Evaluation of α-glucosidase inhibiting potentials with docking calculations of synthesized arylidene-pyrazolones.

Herein, condensation of aryl(hetaryl)pyrazole-4-carbaldehydes 1(a-c) with substituted pyrazolones 2(a-d) lead to the corresponding arylidene-pyrazolones 3(a-l) which were tested against α-glucosidase enzyme. The synthesized compounds displayed moderate to good activity. Among these, a coumarin derivative 3k exhibited excellent results (IC50 2.10 ±â€¯0.004 µM) in comparison to clinical drug acarbose (IC50 37.38 ±â€¯0.12 µM). The ligand-protein interactions were identified through docking and stabilizing energy calculations.

Primary leiomyoma--a rare tumour of ureter.

A case of huge primary leiomyoma of the ureter in which nephroureterectomy was performed is presented. To the best of our knowledge, this case is a unique form of leiomyoma of the ureter due to its large size. There have been only twelve cases of primary leiomyoma of the ureter reported since 1955 and eleven of them were very small and one was big in size but smaller than the present case. Our case is considered to be the thirteenth.

Safety Profile of Methotrexate Therapy in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective The objective of this study was to determine the safety profile of methotrexate (MTX) therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis Study design This was a cross-sectional observational study. Place and duration of the study The study took place in the Division of Rheumatology, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, from May 2020 to August 2021. Methodology A total of 411 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and receiving MTX in the dose of 10-20 mg/week for at least four months were included by consecutive sampling. All patients were followed for four months for the development of cytopenias, deranged liver function tests, renal function tests, fever, and gastrointestinal upsets. Data were recorded on a pro forma. Results There were 237 (57.6%) females and 174 (42.4%) males. The female to male ratio was 1.4: 1. The average age of patients was 43.01 years + 17.1 SD with a range of 18-72 years. Gastrointestinal side effects were the most common, found in 49 patients (11.9%), followed by mucocutaneous side effects in 35 patients (8.5%) and fever (34 patients, 8.3%). Conclusion Every one in three patients developed some adverse effect within six months of methotrexate therapy. Moreover, we conclude that gastrointestinal side effects were the most common side effects seen.

Preparation, characterization and biological evaluation of silver nanoparticles and drug loaded composites for wound dressings formed from Lallemantia royleana seeds' mucilage.

After an injury, the wounds need to be covered with a dressing. Lack of absorptive potential and sticking of dressing with the wound causes pain and slows the healing process. The aim of this study was to develop wound dressings having more absorptive potential and less sticking with the wound. The hemicelluloses from Lallemantia royleana seeds possess desirable properties for a wound dressing. The hemicellulose was blended with chitosan/chitin and glutaraldehyde to enhance the absorptive properties of the hemicellulose through cross-linking. Two types of formulations incorporating silver nanoparticles and ciprofloxacin were prepared. The composites were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and evaluated for their antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive). The dressings were subjected to in vivo studies on Albino rats. The dressings were found to be porous and the silver nanoparticles and drug particles were found to be uniformly distributed in the polymeric matrix. The composite containing ciprofloxacin released the drug in a sustained manner for 14-16 days. From extrapolation of the data, it was discovered that the formulation would release around 80% of ciprofloxacin in about two weeks. Silver-ciprofloxacin nano-composites exhibited comparable activity (zone of inhibition 19-30 mm) against E. coli to that of ciprofloxacin (standard, 21-35 mm) and relatively lower activity in case of S. aureus (zone of inhabitation 11-17 mm). The dressings did not stick to the wound site and the site remained wet during the healing process. Thus the use of hemicellulose from L. royleana seeds proved to be beneficial for preparing wound dressings with improved properties because of having high swelling index, porosity and spongy texture.

Rheumatological manifestations in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a tertiary care setting.

BACKGROUND: Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic affecting over 150 million people worldwide since its emergence in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and is leading to over 600 thousand deaths. Severe acute respiratory syndrome novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-nCoV-2) causes a wide range of symptoms by affecting different organ systems of the body. This study was designed to specifically look for its rheumatological manifestations. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study conducted in the corona complex MTI Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. A total of 141 COVID-19 positive hospitalized patients requiring oxygen therapy and having no previous rheumatological diseases were enrolled and studied for any rheumatological manifestations. RESULTS: There were 88 (62.4%) males and 53 (37.6%) females, with age range from 27-88 years, and mean age of 58.5±11.5 SD. Arthralgia and myalgia were found very common, occurring in 128 (90.8%) and 119 (84.4%) of patients. Arthritis was not found in any patient. CONCLUSION: Arthralgia and myalgia were reported frequently in patients with severe COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy, while arthritis was not present even in a single patient as is reported in other viral infections.

Chorioangioma of the placenta with hydrops foetalis.

Chorioangioma, the non trophoblastic tumour, constitutes the commonest benign growth of the placenta. Though benign, 30% rate of maternal or foetal complications are associated with large masses. Sonography including colour Doppler imaging provides the best modality not only for its diagnosis but also the foetal status. A case of large placental chorioangioma has been reported here resulting in dismal foetal outcome diagnosed on antenatal ultrasound.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in white matter disease of brain.

Demyelinating and dysmyelinating white matter diseases are important components of neurological problems. Recently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has played a key role in diagnoses of white matter diseases. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to evaluate the usefulness of MRI in determining the type and frequency of white matter disease. We studied 35 patients who visited the Radiology Department of the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) for MRI with suspected demyelinating/dysmyelinating disorder from January 2003 to December 2005. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (17; 48%) and leukodystrophies (10; 29%) were the most common diseases. The MRI helped identify the sites and types of the lesion precisely and thereby helped made clearer. distinction between various types of white matter diseases. The current study demonstrated the effective use of the imaging and clinical presentation for arriving at the correct diagnosis.

Ovarian dermoid causing pilimiction.

Ovarian dermoid cyst is one of the common problems seen in gynaecology, they make upto 10 - 25% of all ovarian neoplasms and are usually seen in younger age group. Mature cystic teratomas are usually an incidental finding during a clinical examinations, radiographic studies or during abdominal operations performed for other indications. Other presentations include abdominal symptoms from complications of the cyst such as torsion, rupture, infection and malignant transformation. Dermoid cyst in urinary bladder is a very rare condition. Here we are presenting a case report of a female who presented with lower abdominal pain and passage of hair in urine (pilimiction). Upon investigations it was found that patient had right sided dermoid which had penetrated the wall of bladder and expelled its contents in the bladder. This was a very rare presentation and no such case has been reported in Pakistani literature.