ABSTRACT
Background: This study was aimed to observe newspaper reports about non-fatal suicide attempts in Pakistan during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: We performed content analysis of news reports about incomplete suicides from four vernacular newspapers of Pakistan between March and August 2020. Results: A total of 87 news reports about suicide attempts were examined; the vast majority of the suicide attempters was Muslims (78%), males (64%), females (36%) with (33%) mentions of age, ranging from 19-30 years, and married were (76%). However, occupation was largely missing from (93%) of the news. Self-poisoning was the commonly reported method in (65%) of suicide attempts, whereas familial discord was the leading risk factor for (72%) of suicide attempts. Conclusions: Although psychological intervention is crucial to reduce familial discords as risk factors, monitoring the mental health conditions of people vulnerable to suicide and the figures on attempted suicides should be maintained and collected nationally and regionally.
ABSTRACT
Chronic hyperglycemia favours the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which are responsible of many diabetic vascular complications. Keeping in view the medicinal properties of the1,2,3-triazole-conjugated analogs, the present study was designed to evaluate the possible effect of carbazole-linked 1,2,3-triazoles 2-16 against glucose- and methylglyoxal-AGEs-induced inflammation in human THP-1 monocytes. In vitro antiglycation, and metabolic assays were used to determine antiglycation, and cytotoxicity activities. DCFH-DA, immunostaining, immunoblotting, and ELISA techniques were employed to study the ROS and levels of proinflammatory mediators in THP-1 monocytes. Among all the synthesized carbazole-linked 1,2,3 triazoles, compounds 2, 7, 8, and 11-16 showed antiglycation activity in glucose- and MGO-modified bovine serum albumin models, whereas parent compound 1 only exhibited activity in glucose-BSA model. The metabolic assay demonstrated the non-toxic profile of compounds 1-2, 11-13, and 15 up to 100 µM concentration in both HepG2 and THP-1 cell lines. We found that compounds 11-13, and 15 attenuated AGEs-induced ROS formation (P < 0.001), and halted NF-ĸB translocation (P < 0.001), likewise standard drugs, PDTC, rutin, and quercetin, in THP-1 monocytes. Among the derivatives, compounds 12, and 13 also suppressed the AGEs-induced elevation of COX-2 (P < 0.001) and PGE2 (P < 0.001). Our data show that the carbazole-linked triazoles 12, and 13 hampering the formation of glycation products, prevent the activation of AGEs-ROS-NF-κB signaling pathway, and limit the proinflammatory COX-2 protein, and PGE2 induction in human THP-1 monocytes. Both these compounds can thus serve as leads for further studies towards the treatment and prevention of diabetic vascular complications.
