Studies in potential filaricides. 5. 3-Ethyl-8-methyl-1,3,8-triazabicyclo(4.4.0)decan-2-one, a new antifilarial agent

Mesenchymal stem cell-based nanoparticles and scaffolds in regenerative medicine

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells owing to their regenerative potential and multilineage potency. MSCs have wide-scale applications either in their native cellular form or in conjugation with specific biomaterials as nanocomposites. Majorly, these natural or synthetic biomaterials are being used in the form of metallic and non-metallic nanoparticles (NPs) to encapsulate MSCs within hydrogels like alginate or chitosan or drug cargo loading into MSCs. In contrast, nanofibers of polymer scaffolds such as polycaprolactone (PCL), poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), silk fibroin, collagen, chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid (HA), and cellulose are used to support or grow MSCs directly on it. These MSCs based nanotherapies have application in multiple domains of biomedicine including wound healing, bone and cartilage engineering, cardiac disorders, and neurological disorders. This study focused on current approaches of MSCs-based therapies and has been divided into two major sections. The first section elaborates on MSC-based nano-therapies and their plausible applications including exosome engineering and NPs encapsulation. The following section focuses on the various MSC-based scaffold approaches in tissue engineering. Conclusively, this review mainly focused on MSC-based nanocomposite's current approaches and compared their advantages and limitations for building effective regenerative medicines.

Two decades of antifilarial drug discovery: a review

Filariasis is one of the oldest, most debilitating, disabling, and disfiguring neglected tropical diseases with various clinical manifestations and a low rate of mortality, but has a high morbidity rate, which results in social stigma.

Synthesis and screening of 1-methyl-4-substituted benzoyl piperazides against adult Setaria digitata for antifilarial activity

There is no safe and effective drug for killing the adult worms for the elimination/control of lymphatic filariasis and research is very much warranted towards the development of a macrofilaricidal drug. Therefore, the synthesis and evaluation of 1-N-methyl-substituted benzoyl/phenyl acetyl piperazides for macrofilaricidal activity were carried out. The title compounds, 1-N-methyl-substituted benzoyl/phenyl acetyl piperazides were synthesized and purified by slightly modifying the reported procedure and characterized by FT-IR, NMR and mass spectral data. The compounds were screened for macrofilaricidal activity against adult Setaria digitata, the bovine filarial worm for motility and MTT reduction assays using the reported procedures. All the compounds synthesized were characterized by spectral data. Out of 26 compounds synthesized and screened for macrofilaricidal activity, six compounds exhibited moderate antifilarial activity. The structure-activity relationships are discussed. In the case of benzoyl piperazides chloro-substitution in the para position enhanced the activity compared to its substitution in meta and ortho positions. In the case of phenyl acetyl piperazides when methyl group was in the meta position it was more active than when it was in para position. In dimethyl substituted compounds, substitutions at 3, 5-positions were more effective than 2, 3 and 3, 4 substitutions.

Setaria cervi: enzymes in microfilariae and in vitro action of antifilarials

Microfilariae of bovine filarial parasite Setaria cervi are equipped with the enzymes of glycolysis, pentose phosphate and PEP-succinate pathways and thus resemble the adult form in its metabolic pattern. Malate dehydrogenase was the most active enzyme in microfilariae followed by lactic dehydrogenase and fumarase, while phosphoglucoisomerase, PEP-carboxykinase and FDP-aldolase were comparatively less active. The very low ratio of PK/PEPCK in S. cervi microfilariae indicates active fixation of CO2 into PEP to produce oxalacetate. Centperazine and diethylcarbamazine significantly inhibited PEP-carboxykinase, fumarate reductase and succinic dehydrogenase, suggesting that these antifilarials probably exert microfilaricidal action by blocking the PEP-succinate pathway.

Comparative effects of 3-ethyl-8-methyl-1,3,8-triazabicyclo(4,4,0)decan-2-one and diethylcarbamazine against Litomosoides carinii in rodents

3-Ethyl-8-methyl-1,3,8-triazabicyclo[4,4,0]decan-2-one and diethylcarbamazine were tested comparatively against Litomosoides carinii in Mongolian jirds and cotton rats. The drugs were compared in jirds by oral and by intraperitoneal administration. Comparisons in cotton rats were done by intraperitoneal administration. The drugs were given in a wide range of doses twice daily for 4 consecutive days. Parameters used for judging efficacy included the rate, degree, and duration of microfilaremia suppression as well as effects on adult worms. The two drugs exhibited similar strong but transient effect against microfilariae; neither drug had appreciable effect in killing adult worms.