Docking techniques in pharmacology: How much promising?

In the drug development process, large numbers of molecules are failing at a later stage due to safety ö efficacy concerns which are generally investigated by conducting various experiments on animals but unfortunately, animal experimentation is associated with lots of limitations. Thus, there is an increasing interest in the development of alternative approaches that requires less number of animals. Docking is an alternative approach for screening of compounds before actually testing it on animals. It is the best option to predict the energetically favourable binding conformations of ligands in the active site cavity of particular receptor and has gained popularity in the scientific community to save time and money involved in the drug development process. The use of such techniques is increasing day by day among researchers due to availability of user friendly software's. Due to this, the number of papers related to docking has dramatically increased over the past decades. A variety of docking software's are currently available to predict the ligand binding pose in its particular receptor, but there is a lack of knowledge and confidence among scientists regarding accuracy of these softwares. There are many concerns to be taken care of, while carrying out any docking study such as selection of correct binding sites of the target protein, the selection of correct docking pose, lack of clarity over whether the compound is an antagonist or agonist, difficult to get best matching algorithms and scoring schemes. Many compounds show high dock score, but unfortunately fail in pre-clinical studies. These issues ought a chance to because for caution and concern before carrying out docking. Therefore, to ensure correct and effective application of docking techniques, it is necessary to understand the method's merits, demerits, the scope of application, and interpretation. In this review, we summarize fundamental concepts, why these techniques are needed, various docking methods and recent developments in this area. Further, current challenges and future perspectives of these tools are also discussed.

Risks Associated with SGLT2 Inhibitors: An Overview

BACKGROUND

Sodium glucose co-transport 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-i) are the new class of antidiabetic medications which are recently approved (2013) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of diabetes. These inhibitors block the SGLT2 protein which involved glucose reabsorption from proximal renal tubule resulting in increased glucose excretion and lower blood glucose levels. These inhibitors exert favourable effects beyond glucose control such as consistent body weight, blood pressure and serum uric acid reductions. Canagliflozin, Dapagliflozin and empagliflozin belong to the class of SGLT2 inhibitors.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

All these drugs are giving promising results in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, but emerging data from post-marketing studies indicate their adverse effects such as diabetic ketoacidosis, genital and urinary tract infection, cancer, bone fracture and foot and leg amputation. Thus, there is a need for better understanding the risk profile of SGLT2 inhibitors. In this review, we have compiled the risk profile of SGLT2 inhibitors by collecting information from various sources such as case reports, published literature and from various regulatory websites. Further, the proposed mechanism of risks has also been discussed.

Potential risks and benefits of zinc oxide nanoparticles: a systematic review

Zinc oxide nanoparticles are well-known metal oxide nanoparticles having numbers of applications in the field of cosmetology, medicine, and chemistry. However, the number of reports has indicated its toxicity also such as hepatotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, neurotoxicity, and immunotoxicity. Thus, in this article, we have analyzed the potential risks and benefits of zinc oxide nanoparticles. The data related to risks and benefits of zinc oxide nanoparticles have been extracted from PubMed (from January 2007 to August 2019). A total of 3,892 studies have been published during this period regarding zinc oxide nanoparticles. On the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 277 studies have been included for the analysis of risks and benefits. Emerging reports have indicated both risks and benefits of zinc oxide nanoparticles in concentration- and time-dependent manner under in vitro and in vivo conditions through different mechanism of action. In conclusion, zinc oxide nanoparticles could play a beneficial role in the treatment of various diseases but safety of these particles at particular effective concentration should be thoroughly evaluated.

Deltamethrin-induced oxidative stress and mitochondrial caspase-dependent signaling pathways in murine splenocytes

Deltamethrin (DLM) is a well-known pyrethroid insecticide used extensively in pest control. Exposure to DLM has been demonstrated to cause apoptosis in various cells. However, the immunotoxic effects of DLM on mammalian system and its mechanism is still an open question to be explored. To explore these effects, this study has been designed to first observe the interactions of DLM to immune cell receptors and its effects on the immune system. The docking score revealed that DLM has strong binding affinity toward the CD45 and CD28 receptors. In vitro study revealed that DLM induces apoptosis in murine splenocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. The earliest markers of apoptosis such as enhanced reactive oxygen species and caspase 3 activation are evident as early as 1 h by 25 and 50 µM DLM. Western blot analysis demonstrated that p38 MAP kinase and Bax expression is increased in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas Bcl 2 expression is significantly reduced after 3 h of DLM treatment. Glutathione depletion has been also observed at 3 and 6 h by 25 and 50 µM concentration of DLM. Flow cytometry results imply that the fraction of hypodiploid cells has gradually increased with all the concentrations of DLM at 18 h. N-acetyl cysteine effectively reduces the percentage of apoptotic cells, which is increased by DLM. In contrast, buthionine sulfoxamine causes an elevation in the percentage of apoptotic cells. Phenotyping data imply the effect of DLM toxicity in murine splenocytes. In brief, the study demonstrates that DLM causes apoptosis through its interaction with CD45 and CD28 receptors, leading to oxidative stress and activation of the mitochondrial caspase-dependent pathways which ultimately affects the immune functions. This study provides mechanistic information by which DLM causes toxicity in murine splenocytes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 808-819, 2016.

Use of steroids in COVID-19 patients: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Emerging reports have shown the benefits of steroids in hospitalized COVID-19 patients as life-saving drugs. However, the use of steroids in COVID-19 patients is confusing among many physicians.

AIM

The aim of the current study was to find out the exact association of steroids in the deaths of COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

The relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Google scholar, and Clinical trials registries till May 25, 2021 and sorted out based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of studies was assessed using a standard scale. The pooled odds ratio was calculated with a 95% confidence interval. The sensitivity and sub-group analyses were also done. The publication bias was assessed qualitatively. The Rev Man 5 was used for all analyses with a random-effect model.

RESULTS

The quantitative analysis was done with 9922 patients (6265-male and 3657-females) from 21 relevant studies. The pooled estimate results i.e. 0.52 [0.34, 0.80] have shown a significant reduction in deaths of COVID-19 patients in the steroidal group as compared to the non-steroidal group. The sensitivity analyses did not alter our conclusions. In subgroup analysis, methylprednisolone has shown a significant reduction in deaths of COVID-19 patients as compared to the non-steroidal group, however, more clinical evidence is required for dexamethasone and hydrocortisone.

CONCLUSION

The use of steroids in hospitalized COVID-19 patients is useful to reduce deaths.

Homology model, molecular dynamics simulation and novel pyrazole analogs design of Candida albicans CYP450 lanosterol 14 α-demethylase, a target enzyme for antifungal therapy

Candida albicans infections and their resistance to clinically approved azole drugs are major concerns for human. The azole antifungal drugs inhibit the ergosterol synthesis by targeting lanosterol 14α-demethylase of cytochrome P450 family. The lack of high-resolution structural information of fungal pathogens has been a barrier for the design of modified azole drugs. Thus, a preliminary theoretical molecular dynamic study is carried out to develop and validate a simple homologous model using crystallographic structure of the lanosterol 14α-demethylase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (PDB ID-1EA1) in which the active site residues are substituted with that of C. albicans (taxid 5476). Further, novel designed pyrazole analogs (SGS1-16) docked on chimeric 1EA1 and revealed that SGS-16 show good binding affinity through non-bonding interaction with the heme, which is different from the leading azole antifungals. The ADME-T results showed these analogs can be further explored in design of more safe and effective antifungal agents.

Deltamethrin induced an apoptogenic signalling pathway in murine thymocytes : exploring the molecular mechanism

Deltamethrin (DLM) is a well-known pyrethroid insecticide; however, the immunotoxic effects of DLM on the mammalian system and its mechanism is still unclear. This study has been designed to first observe the binding affinity of DLM to immune cell receptors and its effects on the immune system. The docking score revealed that DLM has a strong binding affinity towards the CD4 and CD8 receptors. DLM induces apoptosis in murine thymocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. The ear\ly markers of apoptosis such as enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caspase-3 activation are evident as early as 1 h by 25 and 50 μM DLM. Glutathione (GSH) depletion has also been observed at 1 h by 50 μM DLM concentration. In cell-cycle studies using flow cytometry, the fraction of hypodiploid cells has gradually increased with all the concentrations of DLM at 18 h. The Annexin V binding assay measures the effect of DLM on apoptotic and necrotic cells. The apoptotic cells raised from 18.6% to 35.21% (10-50 μM DLM) at 18 h. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) effectively reduced the percentage of apoptotic cells which is increased by DLM. In contrast, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) caused an elevation in the percentage of apoptotic cells. These results demonstrate that caspase activation, ROS activation and GSH act as critical mediators in a DLM-induced apoptogenic signalling pathway in murine thymocytes. In the presence of caspase inhibitor, the percentage of apoptotic cells is partially decreased. Thus, there may be the possibility of some other caspase-independent pathways in DLM-induced apoptosis.

HeroMDAnalysis: an automagical tool for GROMACS-based molecular dynamics simulation analysis

Background & objective: Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) using GROMACS are among the commonly used computational experiments in the area of molecular biology and drug discovery. This article presents a project called HeroMDAnalysis, an automagical tool to analyze the GROMACS-based MDS trajectories and generate plots as high-quality images for various parameters. Materials & methods: The tool was built using bash shell programming, and graphical user interface was built using Zenity engine. Results & conclusion: This tool offers a simple, semiautomated, and relatively fast framework for what was previously a complex, manual, time-consuming and error-prone task, presenting a useful method for biochemists and synthetic chemists with no prior experience of the command line interface.

Neurological Manifestations in COVID-19 Patients: A Meta-Analysis

Common symptoms such as dizziness, headache, olfactory dysfunction, nausea, vomiting, etc. in COVID-19 patients have indicated the involvement of the nervous system. However, the exact association of the nervous system with COVID-19 infection is still unclear. Thus, we have conducted a meta-analysis of clinical studies associated with neurological problems in COVID-19 patients. We have searched for electronic databases with MeSH terms, and the studies for analysis were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and quality assessment. The Stats Direct (version 3) was used for the analysis. The pooled prevalence with 95% confidence interval of various neurological manifestations reported in the COVID-19 patients was found to be headache 14.6% (12.2-17.2), fatigue 33.6% (29.5-37.8), olfactory dysfunction 26.4% (21.8-31.3), gustatory dysfunction 27.2% (22.3-32.3), vomiting 6.7% (5.5-8.0), nausea 9.8% (8.1-11.7), dizziness 6.7% (4.7-9.1), myalgia 21.4% (18.8-24.1), seizure 4.05% (2.5-5.8), cerebrovascular diseases 9.9% (6.8-13.4), sleep disorders 14.9% (1.9-36.8), altered mental status 17.1% (12.3-22.5), neuralgia 2.4% (0.8-4.7), arthralgia 19.9% (15.3-25.0), encephalopathy 23.5% (14.3-34.1), encephalitis 0.6% (0.2-1.3), malaise 38.3% (24.7-52.9), confusion 14.2% (6.9-23.5), movement disorders 5.2% (1.7-10.4), and Guillain-Barre syndrome 6.9% (2.3-13.7). However, the heterogeneity among studies was found to be high. Various neurological manifestations related to the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) are associated with COVID-19 patients.

Immunomodulatory role of piperine in deltamethrin induced thymic apoptosis and altered immune functions

Deltamethrin (DLM), a well-known pyrethroid insecticide, is a potent immunotoxicant. In rodents, it is primarily characterized by marked thymic apoptosis. Mechanism of DLM induced thymic apoptosis in primary murine thymocytes has been recently explored. Oxidative stress and activation of caspase dependent pathways appear to be involved in the DLM induced thymic injury. Thus, for the amelioration of its effect, this study has been designed to first observe the binding affinity of piperine to immune cell receptors and its protective effects on the DLM induced immunotoxicity under in vitro condition. The docking results demonstrated that piperine has good binding affinity towards CD4 and CD8 receptors. In vitro study results have shown that piperine (1, 10 and 50 μg/ml) increased cell viability in a concentration dependent manner. The early activated markers of apoptosis such as enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caspase-3 activation by DLM was significantly reduced by piperine treatment. GSH depletion induced by DLM has been also restored by piperine treatment. At 18 h, all concentration of piperine (1, 10 and 50 μg/ml) significantly ameliorated the DLM induced apoptosis. Further, DLM induced phenotypic changes were mitigated by the piperine. In addition, piperine also restored the cytokine levels, which were suppressed by DLM treatment. These findings strongly indicate the anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic and chemo-protective ability of piperine in the DLM induced thymic apoptosis.

Comparative efficacy of piperine and curcumin in deltamethrin induced splenic apoptosis and altered immune functions

Deltamethrin (DLM) being a potent immunotoxicant affects both humoral and cell mediated immunity. Thus, for the amelioration of its effects, two different bioactive herbal extracts piperine and curcumin are evaluated and their efficacy has been compared. The docking results demonstrated that curcumin has good binding affinity towards CD28 and CD45 receptors as compared to piperine but in vitro studies revealed that piperine is more effective. DLM induced apoptotic markers such as oxidative stress and caspase 3 have been attenuated more significantly by piperine as compared to curcumin. Phenotypic and cytokine changes have also been mitigated best with piperine. Thus, these findings strongly demonstrate that piperine displays the more anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic and chemo-protective properties in the DLM induced splenic apoptosis as compared to curcumin. So, piperine can be considered the drug of choice under immunocompromised conditions.

A merged molecular docking, ADME-T and dynamics approaches towards the genus of Arisaema as herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 inhibitors

An attempt toward screening of phytoconstituents (Arisaema genus) against herpes viruses (HSV-1 and HSV-2) was carried out using in silico approaches. Human HSV-1 and HSV-2 are accountable for cold sores genital herpes, respectively. Two drug targets, namely thymidine kinase (TK; PDB: 2ki5) serine protease (PDB: 1at3) were selected for HSV-1 and HSV-2. Initially, molecular docking tool was employed to screened apex hits phytoconstituents against herpes infections. ADME-T studies of top ranked were also further highlighted to achieve their effectiveness. Following, molecular dynamics studies were also examined to further optimize the stability of ligands. Glide scores and binding interactions of phytoconstituents were compared with Acyclovir, the main drug used in treatment of HSV, the screened top hits exhibited more glide scores and better binding for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 receptors. Additionally, ADME-T showed an ideal range for top hits while molecular dynamics results also illustrated stability of models. Ultimately, the whole efforts reveal to top three most promising hits for HSV-1 (39, 21, 19) and HSV-2 (20, 51, 19) receptors which can be explored further in wet lab experiments as promising agents against HSV infections.

Repurposing of Fluvastatin Against Candida albicans CYP450 Lanosterol 14 α-demethylase, a Target Enzyme for Antifungal Therapy: An In silico and In vitro Study

BACKGROUND

The incidence of fungal infections has increased significantly. Specifically the cases of candida albicans infection are increasing day by day and their resistance to clinically approved drugs is a major concern for humans. Various classes of antifungal drugs are available in the market for the treatment of these infections but unfortunately, none of them is able to treat the infection.

OBJECTIVES

Thus, in the present investigation, we have repurposed the well-known drug (Fluvastatin) in the treatment of Candida albicans infections by using in silico, in vitro and ex vivo techniques.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Computational and in vitro techniques.

RESULTS

Firstly, we developed and validated a simple model of CYP45014α-lanosterol demethylase of Candida albicans by using crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (1EA1). Further, fluvastatin was docked with a validated model of CYP45014α-lanosterol demethylase and revealed good binding affinity as that of fluconazole. In vitro results (Percentage growth retardation, Fungal growth kinetics, Biofilm test and Post antifungal test) have shown good antifungal activity of fluvastatin. Finally, the results of MTT assay have shown non-cytotoxic effect of fluvastatin in murine splenocytes and thymocytes.

CONCLUSION

However, further in vivo studies are required to confirm the complete role of fluvastatin as an antifungal agent.

Use of aspirin in reduction of mortality of COVID-19 patients: A meta-analysis

COVID-19 infection, affecting every one of us from the last year. Emerging reports have indicated thromboembolism in serious cases of COVID-19. The aspirin is useful to reduce mortality of serious patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome without COVID-19. Thus, we have conducted a metanalysis to find out the role of aspirin in the mortality of COVID-19 patients using RevMan 5. A total of 10 studies containing 56 696 COVID-19 patients were found appropriate for quantitative analysis. The quality of articles was assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The fixed-effect model was used to calculate the odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI). The odd ratio was found to be 0.70 [0.63, 0.77] which indicates a lesser likelihood of having death in COVID-19 patients in aspirin group as compared with non-aspirin group. However, no effect 0.00 [-0.04, 0.04] was observed after the exclusion of outliers. Thus, further clinical evidence is required to make valid conclusion.

Development and Characterization of Nasal Delivery of Selegiline Hydrochloride Loaded Nanolipid Carriers for the Management of Parkinson's Disease

INTRODUCTION

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is one of the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorders which is marked with the loss of dopaminergic neurons. The present study performed on the nose to brain delivery of selegiline hydrochloride loaded nano lipid carrier, suggests that the nasal route is a good mean of targeting the drug directly into the brain.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Nanostructured lipid carriers were prepared by using hot homogenization. Selegiline hydrochloride loaded NLCs and rotenone treatment were given at a dose of 10 mg/kg administered from 14th day to 28th day. Behavioral parameters were determined at 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day. On the 28th day, animals were sacrificed for biochemical estimation.

RESULTS

The optimized drug loaded NLC formulation has shown 93±5.25% entrapment efficiency and 51.96% loading capacity. Optimized NLCs formulation has shown 70% release within 10 hours and after that, the release of the drug is sustained up to 22 hours (97%). Pharmacological action of the drug was found to restore the behavioral parameters in rotenone-induced rats.

CONCLUSION

Nano Lipid Carrier (NLCs) therapeutics has emerged as a prominent method for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD) as it offers targeted delivery and enhances the therapeutic efficacy of neurotherapeutics. It is concluded from the studies that, Selegiline HCl loaded nano lipid carrier which was administered through nasal route has the potential to be used in the management therapy of Parkinson's disease.

Natural chemical entities from Arisaema genus might be a promising break-through against Japanese encephalitis virus infection: a molecular docking and dynamics approach

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection affects millions of population worldwide whose incidence is increasing year by year and currently, no specific drugs are available for its treatment. However, vaccines are available for its prevention but not effective against all the clinical isolates. Thus, there is an urgent need for new chemical entities or exploration of existing molecules for its treatment. In the current study, we have undertaken virtual ligand screening (VLS) method to screen out selected phytoconstituents of Genus Arisaema against various targets (NS5, NS3 helicase, and NS2B-NS3 protease) of JEVs which exhibits vital role in replication, infection cycle and host interaction by using molecular docking followed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Screened natural chemical entities displayed good binding affinity as well as optimum stability toward NS5 and NS3 helicase. Further, the drug likeliness evaluated by Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) analysis was found to be in the acceptable range. In conclusion, these natural chemical entities could be considered as promising candidates for the development of anti-JEV drugs. However, further investigation is required to confirm their exact role in JEV infection through in vitro and in vivo experiments.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Phytomolecules against bacterial biofilm and efflux pump: an in silico and in vitro study

Antibiotic resistance is a global threat whose incidences are increasing day by day worldwide. Thus, there is a need for new chemical entities (NCEs) or exploration of existing molecules against these types of infections. In the current investigation, we have tested the inhibitory potential of four different phytomolecules (berberine, gallic acid, piperine, and rutin) against bacterial biofilm and efflux pumps by using in-silico and in-vitro techniques. The phytomolecules (berberine, piperine, and rutin) except gallic acid have shown good interaction towards biofilm and efflux pump proteins. Further, In-vitro studies have also shown the good inhibitory effect of tested phytomolecules (berberine, rutin, and piperine) against bacterial biofilm formation and efflux pumps. In conclusion, berberine, piperine, and rutin could be the promising antibacterial candidates, particularly against resistant bacterial strains.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Identification of novel signal of clobazam-associated drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome: A disproportionality analysis

OBJECTIVES

Clobazam is a well-known benzodiazepine used as an anti-anxiety drug as well as an anti-epileptic, particularly for patients who are not responding to first-line treatments. Recent case reports have indicated the association of clobazam with drug reaction with eosinophilia systemic symptoms syndrome (DRESS Syndrome). However, DRESS syndrome is not known to be associated with clobazam. Thus, the main objective of the current study was to identify the potential signal of clobazam-associated DRESS Syndrome.

MATERIALS & METHODS

US FDA Adverse event reporting system (US FAERS), pharmacovigilance data 2004Q1-2021Q3 was extracted using OpenVigil 2.1-MedDRA-v24. The Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR) with a Chi-Square value (95% confidence interval), and number of cases (≥3) were used as disproportionality analysis parameters.

RESULTS

A total of 141 drug-event combinations were reported and results of disproportionality analysis indicate the positive signal of DRESS syndrome with clobazam. The signal strength was decreased after removing the cases of concomitantly administered drugs (phenytoin, levetiracetam, and valproic acid); however, the association of clobazam with DRESS syndrome remains statistically significant. The subgroup analysis results have shown a greater number of cases in the age group (18-64 years) as compared to other age groups whereas the number of cases in the male and female groups is almost similar.

CONCLUSION

The DRESS syndrome is identified as a novel signal with clobazam. However, further causality assessment is required.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid Protects Co-Exposure to Lead and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Induced Neuro, Immuno and Male Reproductive Toxicity in Rats

We evaluated the neuro-, immuno-, and male reproductive toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) alone and in combination with lead acetate. We also studied the therapeutic role of α-lipoic acid postexposure. Lead (10 mg/kg, body weight), ZnO NPs (100 mg/kg, bwt) alone, and their combination were administered orally in Wistar rats for 28 days, followed by the administration of α-lipoic acid (15 mg/kg, bwt) for the next 15 days. Our results demonstrated protective effects of α-lipoic acid on lead and ZnO NP-induced biochemical alterations in neurological, immunological, and male reproductive organs in rats. The altered levels of blood δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM, and IgE), interleukins (IL-1β, IL-4, and IL-6), caspase-3, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) were attenuated by lipoic acid treatment. Lead and ZnO NP-induced oxidative stress was decreased by lipoic acid treatment, while a moderate recovery in the normal histoarchitecture of the brain section (cortex and hippocampus) and testes further confirmed the neuro- and male reproductive toxicity of lead and ZnO NPs. We also observed a significant decrease in the blood metal content in the animals treated with lipoic acid compared to the lead-administered group, indicating the moderate chelating property of lipoic acid. It may thus be concluded that lipoic acid might be a promising protective agent against lead and ZnO NP-induced alterations in the neurological, immunological, and reproductive parameters.

Ebola virus: current and future perspectives

The present outbreak associated with Ebola disease in Western countries of the African continent which is believed to be one of the massive eruptions caused by the Ebola viral infections. In the present scenario ebola has been transmitted to the European and American regions through the travelers from wide spread countries like Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The viral disease is spreading through the contact in any form by the infected persons or patients and creating huge risks to the mortals. The symptoms related to ebola virus are often highly pathogenic; about 70-80% of death cases are reported due to critical hemorrhagic fever. Early in infection, ebola virus infects macrophages and endothelial cells. It mainly produces a Viral Protein 24 (eVP24) which prevents interferon-based signals which are important for destruction of viruses. How ebola virus manipulates the function of the immune system is still unclear. Due to lack of this knowledge, no approved treatment is available. In this review, we have tried to compile the epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment of ebola virus infection. The promising ligands against ebola virus have been also discussed which will be helpful for researchers to design drugs for the treatment of ebola virus disease.

Mechanism of deltamethrin induced thymic and splenic toxicity in mice and its protection by piperine and curcumin: in vivo study

Deltamethrin (DLM) is a well-known pyrethroid insecticide which is widely used in the agriculture and home pest control due to restriction on the sale of organophosphate. DLM induced apoptosis is well known but its mechanism is still unclear. This study has been designed to find out its mechanism of apoptosis with the help of computational methods along with in vivo methods. The QikProp and ProTox results have shown that DLM has good oral absorption. The docking results reveal that DLM has a strong binding affinity toward the CD4, CD8, CD28 and CD45 receptors. Further, to understand the toxicity of DLM on lymphoid cells, a single dose of DLM (5 mg/kg, oral for seven days) has been administered to male Balb/c mice and cytotoxicity (MTT assay), oxidative stress indicators (glutathione, reactive oxygen species) and apoptotic markers (caspase-3 activity, DNA fragmentation) have been assessed in thymic and splenic single cell suspensions. Lowering of body weight, cellularity and loss in cell viability have been observed in DLM treated mice. The significant increase in ROS and GSH depletion in spleen and thymus, indicate the possible involvement of oxidative stress. The spleen cells appear more susceptible to the adverse effects of DLM than thymus cells. Further, for the amelioration of its effect, two structurally different bioactive herbal extracts, piperine and curcumin have been evaluated and have shown the cytoprotective effect by inhibiting the apoptogenic signaling pathways induced by DLM.

Evaluation of In Silico Anti-parkinson Potential of β-asarone

INTRODUCTION

Parkinson's disease is affecting millions of people worldwide. The prevalence of Parkinson's disease is 0.3% globally, rising to 1% in more than 60 years of age and 4% in more than 80 years of age and the figures are thought to be doubled by 2030. Thus, there is a great need to identify novel therapeutic strategies or candidate drug molecule which can rescue neuronal degeneration. β -asarone has the potential to act as a neuroprotective agent but regarding its role in Parkinson's disease, very few reports are available. Thus, this study was undertaken to unlock the potential of β-asarone against Parkinson's disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) analysis has been done by using Swiss ADME Predictor. The interactions of β-asarone with dopaminergic receptors were investigated by Glide Program 5.0. The crystal structures of dopamine receptors were retrieved from Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics- Protein Data Bank (RCSB-PDB). The structure of β-asarone was drawn in Chem Draw Ultra 7.0.1. Finally, the toxicity of β-asarone has been predicted by using online web-servers like Lazar and Protox.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The ADME data of current investigation has shown good oral bioavailability of β-asarone. It also showed a good binding affinity towards dopaminergic receptors. Further, it was found to be interacting through hydrogen bond with different amino acid residues of D2 and D3 receptors. However, β-asarone was predicted to be toxic in various species of rodents, as per the results of toxicity online web servers.

CONCLUSION

Based on the current finding from ADME and docking studies, these preliminary results may act as effective precursor tool for the development of β-asarone as a promising anti-Parkinson agent. However, furthermore experimental validation using in-vitro & in-vivo studies is needed to explore their therapeutic andtoxic effects.

Rationally synthesized coumarin based pyrazolines ameliorate carrageenan induced inflammation through COX-2/pro-inflammatory cytokine inhibition

In the present work, coumarin based pyrazolines (7a-g) have been synthesized and investigated for their in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory potential. Amongst the synthesized compounds, compounds 7a, 7d and 7f exhibited significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity as compared to the standard etoricoxib. Keeping this in mind, in vivo investigations were carried out via carrageenan induced inflammation and acetic acid induced writhing models in male Wistar rats and compound 7a was found to possess appreciable anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential. The mode of action of compound 7a was also investigated by using substance P as the biomarker, which shows promising results. Further, the selectivity of the most active compound 7a against the cyclooxygenase enzyme was supported by molecular docking studies which reveal that compound 7a has greater binding affinity towards COX-2 over COX-1 and 5-LOX enzymes. In silico ADME analysis of compound 7a confirms the drug-like characteristics and the in vivo acute toxicity study showed the safety of the compound even up to a 2000 mg kg-1 dose. Thus, compound 7a was identified as an effective anti-inflammatory agent, and can be explored for further analgesic/anti-inflammatory drug design and development.