In Vitro study of cytotoxic effects of new Norfloxacin derivatives on humancancer cell lines

In this in vitro study a series of new norfloxacin derivatives with an oxime or a substituted oxime attached to the piperazine ring at C-7 position were evaluated for their cytotoxicity on Human Cancer Cell Lines. The growth inhibitory activity of these compounds was determined for human cancer cell lines including bladder carcinoma [EJ138], renal adenocarcinoma [ACHN], breast adenocarcinoma [MCF-7], hepatocyte carcinoma [HEPG2], lung carcinoma [A549] and rat-Adrenal fibroblast-pheochromocytoma [PC-12] using colorimetric MTT assay. The results showed that the norfloxacin derivatives tested in this study showed significant inhibitory activity for cancer cell lines. Some of the compounds such as Cl, C9, CIO and Cll exhibited the most inhibitory activity against MCF-7 and PC-12 with IC50 value of 9 microM [p<0.05]. Among the cell lines tested, PC-12 was very sensitive to these compounds. The known cytotoxic drug, Etoposide, demonstrated the most significant activities against all the cell lines tested with IC50 value less than 1.7 microM [p<0.00l]. The results indicated that the synthesized norfloxacin derivatives tested in this study, although they act mostly as antibacterial agents, they can also affect the function of the type 2 DNA topoisomerase in eukaryotic cells. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms by which these derivatives act

[Relation between weight gain during first pregnancy and neonate birth weight]

Birth weight is an important factor in determining physical and mental growth of infant and is a valuable criterion to judge intrauterine growth. Therefore recognition of influencing factors on low birth weight and eliminating them are of great importance. This cross sectional study was conducted in 2001 to evaluate the relation between weight gain during first pregnancy and neonate's birth weight. For this purpose 12 health houses were selected randomly in Kerman district and all files of primiparous women referring during the last 12 years [1989-2001] were chosen for collecting data [n=487]. While educational level, profession, weight at the beginning of pregnancy, weight gain during the pregnancy and neonate's sex had significant relation with neonate's birth weight but, based on stepwise regression analysis weight at the beginning of pregnancy and mother's education were significant as predictable factors of neonate's birth weight. Concerning the increasing rate of maternal educational level, we hope to have less cases of low birth weight in near future. The results of this study show the importance of pre-pregnancy weight as an indicator to assess women at risk of delivering low weight neonates