Topic Review
CO2 Pneumoperitoneum
Laparoscopy (LS) has been shown to decrease the inflammatory sequelae of endotoxemia. β-arrestin 2 plays an important function in signal transduction pathway of TLR4. High mobility group box-1 (HMGB-1) is involved in the delayed systemic inflammatory response. We investigated the effects of CO2 insufflation on liver, lung, and kidney expression of both β-arrestin 2 and HMGB-1 during sepsis. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was performed in male rats and 6 h later the animals were randomly assigned to receive a CO2 pneumoperitoneum or laparotomy. Animals were euthanized; liver, lung, and kidney were removed for the evaluation of β-arrestin 2 and HMGB-1 expression. Immunohistochemical detection of myeloperoxidase (MPO) was investigated in lung and liver and bacterial load was determined in the peritoneal fluid. CO2 pneumoperitoneum reduced peritoneal bacterial load, increased the expression of β-arrestin 2, and blunted the expression of the potent proinflammatory HMGB-1 in liver, lung, and kidney compared with laparotomy. Liver and lung MPO was markedly reduced in rats subjected to LS compared with laparotomy. We believe that CO2 exerts an early protective effect by reducing bacterial load and likely toll-like receptor activation which in turn leads to a preserved β-arrestin 2 expression and a reduced HMGB-1 expression.
  • 903
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Clozapine, Pharmacogenetic Biomarkers, Particularities COVID-19
Clozapine (CLZ) use is precarious due to its neurological, cardiovascular, and hematological side effects; however, it is the gold standard in therapy-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) in adults and is underused. Objective: to examine the most recent CLZ data on (a) side effects concerning (b) recent pharmacological mechanisms, (c) therapy benefits, and (d) the particularities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data sources: a search was performed in two databases (PubMed andWeb of Science) using the specific keywords “clozapine” and “schizophrenia”, “side effects”, “agranulocytosis”, “TRS”, or “bipolar affective disorder (BAF)” for the last ten years. Study eligibility criteria: clinical trials on adults with acute symptoms of schizophrenia or related disorders. Results: We selected 37 studies, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and clinical case series (CCS), centered on six main topics in the search area: (a) CLZ in schizophrenia, (b) CLZ in bipolar disorder, (c) side effects during the clozapine therapy, (d) CLZ in pregnancy, (e) CLZ in early-onset schizophrenia, and (f) CLZ therapy and COVID-19 infection. Limitations: we considered RCTs and CCS from two databases, limited to the search topics. Conclusions and implications of key findings: (a) clozapine doses should be personalized for each patient based on pharmacogenetics testing when available; the genetic vulnerability postulates predictors of adverse reactions’ severity; patients with a lower genetic risk could have less frequent hematological monitoring; (b) a CLZ-associated risk of pulmonary embolism imposes prophylactic measures for venous thromboembolism; (c) convulsive episodes are not an indication for stopping treatment; the plasma concentration of clozapine is a better side effect predictor then the dosage; (d) COVID-19 infection may enhance clozapine toxicity, generating an increased risk of pneumonia. Therapy must be continued with the proper monitoring of the white blood count, and the clozapine dose decreased by half until three days after the fever breaks; psychiatrists and healthcare providers must act together.
  • 596
  • 20 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Clotting Dysfunction in Sepsis
Sepsis is regarded as one of the main causes of death among the critically ill. Pathogen infection results in a host-mediated pro-inflammatory response to fight infection; as part of this response, significant endogenous reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen species (RNS) production occurs, instigated by a variety of sources, including activated inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils, platelets, and cells from the vascular endothelium. Inflammation can become an inappropriate self-sustaining and expansive process, resulting in sepsis. Patients with sepsis often exhibit loss of aspects for normal vascular homeostatic control, resulting in abnormal coagulation events and development of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Diagnosis and treatment of sepsis remains a significant challenge for health care providers globally. Targeting the drivers of excessive oxidative/nitrosative stress using antioxidant treatments might be a therapeutic option.
  • 324
  • 14 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Clopidogrel Resistance (CR)
Clopidogrel is a widely-used antiplatelet drug. It is important for the treatment and prevention of coronary heart disease. Clopidogrel can effectively reduce platelet activity and therefore reduce stent thrombosis. However, some patients still have ischemic events despite taking the clopidogrel due to the alteration in clopidogrel metabolism attributable to various genetic and non-genetic factors. This review aims to summarise the mechanisms and causes of clopidogrel resistance (CR) and potential strategies to overcome it. 
  • 513
  • 07 May 2021
Topic Review
Clinical Trials of Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that currently has no cure, but treatments are available to improve PD symptoms and maintain quality of life.
  • 853
  • 03 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Clinical Studies in IGU
Iguratimod (IGU) is a conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD) routinely prescribed in Japan since 2012 to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Iguratimod acts directly on B cells by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17), thereby suppressing the production of immunoglobulin and inhibiting the activity of nuclear factor kappa-light chain enhancer of activated B cells. In Japan, it is one of the most used csDMARDs in daily practice, but it is not recommended as a treatment for RA due to the lack of large-scale evidence established overseas.
  • 401
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Clinical Pharmacy in Psychiatry
Although clinical pharmacy is a discipline that emerged in the 1960s, the question of precisely how pharmacists can play a role in therapeutic optimization remains unanswered. In the field of mental health, psychiatric pharmacists are increasingly involved in medication reconciliation and therapeutic patient education (or psychoeducation) to improve medication management and enhance medication adherence, respectively. However, psychiatric pharmacists must now assume a growing role in team-based models of care and engage in shared expertise in psychopharmacology in order to truly invest in therapeutic optimization of psychotropics.
  • 670
  • 05 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Clinical Efficacy and Safety, Interchangeability of Biosimilars
Clinical safety and efficacy studies add substantial cost and time to the approval of biosimilars. However, this argument will have little weight if these studies were able to add additional value over and above the rest of the testing. Interchangeability is a legally defined path in the US biosimilar guidance.
  • 366
  • 27 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Clinical Considerations of Benzodiazepines
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are among one of the most widely prescribed drug classes in the United States. BZDs are a class of psychoactive drugs known for their depressant effect on the central nervous system (CNS). They quickly diffuse through the blood–brain barrier to affect the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and exert sedative effects. One of the debilitating side effects of BZDs is their addictive potential. The dependence on BZDs generally leads to withdrawal symptoms, requiring careful tapering of the medication when prescribed. Regular use of BZDs has been shown to cause severe, harmful psychological and physical dependence, leading to withdrawal symptoms similar to that of alcohol withdrawal.
  • 477
  • 23 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Clinical Application of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α Inhibitors
Hypoxia is a common phenomenon amongst physiological and pathological conditions, and is a strong stressor for cells and organisms, which can lead to metabolic disorders, and even cause cell death. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is the only transcription factor that has been found to be active under hypoxia, and is also the main nuclear transcription factor that mediates the adaptive response to hypoxia in mammals. It is closely related to the growth and development of organisms and the pathogenesis of some diseases. HIF-1α has low expression in the human brain, lung, placenta, heart, skeletal muscle, kidney, and pancreas under normoxia, but there is an exponentially large increase of HIF-1α in the brain, lung, kidney, heart, and other tissues under hypoxia. HIF-1α inhibitors can be widely used in the treatment of various diseases related to HIF-1 overexpression, such as tumors; leukemia; diabetes and its complications; ischemic, cardiovascular and brain diseases; and inflammatory diseases, etc.
  • 223
  • 20 Jul 2023
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