Application of chitosan as biocompatible polysaccharide in quantification of some benzodiazepines affecting sleep disorders: A new platform for preparation of bioactive scaffolds.

Herein, a reusable and time-saving strategy for the electrochemical polymerization of dopamine (EPD) in the presence of chitosan is reported. In this work, biocompatible polymer chitosan (CS) was electrodeposited on the surface of PDA modified glassy carbon electrode using layer-by-layer strategy. Owing to the abundant catechol and amine groups in the PDA layer, uniform gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are deposited onto the POLY(DA-CS) and can effectively prevent the recombination of electron-hole pairs generated from photo-electrocatalysis and transfer the captured electrons to participate in the electrocatalytic reaction process. Compared with POLY(DA-CS), the as-prepared POLY(DA-CS)-AuNPs organic-inorganic hybrid exhibit electrochemical sensitivity for the detection of some benzodiazepines and display excellent durability. Furthermore, the mussel-inspired electropolymerization strategy and the fast EPD-Au nanoparticle decorating process presented herein can be readily extended to various biomedical and pharmaceutical analysis. It is the adaptation of the established POLY(DA-CS)-Au NPs organic-inorganic hybrid for a selective, robust, and generalizable sensing system that is the emphasis of this work.

The effect of quince leaf (Cydonia oblonga miller) decoction on testes in hypercholesterolemic rabbits: a pilot study.

Current medical literature lacks any evidence of the protective effects of quince leaf on testes. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) leaf decoction on testicular injury and impaired spermatogenesis induced by hypercholesterolemia in rabbits. Eleven mature New Zealand white male rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: group 1 (hypercholesterolemia, n=3), group 2 (hypercholesterolemia plus quince treatment, n=6), and group 3 (control, n=2). Groups 1 and 2 received a cholesterol-enriched diet for six weeks. Group 2 received C. oblonga leaf decoction as drinking supplement as well. After six weeks, a normal diet was substituted in groups 1 and 2 for another six weeks. Group 3 (control group) was maintained throughout the study on a regular diet. At the end of the 12(th) week, the left testes of the animals were resected for light microscopic study with particular attention to the maturity of germ cells in seminiferous tubules using Johnsen's score. Increase in intertubular connective tissue and diameter of vessels, abundant spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes along the reduced germinal epithelium were noted in all rabbits of the group 1. The remaining animals in groups 2 and 3 had no significant changes in their testicular sections. The mean Johnsen's score of group 1 (4.20 ± 1.92) was significantly lower than that of group 2 (7.33 ± 0.52) and group 3 (7.05 ± 0.07). (P=0.01). In conclusion, quince leaf decoction (C. oblonga Miller) protected rabbit testes and spermatogenesis from damage induced by hypercholesterolemia.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of bowel wall thickness and intramural blood flow in ulcerative colitis.

Aim. This study aimed at assessing Doppler ultrasonographic findings of gut wall vessels and thickness in active and quiescent ulcerative colitis. Methods. Fifty patients with ulcerative colitis were studied using transabdominal grayscale and Doppler sonography of sigmoid, distal and middle parts of descending colon in different stages of the disease. Thickness of colon wall in the most involved site, number of color signals in each box, resistive index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were evaluated. Results. The median thickness of the colon wall in the most involved sites was 4.3 mm in acute phase and 4.4 mm in the inactive phase (P = 0.47). The median number of the color signals in the active phase at the most involved site, distal part of descending colon and sigmoid was higher than that of the color signals in the inactive phase (P = 0.0001). In the most involved site, the PI and RI were undetectable in the inactive phase. The median PI was 1.4 in the mild phase, 1.3 in the moderate phase, and 1.1 in the severe phase (P = 0.002). Conclusion. In contrast to the colon wall thickness, increased intramural blood flow reflected the clinical severity in ulcerative colitis patients.