Recent Advances in Nuclear and Mitochondrial-Related Epigenetic Modifications in Cardiovascular Diseases

Epigenetic modifications are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases. Genome-wide association studies and candidate gene approaches have elucidated the polygenic complexity of cardiovascular diseases. Certain epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non coding RNAs, play significant roles in the occurrence and progression of these diseases. Targeting key epigenetic enzymes...

Understanding Medical Education

Medical education, as we understand it today, includes three sectors: undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing professional development for established physicians. However, this was not always the case, and Abraham Flexner, whose centenary has been celebrated up until now this decade since his seminal paper on the gadget transformation of the US science faculty, would not now diagnose the interest currently bei...

The Non-Medical use of Prescription Drugs

The developing non-medical use of prescription pills is a world fitness concern. Such utilization can be described as the taking of prescription drugs, whether or not got by using prescription or otherwise, different than in the manner or for the motives or duration prescribed, or by using a individual for whom the drug was once now not prescribed. The actual scale of the hassle is unknown, due partly to a lack of...

RND Efflux Substrates: Antibiotic Resistance Clues

Antibiotic resistance could be one of the leading causes of global death rate if antimicrobial development and therapy schemes are not improved. In this context, it is crucial to determine which molecular determinants are responsible for a decrease in the constitutive activity of the antibiotic. RND efflux pumps constitute the first line of defense mediating Gram-negative bacteria. This mechanism is not subject to...

Topoisomerase II Inhibitor as a Potential Therapy for Severe COVID-19: Antiviral Activity and Molecular Docking Studies

Aim: SARS-CoV-2 has caused the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic (nCOV-19) and infected more than 42 million individuals worldwide. Currently, there is an urgent need to find potential drugs that can treat SARS-CoV-2 infection. Background: Etoposide was suggested as a potential rescue treatment of severe COVID-19 cases since it possesses anti-inflammatory activity synergizing other therapies, incl...

In Vitro Quality Evaluation of Fourteen 500 mg Paracetamol Tablets Brands in Ghana

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is an over-the-counter analgesic, antipyretic and anti inflammatory drug. There are numerous generics of Paracetamol tablets, both locally produced and imported brands are available within the health care delivery system in Ghana. This study was undertaken to evaluate the quality of these brands. Pharmacopoeial and non-pharmacopoeial tests such as friability, thickness, hardness, unifor...

Literature Review on Instrumental Analysis of Metformin Hydrochloride, Glibenclamide, Glimepiride and Pioglitazone Hydrochloride in Different Matrices

In this literature review, we will introduce mode of action and most of up-to-date reported methods that have been developed for determination of certain oral hypoglycemic drugs, such as metformin hydrochloride, glibenclamide, glimepiride and pioglitazone hydrochloride in their pure form, combined form with other drugs, combined form with degradation products, and in biological samples. Most of the reported method...

Severe Acetaminophen Overdose in a Premature Neonate: A Potent Pharmacological Benefit of Immaturity?

A preterm infant, born at 27.2 weeks of gestation and treated for persistent patent ductus arteriosus, received inadvertently a total dose of 780 mg/kg Acetaminophen (APAP) intravenously in 13 divided doses over 3 days, instead of 60 mg/kg/day as recommended. APAP concentration was 256 mg/l after the 13th injection, when intravenous N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) administered as continuous infusion was started and adminis...

Pharmacological and Analytical Profile of Celecoxib

Celecoxib is a selective COX-II inhibitor drug that is used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic drug. In this literature review, we will shed the light on its pharmacological action beside most of up-to-date reported methods that have been developed for its determination in its pure form, combined form with other drugs, combined form with its metabolites, and in biological samples.

The Effect of Oxcarbazepine on Epilepsy, Neuropathic pain, Inflammatory Pain and Morphine Tolerance

Oxcarbazepine has various actions. It can be used for treatment of epilepsy, trigeminal neuralgia, and diabetic neuropathy. In the animal study, oxcarbazepine has some evidence that it could be used for treatment of inflammatory pain and morphine tolerance.

Generic Drugs – Essential for the Sustainability of Healthcare Systems with Numerous Strategies to Enhance their Use

The increasing use of lower-cost multiple sourced medicines (generics) and biosimilars are essential to attain or retain universal healthcare in the face of continual pressure on available resources. Alongside this, reduce patient co-payments and enhance access to medicines in countries with high co-payments where affordability is an issue. Supply-side measures, including aggressive procurement practices and incre...

Macroscopic Digital Changes: A Predictive Factor for Response to Cyclophosphamide in Systemic Sclerosis - Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

There are two treatment options for interstitial lung disease-associated with systemic sclerosis (SSc-ILD), namely, immunosuppressants (cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, etc.) and anti-fibrotic drug (nintedanib). The efficacy of immunosuppressants for SSc-ILD is variable, possibly reflecting the heterogeneity of underlying disease mechanisms. If it is possible to identify the subgroup of SSc-ILD patients re...

Prescribing, Using the Proprietary ‘Trade’ Name, is Safer than Using the Generic Active Ingredient, as the Defined Identifier of the Required Medication

Introduction: Development of medications, by research based pharmaceutical companies, costs of the order of > 2.5 billion US dollars, especially when amortised over the costs involved with other failed attempts to develop innovative compounds of which > 90% fail at the animal testing stages and others fail while undergoing human trials. The cost of developing a generic alternative is far cheaper, hence leading to...

Commentary on Drug Use and Interventions among Justice Involved Youth

This commentary draws on my multiple decades experience working on adolescent drug use issues, particularly involving youth in the justice system. Reflections are made on key issues in the field, progress made, and challenges that need to be overcome in moving the field forward.

Cellular Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Novel I-B Kinase Inhibitor Ketomycin

We previously isolated oxo-cyclohexene-acetic acid, ketomycin, from a culture filtrate of Actinomycetes as an inhibitor of cancer cell migration and invasion. The mechanistic study revealed that it inhibited constitutively activated NF-B and downstream MMP 9 and 11 expressions in human breast carcinoma cells. In the present research, we looked into the mechanism of NF-B inhibition, and found that ketomycin inhib...

HPLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Ambroxol, Salbutamol and Fexofenadine in Their Bulk and Dosage Forms

An isocratic HPLC method has been developed for determination of ambroxol, salbutamol, and fexofenadine in their pure and tablet forms. Separation was carried out at room temperature on an Equisil BDS C18 (5 um, 4.60 mm x 150 mm) column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile and 0.1% ortho-phosphoric acid (20:80, v/v). The flow rate was 1 mL/min, maximum absorption was measured at 220 nm and linearity was in the ran...

Synthesis, Characterization, and Advanced Biomedical Applications of Hydrogels: A Current Review

The development of hydrogel technologies has been the focus of various pharmaceutical and medical fields, including tissue engineering, controlled drug delivery, wound management, cell separation, and biological materials. Hydrogels, which are biodegradable and biocompatible materials, have been known to work as drug carriers for controlled and targeted release of bioactive proteins and peptides, are able to prote...

Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors: As A Anticancer Agent

Cancer is a dreaded disease, caused by unrestrained and irregular cell division, leading to formation of an agglomeration of cells called tumour. The wild growth in the form of a tumour may affect and ultimately block the functioning of the organ concerned, if not treated. It might have dangerous consequences, posing direct threat to the life of the organism.

The Development of Pharmacophore Model of Sulfocoumarins (1,2-Benzoxathiine-2,2 Dioxides is a Potent Inhibitors of Tumor-Associated Carbonicanhydrases

Coumarins are a novel class of Carbonic Anhydrase inhibitors. Accordingly, Sufocoumarins also act by the same mechanism and act as effective CA inhibitors. Sulfocoumarins are hydrolyzed by esterase CA activity to 2-hydroxyphenyl-vinyl sulfonic acids which bind to the enzyme in a region rarely occupied by other classes of CA inhibitors.

Improvements in the Pharmacological Profile of Diazepam by KRM-II-81, an Imidazodiazepine Positive Allosteric Modulator of  2/3-Containing GABAA Receptors: Preclinical Data Predict Enhanced Efficacy for Epilepsy, Chronic Pain, Anxiety, and Depression

Enhancement of GABAA receptor inhibition has long been used in the treatment of anxiety beginning with meprobamate, diazepam, chlordiazepoxide, and alprazolam in present times. Positive allosteric modulation of GABAA receptors has thus proven its place in medical practice. Subsequent work focused on the design of compounds with reduced sedative liabilities. Several non-benzodiazepine GABAA-positive allosteric modu...

Physical and Chemical Bases for the Use of Artemisinin as a Sonosensitizer for SDT Treatments

Artemisinin (ARTO2) has been used as a successful drug to control malaria and has also been proposed as an anti-cancer drug. Many authors have argued in favor of that last use. The combined use of ARTO2 with ultrasound (US) was developed earlier and it has also been reported a complex mechanism of action which needs the simultaneous presence of ARTO2, iron and US. Over simplifying we can affirm that the ARTO2 pero...

Pharmacological Agents as Adjuncts in the Management of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

The Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are widely-prescribed medications used to ameliorate anxiety, tension, insomnia and some forms of epilepsy. They are generally effective but are prone to induce numerous unwanted effects including misuse and sedation. It has become apparent that about a third of long-term (more that 3 months) users develop a state of normal-dose dependence associated with a characteristic withdrawal synd...

Transfer of Paracetamol and Aniline in the Ex Vivo Human Placental Perfusion Model

Introduction: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is the first choice pain relieving medicine recommended for pregnant women. Recent findings link paracetamol exposure in utero with subsequent genital malformation occurrence in children, as well as asthma, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and other developmental disorders. The reported presence of paracetamol in the urine samples from individuals never trea...

Development and Validation of a HPLC Method for 5-Fu Quantification Following In Vitro Skin Permeation Assay

The drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is used in various therapies as anti metabolic including several cancers and many skin diseases. In this work, we develop a bioanalytical method to quantify the 5-FU into the porcine ear skin samples after in vitro skin permeation studies by HPLC-UV. However, skin matrices samples represent the major bioanalytical challenge due to the complexity of this matrix. This method was develo...

Plasma ADMA Decrease Following a Single Bout of Physical Exercise is Related to Reduced Homocysteine Lowering

This study describes as a single bout of physical exercise reduce plasma Asymmetric Dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels. ADMA is a naturally occurring aminoacid that aroused interest because inhibits Nitric Oxide Synthases (NOS) enhancing atherogenesis and producing sustained hypertensive damage to end organs. We reported experimental evidences that ADMA decrease is due to the lowering of reduced homocysteine during th...

Determination of Polysorbate 80 Concentration of Inprocess Stock Solution by SoloVPE for Biopharmaceutical Formulation Development and Manufacture

Polysorbate 80 as a non-ionic surfactant has been widely used as a stabilizer for protein products to minimize interface induced degradation during manufacture and long-term storage. During manufacture of therapeutic proteins, polysorbate 80 is usually prepared in water as a stock solution that is added to Bulk Drug Substance (BDS) to meet a targeted polysorbate 80 concentration. The viscous, lipophilic, and oily...