Post interferon therapy decreases male fertility through gonadotoxic effect

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus [HCV] has been seen in more than 15% of Pakistani population. For the treatment of this infection, only two medicines, interferon, and ribavirin were approved in 1998. The concerned physicians evaluate side effects of these two antiviral drugs only during the treatment period. The long-term extra hepatic side effects are being neglected. This retrospective study was conducted with reference to induced infertility in HCV treated 40 male patients from the period 2008-2015. Possible effects of interferon therapy on fertility hormones and seminal parameters were assessed. Level of fertility hormones like serum Follicle Stimulating Hormone [FSH], Luteinizing Hormone [LH], and testosterone was measured. For seminal parameters, guidelines from World Health Organization [WHO] were followed. Among forty cases of HCV patients who received interferon, only 14 [35%] have children and 26 [65%] could not conceive [p = 0.0372]. After HCV treatment, HCV positive patients showed a significant change in the level of FSH, LH [p<0.05]. Especially, it decreased testosterone level [p=0.0096]. Similarly, HCV treatment significantly decreased sperm count [p = 0.001] and motility [p = 0.0005]

Phenolic acid profiling and antiglycation studies of leaf and fruit extracts of tyrosine primed Momordica charantia seeds for possible treatment of diabetes mellitus

The increasing risk of variety of fatal diseases including diabetes mellitus is imposing serious challenge to chemist, biologists and clinicians. Due to the side effects of the chemotherapy, worldwide it is thinking that phytomedicine are more effective to cope continuously increasing risk of fatal diseases without any side effect. Seed priming is a strategic pre-sowing semi-bioengineering technique which has ability to improve the growth rate and biologically active compounds in short time. Among seed priming techniques, tyrosine seed priming most frequently used because amino acids provide best growth media for nutritional food crops. Seeds of Momordica charantia were subjected to the pre-sowing tyrosine solution. Different growth parameters including growth emergence rate, seedling vigor, growth and weight of root, shoot and leaf were studied. The results showed positive effect on Momordica charantia seed growth and phenolic acids production i.e. ferulic acid - 43.95 ppm and sinapic acid - 18.39 ppm. The antiglycation assay showed 23.45 +/- 1.23% antiglycation activity of primed-seed fruit extract as compare to control seed fruit extract [0.87 +/- 0.03%]. On the basis of the results, it is concluded that tyrosine primed seed fruit extract could effectively be further tested for pre-clinical and clinical studies to manage diabetes mellitus disease

Designing and molecular docking of cyclic peptides against HCV NS3 protease

Hepatitis C Virus [HCV] infection is a worldwide serious health issue which contributes towards most of the hepatic morbidities. So far no prophylaxis is available to prevent this virus; therefore, development of antiviral compounds to fight HCV infection is the need of time. Chemically synthesized peptides that are potent immunogenic antigens are being pursued as candidate vaccines against HCV. The present study was planned to identify peptide inhibitors having potential to block the activity of NS3 protein of HCV that will ultimately arrest HCV multiplication. Docking of NS3 with peptides revealed that the majority of the peptides have strong binding affinity for active sites of NS3. Peptide 1, 2, 3 and 6 were found interactive with NS3 active residues while the active sites of NS3 had hydrophobic contact with the rest of peptides. Thus, these peptides bear therapeutic potential of a candidate drug for the prevention of HCV replication. Post docking analysis revealed important binding abilities of peptides with the active sites of NS3 protein, showing the efficiency of peptides as potential peptide inhibitors against HCV. The study revealed that HCV replication can be inhibited by these peptides. HCV replication inhibition potential of these peptides can contribute in reducing the burden of HCV infection and its associated complications worldwide

Serum haematological and biochemical indices of oxidative stress and their relationship with DNA damage and homocysteine in Pakistani type II diabetic patients

Diabetes mellitus [DM] is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia, higher glycated hemoglobin [HbA1C] as well as protein. Oxidative stress can cause damage to leukocytic DNAandenhancement of homocysteine [Hcy] level in sera of type 2 diabetic patients. Haematological and biochemical parameters are severely affected by oxidative stress, which results in damages to DNAandHcy in these patients. Eighty DM patients and 80 normal subjects, after having their consent, were selected for the present study. Leukocytes were characterized for DNA damage by comet assay kit while, blood plasma was taken into account for biochemical indices using commercial test kits. Results indicated that DNA damage was strongly linked with erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] [P<0.01], glycated hemoglobin [HbA1C] [P<0.0001], glycated serum protein [P<0.005], cholesterol [P<0.011], triglycerides [P<0.001], albumin [P<0.001], creatinine [P<0.006], urea [P<0.007] and ALT [P<0.02], and negatively associated with packed cell volume [PCV] [P<0.002] and hemoglobin [P<0.001]. Homocysteine was strongly linked with ESR, HbA1C, glycated protein [P<0.002], cholesterol [P<0.016], triglycerides [P<0.0001], albumin, creatinine, urea, ALT and AST in diabetic patients. Hyc and DNA damages both were negatively linked with total hemoglobin and PCV. Both of these even in their normal range may have a role in the endothelium damage. Nutritional intervention to lower down Hyc and DNA damages in the Pakistani population may mitigate their effect and guarantee in maintenance of a healthy nation