On Interactions of Sulfamerazine with Cyclodextrins from Coupled Diffusometry and Toxicity Tests

This scientific study employs the Taylor dispersion technique for diffusion measurements to investigate the interaction between sulfamerazine (NaSMR) and macromolecular cyclodextrins (β-CD and HP-β-CD). The results reveal that the presence of β-CD influences the diffusion of the solution component, NaSMR, indicating a counterflow of this drug due to solute interaction. However, diffusion data indicate no inclusion of NaSMR within the sterically hindered HP-β-CD cavity. Additionally, toxicity tests were conducted, including pollen germination (Actinidia deliciosa) and growth curve assays in BY-2 cells. The pollen germination tests demonstrate a reduction in sulfamerazine toxicity, suggesting potential applications for this antimicrobial agent with diminished adverse effects. This comprehensive investigation contributes to a deeper understanding of sulfamerazine-cyclodextrin interactions and their implications for pharmaceutical and biological systems.

Structure Activity Relationship and Molecular Docking of Some Quinazolines Bearing Sulfamerazine Moiety as New 3CLpro, cPLA2, sPLA2 Inhibitors

The current work was conducted to synthesize several novel anti-inflammatory quinazolines having sulfamerazine moieties as new 3CLpro, cPLA2, and sPLA2 inhibitors. The thioureido derivative 3 was formed when compound 2 was treated with sulfamerazine. Also, compound 3 was reacted with NH2-NH2 in ethanol to produce the N-aminoquinazoline derivative. Additionally, derivative 4 was reacted with 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, ethyl chloroacetate, and/or diethyl oxalate to produce quinazoline derivatives 5, 6, and 12, respectively. The results of the pharmacological study indicated that the synthesized 4-6 and 12 derivatives showed good 3CLpro, cPLA2, and sPLA2 inhibitory activity. The IC50 values of the target compounds 4-6, and 12 against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease were 2.012, 3.68, 1.18, and 5.47 µM, respectively, whereas those of baicalein and ivermectin were 1.72 and 42.39 µM, respectively. The IC50 values of the target compounds 4-6, and 12 against sPLA2 were 2.84, 2.73, 1.016, and 4.45 µM, respectively, whereas those of baicalein and ivermectin were 0.89 and 109.6 µM, respectively. The IC50 values of the target compounds 4-6, and 12 against cPLA2 were 1.44, 2.08, 0.5, and 2.39 µM, respectively, whereas those of baicalein and ivermectin were 3.88 and 138.0 µM, respectively. Also, incubation of lung cells with LPS plus derivatives 4-6, and 12 caused a significant decrease in levels of sPLA2, cPLA2, IL-8, TNF-α, and NO. The inhibitory activity of the synthesized compounds was more pronounced compared to baicalein and ivermectin. In contrast to ivermectin and baicalein, bioinformatics investigations were carried out to establish the possible binding interactions between the newly synthesized compounds 2-6 and 12 and the active site of 3CLpro. Docking simulations were utilized to identify the binding affinity and binding mode of compounds 2-6 and 12 with the active sites of 3CLpro, sPLA2, and cPLA2 enzymes. Our findings demonstrated that all compounds had outstanding binding affinities, especially with the key amino acids of the target enzymes. These findings imply that compound 6 is a potential lead for the development of more effective SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors and anti-COVID-19 quinazoline derivative-based drugs. Compound 6 was shown to have more antiviral activity than baicalein and against 3CLpro. Furthermore, the IC50 value of ivermectin against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease was revealed to be 42.39 µM, indicating that it has low effectiveness.

Fabrication of PbO2 Electrodes with Different Doses of Er Doping for Sulfonamides Degradation

In the present study, PbO₂ electrodes, doped with different doses of Er (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4%), were fabricated and characterized. Surface morphology characterization by SEM-EDS and XRD showed that Er was successfully doped into the PbO₂ catalyst layer and the particle size of Er-PbO₂ was reduced significantly. Electrochemical oxidation of sulfamerazine (SMR) in the Er-PbO₂ anode system obeyed te pseudo first-order kinetic model with the order of 2% Er-PbO₂ > 4% Er-PbO₂ > 1% Er-PbO₂ > 0.5% Er-PbO₂ > 0% PbO₂. For 2% Er-PbO₂, k_SMR was 1.39 h^-1, which was only 0.93 h^-1 for 0% PbO₂. Effects of different operational parameters on SMR degradation in 2% Er-PbO₂ anode system were investigated, including the initial pH of the electrolyte and current density. Under the situation of an initial pH of 3, a current density of 30 mA·cm^-2, a concentration of SMR 30 mg L^-1, and 0.2 M Na₂SO₄ used as supporting electrolyte, SMR was totally removed in 3 h, and COD mineralization efficiency was achieved 71.3% after 6 h electrolysis. Furthermore, the degradation pathway of SMR was proposed as combining the active sites identification by density functional calculation (DFT) and intermediates detection by LC-MS. Results showed that Er-PbO₂ has great potential for antibiotic wastewater treatment in practical applications.

Stimulation of Sulfonamides Antibacterial Drugs Activity as a Result of Complexation with Ru(III): Physicochemical and Biological Study

Antibiotic resistance is a global problem, and one promising solution to overcome this issue is using metallodrugs, which are drugs containing metal ions and ligands. These complexes are superior to free ligands in various characteristics including anticancer properties and mechanism of action. The pharmacological potential of metallodrugs can be modulated by the appropriate selection of ligands and metal ions. A good example of proper coordination is the combination of sulfonamides (sulfamerazine, sulfathiazole) with a ruthenium(III) ion. This work aimed to confirm that the activity of sulfonamides antibacterial drugs is initiated and/or stimulated by their coordination to an Ru(III) ion. The study determined the structure, electrochemical profile, CT-DNA affinity, and antimicrobial as well as anticancer properties of the synthesized complexes. The results proved that Ru(III) complexes exhibited better biological properties than the free ligands.

Synthesis and in silico studies of triazene-substituted sulfamerazine derivatives as acetylcholinesterase and carbonic anhydrases inhibitors

A novel series of sulfonamides, 4-(3-phenyltriaz-1-en-1-yl)-N-(4-methyl-2-pyrimidinyl)benzenesulfonamides (1-9), was designed and synthesized by the diazo reaction between sulfamerazine and substituted aromatic amines for the first time. Their chemical structures were characterized by ¹ H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ¹³ C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectra. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated in terms of acetylcholineasterase (AChE) and human carbonic anhydrases (hCA) I and II isoenzymes inhibitory activities. According to the AChE inhibition results, the K_i values of the compounds 1-9 were in the range of 19.9 ± 1.5 to 96.5 ± 20.7 nM against AChE. Tacrine was used as the reference drug and its K_i value was 49.2 ± 2.7 nM against AChE. The K_i values of the compounds 1-9 were in the range of 10.2 ± 2.6 to 101.4 ± 27.8 nM against hCA I, whereas they were 18.3 ± 4.4 to 48.1 ± 4.5 nM against hCA II. Acetazolamide was used as a reference drug and its K_i values were 72.2 ± 5.4 and 52.2 ± 5.7 nM against hCA I and hCA II, respectively. The most active compounds, 1 (nonsubstituted) against AChE, 5 (4-ethoxy-substituted) against hCA I, and 8 (4-bromo-substituted) against hCA II, were chosen and docked at the binding sites of these enzymes to explain the inhibitory activities of the series. The newly synthesized compounds presented satisfactory pharmacokinetic properties via the estimation of ADME properties.

Photo-stimulated "turn-on/off" molecularly imprinted polymers based on magnetic mesoporous silicon surface for efficient detection of sulfamerazine

In this study, novel photo-stimulated molecularly imprinted polymers based on magnetic mesoporous carrier surface were developed for selective identification and intelligent separation of sulfamerazine in complex samples. The photosensitive monomer of the molecularly imprinted polymers was azobenzene derivative 5-[(4-(methacryloyloxy)phenyl) diazenyl] isophthalic acid with stimulus reaction mechanisms, which has photoisomerization between trans and cis for N=N bonds. Further, the properties of the photo-stimulated molecularly imprinted polymers were further evaluated through several sets of adsorption experiments. It illustrated that the maximum adsorption amount is 0.45 mmol/L. By ultraviolet spectrophotometry, the material reaches typical characteristic peaks of photo sensitivity, and the cycle time is 16 min. Three adsorption and desorption processes were repeated, the adsorption rate reached 34.4%. Overall, the photo-stimulated molecularly imprinted polymers can enrich and separate determine sulfamerazine with high selectivity, which have good recovery for real samples.

Determination of sulfamerazine in aquatic products by molecularly imprinted capillary electrochromatography

A molecularly imprinted monolith was prepared and evaluated for the special selective separation of sulfamerazine (SMR) by capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The single-step in situ polymerization method was applied through thermally immobilized vinyl groups of itaconic acid and a derivatization capillary column using SMR as the template. The monolith with optimal selectivity and permeability was performed at 45°C for 7 h according to the molar ratios of 1 : 4 : 10 (template/functional monomer/cross-linker). Under the optimized separation conditions of 75% acetonitrile in 20 mM phosphate buffer with pH 5.0, 15 kV applied voltage and 20°C column temperature, the imprinted monolith showed strong recognition ability for SMR and high column performance. Finally, the molecularly imprinted monolith coupled with the CEC method was successfully developed for the quantification of SMR in aquatic products, which was properly validated by a good linear relationship, recoveries and limit of detection. The coupling technique of the molecularly imprinted technology and CEC achieved pre-treatment enrichment and separation analysis in only one miniaturized chromatographic column.

[Enhancement of Sulfamerazine Degradation Under H2O2/KI System by Ultrasound and UVA Irradiation]

The degradation of Sulfamerazine(SMR) enhanced by molecular iodine under ultrasound/H₂O₂/KI and UVA/H₂O₂/KI was investigated. The main affecting parameters, iodine generation, active species and degradation products in the two systems were discussed as well. The experimental results showed that sulfamerazine degradation was effectively enhanced in both systems, and the enhancement of ultrasound was much better. The initial pH had an obvious effect on sulfamerazine removal in the range of 2.6-5.6, and the SMR removal efficiency decreased with initial pH value. Iodine radicals (I₂^-·, I·) were determined as the main species in ultrasound/H₂O₂/KI and UVA/H₂O₂/KI systems. HPLC/MS/MS analysis indicated that iodo-benzene was detected in both system.

Antibiotics versus no treatment for toxoplasma retinochoroiditis

BACKGROUND

Acute toxoplasma retinochoroiditis causes transient symptoms of ocular discomfort and may lead to permanent visual loss. Antibiotic treatment aims primarily to reduce the risk of permanent visual loss, recurrent retinochoroiditis, and the severity and duration of acute symptoms. There is uncertainty about the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effects of antibiotic treatment versus placebo or no treatment for toxoplasma retinochoroiditis.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision group Trials Register) (2016, Issue 1), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE Daily, Ovid OLDMEDLINE (January 1946 to February 2016), EMBASE (January 1980 to February 2016), Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature Database (LILACS) (January 1982 to February 2016), the ISRCTN registry (www.isrctn.com/editAdvancedSearch), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov), and the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 22 February 2016. We searched the reference lists of identified articles and contacted pharmaceutical companies for unpublished trials.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials that compared any antibiotic treatment against placebo or no treatment. We excluded trials that included immunocompromised participants. We considered any antibiotic treatment known to be active against Toxoplasma gondii. Antibiotic treatment could be given in any dose orally, by intramuscular injection, by intravenous infusion, or by intravitreal injection.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The primary outcomes for this review were visual acuity at least three months after treatment and risk of recurrent retinochoroiditis. Secondary outcomes were improvement in symptoms and signs of intraocular inflammation, size of lesion, and adverse events. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS

Four trials that randomised a total of 268 participants met the inclusion criteria. In all four studies antibiotic was administered orally.One study conducted in Brazil in both adults and children compared trimethoprim-sulfamexacocol over 20 months to no treatment and was judged to be at high risk of performance, detection, and attrition bias. The other three studies compared antibiotic treatment to placebo. We judged these three studies to be at a mixture of low or unclear risk of bias due to poor reporting. One study conducted in the US in adults studied pyrimethamine-trisulfapyrimidine for eight weeks; one study conducted in the UK in children and adults evaluated pyrimethamine for four weeks; and one study conducted in Brazil in adults investigated trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 12 months. In the last study, all participants had active retinochoroiditis and were treated with antibiotics for 45 days prior to randomisation to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole versus placebo.Only the study in Brazil of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole over 12 months, in participants with healed lesions, reported the effect of treatment on visual acuity. People treated with antibiotics may have a similar change in visual acuity compared with people treated with placebo at one year (mean difference -1.00 letters, 95% confidence interval (CI) -7.93 to 5.93 letters; 93 participants; low-quality evidence).Treatment with antibiotics probably reduces the risk of recurrent retinochoroiditis compared with placebo (risk ratio (RR) 0.26, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.63; 227 participants; 3 studies; I(2) = 0%; moderate-quality evidence); similar results were seen for acute and chronic retinochoroiditis.The UK study of pyrimethamine for four weeks reported an improvement in intraocular inflammation in treated compared with control participants (RR 1.76, 95% CI 0.98 to 3.19; 29 participants; low-quality evidence). The study in Brazil of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 12 months stated that the severity of inflammation was higher in the comparator group when compared to the antibiotic-treated group but did not provide further details. In the US study of pyrimethamine-trisulfapyrimidine for eight weeks intraocular inflammation had almost completely resolved by eight weeks in all participants, however in this study all participants received steroid treatment.Two studies (UK and US studies) reported an increased risk of adverse events in treated participants. These were a fall in haemoglobin, leucocyte, and platelet count, nausea, loss of appetite, rash, and arthralgia.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with antibiotics probably reduces the risk of recurrent toxoplasma retinochoroiditis, but there is currently no good evidence that this leads to better visual outcomes. However, absence of evidence of effect is not the same as evidence of no effect. Further trials of people with acute and chronic toxoplasma retinochoroiditis affecting any part of the retina are required to determine the effects of antibiotic treatment on visual outcomes.

Development and Characterization of a Biocompatible Soybean Oil-Based Microemulsion for the Delivery of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs

The aim of this work was the development and characterization of a biocompatible microemulsion (ME) containing soybean oil (O), phosphatidylcholine/sodium oleate/Eumulgin®HRE40 as the surfactant mixture (S) and water or buffer solution as the aqueous phase (W), for oral delivery of the poorly water-soluble drugs sulfamerazine (SMR) and indomethacin (INM). A wide range of combinations to obtain clear oil-in-water (o/w) ME was observed from pseudo-ternary phase diagrams, which was greater after the incorporation of both drugs, suggesting that they acted as stabilizers. Drug partition studies indicated a lower affinity of the drugs for the oil domain when they were ionized and with increased temperature, explained by the fact that both drugs were introduced inside the oil domain, determined by nuclear magnetic resonance. High concentrations of SMR and INM were able to be incorporated (22.0 and 62.3 mg/mL, respectively). The ME obtained presented an average droplet size of 100 nm and a negative surface charge. A significant increase in the release of SMR was observed with the ME with the highest percentage of O, because of the solubilizing properties of the ME. Also, a small retention effect was observed for INM, which may be explained by the differences in the partitioning properties of the drugs.