraception available in the United States. Although society’s understanding of women’s health has become a major topic, there is still a significant deficit of information regarding how the accessible methods affect women’s bodies, specifically reproductive tissue. The thesis analyzes numerous contraceptive options focusing specifically on the mechanisms of action to determine whether options have abortifacient properties so that readers may develop educated opinions regarding medical and ethical uses. Information involving strengths and limitations of each technique and the effects on both the female body and the reproductive material assist in understanding the process …

October 2020, Randy Curry, Cindy Brooks

RURAL ROCKS

Rural Rocks, the Rural Health Network newsletter by the SWOSU College of Pharmacy.

Validation And Application Of A Novel Target-Based Whole-Cell Screen To Identify Antifungal Compounds, Christian Alexander Dejarnette

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Traditional approaches to drug discovery are inefficient and have several key limitations that constrain our capacity to rapidly identify and develop novel experimental therapeutics. To address this, we have devised a second-generation target-based whole-cell screening assay based on the principles of competitive fitness, which can rapidly identify target-specific and physiologically-active compounds. Briefly, strains expressing high, intermediate, and low levels of a preselected target protein were constructed, tagged with spectrally distinct fluorescent proteins (FPs), and mixed together. The pooled strains were then grown in the presence of various small molecules, and the relative growth of each strain within the mixed culture …

September 2020, Randy Curry, Cindy Brooks

RURAL ROCKS

Rural Rocks, the Rural Health Network newsletter by the SWOSU College of Pharmacy.

Cytokine-Targeted Therapeutics For Kshv-Associated Disease, Nedaa Alomari, Jennifer Totonchy

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) also known as human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), is linked to several human malignancies including Kaposi sarcoma (KS), primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD) and recently KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome (KICS). As with other diseases that have a significant inflammatory component, current therapy for KSHV-associated disease is associated with significant off-target effects. However, recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of KSHV have produced new insight into the use of cytokines as potential therapeutic targets. Better understanding of the role of cytokines during KSHV infection and tumorigenesis may lead to new preventive or therapeutic …

Single‐Molecule 3d Orientation Imaging Reveals Nanoscale Compositional Heterogeneity In Lipid Membranes, Jin Lu, Hesam Mazidi, Tianben Ding, Oumeng Zhang, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

In soft matter, thermal energy causes molecules to continuously translate and rotate, even in crowded environments, thereby impacting the spatial organization and function of most molecular assemblies, such as lipid membranes. Directly measuring the orientation and spatial organization of large collections (>3000 molecules μm⁻²) of single molecules with nanoscale resolution remains elusive. In this paper, we utilize SMOLM, single‐molecule orientation localization microscopy, to directly measure the orientation spectra (3D orientation plus “wobble”) of lipophilic probes transiently bound to lipid membranes, revealing that Nile red's (NR) orientation spectra are extremely sensitive to membrane chemical composition. SMOLM images resolve …

Homicide And Drug Trafficking In Impoverished Communities In Brazil, Elenice De Souza Oliveira, Braulio Figueiredo Alves Da Silva, Flavio Luiz Sapori, Gabriela Gomes Cardoso

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Many studies demonstrate that homicides are heavily concentrated in impoverished neighborhoods, but not all socially disadvantaged neighborhoods are hotbeds of violence. Conducted in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, this study hypothesizes that the association between high rates of homicide and impoverished areas is influenced by the emergence of a specific type of street drug-dealing common to favelas (slums). The study applies econometric techniques to police data on homicides and drug arrests from 2008 to 2011, as well as 2010 Census data, to test its hypothesis. The findings provide insight into the development of crime prevention policies in areas of high social vulnerability.

Acute And Chronic Dosing Of A High-Affinity Rat/Mouse Chimeric Transferrin Receptor Antibody In Mice, Demi M. Castellanos, Jiahong Sun, Joshua Yang, Weijun Ou, Alexander C. Zambon, William M. Pardridge, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Non-invasive brain delivery of neurotherapeutics is challenging due to the blood-brain barrier. The revived interest in transferrin receptor antibodies (TfRMAbs) as brain drug-delivery vectors has revealed the effect of dosing regimen, valency, and affinity on brain uptake, TfR expression, and Fc-effector function side effects. These studies have primarily used monovalent TfRMAbs with a human constant region following acute intravenous dosing in mice. The effects of a high-affinity bivalent TfRMAb with a murine constant region, without a fusion partner, following extravascular dosing in mice are, however, not well characterized. Here we elucidate the plasma pharmacokinetics and safety of a high-affinity bivalent …

Simultaneous Analytical Determination Of Methyl Salicylate And Thymol In Selected Malaysian Traditional Medicines, Muhammad Shahariz Mohamad Adzib

Student Works (2020-2029)

Various topical formulations comprise of methyl salicylate and thymol due to their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. The huge demand has led traditional medicines being susceptible to adulteration with synthetic drugs or their analogues to enhance their efficacy and to minimise the cost of obtaining the limited natural substance. The objectives of this study are to analyse a suitable analytical method for simultaneous determination of methyl salicylate and thymol in selected Malaysian traditional medicines using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and to screen the selected Malaysian traditional medicines for possible methyl salicylate and thymol adulteration using the analytical method. Most literature …

Click-Free Synthesis Of A Multivalent Tricyclic Peptide As A Molecular Transporter, Sumit Kumar, Dindyal Mandal, Shaima Ahmed El-Mowafi, Saghar Mozaffari, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The cellular delivery of cell-impermeable and water-insoluble molecules remains an ongoing challenge to overcome. Previously, we reported amphipathic cyclic peptides c[WR]₄ and c[WR]₅ consisting of alternate arginine and tryptophan residues as nuclear-targeting molecular transporters. These peptides contain an optimal balance of positive charge and hydrophobicity, which is required for interactions with the phospholipid bilayer to facilitate their application as a drug delivery system. To further optimize them, we synthesized and evaluated a multivalent tricyclic peptide as an efficient molecular transporter. The monomeric cyclic peptide building blocks were synthesized using Fmoc/tBu solid-phase chemistry and cyclization in the …

Effect Of High Glucose On Ocular Surface Epithelial Cell Barrier And Tight Junction Proteins, Saleh M. Alfuraih, Ashley Barbarino, Christopher Ross, Kiumars Shamloo, Vishal Jhanji, Miao Zhang, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE. Patients with diabetes mellitus are reported to have ocular surface defects, impaired ocular surface barrier function, and a higher incidence of corneal and conjunctival infections. Tight junctions are critical for ocular surface barrier function. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of high glucose exposure on human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cell barrier function and tight junction proteins.

METHODS. Human corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells were exposed to 15 mM and 30 mM glucose for 24 and 72 hours. The barrier function was measured using transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). The cell migration was quantified using scratch assay. …

Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Psilocybin From January 1, 1989 To December 31, 2019, Dax Oliver

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psilocybin is a chemical compound that has received a lot of attention from medical researchers in recent years. However, this research is not merely a medical issue but a social and political one as well. In the 1960s, psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds were widely ingested outside of clinical settings. This alarmed some of the American public, resulting in severe legal restrictions on psilocybin use and research.

Today, many psilocybin advocates hope that it will avoid the negative public sentiment of the 1960s. To help gauge public sentiment about other psychoactive compounds, some studies have examined newspaper coverage, but there …

Synthesis, Structure Elucidation And Selected Biological Activities Of Ag(I) And Au(I) Complexes Constructed From Thiosemicarbazone And Phosphine Ligands, Syahrina Nur ‘Ain Abdul Halim

Student Works (2020-2029)

New Ag(I) and Au(I) mixed ligand complexes were synthesised using thiosemicarbazone and phosphine in search of a new biologically active compounds. CHN elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), single crystal X-ray diffraction as well as several spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), 1H, 13C, and 31P{1H} NMR were performed to elucidate the structure of these complexes. Elemental analysis suggested that the stoichiometry of the complexes formed by the reaction of Ag nitrate with thiosemicarbazone in the presence of phosphine was indeed 1:2:1 molar ratio, while for the Au to be in 1:1:1 molar ratio. The Ag and Au …

21 In The 21st—An Evaluation Of The Tobacco Regulation Trend, Casey Kellum

St. Mary's Law Journal

Tobacco regulation persists as a controversial issue both legally and politically in the United States. Throughout American history, states rely on local legislation to provide adequate protection to consumers of tobacco products, as “Big Tobacco” targets consumers for its addictive product. One of the most recent amendments in this arena is the state by state decision to raise the minimum legal sales age for tobacco to twenty-one.

Despite rigorous regulation of tobacco products in the United States, however, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in the country. These “Tobacco 21” ordinances come at a critical time when the …

Capsaicin Is A Negative Allosteric Modulator Of The 5-Ht3 Receptor, Eslam El Nebrisi, Tatiana Prytkova, Dietrich Ernst Lorke, Luke Howarth, Asma Hassan Alzaabi, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Frank Christopher Howarth, Murat Oz

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

In this study, effects of capsaicin, an active ingredient of the capsicum plant, were investigated on human 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT₃) receptors. Capsaicin reversibly inhibited serotonin (5-HT)-induced currents recorded by two-electrode voltage clamp method in Xenopus oocytes. The inhibition was time- and concentration-dependent with an IC₅₀ = 62 μM. The effect of capsaicin was not altered in the presence of capsazepine, and by intracellular BAPTA injections or trans-membrane potential changes. In radio-ligand binding studies, capsaicin did not change the specific binding of the 5-HT₃ antagonist [³H]GR65630, indicating that it is a noncompetitive inhibitor of …