Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Pharmacological Support (pharmacological + support)
Selected AbstractsUnplanned attempts to quit smoking: missed opportunities for health promotion?ADDICTION, Issue 11 2009Rachael L. Murray ABSTRACT Objectives To investigate the occurrence, determinants and reported success of unplanned and planned attempts to quit smoking, and sources of support used in these attempts. Design Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 3512 current and ex-smokers. Setting Twenty-four general practices in Nottinghamshire, UK. Participants Individuals who reported making a quit attempt within the last 6 months. Measurements Occurrence, triggers for, support used and success of planned and unplanned quit attempts. Results A total of 1805 (51.4%) participants returned completed questionnaires, reporting 394 quit attempts made within the previous 6 months of which 37% were unplanned. Males were significantly more likely to make an unplanned quit attempt [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04,2.46], but the occurrence of unplanned quit attempts did not differ significantly by socio-economic group or amount smoked. The most common triggers for unplanned quit attempts were advice from a general practitioner or health professional (27.9%) and health problems (24.5%). 5.4% and 4.1% of unplanned quit attempts used National Health Service cessation services on a one to one and group basis, respectively, and more than half (51.7%) were made without any support. Nevertheless, unplanned attempts were more likely to be reported to be successful (adjusted OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.23,3.27, P < 0.01). Conclusions Unplanned quit attempts are common among smokers in all socio-demographic groups, are triggered commonly by advice from a health professional and are more likely to succeed; however, the majority of these unplanned attempts are unsupported. It is important to develop methods of providing behavioural and/or pharmacological support for these attempts, and determine whether these increase cessation rates still further. [source] High volume naked DNA tail-vein injection restores liver function in Fah-knock out miceJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Elke Eggenhofer Abstract Background:, Despite pharmaceutical treatment with NTBC (2-2-nitro-4-fluoromethylbenzoyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione), a high incidence of liver malignancies occur in humans and mice suffering from hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT1) caused by mutation of the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (fah) gene. Methods:, To evaluate the efficacy of a definitive treatment for HT1, we transfected fah knockout mice with naked plasmid DNA using high volume tail-vein injection. This approach was chosen to reduce the occurrence of insertional mutagenesis that is frequently observed when using other (retro-)viral vectors. To prolong gene expression, the fah gene was cloned between adeno-associated virus (AAV)-specific inverted terminal repeats (ITRs). Results:, All animals treated with high volume plasmid DNA injections could be successfully weaned off NTBC and survived in the long term without any further pharmacological support. Up to 50% fah positive hepatocytes were detected in livers of naked plasmid DNA-treated animals and serum liver function tests approximated those of wild-type controls. Conclusions:, Naked plasmid DNA transfection offers a promising alternative treatment for HT1. Minimizing side-effects makes this approach especially appealing. [source] Antiinflammatory activities of flavonoids and a triterpene caffeate isolated from Bauhinia variegataPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 7 2008Yerra Koteswara Rao Abstract In the continuing search for novel antiinflammatory agents, six flavonoids, namely kaempferol (1), ombuin (2), kaempferol 7,4,-dimethyl ether 3- O - , - d -glucopyranoside (3), kaempferol 3- O - , - d -glucopyranoside (4), isorhamnetin 3- O - , - d -glucopyranoside (5) and hesperidin (6), together with one triterpene caffeate, 3, - trans -(3,4-dihydroxycinnamoyloxy)olean-12-en-28-oic acid (7) were isolated from the non-woody aerial parts of Bauhinia variegata. Compounds 1,7 were evaluated as inhibitors of some macrophage functions involved in the inflammatory process. These seven compounds significantly and dose dependently inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon (IFN)- , induced nitric oxide (NO), and cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- , and interleukin (IL)-12]. The concentration causing a 50% inhibition (IC50) of NO, TNF- , and IL-12 production by compounds 1, 2 and 7 was approximately 30, 50 and 10 µM, respectively, while at 50, 200 and 40 µM compounds 3, 4, and 5, 6 showed 15,30% inhibition, respectively. On the other hand, compounds 3 and 7 showed no inhibitory effect, while compounds 1, 4,6 reduced by around 10,30% the synthesis of NO by macrophages, when inducible NO synthase was already expressed with LPS/IFN- , for 24 h. These experimental findings lend pharmacological support to the suggested folkloric uses of the plant B. variegata in the management of inflammatory conditions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Short-term Pulsatile Ventricular Assist Device for Postcardiotomy Cardiogenic Shock: A Clinical Trial in ChinaARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 4 2009Xue-jun Xiao Abstract:, Despite the recent advances in myocardial protection, surgical techniques, intra-aortic balloon therapy, and maximal pharmacological support, postoperative ventricular dysfunction continues to occur in 0.5,1.0% of all patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Ventricular assist device (VAD) is an important therapeutic adjunct in treating patients with profound ventricular dysfunction with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. The purpose of this report was to describe the clinical results with the China-made Luo-Ye VAD as a short-term circulatory support. From May 1998 to December 2006, 17 patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock were supported by the Luo-Ye VAD. Of these patients, 10 were males and seven were females with a mean age of 49.6 years (range 36,68 years). All cases were supported by left VAD (LVAD). Mean duration of support was 46.3 h (range 13,113 h). A criteria of insertion was established to standardize implantation criteria. Among the 17 patients treated with LVAD, eight (47.1%) patients were weaned from support and seven (41.2%) patients were discharged from hospital. Ten (58.8%) patients died while on LVAD support (nine cases) or shortly after weaning (one case). The causes of death in the entire group were cardiac (40%), renal failure (20%), neurologic (10%), sepsis (10%), and multiple organ system failure (20%). The complications were represented by bleeding, renal failure, neurologic event, infection, ventricular arrhythmias, etc. The Luo-Ye VAD functioned well and proved to be useful in patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. It carries a less-postoperative anticoagulant and a low incidence of VAD-related complications. The survival rate was encouraging in our small cohort of patients. [source] | ||||||||||