Phenotypic Changes of Trichinella Spiralis Treated By Commiphora Molmol,Lepidium Sativum, and Albendazole: in Vitro Study.

Trichinellosis is a nematode-causing disease distinguished by its continuous transmission in the carnivores and omnivores. Despite effective eradication of the enteral forms, conventional drugs fail to eliminate the migrating and muscle ones. Over the past years, researchers intensified the work on herbal medicines as alternatives or aids to albendazole, the reference drug. This research hypothesizes that the therapeutic agent absorption route could be an evidence-based carrier molecule or auxiliary drug to albendazole. Accordingly, this in vitro study was designed to investigate mainly the phenotypic changes induced by a mono-treatment of albendazole, Lipidium sativum (garden cress), and Commiphora molmol (myrrh). Incredibly, no data were reported on the morphological alterations of T. spiralis larvae treated by any of these drugs. The experimental design tested various concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 200 µg/ml) of each herbal medicine for the lethal effects on the parasite forms for a day (1, 12, and 24h). The data showed that the highest significant mortality rate of the parasite forms was in favor of the concentration 200 µg/ml of both plant extracts in a time-dependent manner. Therefore, albendazole at 200 µg/ml dose was tested in parallel, and all experimental groups were compared to non-treated muscle larvae and worms. Albendazole-treated worms accounted for the least significant (p<0.001) survival rate (2 %), followed by myrrh (5 %), and the adverse was valid for the survival rate of the muscle larvae at that time. None of the larvae/worms was alive after 24 hours of incubation with the 200µg/ml of either treatment. The scanning electron microscope investigation of the experimental groups provided a shred of evidence for different routes of taking up the candidate drugs by the parasite. In conclusion, the results of the previous work in vivo and current in vitro study recommend myrrh over garden cress as a complementary agent of albendazole.

Serum levels of psoriasin (S100A7) and koebnerisin (S100A15) as potential markers of atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasin (S100A7) and koebnerisin (S100A15) are proinflammatory proteins upregulated in psoriasis, but their relation to atherosclerosis remains unclear. AIM: To evaluate the role of serum psoriasin and koebnerisin as possible markers for subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis. METHODS: Serum levels of psoriasin and koebnerisin were measured by ELISA in 45 patients with psoriasis and in 45 healthy controls (HCs). Intima-media thickness (IMT) of the right and left common carotid arteries was measured to detect the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis. Clinical severity of psoriasis was estimated using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS: Compared with HCs, patients with psoriasis had significantly higher levels of psoriasin (26.61 ± 22.45 ng/mL vs. 6.31 ± 1.68 ng/mL, P < 0.001) and koebnerisin (21.2 ± 13.12 ng/mL vs. 12.2 ± 4.67 ng/mL, P = 0.001), and significantly higher IMT values (1.07 ± 0.4 mm vs. 0.61 ± 0.1 mm, P < 0.001). A positive correlation was observed between IMT and PASI (r = 0.78, P < 0.001), serum psoriasin (r = 0.48, P > 0.01) and serum koebnerisin (r = 0.48, P < 0.01). Patients with psoriasis with subclinical atherosclerosis had higher serum levels of koebnerisin compared with patients without subclinical atherosclerosis (P = 0.04), which was not observed for psoriasin (P = 0.94). CONCLUSION: Serum psoriasin and koebnerisin correlate with IMT, underlining their value as a potential link between psoriasis and atherosclerosis. In particular, koebnerisin seems to be a useful marker of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis.

Synthesis of new 2-thiouracil-5-sulphonamide derivatives with antibacterial and antifungal activity.

2-Thiouracil-5-sulphonic acid N-(4-acetylphenyl) Amide (1) was reacted with a series of aromatic aldehydes giving chalcones 2 (Claisen-Schemidt reaction), some of these chalcones were reacted with urea and thiourea giving pyrimidine-2-one and pyrimidine-2 thione derivatives respectively of the type 3a,b and 4a,b. In addition many chalcones were reacted with hydroxylamine hydrochloride giving isoxazoline derivatives 5a,b. They could also reacted with phenylhydrazine to give pyrazoline derivatives 6a,b, chalcones also were reacted withethylcyano acetate and/or malononitryl in pyridine giving pyran derivatives 7a,c and 8a,c. In another pathway chalcones were epoxidised by H2O2 giving epoxides 9a,c which in turn were reacted with phenylhydrazine giving 4-hydroxypyrazoline derivatives 10a,c. In another reaction chalcones were reacted with ethylcyanoacetate in presence of amm.acetate giving pyridone derivatives 11a,d which could be prepared also in exellent yield from compound 1 by its reaction with certain aromatic aldehydes and ethylcyanoacetate in presence of ammonium acetate. Finally, compound 1 was reacted with semicarbazide giving semicarbazone intermediate 12 which in turn was reacted with thionyl chloride giving thiadiazole derivative 13. The biological effects of some of the new synthesized compounds were also investigated.

Synthesis of new 2-thiouracil-5-sulfonamide derivatives with biological activity.

2-Thiouracil-5-sulfonylchloride 1 reacted with a series of aromatic and heterocyclic amines to give 2a-j. The same compound 1 was reacted with a series of sulphonamides giving different sulphonamides of type 3a-e. On the other hand compound 1 was allowed to react with p-aminoacetophenone givining compound 4 which in turn was allowed to react with derivatives of alkyl thiosemicarbazides to give thiosemicarbazones of type 5a-e, also compound 4 was monobrominated to give compound 6 which in turn was reacted thiosemicarbazones of some aldehydes to give the corresponding thiazole derivatives 7a-f. In the same time compound 4 was reacted with a series of aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes givining chalcones 8a-g (Claisen-Schemidt reaction). Also compound 4 was allowed to react with a series of aromatic and heterocyclic aldehydes, ethyl cyano acetate and/or malononitrile, and ammonium acetate giving pyridine derivatives 9a-d and 10a-e respectively. The biological effects of some of the new synthesized compounds was also investigated.

Adrenal pseudocyst: report of two cases.

Adrenal cysts are uncommon lesions. The authors discuss two cases of adrenal pseudocyst, and its classification and possible pathogenesis and complications. The role of radiologic findings in preoperative evaluation of renal/suprarenal masses also is detailed.