Synthesis and bio-evaluation of newer dihydropyridines and tetrahydropyridines based glycomimetic azasugars

This study presents the synthesis and bio-evaluation of new triazolylated dihydropyridine and tetrahydropyridine azasugar scaffolds (F1-14). Azasugar glycomimetics are the synthetic substances that mimic the structural and functional characteristics of natural carbohydrates showcasing promising potential as therapeutic agents for diabetes. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of synthesized final compounds were evaluated against the commercially available α-glucosidase enzyme. Majority of the screened compounds displayed excellent inhibition with IC50 values ranging from 2.12 to 75.11 μM, when compared to the standard drug Acarbose. Particularly, compound F5 with IC50 value of 2.12 μM was found to be the most active compound among the series. Further molecular docking studies of selected ligands were performed to investigate the binding interactions with enzyme active sites. Their specific binding patterns have been analysed with the binding sites of Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-glucosidase. These findings suggest these candidates as the potential leads for the anti-diabetic activity.

Binding studies of potential amyloid-β inhibiting chalcone derivative with bovine serum albumin

Chalcones (α-phenyl-β-benzoylethylene) and their natural-source derivatives have been investigated for their remarkable biological activities, like neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. A triazole chalcone ligand (E)-3-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)-1-(4-((1-(2-(4-((E)-3-(4(dimethylamino)phenyl)acryloyl)phenoxy)ethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)phenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (L1) was synthesized by Cu(I)- catalysed click reaction. The mechanistic properties of L1 for therapy were evaluated by analyzing the binding interactions between L1 and bovine serum albumin (BSA) through photophysical and computational studies. The structural elucidation of ligand L1 was carried out by NMR and mass spectrometry. The Aβ inhibitory activity of L1 was studied by thioflavin T assay and transmission electron microscopy. The biomolecular interaction of L1 with bovine serum albumin was examined through multi-spectroscopic techniques in combination with in silico studies. UV-Visible absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, Förster resonance energy transfer, and three-dimensional fluorescence studies confirmed the formation of a BSA-L1 complex. The potential binding sites, mechanism of interactions, and variations in the environment of tyrosine and tryptophan amino acid residues of BSA were assessed at different temperatures. The binding constant for the Static quenching mechanism of intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was of the order of 105 M-1. The esterase enzyme activity assay in the presence of L1 revealed an increase in the protein enzyme activity. Molecular docking studies suggested L1 was predominantly bound to BSA by hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals forces.

Binding interactions of Vildagliptin with pepsin: A multi-spectroscopic and in-silico approach and a comparative account with metformin

Vildagliptin (VDG) and Metformin (Met) belong to a class of dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor and biguanide, respectively and used for the management of diabetes mellitus type II (DMTII). Both the drugs are orally available which leads to various side effects due to its oral ingestion. Occurrence of these side effects might be due to some interactions with pepsin at a molecular level. Therefore, in order to investigate these interactions, multi-spectroscopic and in-silico techniques have been extensively studied to identify the binding characteristics of VDG with pepsin. Fluorescence data suggested that the quenching is due to dynamic and static mechanism and static was dominant one. However, fluorescence and UV-Vis spectroscopic measurement analysis suggested that VDG tends to associate with pepsin, via ground-state complex formation. Fluorescence study revealed the binding-constant value which was found to be 0.559 × 103 M-1 at 298.15 K that is non-covalent in nature. VDG-pepsin complex shows exothermic and spontaneous binding as confirmed by the calculated values of ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG, are majorly caused by van der Waals forces and H-bonding interactions. CD spectra of pepsin in presence of VDG confirmed post binding conformational change. Enzyme-activity assay showed that activity of pepsin was decreased by upto 28 %. FRET analysis suggested that energy transfer efficiency is negligible for VDG-pepsin interaction. In-silico analysis reveals that H-bonding and electrostatic negative forces are the significant driving forces involved in the interaction of VDG and pepsin.

Biological Evaluation and Binding Mechanism of 5-HT7 Specific Arylpiperazinyl-Alkyl Benzothiazolone: Radiobiology and Photo-physical Studies

Diversely substituted methoxy derivatives of arylpiperazinyl-alkyl benzothiazolone has been evaluated as specific probe for 5HT7. To determine the best methoxy derivative for 5HT7 receptor affinity, we synthesised a number of 2-benzothiazolone arylalkyl piperazine derivatives. In-vitro/vivo studies with C-2 substituted [11C]ABT showed 5HT7 specific binding. The radiochemical purity of [11C]ABT was found to be more than 99% with radiochemical stability persistence for more than 1.5 hr at 25 °C. The interaction of BSA and ABT has been analysed by photophysical studies for better understanding of properties such as adsortion, distribution, metabolism and elemination (ADME). The interaction between ABT and BSA was analyzed by using the UV-vis and fluorescence spectra. UV-vis spectra analyzed the changes in primary structure of BSA on its interaction with ABT. ABT showed quenched fluorescence emission intensity of tryptophan residues in BSA via static quenching mechanism. This study might help to understand how ABT binds to serum protein or subsequently to know the ADME of this drug candidate.

Adsorption characteristics of magnetized biochar derived from Citrus limetta peels

Agro-industrial waste is an alarming issue that needs to be addressed. Waste valorization is an effective technique to deal with such effectively. Synthesis of biochar from fruit waste is one of the emerging approaches for adsorption, energy storage, air purification, catalysis, and biogas production trending these days. Magnetized Citrus limetta biochar (MCLB) was synthesized from Citrus limetta peels and was magnetized using iron oxide. Magnetization of biochar increases its functionalities as well as makes its separation easy. The removal of Methylene Blue (MB) dye from an aqueous solution is achieved through the use of MCLB. Methylene Blue is a prominent and widely used cationic-azo dye in the textile and printing industries. The accumulation of MB in wastewater is the major problem as MB is reported as a carcinogenic agent. The removal of MB dye with MCLB was analyzed by adsorption studies, wherein the effect of factors influencing adsorption such as initial concentration of MB dye, MCLB dosage, the effect of pH, contact time, and adsorption isotherms were studied. Characterization of MCLB was carried out using various techniques, such as FTIR, VSM, XRD, SEM, RAMAN, and Zeta potential. The adsorption isotherm mechanism was well explained with the non-linear Langmuir isotherm model resulting in a good adsorption capacity (q e  = 41.57 mg/g) of MCLB when MB (co = 60 mg/L, pH ~ 6.8, T = 273K). The thermodynamics analysis revealed that MB's spontaneous and endothermic adsorption onto the MCLB surface followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. The results obtained from this study suggest that the magnetized biochar derived from Citrus limetta peels has a wide range of potential applications in the treatment of dyeing wastewater.

Biophysical studies of the binding of histone deacetylase inhibitor (Trichostatin-A) with bovine serum albumin

Trichostatin A (TSA), a potential radiomitigator in pre-clinical models, inhibits the class I and II mammalian histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzyme family preferentially. In the current study, the ADME assessment of TSA was explored in terms of its binding affinity for serum protein via spectroscopic and molecular docking techniques. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to examine changes in the protein microenvironment, and affinity was quantified in terms of binding constant and stoichiometry. Post binding conformational changes were observed using circular dichroism (CD) and UV-Visible spectroscopy. Specific binding was visualized using molecular docking to support experimental studies. UV-vis spectra demonstrated a blue shift in the interaction of TSA to BSA. The calculated binding constants ranged from 3.10 to 0.78 x 10 5(M-1) and quenching constants from 2.75 to 2.15 x 104 (l mol-1), indicating TSA has a strong binding affinity for BSA. Based on the FRET theory, the distance between BSA (donor) and TSA (acceptor) was calculated to be 2.83 nm. The Stern-Volmer plot revealed (Ksv) static quenching. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated, and a negative ΔG value showed that the interaction is spontaneous. The CD spectra analysis further revealed a change in the protein's secondary structure, indicating TSA-BSA interaction. The molecular docking studies also indicated strong binding affinity of TSA with BSA. The results indicate that good bio-availability of TSA is possible because of the spontaneous and strong binding affinity with BSA.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Multispectroscopic studies of binding interaction of phosmet with bovine hemoglobin

Phosmet is a phthalimide derived broad spectrum organophosphate pesticide which is vastly used across the globe to protect several ornamental or horticulture crops. The toxicity of phosmet is of utmost concern because of its direct effect on the nervous system of the victim after exposure. The mechanism of phosmet toxicity was explored by the interaction with the model blood protein which is hemoglobin. Bovine Hemoglobin (BHb) is a major protein of red blood cells (RBCs) that plays an important role in the exchange of gases for respiration and ensures adequate oxygen supply to tissues for oxygenation. In the current study, the interaction of BHb with phosmet was revealed using various spectroscopic techniques. Circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies of BHb in the presence of phosmet showed secondary structural changes in the protein post binding, Fluorescence study shows the involvement of the dynamic quenching predominantly, Van't Hoffs thermodynamic study showed negative enthalpy value and free energy change and negative entropy change that revealed the involvement of hydrogen bonding and van der Waal forces predominantly further revealing spontaneous nature of binding interaction. The shift in Ultraviolet-visible spectra also revealed the nature of the interaction. In-silico study finally deduced the involvement of hydrogen bonding and polar interaction. The study inferred the moderate interaction of BHb with phosmet.

Comparison of 18 kDa protein (TSPO) during pulmonary inflammation with comparative analysis of PIC and EDTA coupled Acetamidobenzoxazolone vehicle

2-(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino) acetic acid (PIC) and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) vehicle based acetamidobenzoxazolone probes have been evaluated for assessment of 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO). Here PIC and EDTA are working as...

Benzoxazolone-arylpiperazinyl scaffold-based PET ligand for 5-HT7 : Synthesis and biological evaluation

Efforts are underway to improve the diagnosis and treatment for neurological disorders like depression, anxiety, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. The G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) 5-HT₇   receptor, the most recently identified member of 5-HT receptor family dysregulation has an association with various central nervous system (CNS) disorders and its ligands have an edge as potential therapeutics. Here, we report the synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of diversely substituted methoxy derivatives of 2-benzoxazolone arylpiperazine for targeting 5-HT₇  receptors. Out of all derivatives, only C-2 substituted derivative, 3-(4-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)benzoxazol-2(3H)-one/ABO demonstrate a high affinity for human 5-HT₇ receptors. [¹¹ C]ABO was obtained by O-methylation of desmethyl-precursor using [¹¹ C]CH₃ OTf in the presence of NaOH giving a high radiochemical yield of 25 ± 12% (decay-corrected, n = 7) with stability up to 1.5 h postradiolabeling. In vitro autoradiography displays binding of [¹¹ C]ABO in accordance with 5-HT₇ distribution with a decrease of approximately 80% and 40% activity in the hippocampus and cerebellum brain region when administered with 10 µM cold ligand. Prefatory positron emission tomography scan results in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat brain revealed fast and high radioactivity build-up in 5-HT₇ receptor-rich regions, namely, the hippocampus (2.75 ± 0.16 SUV) and the cerebral cortex (2.27 ± 0.02 SUV) establishing selective targeting of [¹¹ C]ABO. In summary, these pieces of data designate [¹¹ C]ABO as a promising 5-HT₇  receptor ligand that can have possible roles in clinics after its further optimization on different animal models.

Luminescence studies of binding affinity of vildagliptin with bovine serum albumin

Vildagliptin (VDG)is a frontier drug for diabetes mellitus. It is prescribed both in the monotherapy as well as in an amalgamation with other antidiabetic drugs. Drug-serum protein binding is an essential parameter which influences ADME properties of the drug. In current study, binding of VDG with serum protein (bovine serum albumin: BSA) was investigated using multi-spectroscopic techniques. A computational approach was also employed to identify the binding affinity of VDG with BSA at both Sudlow I and II sites. An enzyme activity assay specific for esterase was also investigated to know the post-binding consequences of VDG with BSA. Fluorescence spectra of BSA samples treated with VDG shows static quenching with binding parameters for VDG-BSA complex show single class of equivalent binding stoichiometry(n = 1.331) and binding constant 1.1 x 10⁴M^-1 at 298.15 K. The binding constant indicates important role of non-polar interactions in the binding process. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis of VDG absorption spectra and emission spectrum of BSA confirmed no significant resonance in energy transfer. Synchronous fluorescence of BSA after binding with VDG show maximum changes in emission intensity at tryptophan (Trp) residues. Post binding with VDG, BSA conformation changes as suggested by circular dichorism (CD) spectra of BSA and this lead to enhanced protein stability as indicated by a thermal melting curve of BSA.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Spectroscopic and molecular modelling study of binding mechanism of bovine serum albumin with phosmet

Phosmet exerts its neurotoxicity by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase that catalyzes the degradation of acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter). Serum proteins are known to influence the biodistribution of various endogenous and exogenous compounds. In the present study, the binding interactions of phosmet with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated to determine the free concentration of phosmet for its neurotoxicity. The binding mechanism was studied using fluorescence, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), and molecular docking techniques. UV-Vis absorption data showed an increase in absorbance of BSA upon binding with phosmet with a slight red-shift in the peak around 280 nm. Intrinsic fluorescence of BSA was quenched in the presence of phosmet. The quenching was observed to be inversely correlated to the temperature that indicated the formation of ground state non-fluorescent complex (static quenching). Binding constant values and n values for the binding of phosmet with BSA at three different temperatures confirmed non-covalent binding interactions with a single set of equivalent binding sites. Thermodynamic parameters ∆G (-137.40 ± 3.58 kJ mol^-1); ΔH (-16.33 ± 5.28 kJ mol^-1) and ΔS(-469 ± 12.45 kJ mol^-1) confirmed that the binding was spontaneous and non-covalent interactions like electrostatic, hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces played an important role in the binding. The CD data indicated the conformational change in BSA upon binding with phosmet which resulted in a change in the melting temperature. Molecular docking presented the binding model for BSA-phosmet complex and displayed that non-covalent interactions played a significant role in the binding mechanism.

DNA binding and antiradical potential of ethyl pyruvate: Key to the DNA radioprotection

DNA is the store house of all necessary hereditary information for growth of cells and tissues. Physiological functionality of DNA depends on its 3D helical structure and any distortion in a structure may lead to mutation and genomic instability that may translate into disease like cancer. In order to prevent DNA damage, an exogenous compound is required that can either scavenge the excess free radicals or enhance the structural integrity of DNA through binding. In the present study, the binding mechanism of ethyl pyruvate (EP) with DNA models using different spectroscopic techniques was investigated for their structural integrity. Besides, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were performed to determine the antioxidant scavenging of EP. Plasmid DNA relaxation assay was performed to assess the radioprotection efficacy of EP in the plasmid DNA. Circular dichroism (CD) and UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopic data confirmed the conformation change in ctDNA upon binding with EP. The molecular docking visualized that EP stacks between the DNA bases with a glide score of -2.117 kcalmol while EP binds in the minor groove region of DNA with the glide score of -1.414 kcalmol . DPPH and FRAP data confirmed that EP scavenges significantly radicals at higher concentrations. In vitro radioprotection study in plasmid DNA pBR322 showed that EP retained the supercoiled form of plasmid DNA at 50 Gy radiation dose.

68Ga-Labeled bismacrocyclic methylene phosphonate as potential bone seeking PET radiopharmaceutical

Phosphonates-based agents are well-known bone-seeking radiopharmaceuticals with application in detection and therapy. With higher sensitivity and resolution offered by Positron Emission Tomography (PET), tracers based on this technique are gaining huge attention. ⁶⁸Ga-based generator and radiotracers render independence from the on-site cyclotron. We report the development of ⁶⁸Ga-labeled DOTA-based bismacrocyclic phosphonate derivative, for bone PET imaging. The synthesis and characterization of ⁶⁸Ga- DO3P-AME-DO3P was carried out in > 95% purity. The radiotracer displayed high stability and low binding affinity (<3%) to blood serum. High in vitro binding affinity were observed for synthetic hydroxyapatite, SAOS-2, osteoclast and osteoblast cells. In vivo pharmacokinetics revealed fast washout with biphasic release pattern. The deposition of radiotracer in osseous tissues was high (Bone/Muscle ratio:18), as studied from the biodistribution studies. In vivo PET/CT and biodistribution analyses revealed the ability of ⁶⁸Ga-DO3P-AME-DO3P to target and accumulate in bone, thus displaying its potential as a PET bone imaging agent.

Design and in silico screening of aryl allyl mercaptan analogs as potential histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitors

The Zn⁺² HDACIs show promising anticancer activity. Allyl mercaptan (AM), a metastabilzed monomeric form of diallyl disulphide (DADS) shows better HDACI activity. The present work screens a dataset of aryl AM derivatives 1(a-g) for potential HDACI action viain silico models. DFT calculations predicted the geometrical parameters and frontier orbital calculations suggested better chemical reactivity. Negative chemical potential and NBO hyper conjugative interactions predicted their chemical stability. ADME study confirmed favourable drug likeliness. Molecular docked models suggested the formation of coordinate bond between sulphur of allylmercaptan and Zn²⁺ cofactor of HDAC8. Besides, models also predicted the dominance of hydrophobic interactions. The aryl AM analogs docked perfectly with HDAC3 as well. The glide score and S-Zn distance of compounds 1a, 1f and 1g were found to be better than allylmercaptan. Therefore, the designed aryl AM analogs filtered as better HDACIs. These could be further used for design and synthesis of new improved HDACIs.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of antimalarial activity of new derivatives of 2,4,6-s-triazine

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an important enzyme for de novo synthesis of nucleotides in Plasmodium falciparum and it is essential for cell proliferation. DHFR is a well known antimalarial target for drugs like cycloguanil and pyrimethamine which target its inhibition for their pharmacological actions. However, the clinical efficacies of these antimalarial drugs have been compromising due to multiple mutations occurring in DHFR that lead to drug resistance. In this background, we have designed 22 s -triazine compounds using the best five parameters based 3D-QSAR model built by using genetic function approximation. In-silico designed compounds were further filtered to 6 compounds based upon their ADME properties, docking studies and predicted minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). Out of 6 compounds, 3 compounds were synthesized in good yield over 95% and characterized using IR, ¹HNMR, ¹³CNMR and mass spectroscopic techniques. Parasitemia inhibition assay was used to evaluate the antimalarial activity of s -triazine compounds against 3D7 strain of P. falciparum. All the three compounds (7, 13 and 18) showed 30 times higher potency than cycloguanil (standard drug). It was observed that compound 18 was the most active while the compound 13 was the least active. On the closer inspection of physicochemical properties and SAR, it was observed that the presence of electron donating groups, number of hydrogen bond formation, lipophilicity of ligands and coulson charge of nitrogen atom present in the triazine ring enhances the DHFR inhibition significantly. This study will contribute to further endeavours of more potent DHFR inhibitors.

Synthesis, characterization of 1,2,4-triazole Schiff base derived 3d-metal complexes: Induces cytotoxicity in HepG2, MCF-7 cell line, BSA binding fluorescence and DFT study

Two novel Schiff base ligands H₂L¹ and H₂L² have been synthesized by condensation reaction of amine derivative of 1,2,4-triazole moiety with 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde. Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) of the synthesized Schiff bases were prepared by using a molar ratio of ligand:metal as 1:1. The structure of the Schiff bases and synthesized metal complexes were established by ¹H NMR, UV-Vis, IR, Mass spectrometry and molar conductivity. The thermal stability of the complexes was study by TGA. Fluorescence quenching mechanism of metal complexes 1-4 show that Zn(II) and Cu(II) complex binds more strongly to BSA. In DFT studies the geometries of Schiff bases and metal complexes were fully optimized with respect to the energy using the 6-31+g(d,p) basis set. The spectral data shows that the ligands behaves as binegative tridentate. On the basis of the spectral studies, TGA and DFT data an octahedral geometry has been assigned for Co(II), Ni(II), square planar for Cu(II) and tetrahedral for Zn(II) complexes. The anticancer activity were screened against human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (Hep-G2). Result indicates that metal complexes shows increase cytotoxicity in proliferation to cell lines as compared to free ligand.

Pharmacophore modelling, atom-based 3D-QSAR generation and virtual screening of molecules projected for mPGES-1 inhibitory activity

COX-2 inhibitors exhibit anticancer effects in various cancer models but due to the adverse side effects associated with these inhibitors, targeting molecules downstream of COX-2 (such as mPGES-1) has been suggested. Even after calls for mPGES-1 inhibitor design, to date there are only a few published inhibitors targeting the enzyme and displaying anticancer activity. In the present study, we have deployed both ligand and structure-based drug design approaches to hunt novel drug-like candidates as mPGES-1 inhibitors. Fifty-four compounds with tested mPGES-1 inhibitory value were used to develop a model with four pharmacophoric features. 3D-QSAR studies were undertaken to check the robustness of the model. Statistical parameters such as r² = 0.9924, q² = 0.5761 and F test = 1139.7 indicated significant predictive ability of the proposed model. Our QSAR model exhibits sites where a hydrogen bond donor, hydrophobic group and the aromatic ring can be substituted so as to enhance the efficacy of the inhibitor. Furthermore, we used our validated pharmacophore model as a three-dimensional query to screen the FDA-approved Lopac database. Finally, five compounds were selected as potent mPGES-1 inhibitors on the basis of their docking energy and pharmacokinetic properties such as ADME and Lipinski rule of five.

In vivo anti-arthritic efficacy of Camellia sinensis (L.) in collagen induced arthritis model

BACKGROUND

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune inflammatory disorder with synovial hyperplasia, destruction of cartilage, bone damage is often associated with risk of infections. Such risk could be attributed towards usage of immunosuppressive agents. Thus, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-arthritic efficacy of aquo-alcoholic extract of Camellia sinensis (L.).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Dried leaves of Camellia sinensis (L.) or Cs were filtered and extracted in 1:1 aqueous: ethanol by Soxhlet apparatus followed by lyophilization and spray drying to develop amorphous powder. Four different oral doses (50, 100, 200, 400mg/kg/body wt.) of aquo-alcoholic extract were evaluated for anti-edematogenic effect in collagen induced arthritis model. The selected anti-arthritic doses of Cs were evaluated for the oxidative stress markers like Glutathione [5-5'dithio-bis-2-nitrobenzoicacid (DTNB)], Superoxide dismutase [Epinephrine], Catalase [Hydrogen peroxide], Lipid peroxidation [Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS)], Nitric oxide [Griess reagents:Nitrobluetetrazolium], Articular elastase [N-methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro- Val p-nitroanilide] in joints followed by haematological evaluation including RBC, WBC, Haemoglobin, platelets and haematocrit. To validate these biochemical changes, the radiological and histopathological (Haematoxylin & Eosin) evaluation was also conducted.

RESULTS

The selected anti-arthritic dose of Cs i.e. 400mg/kg/body wt. (∼60% anti-arthritic efficacy on 35th day) could be attributed towards significant (p<0.05) increase in the levels of enzymatic (Superoxide dismutase and Catalase) and non-enzymatic (Glutathione) antioxidants by 34%, 59% and 50% respectively. Simultaneously, the significant (p<0.05) reduction of lipid peroxides, nitrite radical and elastase activity by 32%, 45% & 32% respectively as compare to control indicated overall decrease in oxidative stress. Haematological evaluation revealed restoration of RBC, WBC and platelets level in treatment group. The confirmatory analysis utilizing radiological and histological assessment showed alleviation of joint deformity, tissue swelling, pannus formation and neutrophils infiltration in treatment group as compared to collagen induced arthritis.

CONCLUSION

The analysis showed that Cs can play an effective role in reduction of oxidative stress by modulating levels of antioxidants, reducing levels of free radicals while restoring normal haematopoietic cascade as observed in collagen induced arthritis model. Thus, the cumulative dose impact of 400mg/kg body wt., over a period of 14days also found extremely effective in terms of safeguarding their structural conformity against such auto-immune disorder.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of methyl-2-(2-(5-bromo benzoxazolone)acetamido)-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)propanoate: TSPO ligand for SPECT

The translator protein (TSPO, 18 kDa), a transmembrane mitochondrial protein, has been explored as an important biomarker by researchers for inflammation, immune modulation and cell proliferation. Here we report a new SPECT agent^99mTc-MBIP for TSPO imaging and quantification.

Preparation and catalytic applications of nanomaterials: a review

The present review systematically summarizes the synthesis and specific catalytic applications of nanomaterials such as MSN, nanoparticles, LD hydroxides, nanobubbles, quantum dots,etc.

Violence against women by their husband and postpartum depression

BACKGROUND

Violence against women in developing countries is very high with very little to choose between the cities and provinces. In Nepal too, violence against women is very rampant. This occurs despite physical violence against women being ascribed as criminal act by Domestic Violence Act. The main objective of the study was to see the association between postpartum depression and violence against women.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant women of reproductive age group in two centers. Standard questionnaires were used to collect data regarding violence and for detecting postpartum depression. Three interviews one in antenatal and two in postnatal period were taken.

RESULTS

The incidence of postpartum depression was found to be 19.4 % (95% CI = 14.73 - 24.06) and 22.22% (95% CI = 17.30 - 27.09) during first (6 week postpartum ) and second (10th week) postpartum interview respectively. The incidence of physical, psychological and sexual violence was found to be 20.8% (95%CI= 16.01 - 25.58), 19.4% (95%CI= 14.73 - 24.06) and 13.9% (95% CI= 9.82 - 17.97) respectively. No statistically significant relationship could be found between different forms of violence and postpartum depression .The study showed that all the women with bad communication or conversation with the husband had postpartum depression while only 17.1% of women with good conversation had postpartum depression.

CONCLUSIONS

No form of violence against women had statistically significant association with development of postpartum depression among Nepalese population.

Quantitative structure activity relationship study of 2,4,6-trisubstituted-s-triazine derivatives as antimalarial inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase

This study presents a quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) study on a pool of 19 bio-active s-triazine compounds. Molecular descriptors, kappa {¹κ}, chi {³χ}, x component of the dipole moment (μ(x) ), Coulson charge (q(N) ) on the nitrogen atom sandwiched between the two substituted carbons of the triazine ring, and total energy (E(T) ) obtained from AM1 calculations provide valuable information and have a significant role in the assessment of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitory activity of the compounds. By using the Genetic Function Approach (GFA) technique, five QSAR models have been drawn up with the help of these calculated descriptors and DHFR inhibitory activity data of the molecules. Among the obtained QSAR models presented in the study, statistically the most significant one is a four-parameter linear equation with the Lack-of-Fit value 0.5624, squared correlation coefficient R² value of 0.7697, and the squared cross-validated correlation coefficient R²(CV) value of 0.6469. The results are discussed in light of the main factors that influence the DHFR inhibitory activity.

SAR of Cu (II) thiosemicarbazone complexes as hypoxic imaging agents: MM3 analysis and prediction of biologic properties

Copper(II) bis(thiosemicarbazone) are very useful for blood flow and hypoxic imaging. The aim of this study was to identify structure-activity relationships (SARs) within a series of analogues with different substitution patterns in the ligands, in order to design improved hypoxia imaging agents and elucidate hypoxia selectivity mechanisms. Genetic algorithms (GAs) were used to develop specific copper metal-ligand force field parameters for the MM3 force-field calculations. These new parameters produced results in good agreement with experiment and previously reported copper metal-ligand parameters. A successful quantitative SAR (QSAR) for predicting the several classes of Cu(II)-chelating ligands was built using a training set of 21 Cu(II) complexes. The QSAR exhibited a correlation between the predicted and experimental test set. The QSAR preformed with great accuracy; r(2) = 0.95 and q(2) = 0.90 utilizing a leave-one-out cross-validation with multiple linear regression analysis to find correlation between different calculated molecular descriptors of these complexes. The final QSAR mathematical models were found as the following: Log P = {3.01698 (+/-0.0590)} - LUMO {0.1248 (+/-0.068)} + MR {0.3219 (+/-0.086)} n = 21 |r| = 0.972 s = 0.188 F = 98.102 The resulting models could act as an efficient strategy for estimating the hypoxic conditions through imaging and provide some insights into the structural features related to the biological activity of these compounds.

An audit of urodynamic standardization in the West Midlands, UK

OBJECTIVE

To report a follow-up postal survey to one conducted in 1998 assessing the feasibility of standardizing urodynamic practice in the West Midlands region.

METHODS

From the initial survey there was interest in standardizing the practice of urodynamics and a few simple guidelines were proposed. The postal survey was repeated to identify any changes. The guidelines included zeroing the transducer to atmospheric pressure, a filling rate of 50 mL/min and using the International Continence Society (ICS) definition of detrusor instability, including numerical values and recording any contraction in the presence of urgency. A questionnaire, similar to the initial one, was circulated to all the clinicians who had participated in the initial study, distributed approximately 8 months after agreed guidelines were issued. Specific questions included details of the filling and voiding cystometrogram, and the basis of diagnosing detrusor instability. They were also asked to comment on whether they would still like the practice to be standardized.

RESULTS

Only 17 of the 23 clinicians who participated in the initial study responded. For zeroing the transducer to atmospheric pressure, eight still zeroed to the patient. Only one unit had changed its practice by zeroing to atmospheric pressure. Varied rates of filling were still used and only eight participants used the ICS criteria to diagnose detrusor instability. Three of the 17 participants did not feel that standardization was achievable.

CONCLUSIONS

Obviously there is some apathy amongst clinicians to move towards standardization. No significant changes had been made since standardization guidelines were issued. Although most preferred initially to standardize urodynamic practice, individuals do not seem to have been convinced that they need to change their method to achieve uniformity.