A comparative trial of ice application versus EMLA cream in alleviation of pain during botulinum toxin injections for palmar hyperhidrosis

Adel Alsantali Department of Dermatology, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Background: Botulinum toxin is a safe and effective therapy for palmar hyperhidrosis, but the associated pain from injections limits the usefulness of this method of treatment. Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetics (EMLA) cream versus ice application in alleviation of pain during botulinum toxin injections for palmar hyperhidrosis. Methods: In this prospective study, 23 patients underwent palm Botox injections to treat their excessive sweating. In each patient, EMLA cream was applied to one palm and ice was applied directly before the injections in the other palm. Pain was evaluated using a Visual Analog Scale. Results: Statistically, there was a significant difference in pain control between EMLA cream group and ice application group (p<0.05). The average pain score on the hands where EMLA cream was applied was 8.9 (SD=0.81), whereas it was 4.8 (±0.9) in the ice group. Conclusion: In this study, the successful use of ice application in reducing pain by 40% in comparison to EMLA cream during Botox toxin injection for palmar hyperhidrosis is demonstrated.Keywords: ice, local anesthetics, EMLA, palmar hyperhidrosis, Botox injection, pain reductio

Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation of New Porphyrin and Metalloporphyrin Derivatives

In our research, we produced some novel porphyrin derivatives 4a–g in high yields. We also synthesized and characterized some of their metalloporphyrin complexes 5–11. The structures of these novel porphyrins were assured by spectroscopic techniques. The geometric structure and magnetic properties of metallo-porphyrins 5–11 have also been studied. Antiviral and antitumor activities were estimated and the structures activity relationships were accomplished. The Porphyrin derivatives 4g, 4f, 9, 10 and 11 displayed strong antiviral activity for HSV-1 compared to Aphidicoline as reference. While derivatives 4g and 6 exhibited very strong activity against HIV-1. Porphyrin derivatives 4g, 6, 9, and 10, in general, displayed strong activity against all the tested human cell lines.</p

Evaluating the ability of some natural phenolic acids to target the main protease and AAK1 in SARS COV-2

Abstract Researchers are constantly searching for drugs to combat the coronavirus pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, which has lasted for over two years. Natural compounds such as phenolic acids are being tested against Mpro and AAK1, which are key players in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. This research work aims to study the ability of a panel of natural phenolic acids to inhibit the virus's multiplication directly through Mpro and indirectly by affecting the adaptor-associated protein kinase-1 (AAK1). Pharmacophore mapping, molecular docking, and dynamic studies were conducted over 50 ns and 100 ns on a panel of 39 natural phenolic acids. Rosmarinic acid (16) on the Mpro receptor (− 16.33 kcal/mol) and tannic acid (17) on the AAK1 receptor (− 17.15 kcal/mol) exhibited the best docking energy against both receptors. These favourable docking score values were found to be superior to those of the co-crystallized ligands. Preclinical and clinical research is required before using them simultaneously to halt the COVID-19 life cycle in a synergistic manner

Inflammasome Proteins as Biomarkers of Injury and Disease

The inflammasome is a multi-protein complex of the innate immune response that activates caspase-1 after infections, tissue injury, or disease. Once active caspase-1 cleaves the pro-inflammatory cytokines pro-IL-1β and pro-IL-18 into their respective mature forms, IL-1β and IL-18. Inflammasome proteins such as caspase-1, NOD-like receptor protein-1 (NLRP1), NLRP3, or apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) can be used as biomarkers of tissue injury and disease. For instance, higher levels of inflammasome proteins are present in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with traumatic brain injury who present poor outcomes after trauma. Hence, the inflammasome after brain injury can be used as a tool to prognosticate outcomes after brain trauma. Similarly, in rodent models of multiple sclerosis, animals that do not respond to the classic interferon (IFN)-β treatment do not present an NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent disease. Thus, the inflammasome in multiple sclerosis can be used as a prognostic tool to identify responders to IFN-β treatment. In the same manner, patients taking finasteride for male pattern baldness who do not respond to treatment correlate with higher levels of caspase-1 in hair follicles. Moreover, the inflammasome can also be used as a biomarker of disease progression in diabetes and atherosclerosis, as well as a biomarker of tissue injury in inflammatory bowel disease and semen quality in patients with male infertility after spinal cord injury. Therefore, the inflammasome, a receptor of the innate immune response, is a useful biomarker in a variety of diseases and tissue injury