Structural activity relationship of metallo-aminoquines as a next generation antimalarials

Apicomplexian parasite of the genus Plasmodium is the causative agent of malaria, one of the most devastating, furious and common infectious disease throughout the world. According to the latest World malaria report, there were 229 million cases of malaria in 2019 majorly consisting of children under 5 years of age. Some of known analogues viz. quinine, quinoline-containing compounds have been used for last century in the clinical treatment of malaria. Past few decades have witnessed the emergence of multi-drug resistance (MDR) strains of Plasmodium species to existing antimalarials pressing the need for new drug candidates. For the past few decades bioorganometallic approach to malaria therapy has been introduced which led to the discovery of noval metalcontaining aminoquinolines analogues viz. ferroquine (FQ or 1), Ruthenoquine (RQ or 2) and other related potent metal-analogues. It observed that some metal containing analogues (Fe-, Rh-, Ru-, Re-, Au-, Zn-, Cr-, Pd-, Sn-, Cd-, Ir-, Co-, Cu-, and Mn-aminoquines) were more potent; however, some were equally potent as Chloroquine (CQ) and 1. This is probably due to the intertion of metals in the CQ via various approaches, which might be a very attractive strategy to develop a SAR of novel metal containing antimalarials. Thus, this review aims to summarize the SAR of metal containing aminoquines towards the discovery of potent antimalarial hybrids to provide an insight for rational designs of more effective and less toxic metal containing amoniquines.

Infections Are a very Dangerous Affair: Enterobiasis and Death

Background: Enterobiasis or oxyuriasis from Enterobius vermicularis is an infection usually localized in the large bowel and cecum. Generally, the symptoms are characterized by anal itching, and intestinal or nervous disorders. Rarely, it is responsible for death. Methods: A forensic autopsy of a 52-year-old white male inmate who died 5 days after hospitalization was performed. Histological and toxicological analyses were also performed. Results: The death occurred by localization of Enterobius vermicularis in the duodenum and in the proximal ileum, with intestinal haemorrhage, inflammation, and peritonitis documented by histological examination. Conclusion: This is a common infectious disease, and can rarely occur with a fatal outcome, even in advanced populations. The lack of knowledge related to the rarity of death from enterobiasis disease can determine a dangerous concern.

Ulcerative lesion over tongue: a diagnostic dilemma

Tuberculosis even today remains as the most common infectious disease affecting lungs in India despite having advanced diagnostic testing and a national programme to eradicate this disease. It may present with various clinical appearances, of them tongue tuberculosis is rare and it mimics malignant lingual neoplasms on clinical examination which was rarely described in the literature. In this article we are presenting a 69-year-old patient with tuberculosis of tongue presented as a painful ulcer, so far very few cases reported

Trends in Empirical Treatment of Hospitalized Children with Acute Gastroenteritis in Nigeria

Background: Acute gastroenteritis is a common infectious disease with a high rate of morbidity and mortality in children below five years of age. Appropriate empirical treatment is therefore vital for reducing the incidence of the disease. Objective: This study aimed at determining the trends in the empirical treatment of hospitalized children with acute gastroenteritis. Method: The study involved the data analysis of 88 medical folders of children who were diagnosed with gastroenteritis from January to February 2020 (a period of gastroenteritis yearly outbreak) in Mile 4 Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Socio-demographic data and administered antibiotics data were collected. Result: Out of the 88 children, a total of 54 (61%) children were males, while 34 (39%) were females. The ages of the children ranged between 1-51 months, while the mean age was seen at 14 months. About 58 (66%) were diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis alone, with children aged 7-12 months recording higher numbers [25 (28%)]. Severe dehydration was seen as the most common morbidity of children with acute gastroenteritis. The guardians/parents of these children stayed at home for an average of 3 days (1-6 days) before visiting the hospital. The children were treated for an average of 5 days (2-9 days) in the hospital. The most singly used antibiotics was ciprofloxacin [31 (35%)] followed by a combination of ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone [21 (24%)]. About 12 (14%) of the children were treated using a single dose of the antimalarial drug while 10 (11%) were treated in double combination therapy. The lowest duration in hospitalization (4 days) was seen in the use of a single dose regimen, while the highest hospitalization time (6 days) was seen in the use of a triple dose regimen. Conclusion: The best empirical treatment of acute gastroenteritis may involve the use of ciprofloxacin alone and its combination with ceftriaxone. The severity of gastroenteritis may also be exacerbated with malaria.

Spirulina water extract and Lactobacillus bulgaricus FNCC– 0041, Streptococcus thermophilus FNCC–0040 secretion as immunostimulants in gnotobiotic Artemia challenge tests against pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and V. harveyi

Spirulina water extract (SWE) has a good potency as an immunostimulant. Lactobacillus bulgaricus & Streptococcus thermophilus are lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that produce exopolysaccharide exudate. Vibriosis is a common infectious disease for aquatic cultivans caused by Vibrio spp. This study determines the ability of SWE in combination with L. bulgaricus & S. thermophilus as immunostimulant (Artemia challenge test) assay against Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and V. harveyi. Factorial Design with two factors namely SWE doses (0, 300, 600, and 900 ppb) and Vibrio spp. treatment (non-Vibrio spp., Vibrio harveyi (Vh), Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp), Vibrio vulnificus (Vv), Vh-Vp, Vv-Vp, Vp-Vh, and Vp-Vv-Vh) were applicated. SWE was diluted and LAB at a concentration of 108 cell/mL were fermented in three days at 30°C. Ten newly hatched Artemia nauplii were enriched with fermented and non-fermented SWE for one hour, then challenged with 108 cell/mL Vibrio spp. The survival of Artemia was recorded every 6 hours. Results showed that the survival rate of Artemia enriched with 300 ppb concentration of SWE and LAB was significant than control (p<0.05). It is concluded that there is a positive effect on the bioencapsulation of the minimum concentration of SWE and LAB secretion to accelerate Artemia’s immune response.

Operated case of tubercular meningitis with hydrocephalus in an immunocompromised patient and acute abdomen-management controversy: a case report

Tuberculosis is a very common infectious disease in developing countries like India. Most common form includes pulmonary tuberculosis. Other common forms are tubercular meningitis and intestinal tuberculosis. Hydrocephalus is one of the commonest complications of tubercular meningitis. We present a HIV positive case who had tubercular meningitis with hydrocephalus and was operated for ventriculoperitoneal shunting, later developed intestinal tuberculosis with perforation peritonitis. The presentation of an acute abdomen with a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt requires skillful diagnostic workup and management. Apart from complications caused by the shunt, primary abdominal pathological conditions must be taken into consideration. Tuberculosis has multiple presentations all of which should be kept in mind.

Therapeutics for acute otitis media

Background: Acute otitis media (AOM) is diagnosed in patients with acute onset of signs and symptoms of inflammation in the middle ear, accompanied by middle ear effusion. AOM is a common infectious disease in children, and its diagnosis and treatment can have significant impacts on the health of children.Current Concepts: The evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in Korea and other countries provide recommendations to primary care clinicians regarding the management of children with AOM. The treatment strategy for AOM depends on the patient’s age, severity of symptoms, the presence of otorrhea, and the laterality.Discussion and Conclusion: For children aged from 6-months to 2-years with unilateral non-severe AOM and children aged 2 years or older with unilateral or bilateral non-severe AOM, the published guidelines provide the option of observation rather than immediate treatment with antibiotics. High-dose amoxicillin (80 to 90 mg a day) is the firstline antibiotic for treating AOM in patients without penicillin allergies. Children in whom symptoms persist after 48 to 72 hours of antibiotic treatment should be re-examined and amoxicillin/clavulanate should be used as second-line antibiotics. Careful follow-up is required to identify the complications and sequelae of AOM, and to determine the optimum treatment.

Mining for the association of bovine mastitis linked genes to pathological signatures and Pathways

Background: Bovine mastitis is a common infectious disease with a serious threat to the dairy industry and public health. Mastitis is a polygenetic trait under the control of many genes. In the current study, our research attempted to address the role of mastitis-associated genes in various signalings including parasitic, viral, cancer and fungal diseases by using online bioinformatics software. Methods: We selected mastitis-associated genes from already published data and using online bioinformatics tools including DAVID and String classify the pathological role of relevant genes. A Venn diagram was used to show the status of overlapping genes among different biological function processes. Result: This study revealed that the genes gathered in published resources of mastitis were significantly correlated with Influenza A, Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, Toxoplasmosis, Tuberculosis, Cancer signaling, Hepatitis B, Type I &II diabetes mellitus and Prion diseases biological pathways. Based on our findings, we concluded that mastitis-linked genes could be used as markers for many other diseases. Moreover, the Bioinformatics tools applied in the current study might be helpful in screening the genes involved in one disease and their association with other diseases as well.

Pachymic acid inhibits inflammation and cell apoptosis in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced rat model with pneumonia by regulating NF-κB and MAPK pathways

Pneumonia is a common infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality. It is caused by a variety of pathogenic microorganisms that infect the lung parenchyma. Anti-infective drugs are one of the preferred choices for the treatment of pneumonia. Pachymic acid (PA) is a lanolin triterpene compound from Poria cocos, which has antiemetic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Although PA inhibits inflammatory response in a variety of diseases, its role in pneumonia is not clear. In this study, we established that PA improved histopathological changes in the lungs of rats with pneumonia. PA inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the serum of rats having pneumonia. In addition, PA inhibited the apoptosis of cells from rat lung tissues. Mechanically, PA inhibited inflammation and cell apoptosis via NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Therefore, PA could serve as a promising drug for treating pneumonia.

The correlation between Google trends and salmonellosis

Background Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) is a common infectious disease leading to gastroenteritis, dehydration, uveitis, etc. Internet search is a new method to monitor the outbreak of infectious disease. An internet-based surveillance system using internet data is logistically advantageous and economical to show term-related diseases. In this study, we tried to determine the relationship between salmonellosis and Google Trends in the USA from January 2004 to December 2017. Methods We downloaded the reported salmonellosis in the USA from the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) from January 2004 to December 2017. Additionally, we downloaded the Google search terms related to salmonellosis from Google Trends in the same period. Cross-correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results The results showed that 6 Google Trends search terms appeared earlier than reported salmonellosis, 26 Google Trends search terms coincided with salmonellosis, and 16 Google Trends search terms appeared after salmonellosis were reported. When the search terms preceded outbreaks, “foods” (t = 2.927, P = 0.004) was a predictor of salmonellosis. When the search terms coincided with outbreaks, “hotel” (t = 1.854, P = 0.066), “poor sanitation” (t = 2.895, P = 0.004), “blueberries” (t = 2.441, P = 0.016), and “hypovolemic shock” (t = 2.001, P = 0.047) were predictors of salmonellosis. When the search terms appeared after outbreaks, “ice cream” (t = 3.077, P = 0.002) was the predictor of salmonellosis. Finally, we identified the most important indicators of Google Trends search terms, including “hotel” (t = 1.854, P = 0.066), “poor sanitation” (t = 2.895, P = 0.004), “blueberries” (t = 2.441, P = 0.016), and “hypovolemic shock” (t = 2.001, P = 0.047). In the future, the increased search activities of these terms might indicate the salmonellosis. Conclusion We evaluated the related Google Trends search terms with salmonellosis and identified the most important predictors of salmonellosis outbreak.