Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Alkali Therapy In Lactic Acidosis, Zeid J. Khitan, Md, Deepak Malhotra, Md, Dominic S. Raj, Md, Antonios H. Tzamaloukas, Md, Joseph I. Shapiro, Md

Marshall Journal of Medicine

This report attempts to frame the debate about clinical administration of sodium bicarbonate in the setting of lactic acidosis in terms of simple questions. Specifically, we address why we develop lactic acidosis in some circumstances, how acute lactic acidosis impairs cardiovascular function and why sodium bicarbonate may have deleterious effects which limit its utility. We also attempt to explore treatment alternatives to sodium bicarbonate.

Topical Administration Of Psychotropic Medications In Pluronic Lecithin Organogel To Treat Patients With Dementia: A Retrospective Observational Study, Cornelius W. Thomas, Md, Suzanne Holroyd, Md. Chair, Department Of Psychiatry

Marshall Journal of Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of mood and behavioral symptoms in geriatric patients with advanced dementia may be impeded by poor compliance with oral medications. Pluronic lecithin organogel (PLO) is a compounding substrate that can be used for the topical administration of psychotropic medications.

METHODS: Charts of patients treated with psychotropic medications compounded with PLO cream were reviewed for treatment outcomes. All patients were treated by a nursing home outreach service.

RESULTS: Records from twenty-four patients, mean age 86.8 + 5.9, were reviewed. Common psychiatric symptoms included agitation, aggressive behavior, and depression. Medications most commonly administered as a PLO cream included quetiapine and …

Steroid Receptor Isoform Expression In Drosophila Nociceptor Neurons Is Required For Normal Dendritic Arbor And Sensitivity, Aidan L. Mcparland, Taylor L. Follansbee, Gwendolyn D. Vesenka, Alexandra E. Panaitiu, Geoffrey K. Ganter

Biology Student Publications

Steroid hormones organize many aspects of development, including that of the nervous system. Steroids also play neuromodulatory and other activational roles, including regulation of sensitivity to painful stimuli in mammals. In Drosophila, ecdysteroids are the only steroid hormones, and therefore the fly represents a simplified model system in which to explore mechanisms of steroid neuromodulation of nociception. In this report, we present evidence that ecdysteroids, acting through two isoforms of their nuclear ecdysone receptor (EcR), modulate sensitivity to noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli in the fly larva. We show that EcRA and EcRB1 are expressed by third instar larvae in …

Theaflavin-3, 3'-Digallate Decreases Human Ovarian Carcinoma Ovcar-3 Cell-Induced Angiogenesis Via Akt And Notch-1 Pathways, Not Via Mapk Pathways, Ying Gao, Gary O. Rankin, Youying Tu, Yi Charlie Chen

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Theaflavin-3, 3'-digallate (TF3) is a black tea polyphenol produced from polymerization and oxidization of the green tea ployphenols epicatechin gallate and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) during fermentation of fresh tea leaves. TF3 has been reported to have anticancer properties. However, the effect of TF3 on tumor angiogenesis and the underlying mechanisms are not clear. In the present study, TF3 was verified to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Compared with EGCG, TF3 was more potent. TF3 inhibited human ovarian carcinoma OVCAR-3 cell-induced angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cell model and in chick chorioallantoic membrane model. TF3 reduced tumor angiogenesis by downregulating HIF-1α and VEGF. …

Genestation 1.0: A Synthetic Resource Of Diverse Evolutionary And Functional Genomic Data For Studying The Evolution Of Pregnancy-Associated Tissues And Phenotypes, Mara Kim, Brian A. Cooper, Rohit Venkat, Julie B. Phillips, Haley R. Eidem, Jibril Hirbo, Sashank Nutakki, Scott M. Williams, Louis J. Muglia, J. Anthony Capra, Kenneth Petren, Patrick Abbot, Antonis Rokas, Kriston L. Mcgary

Dartmouth Scholarship

Mammalian gestation and pregnancy are fast evolving processes that involve the interaction of the fetal, maternal and paternal genomes. Version 1.0 of the GEneSTATION database (http://genestation.org) integrates diverse types of omics data across mammals to advance understanding of the genetic basis of gestation and pregnancy-associated phenotypes and to accelerate the translation of discoveries from model organisms to humans. GEneSTATION is built using tools from the Generic Model Organism Database project, including the biology-aware database CHADO, new tools for rapid data integration, and algorithms that streamline synthesis and user access. GEneSTATION contains curated life history information on pregnancy and …

Real-Time Detection Of Breast Cancer Cells Using Peptidefunctionalized Microcantilever Arrays, Hashem Etayash, Keren Jiang, Sarfuddin Azmi, Thomas Thundat, Kamaljit Kaur

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ligand-directed targeting and capturing of cancer cells is a new approach for detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Ligands such as antibodies have been successfully used for capturing cancer cells and an antibody based system (CellSearch®) is currently used clinically to enumerate CTCs. Here we report the use of a peptide moiety in conjunction with a microcantilever array system to selectively detect CTCs resulting from cancer, specifically breast cancer. A sensing microcantilever, functionalized with a breast cancer specific peptide 18-4 (WxEAAYQrFL), showed significant deflection on cancer cell (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) binding compared to when exposed to noncancerous (MCF10A and HUVEC) cells. …

Stress Granules Modulate Syk To Cause Microglial Cell Dysfunction In Alzheimer's Disease, Soumira Ghosh, Robert Geahlen

Borch Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Faculty Publications

Microglial cells in the brains of Alzheimer's patients are known to be recruited to amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques where they exhibit an activated phenotype, but are defective for plaque removal by phagocytosis. In this study, we show that microglia stressed by exposure to sodium arsenite or Aβ(1–42) peptides or fibrils form ex- tensive stress granules (SGs) to which the tyrosine kinase, SYK, is recruited. SYK enhances the formation of SGs, is active within the resulting SGs and stimulates the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that are toxic to neuronal cells. This sequestration of SYK inhibits the ability of microglial …

The Effect Of High And Low Antiepileptic Drug Dosage On Simulated Driving Performance In Person’S With Seizures: A Pilot Study, Alexander Crizzle, Sherrilene Classen, Christina Lafranca, William Silver, Stephan Eisenschenk

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Prior studies examining driving performance have not examined the effects of antiepileptic drugs (AED’s) or their dosages in persons with epilepsy. AED’s are the primary form of treatment to control seizures, but they are shown to affect cognition, attention, and vision, all which may impair driving. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of high and low AED dosages on simulated driving performance in persons with seizures.

Method: Patients (N = 11; mean age 42.1 ± 6.3; 55% female; 100% Caucasian) were recruited from the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit and had their driving assessed on a simulator. …

Tracing The Human Healthcare Roots Of Antibiotic Resistance In India: Causes, Challenges, And Promising Solutions, Kelsey Matteson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The rapid development of biological defense mechanisms by bacteria, or antibiotic resistance, is a dangerously progressing public health concern worldwide. The spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens are not only a threat to the security of healthcare facilities and the stability of modern medicine across the globe, but this phenomenon also creates a particular burden on countries with a high prevalence of infectious disease such as India. This study attempts to explore India’s unique human healthcare causes of the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, comprehend the obstacles that have created roadblocks to change, and outline possible solutions to overcome these …

Myricetin Inhibits Proliferation Of Cisplatin-Resistant Cancer Cells Through A P53-Dependent Apoptotic Pathway, Haizhi Huang, Allen Y. Chen, Xingqian Ye, Bingyun Li, Yon Rojanasakul, Gary O. Rankin, Yi Charlie Chen

Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology

Cisplatin is a commonly used drug for cancer treatment by crosslinking DNA, leading to apoptosis of cancer cells, resistance to cisplatin treatment often occurs, leading to relapse. Therefore, there is a need for the development of more effective treatment strategies that can overcome chemoresistance. Myricetin is a flavonoid from fruits and vegetables, showing anticancer activity in various cancer cells. In this study, we found myricetin exhibited greater cytotoxicity than cisplatin in two cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines, OVCAR-3 and A2780/CP70, and it was less cytotoxic to the normal ovarian cell line IOSE-364. Myricetin selectively induced apoptosis in both cisplatinresistant cancer …

New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus With Exposure To Ledipasvir And Sofosbuvir., Resmi Premji, Nira Roopnarinesingh, Nazia Qazi, Eric S. Nylen

Medicine Faculty Publications

The combination therapy of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Although hyperglycemia is not well known to occur with its use, we present 2 cases of new-onset diabetes mellitus and a review of the literature suggesting an adverse event association. In the first patient with HIV, we postulate that ledipasvir/sofosbuvir increased the levels of tenofovir and thereby potentiated hyperglycemia. In the second case of a patient with prediabetes, ledipasvir/sofosbuvir appeared to increase insulin resistance. A literature review further supported an association of hyperglycemia and the use of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir. …

Intra-Individual Consistency In Endocrine Profiles Across Successive Pregnancies, Molly Fox, Curt A. Sandman, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Context: It is yet unknown how similar women’s hormone levels are during successive pregnancies, and very little is known about the degree to which siblings experience similar prenatal environments. Given the importance of understanding how women’s reproductive life-histories exert cumulative effects on health via hormone exposure, and the importance of understanding how fetal programming via endocrine signaling affects sibling trait concordance, here we address this important lacuna in the literature.

Objective: To investigate how consistent are women’s hormone profiles across two successive pregnancies.

Design and Main Outcome Measures: This longitudinal, prospective study followed a cohort of 28 …

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.

Elongation Factor-P At The Crossroads Of The Host-Endosymbiont Interface, Andrei Rajkovic, Anne Witzky, William Navarre, Andrew J. Darwin, Michael Ibba

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Elongation factor P (EF-P) is an ancient bacterial translational factor that aids the ribosome in polymerizing oligo-prolines. EF-P structurally resembles tRNA and binds in-between the exit and peptidyl sites of the ribosome to accelerate the intrinsically slow reaction of peptidyl-prolyl bond formation. Recent studies have identified in separate organisms, two evolutionarily convergent EF-P post-translational modification systems (EPMS), split predominantly between gammaproteobacteria, and betaproteobacteria. In both cases EF-P receives a post-translational modification, critical for its function, on a highly conserved residue that protrudes into the peptidyl-transfer center of the ribosome. EPMSs are comprised of a gene(s) that synthesizes the precursor molecule …

Formaldehyde From E-Cigarettes - It's Not As Simple As Some Suggest, James F. Pankow, Robert M. Strongin, David H. Peyton

Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Authors address critics of a previously published letter to the Editor in The New England Journal of Medicine, pertaining to hidden formaldehyde in E-Cigarette aerosols and the need for future testing of their safety.

Tnf-Α-Induced Micrornas Control Dystrophin Expression In Becker Muscular Dystrophy., Alyson A. Fiorillo, Christopher R. Heier, James S. Novak, Christopher B. Tully, Kristy J. Brown, Kitipong Uaesoontrachoon, Maria C. Vila, Peter P. Ngheim, Luca Bello, Joe N. Kornegay, Corrado Angelini, Terence A. Partridge, Kanneboyina Nagaraju, Eric P. Hoffman

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

The amount and distribution of dystrophin protein in myofibers and muscle is highly variable in Becker muscular dystrophy and in exon-skipping trials for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Here, we investigate a molecular basis for this variability. In muscle from Becker patients sharing the same exon 45–47 in-frame deletion, dystrophin levels negatively correlate with microRNAs predicted to target dystrophin. Seven microRNAs inhibit dystrophin expression in vitro, and three are validated in vivo (miR-146b/miR-374a/miR-31). microRNAs are expressed in dystrophic myofibers and increase with age and disease severity. In exon-skipping-treated mdx mice, microRNAs are significantly higher in muscles with low …

Magic Bullet, Karen Haydock

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Two of the most powerful types of corporations in the world today are those that produce pharmaceuticals and weapons. While the corporations are concerned with increasing their profits, we wonder if their products have any magical powers.

[India ink on rag paper]

This poster explores the military-industrial complex. The weapons industry profits through imperialism. The pharmaceutical industry profits through by taking advantage of people’s illnesses.

The poster has multiple interpretations, hopefully encouraging the viewer to participate by asking relevant questions, such as:

“What is that person drinking?”

”Are they pills or bombs?”

“Medicines cure us - how can a pill …

Lipopolysaccharide Induced Map Kinase Activation In Raw 264.7 Cells Attenuated By Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles, Vellaisamy Selvaraj, Niraj Nepa, Steven Rogers, Nandini D.P.K. Manne, Ravi K. Arvapalli, Kevin M. Rice, Shinichi Asano, Erin Fankenhanel, J. Y. Ma, Tolou Shokuhfar, Mani Maheshwari, Eric R. Blough

Pharmaceutical Science and Research

High mortality rates are associated with the life threatening disease of sepsis. Improvements in septic patient survivability have failed to materialize with currently available treatments. This article represents data regarding a study published in biomaterials (Vellaisamy et al., Biomaterials, 2015, in press). with the purpose of evaluating whether severe sepsis mortality and associated hepatic dysfunction induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can be prevented by cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2NPs) treatment in male Sprague Dawley rats. Here we provide the information about the method and processing of raw data related to our study publish in Biomaterials and Data in Brief (Vellaisamy et al., …

Acidic And Basic Destruction Of Tissues, Cydney Eaton

University Honors Program

A coroner’s case I had learned about involved a man attempting to dispose of a body with acid. Shortly after exposure, the man was apprehended and the body was located. Upon investigation, police force determined the acid used to be hydrochloric acid, however, exact concentration remains unknown (Kohr, 2010). This led to the question of which easily accessible acid works best to degrade tissue. To answer this, an experiment was conducted involving pig feet and various concentrations of common acids and a single strong base. The feet were submerged in the solutions overnight and mass percent lost or gained was …

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, …