Influence of marihuana on cellular structures and biochemical activities.

Cannabinoids are known to affect a number of cellular systems and functions, but the basis for their action is unclear. In this paper we review the current evidence describing cannabinoid effects on various levels of cellular structure and activity and we present our current studies on the influence of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol and cannabinol on one cellular system, the cytoskeleton. The organization of two cytoskeletal structures, microtubules and microfilaments, were examined and the mRNA levels of tubulin and actin, the major protein components of microtubules and microfilaments, respectively, were analysed.     

In vitro studies of antidermatophytic activity of juliflorine and its screening as carcinogen in Salmonella/microsome test system

Juliflorine, an alkaloid from Prosopis juliflora, was tested for its antifungal activity against the freshly isolated cultures of dermatophytic fungi and its inhibitory effect was compared with that of griseofulvin. The results indicated that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of juliflorine against Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton violaceum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton megninii, Trichophyton gallinae, Microsporum canis, Microsporum nanum, Microsporum ferrugineum and Epidermophyton floccosum was 1.5 micrograms/ml, whereas that of griseofulvin was 0.1-0.5 microgram/ml. MIC of juliflorine for Candida albicans was 0.05 mg/ml. The alkaloid was also subjected to screening for carcinogenicity in the Ames test (salmonella/microsome test system). The results indicated that the compound in the recommended concentrations did not exhibit positive mutagenic reaction, as compared to a strong positive reaction by ethyl methane sulfonate based on his- ----his+ revertants.     

Management of detached graft donor by SF6 injection following Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty of an eye with iridocorneal endothelial syndrome and Ahmed glaucoma drainage tube

A 65-year-old woman with iridocorneal endothelial syndrome and a history of Ahmed glaucoma drainage (AGD) tube implantation underwent Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) in her right eye. During the procedure, filling the anterior chamber with air was quite difficult due to escape of air via the AGD tube and a complete air fill of the anterior chamber could only be managed after multiple attempts. On operation night, there was no air left in the anterior chamber. On postoperative day 1, graft detachment was determined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy. For rebubbling, sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) 20?% was injected into the anterior chamber. Two days later, there was still some SF₆ in the anterior chamber and the graft was completely attached. At postoperative week 2, visual acuity was 2/10. SF₆ use may be considered for DSAEK in cases of previous AGD tube implantation history due to its potential for longer duration in order to obtain a better tamponade with the bubble due to its expanding nature.     

Mycoplasma genitalium: A comparative genomics study of metabolic pathways for the identification of drug and vaccine targets

Increasing emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic microorganisms is one of the biggest challenges for biomedical research and drug development. Traditional drug discovery methods are time-consuming, expensive and often yield few drug targets. In contrast, advances in complete genome sequencing, bioinformatics and cheminformatics represent an attractive alternative approach to identify drug targets worthy of experimental follow-up. Mycoplasma genitalium is a human parasitic pathogen that is associated with several sexually transmitted diseases. Recently, emergence of treatment-resistant isolates has been reported, which raises serious concern and a need for identification of additional drug targets. In the present study, a systematic workflow consisting of comparative genomics, metabolic pathways analysis and additional drug prioritizing parameters was defined for the identification of novel drug and vaccine targets that are essential for M. genitalium, but absent in its human host. In silico analyses and manual mining identified 79 proteins of M. genitalium, which showed no similarity to human proteins. Among these, 67 proteins were identified as non-homologous essential proteins that could serve as potential drug and vaccine targets. Subcellular localization, molecular weight, and three-dimensional structural characteristics that could facilitate filtering of attractive drug targets were also calculated for the non-homologous essential proteins. Enzymes from thiamine biosynthesis, protein biosynthesis, and folate biosynthesis were identified as attractive candidates for drug development. Furthermore, druggability of each of the identified drug targets was also evaluated by the DrugBank database. Results from this study could facilitate selection of M. genitalium proteins for entry into drug design and vaccine production pipelines.     

Subtalar dislocation: report of two cases

Subtalar dislocation is an exceptional finding in routine clinical practice. Although many of these dislocations result from a high-velocity injury such as a fall from a height or road traffic accidents, a significant number occurs as a result of low velocity injuries. The aim of this paper is to highlight two of such injuries that we managed conservatively with good functional recovery after a follow-up of 3 years.