PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

N Mahmoudi

Publications and source records attributed to N Mahmoudi.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Synthesis of new fluoroquinolones and evaluation of their in vitro activity on Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp.

The synthesis of four new computer-designed fluoroquinolones which have been predicted by QSAR analysis to be active against the protozoa Toxoplasma gondii is described. These compounds are inhibitory in vitro for T. gondii. One of these compounds has a remarkably high activity comparable to that of trovafloxacin. It combines the basic cyclopropyl-quinoline structure of gatifloxacin or moxifloxacin with the C-7 6-amino-3-azabicyclo[3.1.0]hexyl side chain of trovafloxacin. The four compounds are also inhibitory for blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum though at high concentration. These results confirm the potential of quinolones as anti-T. gondii and antimalarial drugs but also show that the QSAR models for T. gondii cannot be reliably extended for screening antimalarial activity.

Animals↗

[New methodologic approaches in antimalarial molecular research].

The estimated worldwide incidence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria is about 500 million cases a year. In tropical areas, the dramatic increase of resistance to most antimalarial drugs is directly responsible for persistent widespread high endemicity and related morbidity. The search to identify new drug targets and agents is a high priority. However the value of standard pharmacological research methods is greatly diminished by technical problems involving in vitro and in vivo modeling of malaria infection. In recent decades new mathematical tools have been developed to predict drug properties and to estimate biological activity in silico. Various approaches have been proposed based on 2D or 3D descriptions of the chemical structure of the drug and target followed by mathematical and statistical characterization of their interaction. These techniques are now widely used in medicinal chemistry and have proven their efficacy for screening the anti-malarial activity of numerous molecules in large databases and for virtual synthesis. Incorporating new knowledge from the genomic studies of Plasmodium has markedly increased the performance and range of application of these tools for identifying new drug targets against malaria.

Antimalarials↗

Eclampsia: a 13-year experience at a United States tertiary care center.

Eclampsia, the occurrence of a grand mal seizure in the setting of hypertension in pregnancy, remains a major women's health issue and an important cause of maternal and fetal morbidity in the United States. We reviewed the incidence, management, and outcome of cases of eclampsia during a 13-year period at a major maternity hospital. We confirmed 33 cases of eclampsia seen during that period and have evaluated risk factors in this population. Medical records were reviewed to obtain demographic and clinical data. Characteristics of the eclamptic women were compared with those of the general obstetric population during the same time period. The overall incidence of eclampsia at this tertiary care center was 0.028%. The majority of eclamptic women (75%) had four or more prenatal visits. Young age (< or = 20 years) and first pregnancy remained important risk factors for eclampsia. Although many women with eclampsia had preceding hypertension or elevated urine protein levels or both, some experienced eclampsia as their first disease manifestation. Although the occurrence of eclampsia was low, eclampsia continues to complicate pregnancy in this large U.S. obstetric population.

Adult↗

Protein A-bearing Staphylococcus aureus as the solid phase in an enzyme immunoassay and its application to determination of urinary albumin.

Protein A-bearing Staphylococcus aureus was used as a solid-phase matrix in a sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay for urinary albumin. Heat-inactivated, formalin-fixed bacteria were coated with affinity-purified goat anti-human albumin, exposed to solutions containing standard or unknown concentrations of albumin, then challenged with an alkaline phosphatase/anti-human albumin conjugate obtained by periodate oxidation. Alkaline phosphatase activity bound to the bacteria was a function of albumin concentration from 25 to 1000 micrograms/L. This assay was applied to determinations of urinary albumin concentrations between 1.25 and 1000 mg/L. Between-run CV was 2.55 (63.9 mg/L concentration). Within-run CVs for albumin concentrations of 1.9, 38.1, and 638.0 mg/L were 3.7, 3.7, and 2.4%, respectively. Analytical recovery was 95 to 107% across the full working range of the assay. Bence Jones proteins and hemoglobin had no significant effect on the assay. Nonspecific binding of the enzyme-antibody conjugate was 1.3% (SD = 0.7%). Values agreed well with those by radial immunodiffusion.

Albuminuria↗

Placement of covered self-expanding metallic stents in the common bile duct: a feasibility study.

PURPOSE: Gianturco self-expanding metallic stents have been useful in cases of benign biliary stenoses; however, the stents have not worked well in the presence of intraluminal tumor because of tumor growth between the wire struts. Stents were covered with polymeric membranes, which may prevent tumor ingrowth, and the feasibility of using these covered stents in the common bile duct was studied in healthy adult dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initially, stents (10 x 6 mm) covered with polycaprolactone (PCL), segmented polyether polyurethane (SPP), and silicone were placed in the common bile duct of dogs and were followed up for 3-12 months. Subsequently, four types of modified silicone-covered stents were evaluated. Rough-surface, small-diameter (3-mm), half-covered, and tapered stents were placed and followed up for 3 months. RESULTS: In the initial study, the SPP and silicone membranes remained intact, but the PCL covering broke in all dogs. In all but two dogs, luminal narrowing caused by varying degrees of papillary mucosal hyperplasia at both ends of the stent was observed. In the subsequent study, mucosal hyperplasia was considerably reduced by using half-covered stents and was virtually eliminated with tapered stents. All small-diameter stents migrated into the bowel. CONCLUSION: These studies suggest that tapered Gianturco self-expanding stents covered with silicone may be useful in the biliary tract in cases of intraluminal tumor.

Animals↗