Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency enhances Covid-19 infection in elderly people.

Our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for death of aged people from Covid-19 became one of the major concerns of these days. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enhances the normal senescence and accelerates the precocious removal of chronologically young, yet biologically aged cells. Thus, its deficiency is associated with an increase in the cellular oxidative stress. Accumulating evidence showed that oxidative stress has a fundamental role in several age-related diseases. Nowadays, Covid-19 is considered a serious health problem worldwide. The host cellular environment is the key determinant of pathogen Infectivity. Most respiratory viral infections have a strong association with Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Unfortunately, this enzyme deficiency markedly decreases with aging what is involved in increasing of the morbidity rate. The aim of this mini review was to shed more light on the role of G6PD deficiency in aged people infected with Covid-19 (Ref. 20). Keywords: GSPD, Covid-19, elderly people.

Mechanism of grape seeds extract protection against paracetamol renal cortical damage in male Albino rats.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the possible protective role of grape seeds extract (GSE) in ameliorating the toxic effects of paracetamol overdose on the rat renal cortical tissue. BACKGROUND: Paracetamol is one of the widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Unfortunately, it was reported as the most common cause of toxic ingestion in the world. Grape seeds extract (GSE) is known to have a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. METHODS: The rats were divided into 4 groups; control group, GSE group, paracetamol group and GSE with paracetamol group. Kidney specimens were processed for biochemical, histological and immunohisto-chemical studies. RESULTS: The study showed marked biological changes in the form of significant increase in serum urea and creatinine levels with significant decrease in renal superoxide dismutase with paracetamol group. Furthermore, Proximal (PCT) and distal convoluted tubules showed marked degeneration, dense nuclear staining, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and partial loss of the brush borders. Most tubules were dilated, irregular and were filled with hyaline casts. PCT and DCT showed less PAS reaction and more COX-2 and caspase expression if compared with the control and the GSE groups. Concomitant administration of grape seeds extract with paracetamol revealed a noticeable amelioration of these biochemical and histological changes. Proximal and distal convoluted tubules showed less PAS reaction and more COX2 and caspase expression if compared with the control and the GSE. Concomitant administration of GSE with paracetamol revealed a noticeable amelioration of these biochemical and histological changes. CONCLUSION: Grape seeds extract provided biochemical and histo-pathological improvement in paracetamol induced renal cortical toxicity. These findings revealed that this improvement was associated with a decrease in oxidative damage and apoptosis (Tab. 1, Fig. 7, Ref. 55).

SYNTHESIS, REACTIONS, AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF SOME TRIAZINE DERIVATIVES CONTAINING SULFA DRUG MOIETIES.

Thienyl-triazine-sulphonamide conjugates were prepared from their precursor amines using triethyl orthoformate or ethyl chloroformate as cross coupling reagents. The progress of these reactions was investigated by spectral (IR, NMR, MS) and microanalytical techniques. The synthesized compounds were in vitro screened for antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anticancer activity. 4-[({[3-Mercapto-5-oxo-6-[2-(2-thienyl)yinyl]-1,2,4-triazin- 4(5H)-yl]imino}methyl)amino]-benzenesulfonamide turned out to be a powerful antibacterial agent, while all the compounds prepared were inactive against fungal species tested. 4-{[({8-Cyano-4-oxo-3-[2-(2-thienyl)vinyl- 4H,8H-[1,2,4]triazino[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazin-7-yl}amino)(ethoxy)methyl]amino}benzenesulfonamide displayed in vitro promising cytotoxicity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cell line with concurrent attenuation of malonodinitrile and it was unique among other compounds being unable to increase glutathione S-transferase and reduced glutathione S-transferase activities. This compound exhibited also good antioxidant properties that together with its cytotoxicity nominated it for further investigation in cancer research.

Synthesis of new benzofuran-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives from natural sources and study of their antioxidant activity.

Synthesis of benzofuran-1,3-thiazolidinone derivatives is described herein. These compounds were prepared via a concise and short route by condensation reaction of khellinone with aromatic/aliphatic amines followed by cyclization using thioglycolic acid. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized using the well known spectroscopic tools (IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectroscopy), as well as microanalysis. In frames of biological screening of the compounds, antioxidant activity was assessed in vitro.

Induction of T helper 1 response by immunization of BALB/c mice with the gene encoding the second subunit of Echinococcus granulosus antigen B (EgAgB8/2).

A pre-designed plasmid containing the gene encoding the second subunit of Echinococcus granulosus AgB8 (EgAgB8/2) was used to study the effect of the immunization route on the immune response in BALB/c mice. Mice were immunized with pDRIVEEgAgB8/2 or pDRIVE empty cassette using the intramuscular (i.m.), intranasal (i.n.) or the epidermal gene gun (g.g.) routes. Analysis of the antibody response and cytokine data revealed that gene immunization by the i.m. route induced a marked bias towards a T helper type 1 (Th1) immune response as characterized by high IFN-γ gene expression and a low IgG1/IgG2a reactivity index (R.I.) ratio of 0.04. The i.n. route showed a moderate IFN-γ expression but a higher IgG1/IgG2a R.I. ratio of 0.25 indicating a moderate Th1 response. In contrast, epidermal g.g. immunization induced a Th2 response characterized by high IL-4 expression and the highest IgG1/IgG2a R.I. ratio of 0.58. In conclusion, this study showed the advantage of genetic immunization using the i.m. route and i.n. over the epidermal g.g. routes in the induction of Th1 immunity in response to E. granulosus AgB gene immunization.

Synthesis of selenium-containing amino acid analogues and their biological study.

Synthesis of selenium-containing amino acid analogues is described. These compounds were prepared in a concise and short synthetic route in good yields by nucleophilic substitution reaction of pyridineselenol and quinolineselenol derivatives with N-phthaloylglycyl chloride followed by hydrazinolysis. The newly synthesized compounds were screened against different strains of bacteria and fungi.

Echinococcus granulosus: possible formation of a shelled egg in vitro.

What appeared to be the early stages in the formation of a single egg with a striated embryophore was observed in an in vitro culture of Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces isolated from sheep hydatid cysts in North Jordan. The 'egg' measured 19 x 19 microns in diameter and was formed in an intermediate vesicular/monozoic form which was never previously reported from a culture. This is the first report of an apparently shelled egg forming in an in vitro culture, but although promising, cannot be regarded as being unequivocal and will require confirmation by further work.

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against Schistosoma mansoni.

Monoclonal antibodies directed against Schistosoma mansoni antigens were produced by the in vitro fusion of B lymphocytes, obtained from mice infected with S. mansoni, and SP2/0 myeloma cells. Antibody reactivity was assessed by ELISA binding, utilizing 4 M KCl extracts of cercariae and adult worms, soluble egg antigen (SEA), and purified antigenic preparations, and by indirect immunofluorescence using living schistosomula. The monoclonal antibodies recognized a wide spectrum of antigenic determinants. The specificity of the monoclonal reactivities ranged from high cross-reactivity to extreme restriction, vis-a-vis the distribution of the recognized determinants within genus, species, stages, and purified antigenic preparations. The specificity of reactivity of monoclonal antibodies for a given determinant was greater than that of immune mouse serum. These studies establish the feasibility of the production of large numbers of monoclonal antibodies and of their use of antigen identification. The monoclonal antibodies are available to interested investigators upon request.

Short report: outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a nonimmune population of soldiers in Wadi Araba, Jordan.

An outbreak of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) occurred in a battalion of 80 soldiers posted at Qurayqira camp in Wadi Araba in southern Jordan. The battalion spent an intermittent period of five and a half months in the area, during which 45.0% (36 of 80) of the soldiers showed clinical disease. Of the 44 clinically negative soldiers, 31 were tested with leishmanin and 11 (35.5%) were leishmanin positive. The number of lesions in infected soldiers ranged from one to 15 and were mostly on the face and extremities. This report shows the level of transmission of ZCL in Wadi Araba, which is presently undergoing economic expansion and development following the peace process of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Differential serodiagnosis for cystic and alveolar echinococcosis using fractions of Echinococcus granulosus cyst fluid (antigen B) and E. multilocularis protoscolex (EM18).

Echinococcus granulosus cyst fluid and E. multilocularis protoscolex extract were fractionated by a single step of preparative isoelectric focusing, resulting in an antigen B-rich fraction (8-kD) and an Em18-rich fraction, respectively. The usefulness of both fractions for differential serodiagnosis of cystic (CE) and alveolar (AE) echinococcosis was evaluated by a large-scale immunoblot analysis on a battery of 354 serum samples. These included 66 from AE patients originating from four different endemic areas, 173 from CE patients originating from seven different endemic areas, 71 from patients with other parasitic diseases, 15 from patients with hepatomas, and 29 from healthy individuals. In an immunoblot with the antigen B-rich fraction, 92% (158 of 173) of the CE sera as well as 79% (52 of 66) of the AE sera reacted with the 8-kD subunit. No cross-reactivity occurred with any sera from patients with cysticercosis, other parasitic diseases, or with hepatomas, or from healthy controls. In an immunoblot with the Em18-rich fraction, all but two sera from AE patients (64 of 66, 97%) recognized Em18, and only nine of 34 CE sera from China reacted with it. All other (139) CE sera from six other countries were negative as were all (115) other non-echinococcosis sera. These findings indicate that antigen B (8-kD) is not species-specific for E. granulosus but is genus-specific for Echinococcus, and that the Em18 antigen is a reliable serologic marker for species-specific differentiation of AE from CE.

A new focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica in northern Jordan.

An endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania tropica was identified in the district of Bani Kinana, northern Jordan. Fifty-five autochthonous cases were detected from February to September 1994 in a population of about 50,000. Most cases (74.5%) were from the villages of Malka and Um-Quais. The lesions were typically small, dry and mostly located on the face and extremities. Multiple lesions were common. Incidence was higher in females than in males and familial clustering of cases was observed in houses on the outskirts of villages. A leishmanin survey showed a 23.3% positivity rate in the populations of Malka and Um-Quais. The rate of positivity was low in the younger age groups and increased with age. There was some evidence that the disease is a zoonosis in this focus.

Classification, follow-up and recurrence of hepatic cystic echinococcosis using ultrasound images.

Ultrasound image and morphological structure of hepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE) were analysed in 277 human cases (385 hepatic hydatid cysts). These included 65 CE cases from community surveys carried out between 1995 and 2000 in 3 countries (China, Mongolia and Jordan) and 212 cases from a clinical hospital survey from Xinjiang, China. A new simplified WHO ultrasound classification for human CE was assessed, and considered useful. It is proposed that type, size and number in particular need to be included in the ultrasound classification of hepatic CE. For comparative purposes 6 categories of type were classified in the study as Type 0 to Type 5 (T0-T5): T0, univesicular without pathognomonic signs; T1, univesicular with pathognomonic signs; T2, cysts with sagging or floating laminated membrane; T3, cysts containing daughter cysts; T4, solid mass or mixed cysts; and T5, cysts with partial or full calcifications. This differs from the WHO classification wherein Type T3 cysts (daughter cysts present) are considered a pathological stage to occur in general prior to the sagging or floating membrane (T2) stage. Recurrent hydatid cysts in the liver were also studied based on morphological structures observed directly from surgical intervention. Case follow-up over 1-5 years since endocystectomy in the community surveys indicated 10% (2/10) recurrence of cysts in the residual surgical cavity. Recurrent CE included 2 (2/4) cases after percutaneous treatment.

Spleen hydatidosis in sheep from north Jordan.

A total of 380 ewes of different age groups were inspected for spleen hydatidosis during the summer of 1985. Of these, 7.6% had cysts in the spleen. There was an increase in the prevalence of the disease with increasing age of the animal, reaching 11.8% in greater than or equal to 8-year-old ewes. Out of all the animals with spleen hydatidosis, 61.5% were found to have fertile cysts and, when classified, 46.7% were found to be fertile with a mean total number of protoscolices of 13.4 x 10(3) per cyst. The majority of the protoscolices were found to be viable (74%). Spleen hydatidosis which is mainly solitary seems to be secondary to the involvement of the liver or the liver and lung simultaneously. The importance of these aspects of spleen hydatidosis are discussed.

Urbanization--how does it affect the behaviour of sandflies?

The effect of building activities on the abundance of sandflies was investigated in Jordan. A total of 3442 sandflies were collected. The largest collections were made from natural habitats, uninhabited and inhabited houses. Collections from the latter two often included a larger number of Phlebotomus species. It was evident from this study that sandfly populations are able to recover to, and often exceed their original natural densities in man-made artificial habitats.

The behaviour and dispersal of sandflies in Ras el Naqb, south Jordan with particular emphasis on Phlebotomus kazeruni.

The behaviour and dispersal of sandflies from an enclosed cave were investigated during the summer of 1988 in Ras el Naqb by the mark-release-recapture technique. Nine species of sandflies were reported during this study including 5 Phlebotomus and 4 Sergentomyia species. P. sergenti, P. alexandri, S. adleri/S. clydei and S. taizi were reported for the first time from Jordan. P. kazeruni was the most abundant sandfly species inside the cave. The maximum distance travelled by a single P. kazeruni was 340m. However, the majority were recaptured within 10m of the cave. It seems likely that an independent "population" of sandflies which breeds inside the cave is developing.

The effect of monoclonal antibodies on Schistosoma mansoni cercarial penetration of mouse skin.

Monoclonal antibodies (MA) were prepared by the fusion of spleen cells from C57BL/6J mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni with non-secreting SP2 myeloma cells. Clones of fused cells secreting MA reactive with the egg and cercarial antigens (as determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), as well as with schistosomules (as determined by immunofluorescence), were injected into pristane "primed" mice to produce ascitic fluid. Cercariae were treated with MA by incubating them in individual MA or a pool of 3 or 4 MA (0.25 ml each) in form of ascitic fluid diluted in 10 ml of snail water for 60-90 minutes prior to snail exposure. Groups of 7-9 mice were exposed to MA-treated cercariae either via the tail or intraperitoneally (i.p.). Control mice were exposed to non-treated cercariae or those which were treated with nonsense ascitic fluid. Maturing adult worms were recovered by the perfusion technique and counted. The results of two experiments indicate that cercariae treated with a pool of 3 or 4 MA fail to penetrate the skin of mice and thus were not able to develop into adult worms. Treatment of cercariae with 1 MA resulted in a very low worm recovery (4.3% of the exposure dose). The rate of worm recovery from mice injected i.p. with pool-treated cercariae was similar to that recovered from control mice. In contrast to control groups, mice injected with MA-treated cercariae had a higher percentage of immature worms which may indicate a possible form of stunting phenomenon associated with MA-treatment.

Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii in habitually aborting women and other adults from North Jordan.

The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum samples of 55 habitually aborting women, 46 women with normal pregnancies, 92 outpatient adults, and 150 University students from North Jordan was studied using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sera from the habitually aborting group were also tested by the indirect immunofluorescent (IIF) test. No significant difference was found between the overall prevalence rates in University students, outpatient adults and women with normal pregnancies (25.3%, 22.8% and 26.1% respectively). The prevalence in habitually aborting women exceeded two times that in women with normal pregnancies or in outpatient females (58.2%, 26.1% and 25.0% respectively), and was approximately three times that in female University students (18.3%). The greatest difference in the prevalence rate between habitually aborting women and those with normal pregnancies or outpatient females was found in groups having the highest antibody level (greater than or equal to 100% of standard positive controls). A positive correlation between the results of the ELISA and those of the IIF test occurred at titres of greater than or equal to 1:40 of the latter test in habitually aborting women.

Cellulose-decomposing fungi of salt marshes in Egypt.

Seventy-five species and three varieties which belong to thirty-four genera were identified from 74 soil samples collected from salt marshes in Egypt. The most frequent fungi were Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Cladosporium herbarum and Alternatia alternata, followed by Aspergillus terreus, Curvularia spicifera and Penicillium notatum. Six genera were of moderate occurrence: Penicillium, Fusarium, Curvularia, Rhizopus, Stachybotrys, and Chaetomium. Five genera were of low occurrence: Paecilomyces, Cephalosporium, Epicoccum, Mucor and Myrothecium.

Keratinophilic fungi and other moulds associated with air-dust particles from Egypt.

One-hundred and eleven species and three species varieties belonging to 39 genera were collected from 50 dust samples on the five media used at 28 degrees C. Using the hair-baiting technique with horse hair, 10 species of Chrysosporium were isolated: C. asperatum, C. state of Arthroderma tuberculatum, C. indicum, C. inops, C. keratinophilum, C. merdarium, C. pannorum, C. queenslandicum, C. tropicum and C. xerophilum. True dermatophytes were isolated: Trichophyton verrucosum and Trichophyton sp. Also, numerous fungi tolerating high levels of cycloheximide were encountered, such as members of Acremonium, Aspergillus and Penicillium. On plates of glucose or cellulose Czapek-Dox agar (free from sucrose) the most frequent fungi were: Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, A. flavus var. columnaris, A. fumigatus, A. niger, A. ochraceus, A. sydowii, A. terreus, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium herbarum, Emericella nidulans, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor hiemalis, Penicillium chrysogenum, P. oxalicum, Scopulariopsis brevicaulis and Ulocladium atrum. On plates of 50% sucrose or 10 and 20% NaCl-Czapek's agar, some interesting species were frequently encountered: Eurotium amstelodami, E. chevalieri, E. halophilicum, E. montevidensis, E. repens, E. rubrum and Scopulariopsis halophilica. The isolated fungi have been tested for osmophilicity and halophilicity, they showed different rates of growth on sucrose and sodium chloride-Czapek's medium of various osmotic potential.

Keratinophilic and other fungi isolated from combine harvester wheat and sorghum dusts and from the atmosphere of winnow sites in Egypt.

Three methods were used for the isolation of fungi in the present investigation: the dilution-plate method, hair-baiting technique with horse hairs and the "exposed plate" method. Sabouraud's glucose agar at 28 degrees C was also used as isolation medium. 102 species and 2 species varieties belonging to 36 genera were collected from combine harvester wheat and sorghum dusts and from the atmosphere of hay or winnow sites. Chrysosporium was represented by 6 species: C. asperatum, C. indicum, C. keratinophilum, C. merdarium, C. pannorum and C. tropicum. Several filamentous fungi tolerating high levels of cycloheximide and other moulds were frequently encountered in the two types of dusts and in the two atmospheres, such as members of Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Emericella, Eupenicillium, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Piedraia, Rhizopus, Scopulariopsis and others.