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Acta Pharmaceutica (Zagreb, Croatia) Jun 2024This study investigates the 10-year trend in the sedative and anticholinergic burden among older adults in Slovenia, with the aim of identifying opportunities to...
This study investigates the 10-year trend in the sedative and anticholinergic burden among older adults in Slovenia, with the aim of identifying opportunities to optimize pharmacotherapy in this population. A retrospective drug utilization analysis was conducted based on a national anonymized database of dispensed prescriptions from 2009 to 2019. The study employed the sedative load model and the anticholinergic cognitive burden scale to assess the sedative and anti cholinergic burden, respectively. The findings indicate that in 2019, 45.6 % and 40.8 % of older adults (≥ 65 years) used sedative and anticholinergic medications, respectively. A high sedative load and a clinically significant anticholinergic burden were observed in a considerable proportion of older adults (13.2 % and 11.2 %, respectively, in 2019). The age-standardized prevalence of sedative load and anti-cholinergic burden significantly decreased over the 10-year study period by 5.6 % and 1.7 %, respectively (absolute difference), while the prevalence of clinically significant anticholinergic burden remained stable. Notably, the age groups 85-89 years and above 90 years had an increase in the proportion of individuals with a clinically significant anticholinergic burden over the years. These results emphasize the need for targeted interventions, particularly in the oldest age groups, to promote safe and effective medication use among older adults.
Topics: Humans; Cholinergic Antagonists; Slovenia; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Male; Retrospective Studies; Female; Hypnotics and Sedatives; Drug Utilization; Databases, Factual; Age Factors; Prevalence
PubMed: 38815203
DOI: 10.2478/acph-2024-0017 -
International Journal of Chronic... 2024Real-life research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol (BGF) in routine COPD primary care management. We assessed the... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
PURPOSE
Real-life research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol (BGF) in routine COPD primary care management. We assessed the frequency of medication success among patients with COPD who initiated BGF using real-world data.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with a recorded diagnostic COPD code who started BGF with ≥2 prescriptions within 90-days were identified in the UK Optimum Patient Care Research Database and followed from first prescription until censoring at the end of follow-up (180-days), death, leaving database or end of data at 24/10/2022. The primary outcome was medication success at 90-days post-BGF initiation, defined as no major cardiac or respiratory event (ie no complicated COPD exacerbation, hospitalization for any respiratory event, myocardial infarction, new/hospitalized heart failure, and death) and no incidence of pneumonia. Medication success was also assessed at 180-days post-BGF initiation. Overall real-life medication success was claimed if the lower 95% confidence interval (CI) for the proportion of patients meeting the primary outcome was ≥70% (defined a priori).
RESULTS
Two hundred eighty-five patients were included. Prior to BGF initiation, these patients often had severe airflow obstruction (mean ppFEV: 54.5%), were highly symptomatic (mMRC ≥2: 77.9% (n = 205/263); mean CAT score: 21.7 (SD 7.8)), with evidence of short-acting β-agonist (SABA) over-use (≥3 inhalers/year: 62.1%, n=179/285), repeat OCS prescriptions (≥2 courses/year: 33.0%, n = 95/285) and multiple primary care consultations (≥2 visits/year: 61.1%, n = 174/285). Overall, 39.6% of patients (n = 113/285) switched from previous triple therapies. Real-life medication success was achieved by 96.5% of patients (n = 275/285 [95% CI: 93.6, 98.3]) during 90-days treatment with BGF and by 91.8% (n = 169/184 [95% CI: 86.9, 95.4]) of patients at 180-days. The prescribed daily dose of SABA remained stable over the study period.
CONCLUSION
The majority of patients initiating BGF experienced real-life medication success reflecting the absence of severe cardiopulmonary events. These benefits were apparent after 90-days of treatment and sustained over 180-days.
Topics: Humans; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Male; Female; Aged; Primary Health Care; Treatment Outcome; Bronchodilator Agents; Middle Aged; Time Factors; Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; United Kingdom; Glycopyrrolate; Databases, Factual; Budesonide, Formoterol Fumarate Drug Combination; Lung; Muscarinic Antagonists; Drug Combinations; Retrospective Studies; Glucocorticoids; Aged, 80 and over
PubMed: 38813078
DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S452624 -
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences 2023Propofol is a positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptor (GABAAR) and has potent antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of...
Propofol mitigates brain injury and oxidative stress, and enhances GABAA receptor α1 subunit expression in a rat model of lithium chloride-pilocarpine induced status epilepticus.
BACKGROUND/AIM
Propofol is a positive allosteric modulator of GABAA receptor (GABAAR) and has potent antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of propofol on damage to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in a lithium chloride (LiCl)-pilocarpine animal model of status epilepticus (SE).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with LiCl-pilocarpine to induce SE. They were then randomized and injected 30 min later with vehicle saline (SE+saline), propofol (SE+PPF, 50 mg/kg), Diazepam (SE+DZP, 10 mg/kg), Scopolamine (SE+SCOP, 10 mg/kg), or MK-801 (SE+MK-801, 2 mg/kg). Another group of rats received saline only and served as the naïve control (BLK). The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum, cortex and hippocampus were analyzed 2 and 24 h posttreatment. The degree of tissue damage in the cortex and hippocampus of individual rats was assessed 24 h posttreatment, together with expression of the GABAAR α1 subunit.
RESULTS
The propofol group showed reduced levels of tissue damage in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, decreased levels of MDA, and increased levels of GSH compared to the SE+saline group. No changes in SOD level were observed in serum and tissue samples from the cortex and hippocampus of SE+saline rats. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays showed that propofol treatment significantly increased the expression of GABAR α1 subunit in the cortical and hippocampal tissues of SE rats.
CONCLUSION
Propofol treatment protected against SE-induced tissue injury in the cortex and hippocampus of rats. This was due at least in part to its antioxidant activity and to its induction of GABAAR α1 subunit expression in the brain.
Topics: Animals; Propofol; Receptors, GABA-A; Status Epilepticus; Pilocarpine; Male; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Lithium Chloride; Oxidative Stress; Rats; Disease Models, Animal; Hippocampus; Brain Injuries; Malondialdehyde; Cerebral Cortex
PubMed: 38813010
DOI: 10.55730/1300-0144.5670 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... May 2024Choline participates in three major metabolic pathways: oxidation, phosphorylation, and acetylation. Through oxidation, choline is converted to betaine and contributes... (Review)
Review
Choline participates in three major metabolic pathways: oxidation, phosphorylation, and acetylation. Through oxidation, choline is converted to betaine and contributes to methyl metabolism and epigenetic regulation. Through phosphorylation, choline participates in phospholipid metabolism, and serves as the precursor of phosphocholine, phosphatidylcholine, glycerophosphocholine, and other essential compounds, thereby modulating lipid metabolism and transport. Through acetylation, choline is transformed into acetylcholine in cholinergic neurons, playing a vital role in neurotransmission. Moreover, gut microbiota can metabolize choline into trimethylamine-N-oxide, and be involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc. Since choline metabolism is implicated in the development of NAFLD and diverse cancers, including liver cancer, it may serve as a therapeutic target for these diseases in the future. Currently, there are numerous therapeutic agents targeting choline metabolism to treat NAFLD and cancers, but most of them are ineffective and some even have adverse effects that lead to a series of complications. Therefore, further research and clinical validation are required to obtain safe and efficacious drugs. This review comprehensively summarizes the choline metabolic pathway and its regulatory mechanisms, elucidates the roles and mechanisms of choline metabolism in the aforementioned diseases, and provides a discussion of the current advances and immense potential of this field.
Topics: Humans; Choline; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Neoplasms; Liver Neoplasms; Lipid Metabolism
PubMed: 38812309
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2905182 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... May 2024The present study aimed to investigate the anti-diabetic, anti-cholinesterase, and anti-inflammatory potential of extracts from different parts of , including leaves,...
BACKGROUND
The present study aimed to investigate the anti-diabetic, anti-cholinesterase, and anti-inflammatory potential of extracts from different parts of , including leaves, stem, and roots, as well as isolated column fractions (F-B-1 C, F-B-2 C, F-B-3 C, and F-B-4 C).
METHODS
The extracts and subsequent fractions were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against key enzymes involved in diabetes [α-glucosidase and α-amylase], neurodegenerative diseases [acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase], and inflammation (cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX)).
RESULTS
The results showed that leaf extract exhibited the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (73.84%) and α-amylase inhibitory activity (76.29%) at 1000 µg/mL. The stem extract (65.50%) and F-B-2 C fraction (69.67%) also demonstrated significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In terms of anti-cholinesterase activity, the extracts of roots, leaves, and stem showed promising inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 50.50 to 474.83 µg/mL. The derived fractions (F-B-1 C, F-B-2 C, F-B-3 C, and F-B-4 C) also exhibited notable inhibition of AChE and BChE, with IC50 values from 91.85 to 337.94 µg/mL. Moreover, the F-B-3 C fraction demonstrated the highest COX-2 inhibitory potential (85.72%), followed by F-B-1 C (83.13%), the stem extract (80.85%), and the leaves extract (79.00%). The F-B-1 C fraction showed the highest 5-LOX inhibitory activity (87.63%), while the root extract exhibited the lowest inhibition (73.39%).
CONCLUSIONS
The results demonstrated promising bioactivity, suggesting the potential of as a source of natural compounds with therapeutic applications. Further studies are required to identify and isolate the active components responsible for these effects and to evaluate their efficacy and safety.
Topics: Ficus; Plant Extracts; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Hypoglycemic Agents; Plant Leaves; Butyrylcholinesterase; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; alpha-Amylases; Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; Acetylcholinesterase; Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase; Plant Roots
PubMed: 38812295
DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2905183 -
Alzheimer's Research & Therapy May 2024A large proportion of nursing home (NH) residents suffer from dementia and effects of conventional anti-dementia drugs on their health is poorly known. We aimed to... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
A large proportion of nursing home (NH) residents suffer from dementia and effects of conventional anti-dementia drugs on their health is poorly known. We aimed to investigate the associations between exposure to anti-dementia drugs and mortality among NH residents.
METHODS
This retrospective longitudinal observational study involved 329 French NH and the residents admitted in these facilities since 2014 and having major neurocognitive disorder. From their electronic health records, we obtained their age, sex, level of dependency, Charlson comorbidity index, and Mini mental examination score at admission. Exposure to anti-dementia drugs was determined using their prescription into 4 categories: none, exposure to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) alone, exposure to memantine alone, exposure to AChEI and memantine. Survival until the end of 2019 was studied in the entire cohort by Cox proportional hazards. To alleviate bias related to prescription of anti-dementia drugs, we formed propensity-score matched cohorts for each type of anti-dementia drug exposure, and studied survival by the same method.
RESULTS
We studied 25,358 NH residents with major neurocognitive disorder. Their age at admission was 87.1 + 7.1 years and 69.8% of them were women. Exposure to anti-dementia drugs occurred in 2,550 (10.1%) for AChEI alone, in 2,055 (8.1%) for memantine alone, in 460 (0.2%) for AChEI plus memantine, whereas 20,293 (80.0%) had no exposure to anti-dementia drugs. Adjusted hazard ratios for mortality were significantly reduced for these three groups exposed to anti-dementia drugs, as compared to reference group: HR: 0.826, 95%CI 0.769 to 0.888 for AChEI; 0.857, 95%CI 0.795 to 0.923 for memantine; 0.742, 95%CI 0.640 to 0.861 for AChEI plus memantine. Results were consistent in propensity-score matched cohorts.
CONCLUSION
The use of conventional anti-dementia drugs is associated with a lower mortality in nursing home residents with dementia and should be widely used in this population.
Topics: Humans; Memantine; Nursing Homes; Female; Male; Dementia; Longitudinal Studies; Aged, 80 and over; Cholinesterase Inhibitors; Retrospective Studies; Aged; Homes for the Aged; France
PubMed: 38812028
DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01481-0 -
BMC Oral Health May 2024This study assessed the effect of cevimeline and different concentrations of gum arabic on the parotid gland of rats being given xerostomia-inducing methotrexate. (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the effect of cevimeline and different concentrations of gum arabic on the parotid gland of rats being given xerostomia-inducing methotrexate.
METHODS
One hundred twenty-five rats were divided into five equal groups of twenty-five each. The rats in Group I received basic diets, while those in Groups II, III, IV, and V received 20 mg/kg MTX as a single intraperitoneal dose on day one. Group III received 10 mg/kg CVM dissolved in saline orally and daily, and the other two groups aqueous suspension of GA. Therefore, Group IV received 2 ml/kg suspension orally and daily, while Group V received 3 ml/kg suspension orally and daily. After 9 days, the parotid glands were dissected carefully and prepared for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining as a routine histological stain and caspase-3 and Ki67 immunohistochemical staining. Quantitative data from α-Caspase-3 staining and Ki67 staining were statistically analysed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons post hoc test.
RESULTS
Regarding caspase-3 and Ki67 immunohistochemical staining, one-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference among the five groups. For Caspase-3, the highest mean value was for group II (54.21 ± 6.90), and the lowest mean value was for group I (15.75 ± 3.67). The other three groups had mean values of 31.09 ± 5.90, 30.76 ± 5.82, and 20.65 ± 3.47 for groups III, IV, and V, respectively. For Ki67, the highest mean value was for group I (61.70 ± 6.58), and the lowest value was for group II (18.14a ± 5.16). The other three groups had mean values of 34.4 ± 9.27, 48.03 ± 8.40, and 50.63 ± 8.27 for groups III, IV, and V, respectively.
CONCLUSION
GA, rather than the normally used drug CVM, had a desirable effect on the salivary glands of patients with xerostomia.
Topics: Animals; Rats; Xerostomia; Parotid Gland; Ki-67 Antigen; Methotrexate; Gum Arabic; Thiophenes; Caspase 3; Male; Rats, Wistar; Quinuclidines
PubMed: 38807094
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-04374-8 -
Clinical Case Reports Jun 2024Chronic ketamine use can lead to sphincter of oddi dysfunction (SOD), causing various hepatobiliary complications. Recognizing substance abuse history is vital for early...
KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE
Chronic ketamine use can lead to sphincter of oddi dysfunction (SOD), causing various hepatobiliary complications. Recognizing substance abuse history is vital for early detection. Timely intervention can prevent irreversible liver and pancreas damage.
ABSTRACT
Ketamine is commonly abused as a recreational drug worldwide due to its ability to induce euphoria-like effects. Ketamine abuse is associated with many hepatobiliary side effects ranging from cholestasis to biliary sepsis and death. Here we present a case of a young 29-year female with upper abdominal pain due to SOD resulting from chronic use of ketamine. SOD can result in obstruction or dysfunction of the bile and pancreatic ducts. Ketamine induces SOD by activation of the muscarinic receptors in the sphincter of oddi. Detail history of substance abuse is crucial for early identification of ketamine-induced SOD. Early identification and treatment of this rare condition can prevent permanent injury to the liver and pancreas.
PubMed: 38799518
DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.9016 -
JFMS Open Reports 2024A 1-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat presented on an emergency basis with clinical signs suspected to be secondary to organophosphate (OP) toxicity. The...
CASE SUMMARY
A 1-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat presented on an emergency basis with clinical signs suspected to be secondary to organophosphate (OP) toxicity. The control of clinical abnormalities (bradycardia, obtundation, tachypnea, anorexia) was achieved using high-dose continuous rate intravenous infusion (CRI) of atropine sulfate (maximum rate 0.1 mg/kg/h). After 5 days of hospitalization, the patient made a full clinical recovery without the development of atropine toxicity, intermediate syndrome or delayed polyneuropathy at 4 weeks after discharge.
RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION
Treatment of OP toxicity in cats is sparsely reported in veterinary literature. Current standards of treatment and published protocols recommend the use of atropine sulfate as intermittent boluses for the treatment of muscarinic signs of toxicity; however, there is a paucity of information regarding the safety and efficacy of atropine sulfate as a CRI for severe toxicosis as described in humans. This report includes the first published case using such a treatment protocol in a cat.
PubMed: 38799116
DOI: 10.1177/20551169241249637 -
Journal of Pharmacological and... May 2024Receptor occupancy is an indicator of antipsychotic efficacy and safety. It is desirable to simultaneously determine the occupancy of multiple brain receptors as an...
Development of simultaneous determination of dopamine 2, histamine 1, and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor occupancies by antipsychotics using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.
Receptor occupancy is an indicator of antipsychotic efficacy and safety. It is desirable to simultaneously determine the occupancy of multiple brain receptors as an indicator of the efficacy and central side effects of antipsychotics because many of these drugs have binding affinities for various receptors, such as dopamine 2 (D), histamine 1 (H), and muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh) receptors. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for the simultaneous measurement of multiple receptor occupancies in the brain by the simultaneous quantification of unlabeled tracer levels using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Rats were pre-administered with a vehicle, displacer, or olanzapine, and mixed solutions of raclopride, doxepin, and 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate (3-QNB) were administered (3, 10, and 30 μg/kg). The brain tissue and plasma tracer concentrations were quantified 45 min later using LC-MS/MS, and the binding potential was calculated. The highest binding potential was observed at 3 μg/kg raclopride, 10 μg/kg doxepin, and 30 μg/kg 3-QNB. Tracer-specific binding at these optimal tracer doses in the cerebral cortex was markedly reduced by pre-administration of displacers. D, H and mACh receptor occupancy by olanzapine increased in a dose-dependent manner, reaching 70-95%, 19-43%, and 12-45%, respectively, at an olanzapine dose range of 3-10 mg/kg. These results suggest that simultaneous determination of in vivo D, H, and mACh receptor occupancy is possible using LC-MS/MS.
PubMed: 38797366
DOI: 10.1016/j.vascn.2024.107518