Untypeable hepatitis C virus subtypes in Pakistan: A neglected section

Diagnostically untypeable subtypes contribute a considerable percent of hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes in Pakistan. In the present study, chronically infected HCV patients with known viremia were subjected to HCV genotyping. Among the total retrieved samples, 92.7% (64/69) were found typeable while 7.24% (5/69) were diagnostically untypeable. In conclusion, the presence of large number of untypeable HCV subtypes emphasizes the need of an updated type-specific genotyping assay and consideration of primers for proportionally rare subtypes to minimize the number of untypeable HCV subtypes

Evidence of Exposure and Occurrence of Hepatitis C Virus Among Drug Users of Swat, Pakistan

Drug users constitute a leading risk group associated with Hepatitis C infection. In Pakistan, a large number of drug users retain Hepatitis C virus (HCV). In the current study, occurrence of HCV was assessed in drug users of Swat, Pakistan. A total of 128 study subjects were enrolled and anti-HCV screening was carried out clinically. Seropositive samples were analyzed for the presence of viremia. Results indicated seroprevalence in 37.5% and active infection in 24.21% of the included drug users. HCV occurrence was found higher in males (93.54%) as compared to females (P= 0.7822). Age wise, age group 31-45 was found to have the highest (70.96%) HCV occurrence (P= 0.0022). Based on the type of drug users, injection drug users (IDUs) category was found highly affected (58.06%) with HCV infection (P= 0.1346). Awareness programs should be initiated and preventive strategies must be strictly implemented by government and administrative units to curtail the spread of HCV in drug users

Preparation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Physcion Nanoparticles for Enhanced Oral Bioavailability: An Attempt to Improve Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Potential

This study aims to enhance the dissolution rate of a poorly water-soluble drug physcion by producing its nanoparticles (NPs) using an antisolvent precipitation with a syringe pump (APSP) method and to assess its antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. The NPs were prepared using a simple and cost-effective APSP method and subsequently characterized by different analytical techniques including dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD). They were also subjected to solubility and dissolution studies, and different parameters such as dissolution efficiency (DE), mean dissolution time (MDT), and difference (f1) and similarity factors (f2) were determined. Furthermore, physcion and its NPs were investigated for antioxidant and cytotoxic effects using various in vitro assays. SEM and DLS analysis indicated that the average size of physcion NPs was 110 and 195 ± 5.6 nm, respectively. The average ζ-potential and polydispersibility index (PDI) of the prepared NPs were −22.5 mV and 0.18, respectively, showing excellent dispersibility. XRD confirmed the amorphous nature of physcion NPs. The solubility and dissolution rates of NPs were significantly higher than those of the original powder. The antioxidant potential studied by the (DPPH), FRAP, and H2O2 assays was greater for physcion NPs than that for the raw powder. The IC50 values of physcion NPs against the aforementioned models were 57.56, 22.30, and 22.68 μg/mL, respectively. Likewise, the cytotoxic potential investigated through the MTT assay showed that physcion NPs were more cytotoxic to cancer cell lines A549 (IC50 4.12 μg/mL), HepG2 (IC50 2.84 μg/mL), and MDA-MB-231 (IC50 2.97 μg/mL), while it had less effect on HPAEpiC (IC50 8.68 μg/mL) and HRPTEpiC (IC50 10.71 μg/mL) normal human epithelial cells. These findings have proved that the APSP method successfully produced physcion NPs with enhanced solubility, dissolution rate, and antioxidant and cytotoxic activities