Displaying publications 101 - 120 of 161 in total

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  1. Fulltext Novel Azoles as Antiparasitic Remedies against Brain-Eating Amoebae
    Anwar A, Mungroo MR, Khan S, Fatima I, Rafique R, Kanwal, et al.
    Antibiotics (Basel), 2020 Apr 17;9(4).
    PMID: 32316387 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9040188
    Balamuthia mandrillaris and Naegleriafowleri are opportunistic protozoan pathogens capable of producing infection of the central nervous system with more than 95% mortality rate. Previously, we have synthesized several compounds with antiamoebic properties; however, synthesis of compounds that are analogues of clinically used drugs is a highly desirable approach that can lead to effective drug development against these devastating infections. In this regard, compounds belonging to the azole class possess wide range of antimicrobial properties and used clinically. In this study, six novel benzimidazole, indazole, and tetrazole derivatives were synthesized and tested against brain-eating amoebae. These compounds were tested for their amoebicidal and static properties against N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. Furthermore, the compounds were conjugated with silver nanoparticles and characterized. The synthetic heterocyclic compounds showed up to 72% and 65% amoebicidal activities against N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris respectively, while expressing up to 75% and 70% amoebistatic activities, respectively. Following conjugation with silver nanoparticles, amoebicidal activities of the drugs increased by up to 46 and 36% versus B. mandrillaris and N. fowleri. Minimal effects were observed when the compounds were evaluated against human cells using cytotoxicity assays. In summary, azole compounds exhibited potent activity against N. fowleri and B. mandrillaris. Moreover, conjugation of the azole compounds with silver nanoparticles further augmented the capabilities of the compounds against amoebae.
  2. Naegleria fowleri: differential genetic expression following treatment with Hesperidin conjugated with silver nanoparticles using RNA-Seq
    Siddiqui R, Rajendran K, Abdella B, Ayub Q, Lim SY, Khan NA
    Parasitol Res, 2020 Jul;119(7):2351-2358.
    PMID: 32451717 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06711-6
    Naegleria fowleri causes a deadly infection known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). To our knowledge, there are very few transcriptome studies conducted on these brain-eating amoebae, despite rise in the number of cases. Although the Naegleria genome has been sequenced, currently, it is not well annotated. Transcriptome level studies are needed to help understand the pathology and biology of this fatal parasitic infection. Recently, we showed that nanoparticles loaded with the flavonoid Hesperidin (HDN) are potential novel antimicrobial agents. N. fowleri trophozoites were treated with and without HDN-conjugated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and silver only, and then, 50% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined. The results revealed that the MIC of HDN-conjugated AgNPs was 12.5 microg/mL when treated for 3 h. As no reference genome exists for N. fowleri, de novo RNA transcriptome analysis using RNA-Seq and differential gene expression analysis was performed using the Trinity software. Analysis revealed that more than 2000 genes were differentially expressed in response to N. fowleri treatment with HDN-conjugated AgNPs. Some of the genes were linked to oxidative stress response, DNA repair, cell division, cell signalling and protein synthesis. The downregulated genes were linked with processes such as protein modification, synthesis of aromatic amino acids, when compared with untreated N. fowleri. Further transcriptome studies will lead to understanding of genetic mechanisms of the biology and pathogenesis and/or the identification of much needed drug candidates.
  3. Fulltext Isoniazid Conjugated Magnetic Nanoparticles Loaded with Amphotericin B as a Potent Antiamoebic Agent against Acanthamoeba castellanii
    Iqbal K, Abdalla SAO, Anwar A, Iqbal KM, Shah MR, Anwar A, et al.
    Antibiotics (Basel), 2020 May 25;9(5).
    PMID: 32466210 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9050276
    The pathogenic free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba castellanii, is responsible for a rare but deadly central nervous system infection, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and a blinding eye disease called Acanthamoeba keratitis. Currently, a combination of biguanides, amidine, azoles and antibiotics are used to manage these infections; however, the host cell cytotoxicity of these drugs remains a challenge. Furthermore, Acanthamoeba species are capable of transforming to the cyst form to resist chemotherapy. Herein, we have developed a nano drug delivery system based on iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated with isoniazid, which were further loaded with amphotericin B (ISO-NPs-AMP) to cause potent antiamoebic effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii. The IC50 of isoniazid conjugated with magnetic nanoparticles and loaded with amphotericin B was found to be 45 μg/mL against Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites and 50 μg/mL against cysts. The results obtained in this study have promising implications in drug discovery as these nanomaterials exhibited high trophicidal and cysticidal effects, as well as limited cytotoxicity against rat and human cells.
  4. Antiamoebic activity of 3-aryl-6,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-4(3H)-one library against Acanthamoeba castellanii
    Shahbaz MS, Anwar A, Saad SM, Kanwal, Anwar A, Khan KM, et al.
    Parasitol Res, 2020 Jul;119(7):2327-2335.
    PMID: 32476058 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06710-7
    Acanthamoeba castellanii is a free-living amoeba which can cause a blinding keratitis and fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. The treatment of Acanthamoeba infections is challenging due to formation of cyst. Quinazolinones are medicinally important scaffold against parasitic diseases. A library of nineteen new 3-aryl-6,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives was synthesized to evaluate their antiamoebic activity against Acanthamoeba castellanii. One-pot synthesis of 3-aryl-6,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-4(3H)-ones (1-19) was achieved by reaction of 2-amino-4,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid, trimethoxymethane, and different substituted anilines. These compounds were purified and characterized by standard chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Antiacanthamoebic activity of these compounds was determined by amoebicidal, encystation, excystation and host cell cytopathogenicity in vitro assays at concentrations of 50 and 100 μg/mL. The IC50 was found to be between 100 and 50 μg/mL for all the compounds except compound 5 which did not exhibit amoebicidal effects at these concentrations. Furthermore, lactate dehydrogenase assay was also performed to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of these compounds against human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells. The results revealed that eighteen out of nineteen derivatives of quinazolinones significantly decreased the viability of A. castellanii. Furthermore, eighteen out of nineteen tested compounds inhibited the encystation and excystation, as well as significantly reduced the A. castellanii-mediated cytopathogenicity against human cells. Interestingly, while tested against human normal cell line HaCaT keratinocytes, all compounds did not exhibit any overt cytotoxicity. Furthermore, a detailed structure-activity relationship is also studied to optimize the most potent hit from these synthetic compounds. This report presents several potential lead compounds belonging to 3-aryl-6,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives for drug discovery against infections caused by Acanthamoeba castellanii.
  5. Antiamoebic activity of synthetic tetrazoles against Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to T4 genotype and effects of conjugation with silver nanoparticles
    Anwar A, Yi YP, Fatima I, Khan KM, Siddiqui R, Khan NA, et al.
    Parasitol Res, 2020 Jun;119(6):1943-1954.
    PMID: 32385711 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06694-4
    Acanthamoeba causes diseases such as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) which leads to permanent blindness and granulomatous Acanthamoeba encephalitis (GAE) where there is formation of granulomas in the brain. Current treatments such as chlorhexidine, diamidines, and azoles either exhibit undesirable side effects or require immediate and prolonged treatment for the drug to be effective or prevent relapse. Previously, antifungal drugs amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole-conjugated silver with nanoparticles have shown significantly increased activity against Acanthamoeba castellanii. In this study, two functionally diverse tetrazoles were synthesized, namely 5-(3-4-dimethoxyphenyl)-1H-tetrazole and 1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-5-phenoxy-1H-tetrazole, denoted by T1 and T2 respectively. These compounds were evaluated for anti-Acanthamoeba effects at different concentrations ranging from 5 to 50 μM. Furthermore, these compounds were conjugated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to enhance their efficacy. Particle size analysis showed that T1-AgNPs and T2-AgNPs had an average size of 52 and 70 nm respectively. After the successful synthesis and characterization of tetrazoles and tetrazole-conjugated AgNPs, they were subjected to anti-Acanthamoeba studies. Amoebicidal assay showed that at concentration 10 μM and above, T2 showed promising antiamoebic activities between the two compounds while encystation and excystation assays reveal that both T1 and T2 have inhibited differentiation activity against Acanthamoeba castellanii. Conjugation of T1 and T2 to AgNP also increased efficacy of tetrazoles as anti-Acanthamoeba agents. This may be due to the increased bioavailability as AgNP allows better delivery of treatment compounds to A. castellanii. Human cell cytotoxicity assay revealed that tetrazoles and AgNPs are significantly less toxic towards human cells compared with chlorhexidine which is known to cause undesirable side effects. Cytopathogenicity assay also revealed that T2 conjugated with AgNPs significantly reduced cytopathogenicity of A. castellanii compared with T2 alone, suggesting that T2-conjugated AgNP is an effective and safe anti-Acanthamoeba agent. The use of a synthetic azole compound conjugated with AgNPs can be an alternative strategy for drug development against A. castellanii. However, mechanistic and in vivo studies are needed to explore further translational values.
  6. Unraveling the Differentially Articulated Axes of the Century-Old Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System: Potential Therapeutic Implications
    Balakumar P, Handa S, Alqahtani A, Alqahtani T, Khan NA, LakshmiRaj RS, et al.
    Cardiovasc Toxicol, 2022 Feb 10.
    PMID: 35143015 DOI: 10.1007/s12012-022-09724-y
    Among numerous choices in cardiovascular therapies used for the management of hypertension and heart failure, drugs affecting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) hold substantial therapeutic roles. Therapies aimed at modifying the RAAS and its overactivation are employed for the management of various insidious disorders. In the pharmacologic perspective, RAAS is one of the frequently manipulated systems for the management of hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and renal disease. The RAAS pharmacologic interventions principally include the ACE inhibitors, the angiotensin II-AT1 receptor blockers, the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and the direct renin inhibitors. In addition, therapeutic implication of ACE2/angiotensin (1-7)/Mas receptor activation using various ligands is being explored owing to their anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, vasodilatory, and cardiovascular defensive roles. Moreover, being considered as the counter-regulatory arm of AT1 receptor, the potential role of AT2 receptor activation using selective AT2 receptor agonist is currently investigated for its efficacy in pulmonary complications. As an important regulator of fluid volume, blood pressure, and cardiovascular-renal function, the RAAS has been documented as a diversified intricate system with several therapeutic possibilities coupled with their fundamental structural and functional modulatory roles in cardiovascular, renal, and other systems. The RAAS possesses a number of regulatory, deregulatory, and counter-regulatory axes of physiopathologic importance in health and disease. The counter-regulatory arms of the RAAS might play an essential role in mitigating cardiovascular, renal, and pulmonary pathologies. In light of this background, we sought to explore the classical and counter-regulatory axes/arms of the RAAS and their imperative roles in physiologic functions and disease pathogenesis.
  7. Fulltext Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus tropicus Strain UPM-CREST01, Isolated from the Bulk Paddy Soil at Kampung Gajah, Perak
    Mohd Azim Khan NA, Jaya Jothi S, Mohd Hata E, Parimannan S, Vadamalai G, Rajandas H
    Microbiol Resour Announc, 2022 Feb 17;11(2):e0115621.
    PMID: 35084217 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01156-21
    We characterized the draft genome of the potentially beneficial Bacillus tropicus strain UPM-CREST01, which was isolated from the bulk soil at a paddy cultivation area in Kampung Gajah, Perak, Malaysia. The final draft assembly of 5,252,705 bp, with a G+C content of 35.23%, was found to harbor 5,368 coding sequences, including several plant-growth-promoting genes.
  8. Retraction Note to: Antiamoebic activity of synthetic tetrazoles against Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to T4 genotype and effects of conjugation with silver nanoparticles
    Anwar A, Yi YP, Fatima I, Khan KM, Siddiqui R, Khan NA, et al.
    Parasitol Res, 2022 Mar;121(3):1073.
    PMID: 35072801 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07440-8
  9. Enhanced oral bioavailability and intestinal lymphatic transport of a hydrophilic drug using liposomes
    Ling SS, Magosso E, Khan NA, Yuen KH, Barker SA
    Drug Dev Ind Pharm, 2006 Mar;32(3):335-45.
    PMID: 16556538
    A liposome system was evaluated for oral delivery of a poorly bioavailable hydrophilic drug. The system was prepared from proliposome, which consisted of negatively charged phosphatidylcholine, whereas cefotaxime was chosen as the model drug. An in vivo study was carried out on nine rats according to a three-way crossover design to compare the oral bioavailability of cefotaxime from the liposomal formulation with that of an aqueous drug solution and a physical mixture of cefotaxime with blank liposomes. The results indicated that the extent of bioavailability of cefotaxime was increased approximately 2.7 and 2.3 times compared with that of the aqueous solution and the physical mixture, respectively. In a separate study, simultaneous determination of cefotaxime in intestinal lymph (collected from the mesenteric lymph duct) and in plasma (collected from the tail vein) revealed that its concentration was consistently higher in the lymph than in the plasma when administered via the liposomal formulation, whereas the reverse was observed with the aqueous solution. Thus, the results indicated that the liposomes system has the potential of increasing the oral bioavailability of poorly bioavailable hydrophilic drugs and also promote their lymphatic transport in the intestinal lymph.
  10. Investigating immune responses of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus to pathogenic Escherichia coli K1
    Reginald K, Wong YR, Shah SMR, Teh KF, Freddy Jalin EJ, Khan NA
    Microbes Infect, 2021 07 28;23(9-10):104876.
    PMID: 34332091 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2021.104876
    BACKGROUND: Insects models are excellent models of the innate immune system, as they are free from the influences of vertebrate adaptive immunity. Crickets are hemimetabolous insects belonging to the order Orthopteran order that have not been as extensively characterized as other holometabolous insects, and may provide new insights into the insect immune responses. In this study, we aim to characterize the innate immune responses of the common house cricket, Acheta domesticus in response to a human pathogenic bacterium E. coli K1.

    METHODS: Crickets were injected with sterile buffer, live E. coli K1 or heat-killed E. coli K1. Physiological effects such as mortality and weight change of the crickets were determined 24-, 48- and 72-h post injection while immunological effects such as hemocyte counts, bacteremia, phenoloxidase and lysozyme activity of the crickets were measured at 2- and 24-h post-injection.

    RESULTS: The injection of E. coli K1 in crickets resulted in >85% mortality 3-days post injection, accompanied by significant weight loss. E. coli K1 injection caused a significant increase in both phenoloxidase and lysozyme activities in cricket hemolymphs 24-h post injection. Live E. coli K1 injected crickets resulted in a significant reduction in circulating hemocytes 24-h post injection which was not observed in other treatment groups. This was consistent with the resolution of bacteremia observed 24-h post infection in live E. coli K1 injected crickets.

    CONCLUSION: Our study provides new insights on the innate immune response to pathogenic E. coli K1 in a cricket model.

  11. CONJUGATION WITH SILVER NANOPARTICLES ENHANCES ANTI-ACANTHAMOEBIC ACTIVITY OF KAPPAPHYCUS ALVAREZII
    Walvekar S, Anwar A, Anwar A, Lai NJY, Yow YY, Khalid M, et al.
    J Parasitol, 2021 07 01;107(4):537-546.
    PMID: 34265050 DOI: 10.1645/21-41
    Nanomedicine has the potential in enhancing the efficacy and bioavailability of anti-infective agents. Here we determined whether conjugation of the Malaysian cultivated seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii with silver-conjugated nanoparticles enhanced anti-acanthamoebic properties. Silver-conjugated K. alvarezii were successfully synthesized, followed by characterization with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, and transmission electron microscopy. Amoebicidal effects were evaluated against Acanthamoeba castellanii, and cytotoxicity assays were performed using HaCaT cells. Viability assays revealed that silver nanoparticles conjugated with K. alvarezii extract exhibited significant antiamoebic properties (P < 0.05). Nano-conjugates induced the production of reactive oxygen species. Importantly, silver-conjugated extract inhibited amoeba-mediated host cell damage as established by lactate dehydrogenase release. Neither the nano-conjugates nor the extract showed cytotoxicity against human cells in vitro. Liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy revealed several molecules, including 2,6-nonadien-1-ol, N-desmethyl trifluoperazine, dulciol B, lucidumol A, acetoxolone, 2-[4,6-bis(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]-5-(octyloxy)phenol, C16 sphinganine, 22-tricosenoic acid, and β-dihydrorotenone, of which dulciol B and C16 sphinganine are known to possess antimicrobial activities. In summary, marine organisms are an important source of bioactive molecules with anti-acanthamoebic properties that can be enhanced by conjugating with silver nanoparticles. Natural products combined with nanotechnology using multifunctional nanoparticle complexes can deliver therapeutic agents effectively and hold promise in the development of new formulations of anti-acanthamoebic agents.
  12. Fulltext Application of Intelligent Paradigm through Neural Networks for Numerical Solution of Multiorder Fractional Differential Equations
    Khan NA, Ibrahim Khalaf O, Andrés Tavera Romero C, Sulaiman M, Bakar MA
    Comput Intell Neurosci, 2022;2022:2710576.
    PMID: 35096038 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2710576
    In this study, the intelligent computational strength of neural networks (NNs) based on the backpropagated Levenberg-Marquardt (BLM) algorithm is utilized to investigate the numerical solution of nonlinear multiorder fractional differential equations (FDEs). The reference data set for the design of the BLM-NN algorithm for different examples of FDEs are generated by using the exact solutions. To obtain the numerical solutions, multiple operations based on training, validation, and testing on the reference data set are carried out by the design scheme for various orders of FDEs. The approximate solutions by the BLM-NN algorithm are compared with analytical solutions and performance based on mean square error (MSE), error histogram (EH), regression, and curve fitting. This further validates the accuracy, robustness, and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
  13. Acanthamoeba species isolated from marine water in Malaysia exhibit distinct genotypes and variable physiological properties
    Mohd Hussain RH, Abdul Ghani MK, Khan NA, Siddiqui R, Anuar TS
    J Water Health, 2022 Jan;20(1):54-67.
    PMID: 35100154 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2021.128
    The present study identifies the Acanthamoeba genotypes and their pathogenic potential in five marine waters in Malaysia. Fifty water samples were collected between January and May 2019. Physical parameters of water quality were measured in situ, whereas chemical and microbiological analyses were conducted in the laboratory. All samples had undergone filtration using nitrocellulose membrane and were tested for Acanthamoeba using cultivation and polymerase chain reaction by targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. The pathogenic potential of all positive isolates was identified using physiological tolerance tests. Thirty-six (72.0%) samples were positive for Acanthamoeba. Total coliforms (p = 0.013) and pH level (p = 0.023) displayed significant correlation with Acanthamoeba presence. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 27 samples belonged to genotype T4, four (T11), two (T18) and one from each genotype T5, T15 and T20. Thermo- and osmo-tolerance tests signified that three (8.3%) Acanthamoeba strains displayed highly pathogenic attributes. This study is the first investigation in Malaysia describing Acanthamoeba detection in marine water with molecular techniques and genotyping. The study outcomes revealed that the marine water in Malaysia could be an integral source of Acanthamoeba strains potentially pathogenic in humans. Thus, the potential risk of this water should be monitored routinely in each region.
  14. Development of anti-acanthamoebic approaches
    Mungroo MR, Tong T, Khan NA, Anuar TS, Maciver SK, Siddiqui R
    Int Microbiol, 2021 Aug;24(3):363-371.
    PMID: 33754231 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-021-00171-3
    Acanthamoeba keratitis is a sight-endangering eye infection, and causative organism Acanthamoeba presents a significant concern to public health, given escalation of contact lens wearers. Contemporary therapy is burdensome, necessitating prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment. None of the contact lens disinfectants (local and international) can eradicate Acanthamoeba effectively. Using a range of compounds targeting cellulose, ion channels, and biochemical pathways, we employed bioassay-guided testing to determine their anti-amoebic effects. The results indicated that acarbose, indaziflam, terbuthylazine, glimepiride, inositol, vildagliptin and repaglinide showed anti-amoebic effects. Compounds showed minimal toxicity on human cells. Therefore, effects of the evaluated compounds after conjugation with nanoparticles should certainly be the subject of future studies and will likely lead to promising leads for potential applications.
  15. Fulltext Escherichia coli K1 utilizes host macropinocytic pathways for invasion of brain microvascular endothelial cells
    Loh LN, McCarthy EMC, Narang P, Khan NA, Ward TH
    Traffic, 2017 11;18(11):733-746.
    PMID: 28799243 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12508
    Eukaryotic cells utilize multiple endocytic pathways for specific uptake of ligands or molecules, and these pathways are commonly hijacked by pathogens to enable host cell invasion. Escherichia coli K1, a pathogenic bacterium that causes neonatal meningitis, invades the endothelium of the blood-brain barrier, but the entry route remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the bacteria trigger an actin-mediated uptake route, stimulating fluid phase uptake, membrane ruffling and macropinocytosis. The route of uptake requires intact lipid rafts as shown by cholesterol depletion. Using a variety of perturbants we demonstrate that small Rho GTPases and their downstream effectors have a significant effect on bacterial invasion. Furthermore, clathrin-mediated endocytosis appears to play an indirect role in E. coli K1 uptake. The data suggest that the bacteria effect a complex interplay between the Rho GTPases to increase their chances of uptake by macropinocytosis into human brain microvascular endothelial cells.
  16. Crocodiles and alligators: Antiamoebic and antitumor compounds of crocodiles
    Siddiqui R, Jeyamogan S, Ali SM, Abbas F, Sagathevan KA, Khan NA
    Exp Parasitol, 2017 Dec;183:194-200.
    PMID: 28917711 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2017.09.008
    Crocodiles exist in unsanitary environments, feed on rotten meat, are often exposed to heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead, selenium, tolerate high levels of radiation, and are amid the very few species to survive the catastrophic Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, nonetheless they can live for up to a 100 years. Moreover, as they live in unhygienic conditions, they regularly come across pathogens. Logically, we postulate that crocodiles possess mechanisms to defend themselves from noxious agents as well as protecting themselves from pathogens. To test this hypothesis, various organ lysates and serum of Crocodylus palustris were prepared. Amoebicidal assays were performed using Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype. Cytotoxicity assays were performed using Prostate cancer cells culture by measuring lactate dehydrogenase release as a marker for cell death. Growth inhibition assays were performed to determine the growth inhibitory effects of various organ lysates. Serum and heart lysates of Crocodylus palustris exhibited powerful anti-tumor activity exhibiting more than 70% Prostate cancer cell death (P 
  17. Silver nanoparticle conjugation affects antiacanthamoebic activities of amphotericin B, nystatin, and fluconazole
    Anwar A, Siddiqui R, Hussain MA, Ahmed D, Shah MR, Khan NA
    Parasitol Res, 2018 Jan;117(1):265-271.
    PMID: 29218442 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5701-x
    Infectious diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, killing more than 15 million people worldwide. This is despite our advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. Nanoparticles offer a promising technology to enhance drug efficacy and formation of effective vehicles for drug delivery. Here, we conjugated amphotericin B, nystatin (macrocyclic polyenes), and fluconazole (azole) with silver nanoparticles. Silver-conjugated drugs were synthesized successfully and characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Conjugated and unconjugated drugs were tested against Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype using amoebicidal assay and host cell cytotoxicity assay. Viability assays revealed that silver nanoparticles conjugated with amphotericin B (Amp-AgNPs) and nystatin (Nys-AgNPs) exhibited significant antiamoebic properties compared with drugs alone or AgNPs alone (P 
  18. Effects of Nicotine and Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction Supplementation on Cytoskeletal Structures of Murine Pre-Implantation Embryos
    Hamirah NK, Kamsani YS, Mohamed Nor Khan NA, Ab Rahim S, Rajikin MH
    Med Sci Monit Basic Res, 2017 Dec 08;23:373-379.
    PMID: 29217815
    BACKGROUND Cytoskeletal structures, in particular actin and tubulin, provide a fundamental framework in all cells, including embryos. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nicotine, which is a source of oxidative stress, and subsequent supplementation with Tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) on actin and tubulin of 2- and 8-cell murine embryos. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty female Balb/C mice were divided into 4 groups: Group 1 received: subcutaneous (sc) injection of 0.9% NaCl; Group 2 received sc injection of 3.0 nicotine mg/kg bw/day; Group 3 received 3.0 sc injection of nicotine mg/kg bw/day +60 mg/kg bw/day TRF; and Group 4 received 60 sc injection of TRF mg/kg bw/day for 7 consecutive days. The animals were superovulated with 5 IU PMSG followed by 5 IU hCG 48 h later. Animals were cohabited with fertile males overnight and euthanized through cervical dislocation at 24 h post coitum. Embryos at the 2- and 8-cell stages were harvested, fixed, and stained to visualize actin and tubulin distributions by using CLSM. RESULTS Results showed that at 2-cell stage, actin intensities were significantly reduced in the nicotine group compared to that of the control group (p<0.001). In Group 3, the intensity of actin significantly increased compared to that of the nicotine group (p<0.001). At 8-cell stage, actin intensity of the nicotine group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.001). The intensities of actin in Group 3 were increased compared to that of nicotine treatment alone (p<0.001). The same trend was seen in tubulin at 2- and 8-cell stages. Interestingly, both actin and tubulin structures in the TRF-treated groups were enhanced compared to the control. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that TRF prevents the deleterious effects of nicotine on the cytoskeletal structures of 2- and 8-cell stages of pre-implantation mice embryos in vitro.
  19. Fulltext Synthesis of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine propylthioacetate coated gold nanoparticles and their antibacterial and photophysical activity
    Anwar A, Khalid S, Perveen S, Ahmed S, Siddiqui R, Khan NA, et al.
    J Nanobiotechnology, 2018 Jan 29;16(1):6.
    PMID: 29378569 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-017-0332-z
    BACKGROUND: Gold nanoparticles are useful candidate for drug delivery applications and are associated with enhancement in the bioavailability of coated drugs and/or therapeutic agent. Since, heterocyclic compounds are known to exhibit antimicrobial potential against variety of pathogens, we designed this study to evaluate the antibacterial effects of gold nanoparticles conjugation with new synthesized cationic ligand; 4-Dimethyl aminopyridinium propylthioacetate (DMAP-PTA) in comparison with pure compound and antibiotic drug Pefloxacin. Antibacterial activity of DMAP-PTA coated gold nanoparticles was investigated against a fecal strain of E. coli (ATCC 8739).

    RESULTS: A new dimethyl aminopyridine based stabilizing agent named as DMAP-PTA was synthesized and used for stabilization of gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles coated with DMAP-PTA abbreviated as DMAP-PTA-AuNPs were thoroughly characterized by UV-visible, FT-IR spectroscopic methods and transmission electron microscope before biological assay. DMAP-PTA, DMAP-PTA-AuNPs and Pefloxacin were examined for their antibacterial potential against E. coli, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined to be 300, 200 and 50 µg/mL respectively. Gold nanoparticles conjugation was found to significantly enhance the antibacterial activity of DMAP-PTA as compared to pure compound. Moreover, effects of DMAP-PTA-AuNPs on the antibacterial potential of Pefloxacin was also evaluated by combination therapy of 1:1 mixture of DMAP-PTA-AuNPs and Pefloxacin against E. coli in a wide range of concentrations from 5 to 300 µg/mL. The MIC of Pefloxacin + DMAP-PTA-AuNPs mixture was found to be 25 µg/mL as compared to Pefloxacin alone (50 µg/mL), which clearly indicates that DMAP-PTA-AuNPs increased the potency of Pefloxacin. AFM analysis was also carried out to show morphological changes occur in bacteria before and after treatment of test samples. Furthermore, DMAP-PTA-AuNPs showed high selectivity towards Pefloxacin in spectrophotometric drug recognition studies which offers tremendous potential for analytical applications.

    CONCLUSIONS: Gold nanoparticles conjugation was shown to enhance the antibacterial efficacy of DMAP-PTA ligand, while DMAP-PTA-AuNPs also induced synergistic effects on the potency of Pefloxacin against E. coli. DMAP-PTA-AuNPs were also developed as Pefloxacin probes in recognizing the drug in blood and water samples in the presence of other drugs.

  20. Fulltext In Vitro Cytopathogenic Activities of Acanthamoeba T3 and T4 Genotypes on HeLa Cell Monolayer
    Mohd Hussain RH, Abdul Ghani MK, Khan NA, Siddiqui R, Aazmi S, Halim H, et al.
    Pathogens, 2022 Dec 05;11(12).
    PMID: 36558808 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121474
    Amoebic keratitis and encephalitis are mainly caused by free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba, which consists of both pathogenic and nonpathogenic species. The global distribution, amphizoic properties and the severity of the disease caused by Acanthamoeba species have inspired the scientific community to put more effort into the isolation of Acanthamoeba, besides exploring the direct and indirect parameters that could signify a pathogenic potential. Therefore, this study was performed to characterize the pathogenic potential of Acanthamoeba isolated from contact lens paraphernalia and water sources in Malaysia. Various methodologies were utilized to analyze the thermotolerance and osmotolerance, the secretion level of proteases and the cytopathic effect of trophozoites on the cell monolayer. In addition, the in vitro cytopathogenicity of these isolates was assessed using the LDH-release assay. A total of 14 Acanthamoeba isolates were classified as thermo- and osmotolerant and had presence of serine proteases with a molecular weight of 45-230 kDa. Four T4 genotypes isolated from contact lens paraphernalia recorded the presence of serine-type proteases of 107 kDa and 133 kDa. In contrast, all T3 genotypes isolated from environmental samples showed the presence of a 56 kDa proteolytic enzyme. Remarkably, eight T4 and a single T3 genotype isolates demonstrated a high adhesion percentage of greater than 90%. Moreover, the use of the HeLa cell monolayer showed that four T4 isolates and one T3 isolate achieved a cytopathic effect in the range of 44.9-59.4%, indicating an intermediate-to-high cytotoxicity level. Apart from that, the LDH-release assay revealed that three T4 isolates (CL5, CL54 and CL149) and one T3 isolate (SKA5-SK35) measured an exceptional toxicity level of higher than 40% compared to other isolates. In short, the presence of Acanthamoeba T3 and T4 genotypes with significant pathogenic potential in this study reiterates the essential need to reassess the functionality of other genotypes that were previously classified as nonpathogenic isolates in past research.
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