19F-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a tool to investigate host-guest complexation of some antidepressant drugs with natural and modified cyclodextrins

Purpose: 19F-Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19F-NMR) was used to study host-guest complexation of three fluorine containing antidepressant drugs, viz, fluoxetine hydrochloride, citalopram hydrobromide and fluvoxamine maleate, with various cyclodextrins (CD), including α-, β-cyclodextrin, methylated α-cyclodextrin (M-α-CD), diamino derivative of methylated α-cyclodextrin, (DAM-α-CD) and tetramino derivative of methylated α-cyclodextrin (TAM-α-CD).Methods: Using the mole ratio method, a 1:1 stoichiometry was determined for the resulting inclusion complexes. 19F chemical shifts were used to determine the formation constant of the complexes. Experiments were performed with solutions containing 0.001 M drug and various concentrations of CDs. NMR data were plotted as 19F chemical shift versus CD/drug mole ratio, and fitted using the nonlinear least-squares curve fitting program, KINFIT, to obtain the formation constant of CD-drug complex. Molecular modeling (MM) calculations were used to predict the geometry of the complex of fluvoxamine and β-CD. Molecular modeling studies were performed in vacuum phase, employing empirical force fields and semi-empirical quantum theory using AM1 Hamiltonian.Results: Complex formation caused separation of the fluorine peaks that can be assigned to the two enantiomers of fluoxetine hydrochloride. Molecular modeling data suggest that fluvoxamine/β-CD inclusion complexes have a 1:1 stoichiometry and that the CF3-substituted ring of fluvoxamine is embedded in the cavity of β-CD, indicating a good agreement between molecular modeling calculation and experimental data (NMR data).Conclusion: One-dimensional 19F-NMR is a fast and convenient method for the determination of complex stoichiometry and complexation constants of natural and modified CDs and fluorinated drugs.Keywords: Antidepressant drugs, Cyclodextrins, Complexation, Inclusion complex, Formation constant, 19F-NM

Push Recovery of a Position-Controlled Humanoid Robot Based on Capture Point Feedback Control

In this paper, a combination of ankle and hip strategy is used for push recovery of a position-controlled humanoid robot. Ankle strategy and hip strategy are equivalent to Center of Pressure (CoP) and Centroidal Moment Pivot (CMP) regulation respectively. For controlling the CMP and CoP we need a torque-controlled robot, however most of the conventional humanoid robots are position controlled. In this regard, we present an efficient way for implementation of the hip and ankle strategies on a position controlled humanoid robot. We employ a feedback controller to compensate the capture point error. Using our scheme, a simple and practical push recovery controller is designed which can be implemented on the most of the conventional humanoid robots without the need for torque sensors. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified through push recovery experiments on SURENA-Mini humanoid robot under severe pushes

Maternal Vitamin D Status among Different Ethnic Groups and Its Potential Contribution to Adverse Pregnancy and Child Outcomes

Maternal vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy is a widespread public health concern. Race and ethnicity as biological and cultural factors, respectively, can affect vitamin D status through differences in skin color, sunlight exposure, and dietary intake. Low maternal vitamin D status in pregnancy may affect both mother and fetus adversely. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are linked to a wide variety of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm delivery. Furthermore, maternal vitamin D deficiency has been linked to several adverse health outcomes in infants and children. The examples include, but not limited to, impaired growth, skeletal problems, and autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and asthma. This chapter reviews the vitamin D status during pregnancy across different ethnic groups, looking into the adverse pregnancy and child outcomes, followed by a discussion on the association between maternal and child vitamin D status and successful interventions. Strong evidence exists about the association between vitamin D and some health outcomes during pregnancy, while more studies are needed to confirm the other claim. The existing body of evidence justifies the need for well-designed policies and systematic interventions to ensure optimal vitamin D status of pregnant women and their offsprings across different ethnic and racial groups

The potential therapeutic use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in the treatment of inflammatory diseases

Inflammation is a normal part of the immune response to injury or infection but its dysregulation promotes the development of inflammatory diseases, which cause considerable human suffering. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) are the most commonly prescribed agents for the treatment of inflammatory diseases but they are accompanied by a broad range of side effects, including gastrointestinal and cardiovascular events. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is traditionally known for its role in blood pressure regulation. However, there is increasing evidence that RAS signalling is also involved in the inflammatory response associated with several disease states. Angiotensin II increases blood pressure by binding to angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor, and direct renin inhibitors (DRIs), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and AT1 receptor blockers (ARBs) are clinically used as anti-hypertensive agents. Recent data suggest that these drugs also have anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, this review summarizes these recent findings for the efficacy of two of the most widely used antihypertensive drug classes, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, to reduce or treat inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, steatohepatitis, colitis, pancreatitis and nephritis

Association of Neonatal Asphyxia With Serum Levels of Heat Shock Protein 27 in a Small Sample of Newborns

Abstract- Neonatal asphyxia is a state of hypoxia and hypercapnia caused by failure to breathe spontaneously and regularly soon after birth. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a ubiquitous and diverse group of highly conserved proteins which are rapidly up-regulated following periods of cellular stress including exposure to heat, ultraviolet irradiation, or chemical toxicity. The aim of the current study was to explore whether there is a relation between serum levels of HSP27 and neonatal asphyxia in a small sample of newborns. A total of 25 healthy newborns and 25 newborns diagnosed with neonatal asphyxia were recruited form Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. The Apgar score was recorded at one minute after delivery by trained nurses and newborns with the Apgar score of less than 7 were considered to be asphyctic. The mean birth weight of newborns in the case and control groups were 3110.47±613.5 g and 3230.4±584.83 g, respectively (P=0.4). Moreover, the mean maternal age of infants in the case group was higher than the mean maternal age of infants in the control group (31.1±6.1 vs. 30.1±5.0). Although it was marginally significant, the level of HSP27 was higher in the case group than the control group (0.23±0.08 vs. 0.19±0.09; P=0.07). Levels of HSP27 were found to be higher in newborns with neonatal asphyxia compared with healthy controls

Depression and anxiety symptoms are associated with prooxidant-antioxidant balance: a population-based study

Background: Depression and anxiety are significantly associated with systemic inflammation. Moreover, oxidative stress resulting from a disturbance in the prooxidant-antioxidant balance is linked to inflammation-related conditions. Therefore, depression/anxiety symptoms may also be associated with oxidative stress. Objective: To examine the association between depression/anxiety symptoms and serum prooxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in adults who participated in a large population-based, cross-sectional study. Methods: Serum PAB values were measured in 7,516 participants (62% females and 38% males) aged 35–65 years, enrolled in a population-based cohort study. Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories were used to evaluate symptoms of depression and anxiety. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the effect of confounders on the status of serum PAB change. Results: Among men, serum PAB values were increased incrementally from 1.55±0.47 to 1.59±0.47, 1.69±0.38, and 1.68±0.38 in the no or minimal, mild, moderate and severe depression groups, respectively (P trend<0.001). Serum PAB values also increased significantly across these four corresponding groups among women [1.70±0.45, 1.73±0.44, 1.75±0.44, and 1.76±0.40, (P trend=0.005)]. About anxiety, serum PAB values increased significantly across the four groups in men (P trend=0.02) but not in women (P trend=0.2). The adjusted odds ratios for serum PAB values among men with severe depression and anxiety symptoms were 1.75 and 1.27, respectively. Moreover, the adjusted odds ratios for serum PAB values among women with severe depression and anxiety symptoms were 1.40 and 1.17, respectively. Conclusion: Symptoms of depression and anxiety appear to be associated with higher degrees of oxidative stress, expressed by higher serum PAB values

Depression and anxiety symptoms are associated with white blood cell count and red cell distribution width: a sex-stratified analysis in a population-based study

Background: Depression and anxiety are two important mood disorders that are frequently associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Hyper-inflammation is related to both CVDs and psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, inflammation may partially explain the relationship between depression and cardiovascular disease. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between symptoms of depression/anxiety disorders and serum hs-CRP and inflammation linked conditions in a large Iranian population. Methods: Symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders and serum hs-CRP levels were measured in 9,759 participants (40% males and 60% females) enrolled in MASHAD study. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated with Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. According to the scores of depression and anxiety, individuals were categorized into four groups of no or minimal, low, moderate and severe categories. Results: The median serum hs-CRP concentration increased with increasing severity of depression and anxiety disorders. Male participants with severe depression had significantly higher levels of hs-CRP (p <0.001); however, this relationship was less marked among women (p = 0.04). Subjects with severe anxiety also had significantly higher levels of hs-CRP (p <0.001). Moreover, women with severe depression and anxiety had higher BMI. There was also a positive association between current smoking habit and depression/anxiety disorders. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety disorders are associated with elevated levels of hs-CRP, particularly among men. There were also a significant positive association between depression/anxiety disorders and inflammation linked conditions such as smoking and obesity; however, in the case of obesity this association was only present in women

The prognostic value of long noncoding RNA MEG3 expression in the survival of cancer patients: a meta-analysis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. lncRNA MEG3 is a tumor suppressor that is down-regulated in several cancers. However, its prognostic value in human malignancies remains controversial. We have therefore undertaken a meta-analysis to explore the relationship between cancer survival and the expression of long non-coding RNA MEG3. A systematic literature search identified 13 potentially eligible investigations comprising 1733 patients in nine different cancer types. In the pooled analysis, a low expression of MEG3 was associated with a low overall survival (OS) in cancer patients with a combined HR of 0.830 [hazard ratio (HR) =0.83; 95% CI: 0.70–0.98; P=0.0.03; random effect model]. However, sub-group analysis according to cancer type revealed that MEG3 expression was not associated with better OS in gastrointestinal cancer (HR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.33 to 1.03, P = 0.06) and breast cancer patients (HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.12 to 5.88, P = 0.87). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that only in the pooled analysis, there was a significant relationship between MEG3 expression and cancer survival. Further investigation of other molecular biomarkers involved in tumorigenesis-related pathways is necessary

The diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential of circulating microRNAs in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage because of the late onset of symptoms, and this together with the lack of effective treatments, has meant it is associated with a very high mortality. The aberrant expression of MicroRNA (miRNA) contributes to the initiation and development of human tumors including OC. Several miRNAs are secreted by tumor cells and can be identified in body fluids. Serum miRNAs levels are associated with several clinical conditions, and may be used to predict prognosis and response to treatments in some cancers including OC. This review summarizes the current progresses regarding the potential applications of circulating miRNA as innovative biomarkers in OC