Medical Pharmacology Commons^™

Examining The Effects Of Menstrual Cycle Phase And Hormonal Contraceptive Use On Women's Sleep, Charles Ethan Coombs

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women overrepresent men for sub-optimal sleep, a consequence of hormone fluctuation in the menstrual cycle affecting sleep regulatory pathways. While research has examined the prevalence of sub-optimal sleep through cycle phases, little research has examined how hormonal contraceptives (HC’s) could similarly affect women’s sleep, while also neglecting to utilize subjective sleep measures. In this study, we examine subjective sleep quality among naturally cycling (NC) women, women using different HC types, and between active and inactive phase pill users by subjecting 463 women to a subjective sleep battery. We hypothesized that HC users would report more sub-optimal sleep than NC women. …

Avaren-Fc, A Novel Immunotherapeutic, Recruits Nk Cells In B16f10 Melanoma Tumor Tissue, Sreevatsa Vemuri, Katarina Mayer, Nobuyuki Matoba

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the US, with limited effective immunotherapeutic options available for patients. Avaren-Fc (AvFc) is a novel experimental immunotherapeutic agent with a unique “lectibody” property. It is capable of targeting cancer cells through the selective recognition of high mannose glycans, which are aberrantly overrepresented on the surface of malignant cells. AvFc can interact with circulating effector immune cells equipped with Fc receptors, such as natural killer (NK) cells to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and kill cancer cells. Previous work has shown that AvFc effectively induces ADCC activity against B16F10 cancer cells in vitro …

A Suspected Case Of Levetiracetam Induced Rhabdomyolysis, Luke Merrill Ms, Layne Hohn Ms, Marlee Jones Ms, Sydney Gibson Ms, Ty Moody Md, Anthony Breemo Md

Aesculapius Journal (Health Sciences & Medicine)

Background: Levetiracetam is a broad-spectrum antiseizure drug which works to terminate convulsions and is used in the treatment of certain types of seizures. It is commonly used to treat epilepsy in adults, and has proven an effective treatment for adults with focal seizures. This drug is normally well tolerated, but commonly reported adverse effects include fatigue, somnolence, and dizziness. A few less common effects have been noted as well, including behavioral disturbances, thrombocytopenia, and—in very few cases—rhabdomyolysis.

Case Report: Our case reports a 55-year-old male who presented to a rural emergency department for active convulsing and unresponsiveness. Initial …

Dietary Analysis For Hashimoto’S Thyroiditis: An Integrative Review, Evan Thompson, Alison Hultquist

Master of Science in Nursing Final Projects

Abstract

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (HT) is the leading cause of primary hypothyroidism in the United States. In HT, there is an infiltration by lymphocytes which leads to the production of autoantibodies against the thyroid gland. Throughout this integrative review, the aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of micronutrient supplementation and dietary management as adjunct treatments in HT. The purpose was to assist primary care providers in the development of a more holistic plan of care. Literature published within the past seven years was gathered and reviewed from PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library. Findings indicate that many patients with HT may benefit …

Prescribing Protocol For Postoperative Opioids In An Orthopedic Spine Practice, Kelly M. Manda

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Project

Problem: The opioid epidemic is magnified by excessive post-surgery prescriptions. Over six months at an orthopedic spine practice, 50% of patients received two or more opioid refills beyond their first. This highlighted the absence of a clear prescribing policy and emphasized the need for a structured protocol and to promote patient safety.

Aim of the Project: The primary aim was to implement a prescribing protocol to lower opioid refills provided to post-surgical patients in this surgical practice. The desired result was to reduce the number of opioid refills provided to patients after surgery.

Review of the Evidence: Evidence highlighted …

Dpyd Pathogenic Variants Associated With Fluoropyrimidines Toxicity, Diana Cristina Pérez-Ibave, Noé Israel Oliva-García, Irasema Ramos-Martínez, Francisco Javier Villarreal Alvarado, Valeria Jimena Gómez Ordaz, Jonatán Isaí Cortes Alfaro, Carlos Horacio Burciaga-Flores, Juan Francisco González-Guerrero, Oscar Vidal-Gutiérrez, Maria De Lourdes Garza-Rodriguez

Research Symposium

Background: Genetic variants in dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase gene (DPYD) coding for the key enzyme (DPD) of fluoropyrimidines (FPs) catabolism. DPYD contributes to the development of severe FPs-related toxicity, and pathogenic DPYD variants detection reduces side effects and complications associated with FP-toxicity. The allelic frequency of these variants in the Mexican population is currently unknown.

Methods: The study was carried out at the Centro Universitario Contra el Cáncer (CUCC) of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) in Monterrey México. Genomic DNA was isolated from 154 subjects using the QIAamp DNA Blood Midi kit (QIAGEN) following the manufacturer's recommendations. We …

Oral Dosages Of The Nsaid Aspirin Decreased The Growth Rate Of Species Found In The Human Gut Microbiome Including Akkermansia Muciniphila, Bacteroides Fragilis, Clostridium Sordellii, And Clostridium Difficile, Wyatt H. Greenbaum, Garrett J. Greenbaum, Anna Spiezio

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Over past few decades, new insight has been revealed in the scientific community about the importance of the human gut microbiome relating to general health. It is known that imbalances in the species that reside in the human gut can cause organism-wide problems in humans. When prescribing or injecting oral medications, the thought of the downstream effects on the gut microbiome are not always considered. By exposing known healthy members of the gut; Akkermansia muciniphila, Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium sordellii, and Clostridium difficile to the Aspirin, this study attempted to provide insight into the effects of the drug on bacterial growth. …

Topiramate (Topamax): Evolving Role In Weight Reduction Management: A Narrative Review, Irza Wajid, Alexis Vega, Katherine Thornhill, Jack Jenkins, Chandler Merriman, Debbie Chandler, Sahar Shekoohi, Elyse M. Cornett, Alan D. Kaye

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Obesity has emerged as a widespread disease with epidemic proportions, necessitating effective management to enhance the overall health outcomes of patients. Medical intervention for weight loss becomes necessary when diet and exercise prove ineffective, and topiramate emerges as a potential treatment option for this global problem. Currently approved as an anti-epileptic and migraine prophylaxis medication, topiramate is frequently utilized as adjunctive therapy for patients with mood and eating disorders, as well as for alcohol use disorders. Its multifaceted mechanisms of action contribute to reducing neuronal excitation and enhancing neuronal inhibition. Given its variety of mechanisms, topiramate shows several off-label outcomes, …

The Role Of Pharmacogenetics On Breast Cancer Treatment Efficacy And Toxicity, Noor Alani

Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)

Purpose: This research article aims to shed light on the pivotal role of pharmacogenetics in breast cancer treatment by examining genetic variations that influence the efficacy and toxicity of commonly used drugs. Furthermore, this study highlights the significance of personalized treatment approaches in optimizing patient outcomes.

Method: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using databases such as PubMed. Search terms included "pharmacogenetics," "breast cancer treatment," "genetic markers," and "adverse effects." This review critically analyzes relevant studies that focus on the impact of genetic variations on the response to drugs used in breast cancer treatment.

Results: The review …

Severe Covid-19 Following Rituximab And Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Treatment In A Patient With Mctd, Case Report, Rohail A. Baig, Faieja Chowdhury, Omar Siddiqui, Adnaan Sheikh, Varun Mehta, Pranjali Dakwale

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

This is an article about how the use of medications such as nirmatrelvir/ritonavir can cause rebound COVID-19 and how the use of Rituximab, a biologic agent, can prolong the duration and increase severity of symptoms of COVID-19 in patients with pre-disposed autoimmune diseases that are on chronic pharmacotherapy.

Identification Of A Β-Arrestin-Biased Negative Allosteric Modulator For The Β2-Adrenergic Receptor, Michael Ippolito, Francesco De Pascali, Nathan Hopfinger, Konstantin E. Komolov, Daniela Laurinavichyute, Poli Adi Narayana Reddy, Leon A. Sakkal, Kyle Z. Rajkowski, Ajay P. Nayak, Justin Lee, Jordan Lee, Gaoyuan Cao, Preston S. Donover, Melvin Reichman, Stevens. An, Joseph M. Salvino, Raymond B. Penn, Roger S S. Armen, Charles P. Scott, Jeffrey L. Benovic

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Catecholamine-stimulated β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) signaling via the canonical Gs–adenylyl cyclase–cAMP–PKA pathway regulates numerous physiological functions, including the therapeutic effects of exogenous β-agonists in the treatment of airway disease. β2AR signaling is tightly regulated by GRKs and β-arrestins, which together promote β2AR desensitization and internalization as well as downstream signaling, often antithetical to the canonical pathway. Thus, the ability to bias β2AR signaling toward the Gs pathway while avoiding β-arrestin-mediated effects may provide a strategy to improve the functional consequences of β2AR activation. Since attempts to develop Gs-biased agonists and allosteric modulators for the β2AR have been largely unsuccessful, here we …

Management Of Asymptomatic Hypertension In The Inpatient Setting., Charles Meadows, Mehiar Elhamdani, Dial Larry, Murad Kheetan, Khaled Al-Baqain

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Hypertension is common in hospitalized patients and is most often asymptomatic. While there are no guidelines for management of such patients, aggressive blood pressure treatment, including the use of intravenous antihypertensives, is often undertaken. While evidence of benefit is lacking, emerging data suggest that treatment of asymptomatic hypertension in the inpatient setting is associated with adverse outcomes, including acute kidney injury and ischemic stroke. In addition, the intensification of a preexisting antihypertensive regimen at hospital discharge significantly increases the risk of readmission without significant improvement in outpatient hypertension control. Such a combination of a common problem with the demonstrable benefit …

Computational Modeling And Synthesis Of Pyridine Variants Of Benzoyl-Phenoxy-Acetamide With High Glioblastoma Cytotoxicity And Brain Tumor Penetration, Charles H. Ingraham, Joanna Stalinska, Sean C. Carson, Susan B. Colley, Monika Rak, Adam Lassak, Francesca Peruzzi, Krzysztof Reiss, Branko S. Jursic

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Glioblastomas are highly aggressive brain tumors for which therapeutic options are very limited. In a quest for new anti-glioblastoma drugs, we focused on specific structural modifications to the benzoyl-phenoxy-acetamide (BPA) structure present in a common lipid-lowering drug, fenofibrate, and in our first prototype glioblastoma drug, PP1. Here, we propose extensive computational analyses to improve the selection of the most effective glioblastoma drug candidates. Initially, over 100 structural BPA variations were analyzed and their physicochemical properties, such as water solubility (− logS), calculated partition coefficient (ClogP), probability for BBB crossing (BBB_SCORE), probability for CNS penetration (CNS-MPO) and calculated cardiotoxicity (hERG), were …

Equine Polyclonal Antibodies Prevent Acute Chikungunya Virus Infection In Mice, Douglas Barker, Xiaobing Han, Eryu Wang, Ashley Dagley, Deborah M. Anderson, Aruni Jha, Scott C. Weaver, Justin Julander, Cory Nykiforuk, Shantha Kodihalli

Office of Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted pathogen that causes chikungunya disease (CHIK); the disease is characterized by fever, muscle ache, rash, and arthralgia. This arthralgia can be debilitating and long-lasting, seriously impacting quality of life for years. Currently, there is no specific therapy available for CHIKV infection. We have developed a despeciated equine polyclonal antibody (CHIKV-EIG) treatment against CHIKV and evaluated its protective efficacy in mouse models of CHIKV infection. In immunocompromised (IFNAR^−/−) mice infected with CHIKV, daily treatment for five consecutive days with CHIKV-EIG administered at 100 mg/kg starting on the day of infection prevented mortality, reduced …

Investigating The Role Of Endothelial Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene 2 In Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity, Berk U. Rasheed

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a chemotherapeutic drug used to treat various malignancies including breast and ovarian cancers. Accumulating evidence implicates cardiac impairments associated with Dox treatment. The Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene 2 (BRCA2) functions to maintain genome-wide stability by promoting DNA-damage repair. Accordingly, cardiomyocyte damage is specifically regulated by contributors of DNA damage repair such as BRCA2. The endothelium, the innermost cells of every blood vessel, act to protect our tissues from noxious elements, however, recent evidence suggests that BRCA2 knockdown compromises endothelial cell function. A putative role of endothelial BRCA2 during Dox-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) remains unknown. We hypothesized that endothelial-specific …

Effects Of Interleukin-22 (Il-22) On Necroptosis, Inflammatory Responses, And Metabolism Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Stimulated Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Mouse Macrophages, Bismark Owusu-Afriyie

Biotechnology Theses

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infects one-third of the world’s population and causes nearly 1.3 million deaths per year. Limited information is available about the immune responses during Mtb infection in type 2 diabetic hosts. Our laboratory developed an experimentally induced type 2 diabetes (T2DM) model in wild-type C57BL/6 mice and found that IL-22 and type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) reduce inflammation and mortality of Mtb-infected T2DM mice. Our laboratory also found that Mtb-infected alveolar macrophages (AMs) from T2DM mice undergo necroptosis compared to Mtb-infected AMs of non-T2DM mice. In the current study, we determined whether …

Pediatric Serum-Like Sickness: A Multicenter Analysis, Maya Gibson, Sarah Suppes, Jared Lovins, Emma Monique, Keith Feldman, Jennifer Goldman

Research Days

Background: Serum sickness-like reaction (SSLR) is a type III immune hypersensitivity reaction that presents 5-21 days following exposure to a medication. SSLR has nonspecific symptoms including fever, rash, and joint involvement. There are no standardized diagnostic criteria or treatment for SSLR, making this a challenging diagnosis.

Objectives/Goal: Our objective was to describe pediatric SSLR clinical manifestations, medical encounter types, and treatment strategies.

Methods/Design: A retrospective chart review across 2 freestanding children’s hospitals was used to identify patients 0-21 years of age diagnosed with SSLR by ICD-9/10 codes [T80.69XA, 999.59], SNOMED codes [1782626019, 3293325014], or pharmacovigilance review in the emergency department …

Study Of The Potential Toxicity Of Adrenaline To Neurons, Using The Sh-Sy5y Human Cellular Model, Vera Marisa Costa, João Paulo Capela, Maria Lourdes Bastos, Fernando Remião, Kurt James Varner, José Alberto Duarte, Félix Carvalho

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Prolonged overexposure to catecholamines causes toxicity, usually credited to continuous adrenoceptor stimulation, autoxidation, and the formation of reactive pro-oxidant species. Non-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells were used to study the possible contribution of oxidative stress in adrenaline (ADR)-induced neurotoxicity, as a model to predict the toxicity of this catecholamine to peripheral nerves. Cells were exposed to several concentrations of ADR (0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1mM) and two cytotoxicity assays [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction] were performed at several time-points (24, 48, and 96h). The cytotoxicity of ADR was concentration-and time-dependent in both assays, since the lowest concentration …

Comparison Of The Inhibition Of An Oct3 Transporter Inhibitor, Nilotinib, On Doxorubicin’S Effects On Cardiac And Cancer Cell Lines, Zachary G. Tan, Juliet Melnik, Aakash Belsare, James Huang, Meagan Lyons, Kimberly Dowes, Gurpreet Kaur, Lindon H. Young, Robert J. Barsotti, Qian Chen

Research Day

Introduction

Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity remains a significant barrier limiting its clinical application due to a lack of effective resolution. Targeting how DOX enters cardiac and cancer cells is a promising new strategy. Research suggests that an OCT3 transporter significantly contributes to DOX entry into the heart tissue. By contrast, it expresses much lower on breast cancer cell lines. Moreover, Nilotinib (NIB) can suppress OCT3 transporter function by 80%. Therefore, exploring the impact of NIB on the DOX’s effects on cardiac and cancer cell lines by altering DOX intracellular accumulation is intriguing.

Objective

First, we would establish a dose-response curve of …

In Vitro Characterization Of A Novel Murine Model Of Cancerous Progression, Steven D. Scahill, Kelly Jean Sherman, Jessie J. Guidry, Whitney Walkowski, Theresa Nguyen, Durwood B. Ray, David H. Jones, Harry J. Gould, Dennis Paul

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

To evaluate a potentially valuable tool to study cancer progression and metastasis, we characterized a novel murine model composed of a parental oncogene-transformed embryonic fibroblast line and five cell lines isolated from progressively advanced tumors. Lines derived from distant metastases displayed significantly greater rates of motility, invasiveness, and extracellular acidification than lines derived from a primary tumor or local metastases. A comprehensive proteomic analysis of these cells showed numerous oncogenes to be upregulated and tumor suppressors to be downregulated in the advanced lines, and provided novel targets for future examination. The first cell line capable of extravasation displayed particularly high …