Influence of Reduction with NaBH4 and HCl in Obtaining Amino Derivatives of Cashew Gum and Cytotoxic Profile.

Tree-exuded gums are natural polymers that represent an abundant raw material in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The cashew gum can be obtained by exudation of trees of the genus Anacardium, a native species of the Brazilian northeast; its polymer consists of monosaccharide units propitious to the action of chemical reactions that tend to improve their intrinsic characteristics among them, as the degree of hydro-solubility. The objective of this work was to modify the exudate gum of Anacardium occidentale (cashew gum (CG)) through an amine reaction. The modification was confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), zeta potential, and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). In addition, the chemical modification altered the molar mass and surface charge of the CG, and the amino group binding to the CG polymers was confirmed by FTIR spectra. In addition, cytotoxicity tests were performed where cell viability was estimated by an MTT assay on RAW 264.7 macrophages. Through these tests, it was found that the amine caused an increase in the thermal stability of the amino compounds and did not present cytotoxic potential at concentrations below 50.0 mg/L.

A cross-sectional comparative study on the assessment of quality of life in psychiatric patients under remission treated with monotherapy and polypharmacy.

CONTEXT: The concept of quality of life (QoL) is becoming an important measure of the impact of psychiatric disorders. It is natural that once patient achieves remission, QoL would improve, but very few studies are conducted under this phase. This study compares the differences in QoL in remitted patients with monotherapy and polypharmacy. AIMS: The aim of this study is to compare the QoL between psychiatric patients in remission treated with monotherapy and polypharmacy. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: It is a questionnaire based cross-sectional comparative study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included outpatients under remission who come for follow-up in psychiatric department. Semi-structured data collection form was used. Remission was confirmed using suitable scales, and QoL was assessed using the World Health Organization quality of life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) scale. Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) were applied to understand the overall improvement and functioning levels. RESULTS: Out of the total 100 patients enrolled in the study, fifty patients were on monotherapy and fifty patients on polypharmacy. The cost of medication was comparatively high for polypharmacy (Rs. 3568.92 [±348.54]) than monotherapy (Rs. 1936.56 [±252.07]). The QoL in physical, psychological, and social domains was significantly high in patients on polypharmacy rather than monotherapy when assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF scale. Ninety-six percent of monotherapy patients had CGI scores between 1.5 and 2.4 while 74% of polypharmacy patients had scores between 1.0 and 1.5. Ninety-six percent of monotherapy patients had <80 GAF scores while 92% of polypharmacy patients had >80. CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with polypharmacy had better QoL and also clinical improvement and functioning levels were superior.

Disulfiram-induced seizures with convulsions in a young male patient: A case study.

Disulfiram is the aversive therapeutic agent which has been used to treat alcohol dependence more than 50 years. It causes the complications like neurological toxicity, postural hypotension, circulatory collapse, mental confusion, etc. The aim of our study was to report a rare case of disulfiram-induced seizures in a patient of alcohol dependence syndrome. This case study is about a 35-year-old male patient who had one episode of seizures during treatment with disulfiram.

The deubiquitylase USP37 links REST to the control of p27 stability and cell proliferation.

The RE1 silencing transcription factor (REST) is a repressor of neuronal differentiation and its elevated expression in neural cells blocks neuronal differentiation. In this study, we demonstrate a role for REST in the control of proliferation of medulloblastoma cells. REST expression decreased the levels of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)NIB/p27, a CDK inhibitor and a brake of cell proliferation in these cells. The reciprocal relationship between REST and p27 was validated in human tumor samples. REST knockdown in medulloblastoma cells derepessed a novel REST target gene encoding the deubiquitylase ubiquitin (Ub)-specific peptidase 37 (USP37). Ectopically expressed wild-type USP37 formed a complex with p27, promoted its deubiquitination and stabilization and blocked cell proliferation. Knockdown of REST and USP37 prevented p27 stabilization and blocked the diminution in proliferative potential that normally accompanied REST loss. Unexpectedly, wild-type USP37 expression also induced the expression of REST-target neuronal differentiation genes even though REST levels were unaffected. In contrast, a mutant of USP37 carrying a site-directed change in a conserved cysteine failed to rescue REST-mediated p27 destabilization, maintenance of cell proliferation and blockade to neuronal differentiation. Consistent with these findings, a significant correlation between USP37 and p27 was observed in patient tumors. Collectively, these findings provide a novel connection between REST and the proteasomal machinery in the control of p27 and cell proliferation in medulloblastoma cells.

The effect on cell phenotype of the mutagenic peptide of herpes simplex virus type-1.

The transforming region of the genome of herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) encodes a peptide that raises the mutation frequency of cells. To find the effect of this peptide on cell phenotype, three types of cells were transfected with a shuttle vector plasmid that expressed the peptide. When immortalised rat fibroblasts were transfected they rapidly became anchorage-independent with high efficiency, but were not tumorigenic in nude mice. When monkey kidney cells were transfected, five clonal cell lines were isolated, of which one became anchorage-independent but was not tumorigenic in nude mice. When human oral keratinocytes were transfected they did not become immortalised. The peptide therefore induced some of the features of transformation in different cell types, but did not induce a malignant phenotype in any cell. This suggests that interaction with co-factors would be necessary for the peptide to contribute to the development of oral cancer.

Expression of the mutagenic peptide of herpes simplex virus type 1 in virus-infected cells.

A fragment of DNA from within the minimum transforming region (mtr-1) of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is known to raise the mutation frequency of cells. This activity has been attributed to a viral protein whose properties are largely unknown. Antiserum was raised to a synthetic peptide of a predicted amino acid sequence from the protein, and was found to react with cells that were infected by HSV-1 in an ELISA and by immunocytochemical staining. A combination of immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting techniques confirmed that the epitope is located at the carboxy terminus of the UL26 gene product and is downstream of epitopes that are recognized by two monoclonal antibodies. The mutagenic peptide was different from the conventional gene product of UL26 in that: (a) It was expressed from a different reading frame, (b) It was expressed earlier in infection, and (c) It bound DNA, and thus could be separated by DNA-cellulose chromatography. An RT-PCR experiment revealed two deletions in the cDNA, suggesting that RNA splicing could account for the frameshift. Examination of the DNA sequence of the region also revealed a potential ribosomal frame-shift site. The mutagenic peptide of HSV-1 is therefore a product of the UL26 gene which is expressed with a different carboxy terminus early in infection, and this could be due either to RNA splicing or to ribosomal frame-shifting.

Antibody to a mutagenic peptide of herpes simplex virus in young adult patients with cancer of the head and neck.

Cancer of the head and neck has been associated with herpes simplex virus type-1 by serologic studies that have used virus particles or complex mixtures of viral proteins as antigens. Recently a peptide was found to be encoded by the transforming region of the virus that is mutagenic and is postulated to be involved in cell transformation. Sera from young adult patients with head and neck cancer and from control subjects were examined for the presence of antibody to this peptide with the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody to the peptide was detected in many sera and showed a significant correlation with antibody to the virus in sera from control subjects. Antipeptide antibodies were largely of the IgM isotype, and patients had significantly higher levels of antibody than control subjects. This study is consistent with an association between HSV-1 and head and neck cancer and suggests that this viral peptide should be investigated further for its role in carcinogenesis.

Determination of some sulphur compounds with N-bromoimides.

Two stable oxidants, N-bromophthalimide and N-bromosaccharin are proposed as reagents for the visual and potentiometric titrimetric of thioureas, isothiocyanates, xanthates, dithiocarbamates, thiols, sulphur, thiosulphate, thiocyanate and thiocarbonate. The results are precise within 0.1-0.3%.

Determination of some carbohydrates with N-bromophthalimide and N-bromosaccharin.

Two better titrimetric methods have been developed for determination of carbohydrates such as glucose, fructose, lactose and sucrose, and sugars present in honey and milk. They involve reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) by the carbohydrate concerned, and oxidative titration of the Cu(I) with a standard solution of N-bromophthalimide or N-bromosaccharin.