Treating Thalassemia Major-Related Iron Overload: The Role of Deferiprone.
Treating thalassemia major-related iron overload: the role of deferiprone.
Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
J Blood Med. 2012; 3: 119-29
Berdoukas V, Farmaki K, Carson S, Wood J, Coates T
Over the last 20 years, management for thalassemia major has improved to the point where we predict that patients’ life expectancy will approach that of the normal population. These outcomes result from safer blood transfusions, the availability of three iron chelators, new imaging techniques that allow specific organ assessment of the degree of iron overload, and improvement in the treatment of hepatitis. In October 2011, the Food and Drug Administration licensed deferiprone, further increasing the available choices for iron chelation in the US. The ability to prescribe any of the three chelators as well as their combinations has led to more effective reduction of total body iron. The ability to determine the amount of iron in the liver and heart by magnetic resonance imaging allows the prescription of the most appropriate chelation regime for patients and to reconsider what our aims with respect to total body iron should be. Recent evidence from Europe has shown that by normalizing iron stores not only are new morbidities prevented but also reversal of many complications such as cardiac failure, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, impaired glucose tolerance, and type 2 diabetes can occur, improving survival and patients’ quality of life. The most effective way to achieve normal iron stores seems to be with the combination of deferoxamine and deferiprone. Furthermore, outcomes should continue to improve in the future. Starting relative intensive chelation in younger children may prevent short stature and abnormal pubertal maturation as well as other iron-related morbidities. Also, further information should become available on the use of other combinations in chelation treatment, some of which have been used only in a very limited fashion to date. All these advances in management require absolute cooperation and understanding of parents, children, and, subsequently, the patients themselves. Only with such cooperation can normal long-term survival be achieved, as adherence to treatment is now likely the primary barrier to longevity.
HubMed – drug
Quantitation of HBsAg predicts response to entecavir therapy in HBV genotype C patients.
Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
World J Gastroenterol. 2012 Oct 21; 18(39): 5570-5
Orito E, Fujiwara K, Kanie H, Ban T, Yamada T, Hayashi K
To analysis the factors that predict the response to entecavir therapy in chronic hepatitis patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype C.Fifty patients [hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative:HBeAg-positive = 26:24] with HBV genotype C, who received naïve entecavir therapy for > 2 years, were analyzed. Patients who showed HBV DNA levels ? 3.0 log viral copies/mL after 2 years of entecavir therapy were designated as slow-responders, while those that showed < 3.0 log copies/mL were termed rapid-responders. Quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels (qHBsAg) were determined by the Architect HBsAg QT immunoassay. Hepatitis B core-related antigen was detected by enzyme immunoassay. Pre-C and Core promoter mutations were determined using by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Drug-resistance mutations were detected by the PCR-Invader method.At year 2, HBV DNA levels in all patients in the HBeAg-negative group were < 3.0 log copies/mL. In contrast, in the HBeAg-positive group, 41.7% were slow-responders, while 58.3% were rapid-responders. No entecavir-resistant mutants were detected in the slow-responders. When the pretreatment factors were compared between the slow- and rapid-responders; the median qHBsAg in the slow-responders was 4.57 log IU/mL, compared with 3.63 log IU/mL in the rapid-responders (P < 0.01). When the pretreatment factors predictive of HBV DNA-negative status at year 2 in all 50 patients were analyzed, HBeAg-negative status, low HBV DNA levels, and low qHBsAg levels were significant (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that the low qHBsAg level was the most significant predictive factor (P = 0.03).Quantitation of HBsAg could be a useful indicator to predict response to entecavir therapy. HubMed – drug
Anti-hyperglycemic and Anti-hyperlipidemic Effects of Bryonia Laciniosa Seed Extract and its Saponin Fraction in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetes in Rats.
Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
J Young Pharm. 2012 Jul; 4(3): 171-6
Patel S, Santani D, Shah M, Patel V
Bryonia laciniosa Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) seed is used in traditional medicine for a number of ailments including metabolic disorders. This investigation was carried out to investigate the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic potential of the ethanolic extract of seeds of B. laciniosa Linn. and its saponin fraction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The ethanolic extract (250 and 500 mg/kg; p.o.) and saponin fraction (100 and 200 mg/kg; p.o.) were administered to diabetic rats and standard drug insulin (5 IU/kg; i.p.) to the group serving as a positive control. Effects of the ethanolic extract and saponin fraction on various biochemical parameters were studied in diabetic rats. Data were statistically analysed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s t-test. Oral administration of the ethanolic extract and saponin fraction for 28 days to streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the levels of blood glucose and improved the levels of plasma insulin. The levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, very low density lipoprotein, aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase, urea, and creatinine were markedly altered in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Oral administration of the ethanolic extract and saponin fraction restored all these biochemical parameters to near control levels. This study reveals the efficacy of B. laciniosa seed extract and its saponin fraction in the amelioration of diabetes and its associated complications. HubMed – drug
Antiurolithiatic Effects of Solanum xanthocarpum Fruit Extract on Ethylene-Glycol-Induced Nephrolithiasis in Rats.
Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
J Young Pharm. 2012 Jul; 4(3): 164-70
Patel P, Patel M, Saralai M, Gandhi T
This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Solanum xanthocarpum fruit extract in ethylene-glycol-induced urolithiasis in the male Wistar rats. Nephrolithiasis was induced in male Wistar rats by adding ethylene glycol (0.75%) in drinking water for 28 days. Animals were divided into six groups, each containing six viz. Vehicle control, model control, S. xanthocarpum methanol extract in different doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg p.o., Cystone (750 mg/kg, p.o.) served as a standard. Hyperoxaluria as well as an increase in the excretion of calcium, phosphate, uric acid and decrease in citrate and magnesium in urine, impairment of renal function and oxidative imbalance in kidney were observed in the calculi-induced group. Treatment with S. xanthocarpum decreases hyperoxaluria, calcium, and uric acid, improves renal function, and also produces antioxidant effects. Crystalluria was characterized by excretion calcium oxalate (CaOX) crystals, which were enormous in the lithogenic group but smaller in the drug-treated group. The histology showed that the calculi-induced group had a large deposition of CaOX crystals in kidney while the treated group had trivial and fewer deposits. The result indicates the antiurolithiatic activity of S. xanthocarpum mediated possibly by CaOX crystal inhibition, diuretic, antioxidant and maintaining balance between stone promoter and inhibitor constituents, and this study rationalized its medicinal use in urolithiasis.
HubMed – drug
Optimization of pellets containing solid dispersion prepared by extrusion/spheronization using central composite design and desirability function.
Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation
J Young Pharm. 2012 Jul; 4(3): 146-56
Singh G, Pai RS, Devi VK
Furosemide is a class IV biopharmaceutical classification system drug having poor water solubility and low bioavailability due to the hepatic first-pass metabolism and has a short half-life of 2 h. To overcome the above drawback, this study was carried to prepare and evaluate the pellets containing furosemide solid dispersion (SD) for oral administration prepared by extrusion/spheronization. SD of furosemide was prepared with Eudragit L-100 at a drug-to-polymer ratio of 1:2 by employing a solvent evaporation method and characterized. Further, microcrystalline cellulose pellets containing SD were consequently prepared using a lab scale extrusion/ spheronizer and evaluated for in vitro drug release studies. The influence of process parameters used during extrusion/spheronization on the pellet properties was also studied using 2-factor, 3-level central composite design in order to improve the product quality. Additionally, the desirability function approach was applied to acquire the preeminent compromise between the multiple responses. Pellets containing solid dispersion (PSD) were prepared using optimal parameter settings demonstrated 88.52 ± 0.69% of the drug was released in a sustained release manner till 12 h. In vitro drug release data were fitted to various release kinetics models to study the mechanism of drug release. Drug release from the PSD was found to follow zero-order and Higuchi’s model. Both studied parameters had great influence on the responses. PSD showed augmentation in the drug release profile till 12 h. The final optimized formulation was obtained by encapsulating best SD formulation within the pellet core to release the drug in the most soluble form in stomach and a sustained fashion in intestine.
HubMed – drug
SecondGenesisVideo – Join our email newsletter list by going to: www.secondgenesis.org Let us know what you think! Second Genesis is a nonprofit drug and alcohol rehabilitation program with residential treatment centers in Maryland and Washington DC. The mission of Second Genesis is to empower individuals and families to make choices that will enable them to experience healthy, responsible live free from alcohol, drugs, crime, violence and exploitation.
Related Drug And Alcohol Rehabilitation Information…