Influence of quercetin on amiodarone pharmacokinetics and biodistribution in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Amiodarone (AMD), a drug of choice to treat cardiac arrhythmias, has a narrow therapeutic index (NTI). It inhibits CYP3A4, CYP2C9, and CYP2D6 enzymes. Quercetin (QUE), a pharmacologically important bioflavonoid in vegetables and fruits, is important in treating cardiovascular comorbidities. QUE alters the bioavailability of drugs used concurrently by dual inhibition of P-glycoproteins (P-gp) and cytochrome (CYP) enzyme systems. The current study aimed to investigate the pre-treatment and co-administration effect of QUE on AMD pharmacokinetics in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two separate animal trials (I and II) were planned to probe the effect of QUE on AMD pharmacokinetics by following previously cited studies. The pre-treatment group received oral doses of QUE for 14 days, and a single dose of AMD on the 15th day. Rats were administered single doses of QUE (20 mg/kg) and AMD (50 mg/kg) concurrently in a carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) in the co-administration study. Blood was collected at pre-determined time points. AMD was quantified by HPLC, and data was analyzed by PK solver software. RESULTS: In the pre-treated group, peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC0-∞) of AMD were increased by 45.52% and 13.70%, respectively, while time to achieve maximum concentration (tmax), half-life (t1/2) and clearance (CL) were declined by 35.72%, 16.75%, and 11.0% respectively compared to the control. In the co-administered group, compared to controls, Cmax and AUC0-∞ were elevated to 12.90% and 7.80%, respectively, while tmax, t1/2, and CL declined by 16.70%, 2.35%, and 13.40%. Further, AMD was increased in lung tissue of both treated groups, relative to the respective controls. CONCLUSIONS: A notable pharmacokinetic drug interaction between QUE and AMD was observed in rats and warrants possible drug interaction study in humans, suggesting AMD dose adjustment specifically in patients with arrhythmia having a pre-treatment history and simultaneous administration of QUE-containing products.

Scrutinizing the therapeutic response of Phyllanthus exmblica's different doses to restore the immunomodulation potential in immunosuppressed female albino rats.

OBJECTIVE: Immunosuppression and microbial resistance are the major drawbacks in conventional pharmaceutics. The present research work was planned to screen and characterize phytochemical constituents present in Phyllanthus emblica and to explore the immunomodulation potential of P. emblica by evaluating stress markers and different biochemical parameters in animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The phytochemical analysis explored the presence of antioxidant profiles and revealed the radical scavenging activities. In the second phase, an animal trial was performed using female albino rats. Female rats (n=18) were administered three different doses of P. emblica (low dose 100 mg/kg, intermediate 200 mg/kg, and high dose 300 mg/kg) for three weeks. After a significant change (p<0.05) in antioxidant status i.e., TOS and TAS, hematological, biochemical parameters, and immunoregulation i.e., IgM and IgG were elevated. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) illustrates that these selected plants have a great impact on microbial resistance and immunosuppression and have shown highly significant results. RESULTS: The results of all in vitro and in vivo assays conducted as part of the recent research work offer considerable evidence that the chosen medicinal plant has the ability to induce specific hormone release and boost the immune system. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, it is proposed that medicinal herbs may be isolated using cutting-edge approaches to tackle the issues of immunosuppression and microbial resistance.

Determining the 3-substituted Coumarins inhibitory potential against the HslV protease of E. coli.

OBJECTIVE: The growing bacterial resistance towards classical antibiotics demands the development of novel approaches for the effective treatment of potentially fatal bacterial infections in humans. Proteostasis is crucial for the survival of every living cell, as several important physiological functions depend on well-regulated proteostasis. Within bacteria, the regulation of proteostasis relies on AAA+ (Adenosine 5'-triphosphatases associated with diverse cellular activities), ATPases, such as the HslVU complex (heat shock locus gene products U and V), along with other proteases. The HslVU protease/chaperon complex is thought to be the progenitor of the eukaryotic proteasome that regulates proteostasis mostly in prokaryotes. This study aimed to determine the inhibitory potential of 3-substituted coumarin derivatives against Escherichia coli heat shock locus V (HslV) protease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, twenty-three derivatives of 3-substituted coumarin were assessed for their inhibitory potential against E. coli HslV protease using both in-vitro and in-silico techniques. RESULTS: Among all the tested compounds, US-I-64, US-I-66, US-I-67, and US-I-68 displayed notable inhibitory potential against the HslV protease, showing IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) values ranging from 0.2 to 0.73 µM. Additionally, the inhibitory potential of these compounds against the eukaryotic proteasome was also evaluated using a separate in-silico study. It was found that these compounds did not bind with the proteasomal active site, suggesting no apparent side effects of these lead molecules. CONCLUSIONS: These identified HslV protease inhibitors can be used for the development of novel and safer anti-bacterial drugs.

Halogens engineering-based design of agonists for boosting expression of frataxin protein in Friedreich's ataxia.

OBJECTIVE: Decreased expression of the mitochondrial protein frataxin is the cause of the neurodegenerative disorder Friedreich's ataxia. In patients with cardiac disorders, the death rate of this disease is very high, up to 66%. In order to combat Friedreich ataxia, which is a potentially toxic disorder, de novo drug discovery and design have been created utilizing the approach of compound engineering with halogens. This study aimed to investigate the potential for effective treatment of Friedreich ataxia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The screening of twenty different agonist compounds was carried out in order to find the most promising agonist compound that may be used for molecular docking prediction against the Frataxin Protein. The compound with the lowest binding energies is then optimized by halogens. The final candidate's drug-like properties are identified through Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) profiling. Lipinski's rule of five was checked. Molecular dynamic stimulations were evaluated. RESULTS: The most potent agonist compound was identified out of twenty different compounds utilizing a docking approach against the Frataxin Protein. The compound with the lowest binding energies was next subjected to optimization by halogens. The optimized agonist 9-[1-[(1S, 5R)-8, 8-dimethyl-8-azoniabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl]triazol-4-yl]fluoren-9-ol  has higher binding energy of -10.4Kcal/mol with molecular weight of 705.63 g/mol. Drug-like properties are identified through ADMET profiling, having water solubility of about -7.59, skin permeation -7.08 cm/s, bioavailability score 0.17, and high GI absorption. The candidate fulfills the Lipinski rule of five and portrays efficient molecular dynamic stimulations. CONCLUSIONS: The selected agonist is one of the most potent compounds in increasing Frataxin protein expression. Furthermore, optimization with halogens can be a productive approach to improve the candidate's drug efficacy. The development of effective medications for the treatment of Friedreich ataxia would be aided by the results of these computational investigations.

A one-health approach to design an mRNA-based vaccine candidate against the lumpy skin disease virus as an alternative to live-attenuated vaccines.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, lumpy skin disease (LSD) has been spread over the Asian, European, and Middle Eastern regions making it a significant hazard to the chain of cattle production, milk production, and human milk consumption, requiring prompt attention. Lumpy skin disease virus has high morbidity and low fatality rates, but its infections have led to terrible economic and agricultural consequences. Although live-attenuated vaccines have been commercialized, farmers in different regions have not taken them well because of the allergic responses against the vaccines. The study aims to develop an mRNA-based vaccine candidate for LSDV, using immunoinformatic approaches to minimize allergenicity and homology while maximizing immunogenic potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study used extensive immunoinformatic approaches to shortlist five proteins from the LSDV genome that belong to the transmembrane region and are crucial in early viral interaction with host cells. The B-cell and T-cell-specific epitopes were chosen based on non-allergenicity, antigenicity, non-homology, surface accessibility, and lower IC50 inhibition values. The construct's stability, hydrophilicity, and antigenic potential were analyzed using the instability index, Grand Average of Hydropathicity (GRAVY) index, and antigenicity, respectively. RESULTS: We selected a total of 34 epitopes, consisting of 12 B-cell-specific epitopes and 22 T-cell-specific epitopes. These epitopes were chosen based on their characteristics such as non-allergenicity, antigenicity, non-homology, surface accessibility, and lower IC50 inhibition values. Specifically, 11 epitopes were selected for Major Histocompatibility Complex-I, and another 11 epitopes were chosen for Major Histocompatibility Complex-II. The inclusion of the RS09 adjuvant enhanced the immunogenic potential of the vaccine. The instability index was found to be 38.60. Additionally, the GRAVY index, indicating hydrophilicity, was calculated as -0.151. Furthermore, the antigenicity value of 0.6073 confirmed its potential to elicit an immune response. Further supporting its immunogenic potential, strong immune stimulation was observed, with IgM+IgG titers reaching 6,000 (arbitrary units) and IFNg titers measuring 400,000 ng/mL. These results provide additional evidence of the vaccine's ability to stimulate a robust immune response. CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicate that the developed mRNA-based vaccine candidate for LSDV has high immunogenic potential and could serve as an effective alternative to live-attenuated vaccines. Further experimental validations are required to test its efficacy. The study also highlights the potential of the One-Health approach to tackle non-zoonotic diseases that have significant consequences for the environment and humanity.

The small molecule Erk1/2 signaling pathway inhibitor PD98059 improves DNA repair in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis SJL/J mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disorder in which the myelin sheath covering the central nervous system axons is damaged or lost, disrupting action potential conduction and leading to various neurological complications. The pathogenesis of MS remains unclear, and no effective therapies are currently available. MS is triggered by environmental factors in genetically susceptible individuals. DNA damage and DNA repair failure have been proposed as MS genetic risk factors; however, inconsistent evidence has been found in multiple studies. Therefore, more investigations are needed to ascertain whether DNA damage/repair is altered in this disorder. In this context, therapies that prevent DNA damage or enhance DNA repair could be effective strategies for MS treatment. The overactivation of the extracellular-signal-related kinase 1 and 2 (Erk1/2) pathway can lead to DNA damage and has been linked to MS pathogenesis. In our study, we observed substantially elevated oxidative DNA damage and slower DNA repair rates in an experimentally autoimmune encephalomyelitis animal model of MS (EAE). Moreover, statistical decreases in oxidative DNA strand breaks and faster repair rates were observed in EAE animals injected with the Erk1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (PD). Moreover, the expression of several genes associated with DNA strand breaks and repair changed in EAE mice at both the mRNA and protein levels, as revealed by the RT2 Profiler PCR array and verified by RT-PCR and protein analyses. The treatment with PD mitigated these changes and improved DNA repair gene expression. Our results demonstrate clear associations between Erk1/2 activation, DNA damage/repair, and MS pathology, and further suggest that PD therapy may be a promising adjuvant therapeutic strategy.

Side chain inset of neurogenerative amino acids to metalloproteins: a therapeutic signature for huntingtin protein in Huntington's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Huntington's disease is a dominant autosomal inherited neurodegenerative disease that results in progressive impairment, characterized by dementia, chorea, and behavioral and cognitive decline. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential activity of metalloproteins against the huntingtin protein using various insertion-based engineering computational methods. Metalloproteins, metal protein complexes involved in important biochemical and physiological processes, were explored as potential drug candidates for Huntington's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 18 metalloproteins were selected as drug candidates and studied to assess their potential inhibitory effects on the huntingtin protein. The screening process was based on the lowest binding energy. The metalloprotein with the lowest docking score was chosen for side chain insertion of neurogenerative amino acids. The engineered metalloprotein was then evaluated based on physiochemical properties, allergenicity, toxicity, and surface accessibility. Cloning and expression analysis was performed to further investigate its potential as a therapeutic agent. RESULTS: The metalloprotein chosen for side chain insertion, cytochrome C oxidase, showed promising results. It was computed as a probable non-allergen and exhibited no toxic domains, indicating its non-toxic nature. Additionally, it demonstrated a strong binding affinity with the huntingtin protein, with a binding energy of -1,253.3 Kcal/mol. CONCLUSIONS: Metal-based proteins, when engineered with additional neurogenerative amino acids, hold potential as drug candidates for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease. The successful development of these engineered metalloproteins could offer therapeutic advantages. Further testing, both in vitro and in vivo, is necessary to evaluate their efficacy and validate their potential activity as novel drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

A pharmacophore screening approach of homeopathic phenols for a renovated design of fragment-optimized Bauhiniastatin-1 as a drug against acromegaly.

OBJECTIVE: Acromegaly is a fatal and chronic disease that is caused by the abnormal secretion of growth hormone (GH) by the pituitary adenoma or pituitary tumor, resulting in an increased circulated concentration of insulin-like growth factors 1 (IGF-1), where in most of the cases it is secreted by a pituitary tumor. Higher levels of GH cause an increase in IGF-1 in the liver leading to multiple conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, glucose imbalance, cancer, and sleep apnea. Medical treatments such as surgery and radiotherapy can be used as the first choice of patients; however, specified human growth hormone control should be an essential treatment strategy due to an incidence rate of 0.2-1.1 yearly. Therefore, the main focus of this study is to develop a novel drug for treating acromegaly by exploiting medicinal plants that have been screened using phenol as a pharmacophore model to identify target therapeutic medicinal plant phenols. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The screening identified thirty-four pharmacophore matches of medicinal plant phenols. These were selected as suitable ligands and were docked against the growth hormone receptor to calculate their binding affinity. The candidate with the highest screened score was fragment-optimized and subjected to absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) analysis, in-depth toxicity predictions, interpretation of Lipinski's rule, and molecular dynamic simulations to check the behavior of the growth hormone with the fragment-optimized candidate. RESULTS: The highest docking energy was calculated as -6.5 K/mol for Bauhiniastatin-1. Enhancing the performance of Bauhiniastatin-1 against the growth hormone receptor with fragment optimization portrayed that human growth hormone inhibition can be executed in a more efficient and better way. Fragment-optimized Bauhiniastatin-1 (FOB) was predicted with high gastrointestinal absorption, a water solubility of -2.61 as soluble, and synthetic accessibility of 4.50, achieving Lipinski's rule of 5, with low organ toxicity prediction and interpreting a positive behavior against the targeted protein. The discovery of a de novo drug candidate was confirmed by the docking of fragment-optimized Bauhiniastatin-1 (FOB), which had an energy of -4,070 Kcal/mol. CONCLUSIONS: Although successful and completely harmless, present healthcare treatment does not always eradicate the disease in some individuals. Therefore, novel formulas or combinations of currently marketed medications and emergent phytochemicals will provide new possibilities for these instances.

Revolutionizing treatment for toxic shock syndrome with engineered super chromones to combat antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVE: Staphylococcus aureus-induced toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare, but potentially fatal disease with limited treatment options. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains has led to a pressing need for the development of effective therapies. This study aimed to identify and optimize potential drug candidates against toxic shock syndrome by targeting the pathogenic toxin protein using chromones as lead compounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 20 chromones were screened for their ability to bind to the target protein. The top compounds were further optimized through the addition of cycloheptane and amide groups, and the resulting compounds were evaluated for their drug-like properties using chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling. RESULTS: Among the compounds screened, 7-Glucosyloxy-5-hydroxy-2-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethyl] chromone exhibited the highest binding affinity with a molecular weight of 341.40 g/mol and a binding energy of -10.0 kcal/mol. The optimized compound exhibited favorable drug-like properties, including high water solubility, synthetic accessibility, skin permeation, bioavailability, and gastrointestinal absorption. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that chromones can be engineered to develop effective drugs against TSS caused by S. aureus. The optimized compound has the potential to be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of TSS, providing new hope for patients suffering from this life-threatening disease of toxic shock syndrome.

Cardioprotective and nephroprotective effects of Quercetin against different toxic agents.

Quercetin (Qct) is a flavonoid that belongs to the group of the most bioactive polyphenolic compounds. It is abundantly found in our diet, and it has many beneficial effects on human health because of its potent antioxidant properties. Qct has shown cardioprotective effects against doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, daunorubicin, and lindane and nephroprotective effects against methotrexate, doxorubicin, gentamicin, valproic acid, cadmium, potassium dichromate, fluoride, mercury chloride, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and gold nanoparticles. In the current review, we discussed the molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved in the cardio- and nephroprotective effects of Qct. The main purpose of this review was to identify the cardio- and the nephroprotective mechanisms of Qct against several drugs and chemicals to encourage further studies to investigate the potential protective effect of Qct.

Time course evaluation of lacosamide alone and in polypharmacy on behavioral manifestations and oxidative stress in lithium-pilocarpine-induced model.

The lithium-pilocarpine model in rats is commonly used to study the characteristic events of acute status epilepticus (SE), epileptogenesis and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Here we investigated the impact of lacosamide alone and in combination with other drugs (pregabalin, piracetam and scopolamine) on spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs) and behavioral parameters during the time frame of 6 weeks after SE. In addition, the level of oxidative stress in the hippocampus was accessed by real-time microdialysis study (8-isoprostanes) and antioxidants enzymes in the homogenate. Results revealed severe behavioral deficits with the control epileptic group and animals displayed hyperexcitability, aggression apprehension and memory insufficiency. Pharmacological manipulation for 6 weeks with lacosamide (L) - 80 mg/kg; in polypharmacy with pregabalin (L/P) - 50/50 mg/kg and piracetam (L/Pi) - 50/140 mg/kg significantly (P < 0.05) ameliorated the anxiety-related behavior (open filed, elevated plus maze, light/dark tests), depression (forced swim test) and improved spatial/reference memory (Morris water maze). There were low incidences of seizures in L, L/P and L/Pi groups revealing disease-modifying effects of employed drugs. Furthermore, the chronic use of scopolamine (L/P/S; 50/50/2 mg/kg) as polypharmacy with the concept of antagonizing the cholinergic inputs in the epileptogenic phase aberrated the behavioral situation further worse. Treatments with L/P and L/Pi significantly attenuated (P < 0.05) the oxidative stress by reducing 8-isoprostanes and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels in the L/P group were significantly (P < 0.05) improved. Overall, our findings support the use of a combination of drugs (L/P and L/Pi) in lithium-pilocarpine model which remarkably ameliorated SRSs, reduced anxiety-related behaviors, retention of spatial/reference memory and lowered oxidative stress in a time-course evaluation 6 weeks post- SE insult.

Metrology of crystal defects through intensity variations in secondary electrons from the diffraction of primary electrons in a scanning electron microscope.

Understanding defects and their roles in plastic deformation and device reliability is important for the development of a wide range of novel materials for the next generation of electronic and optoelectronic devices. We introduce the use of gaseous secondary electron detectors in a variable pressure scanning electron microscope for non-destructive imaging of extended defects using electron channelling contrast imaging. We demonstrate that all scattered electrons, including the secondary electrons, can provide diffraction contrast as long as the sample is positioned appropriately with respect to the incident electron beam. Extracting diffraction information through monitoring the modulation of the intensity of secondary electrons as a result of diffraction of the incident electron beam, opens up the possibility of performing low energy electron channelling contrast imaging to characterise low atomic weight and ultra-thin film materials. Our methodology can be adopted for large area, nanoscale structural characterisation of a wide range of crystalline materials including metals and semiconductors, and we illustrate this using the examples of aluminium nitride and gallium nitride. The capability of performing electron channelling contrast imaging, using the variable pressure mode, extends the application of this technique to insulators, which usually require conducting coatings on the sample surface for traditional scanning electron microscope based microstructural characterisation.

Expanding the phenotype of SLC25A42-associated mitochondrial encephalomyopathy.

SLC25A42 gene encodes an inner mitochondrial membrane protein that imports Coenzyme A into the mitochondrial matrix. A mutation in this gene was recently reported in a subject born to consanguineous parents who presented with mitochondrial myopathy with muscle weakness and lactic acidosis. In this report, we present 12 additional individuals with the same founder mutation who presented with variable manifestations ranging from asymptomatic lactic acidosis to a severe phenotype characterized by developmental regression and epilepsy. Our report confirms the link between SLC25A42 and mitochondrial disease in humans, and suggests that pathogenic variants in SLC25A42 should be interpreted with the understanding that the associated phenotype may be highly variable.

Self-perception of personal oral health in Saudi population: a social media approach.

Subjective perceptions and perceived needs for dental care in a population can provide important information for policy-makers. This study aimed to assess self-perceived personal oral health status among the Saudi Arabia population who could be accessed through social media. A pre-tested questionnaire for completion online was designed to assess self-perceived oral health via 13 items in 4 domains with weighted scores from 1-3. The questionnaire was uploaded to the Internet and the link to it was made available through popular social networking sites in Saudi Arabia. With respondents recruited by snowball methods a total of 4618 people (57.2% males, 42.8% females) completed the questionnaire. The total mean score for the participants was 23.0 (SD 5.0) (scale range 13-39). Self-perceived oral health was rated as poor by 24.2% of respondents, average by 50.6% and good by 25.2%. Educational level, age and region but not sex were significantly associated with self-perceived oral health.