Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics

OBJECTIVE: To analyze available evidence on the safety of different biological response modifiers which are used for a treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched systematically for randomized controlled clinical trials on treatment of RA with different biological response modifiers, followed by a systematic review with meta-analysis. Trials were searched from MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases. The following safety parameters reported in the selected trials were analyzed: number of patients suffering any adverse event (AE), withdrawal due to AEs, serious AE (SAEs), infections, serious infections, infusion reactions, injection site reactions, malignancies, and overall mortality...

Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is an important transducing enzyme of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway in striatum which has been considered as a potential target for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Etiology of Parkinson's disease is multifactorial, finally resulting in abnormal proteinopathies causing degeneration of nigrostriatal pathways. Understanding the pathological basis of Parkinson's disease at molecular level is still an achievable target for the researchers and clinical practitioners...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune systemic disease characterized by long-standing inflammation and significant joint destruction. Despite significant research and success toward the treatment modalities, complete remission still remains a challenge. Even then a number of early and late extraarticular manifestations (EAMs) of the disease further complicate the disease progression. Various EAM encountered in RA can involve more than one organ or system in the body and their clinical features also show lot of variations, mostly involving cutaneous, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems...

Dalbavancin is a lipoglycopeptide with a long half-life that allows infrequent dosing. It is indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by susceptible organisms, including Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Although this agent has been used off-label clinically, there are minimal data in infections outside the current indications. We report a case of a 28-year-old nonadherent male with HIV presenting with pneumonia due to MRSA that was treated with dalbavancin...

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OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) given alone and in combination with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) on beta-cell function in a negroid population to further explore possible ethnic differences in the effect of antihypertensive drugs on homeostasis model assessment - insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 80 newly diagnosed Nigerian essential hypertensive patients were assigned to receive either HCT 25 mg daily or both HCT and lisinopril (Lis; 25/10 mg daily) in an open-label study for 12 weeks...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the sequential therapy (ST) with the hybrid therapy (HT) for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori . MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with peptic ulcer disease and gastritis found to be H. pylori positive were randomized to HT group who received omeprazole (20 mg bid) and amoxicillin (1 g bid) for 7 days followed by omeprazole (20 mg bid), amoxicillin (1 g bid), clarithromycin (500 mg bid), and metronidazole (400 mg tid) for the next 7 days and ST group who received omeprazole and amoxicillin for 5 days followed by omeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole for the next 5 days...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences in the efficacy and safety of the commonly prescribed AEDs in the management of epilepsy in children when using divided doses of adult solid oral formulations (DDSF) with the liquid oral formulations (LFs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who had one or more seizures per month and prescribed with DDSF were recruited. Initially the patients were continued on DDSF for 4 months following which they were switched over to LF for the subsequent 4 months...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of atorvastatin (ATN) 80 mg in the prevention of contrast medium- induced nephropathy (CIN) in high risk patients undergoing angiograph. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, double-blind, two-arm, parallel group RCT. A total of 216 patients undergoing coronary angiography were screened, and 188 eligible patients were randomized to two treatment arms. Patients in Group A received tablet N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 1200 mg once daily, and patients in Group B received tablet atorvastatin 80 mg + NAC 1200 mg once daily, for 3 days before, and 2 days after angiography...

The integrity of sperm deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) is one of the determinants that ensure normal fertilization, implantation, pregnancy, and the generation of a healthy progeny. Assessment of sperm DNA fragmentation has gained importance as a tool to provide significant information regarding sperm quality, and it can independently predict sperm fertilizing potential. The sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) assay is one of the available techniques to detect sperm DNA damage with results comparable to the gold standard - Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay...

We present a case of pleural tuberculosis (TB) in a patient on infliximab for ankylosing spondylitis. A 36-year-old male presented to our hospital with low back ache of inflammatory type along with multiple symmetric inflammatory type of joint pain. Further clinical examination, laboratory and radiological investigations were suggestive of ankylosing spondylitis. He was initially treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs but citing poor response it was decided to initiate biologic therapy using infliximab (antitumor necrosis factor-alpha)...

Central nervous system (CNS) toxicity has been reported in approximately 10%-30% of patients receiving intravenous infusions of ifosfamide. Encephalopathy is a rare but serious CNS adverse reaction in these patients, and although usually transient and reversible, may cause persistent neurological dysfunction or death. Clinical features range from fatigue and confusion to coma and death. Ifosfamide forms backbone of various treatment regimens including curative treatment and palliative chemotherapy regimen. Precipitation of ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy (IIE) by aprepitant has been reported in the literature rarely...

A 60-year-old male patient developed hyperpyrexia, cough, expectoration with blood-stained sputum, mouth ulcers, and suppurative tonsillitis after receiving 35 days of combination treatment with leflunomide (LEF) and low-dose methotrexate (MTX) for active rheumatoid arthritis. On admission, routine blood tests showed severe thrombocytopenia, agranulocytosis, and decreased hemoglobin concentration compared with the relatively normal results of 1 month previously during the first hospitalization. Chest radiography revealed inflammation in both lungs, and a fecal occult blood test was positive...

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OBJECTIVE: To determine the adverse drug reaction (ADR) profile of risperidone and their association with dopamine (DRD2 - 141 C Ins/Del/rs1799732) and serotonin receptor (5HTR2C -759 C>T/rs3813929) gene polymorphisms in patients with schizophrenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted among 289 patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia and were on treatment with risperidone (4-8 mg/day)-based therapy for a minimum of 4 weeks. Genotyping was carried by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ranolazine as an add-on drug in chronic stable angina patients and the impact of ranolazine on the quality of life in chronic stable angina patients receiving other antianginal medications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a prospective, open-label, hospital-based study involving 144 patients with chronic stable angina. First group received either metoprolol 12.5 or 25 mg/day or other antianginal medications; if the symptoms persist, the dose of metoprolol was increased to 50 mg/day, and to the second group, ranolazine 500 mg BD or 1 g OD was added along with metoprolol or others if the anginal attacks were not subsiding...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanistic pathway of both indocyanine green (ICG)-001 in attenuated endotoxemia-induced cardiac depression through downregulation cardiac Wnt/ β-catenin cell signaling. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult (4-6 months) male Albino-Webster mice, their weights ranged from 25 to 30 g, were pretreated with ICG-001 i.p., following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Left ventricle (LV) function was assessed using a microcatheter system. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and cytokines mediators in plasma and myocardium were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between renal function and linezolid (LZD)-induced thrombocytopenia and elucidate the underlying mechanism using a chronic renal disease (CRD) mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CRD was induced in 5-week-old male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice by 5/6 nephrectomy. After this procedure, LZD (25 and 100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally once every day for 28 days. Platelet counts, white blood cell (WBC) counts, and hematocrit (HCT) levels were measured every 7 days...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of addition of fentanyl and clonidine as adjuvants to bupivacaine and lignocaine in peribulbar block. METHODS: The study was conducted on 105 adult patients of either sex, of ASA grade I and II undergoing ophthalmic surgeries. Patients were randomly divided into 3 groups of 35 each. All the patients were given peribulbuar block with 5ml lignocaine 2% +3 ml bupivacaine 0.5% +1 ml hyaluronidase (250 IU). In addition to this 1 ml normal saline was added to Group S, 25 μg fentanyl to Group F and 25 μg clonidine to Group C...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.