Comparison of changes in number of hyperreflective dots after intravitreal ranibizumab or dexamethasone implant in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion.

Purpose: To compare the effect of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) or intravitreal dexamethasone implants (IVD) on the regression of hyperreflective dots (HRDs) in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-seven eyes with cystoid macular edema who received IVR or IVD and followed up for at least 12 months were included in this study. The patients were divided into three Groups according to intravitreal treatments.

Sensitivity and Specificity of the Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography for Detection of Neovascularization and Evaluation of Peripheral Ischemia in Diabetic Retinopathy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the sensitivity and specificity of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) parameters for the presence of neovascularization elsewhere (NVE) and to investigate the relationship between ischemic areas.

Methods: This study included 59 eyes with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and 36 eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The foveal avascular zone (FAZ), vessel density (VD) for the superficial and the deep capillary plexus (DCP), choriocapillaris flow area (CCP), and non-perfusion area (unit²) were recorded.

Evaluation of Corneal Alterations After Short-Term Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lens Use by Confocal Microscopy.

Objectives: To evaluate the corneal subbasal nerve morphology, corneal sensitivity, and anterior segment alterations in short-term silicone hydrogel contact lens (SiHCL) users by confocal microscopy.

Materials And Methods: The study included 25 right eyes of 25 male volunteers aged 25-30 years who had never used SiHCLs before. ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear break-up time, Schirmer test, tear meniscus area, strip meniscometry tube, corneal sensitivity, and corneal subbasal nerve morphology were evaluated before and after 1 month of CL use.

Proteoid biodynamers for safe mRNA transfection via pH-responsive nanorods enabling endosomal escape.

The recent success of mRNA vaccines using lipid-based vectors highlights the importance of strategies for nucleotide delivery under the pandemic situation. Although current mRNA delivery is focused on lipid-based vectors, still they need to be optimized for increasing stability, targeting, and efficiency, and for reducing toxicity. In this regard, other vector systems featuring smart strategies such as pH-responsive degradability and endosomal escape ability hold the potential to overcome the current limitations.

Comparison of Central Corneal Thickness Measurements with Four Different New Devices and Ultrasound Pachymetry.

Objectives: To assess the central corneal thickness (CCT) with 5 different devices, evaluate the repeatability of the devices, and determine the possible relationship between thickness values and sex.

Materials And Methods: The study included 308 eyes of 154 patients (76 women, 78 men) between the ages of 18-30 who presented to the Ophthalmology Clinic of Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Training and Research Hospital. Autorefractor (Topcon, Japan), ultrasound pachymetry (UP) (Ceniscan, USA), high-resolution Pentacam (Oculus, USA), anterior segment-optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) (Optovue, USA), and Spectralis AS-OCT (Heidelberg, Germany) measurements were assessed.

Identification of RAD51-BRCA2 Inhibitors Using -Acylhydrazone-Based Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry.

RAD51 is an ATP-dependent recombinase, recruited by BRCA2 to mediate DNA double-strand breaks repair through homologous recombination and represents an attractive cancer drug target. Herein, we applied for the first-time protein-templated dynamic combinatorial chemistry on RAD51 as a hit identification strategy. Upon design of -acylhydrazone-based dynamic combinatorial libraries, RAD51 showed a clear templating effect, amplifying 19 -acylhydrazones.

Targeting Extracellular Bacterial Proteases for the Development of Novel Antivirulence Agents.

As resistance to clinically available antibiotics persistently increases, applying new strategies to target pathogenic bacteria are paramount to design effective drugs. Bacterial proteases play vital roles in cell viability and stress response, contributing to the pathogenicity of the resistant bacteria. Targeting these extracellular enzymes by antivirulence therapy is a prominent strategy in combating multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Structure-Based Design of α-Substituted Mercaptoacetamides as Inhibitors of the Virulence Factor LasB from .

Antivirulence therapy has become a widely applicable method for fighting infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Among the many virulence factors produced by the Gram-negative bacterium , elastase (LasB) stands out as an important target as it plays a pivotal role in the invasion of the host tissue and evasion of the immune response. In this work, we explored the recently reported LasB inhibitor class of α-benzyl--aryl mercaptoacetamides by exploiting the crystal structure of one of the compounds.

-Aryl Mercaptopropionamides as Broad-Spectrum Inhibitors of Metallo-β-Lactamases.

Drug-resistant pathogens pose a global challenge to public health as they cause diseases that are extremely difficult to cure. Metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs) are a diverse set of zinc-containing enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of β-lactam drugs, including carbapenems, which are considered as the last resort to fight severe infections. To restore the activity of current β-lactam antibiotics and to offer an orthogonal strategy to the discovery of new antibiotics, we have identified a series of polar -aryl mercaptopropionamide derivatives as potent inhibitors of several class B1 MBLs.

Substrate-Inspired Fragment Merging and Growing Affords Efficacious LasB Inhibitors.

Extracellular virulence factors have emerged as attractive targets in the current antimicrobial resistance crisis. The Gram-negative pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa secretes the virulence factor elastase B (LasB), which plays an important role in the infection process. Here, we report a sub-micromolar, non-peptidic, fragment-like inhibitor of LasB discovered by careful visual inspection of structural data.

"Off-on" switching of intracellular singlet oxygen release under biocompatible conditions.

Precise spatiotemporal control of singlet oxygen generation is of immense importance considering its involvement in photodynamic therapy. In this work, we present a rational design for an endoperoxide which is highly stable at ambient temperatures yet, can rapidly be converted into a highly labile endoperoxide, thus releasing the "stored" singlet oxygen on demand. The "off-on" chemical switching from the stable to the labile form is accomplished by the reaction with fluoride ions.

Uroprotective effect of ambroxol in cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis in mice.

Purpose: Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is defined as any types of acute or chronic inflammation of urinary bladder with several reasons. One of the most common causes of HC is cyclophosphamide (CYP), an effective antineoplastic agent, due to its urotoxic potential. Ambroxol (AMB) is a mucoactive drug that has been used for numerous respiratory diseases.

Uroprotective effect of pantoprazole against cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis in mice.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential uroprotective effect of pantoprazole (PPZ) in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Methods: Balb/c mice received a single intraperitoneal (i.p.

Protective effects of L-theanine against doxorubicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Background/aim: L-theanine is the unique amino acid found in tea plants, has antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities, and functions in mental concentration and sleep quality. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the effects of L-theanine on doxorubicin (DOX, a chemotherapeutic agent) induced nephrotoxicity in rats, especially via GSH related enzymes.

Materials And Methods: 32 male Sprague Dawley rats weighing 300-400 g were randomly assigned into 4 groups (n = 8) and the substances were given intraperitoneally to them: Control group (saline for 5 days); Theanine group (200 mg/kg/day theanine for 5 days); DOX group (single dose of 20 mg/kg DOX); DOX + Theanine group (20 mg/kg DOX at first day and 200 mg/kg/day theanine for 5 days).