Drug Discoveries & Therapeutics
Online ISSN : 1881-784X
Print ISSN : 1881-7831
ISSN-L : 1881-7831
Volume 15, Issue 1
Displaying 1-10 of 10 articles from this issue
Original Article
  • Nitin Gupta, Anupa John, Mohammed Safeer Kokkottil, Muralidhar Varma, ...
    Article type: research-article
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 1-8
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 28, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    Despite the high number of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) cases from India, there are few reports from India describing the clinical epidemiology of COVID-19. This study aimed to describe the clinical/epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of asymptomatic vs. symptomatic COVID-19 patients. This was a retrospective chart review of all admitted patients with COVID-19 above 18 years with a history of travel within one month of the admission. The patients were categorized into asymptomatic and symptomatic. The symptomatic patients were further classified into mild, moderate and severe. The demographic profile, risk factors, clinical features, laboratory parameters, treatment details and outcome of all patients were recorded. The clinical and laboratory parameters were compared between symptomatic patients and asymptomatic patients. Of the 127 recruited patients, 75 were asymptomatic. Of the 52 symptomatic patients, 41 patients were classified as a mild illness. The mean age of the patients was 44.5 ± 15 years. A total of 73 patients had one or more risk factors. The male patients were more commonly found to be symptomatic compared to female patients. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase were significantly elevated in symptomatic patients. A total of five individuals required supplemental oxygen therapy, and one of them required mechanical ventilation. All the patients had favourable outcomes. Asymptomatic and mild illness form a significant proportion of positive patients and have excellent outcomes without therapeutic interventions.

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  • Atsushi Miyashita, Kazuyuki Shimomura, Hiroto Nakajima, Yasuhiko Matsu ...
    Article type: research-article
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 9-13
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 26, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    In this study, we designed a method for conducting a human study by the following process. (1) The host computer stores the subject information. (2) The sample preparer prepares a food sample. (3) The subject (healthy human volunteer) sends the information of an intake of the food sample to the host computer, which creates an event entry for the event. (4) The medical professional (typically a physician) collects and stores the subject's blood sample in a container with the subject's identification (e.g., ID number). (5) The sample analyst analyzes the blood biochemical profiles. (6)The host computer stores the blood biochemical data, and by matching the blood biochemical data with the subject IDs, a final analysis report will automatically be created. In this study, we also run a test case, based on this design, where we obtained a blood biochemical dataset from healthy volunteers. This scheme can reduce the cost of human trials for functional foods and will help acquiring the scientific basis of functional foods.

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  • Yuriko Yonaga, Akihiko Ito
    Article type: research-article
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 14-19
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 27, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
  • Akihiro Matsumoto, Masahiro Murakami
    Article type: research-article
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 20-27
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 24, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    Poly(dl-lactide-co-glycolide) acid (PLGA) microspheres is a useful carrier for controlled drug release. However, the organic solvents used in their conventional manufacturing process may affect the chemical structure of a macromolecular drug. Thus, we investigated the applicability of a dry fabrication method for PLGA microspheres. Cyanocobalamin (MW = 1,355) (VB12) was used as a model drug, and it formed agglomerates under mild conditions with powdered PLGA in a generic ball milling system. Light and scanning electron microscopy showed the formation of PLGA microspheres and few agglomerates. The obtained microspheres had the particle size injectable as suspensions, namely smaller than 150 μm specified for subcutaneous and intramuscular injections by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. The observed and theoretical drug contents were consistent. PLGA microspheres fabricated using a combination of small (ϕ3 mm) and large (ϕ10 mm) balls showed low initial burst of cyanocobalamin release in vitro. The in vitro drug release profile was equivalent with that of the microspheres fabricated by a conventional oil-in-water emulsion solvent evaporation method, while the drug release profile was influenced by the brand of the PLGA used. To prevent drug loss during fabrication, the dry fabrication method using a ball mill should be applied to prepare PLGA microspheres containing a medium macromolecular drug.

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  • Megumi Furukawa, Nobuo Izumo, Takayuki Manabe, Haruna Kurono, Kohsuke ...
    Article type: research-article
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 28-34
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 24, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    We have already reported that ovariectomized (OVX) rats reduced the spontaneous activity during the dark period due to the decease of serotonin release in the amygdala. In this study, we examined the potential of sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, on the recovery of less spontaneous activity seen in mice with OVX-induced despair-like behaviors. Female 9-week old ICR mice were underwent either OVX or sham surgery. Sertraline (10 mg/kg/day, s.c.) or saline were started to administer to each group for 8 weeks (6 times/week) from the 8th week after OVX. Each spontaneous activity of mouse was evaluated during the dark period (19:00-07:00) using an infrared sensor. Moreover, mRNA expression levels of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) and X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) were measured in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex using by a real-time PCR method. We found out that the OVX-induced despair-like behaviors were improved by the continuous administration of sertraline. After treatment of OVX, our real-time PCR data showed that sertraline significantly suppressed the upregulation of XBP1 expression levels in both hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, although this suppression of the downregulation of TPH expression levels was seen in only hippocampus. These results suggest that sertraline improves the decrease in spontaneous activity induced by OVX assessed by the hippocampus suppressing decreased serotonin synthesis in the serotonergic neuron.

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Brief Report
  • Abhishek Singh, Madhavi Tripathi, Parul Kodan, Nitin Gupta, Neeraj Nis ...
    Article type: brief-report
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 35-38
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 27, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    Lymph node tuberculosis is one of the most common forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis worldwide. The study aimed to evaluate the role of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in determining post-treatment response in lymph node tuberculosis. A PET-CT was done in all treatment naïve tubercular lymphadenitis adults at baseline and after six months of therapy. The post-treatment clinical response was compared with the metabolic response on PET-CT. Of the 25 patients with tubercular lymphadenitis, 9/25 patients showed a complete metabolic response (CMR) at six months, while 16 patients had a partial metabolic response (PMR). All patients with CMR had a good clinical response. However, discordance between clinical and PET findings was noticed in those with PMR. The role of PET-CT in evaluating post-treatment response in patients with tubercular lymphadenitis needs further evaluation with a larger sample size.

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Communication
  • Masashi Ohe, Ken Furuya, Houman Goudarzi
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 39-41
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 19, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, which began in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has rapidly spread all over the world. The World Health Organization characterized the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as a pandemic in March 2020. In the absence of specific treatments for the virus, treatment options are being examined. Drug repurposing is a process of identifying new therapeutic uses for approved drugs. It is an effective strategy to discover drug molecules with new therapeutic indications. This strategy is time-saving, low-cost, and has a minimal risk of failure. Several existing approved drugs such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, doxycycline, azithromycin, and ivermectin are currently in use because of their efficacy in inhibiting COVID-19. Multidrug therapy, such as a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, a combination of doxycycline and ivermectin, or a combination of ivermectin, doxycycline, and azithromycin, has been successfully administered. Multidrug therapy is efficacious because the mechanisms of action of these drugs differ. Moreover, multidrug therapy may prevent the emergence of drug-resistant SARS-CoV-2.

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  • Manasvini Bhatt, Manish Soneja, Nitin Gupta
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 42-43
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: December 30, 2020
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    Most studies have described worse outcomes with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This has been attributed to COVID-19 associated lymphopenia (resulting in lower CD4 count), higher prevalence of comorbidities (established risk factors for severity in COVID-19) and pre-existing lung damage. The problem has been further aggravated by the lack in the access to routine care in HIV patients due to diversion of resources. In this article, we discuss the impact of COVID‐19 on patients with HIV infection.

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  • Jing Li, Ruquan Wang, Jianjun Gao
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 44-47
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    Cancer is still a major factor threatening human life around the world, and anticancer drugs remain a huge unmet clinical need. Here, we reviewed novel drugs including new molecular entities and new therapeutic biologics approved in the US, EU, Japan, and China that represent the main advances in anticancer drug research and development in 2020. Small molecule inhibitors targeting oncogenes, antibodies, and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are the main anticancer drugs that were approved in 2020. More novel anticancer drugs that possess target activity and that overcome drug resistance are anticipated in the future.

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Letter
  • Uttam Kumar Nath, Debmalya Bhattacharyya, Debranjani Chattopadhya, Gau ...
    Article type: letter
    2021 Volume 15 Issue 1 Pages 48-50
    Published: February 28, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: March 10, 2021
    Advance online publication: February 19, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

    Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar (black fever in Hindi), is a disease primarily caused by Leishmania donovani. The most important clinical manifestation of visceral leishmaniasis is fever. Nonspecific laboratory findings of visceral leishmaniasis include anemia, neutropenia, eosinopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Definitive diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis requires the demonstration of either parasite by smear or tissue by culture (usually bone marrow or spleen). Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease caused by antibodies to acetylcholine receptors in the post-junctional membrane of the neuromuscular junction. It typically presents with fatigable muscle weakness without any sensory or brain involvement. It is usually treated with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants like azathioprine. Here we encountered a confirmed case of myasthenia gravis on azathioprine with pancytopenia. While working up to evaluate pancytopenia, bone marrow examination revealed presence of Donovan bodies and the patient showed good response to liposomal amphotericin-B. In retrospect, a case of myasthenia gravis, who presented with pancytopenia presumably drug-induced, was found to have visceral leishmaniasis.

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