bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative In vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Mentha piperita and Lantana camara from Western India
Authors: Girme AS , Bhalke RD , Ghogare PB , Tambe VD , Jadhav RS , Nirmal SA
Published: August 2007

Methanol extracts from the leaves, stems and roots of Mentha piperita and Lantana camara were investigated for their anthelmintic activity against Pheritima posthuma. Each extract was studied in the bioassay at 20 mg/ml, which involved determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the worms. Both the extracts of both plants exhibited considerable anthelmintic activities, and the order of sensitivity of the extracts to the worms was stems > roots > leaves for the M. piperita and stems > leaves >roots for the L. camara. The methanol extracts of stems of both M. piperita and L. camara were found to be the most active. Albendazole (20 mg/ml) and distilled water were included in the assay as standard reference drug and control, respectively.

Key words: Mentha piperita, Lantana camara, Pheritima posthuma, In vitro anthelmintic activity.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Serum levels of Cadmium, Calcium, Lead and Iron in Schizophrenic Patients
Authors: Karim Pinky , Hossain Md. Iqbal , Sadat AFM Nazmus , Nahar Zabun , Hossain Md. Khalid , Hasnat Abul
Published: August 2007

The serum concentration of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) in 30 schizophrenic patients and 30 normal healthy subjects were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations of Cd, Pb and Ca in schizophrenic disorder patients was not increased significantly (P > 0.05) compared to that of the cohort controls. But the concentration of Fe in schizophrenic patients was significantly different from that of the cohort control (p < 0.000). The change in serum concentration of different trace elements may have some prognostic significance for the diagnosis of schizophrenic disorder. However further work is suggested to examine the exact correlation between trace elements level and the degree of disorder in schizophrenic patients.

Key words: Schizophrenic patients, trace elements, clinical significance

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Some Synthetic Isoindolinone and Isoquinolinone Derivatives
Authors: Reza AFG Masud , Khan Md. Wahab , Rahman Mohammad S , Hasan Chowdhury M , Rashid Mohammad A
Published: August 2007

A total of six N-substituted benzamides, eight isoindolinone derivatives and six isoquinolinone analogs have been screened against five Gram positive and twelve Gram negative bacteria as well as four human fungal pathogens. From the antimicrobial screening, it is evident that 2-iodo-N-subustituted tetrahydro-1-oxo isoquinoline-3-carboxylic acids showed very prominent activity at a concentration 200 µg/disc, while the N-subtituted-3-alkyl isoindolin-1-one acetates showed weak to moderate activity. At the same time, 2-iodo-N-subustituted benzamides revealed very poor activity.

Key words: 2-iodo-N-substituted benzamide, Isoindolinone, Isoquinolinone, Antimicrobial assay, Disc diffusion.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Antimicrobial Activity of Metal Cystine Complexes
Authors: Khanam Jahan Ara , Begum Most. Ferdousi , Ara Jesmine , Jesmin Mele , Taher M Abu , Ali SM Mohsin
Published: August 2007

Metal cystine complexes of nickel(II), mercury(II) and cadmium(II) have been synthesized and their antimicrobial activities have been evaluated. It is found that mercury(II) cystine and cadmium(II) cystine complexes have pronounced antibacterial and antifungal activities. On the other hand nickel(II) cystine shows moderate activities. The LC50 values of nickel(II) cystine, mercury(II) cystine and cadmium(II) cystine are found to be 5.2, 8.0 and 7.2 ?g ml-1, respectively. These values were obtained from cytotoxic studies indicating that they are biologically active compounds.

Key words: Antimicrobial activity, Cytotoxic activity; Metal amino acid complexes.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Studies on Bio-adhesion of Matrix Tablets: I. Release Profile of Theophylline Anhydrous
Authors: Shamsuddin Md. , Akter Parvin , Khan Md. Ziaur Rahman , Chowdhury Jakir Ahmed , Reza Md. Selim
Published: August 2007

Controlled release matrix tablets of theophylline anhydrous were designed with different types of bioadhesive polymers. HPMC 15 cps and 50 cps, Na-CMC, Gelatin, Xanthun gum and PVP K-30 were selected to formulate matrix tablets. Tablets of theophylline were prepared by direct compression method and were subjected to in vitro drug dissolution for 8 hrs in a gastric fluid media by using thermal shaker with a shaking speed of 50 rpm at a temperature of 37 ± 0.5°C. The in vitro release study as well as retention time of bioadhesive tablets on mucous membrane were investigated to develop a bioadhesive polymer based controlled release delivery system and to evaluate the performance of such delivery device. Na-CMC, HPMC and Xanthan gum based tablets showed greater bio-adhesive strength where as gelatin and PVP K-30 based tablets showed poor bioadhesive strength. Na-CMC and Xanthun gum loaded tablets were not discharged from the mucous membrane and these tablets were fully dissolved in the gastric fluid. Xanthan gum, Na-CMC and HPMC based formulation showed nearly zero-order release. On the contrary, gelatin and PVP K-30 based formulation showed a burst release within one hour of dissolution.

Key words: Bio-adhesion, Release profile, theophylline anhydrous.

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Pharmacokinetic Study of Two Oral Formulations of Levofloxacin in Healthy Male Volunteersl
Authors: Akbor Maruf Mohammad , Sultana Rebeka , Azad Mohammad Abul Kalam , Latif AHM Mahbub , Ullah Md. Ashik , Hasnat Abul
Published: August 2007

The objective of this study was to compare different pharmacokinetic parameters of a local (X) and reference (Tavanic) formulations of levofloxacin 250 mg tablets after oral administration of a single dose under fasting condition. Thirteen blood samples were collected from each of the eight Bangladeshi healthy male volunteers over 24 hours after oral administration of the drugs. Serum levofloxacin concentrations were determined by HPLC assay using UV detection, and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined by the non-compartmental method. Mean ± SD of Cmax, AUC0-24, AUC0-α, Tmax, t1/2, kel, were 4.33 ± 1.16 and 4.56 ± 1.51 ?g/mL, 45.90 ± 8.74 and 37.77 ± 9.94 hr-?g /mL, 79.94 ± 32.80 and 66.85 ± 35.43 hr-?g/mL, 1.22 ± 0.49 and 1.28 ± 0.41, 19.90 ± 11.49 and 21.00 ± 16.39 hr, 0.04 ± 0.02 and 0.05 ± 0.03 hr -1 for the local (X) and reference formulation, respectively. From the paired t-test, the p-values for two formulations were found to be 0.182, 0.412 and 0.725 for AUC0-24, AUC0-α, and Cmax respectively. The 90% confidence intervals of the mean of the difference between log-transformed values for Cmax were almost within the bioequivalence accepted range of 80% to 125%, namely: (78.90%, 118.36%); but for AUC0-24 and AUC0-α the values were are beyond the acceptable range. (100.83%, 146.52%) and (94.34%, 157.89%) respectively. The results indicate that the two formulations are not bioequivalent for both the rate and extent of absorption.

Key words: Levofloxacin, pharmacokinetic, bioavailability, bioequivalence

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Triterpenoids from the Stem Bark of Avicennia officinalis
Authors: Haque Md. Enamul , Shekhar Hussain Uddin , Mohamad Akim Uddin , Rahman Hafizur , Islam AKM Mydul , Hossain M Sabir
Published: August 2007

The triterpinoids, betulinic acid, lupeol and betulinaldehyde, were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of Avicennia officinalis (Avicenniaceae) by a combination of column and preparative thin-layer chromatography over silica gel. The structures of these compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, 1H NMR, 13CNMR and EIMS). This is the first report of a systematic phytochemical investigation and the presence of these triterpoids from this plant.

Key words: Triterpenoid, Avicenniaceae, Betulinic acid, Lupeol and Betulinaldehyde

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Studies on Antinociceptive, Antiinflammatory and Diuretic Activities of Methanol Extract of the Aerial Parts of Clerodendron viscosum Vent.
Authors: Khatry Nirupama , Kundu Juthika , Bachar Sitesh Chandra , Uddin Mohammad Nasir , Kundu Joydeb Kumar
Published: August 2007

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Antinociceptive Activity of Whole Plant Extracts of Paederia foetida
Authors: Hossain Md. Mirad , Ali Mohammad Shawkat , Saha Achinto , Alimuzzaman Md.
Published: August 2007

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic activities of Stereospermum chelonoides
Authors: Haque Mohammad R , Rahman Khondaker M , Hasan Choudhury M , Rashid Mohammad A
Published: August 2007

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Analgesic Activity of Mesua ferrea Linn.
Authors: Hassan Md. Taufiq , Ali Mohammad Shawkat , Alimuzzaman Md. , Raihan Sheikh Zahir
Published: August 2007

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Analgesic Activity of Methanolic Extract of the Leaf of Erythrina variegata
Authors: Haque Runia , Ali Mohammad Shawkat , Saha Achinto , Alimuzzaman Md.
Published: August 2007

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity of Clausena suffruticosa
Authors: Begum Rokeya , Rahman Mohammad S , Haque Mohammad R , Chowdhury AM Sarwaruddin , Rashid Mohammad A
Published: August 2007

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Analgesic Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Nerium indicum Mill.
Authors: Ahmed Shafi Uddin , Ali Mohammad Shawkat , Begum Farida , Alimuzzaman Md.
Published: August 2007

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website
Maternal Death Audit: Experience from a Periurban Hospital
Authors: Tasnim S , Kabir N , Rahman A , Ahmed A , Chowdhury S
Published: August 2007

Maternal death audit is becoming a routine process in the practice of obstetric care in both developed and developing countries. Review of case records of maternal deaths between September 1999 and December 2004 was done to find out the profile of the patients and factors associated with the deaths in a periurban hospital in Dhaka. A total 40 maternal deaths occured among 14,137 live births amounting MMR 282 per 100,000 live births.

Mean age of deceased mothers was 24.85± 5.6 years, 25% were primipara and vaginal delivery occurred in 42.46% cases. Thirty percent deaths occured within six hours of admission to hospital and 73% deaths occurred during post-partum period. The primary obstetric cause of deaths were severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia (42.5%), haemorrhage (17.5%), obstructed labour (12.5%) and sepsis (7.5%) respectively.

Facility based audit into maternal deaths provide an opportunity to understand the inciting factors and is recommended to be implemented for improvement of professional practice and management.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2006; 24: 5-9)
A Clinical Study on Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Karim MM , Choudhury SA , Husain MM , Faiz MA
Published: August 2007

Findings of 80 patients of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis are described in this study. Most of the patients were under 30 years of age (71.2%), female patients were 56.3% and housewives were 37.3%. Lower socio-economic class were commonly affected (66.2%). Eighteen patients (22.5%) were smoker and almost equal number of cases had the history of intake of un-boiled milk. 44% patients were not vaccinated against tuberculosis. 36.2% patients had history of contact with tuberculous patients and 18.8% had previous history of tuberculosis. 70% patients had the history of fever and 30% had history of cough. Significant weight loss was noted in 85% patients. Lymph node tuberculosis was 36.2%, abdominal tuberculosis 35%. Cervical lymph nodes alone (37.9%) were commonly affected among the lymph node tuberculosis. Diagnosis was mainly based on histopathological examination or biopsy of specimen (97.5%) and demonstrations of AFB was possible in 2.5% cases. Along with surgical treatment medical treatment (chemotherapy) were prescribed in every patient. Forty-eight patients came for follow up. All responded to anti tubercular chemotherapy.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2006; 24: 19-28)
Clinico-Pathological Study on Haemophilia: An Analysis of 50 Cases
Authors: Uddin MM , Rahman MJ , Rahman MM , Sultana SA , Shah MS
Published: August 2007

A prospective study was carried out on the patients presenting with history of recurrent joint swelling and wound bleeding in outpatient department of Haematology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Dhaka Cantonment from January 2000 to December 2000. Fifty patients were studied. The predominant age group affected were between six and 15 years (44%). Recurrent joint swelling was the predominant presenting symptom (100%) followed by wound bleeding (52%) and bleeding after tooth extraction (38%). Thirty (60%) patients had positive family history of bleeding. Coagulation screening tests showed that 40 (80%) patients had prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). Amongst these 40 patients, 32 (80%) were diagnosed as haemophilia-A and eight (20%) as haemophilia-B. Eighteen (45%) patients had mild haemophilia, 17 (42.50%) moderate haemophilia and five (12.50%) patients had severe haemophilia. Spontaneous bleeding history was present in seven (17.50%) patients, and 16 (35.50%) patients with moderate haemophilia and 17 (47%) patients with mild haemophilia had bleeding following trauma or surgery.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2006; 24: 50-53)
Malignant Biliary Obstruction: Clinical Outcome of Endoscopic Intervention - An Experience of Tertiary Centers
Authors: Kabir MM , Masud MA , Rahman MM , Hoque MN , Hossain SM , Bhuiyan TM , Alam MM , Arfin MS , Rahman MA , Mohsen AQM , Khan AKA
Published: August 2007

Most patients with malignant obstructive jaundice present at a stage when they are beyond the scope of curative surgery. Endoscopic stenting is the approach of choice worldwide to improve quality of life and survival of such patients. The aim of this study was to find out overall clinical outcome of endoscopic intervention in malignant obstructive jaundice. This prospective study done in two tertiary gastroenterology centers in Dhaka included consecutively admitted 79 adult patients with malignant biliary obstruction for endoscopic stenting, followed by a follow-up period of six months. Outcome evaluation included success rate of stenting and drainage, complications, and mortality rate at one-month, and survival up to six-months. ERCP revealed carcinoma of pancreas, periampullary carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, carcinoma of gallbladder, and metastasis in the biliary trees in 22 (27.8%), 22 (27.8%), 20 (25.3%), 11 (13.9%), and 04 (5.1%) cases respectively. Successful stenting and drainage could be achieved in 62 (78.5%) and 58 (73.4%) cases. Stent blockage (23.9%) and cholangitis (19.4%) were the main complications. Total death at one-month was nine of 55 (16.4%), and 21 (38.2%) patients survived up to six-months, with no difference in one-month mortality rate among the malignancies (P>0.05). Stenting prolonged six-month (88.2%) and mean survival (121.2±67.7 days) only in patients with periampullary carcinoma (P<0.001). Endoscopic stenting can safely be done in malignant biliary obstruction to offer palliation with an outcome, which is not unsatisfactory.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2006; 24: 61-68)
Autogenous Tooth Transplantation from Ectopic Position: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Howlader MMR , Begum S , Naulakha D
Published: August 2007

Autogenous tooth transplantation, is the surgical movement of a tooth from one location in the mouth to another in the same individual. Once thought to be experimental, autotransplantation has achieved high success rates and is an excellent option for tooth replacement. Although the indications for autotransplantation are narrow, careful patient selection coupled with an appropriate technique can lead to exceptional esthetic and functional results. One advantage of this procedure is that placement of an implant-supported prosthesis or other form of prosthetic tooth replacement is not needed. This article highlights the indications for autogenous tooth transplantation using one case report as example. Reviews of previous works as well as success rates are also discussed.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2006; 24: 79-85)
Ameloblastic Fibro-Dentinoma of Mandible: A Case Report
Authors: Ahmed M , Sadat SMA , Rita SN
Published: August 2007

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2006; 24 : 119-121)
Rapidly Growing and Recurrent Pumonary Venous Leiomyosarcoma Involving the left Atrium: Detected by Echocardiography with its Fatal Consequences - A Case Report
Authors: Biswas SK , Hishida Hitoshi , Kimura Miyuki , Sugimoto Kunihiko , Iwase Masatsugu
Published: August 2007

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2006; 24 : 122-126)
Effectiveness and Complications of 0.2% Glyceryl Trinitrate in the Treatment of Chronic Anal Fissure
Authors: Murshed KM , Siddique MI , Rahman MA
Published: August 2007

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness and morbidity of chemical sphincterotomy by 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) in the treatment of chronic anal fissure. The main end points were symptom relief, fissure healing and side effects.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted to see the effectiveness and side effects of 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate in the treatment of patients with chronic anal fissure attending the outpatient department of surgery from February 2004 to the end of February 2005. All the patients were followed up at 2 weeks interval for 8 weeks. The primary focus was fissure healing and the secondary focus were on improvement of symptoms, need for surgical sphincterotomy and side effects.

Results: One hundred and twenty two adult patients, both male and female with chronic anal fissure were treated with local application of 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate. Pain relief occurred earlier than fissure healing. At the end of 8 weeks treatment about two third of the total patients got complete pain relief and fissure healing. Headache was the major side effect.

Conclusion: Topical application of 0.2% glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) should be the initial treatment of choice for chronic anal fissure to avoid the long term complication of incontinence following surgical sphincterotomy.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2007; 25 : 14-17)
Congenital Abnormalities of Female Genital Tract
Authors: Baby HA
Published: August 2007

Objective: To observe the congenital abnormalities of female genital tract those are found in our population and their clinical implication.

Place of study: Faridpur Medical College Hospital, Faridpur.

Study period: January 2001 to December 2005.

Methods and Materials: During the study period all cases of congenital abnormalities of female genital tract diagnosed in Faridpur Medical College Hospital were studied.

Results: Total 74 women with different types of congenital abnormalities were detected. Though some cases were diagnosed incidentally, the various symptoms they produced were primary amenorrhea, apareunia, dyspareunia, hematocolpos and hematometra, infertility, prolapse uterus, abortions, ectopic pregnancy, premature labour and malpresentations. Among the 74 patients 35(47.3%) patients were treated at this centre, 24(32.4%) patients needed no treatment, 3(4%) patients were referred to higher centres for specialized treatment.

Conclusion: Different types of congenital abnormalities of female genital tract are found in our population which cause various symptoms and complications. Though not all abnormalities need treatment and some need very simple treatment, there are some cases which need specialized treatment and expertise.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2007; 25 : 23-28)
Haemophilia: An Update
Authors: Saha MM , Ullah SMJ , Mondal DK , Bakar MA , Bhuiyan JH
Published: August 2007

Haemophilia has been recognized a clinical entity since Biblical times when there was repeated history of death from circumcisional bleeding in male siblings. Recent advances in protein chemistry and recombinant DNA technology have produced a comprehensive account both of normal coagulation and of the molecular genetics of some type of haemophilia. Haemophilia is a hereditary coagulation disorders usually of male associated with serious bleeding which is transmitted by healthy women. It is caused by a reduction in the amount or activity of factor VIII. This protein serves as a cofactor for factor IX in the activation factor X in the coagulation cascade. Haemophilia A & Haemophilia B exhibit a wide range of clinical severity that correlate well the level of factor VIII activity. Those with less than 1% of normal activity develop severe disease; levels between 2% and 5% of normal are associated with moderate disease; and patient with 6% to 50% of activity developed mild disease. The variable degrees of factor VIII deficiency are largely explained by heterogenecity in the causative mutation. Several genetic lesions - deletions, nonsense mutations that create loop codons, splicing errors have been documented. Most severe deficiencies result from an unusual inversions involving X chromosomes that completely abolishes the synthesis of factor VIII. Haemophilia is inherited as X-linked recessive trait, and thus occurs in male and both homozygous and heterozygous female. Approximately 30% of patients have no family history; their disorder is presumably caused by new mutation.

In this review article we want to highlight the recent aspects of haemophilia including the occurrence of haemophilia in female, genetic causes of coagulation factor deficiency, carrier detection and antenatal diagnosis, upto date diagnostic tools of this hereditary coagulation disorder as well as management of haemophiliac patients in special situation like circumcision, road traffic accident, minor and major surgery.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2007; 25 : 29-37)
Management of Steroid Sensitive Idiopathic Nephritic Syndrome in Children
Authors: Uddin GM
Published: August 2007

Minimal change disease has become synonymous with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome as most of them achieve remission with corticosteroid therapy. Nephrotic syndrome is a common chronic disorder in children characterized by minimal change disease in majority. Despite being one of the most common renal conditions encountered in paediatric practice significant questions regarding treatment remain unanswered. Recent data from reviews shows that increased duration (3-6 months) of prednisolone compared with 2 months significantly reduced risk of relapse for the initial episode. Remission of proteinuria following corticosteroid therapy has greater prognostic value, in relation to long term outcome, then the precise renal histology. In relapsing SSNS prolong prednisolone treatment, daily prednisolone during infections, significantly reduced risk of relapse. Treatment with levamisole, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil is beneficial in valuable proportion of patients. Prospective trials are necessary to identify effective and safe therapies for frequently relapsing and steroid dependent patients.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2007; 25 : 38-42)
Weber Christian Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Hossain MM , Afroza S , Kabir ARML , Haque O , Hossain M
Published: August 2007

A 9-year-old male child presented with fever, polyarthritis, cough and difficult breathing. He had characteristics skin lesion and reticulonodular shadows on chest X-ray. Initially, it appeared to be a case of sarcoidosis but finally histologically proved to be a rare adipose tissue disorder - Weber Christian disease (WCD).

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2007; 25 : 43-46)
Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma) with Hypothyroidism in a Four and Half Year Old Child: A Case Report
Authors: Rahman SA , Sultana J , Huque SS , Kawser CA
Published: August 2007

A four and half years old boy was admitted in the Paediatric ward of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) with the complaints of tightening of skin at different parts of the body and contracture of the joints. Three years back he was admitted in the same hospital for weakness, less activity and constipation. At that time he was diagnosed as a case of hypothyroidism. On examination the boy had expressionless face, pinched nose and microstomia. There was tightening and hardening of skin all over the body associated with sclerodactyly and contractures and flexion deformities of all the distal joints of the extremities. From the history, clinical findings and supportive investigations the boy was diagnosed as a case of systemic sclerosis with hypothyroidism.

(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2007; 25 : 47-51)
Conformations of DNA strands containing GAGT, GACA, or GAGC tetranucleotide repeats
Authors: Kypr Jaroslav , Kejnovská Iva , Vorlíčková Michaela
Published: August 2007

The (GA)n microsatellite has been known from previous studies to adopt unusual, ordered, cooperatively melting secondary structures in neutral aqueous solutions containing physiological concentrations of salts, at acid pH values or in aqueous ethanol solutions. To find more about the primary structure specificity of these structures, we performed parallel comparative studies of related tetranucleotide repeats (GAGC)5, (GAGT)5, and (GACA)5. The general conclusion following from these comparative studies is that the primary structure specificity is fairly high, indicating that not only guanines but also adenines play a significant role in the stabilization of these unusual structures. (GAGC)5 is a hairpin or a duplex depending on DNA concentration. Neither acid pH nor ionic strength or the presence of ethanol changed the secondary structure of (GAGC)5 in a significant way. (GACA)5 forms a weakly stable hairpin in neutral aqueous solutions but forms a duplex at acid pH where cytosine is protonated. (GAGT)5 behaves most similar to (GAGA)5. Salt induces its hairpin to duplex transition at neutral pH and an isomerization into another, probably parallel stranded, duplex takes place at acid pH. (GAGT)5 is the only of the three present 20‐mers that responds to ethanol like (GAGA)5. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 87: 218–224, 2007.

This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Encapsulation of Trigonopsis variabilis D‐amino acid oxidase and fast comparison of the operational stabilities of free and immobilized preparations of the enzyme
Authors: Nahalka Jozef , Dib Iskandar , Nidetzky Bernd
Published: August 2007

A one‐step procedure of immobilizing soluble and aggregated preparations of D‐amino acid oxidase from Trigonopsis variabilis (TvDAO) is reported where carrier‐free enzyme was entrapped in semipermeable microcapsules produced from the polycation poly(methylene‐co‐guanidine) in combination with CaCl2 and the polyanions alginate and cellulose sulfate. The yield of immobilization, expressed as the fraction of original activity present in microcapsules, was approximately 52 ± 5%. The effectiveness of the entrapped oxidase for O2‐dependent conversion of D‐methionine at 25°C was 85 ± 10% of the free enzyme preparation. Because continuous spectrophotometric assays are generally not well compatible with insoluble enzymes, we employed a dynamic method for the rapid in situ estimation of activity and relatedly, stability of free and encapsulated oxidases using on‐line measurements of the concentration of dissolved O2. Integral and differential modes of data acquisition were utilized to examine cases of fast and slow inactivation of the enzyme, respectively. With a half‐life of 60 h, encapsulated TvDAO was ≈720‐fold more stable than the free enzyme under conditions of bubble aeration at 25°C. The soluble oxidase was stabilized by added FAD only at temperatures of 35°C or greater. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 251–260. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Particle‐tethered NADH for production of methanol from CO2 catalyzed by coimmobilized enzymes
Authors: El‐Zahab Bilal , Donnelly Dustin , Wang Ping
Published: August 2007

Efficient cofactor regeneration and reuse are highly desired for many important biotransformation applications. Here we show for the first time that cofactor NAD(H) covalently attached to micro particles, which can be easily recovered and reused, effectively mediated multistep reactions catalyzed by enzymes that were also immobilized with the micro particles. Such an immobilized enzyme‐cofactor catalytic system was examined for the production of methanol from CO2 with in situ cofactor regeneration. Four enzymes including formate, formaldehyde, alcohol, and glutamate dehydrogenases were coimmobilized using the same particles as that used for cofactor immobilization (enzymes and cofactor were immobilized separately). Reactions were performed by bubbling CO2 in a suspension solution of the particle‐attached enzymes and cofactor. It appeared that the collision among the particles afforded sufficient interactions between the cofactor and enzymes, and thus enabled the sequential transformation of CO2 to methanol along with cofactor regeneration. For a 30‐min batch reaction, a productivity of 0.02 µmol methanol/h/g‐enzyme was achieved. That was lower than but comparable to the 0.04 µmol methanol/h/g‐enzyme observed for free enzymes and cofactor at the same reaction conditions. The immobilized system showed fairly good stabilities in reusing. Over 80% of their original productivity was retained after 11 reusing cycles, with a cumulative methanol yield based on the amount of cofactor reached 127%. That was a promising enhancement in cofactor utilization as compared to the single‐batch yield of 12% observed with free enzymes and free cofactor. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 508–514. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Silica‐immobilized His6‐tagged enzyme: Alanine racemase in hydrophobic solvent
Authors: Cassimjee Karim Engelmark , Trummer Martin , Branneby Cecilia , Berglund Per
Published: August 2007

A new immobilization method for enzymes is presented to facilitate synthetic applications in aqueous as well as organic media. The enzyme Alanine racemase (AlaR) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus was cloned, overexpressed and then immobilized on a silica‐coated thin‐layer chromatography plate to create an enzyme surface. The enzyme, fused to a His6‐tag at its N‐terminal, was tethered to the chemically modified silica‐coated TLC plate through cobalt ions. The immobilized enzyme showed unaltered kinetic parameters in small‐scale stirred reactions and retained its activity after rinsing, drying, freezing or immersion in n‐hexane. This practical method is a first step towards a general immobilization method for synthesis applications with any enzyme suitable for His6‐tagging. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 712–716. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
High‐density transfection with HEK‐293 cells allows doubling of transient titers and removes need for a priori DNA complex formation with PEI
Authors: Backliwal Gaurav , Hildinger Markus , Hasija Vivek , Wurm Florian M.
Published: August 2007

Recombinant proteins are of great commercial and scientific interest. Yet, most production methods in mammalian cells involve the time‐ and labor‐consuming step of creating stable cell lines. Production methods based on transient gene expression are advantageous in terms of speed and versatility; yet, depending on the transfection protocol, transient transfection faces some bottlenecks such as a priori complex formation, limitations in terms of transfection and production media used and the need for medium exchange prior to and/or after transfection. Published protocols for transfection of suspension‐adapted HEK‐293 cells with polyethyleneimine have shown great promise in overcoming some of these bottlenecks, but still require a priori complex formation for optimal yields and limit the choice of transfection and production media. Here, we report successful in situ transfection of suspension‐adapted HEK‐293 cells with 25‐kDa linear polyethyleneimine at densities up to 20 × 106 cells/mL in complex media followed by production at lower cell densities (1 × 106 cells/mL). After concentrating cells to such high densities, transfection of HEK‐293 cells becomes possible in most commonly used media and is not restricted to a specific medium. Furthermore, there is no need to make transfection complexes a priori, a step that prevents inline sterile filtration of the DNA bulk for transfection, an important consideration when scaling processes up to 100 or 1,000 L. Finally, transfecting HEK‐293 cells at high density in complex media is superior to existing transfection protocols and doubles yields of recombinant protein obtainable by transient gene expression. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 721–727. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Maximizing productivity of chromatography steps for purification of monoclonal antibodies
Authors: Tugcu Nihal , Roush David J. , Göklen Kent E.
Published: August 2007

The large scale production of monoclonal antibodies presents a challenge to design efficient and cost effective downstream purification processes. We explored a two stage resin screening approach to identify the best candidates to be utilized for the platform purification of monoclonal antibodies. The study focused on commercially available affinity resins including Protein A, mimetic and mixed‐mode interaction resins as well as ion exchangers used in polishing steps. An initial screening using pure proteins was followed by a final screening where selected resins were utilized for the purification of MAbs in complex mixtures. Initial screenings aimed to measure the theoretical upper limit for dynamic binding capacity (DBC) at 1% breakthrough and productivity. We confirmed that DBC of affinity, mimetic and mixed‐mode resins was a strong function of the linear velocity used for loading. Productivities >27 g/(L‐h), were obtained for rProtein A FF, Mabselect and Prosep rA Ultra at 2 min residence time. For the cation exchangers, we identified UNOsphere S and Fractogel SO3 as the best candidates for our purification based on DBC. For anion exchangers operated in flowthrough mode, Q Sepharose XL and UNOsphere Q were selected from the initial screening based on DBC and resolution of IgG from BSA. Finally, a three step purification scheme was implemented using the selected affinity and ion exchangers for the purification of IgG from complex feedstocks. We found that Mabselect followed by UNOsphere Q and UNOsphere S provided the best purification scheme for our applications based on productivity. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2008;99: 599–613. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of femtomolar concentrations of hormones on insulin binding by Tetrahymena, as a function of time
Authors: Csaba G. , Kovács P. , Pállinger Éva
Published: August 2007

The unicellular ciliate Tetrahymena, contains and binds hormones, characteristic of vertebrates. Earlier experiments demonstrated the effect of extremely low concentrations of hormones. In the present experiments, the effect of various hormones (endorphin, serotonin, histamine, insulin and epidermal growth factor [EGF]) in 10−15 M, or oxytocin, gonadotropin at 0.001 IU concentrations) on the binding of FITC‐insulin was studied by using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy, after 1, 5, 15, 30 and 60 min. Six of the seven hormones promptly decreased the cells' hormone binding capacity, the exception being EGF, and in four cases (endorphin, serotonin, insulin and oxytocin) the reduction was enormous. The decreased binding was durable. However, in the case of endorphin and oxytocin after 30 min, and in the case of serotonin after 60 min the binding returned to the control level. In the case of oxytocin after 60 min, binding significantly surpassed the control level. Histamine returned to the control level after 15 min, but after that the binding became even lower. EGF provoked special behaviour: it increased hormone binding after 30 and 60 min. The results call attention to the extreme sensitivity of Tetrahymena receptors to hormonal inductions and to its quick response ability. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multimarker Approach to Risk Stratification Among Patients with Advanced Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Yin Wei‐Hsian , Chen Jaw‐Wen , Feng An‐Ning , Lin Shing‐Jong , Young Shing
Published: August 2007

Background:

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) each predict adverse cardiac events in chronic heart failure (CHF). However, little is known about the utility of these novel biomarkers of CHF in combination.

Hypothesis:

We hypothesized that simultaneous assessment of the three biomarkers would enable clinicians to stratify risk more effectively among patients with advanced CHF.

Methods:

Measurements of the biomarkers were performed on 152 patients with symptomatic advanced CHF. Major adverse cardiac events during a median follow‐up period of 186 days were determined.

Results:

Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that elevations of each biomarker were significant predictors of clinical outcome independently of clinical variables. When patients were categorized on the basis of the number of elevated biomarkers, patients with one, two and three elevated biomarkers respectively had a 2.7‐(p = 0.125), 8.6‐ (p < 0.0001) and 23.4‐(p < 0.0001) fold increase in the risk of adverse events.

Conclusions:

Simultaneous measurement of cTnI, hsCRP, and NT‐proBNP could provide complementary information and a simple multimarker strategy that categorizes the patients with advanced CHF based on the number of elevated biomarkers, allowing rapid risk stratification in these patients. Copyright © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Mefloquine‐Based Ligands as Novel Antituberculosis Agents
Authors: Mao Jialin , Wang Yuehong , Wan Baojie , Kozikowski Alan P. , Franzblau Scott G.
Published: August 2007

Tuberculosis (TB) is presently regarded as one of the most dangerous infective diseases worldwide and one of the major AIDS‐associated infections. To shorten the current treatment regimen, there is an urgent need to identify new anti‐TB agents which are active against both replicating TB (R‐TB) and nonreplicating TB (NRP‐TB). Mefloquine, a well‐known antimalarial drug was found to possess reasonable activity against NRP‐TB, and accordingly, 30 new analogues were synthesized and evaluated for their anti‐TB activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. As the target of mefloquine in Mycobacterium tuberculosis remains unknown, we resorted to modifying mefloquine in a variety of chemically convenient ways, which led us in turn to the active hydrazone 10 a. Further modifications of 10 a led to compound 7 f, with an improved anti‐TB activity/selectivity profile with both less cytotoxicity and less predicted CNS side effects compared with mefloquine. The clear structure–activity relationships (SARs) derived from this study should facilitate our ultimate goal of identifying improved anti‐TB agents.
Non‐Resonance‐Assisted Hydrogen Bonding in Hydroxymethylene and Aminomethylene Cyclobutanones and Cyclobutenones and Their Nitrogen Counterparts.
Authors: Sanz Pablo , Mó Otilia , Yáñez Manuel , Elguero José
Published: August 2007

The characteristics of intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IMHB) have been systematically analyzed for a series of 32 different enols of derivatives of cyclobutane, cyclobutene, and cyclobutadiene bearing oxygen and nitrogen functionalities, at the B3LYP/6‐311+G(3df,2p)//B3LYP/6‐311+G(d,p) level of theory. In those cases where two tautomers (interconnected by a hydrogen shift through the IMHB) exist, tautomera, in which the HB‐donor group (YH) is attached to the four‐membered ring, is less stable than tautomerb, in which is the HB‐acceptor (X) is the one attached to the four‐membered ring. As expected the OH group behaves as a better HB‐donor than the NH2group and the CNH group as a better HB‐acceptor than the CO group, although the first effect clearly dominates. Accordingly, the expected IMHB strength follows the [donor, acceptor] trend: [OH,CNH]>[OH,CO]>[NH2,CNH]>[NH2,CO]. Quite unexpectedly, in all those compounds in which the functionality exhibiting the IMHB is unsaturated, the IMHB is weaker than in their saturated counterparts, verifying that the primary effect on the strength of the IMHB is the structure of the σ‐skeleton of the system. In the conjugated systems investigated here, the severe constraints imposed by the four‐membered ring force the HB donor and acceptor to be far apart and the IMHB is rather weak. These geometrical constraints are less severe for the saturated analogues and the IMHB becomes stronger, confirming that the characteristics of the σ‐skeleton, and not the resonance‐assisted hydrogen bond (RAHB) phenomenon, are the primary contributors to the strength of the IMHB in conjugated compounds.
The Outcome Questionnaire (OQ‐45) in a Dutch population: A cross‐cultural validation
Authors: de Jong Kim , Nugter M. Annet , Polak Marike G. , Wagenborg Johannes E. A. , Spinhoven Philip , Heiser Willem J.
Published: August 2007

The cross‐cultural validity of the Outcome Questionnaire (OQ) in the Dutch population has been examined by comparing the psychometric properties and equivalence in factor structure and normative scores of the Dutch OQ with the original American version. Data were collected from a university (n= 268), in a community (n= 810) and from three mental health care organizations (n= 1920). Results show that the psychometric properties of the Dutch OQ were adequate and similar to the original instrument. Some differences in equivalence were found though. In factor analysis, two additional factors were found: one consisting of social role items and another that reflected anxiety and somatic symptoms. Furthermore, normative scores were different for the Dutch and American samples, and this resulted in different cut‐off scores for estimating a clinically significant change in the Dutch population. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlations between cortisol level and internalizing disposition of young children are increased by selecting optimal sampling times and aggregating data
Authors: Li Ishien , Chiou Hua‐Huei , Shen Pao‐Sheng
Published: August 2007

To determine the optimal time for testing the association between personality traits and cortisol levels, and the number of sampling days needed for reliable results to be obtained for preschool‐aged children, ambulatory salivary sampling for cortisol was performed on 39 preschoolers at four different times for 10 consecutive school days. A repeated‐measure ANOVA revealed a significant day effect, time effect, and day by time interaction. Further tests of day effect revealed that within‐subject cortisol levels differed significantly in the early morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon cortisol data, but not in the late morning; group average levels of cortisol assessed in the early mornings are significantly different among the days, so are the ones measured in early and late afternoon. Mid‐afternoon cortisol levels showed the most significant day effect and the highest correlation with internalizing disposition. In addition, the probability of finding significant correlations between cortisol levels and internalizing disposition increased with a greater number of aggregated cortisol measures. The tentative conclusion is that to avoid under‐representation of the correlations between cortisol levels and personality variables, both sampling time selection and data aggregation are important. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 49: 633‐639, 2007.
Microglial GLT‐1 is upregulated in response to herpes simplex virus infection to provide an antiviral defence via glutathione
Authors: Persson Mikael , Brantefjord Mona , Liljeqvist Jan‐Åke , Bergström Tomas , Hansson Elisabeth , Rönnbäck Lars
Published: August 2007

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) can enter the central nervous system and cause encephalitis (HSV‐1) or meningitis (HSV‐2). Microglia, the immunocompetent cells of the central nervous system, are potentially able to detect viral infections. Microglia have been shown to express the glutamate transporter GLT‐1 during pathological events, leading to increased microglial glutamate uptake and glutathione synthesis. This study aims to address the role of GLT‐1 and glutathione, a major antioxidant with antiviral properties, during HSV infections. Using neuron‐enriched mixed primary cultures from rat, it was found that microglia have higher resistance to HSV infections than neurons or astrocytes after 24 h incubation with HSV. Purified microglia in culture were used to further address this. It was found that microglia were able to detect HSV and responded by releasing tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and upregulating GLT‐1 after 24 h incubation with 1 PFU/cell HSV‐1 or HSV‐2. Furthermore, the microglial glutathione levels were not significantly diminished after 24 h. Inhibition of the microglial glutathione synthesis with 200 μM buthionine sulfoximide (BSO) led to significantly more infected cells after 24 h incubation with 1 PFU/cell HSV‐1 or HSV‐2. These data indicate that the higher resistance in microglia against HSV infections may be due to the expression of GLT‐1, which can maintain the glutathione levels and provide a mechanism for microglial self‐defense against HSV. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.