Antiviral Screening of Multiple Compounds against Ebola Virus.

In light of the recent outbreak of Ebola virus (EBOV) disease in West Africa, there have been renewed efforts to search for effective antiviral countermeasures. A range of compounds currently available with broad antimicrobial activity have been tested for activity against EBOV. Using live EBOV, eighteen candidate compounds were screened for antiviral activity in vitro.

Salivary IgA versus HIV and Dental Caries.

Introduction: The inter-relationship of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and dental caries as well as Salivary Immunoglobulin-A (S-IgA) level appear to remain under explored while a manual and electronic search of the literature was made. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the relationship of S-IgA and dental caries status in HIV positive children.

Aim: The aim of this study was to find out the relationship of S-IgA antibody with dental caries by measuring the concentration of IgA in saliva of HIV positive and negative children and determine the dental caries status in HIV positive and HIV negative children, which may help in treatment planning and prevention of the same.

Targeting erythrocyte carbonic anhydrase and O-isotope of breath CO for sorting out type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

The inability to envisage the acute onset and progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been a major clinical stumbling block and an important area of biomedical research over the last few decades. Therefore there is a pressing need to develop a new and an effective strategy for early detection of T1D and to precisely distinguish T1D from type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here we describe the precise role of the enzymatic activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA) in erythrocytes in the pathogenesis of T1D and T2D.

Designing Simple Lipidated Lysines: Bifurcation Imparts Selective Antibacterial Activity.

In the global effort to thwart antimicrobial resistance, lipopeptides are an important class of antimicrobial agents, especially against Gram-negative infections. In an attempt to circumvent their synthetic complexities, we designed simple membrane-active agents involving only one amino acid and two lipid tails. Herein we show that the use of two short lipid tails instead of a single long one significantly increases selective antibacterial activity.

A comparative evaluation of dental caries status among hearing-impaired and normal children of Malda, West Bengal, evaluated with the Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment.

Context: Dental caries is one of the major modern-day diseases of dental hard tissue. It may affect both normal and hearing-impaired children.

Aims: This study is aimed to evaluate and compare the prevalence of dental caries in hearing-impaired and normal children of Malda, West Bengal, utilizing the Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST).

Prolonged inflammatory microenvironment is crucial for pro-neoplastic growth and genome instability: a detailed review.

Introduction: Chronic inflammation can affect the normal cell homeostasis and metabolism by rendering the cells susceptible to genomic instability that may lead to uncontrolled cellular growth and proliferation ensuing tumorigenesis. The causal agents for inflammation may be pathogenic infections like microbial agents ranging from viruses to bacteria. These infections lead to DNA damage or disruption of normal cell metabolism and alter the genome integrity.

Aryl-alkyl-lysines: Membrane-Active Small Molecules Active against Murine Model of Burn Infection.

Infections caused by drug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens continue to be significant contributors to human morbidity. The recent advent of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (blaNDM-1) producing pathogens, against which few drugs remain active, has aggravated the problem even further. This paper shows that aryl-alkyl-lysines, membrane-active small molecules, are effective in treating infections caused by Gram-negative pathogens.

Correction: Selective and broad spectrum amphiphilic small molecules to combat bacterial resistance and eradicate biofilms.

Correction for 'Selective and broad spectrum amphiphilic small molecules to combat bacterial resistance and eradicate biofilms' by Jiaul Hoque et al., Chem. Commun.

Biochemical and Molecular Analysis of Staphylococcus aureus Clinical Isolates from Hospitalized Patients.

Staphylococcus aureus is opportunistic human as well as animal pathogen that causes a variety of diseases. A total of 100 Staphylococcus aureus isolates were obtained from clinical samples derived from hospitalized patients. The presumptive Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates were identified phenotypically by different biochemical tests.

Pathophysiological implications of neurovascular P450 in brain disorders.

Over the past decades, the significance of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes has expanded beyond their role as peripheral drug metabolizers in the liver and gut. CYP enzymes are also functionally active at the neurovascular interface. CYP expression is modulated by disease states, impacting cellular functions, detoxification, and reactivity to toxic stimuli and brain drug biotransformation.

Cytochrome c peroxidase activity of heme bound amyloid β peptides.

Heme bound amyloid β (Aβ) peptides, which have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD), can catalytically oxidize ferrocytochrome c (Cyt c(II)) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The rate of catalytic oxidation of Cyt(II) c has been found to be dependent on several factors, such as concentration of heme(III)-Aβ, Cyt(II) c, H2O2, pH, ionic strength of the solution, and peptide chain length of Aβ. The above features resemble the naturally occurring enzyme cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) which is known to catalytically oxidize Cyt(II) c in the presence of H2O2.

Fluorescence Dynamics in the Endoplasmic Reticulum of a Live Cell: Time-Resolved Confocal Microscopy.

Fluorescence dynamics in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a live non-cancer lung cell (WI38) and a lung cancer cell (A549) are studied by using time-resolved confocal microscopy. To selectively study the organelle, ER, we have used an ER-Tracker dye. From the emission maximum (λmaxem) of the ER-Tracker dye, polarity (i.

Lack of CAR impacts neuronal function and cerebrovascular integrity in vivo.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are a group of transcription factors emerging as players in normal and pathological CNS development. Clinically, an association between the constitutive androstane NR (CAR) and cognitive impairment was proposed, however never experimentally investigated. We wished to test the hypothesis that the impact of CAR on neurophysiology and behavior is underlined by cerebrovascular-neuronal modifications.

Two-step C-H, C-P bond activation at an α-diimine iron dinitrogen complex.

Reduction of 6-coordinate ((Ph2PPr)DI)FeBr₂ under N2 results in formation of the terminal dinitrogen complex, ((Ph2PPr)DI)FeN2. Heating this product to 75 °C allows for C-H and C-P activation of the chelate to generate the cisoid and transoid isomers of [(μ-PrPPh-κ(5)-P,N,N,Cγ,P-(Ph2PPr)DI(PrPPh))Fe]2. Mechanistic possibilities for this transformation are discussed.

Peroxidase to Cytochrome b Type Transition in the Active Site of Heme-Bound Amyloid β Peptides Relevant to Alzheimer's Disease.

Recent evidence has established the colocalization of amyloid-rich plaques and heme-rich deposits in the human cerebral cortex as a common postmortem feature in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The amyloid β (Aβ) peptides have been shown to bind heme, and the resultant heme-Aβ complexes can generate toxic partially reduced oxygen species (PROS) and exhibit peroxidase activity. The heme-Aβ active site exhibits a concentration-dependent equilibrium between a high-spin mono-His-bound species similar to a peroxidase-type active site and a bis-His-bound six-coordinate low-spin species similar to that of a cytochrome b type active site.

Aryl-Alkyl-Lysines: Agents That Kill Planktonic Cells, Persister Cells, Biofilms of MRSA and Protect Mice from Skin-Infection.

Development of synthetic strategies to combat Staphylococcal infections, especially those caused by methicillin resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA), needs immediate attention. In this manuscript we report the ability of aryl-alkyl-lysines, simple membrane active small molecules, to treat infections caused by planktonic cells, persister cells and biofilms of MRSA. A representative compound, NCK-10, did not induce development of resistance in planktonic cells in multiple passages and retained activity in varying environments of pH and salinity.

Is phosphorylated tau unique to chronic traumatic encephalopathy? Phosphorylated tau in epileptic brain and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Repetitive traumatic brain injury (rTBI) is one of the major risk factors for the abnormal deposition of phosphorylated tau (PT) in the brain and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) affect the limbic system, but no comparative studies on PT distribution in TLE and CTE are available. It is also unclear whether PT pathology results from repeated head hits (rTBI).

A Pentacoordinate Mn(II) Precatalyst That Exhibits Notable Aldehyde and Ketone Hydrosilylation Turnover Frequencies.

Heating (THF)2MnCl2 in the presence of the pyridine-substituted bis(imino)pyridine ligand, (PyEt)PDI, allowed preparation of the respective dihalide complex, ((PyEt)PDI)MnCl2. Reduction of this precursor using excess Na/Hg resulted in deprotonation of the chelate methyl groups to yield the bis(enamide)tris(pyridine)-supported product, (κ(5)-N,N,N,N,N-(PyEt)PDEA)Mn. This complex was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and found to possess an intermediate-spin (S = (3)/2) Mn(II) center by the Evans method and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Amide side chain amphiphilic polymers disrupt surface established bacterial bio-films and protect mice from chronic Acinetobacter baumannii infection.

Bacterial biofilms represent the root-cause of chronic or persistent infections in humans. Gram-negative bacterial infections due to nosocomial and opportunistic pathogens such as Acinetobacter baumannii are more difficult to treat because of their inherent and rapidly acquiring resistance to antibiotics. Due to biofilm formation, A.

Structure-Activity Relationship of Amino Acid Tunable Lipidated Norspermidine Conjugates: Disrupting Biofilms with Potent Activity against Bacterial Persisters.

The emergence of bacterial resistance and biofilm associated infections has created a challenging situation in global health. In this present state of affairs where conventional antibiotics are falling short of being able to provide a solution to these problems, development of novel antibacterial compounds possessing the twin prowess of antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy is imperative. Herein, we report a library of amino acid tunable lipidated norspermidine conjugates that were prepared by conjugating both amino acids and fatty acids with the amine functionalities of norspermidine through amide bond formation.

Membrane-Active Small Molecules: Designs Inspired by Antimicrobial Peptides.

Infectious diseases continue to be one of the major contributors to human morbidity. The rapid rate at which pathogenic microorganisms have developed resistance against frontline antimicrobials has compelled scientists to look for new alternatives. Given their vast antimicrobial repertoire, substantial research effort has been dedicated toward the development of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as alternative drugs.

Correlation of Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF/CCN2) with Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B.

CTGF/CCN2 plays an important role in the formation and development of hepatic fibrosis. This study determined the correlation between serum CTGF/CCN2 and stages of hepatic fibrosis and explored the clinical value of serum CTGF/CCN2 in the assessment of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B. This cross sectional study was done in department of Clinical Pathology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka from March 2012 to February 2013.