Issue 3 (June)

Anthracyclines are a crucial component of chemotherapy regimens used to treat a range of malignancies in children and adults. However, cardiac dysfunction and heart failure frequently limit the therapeutic efficacy of anthracyclines. The risk of heart dysfunction increases with increasing doses of anthracycline. Cardiotoxicity is a challenging side effect of DOX, which is cumulative and irreversible; this necessitates assessing the cardiac functions in cancer patients before and after the use of    DOX to avoid permanent cardiac damage. Serial measurements of left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) are commonly used for cardiac monitoring during anthracycline treatment. In some studies, cardiotoxicity was defined as LVEF decrease by an absolute 10% and/or below 55%; in others, cardiotoxicity was defined as a decrease below 45%. A serious disadvantage of this test is radioactivity exposure and the low predictability of pre-symptomatic cardiac damage. Blood cardiac biomarkers, such as cardiac troponins and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), have been used in heart failure diagnostics. Susceptibility to DOX cardiotoxicity is largely individual, with some patients developing cardiomyopathy at low doses and others tolerating much higher cumulative doses, and this may suggest the presence of genetic predisposition factors. Genetic variations in CBR3 and ABCC1 genes were suggested to contribute to DOX adverse effects. This review highlights the genetic basis for anthracycline-related cardiac dysfunction, focuses on particular genes that have been implicated in innate predisposition to ACT, and assessment of cardiotoxicity.

Backgroungs

Microemulsion is a clear thermodynamically stable dispersion of two immiscible liquids with carefully adjusted emulsifier(s). It can be used as a vehicle for many different drugs and dosage forms.

Methods

To formulate a microemulsion for topical use from cheap components a pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed with formulae consisting of paraffin oil, cosurfactant (sorbitol or glycerol), surfactant (Brij97) and water. The existence of microemulsion regions was demonstrated.

Indomethacin was added to the best formulae, which produce microemulsions in gel form and evaluating them for their physical characters, release rate, physical and chemical stability and Pharmacodynamic.

Results

Fifty five formulae produce stable microemulsions in gel form. On incorporation of indomethacin only four formulae remain stable, clear formulae. They were used for further studies. Their order of drug release rate was first order. The four formulae were stable when stored at room temperature, or under stress. Shelf life of them would be minimum of 492 days and maximum of 712 days.

Indomethacin significantly inhibits edema, induced in rat paw by different percentage. Effect of the prepared microemulsions were between the effect of commercial injection form, highest effect, and commercial topical form, lowest effect.

Conclusions

The microemulsion formulae prepared with paraffin oil, brij97, sorbitol or glycerol and water showed acceptable physical properties, drug release, stability and Pharmacodynamic effect.

Backgrounds:

This study aims to determine the relation between ABO and RhD and the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 disease.

Methods:

Data of 495 SARS-CoV-2 infected patients admitted to hospitals were collected. The ABO and RhD were determined for each patient to detect any possible relation between the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and each blood group. The patients were followed up to determine oxygen saturation and surveillance outcome (died or improved) to detect any possible relation between the severity of COVID-19 disease and each blood group.

Results:

A+ blood group was found to have a percentage of 32.3%, O+ to have a percentage of 30.3%, B+ to have a percentage of 21.2%, and AB+ to have a percentage of 10.1%. 19% of all the patients died. 20% of the dead patients were with O+ blood group, 60.5% were with A+ blood group, 10% with B+ blood group and 5% were with O- blood group.

The mean ± SD oxygen saturation on hospital admission was 94.2 ± 6.2% for the patients with O+ blood group, 91.06 ± 7.5% for the patients with A+ blood group, 92.8 ± 6.9% for the patients with B+ blood group, 93.4 ± 3.5% for the patients with AB+ blood group, and 94.5 ± 5.9% for the patients with O- blood group.

Conclusion:

Blood group A+ was the most common in the COVID-19 patients followed by O+ then B+ then AB+. Patients with blood group A+ had the worst oxygen saturation at hospital admission and had a higher mortality rate.

There isn't a COVID-19 vaccination or particular antiviral drug available yet. In order to preserve lives and stop the disease's spread, a readily available, efficient, and secure therapy is desperately needed. Acute respiratory distress syndrome plays a major role in COVID-19 death rates. The characteristic of acute respiratory distress syndrome is markedly elevated oxidative stress brought on by a fast release of free radicals and cytokines (cytokine storm), which can result in organ failure, cellular damage, and even death. We describe a case where the patient responded well to early administration of high dose intravenous vitamin C in addition to other nutrients and drugs.

The COVID-19 pandemic practice of social distancing has led to an increased usage of social media, which has highlighted the importance and potency of social media for effective science communication. As a result, it is now just as crucial to educate and acquire the skills necessary to use social media for science communication in an accurate and efficient manner. In response, we created a task that models and develops 21st century science communication abilities using the social media site TikTok. During the COVID-19 outbreak, TikTok, a platform for sharing short videos, had a dramatic rise in popularity. We demonstrated efficient social media science communication strategies by employing the condensed, targeted video format of TikTok to instruct students in fundamental science ideas and lab procedures. Students were then given the task of practicing excellent science communication at the conclusion of the semester by making their own educational and entertaining TikToks about the research projects that their teams had been working on. Here, we provide our methodology, a number of TikTok best practices, and sample videos made throughout the process for science communication education that are both effective and interesting.