Coated silver nanoparticles: synthesis,cytotoxicity, and optical properties

Coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have recently become a topic of interest due to the fact that they have several applications such as in electronic, antimicrobial, industrial, optical, and medical fields as biosensors and drug delivery systems. However, the use of AgNPs in medical fields remains somewhat limited due to their probable cytotoxic effect. Researchers have succeeded in reducing the toxicity of silver particles by coating them with different substances. Generally, the coating of AgNPs leads to change in their properties depending on the type of the coating material as well as the layer thickness. This review covers the state-of-the-art technologies behind (a) the synthesis of coated AgNPs including coating methods and coating materials, (b) the cytotoxicity of coated AgNPs and (c) the optical properties of coated AgNPs.

Coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have recently become a topic of interest due to the fact that they have several applications such as in electronic, antimicrobial, industrial, optical, and medical fields as biosensors and drug delivery systems.     

Effect of novel water soluble curcumin derivative on experimental type- 1 diabetes mellitus (short term study)

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus type 1 is an autoimmune disorder caused by lymphocytic infiltration and beta cells destruction. Curcumin has been identified as a potent inducer of heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a redoxsensitive inducible protein that provides protection against various forms of stress. A novel water soluble curcumin derivative (NCD) has been developed to overcome low in vivo bioavailability of curcumin. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the anti diabetic effects of the "NCD" and its effects on diabetes-induced ROS generation and lipid peroxidation in experimental type- 1 diabetes mellitus. We also examine whether the up regulation of HO-1 accompanied by increased HO activity mediates these antidiabetic and anti oxidant actions. Materials and methods Rats were divided into control group, control group receiving curcumin derivative, diabetic group, diabetic group receiving curcumin derivative and diabetic group receiving curcumin derivative and HO inhibitor ZnPP. Type-1 diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Curcumin derivative was given orally for 45 days. At the planned sacrification time (after 45 days), fasting blood samples were withdrawn for estimation of plasma glucose, plasma insulin and lipid profile . Animals were sacrificed; pancreas, aorta and liver were excised for the heme oxygenase - 1 expression, activity and malondialdehyde estimation. RESULTS: NCD supplementation to diabetic rats significantly lowered the plasma glucose by 27.5% and increased plasma insulin by 66.67%. On the other hand, the mean plasma glucose level in the control group showed no significant difference compared to the control group receiving the oral NCD whereas, NCD supplementation to the control rats significantly increased the plasma insulin by 47.13% compared to the control. NCD decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol levels. Also, it decreased lipid peroxides (malondialdehyde) in the pancreas, aorta and liver. CONCLUSION: The (NCD) by its small dose possesses antidiabetic actions and that heme oxygenase induction seems to play an important role in its anti-diabetic effects. NCD also improves the lipid profile and oxidative status directly, proved by decreasing lipid peroxides (malondialdehyde) in pancreas, liver & aorta. The new water soluble curcumin derivative still retains the essential potencies of natural curcumin.     

Revising the criteria for the predictors of variceal haemorrhage outcome

Background and study aimsThere are many criteria and definitions used to evaluate the failure to control and prevent variceal bleeding. Baveno criteria were developed in Baveno consensus workshops I–III. Some of these criteria are fairly difficult to apply and do not adequately reflect common situations that are observed in clinical practice. Therefore, new criteria were developed at the Baveno-IV workshop. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the validity of Baveno II–IV criteria in the prediction of bleeding recurrence among patients with liver cirrhosis who presented with bleeding oesophageal varices.Patients and methodsFifty patients with liver cirrhosis and acute variceal bleeding were divided into two groups according to treatment response. Group I consisted of 44 patients for whom treatment to control bleeding was successful, and Group II included 6 patients for whom treatment failed. Baveno criteria were used in the evaluation of treatment outcome in these patients.ResultsThe overall accuracy of Baveno II and III criteria was 87.3% within the first 6 h and 76.5% after 6 h, with a mean accuracy 81.9%. The overall accuracy of Baveno IV criteria in this study was 83%. The criterion of death was also very specific (100%), with 100% PPV, but its sensitivity was very low (16.7%).ConclusionBaveno IV criteria are less complicated, much easier to apply and have nearly the same accuracy as Baveno II/III criteria. However, there are some criteria that need to be modified, such as the adjusted blood requirement index (ABR1), among others.     

Outcomes and Complications Rate of Resident versus Attending Performed Eye Muscle Surgeries

Purpose: to compare the type, complications rate, and success rate of eye muscle surgeries performed by residents to those performed by attending consultants.

Methods: A retrospective review was done on the charts of all children who underwent an eye muscle surgery in Cairo University Hospital during the period from January 2015 to December 2017. Preoperative data including age, sex, and type of deviation were tabulated. Details of the operative procedure including the surgeon, the type of eye muscle surgery, the number of muscles operated upon, perioperative complications, and the final ocular alignment at the end of the third month after surgery were recorded.

Results: A total of 319 patients were included; 143 patients (315 muscles) in the supervised resident group and 176 patients (387 muscles) in the attending group. More vertical and oblique muscles surgeries were done by the attending consultants than by residents. Surgical success after three months was higher in the attending group (n = 126, 72%) than the resident group (n = 91, 64%). However, the difference was not statistically significant (P = .129). The perioperative complications rate was significantly higher (P = .004) in the resident group (14%) than the attending group (6%). Accidental scleral perforation was the most commonly encountered complication in the resident group (n = 6, 1.9%) followed by extruded/exposed Tenon (n = 5, 1.6%), and muscle slippage (n = 4, 1.3%).

Conclusions: Success rate is similar in eye muscle surgeries performed by residents and attending consultants. However, perioperative complications are still more common among residents.     

Association of beta-defensin 1 single nucleotide polymorphism with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing, pruritic, inflammatory skin disease, which results from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Defensins are broadly dispersed family of antimicrobial peptides which are classified into 2 distinct families: the alpha-defensins and the beta-defensins. The primary function of defensins is to protect the skin from invasion by foreign pathogens. Previous studies suggested that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the beta-defensin 1 gene (DEFB1) could be involved in the development of AD. The Aim of the study is to examine DEFB1 gene to gain a better understanding of their role in the pathophysiology of AD patients and their involvement in AD susceptibility and severity. 35 atopic patients and 10 healthy volunteers as controls were investigated. They were subjected to analysis of absolute eosinophil count, total and specific IgE and detection of Beta-defensin-1 gene polymorphism at position 692 and 1654 using PCR amplification and restriction analysis. We observed significant difference in the distribution of the DEFB1 AIG polymorphism at 692 (P<0.01) in AD patients compared to controls, but not at 1654. A statistical significant association between DEFB1 692 GG genotype and elevated total serum IgE level (P<0.01), and between DEFB1 692 GG and AG genotypes & 1654 AA genotype and high absolute eosinophil count (P<0.05) were found. Concerning Specific IgE there was significant association between DEFB1 692 GG genotype and positive specific IgE to dermatophytes and HDM (House Dust Mite) (P1<0.01) while DEFB1 1654AA genotype shows significant association with positive specific IgE to cockroaches (P<0.05). Regarding SCORAD severity index, there was significant statistical association between DEFB1 692 GG and AG & DEFB1 1654 AA and AG genotype with severe AD disease (P<0.05). The correlation between atopic markers and SCORAD severity index shows that there was a significant statistical relationship between serum levels of total IgE (P<0.01), absolute eosinophil count (P<0.01), specific IgE to cat (P<0.05), HDM (P<0.01) and cockroaches (P<0.01) and SCORAD. Our findings support previously studies suggesting that DEFB1 gene is one of the candidate genes for atopy. G allele at site 692& AA genotype at site 1654 may be useful as markers for AD susceptibility and severity     

Depressed patients’ preferences for education about medications by pharmacists in Kuwait

Objective

To assess patients’ opinion toward receiving written or specialized verbal pharmacists’ interventions and to determine the effect of these interventions on patients’ medication knowledge.

Methods

150 newly diagnosed patients with unipolar depression and initiated with a single antidepressant were randomized into 3 groups: control, leaflet and counselling, and interviewed at initiation and after 6–8 weeks of treatment at the outpatient department of the Psychiatric Hospital in Kuwait.

Results

50% of respondents asserted that clinicians did not give them sufficient information while 90% favoured the idea of receiving further information about therapy. Forty seven percent of participants failed to return for the second follow-up appointment. The drop-out rate was 66% in the control, 42% in the Leaflet and only 34% in the counselling groups (P = 0.004). A broad support for receiving leaflets and drug counselling (97%) was found among attendees. Moreover, 94% of the counselling and 79% of the leaflets group affirmed that they received adequate information compared to 47% of the control (P = 0.001). Counselling was found to be significantly associated with a much higher recall of medicine name (OR = 9.6, P = 0.01), how to manage missed doses (OR = 8.9, P = 0.007), and correct use of medication (OR = 31.3, P < 0.001). Leaflet use was less strongly associated than counselling and was statistically significant for recall regarding correct use of medication (OR = 8.4, P = 0.009).

Conclusion

Pharmacists in a psychiatric institution can play an important role in satisfying patient demands for specialized information about their medications. Patients with depression appear very eager to receive additional drug information with modest difference between the written and the verbal counselling interventions. Patients looked at the two interventions in a very positive manner and no difference was observed between patients in the leaflets and in the counselling group with regards to how helpful, sufficient, supportive and reassuring was the educational material. However, both interventions were more informative than the control in conveying elemental drug information to patients.

Practice Implications

In contrast with the lack of enthusiasm that some clinicians express, the affirmativeness that was expressed by patients towards receiving written or verbal specialized educational interventions by pharmacists may support the psychiatric hospital pharmacists’ stands in providing them for all patients which may aid in improving patients compliance and probably treatment outcome.