RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vulvovaginal intradermal injections of polynucleotides (PN) combined with hyaluronic acid (HA) in postmenopausal women affected by vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postmenopausal women affected by VVA were treated with vulvar and vaginal intradermal injections of one prefilled syringe of 2 ml PN/HA every 2 weeks for four sessions. Patients were evaluated at T0 (baseline), T1 (after session 4) and T2 (1 month after session 4). Evaluation of the treatment was assessed by three international validated questionnaires: Vaginal Health Index (VHI), Vulvar Health Index (VuHI) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The Wilcoxon matched-paired signed-rank test was used to compare the differences in VHI, VuHI, FSFI and FSFI domains within the groups. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Fifty patients were included in the study (mean age 59.9 ± 7.6 years). Overall, the VHI, VuHI and FSFI reported statistically significant differences between baseline and T1 (p < 0.001) and between baseline and T2 (p < 0.001). All FSFI domains registered a statistically significant increase between baseline and T2 (p < 0.001). No complications or side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Vulvovaginal intradermal injection of PN/HA is a safe, effective treatment, is not expensive and is a reproducible procedure in postmenopausal women with VVA.
Asunto(s)
Ácido Hialurónico , Enfermedades Vaginales , Anciano , Atrofia/tratamiento farmacológico , Femenino , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Proyectos Piloto , Polinucleótidos/uso terapéutico , Posmenopausia , Resultado del Tratamiento , Vagina/patología , Enfermedades Vaginales/tratamiento farmacológico , Vulva/patologíaRESUMEN
Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) infections are responsible for large waterborne outbreaks in developing countries. Sporadic cases in the developed world are mainly imported from endemic areas. HEV has been suggested to be a zoonotic infection, for which pigs may be the reservoir; specific swine strains of HEV have been identified. Humans are susceptible to infections with swine strains. The aim of this study was to analyse whether Italian pig farmers, veterinarians and abattoir workers are more exposed than persons with other occupations. A total of 92 workers at zoonotic risk and 3511 controls from the general population of two Latium cities, Rome and Rieti, were tested for IgG-HEV antibodies. No significant difference in anti-HEV prevalence was observed between the two groups. The prevalence of general population was 2.9% against 3.3% of pig breeders, while there was a statistically significant difference (p = .0004) between subjects recruited in Rome (prevalence 2.5%) and those recruited in Rieti (prevalence 5.5%). Moreover, in some subgroups of general population and in a subgroup of pig breeders, the prevalence was higher than that previously reported in Italy and in other European countries. The highest value (33%) was found in male housekeepers enrolled in Rome; an analogous value was found in the employees of abattoirs (33%). Further studies are needed to elucidate the transmission routes.
Asunto(s)
Hepatitis E/epidemiología , Enfermedades Profesionales/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , Italia/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Prevalencia , ZoonosisRESUMEN
There is a great concern in the literature for the development of neuroprotectant drugs to treat Parkinson's disease. Since anesthetic drugs have hyperpolarizing properties, they can possibly act as neuroprotectants. In the present study, we have investigated the neuroprotective effect of a mixture of ketamine (85 mg/kg) and xylazine (3 mg/kg) (K/X) on the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat models of Parkinson's disease. The bilateral infusion of MPTP (100 microg/side) or 6-OHDA (10 microg/side) into the substantia nigra pars compacta of adult male Wistar rats under thiopental anesthesia caused a modest (~67%) or severe (~91%) loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostained cells, respectively. On the other hand, an apparent neuroprotective effect was observed when the rats were anesthetized with K/X, infused 5 min before surgery. This treatment caused loss of only 33% of the nigral tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostained cells due to the MPTP infusion and 51% due to the 6-OHDA infusion. This neuroprotective effect of K/X was also suggested by a less severe reduction of striatal dopamine levels in animals treated with these neurotoxins. In the working memory version of the Morris water maze task, both MPTP- and 6-OHDA-lesioned animals spent nearly 10 s longer to find the hidden platform in the groups where the neurotoxins were infused under thiopental anesthesia, compared to control animals. This amnestic effect was not observed in rats infused with the neurotoxins under K/X anesthesia. These results suggest that drugs with a pharmacological profile similar to that of K/X may be useful to delay the progression of Parkinson's disease.
Asunto(s)
Anestésicos Combinados/administración & dosificación , Ketamina/administración & dosificación , Fármacos Neuroprotectores/administración & dosificación , Enfermedad de Parkinson/tratamiento farmacológico , Sustancia Negra/efectos de los fármacos , Xilazina/administración & dosificación , 1-Metil-4-fenil-1,2,3,6-Tetrahidropiridina , Anestésicos Combinados/farmacología , Animales , Monoaminas Biogénicas/metabolismo , Cuerpo Estriado/metabolismo , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Inmunohistoquímica , Ketamina/farmacología , Masculino , Aprendizaje por Laberinto/efectos de los fármacos , Aprendizaje por Laberinto/fisiología , Fármacos Neuroprotectores/farmacología , Oxidopamina , Enfermedad de Parkinson/metabolismo , Enfermedad de Parkinson/patología , Ratas , Ratas Wistar , Sustancia Negra/metabolismo , Sustancia Negra/patología , Tiopental/administración & dosificación , Tiopental/farmacología , Tirosina 3-Monooxigenasa/metabolismo , Xilazina/farmacologíaRESUMEN
There is a great concern in the literature for the development of neuroprotectant drugs to treat Parkinson's disease. Since anesthetic drugs have hyperpolarizing properties, they can possibly act as neuroprotectants. In the present study, we have investigated the neuroprotective effect of a mixture of ketamine (85 mg/kg) and xylazine (3 mg/kg) (K/X) on the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat models of Parkinson's disease. The bilateral infusion of MPTP (100 æg/side) or 6-OHDA (10 æg/side) into the substantia nigra pars compacta of adult male Wistar rats under thiopental anesthesia caused a modest (~67 percent) or severe (~91 percent) loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostained cells, respectively. On the other hand, an apparent neuroprotective effect was observed when the rats were anesthetized with K/X, infused 5 min before surgery. This treatment caused loss of only 33 percent of the nigral tyrosine hydroxylase-immunostained cells due to the MPTP infusion and 51 percent due to the 6-OHDA infusion. This neuroprotective effect of K/X was also suggested by a less severe reduction of striatal dopamine levels in animals treated with these neurotoxins. In the working memory version of the Morris water maze task, both MPTP- and 6-OHDA-lesioned animals spent nearly 10 s longer to find the hidden platform in the groups where the neurotoxins were infused under thiopental anesthesia, compared to control animals. This amnestic effect was not observed in rats infused with the neurotoxins under K/X anesthesia. These results suggest that drugs with a pharmacological profile similar to that of K/X may be useful to delay the progression of Parkinson's disease.
Asunto(s)
Animales , Masculino , Ratas , Anestésicos Combinados/administración & dosificación , Ketamina/administración & dosificación , Fármacos Neuroprotectores/administración & dosificación , Enfermedad de Parkinson/tratamiento farmacológico , Sustancia Negra/efectos de los fármacos , Xilazina/administración & dosificación , Anestésicos Combinados/farmacología , Monoaminas Biogénicas/metabolismo , Cuerpo Estriado/metabolismo , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Inmunohistoquímica , Ketamina/farmacología , Aprendizaje por Laberinto/efectos de los fármacos , Aprendizaje por Laberinto/fisiología , Fármacos Neuroprotectores/farmacología , Oxidopamina , Enfermedad de Parkinson/metabolismo , Enfermedad de Parkinson/patología , Ratas Wistar , Sustancia Negra/metabolismo , Sustancia Negra/patología , Tiopental/administración & dosificación , Tiopental/farmacología , /metabolismo , Xilazina/farmacologíaRESUMEN
We studied some of the characteristics of the improving effect of the non-specific adenosine receptor antagonist, caffeine, using an animal model of learning and memory. Groups of 12 adult male Wistar rats receiving caffeine (0.3-30 mg/kg, ip, in 0.1 ml/100 g body weight) administered 30 min before training, immediately after training, or 30 min before the test session were tested in the spatial version of the Morris water maze task. Post-training administration of caffeine improved memory retention at the doses of 0.3-10 mg/kg (the rats swam up to 600 cm less to find the platform in the test session, P<=0.05) but not at the dose of 30 mg/kg. Pre-test caffeine administration also caused a small increase in memory retrieval (the escape path of the rats was up to 500 cm shorter, P<=0.05). In contrast, pre-training caffeine administration did not alter the performance of the animals either in the training or in the test session. These data provide evidence that caffeine improves memory retention but not memory acquisition, explaining some discrepancies among reports in the literature.
Asunto(s)
Cafeína/farmacología , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/farmacología , Aprendizaje por Laberinto/efectos de los fármacos , Memoria/efectos de los fármacos , Análisis de Varianza , Animales , Cafeína/administración & dosificación , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/administración & dosificación , Masculino , Ratas , Ratas WistarRESUMEN
We studied some of the characteristics of the improving effect of the non-specific adenosine receptor antagonist, caffeine, using an animal model of learning and memory. Groups of 12 adult male Wistar rats receiving caffeine (0.3-30 mg/kg, ip, in 0.1 ml/100 g body weight) administered 30 min before training, immediately after training, or 30 min before the test session were tested in the spatial version of the Morris water maze task. Post-training administration of caffeine improved memory retention at the doses of 0.3-10 mg/kg (the rats swam up to 600 cm less to find the platform in the test session, P<=0.05) but not at the dose of 30 mg/kg. Pre-test caffeine administration also caused a small increase in memory retrieval (the escape path of the rats was up to 500 cm shorter, P<=0.05). In contrast, pre-training caffeine administration did not alter the performance of the animals either in the training or in the test session. These data provide evidence that caffeine improves memory retention but not memory acquisition, explaining some discrepancies among reports in the literature
Asunto(s)
Animales , Masculino , Ratas , Cafeína , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central , Aprendizaje por Laberinto , Memoria , Análisis de Varianza , Cafeína , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central , Ratas Endogámicas WF , Ratas WistarRESUMEN
In the present investigation we studied the effect of caffeine on memory task inhibitory avoidance and habituation to a new environment. Caffeine impaired retention scores in mice submitted to inhibitory avoidance and habituation when administered 30 min before training at the doses of 10-30 mg/kg. These effects cannot be explained by state-dependency since the administration of caffeine 30 min before the test session did not reverse the effect of pre-training caffeine administration, but can more probably be explained by an impairment in the acquisition or by interference with attentional processes. On the other hand, caffeine improved the inhibitory avoidance (but not habituation) retention scores when administered immediately after the training or 30 min before the test session at the doses of 1-30 mg/kg or 3-10 mg/kg, respectively. These results suggest that caffeine differentially affects the different stages of memory processing and that this effect depends on particularities of the memory task under study.
Asunto(s)
Cafeína/farmacología , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/farmacología , Aprendizaje/efectos de los fármacos , Memoria/efectos de los fármacos , Análisis de Varianza , Animales , Reacción de Prevención/efectos de los fármacos , Cafeína/efectos adversos , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/efectos adversos , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Habituación Psicofisiológica/efectos de los fármacos , Discapacidades para el Aprendizaje/inducido químicamente , Masculino , Trastornos de la Memoria/inducido químicamente , Ratones , Factores de TiempoRESUMEN
The extract of the pericarp of castor bean (Ricinus communis) showed some typical central nervous system stimulant effects when administered to mice. The animals became exophthalmic, presented tremors and clonic seizures and died a few minutes after receiving larger doses of the extract. At lower doses the extract improved memory consolidation and showed some neuroleptic-like properties, such as a decrease in exploratory behavior and catalepsy. The memory-improving effect and the seizure-eliciting properties of the extract were also observed with the administration of ricinine, a neutral alkaloid isolated from the extract. However, the neuroleptic-like properties of the extract were not observed with ricinine. As the therapeutic index of ricinine is of the order of 200, the compound may be considered as a promising cognition-enhancing drug that may be used for the treatment of human amnesias.
Asunto(s)
Alcaloides/farmacología , Conducta Animal/efectos de los fármacos , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/farmacología , Plantas Tóxicas , Piridonas , Ricinus/química , Alcaloides/química , Animales , Ansiolíticos/farmacología , Antipsicóticos/farmacología , Reacción de Prevención/efectos de los fármacos , Catalepsia/inducido químicamente , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/química , Exoftalmia/inducido químicamente , Fuerza de la Mano/fisiología , Masculino , Ratones , Actividad Motora/efectos de los fármacos , Extractos Vegetales/química , Extractos Vegetales/farmacología , Pupila/efectos de los fármacosRESUMEN
Os efeitos do extrato etanólico da planta tóxica Pseudocalymma elegans (Vell.) Kuhlm. sobre o comportamento de camundongos foi estudado. Camundongos que receberam injeçöes intraperitoneais (i.p.), nas doses de 1.6 a 3g/kg de peso corporal, apresentaram convulsöes e morreram com uma latência média de 8 min. A LD50 foi estimada em 1.8g/kg. Os camundongos que receberam 1g/kg (i.p.) do extrato apresentaram um maior número de "rearings" e um maior tempo de "freezing" do que o grupo controle, quando observados em um campo aberto 30 min após a injeçäo. Durante o tempo em que esses animais foram observados no campo aberto näo ocorreram alteraçöes significativas no número de cruzamentos, tempo de "grooming" e número de bolos fecais. Quando esses animais foram colocados em um labirinto em cruz elevado exploraram menos os braços abertos do labirinto que os animais controle: apresentaram uma menor porcentagem de entradas e uma menor porcentagem de tempo de permanência nos braços abertos do labirinto. Esses animais apresentaram também uma menor atividade locomotora medida de forma automatizada e nenhuma alteraçäo no tônus muscular, avaliado pelo tempo de permanência em um arame esticado. Os três primeiros testes sugerem que a administraçäo de doses moderadas do extrato desencadeia um efeito "ansiogênico" contrário ao observado com a administraçäo de ansiolíticos depressores do sistema nervoso central (SNC). Doses maiores do extrato provocam uma super-estimulaçäo do SNC com convulsöes que, eventualmente, podem contribuir para a letalidade do extrato