Abusive use of Zolpidem as a Result of COVID-19 and Perspectives of Continuity of the Problem in the Post-Pandemic Period

Zolpidem is a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic drug that works as a positive modulator of Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid-A (GABA-A) receptors, with high selectivity for α1 subunits. Given this selective binding, the drug has a strong hypnotic activity. Social isolation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has contributed to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. As a result, studies have pointed to a possible increase in the indiscriminate use of drugs with sedative effects, such as Zolpidem, during the pandemic. The aim of this work was to present prospective evidence that warns of the possibility of the abusive use of Zolpidem even after the pandemic. High rates of addiction to this drug have been reported around the world after the emergence of the coronavirus. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and from Medicaid support the continuing growth in prescription and indiscriminate use of Zolpidem during the pandemic and afterward. Therefore, there is enough evidence to support the indiscriminate use of this drug since the beginning of the pandemic. Rates of indiscriminate use of sedatives may continue to increase in the post-pandemic period, especially if strict control measures are not taken by health authorities.

Natural DNA Intercalators as Promising Therapeutics for Cancer and Infectious Diseases

Cancer and infectious diseases are one of the greatest challenges of modern medicine. An unhealthy lifestyle, the improper use of drugs, or their abuse are conducive to the increase of morbidity and mortality caused by these diseases. The imperfections of drugs currently used in therapy for these diseases and the increasing problem of drug resistance have forced a search for new substances with therapeutic potential. Throughout history, plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms have been rich sources of biologically active compounds. Even today, despite the development of chemistry and the introduction of many synthetic chemotherapeutics, a substantial part of the new compounds being tested for treatment are still of natural origin. Natural compounds exhibit a great diversity of chemical structures, and thus possess diverse mechanisms of action and molecular targets. Nucleic acids seem to be a good molecular target for substances with anticancer potential in particular, but they may also be a target for antimicrobial compounds. There are many types of interactions of small-molecule ligands with DNA. This publication focuses on the intercalation process. Intercalators are compounds that usually have planar aromatic moieties and can insert themselves between adjacent base pairs in the DNA helix. These types of interactions change the structure of DNA, leading to various types of disorders in the functioning of cells and the cell cycle. This article presents the most promising intercalators of natural origin, which have aroused interest in recent years due to their therapeutic potential.

Regulating inflammation associated Ferroptosis-a treatment strategy for Parkinson disease

Ferroptosis plays a critical regulatory role for a new kind of cell death initiating and developing an array of disorders like neurological diseases, acute injury of kidney, tumors and ischemia etc. This selective deposition of iron is one of the pathogenic reasons for PD and although it's underlying mechanism is still unknown. In this review, the role of neuroinflammation in Parkinson's disease (PD) leading to neurodegeneration has been discussed in detail. The accumulation of brain iron has been found in many chronic neurological disorders including PD. We have also discussed the unique features of Ferroptosis as compared to other cellular death pathways and it links in aggravating the pathology of PD. Further, the concept of targeting Ferroptosis for PD pathology and inducers and inhibitors, pharmacological drugs and clinical trials for PD candidates in phase IV stage in completed status are detailed in the respective sections.

Ampicillin-augmented silver nanoparticles for synergistic antimicrobial response: A promising therapeutic approach

AIMS

Globally Scientists are working to find more efficient antimicrobial drugs to treat microbial infections and kill drug-resistant bacteria.

BACKGROUND

Despite the availability of numerous antimicrobial drugs bacterial infections still poses a serious threat to global health. Due to a constant decline in the effectiveness of antibiotics owing to their repeated exposure as well as shortlasting antimicrobial activity, led to the demand for developing novel therapeutic agents capable of controlling microbial infections.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we report antimicrobial activity of chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles (cAgNPs) augmented with ampicillin (amp) in order to increase antimicrobial response against Escherichia coli (gram -ve), Staphylococcus aureus (gram +ve) and Streptococcus mutans (gram +ve).

METHODS

Nanostructure, colloidal stability, morphology and size of cAgNPs before and after functionalization were explored by UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, zeta potential and TEM. The formation and functionalization of cAgNPs was confirmed from UV-vis spectroscopy and FT-IR patterns. From TEM the average sizes of cAgNPs and cAgNP-amp were found to be 13 and 7.8 nm respectively, and change in colloidal stability after augmentation was confirmed from zeta potential values. The antimicrobial efficacies of cAgNP-amp and cAgNPs against E. coli S. aureus and S. mutans were studied by determining minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), zone of inhibition, assessment of viable and non-viable bacterial cells and quantitative assessment of biofilm.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

Our results revealed cAgNP-amp to be highly bactericidal compared to cAgNPs or amp alone. The nano-toxicity studies indicated cAgNP-amp to be less toxic compared to cAgNPs alone.

RESULTS

This study manifested that cAgNPs show synergistic antimicrobial effect when they get functionalized with amp suggesting their application in curing long-term bacterial infections.

Functional Characterization and Structural Modelling of Peptidoglycan Degrading β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase from a Dental Isolate of Serratia marcescens

INTRODUCTION

Enzymatic degradation of peptidoglycan, a structural cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria, has attracted considerable attention being a specific target for many known antibiotics.

METHODS

Peptidoglycan hydrolases are involved in bacterial lysis through peptidoglycan degradation. β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, a peptidoglycan hydrolase, acts on O-glycosidic bonds formed by N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetyl muramic acid residues of peptidoglycan. Aim of present study was to study the action of β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other Gram-negative bacteria.

RESULTS

We investigated its dynamic behaviour using molecular dynamics simulation and observed that serine and alanine residues are involved in catalytic reaction in addition to aspartic acid, histidine, lysine and arginine residues. When simulated in its bound state, the RMSD values were found lesser than crystal form in the time stamp of 1000 picoseconds revealing its stability. Structure remained stably folded over 1000 picoseconds without undergoing any major change further confirming the stability of complex.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that enzymes belonging to this category can serve as a tool in eradicating Gram-positive pathogens and associated infections.

Advances and challenges in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

Since the end of 2019, a new type of coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been spreading rapidly throughout the world. Previously, there were two outbreaks of severe coronavirus caused by different coronaviruses worldwide, namely Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This article introduced the origin, virological characteristics and epidemiological overview of SARS-CoV-2, reviewed the currently known drugs that may prevent and treat coronavirus, explained the characteristics of the new coronavirus and provided novel information for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

In vitro anti-mycobacterial activity of (E)-N'-(monosubstituted-benzylidene) isonicotinohydrazide derivatives against isoniazid-resistant strains

A series of twenty-three N-acylhydrazones derived from isoniazid (INH 1-23) have been evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against INH- susceptible strain of M. tuberculosis (RG500) and three INH-resistant clinical isolates (RG102, RG103 and RG113). In general, derivatives 4, 14, 15 and 16 (MIC=1.92, 1.96, 1.96 and 1.86 µM, respectively) showed relevant activities against RG500 strain, while the derivative 13 (MIC=0.98 µM) was more active than INH (MIC=1.14 µM). However, these derivatives were inactive against RGH102, which displays a mutation in the coding region of inhA. These results suggest that the activities of these compounds depend on the inhibition of this enzyme. However, the possibility of other mechanisms of action cannot be excluded, since compounds 2, 4, 6, 7, 12–17, 19, 21 and 23 showed good activities against katG-resistant strain RGH103, being more than 10-fold more active than INH.

Drug development to protozoan diseases

The diseases caused by protozoan parasite are responsible for considerable mortality and morbidity, affecting more than 500 million of people in the world. The epidemiological control of protozoan is unsatisfactory due to difficulties of vector and reservoir control; while the progress in the development of vaccine tends to be slow and arduous. Currently, the chemotherapy remains essential component of both clinical management and disease control programmer in endemic areas. The drugs in use as anti-protozoan agents were discovered over 50 years and a number of factors limit their utility such as: high cost, poor compliance, drug resistance, low efficacy and poor safety. In the recent years, the searches about the development of new drugs against protozoa parasite have been increased. This special issue of The Open Medicinal Chemistry Journal will present some of developments in this field with the aim to shown the significant advances in the discovery of new anti-protozoan drugs

Vaccines, virucides and drugs against HIV/AIDS: hopes and optimisms for the future

More than 25 million lives have been claimed by AIDS and 33.2 million people are estimated to have HIV, the majority of which are living in the underdeveloped countries. Failed tests on vaccines, virucides and complete virus eradication have caused scientists to refocus on the basic questions of what makes an effective HIV immune response. The "gloom" over disappointing research results on vaccine development and virucides "threatens to overshadow more positive" HIV/AIDS-related news, such as findings that male circumcision might reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission and that giving antiretroviral drugs to "high-risk" HIV-negative people (pre-exposure prophylaxis) could help protect them from infection. Something like pre-exposure prophylaxis has a good chance of becoming available before we have a 100% efficacious vaccine. The future in the field of HIV/AIDS will be much brighter if global research is appropriately coordinated and sufficient funds are available.