Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Pharmacogenetic Testing In The Treatment Of Major Depressive Disorder, Brianna Strube

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

• Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the United States and is a large cause of disability. Antidepressants take weeks/months to become effective which can lead to noncompliance. Treatment has a high failure rate which increases medical costs and leads to decreased patient outcomes.

• Pharmacogenetic testing is the practice of analyzing genetic differences to predict a patient’s response to medications to improve efficacy and decrease adverse side effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate if pharmacogenetic-guided treatment, specifically in the use of antidepressants in MDD, has resulted in improved patient …

Association Between Proton Pump Inhibitor Use & Dementia: A Two-Fold Approach, Lisa Steers

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Posters

An observational study of data derived from the German Study on Aging, Cognition and Dementia indicated that proton pump inhibitor use was associated with dementia risk (Benmassaoud, McDonald, & Lee, 2016). The purpose of this study is to explore a two-fold approach between proton pump inhibitor use and dementia. This two-fold approach will first investigate the association between dementia and proton pump inhibitor use and secondly, the proposed pathophysiology behind it. This approach to proton pump inhibitor use and dementia will allow for providers to utilize the association and make decisions to avoid chronic proton pump inhibitor use in effort …

Assessment Of The Use Of Overdose Education And Naloxone Distribution By Maine Buprenorphine/Naloxone Prescribers, Stephen Kirsch

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Background: Overdose deaths, specifically related to opioids, have been identified as a public health problem both nationally and in the state of Maine. Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) is an innovative model of patient education that has been shown to be effective in increasing knowledge of overdose risk and has the potential to help reduce opiate related overdose deaths.

Methods: A 28-item web-based survey examining clinician attitudes, OEND practices and characteristics was distributed to 196 Maine based physicians with a Drug Enforcement Agency waiver to prescribe burprenorphine/naloxone. Facilitators and barriers to the provision of OEND were also assessed. Surveys …

The Relationship Between Alcohol Use And Familial And Social Influence In College Nursing Students, Darren C. Crooks, Kathleen A. Gillota

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

College students are a population with a high prevalence of risky consumption of alcohol and nursing students, specifically, are no exception. Yet few studies have been done on the use of alcohol in the student-nurse population. Since nursing education and practice are highly stressful, unhealthy coping strategies, such as risky alcohol consumption, are sadly common and seriously detrimental.

This paper explores the self-reported consumption of alcohol in undergraduate nursing students as related to peer, familial, and social influences. Based on the Biopsychosocial Model, many different factors contribute to alcohol use. Using anonymous online survey methodology and convenience sampling, data about …

Discovering A Novel Antifungal Target In Downstream Sterol Biosynthesis Using A Squalene Synthase Functional Motif, Kristin Brooke Linscott

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

The sterol biosynthetic pathway is essential for growth of all eukaryotic cells and the main target of antifungal agents. The emergence of resistance to these antifungals in an already ill patient population indicates a need to develop drugs that have a broad spectrum of activity among pathogenic fungi and have minimal patient toxicity. Squalene synthase is the first committed step in the sterol pathway and has been studied intensively for development of antifungal agents. While the overall architecture of this enzyme is identical throughout eukaryotes, it was shown that plant and animal genes cannot complement a squalene synthase knockout mutation …

Synergism Of Quercetin And Sodium Butyrate For Controlling Growth Of Glioblastoma, Matthew Alan Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), or simply glioblastoma, is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor, with a prevalence of approximately 20,000 new cases per year in the United States and a 3-year survival rate of just 2%. Quercetin (QCT) is a dietary flavonoid that can be found in common foods such as red kidney beans, cilantro, and onions. Despite little evidence showing any benefits through dietary intake of QCT, various studies show its promising anti-cancer results in vitro. In glioblastoma, QCT is able to cause significant amounts of apoptosis through a variety of mechanisms. These include activation of caspase-9 and …

Garlic Inhibits Inflammation During Dengue Infection, Alex R. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes significant human disease and mortality in the tropics and subtropics. There has been a recent global trend of increased epidemic activity, and DENV infection is considered a serious emerging health problem worldwide. A relatively unexplored approach to develop new treatments for dengue virus infection and the prevention of severe disease development is through investigation of natural medicines. Inflammation plays both beneficial and harmful roles during the host response to dengue virus infection. Several studies have proposed that it is the oxidative stress response induced by dengue virus infection that is responsible …

Functional Role Of The Homeobox Transcription Factor Six1 In Neoplastic Transformation Of Human Keratinocytes, Maria Hosseinipour

Theses and Dissertations

The homeobox transcription factor SIX1 contributes to both tumor development and progression. Numerous studies have determined that the inappropriate expression of embryonic genes, in particular transcription factors, contributes to carcinogenesis. SIX1 is essential for the development of numerous organs including the auditory and olfactory system as well as the kidney, by promoting proliferation, survival and migration of progenitor cells during embryogenesis. SIX1 has also been shown to increase cancer cell proliferation, survival and invasion. The aberrant expression of SIX1 occurs in numerous adult and pediatric cancers. We have previously determined that our in-vitro model system for HPV16-mediated tumorigenesis shares many …

Chemical Probes For Protein Α-N-Terminal Methylation, Brianna D. Mackie

Theses and Dissertations

While protein α-N-terminal methylation has been known for nearly four decades since it was first uncovered on bacteria ribosomal proteins L33, the function of this modification is still not entirely understood. Recent discoveries have demonstrated α-N-terminal methylation is essential to stabilize the interactions between regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1) and chromatin during mitosis, to localize and enhance the interaction of centromere proteins (CENPs) with chromatin, and to facilitate the recruitment of DNA damage-binding protein 2 (DDB2) to DNA damage foci. Identification of N-terminal methyltransferase 1 (NTMT1) unveiled the eukaryotic methylation writer for protein α-N-termini. In addition, NTMT2 that shares …

Individual Differences In Markers Of Cholinergic Signaling Correlating To Fear And Extinction Learning, Grace C. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) results when individuals are exposed to a life threatening event, assault, serious injury, or other traumatic incident. Individuals with PTSD are impaired in their ability to extinguish fear memories, resulting in intrusive symptoms that impair their ability to live otherwise healthy lives. It remains unclear why some individuals exposed to traumatic events develop PTSD while others do not. Acetylcholine has been shown to play a critical role in fear learning, but its role in fear extinction is not well understood. This study utilized a rat model of fear learning and extinction to determine if individual differences …

Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M1’S Impact On Fear Extinction Learning, Joshua R. Mcelroy

Theses and Dissertations

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that can occur following a traumatic event like combat, assault, or disaster. Individuals with PTSD are unable to extinguish fear memories which can become chronic and disabling. However, it remains unclear why some individuals exposed to a traumatic event develop PTSD while others are resilient. Acetylcholine plays a critical role in fear learning, but its role in fear extinction is less well understood. In this investigation, we used a rat model of fear extinction to determine if individual differences in extinction learning are correlated with markers of cholinergic signaling. Cholinergic markers …

Investigation Of Anticoagulation Properties Of Sulfated Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics, Elsamani I. Abdelfadiel

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

INVESTEGATION OF ANTICOAGULATION PROPERTIES OF SULFATED

GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN MIMETICS

By Elsamani Ismail Abdelfadiel, MS

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of

Science at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017.

Supervisor: Umesh R Desai

Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry

The existence of thrombosis in numerous pathophysiological situations formed a vast necessity for anticoagulation therapy. Thrombin and factor Xa are the only two factors of the entire coagulation cascade that have been major targets for regulation of clotting via the direct and indirect mechanism of inhibition. Our recent discovery of sulfated non-saccharide glycosaminoglycan …

The Role Of Inflammation In Atherosclerosis, Fatma Saaoud

Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is both a chronic inflammatory disease and lipid deposition disorder characterized by accumulation of lipids, fibrous tissue, and inflammatory cells in the arterial wall. Thus, investigating the role of inflammation and the immune system in the progression of atherosclerosis may help in the development of novel therapeutics for atherosclerotic disease. Current atherosclerosis therapy is aimed at lipid targets and focused primarily on reducing plasma cholesterol levels. Clinical and experimental data support the critical role of inflammation in atherosclerosis and suggest that reducing inflammation even without affecting lipid levels may reduce the event rate of cardiovascular disease. Yet, no pure …

Rapid Detection Of In Vitro Antituberculous Drug Resistance Among Smear-Positive Respiratory Samples Using Microcolony Detection-Based Direct Drug Susceptibility Testing Method, Irim Iftikhar, Seema Irfan, Joveria Farooqi, Zahida Azizullah, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: With the rise in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, there is a search for newer techniques that will rapidly detect drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although molecular techniques can detect resistance, culture is still considered gold standard, especially in resource-limited settings where quick, cheap, and easy techniques are needed. The aim of the study was to evaluate microcolony method thin layer agar (TLA) for quick detection of resistance against the first- and second-line antituberculous drugs in clinical isolates. This was a cross-sectional study performed at Aga Khan University Hospital.
Material and Methods: A total of 87 Z-N stain smear-positive pulmonary samples were received and …

Taurine's Effect On Cocaine Reward And Neurogenesis In The Adolescent Male Rat Brain., Avery E. Villa-Gonzalez

Dissertations and Theses

Adolescence is a developmentally critical transition from childhood to adulthood including both maturation of the body and the brain. Neuroplastic changes result in dynamic organization of the brain during adolescence, leaving them vulnerable to development of mental illness and drug-seeking behavior. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the psychostimulant cocaine is the second most popular illicit drug in the world. Cocaine, amongst having many detrimental effects, has shown to also decrease hippocampal neurogenesis, resulting in decreased neuroplasticity and cognitive dysfunction. Previous students in our laboratory have shown that treatment of adult male rats with the essential …

Identification Of “Kratom” (Mitragyna Speciosa) Alkaloids In Commercially Available Products, Julia Grzymkowski, Michelle R. Peace, Justin Poklis

UROP Posters

“Kratom” is the common name for the botanical mitragyna speciosa. It is a tree native to Southeast Asia in which leaves contain the psychoactive alkaloids mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. Kratom is often ingested as teas, chewed, or smoked. It acts as a stimulant in small doses and as an opioid in large doses. Overdoses can result in vomiting, seizures, and death. Recently the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) placed Kratom on Schedule 1, but, due to public outcry, it was almost immediately removed.

Eleven kratom based products were obtained from various tobacco shops, “headshops” and via the internet including: Choice brand …

Borneol, A Novel Agent That Improves Central Nervous System Drug Delivery By Enhancing Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability, Qun-Lin Zhang, Bingmei M. Fu, Zhang-Jin Zhang

Publications and Research

The clinical application of central nervous system (CNS) drugs is limited by their poor bioavailability due to the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Borneol is a naturally occurring compound in a class of ‘orificeopening’ agents often used for resuscitative purposes in traditional Chinese medicine. A growing body of evidence confirms that the ‘orifice-opening’ effect of borneol is principally derived from opening the BBB. Borneol is therefore believed to be an effective adjuvant that can improve drug delivery to the brain. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of information accumulated over the past two decades on borneol’s chemical …

Structure-Function Investigation Of Proteins Involved In Cellulose Biosynthesis By Escherichia Coli, Thomas Brenner

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Bacteria thrive within multicellular communities called biofilms consisting of a self-produced matrix. Biofilm matrices improve bacterial adherence to surfaces while creating a barrier from host immune responses, disinfectants, antibiotics and other environmental factors. Persistent colonization by the widely distributed pathogens, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., has been linked to production of biofilms composed of the exopolysaccharide cellulose. Cellulose-containing biofilms are also important to Acetobacter, Sarcina, Rhizobium and Agrobacterium species to form symbiotic and pathogenic interactions. In Enterobacteriaceae, two operons (bcsABZC and bcsEFG) are proposed to encode for proteins that form a cellulose biosynthetic complex that spans the …

Synthesis Of Multifunctional Polyacrylates And A Binding Group To Hemoglobin For The Treatment Of Traumatic Brain Injuries, Marina Michaud

Honors College Theses

Hemoglobin based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) hold promise as an effective emergency treatment of severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In the latest generation of HBOCs, polynitroxyl-pegylated hemoglobin (PNPH), cell-free hemoglobin is modified with TEMPO and PEG which reduce the toxicities associated with earlier generations of HBOCs. In our efforts to optimize the economic and therapeutic impacts of PNPH’s we have synthesized polydimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (poly-DMAEMA) under controlled living conditions via reverse addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The poly-DMAEMA was then successfully functionalized via quaternization of its NMe₂ groups using chloroacetate derivatives of the TEMPO and PEG. This process was quantitative and …

Rationale For, Initiation And Titration Of The Basal Insulin/Glp-1ra Fixed-Ratio Combination Products, Ideglira And Iglarlixi, For The Management Of Type 2 Diabetes, Virginia Valentine, Jennifer Goldman, Jay H. Shubrook

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC College of Osteopathic Medicine

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a progressive disease affecting glucose regulation and a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Many patients are not escalated up the treatment ladder appropriately despite failing to achieve glycemic control, with barriers such as fear of hypoglycemia, weight gain, and treatment burden recognized as factors. Exogenous basal insulin is titrated to address control of fasting plasma glucose and may preserve residual β-cell function, thus promoting a greater endogenous prandial insulin response. Native glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a peptide hormone secreted by the gut in response to nutrient ingestion; it increases insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon …