Correlations of C-Reactive Protein and Folate with Smoking, Sport, Hematological Inflammation Biomarkers and Anthropometrics in Syrian University Female Students Cross-Sectional Study.

In Syria, high-Sensitive C-Reactive (hsCRP), folate, and, other health risk data in young women are limited. This cross-sectional study evaluates hsCRP and folate levels along with anthropometric characteristics, lifestyle factors and some biomarkers linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in healthy female students (n = 207, 18-25 years old). Among participants, hsCRP level was at average or high risk of CVD in 20.7% and 2.5% respectively and it was significantly higher in participants who had high body mass index (BMI) (Nonparametric statistical tests, p value < 0.05). Unexpectedly, it did not vary significantly between smokers and nonsmokers. And, it correlated positively with anthropometric and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) measurements. While folate level was low in 3.4% of participants, no association between hsCRP and folate levels was found. Finally, low hemoglobin level and habit of waterpipe smoking are spreading; and, sport practicing is shrinking. After reviewing similar works, this study suggests that the possible correlation between hsCRP and folate could be displayed in patients older than 30 years. Also, the marked decrease in hemoglobin level needs more attention. Finally, young females in Syria are advised to consider a lifestyle free of smoking and packed with physical activity.

High-Sensitive C-Reactive Protein Levels in a Group of Syrian University Male Students and Its Associations with Smoking, Physical Activity, Anthropometric Measurements, and Some Hematologic Inflammation Biomarkers.

In Syria, health risk data on young males are limited. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors along with C-reactive protein levels measured by high-sensitive method (hsCRP) in a group of healthy males of university students (n = 101, 18-25 years old). Participants' anthropometric characteristics; alcohol drinking, smoking, and physical activity habits; parents medical history; and some inflammatory biomarkers were inspected for their associations with hsCRP. Results. Regarding hsCRP level, 19 participants were at average (1-3 mg/L) and 13 were at high (>3 mg/L) risk of CVD. Nonparametric statistical tests (p value < 0.05) revealed that hsCRP level was higher in participants who had high body mass index (BMI), had high BMI with high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), or did not practice sport frequently. Unexpectedly, it did not vary between smokers and nonsmokers. In general, it correlated positively with anthropometric and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) measurements. Nevertheless, it negatively correlated with sports practicing in overall and nonsmoker groups and in participants whose parents were without medical history. Finally, when participants with high BMI were smokers, did not practice sport frequently, or had a parent with medical history, their hsCRP levels were higher than others who had the same circumstances but with low BMI.

Using Chemoinformatics, Bioinformatics, and Bioassay to Predict and Explain the Antibacterial Activity of Nonantibiotic Food and Drug Administration Drugs.

Discovering of new and effective antibiotics is a major issue facing scientists today. Luckily, the development of computer science offers new methods to overcome this issue. In this study, a set of computer software was used to predict the antibacterial activity of nonantibiotic Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, and to explain their action by possible binding to well-known bacterial protein targets, along with testing their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. A three-dimensional virtual screening method that relies on chemical and shape similarity was applied using rapid overlay of chemical structures (ROCS) software to select candidate compounds from the FDA-approved drugs database that share similarity with 17 known antibiotics. Then, to check their antibacterial activity, disk diffusion test was applied on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Finally, a protein docking method was applied using HYBRID software to predict the binding of the active candidate to the target receptor of its similar antibiotic. Of the 1,991 drugs that were screened, 34 had been selected and among them 10 drugs showed antibacterial activity, whereby drotaverine and metoclopramide activities were without precedent reports. Furthermore, the docking process predicted that diclofenac, drotaverine, (S)-flurbiprofen, (S)-ibuprofen, and indomethacin could bind to the protein target of their similar antibiotics. Nevertheless, their antibacterial activities are weak compared with those of their similar antibiotics, which can be potentiated further by performing chemical modifications on their structure.

Influence of water-soluble polymers on the in vitro performance of floating mucoadhesive tablets containing metformin.

CONTEXT: The in vitro performance of floating mucoadhesive metformin tablets was optimized using different polymer ratios of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) tamarind seed gum (TSG) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this investigation were to investigate the combinatorial effects of PVP, TSG and HPMC; to study the work of adhesion measured on stainless steel (Wss) and on rabbit gastric mucosa (Wgm); and a comparison of hydrophilic and more hydrophobic tablets. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In vitro performance was measured as tablet hardness (H), tablet floating lag time (FLT), time needed to release 60% of drug content (t60%), swelling thickness (S), Wss and Wgm. To compare the effects, a simplex lattice mixture design was used. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: H, FLT, Wss and Wgm were found dependent on polymer ratio. H was increased when PVP ratio was increased. FLT, Wss and Wgm were increased when HPMC ratio was increased. The p value for the lack of fit for all models were greater than 0.05. An approximate linear correlation between Wgm and Wss was established (R(2) = 0.71). The tablets containing PVP resulted in larger H, shorter FLT and t60%, whereas Wss and Wgm were enhanced. CONCLUSION: The different in vitro performance of tablets containing different water-soluble polymers could be explained partially by the differences in the hydrophilic properties of the polymers and the ability of PVP to interact with HPMC or TSG. An equation established is used to conclude mucoadhesion based on adhesion measurements on stainless steel.

A transposon-induced epigenetic change leads to sex determination in melon.

Sex determination in plants leads to the development of unisexual flowers from an originally bisexual floral meristem. This mechanism results in the enhancement of outcrossing and promotes genetic variability, the consequences of which are advantageous to the evolution of a species. In melon, sexual forms are controlled by identity of the alleles at the andromonoecious (a) and gynoecious (g) loci. We previously showed that the a gene encodes an ethylene biosynthesis enzyme, CmACS-7, that represses stamen development in female flowers. Here we show that the transition from male to female flowers in gynoecious lines results from epigenetic changes in the promoter of a transcription factor, CmWIP1. This natural and heritable epigenetic change resulted from the insertion of a transposon, which is required for initiation and maintenance of the spreading of DNA methylation to the CmWIP1 promoter. Expression of CmWIP1 leads to carpel abortion, resulting in the development of unisexual male flowers. Moreover, we show that CmWIP1 indirectly represses the expression of the andromonoecious gene, CmACS-7, to allow stamen development. Together our data indicate a model in which CmACS-7 and CmWIP1 interact to control the development of male, female and hermaphrodite flowers in melon.

Child overdose: the value of the French pharmacovigilance causality assessment method.

BACKGROUND: In France, the regional pharmacovigilance centres manage drug overdose as adverse drug reactions (ADRs) using the French ADR causality assessment method, and some poison control centres (e.g. in Paris) do likewise for the most serious cases. AIM: The aim of the study was to analyse and compare the chronological and semiological scores calculated with this method, in cases of drug overdose and ADRs in children recorded in the French pharmacovigilance ADR database. RESULTS: In total, 7963 cases were analysed. The distribution of semiological criteria in drug overdose and ADR cases differed significantly (G-test), with a similar result for chronological criteria (but to a lesser degree). CONCLUSION: The distinction of two types of criteria in the French ADR causality assessment method appears useful for analysing cases of drug overdose in children. This finding triggers a renewed interest in the use of this method of causality assessment of drug overdose in children, and possibly in adults.

Identification of the binding sites and selectivity of sarpogrelate, a novel 5-HT2 antagonist, to human 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B and 5-HT2C receptor subtypes by molecular modeling.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the binding sites interactions and the selectivity of sarpogrelate to human 5-HT(2) receptor family (5-HT(2A), 5-HT(2B) and 5-HT(2C) receptor subtypes) using molecular modeling. Rhodopsin (RH) crystal structures were used as template to build structural models of the human serotonin-2A and -2C receptors (5-HT(2A)R, 5-HT(2C)R), whereas for 5-HT(2B)R, we used our previously published three-dimensional (3D) models based on bacteriorhodopsin (BR). Sarpogrelate, a novel 5-HT(2)R antagonist, was docked to the receptors. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations produced the strongest interaction for 5-HT(2A)R/sarpogrelate complex. Upon binding, sarpogrelate constraints aromatic residues network (Trp(3.28), Phe(5.47), Trp(6.48), Phe(6.51), Phe(6.52) in 5-HT(2A)R; Phe(3.35), Phe(6.51), Trp(7.40) in 5-HT(2B)R; Trp(3.28), Phe(3.35), Phe(5.47), Trp(6.48), Phe(6.51), Phe(6.52) in 5-HT(2C)R) in a stacked configuration, preventing activation of the receptor. The models suggest that the structural origin of the selectivity of sarpogrelate to 5-HT(2A)R vs both 5-HT(2B)R and 5-HT(2C)R comes from the following results: (1) The tight interaction between the antagonist and the transmembrane domain (TMD) 3. Asp(3.32) neutralizes the cationic head and interacts simultaneously with carboxylic group hydrogen of the antagonist molecule. (2) Due to steric hindrance, Ser(5.46) (vs Ala(5.46) in 5HT(2B) and 5HT(2C)) prevents sarpogrelate to enter deeply inside the hydrophobic core of the helix bundle and to interact with Pro(5.50). (3) The side chain of Ile(4.56) (vs Ile(4.56) in 5HT(2B)R and Val(4.56) in 5HT(2C)R) constraints sarpogrelate to adjust its position by translating toward the strongly attractive Asp(3.32). These results are in good agreement with binding affinities (pKi) of sarpogrelate for 5-HT(2) receptor family expressed in transfected cell.