Diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis: Detection of mycobacterial CFP-10 and HspX proteins by gold nanoparticle-PCR amplified immunoassay.

Attempts were made to improve the efficacy of PCR amplified immunoassay (I-PCR) for diagnosing abdominal TB cases by utilizing the gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based I-PCR, where AuNPs were functionalized with detection antibodies/oligonucleotides that exhibited 84.3% sensitivity and 95.1% specificity.

Association of Leptin with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Serum leptin has been considered as an important measurable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), although its evidence for use in clinical practice is limited. We aim to synthesize the available evidence on the clinical use of serum leptin values in PCOS by doing a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies.

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis to determine the pooled effect size of the association of leptin levels in patients with PCOS.

Identification of novel Urotensin-II receptor antagonists with potent inhibition of U-II induced pressor response in mice.

Urotensin II (U-II) has been found to be one of the most potent vasoconstrictor (Ames et al., 1999; Bohm et al., 2002) reported till date.

Effects of a novel ACE inhibitor, 3-(3-thienyl)-l-alanyl-ornithyl-proline, on endothelial vasodilation and hepatotoxicity in l-NAME-induced hypertensive rats.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a widespread biological mediator involved in many physiological and pathological processes, eg, in the regulation of vascular tone and hypertension. Chronic inhibition of NO synthase by N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) hydrochloride results in the development of hypertension accompanied by an increase in vascular responsiveness to adrenergic stimuli. Recently, we developed a novel sulfur-containing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor: 3-(3-thienyl)-l-alanyl-ornithyl-proline (TOP).

Sulfur-containing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor 3-thienylalanine-ornithyl-proline activates endothelial function and expression of genes involved in Renin-Angiotensin system.

Experiments were performed to elucidate the mechanism of action of a 7-day oral administration of the sulfur-containing angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor 3-thienylalanine-ornithyl-proline (TOP; 10 mg/kg/d) on endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress compared with that of captopril (control; 40 mg/kg/d) in spontaneously hypertensive rats. The differential expression of messenger RNA by real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and protein by Western blot analysis was assessed for the markers nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, p22phox, endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase, and AT1 receptor. Furthermore, TOP-induced vascular relaxation was also investigated using rat aortic rings in an organ bath.

Intracellular cAMP assay and Eu-GTP-γS binding studies of chimeric opioid peptide YFa.

In our previous studies chimeric peptide of Met-enkephalin and FMRFa, YGGFMKKKFMRFamide (YFa), demonstrated concentration dependent κ- and μ-opioid receptor mediated antinociception without tolerance development. To gain further insight of the observed behavior of YFa, the present study was undertaken. The effect of chimeric peptide on forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation under acute and chronic treatment and stimulation of Eu-GTP-γS binding in CHO cells stably expressing κ- and μ-opioid receptors was assessed.

Pharmacology of a novel, orally active PDE4 inhibitor.

Background: Intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in inflammatory cells and airway smooth muscle is critical to the modulation of inflammatory response generation. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), an enzyme that catalyzes cAMP degradation, is therefore being actively explored as a molecular target for the treatment of airway inflammation, particularly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The field has undergone major advances in optimizing generation of compounds with a safe therapeutic margin; however, most PDE4 inhibitors tested so far have unacceptable side effects, particularly nausea and vomiting.