1,721,058 research outputs found
Pharmacodynamic and Pharmacokinetic Interactions of Propranolol with Garlic (<i>Allium sativum</i>) in Rats
Full text linkGarlic preparations and propranolol (PRO) are agents recognized as cardioprotective and potent antihypertensive agents when they are used individually. However, there is no report available to explain the role of combined therapy during simultaneous hypertension and myocardial damage in rats. We aimed to determine the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction of PRO with garlic homogenate (GH), in rats. The influence of garlic on pharmacokinetics of PRO was determined by HPLC method; while pharmacodynamic interaction was studied in animals with hypertension (10% fructose) and myocardial damage (isoproterenol, 175 mg kg−1, s.c. 2 days). PRO was given orally at 10 mg kg−1for 1 week, whereas, GH was administered at three different doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg kg−1, p.o. in their respective groups during fourth to sixth week of high fructose (HF) period, once daily. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, creatine phosphokinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase and catalase were measured and histopathological studies were carried out. The bioavailability and half life of PRO were significantly enhanced by 2- and 3-fold, respectively, in animals pretreated with garlic (250 mg kg−1). Administration of PRO and low to moderate doses of GH (125, 250 mg kg−1), either alone or together showed fall in fluid intake and body weight. The combined therapy of GH 250 mg kg−1and PRO was found to be most effective in reducing SBP, cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose. These observations suggest that careful addition of garlic in moderate doses in PRO regimen might result in beneficial effect during treatment of hypertensive animals with myocardial damage.</jats:p
The potential benefits of a garlic and hydrochlorothiazide combination as antihypertensive and cardioprotective in rats
No full textInterplay of Chronic Diseases, Disability, and Depression Among Saudi Arabian Patients: A Cross-sectional Analysis
Full text linkChronic diseases are a leading cause of disability and mental health issues globally, with significant implications for healthcare systems and patient well-being. In Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of chronic conditions is rising, but the comprehensive interplay between chronic diseases, disability, and depression remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the relationships between chronic diseases, disability, and depression among Saudi Arabian patients, providing insights that can inform healthcare policies and interventions to improve patient outcomes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from March to May 2024. The study included 381 patients with one or more chronic diseases. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires that assessed the number of chronic diseases, level of disability (measured using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule), and depression (assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9). Regression analysis was used to evaluate the factors contributing to depression and to establish the correlation between chronic diseases, disability, and depression. The analysis revealed a direct association between the number of chronic diseases and the level of disability experienced by the participants ( P < 0.01). Patients with multiple chronic conditions ( P = 0.000; Beta = 0.456; 95% confidence interval = 0.272-0.422) reported higher levels of disability, significantly impacting their daily functioning. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the number of chronic illnesses and the severity of disability ( P < 0.01). Additionally, our study identified a significant correlation ( P < 0.05) between increased depression and higher levels of disability among participants. Patients with higher disability scores exhibited more severe depressive symptoms, indicating a compounded effect on mental health. This study provides critical insights into the significant impact of chronic diseases on disability and mental health among Saudi Arabian patients. The findings highlight the compounded challenges faced by patients with multiple chronic conditions and underscore the intertwined nature of physical and mental health. Addressing the complex interplay of sociodemographic and health-related factors can enable healthcare systems to better meet the needs of this vulnerable population, ultimately improving their quality of life and health outcomes
Depression in persons with disabilities: a scoping review
Full text linkIndividuals with disabilities are more vulnerable to depression development than the general population. This study sought to map the evidence on current knowledge of depression, intervention strategies, and assessment tools among people with disabilities. This review was conducted following Arksey and O′Malley’s scoping review methodology framework. An electronic search was performed on four English databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. The original search returned 1802 results, with 1,116 from Web of Science, 626 from PubMed, 25 from Cochrane, and 35 from PsycINFO. After removing duplicates, 786 articles were chosen for the title and abstract screening processes. Finally, 112 full-text publications were deemed eligible, with 41 papers being included in this scoping review for analysis. A large proportion (32; 78.04%) of the studies chosen were cross-sectional, 14 (34.14%) of them reported general disability, 12 (29.26%) used a patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) to measure depression, and 14 (34.14%) had interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological counseling, social support, and physical activity. All interventions successfully reduced the severity of the depression. Cognitive behavioral therapies and psychological counseling were widely used interventions that had a significant impact on reducing depression. More randomized controlled trials are required, and they should focus on individuals with specific disabilities to provide disability-specific care that can improve the quality of life for disabled individuals
Hepatoprotective studies of <i>Coccinia indica</i> Linn. in carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic injury
No full textCocciana indica Linn (Cucurbitaceae) is widely distributed throughout India. It was employed in ancient system of medicine as anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, digestant, liver tonic, and expectorant. Though it is traditionally used in jaundice and other hepatic manifestations, there are no reports on their validation and standardization for hepatoprotective activity. This study was undertaken to evaluate hepatoprotective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves and fruits of the plant against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatotoxicity in rats and mice. The extract of the plant material significantly increased the bromosulphthaline clearance and significantly reduced the pentobarbitone induced sleeping time. Furthermore, serum examination of treated animals revealed that the plant extract reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. Morphological studies demonstrated the hepatoprotective activity of the extract by showing a decrease in liver weight. Free radical scavenging studies indicated an increase in glutathione concentration and reduced liver lipid peroxidase after treatment with the plant extract. Keywords: Cocciana indica, cucurbitaceae, hepatoprotective, carbon tetrachloride, free radical scavenging Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Journal Vol. 23 2005: 39-4
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Communication: Effect of diperoxovandate on isolated rat heart
No full textDiperoxovanadate (DPV), a product of vanadate is gaining importance as a biologically active vanadium compound. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the chronotropic and inotropic activity of DPV using isolated rat heart and to determine the concentration at which it is toxic to the heart. The study was carried out using modified Langendorff\'s setup. DPV was injected at varying concentrations (from 10-9 to 10-4) either as bolus (0.1 ml) or the heart was perfused continuously with varying concentrations of DPV for 10 min. Low concentration of DPV did not produce any significant effect on chronotropy and on developed tension. However, as the dose of DPV was increased, tension developed and heart rate was enhanced to significant extent (P < 0.05) and both were found to be maximum at a dose of 10-7M. Further increase in DPV dose did not show either an increase in force or rate of contraction of heart but instead produced a relative decrease in both of these parameters when compared with the 10-7 M dose. When heart was perfused with a dose of 10-7 M DPV continuously for 10 min there was a significant increase in heart rate and developed tension (P < 0.01). It was also found that at a dose of 10-5M, DPV showed not only further increase in developed tension but also produced marked disturbances in the rhythm indicating cardiac toxicity. This was further confirmed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity determination.
Keywords: diperoxovanadate, reperfusion, isolated rat heart, hydrogen peroxide, lactate dehydrogenase
Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. 22 (2004): 47-5
Cardioprotective Potential of Garlic Oil and Its Active Constituent, Diallyl Disulphide, in Presence of Carvedilol during Chronic Isoprenaline Injection-Mediated Myocardial Necrosis in Rats
No full textIn isoprenaline (ISO)-induced myocardial infarcted rats, garlic oil (GO) and its main ingredient, diallyl disulfide (DADS), were examined for cardioprotective effects when used with carvedilol (CAR). GO, DADS and CAR were given to rats in their respective groups, either alone or together, with the addition of isoprenaline (3 mg/kg/day, subcutaneously) during the last 10 days of treatment. At the end of 14 days of treatment, blood samples were collected, the hearts were excised under anesthesia and weighed. Heart tissue homogenate was used to measure superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Furthermore, the serum activities of cardiac markers, including lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, and cardiac troponin, were checked. Moreover, inflammatory markers including tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin one beta, interleukin six, and kappa bp65 subunit were assessed. Rats that received GO, DADS, and CAR exhibited a significant increase in the cardiac antioxidant enzyme activities with a simultaneous decrease in serum cardiac markers enzymes and inflammatory markers. The TBARS were significantly reduced in rats that received treatment. The addition of carvedilol to GO or DADS significantly elevated antioxidant activities and decreased the release of cardiac enzymes into blood circulation. Both DADS and GOl were almost similar in efficacy, indicating the potential role of DADS in garlic oil-mediated cardioprotection. Combining GO or DADS with CAR increased CAR’s cardioprotective impact and protected rats from developing ISO-induced myocardial infarction
Immunomodulatory activity of methanolic fruit extract of Aegle marmelos in experimental animals
No full textAbstractAimThe aim of the present study was to investigate the immunomodulatory action of methanolic extract of Aegle marmelos fruit (FEAM) in experimental model of immunity.MethodsCellular immunity was carried out by neutrophil adhesion test and carbon clearance assay, whereas, humoral immunity was analyzed by mice lethality test and indirect haemagglutination assay. FEAM dose was selected by Stair case method (up and down) and administered at 100 and 500mg/kg orally. The Ocimum sanctum (OSE, 100mg/kg, p.o) was used as standard.ResultsFEAM at 100 and 500mg/kg produced significant increases in adhesion of neutrophils and an increase in phagocytic index in carbon clearance assay. Both high and low doses of FEAM significantly prevented the mortality induced by bovine Pasteurella multocida in mice. Treatment of animals with FEAM and OSE significantly increased the circulating antibody titre in indirect haemagglunation test. Among the different doses, low one was more effective in cellular immunity models than the high. However, all the doses exhibited similar protection in humoral immunity procedures.ConclusionFrom the above findings, it is concluded that FEAM possesses potential for augmenting immune activity by cellular and humoral mediated mechanisms more at low dose (100mg/kg) than high dose (500mg/kg)
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