The regulatory effects of mitragynine on P-glycoprotein transporter.

Objectives: Kratom preparation containing Mitragyna speciosa Korth plant is frequently used as a recreational drug. Mitragynine, a major alkaloid isolated from M. speciosa, is often detected concurrently with other drugs during forensic analysis, indicating a safety concern.

Clinical grade multiparametric cell sorting and gene-marking of regulatory T cells.

Background Aims: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are the main mediators of peripheral tolerance. Treg-directed therapy has shown promising results in preclinical studies of diverse immunopathologies. At present, the clinical applicability of adoptive Treg transfer is limited by difficulties in generating Tregs at sufficient cell dose and purity.

Health profile of workers from different industries in Singapore.

Introduction: Workplace safety and health are interrelated - a worker who is not healthy may cause safety lapses at the workplace; conversely, safety lapses could affect the health of the workers. This study was part of a larger Total Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) programme run by the Workplace Safety and Health Council, Singapore. The objectives were to obtain a baseline health profile of workers across four major industries and identify important health risks for targeted workplace interventions.

Kratom use disorder and unfolded protein response: Evaluating their relationship in a case control study.

Background And Aims: Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) is widely use worldwide despite its addictive potential. Although psychostimulant use has been linked to occurrence of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, data is lacking on how regular kratom use affects ER stress.

Implementing a chatbot on Facebook to reach and collect data from thousands of health care providers: PharmindBot as a case.

Background: The world is moving fast toward digital transformation as we live in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerates this movement. Chatbots were used successfully to help researchers collect data for research purposes.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emerging ER stress-related therapeutic targets.

COPD pathogenesis is frequently associated with endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) progression. Targeting the major unfolded protein response (UPR) branches in the ER stress pathway may provide pharmacotherapeutic selection strategies for treating COPD and enable relief from its symptoms. In this study, we aimed to systematically review the potential role of the ER stress inhibitors of major UPR branches (IRE1, PERK, and ATF6) in COPD-related studies and determine the current stage of knowledge in this field.

Optimization of the CYP inhibition assay using LC-MS/MS.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Cytochrome P450 inhibition activities of non-standardized botanical products" [1], in which the possible CYP inhibitory properties of botanical products were investigated. This article describes the optimization and bioanalytical method validation of the CYP (Cytochrome P450 inhibition assay) inhibition assays, namely, phenacetin O-deethylase assay, testosterone 6β-hydroxylase assay, felodipine dehydrogenase assay and midazolam 1'-hydroxylase assay using LC-MS/MS.

Beriberi: A Reversible Cause of Acute Severe Pulmonary Hypertension.

Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, plays a fundamental role in energy metabolism. The organs most sensitive to thiamine deficiency are the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The usual presentations include Wernicke's encephalopathy, polyneuropathy (known as "dry beriberi"), and the cardiovascular form (known as "wet beriberi").

The effect of flavonols in L. leaf extracts on skin pathogenic microorganisms.

Cashew ( L.) leaf is traditionally used to treat skin infections. Although many flavonols have been identified from its leaf extract, their inhibitory effects on skin pathogens are not yet determined.

A Rare Complication of Pneumopericardium, Spontaneous Pneumothorax, and Subcutaneous Emphysema in a COVID-19 Pneumonia Patient Treated With High Flow Nasal Cannula.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM), unrelated to mechanical ventilation, has been newly described as a complication of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia without the associated risk factors. The main objective of presenting this case is to highlight a rare but important complication among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia treated only with a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC). We aim to study the possible underlying pathophysiology of this phenomenon.

Cytochrome P450 inhibition activities of non-standardized botanical products.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: R-tab, H-tab and E-cap botanical products are used for the treatment of various ailments. R-tab is traditionally prescribed for improving urination, H-tab is for relieving piles, hemorrhoids, fissures, and rectal inflammation and E-cap is for regulating menstruation.

Aims Of The Study: To extract the botanical products and determine their potential interaction with the cytochrome P450 (CYP1A2, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4) enzymes.

A hospital-based return-to-work programme in Singapore.

Return to Work (RTW) programmes have become imperative in manpower scarce countries. This paper describes a RTW programme in a Singapore tertiary hospital, reports patient outcomes and discusses the practicality and effectiveness of the programme. Seventy-three workers participated in the programme over a two-year period.

Regular Kratom ( Mitragyna speciosa Korth.) Use and Its Association With Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response.

Objectives: This study determined the association between expression of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensor mRNA in the peripheral leukocytes and the patterns of kratom use and evaluated the correlations between the levels of the ER stress sensor mRNA and the severity of kratom dependence and kratom induced depressive symptoms among people who use kratom (PWUK).

Methods: A total of 20 PWUK and 20 age matched non-kratom using healthy controls were recruited. Data collected from PWUK included patterns of kratom use, severity of kratom dependence, and severity of depressive symptoms during abstinence from kratom.

Advanced Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems and Their Cellular Evaluation for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment.

Lung cancers, the number one cancer killer, can be broadly divided into small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with NSCLC being the most commonly diagnosed type. Anticancer agents for NSCLC suffer from various limitations that can be partly overcome by the application of nanomedicines. Nanoparticles is a branch within nanomedicine that can improve the delivery of anticancer drugs, whilst ensuring the stability and sufficient bioavailability following administration.

The influence of chemical composition of potent inhibitors in the hydrolyzed extracts of anti-hyperuricemic plants to their xanthine oxidase activities.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Anti-hyperuricemic plant parts that were selected for this study, are traditionally used to treat gout in Malaysia. Caffeic acid (a hydroxycinnamic acid), apigenin (a flavone), myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol (flavonols), were reported to act as potent xanthine oxidase inhibitors. These compounds can be found in some of the selected ethnomedicinal plants.

Beetroot as a Potential Functional Food for Cancer Chemoprevention, a Narrative Review.

Patients with cancer are prone to several debilitating side effects including fatigue, insomnia, depression and cognitive disturbances. Beetroot ( L.) as a health promoting functional food may be potentially beneficial in cancer.

Ketogenesis and SIRT1 as a tool in managing obesity.

Obesity is a serious chronic disease and a public health concern in both developing and developed countries. Managing obesity has been a great challenge for both health care professionals and patients alike. Among the various diet programs aimed at promoting weight loss, the ketogenic diet, a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates, has been at the forefront recently and its mechanism in weight loss is much debated.

Mitragynine, an euphoric compound inhibits hERG1a/1b channel current and upregulates the complexation of hERG1a-Hsp90 in HEK293-hERG1a/1b cells.

Mitragyna speciosa Korth (M. speciosa) has been widely used as a recreational product, however, there are growing concerns on the abuse potentials and toxicity of the plant. Several poisoning and fatal cases involving kratom and mitragynine have been reported but the underlying causes remain unclear.

Reversible Choreoathetosis in a Patient with End-stage Renal Disease from Administration of Ceftriaxone.

A wide spectrum of neurological manifestations may be induced in patients with impaired renal function when receiving beta-lactam antibiotics due to the altered pharmacokinetics. Beta-lactam antibiotics is commonly chosen for treatment in patients with end-stage renal disease due to its good penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid and long half-life. Here, we present a case of a 73-year-old Malay lady with end-stage renal disease who was admitted for treatment of gastroenteritis.

Agreeing on global research priorities for medication safety: an international prioritisation exercise.

Objectives: Medication errors continue to contribute substantially to global morbidity and mortality. In the context of the recent launch of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Third Global Patient Safety Challenge: , we sought to establish agreement on research priorities for medication safety.

Methods: We undertook a consensus prioritisation exercise using an approach developed by the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative.

Thioguanine-based DENV-2 NS2B/NS3 protease inhibitors: Virtual screening, synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modelling.

Dengue virus Type 2 (DENV-2) is predominant serotype causing major dengue epidemics. There are a number of studies carried out to find its effective antiviral, however to date, there is still no molecule either from peptide or small molecules released as a drug. The present study aims to identify small molecules inhibitor from National Cancer Institute database through virtual screening.

Andrographolide is neither a human organic anion transporter 1 (hOAT1) substrate nor inhibitor.

Andrographolide, a major bioactive compound isolated from (Burm. F.) Nees, was evaluated for its effects on the hOAT1 membrane transporter.

The inhibitory effects of mitragynine on P-glycoprotein in vitro.

Mitragynine is a major component isolated from Mitragyna speciosa Korth or kratom, a medicinal plant known for its opiate-like and euphoric properties. Multiple toxicity and fatal cases involving mitragynine or kratom have been reported but the underlying causes remain unclear. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a multidrug transporter which modulates the pharmacokinetics of xenobiotics and plays a key role in mediating drug-drug interactions.

Development of a NS2B/NS3 protease inhibition assay using AlphaScreen beads for screening of anti-dengue activities.

Background: Dengue infection is an endemic infectious disease and it can lead to dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and/or dengue shock syndromes. Dengue NS2B/NS3 protease complex is essential for viral replication and is a primary target for anti-dengue drug development. In this study, a NS2B/NS3 protease inhibition assay was developed using AlphaScreen beads and was used to screen compounds for their protease inhibition activities.

Socioeconomic status and time in glucose target range in people with type 2 diabetes: a baseline analysis of the GP-OSMOTIC study.

Background: Optimal glycaemia, reflected by glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, is key in reducing type 2 diabetes (T2D) complications. However, most people with T2D have suboptimal recall and understanding of HbA1c. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) measures glucose levels every 5 to 15-min over days and may be more readily understood.