Catastrophic Case of West Nile Virus Rhombencephalitis in AIDS.

West Nile Virus (WNV) belongs to the Flaviviridae family of viruses. It was first isolated and identified in 1937. Patients typically present with flu-like symptoms or are asymptomatic; however, neuroinvasive West Nile can lead to significant neurological impairment. Herein presented is a catastrophic case of WNV rhombencephalitis in a male patient newly diagnosed with AIDS. This report sheds light on the potential for severe neurological complications in co-infected patients and emphasizes the importance of early recognition.

Design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 4-[2-alkylthio-5(4)-(4-substitutedphenyl)imidazole-4(5)yl]benzenesulfonamides as selective COX-2 inhibitors.

AIM: To design and synthesize a series of benzenesulfonamide derivatives, 4-[2-alkylthio-5(4)-(4-substitutedphenyl)imidazole-4(5)-yl]benzenesulfonamides (4a-4j), which are intended to act as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors with good COX-2 inhibitor activity, and which will exert anti-inflammatory activities in vivo. METHODS: Benzenesulfonamide derivatives were designed and synthesized through multi-step chemical reactions. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated in an in vitro assay. The active compound 4a-4f was selected for further evaluation in a carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model. RESULTS: Docking studies showed that compound 4 bind into the primary binding site of COX-2 with the sulfonamide SO2NH2 moiety interacting with the secondary pocket amino acid residues. In the in vitro assay, compound 4 inhibited COX-2 with an inhibition concentration IC(50) value of 1.23-8 nmol/L, compared to celecoxib with IC(50) value of 1.5 nmol/L. Compound 4b and 4c had good potency and selectivity in comparison to the celecoxib. In the in vivo model, compound 4a-4f exhibited a moderate potency to inhibit 50% carrageenan-induced paw edema with value of 1.58-4.3 mg/kg. In the latter experiment, compound 4c was the most active compound. CONCLUSION: The anti-inflammatory effects obtained for compound 4a-4j could be due to the presence of fluorine or hydrogen substituents in the para position of the phenyl ring of these compounds.

Separation of active and toxic portions in Sambucus ebulus.

Methanol extract of fruits, leaves and roots of Sambucus ebulus were investigated for antiinflammatory activity in rats (successively, after hexane and ethyl acetate extractions). Nearly all extracts produced statistically significant inhibition of edema induced by carrageenan at all doses when compared to the control groups. Anti-inflammatory effect was generally dose-dependent. The highest activity showed in fruits and leaves that at 600 mg kg(-1) i.p. inhibited 86 and 71% inflammation respectively (76% for diclofenac at 100 mg kg(-1) i.p.). No extracts exhibit any toxicity up to 2 g kg(-1) body weights intraperitoneally in mice. Ethyl acetate extract were withdrawn because of severe nociceptive response in rats. This extract showed severe toxicity (in particular, severe liver abscess) in all mice at all tested doses (125-1500 mg kg(-1) i.p.).