IL-28β gene polymorphism determines virological response to PEGylated interferon therapy in hepatitis C virus genotype 4 Egyptian patients.

Background: PEGylated interferon (PEG-IFN) in combination with ribavirin is the gold standard for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). The majority of patients received PEG-IFN/ribavirin achieve a sustained viral response (SVR), but few cases failed to respond. It was evident that host genetic factors determine the treatment-induced viral clearance as well as spontaneous response.

Managing diabetes and liver disease association.

There is strong association between liver diseases and diabetes (DM) which is higher than expected by a chance association of two very common disorders. It can be classified into three categories: Liver disease related to diabetes, hepatogenous diabetes (HD), and liver disease occurring coincidentally with DM. The criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes associating liver disease are the same for primary diabetes.

Donepezil improves neuropathy through activation of AMPK signalling pathway in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus and is associated with structural changes in the nerves. However, the molecular basis for DN is poorly understood. Adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been shown to regulate the activity of some kinases including protein kinase B (AKT), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) that represent important signalling pathways modulating the function of peripheral nociceptive neuron.

Twenty years later: Oral health-related quality of life and standard of treatment in patients with chronic periodontitis.

Background: To assess oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) after long-term (20 years) periodontal treatment in patients with chronic periodontitis (ChP) and to compare it with the current clinical outcome and oral health status.

Methods: Twenty years after therapy, 63 patients were reexamined. The dental and periodontal status and OHRQoL using the Oral Health Impact Profile-G49 (OHIP-G49) were assessed.

Isolated compounds from Cuscuta pedicellata ameliorate oxidative stress and upregulate expression of some energy regulatory genes in high fat diet induced obesity in rats.

Background: Cuscuta pedicellata and some of its isolated compounds were suggested previously to have an anti-obesity effect in rats. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ten isolated compounds from C. pedicellata on insulin resistance, some oxidative stress markers and expression of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) and Carnitine palmitoyltransferase-I (CPT-1) genes in brown adipose tissue of high fat diet (HFD) rats.

Vancomycin resistance among isolates in a rural setting, Egypt.

Introduction: With the increased occurrence of methicillin resistant (MRSA), the consumption of vancomycin, the drug of choice, has also increased. As a consequence, strains of resistant to vancomycin have started to emerge. This study aimed to evaluate the level of vancomycin resistance among clinical and nasal isolates in a rural town in Egypt.

Montelukast attenuates rotenone-induced microglial activation/p38 MAPK expression in rats: Possible role of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects.

Montelukast (MK),a cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT1) receptor antagonist, latterly exhibited a remarkable neuroprotective activity in various neurodegenerative disorders. This study aims to elucidate the neuroprotective effect of MK in rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease(PD) model in rats. Ninety six male rats were split into four groups: vehicle control (0.

Dental magnetic resonance imaging for periodontal indication - a new approach of imaging residual periodontal bone support.

Objective: The standard imaging techniques used in dentistry consist of two-dimensional radiographic techniques like intraoral periapical (PA) radiographs, bitewings or extraoral panoramic X-rays. Three-dimensional methods, such as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), are not standard procedures. In several fields of dentistry, such as oral surgery or implantology, dental magnetic resonance imaging (DMRI), a technique without radiation exposure, has already been introduced as a new promising diagnostic tool.

New approach for immobilization of 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and TiO nanoparticles into cellulose for BJ1 skin cells proliferation.

In the present study, tosylcellulose (TC) was used as a key intermediate for the selective coupling with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) affording amino-propylsilane-grafted tosylcellulose (TC-Si). Solid state C NMR and FT-IR analyses confirmed the coupling and self-condensation of APTMS along TC. The changes in the surface morphology of the functionalized cellulose were identified by SEM imaging.

Difatty Acyl-Conjugated Linear and Cyclic Peptides for siRNA Delivery.

A number of amphiphilic difatty acyl linear and cyclic RK peptide conjugates were synthesized by solid-phase peptide methods to enhance the interaction with the hydrophobic cellular phospholipid bilayer and to improve siRNA delivery and silencing. Binding to siRNA molecules was significantly less for the cyclic peptide conjugates. A gradual decrease was observed in the particle size of the complexes with increasing peptide/siRNA ratio for most of the synthesized peptides, suggesting the complex formation.

Evaluation of antioxidant and neuroprotective activities of (L.) using the model.

Background: (L.) (Fabaceae) is a medicinal plant from tropical Asia. It is known for its marked antioxidant activity, which is attributed to its high phenolic content.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Homochiral Peptides Containing Arginine and Histidine as Molecular Transporters.

Linear (HR) and cyclic [HR] peptides (n = 4,5) containing alternate arginine and histidine residues were synthesized. The peptides showed 0⁻15% cytotoxicity at 5⁻100 µM in human ovarian adenocarcinoma (SK-OV-3) cells while they exhibited 0⁻12% toxicity in human leukemia cancer cell line (CCRF-CEM). Among all peptides, cyclic [HR]₄ peptide was able to improve the delivery of a cell impermeable fluorescence-labeled phosphopeptide by two-fold.

Targeting central β2 receptors ameliorates streptozotocin-induced neuroinflammation via inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase3 pathway in mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is portrayed by progressive cognitive decline and pathological deposition of amyloid plaques as well as neurofibrillary tangles. Most of AD cases are sporadic, resulting from overlap of various environmental and genetic factors. Intra-cerebroventricular injection of streptozotocin (STZ) leads to insulin resistance brain state accompanied by memory decline, oxidative stress, and neuro-degeneration which mimic the pathologies associated with sporadic Alzheimer's disease (SAD).

High frequency of primary hereditary ichthyoses in the North-East region of Cairo, Egypt.

Introduction: Inherited ichthyoses are caused by mutations in various genes important for keratinocyte differentiation and epidermal barrier function. Although ichthyoses are rare disorders, they require costly long-term medical management, and thus there is a need for efficient preventive and therapeutic strategies.

Aim: We performed a retrospective study to determine the frequency, types, clinical presentation and associated genomic errors of primary hereditary ichthyoses in Egyptian patients and their relatives consulting the Genetics Clinic, Pediatric Hospital, Ain Shams University.

Chemical analysis of aqueous extracts of Origanum majorana and Foeniculum vulgare and their efficacy on Blastocystis spp. cysts.

Background: Origanum majorana (O. majorana) and Foeniculum vulgare (F. vulgare) are traditionally used herbs in Egypt for treatment of several diseases including parasitic diseases.

Neuromodulatory Effect of Thymoquinone in Attenuating Glutamate-Mediated Neurotoxicity Targeting the Amyloidogenic and Apoptotic Pathways.

Overexposure of the glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor to the excitatory neurotransmitter l-glutamic acid leads to neuronal cell death by excitotoxicity as a result of increased intracellular Ca, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. Moreover, it was previously reported that prolonged activation of the NMDA receptor increased beta-amyloid (Aβ) levels in the brain. Thymoquinone (TQ), the active constituent of seeds, has been shown to have potent antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects.

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide-Loaded Lipid Nanocarriers Incorporated in Thermosensitive In Situ Gel for Magnetic Brain Targeting of Clonazepam.

The objective of the study was to target clonazepam to the brain through the intranasal olfactory mucosa using nanolipid carriers loaded with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to allow nanocarrier guidance and retention with an external magnetic field. For improved delivery, the nanolipid carriers were incorporated in a thermosensitive mucoadhesive in situ gel. Different nanolipid carriers including solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) were prepared and characterized with respect to particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro release.

Effect of pioglitazone and simvastatin in lipopolysaccharide-induced amyloidogenesis and cognitive impairment in mice: possible role of glutamatergic pathway and oxidative stress.

Neuroinflammation and β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in the brain are well known characteristics of neurodegeneration. Diabetes and hypercholesterolemia are the main risk factors leading to memory loss and cognitive impairment. Recently, it was found that statins and thiazolidinediones have promising anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects that could delay neurodegeneration and neuronal loss in diabetic and hypercholesterolemic patients.

Rational design of novel water-soluble ampholytic cellulose derivatives.

The development of new biocompatible, biodegradable functionalized biopolymers that can serve as scaffold for tissue regeneration or work as carriers for different bioactive molecules such as drugs, proteins, and enzymes remains a continuous challenge that need to be extensively explored. For this purpose, three water-soluble cellulose derivatives; namely 4(celluloseamino) butyric acid (CABA) 2(celluloseamino) succinic acid (CASA), and 3(celluloseamino) propane sulfonic acids (CAPSA) were synthesized from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) via esterification with tosyl chloride that was followed by nucleophilic substitution by the proper aminoalkyl acid derivative. The products were characterized by elemental analyses, FTIR, C NMR spectroscopy.

Glucose Levels Alter the Mga Virulence Regulon in the Group A Streptococcus.

Many bacterial pathogens coordinately regulate genes encoding important metabolic pathways during disease progression, including the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-phosphotransferase system (PTS) for uptake of carbohydrates. The Gram-positive Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a pathogen that infects multiple tissues in the human host. The virulence regulator Mga in GAS can be phosphorylated by the PTS, affecting Mga activity based on carbohydrate availability.

Virulence-Related Genes Identified from the Genome Sequence of the Non-O1/Non-O139 Vibrio cholerae Strain VcN1, Isolated from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

We report here the first draft genome sequence of the non-O1/non-O139 strain VcN1, isolated from Dhaka, Bangladesh. The data submitted to GenBank for this strain will contribute to advancing our understanding of this environmentally disseminated bacterium, including its virulence and its evolution as an important pathogen.

Glutamine up-regulates pancreatic sodium-dependent neutral aminoacid transporter-2 and mitigates islets apoptosis in diabetic rats.

Background: Glutamine aminoacid regulates insulin exocytosis from pancreatic β-cells. Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue that has fascinated function in inhibiting β-cell apoptosis and preserving pancreatic β-cell mass. The present study investigated the benefit of adding glutamine to a regimen of liraglutide in diabetic rats focusing on their role in increasing insulin production and upregulation of the expression of sodium-dependent neutral aminoacid transporter-2 (SNAT2).

Dermal anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects of Compritol ATO-based Resveratrol colloidal carriers prepared using mixed surfactants.

In this study, Compritol ATO-based Resveratrol colloidal carriers (CCCs) were prepared and subjected to characterization and evaluation. In most formulae, the use of a binary-mixture of surfactants improved the physicochemical properties. CCC6 (containing P407/P188 as bi-surfactants) attained the highest drug loading, release efficiency during 24 h and occlusive effect for 48 h; in addition, it showed a uniform particle size distribution within the desired range.

Cytotoxic effect of chlorpyrifos is associated with activation of Nrf-2/HO-1 system and inflammatory response in tongue of male Wistar rats.

Repeated administration of chlorpyrifos (CPF), an organophosphate pesticide, can increase the risk of oral cytotoxicity. The current study was designed to assess the mechanism by which CPF mediates its cytotoxic effect on lingual mucosa of rats. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were used in the present study and divided into three groups: group I: healthy rats (negative control), group II: rats treated with CPF 1/40 LD50 (3.

Synthesis, characterization, and in vitro cytotoxicity of fatty acyl-CGKRK-chitosan oligosaccharides conjugates for siRNA delivery.

In this studies, three fatty acyl derivatives of CGKRK homing peptides were coupled successfully to chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) using sulfosuccinimidyl-4-(N-maleimidomethyl)cyclohexane-1-carboxylate sodium salt (sulfo-SMCC). The COS-SMCC was prepared by direct coupling between COS and sulfo-SMCC in PBS (pH7.5) at RT for 48h.