Search

The treatment of schistosomiasis depends on a single drug: praziquantel (PZQ). However, this treatment presents limitations such as low and/or erratic bioavailability that can contribute to cases of tolerance. Improvements to the available drug are urgently needed and studies with a controlled system of drug release, like liposomes, have been gaining prominence. The present study evaluated the activity and synergy between liposomal-praziquantel (lip.PZQ) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). Mice received doses of 60 or 100mg/kg PZQ or lip.PZQ, 50 days post-infection, and after the treatment, were exposed to HBO (3 atmosphere absolute - ATA) for 1h. The viability of adult worms and oviposition were analyzed, by necropsy and Kato-Katz examination performed after 15 days of treatment. A concentration of 100mg/kg of lip.PZQ+HBO was more effective (48.0% reduction of worms, 83.3% reduction of eggs/gram of feces) and 100% of the mice had altered of oograms (indicating interruption of oviposition) compared to other treatments and to the Control group (infected and untreated). It is known that PZQ requires participation of the host immune system to complete its antischistosomal activity and that HBO is able to stimulate the immune system. The drug became more available in the body when incorporated into liposomes and, used with HBO, the HBO worked as an adjuvant. This explains the decreases of oviposition and worms recovered form hepatic portal system., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The incidence of ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial infarction has been compared in a controlled study of procainamide, mexiletine, and placebo. Sixty male patients who has sustained a myocardial infarction and had received lignocaine for ventricular tachycardia or ventricular ectopic beats which were R-on-T, multiform, or close-coupled took part. The efficacy of the drugs was evaluated by continuous 24-hour recordings of the electrocardiogram on the 4th and 10th days after admission to the study. Procainamide was given as 500 mg. 4-hourly and mexiletine as 250 mg. 8-hourly with corresponding placebo regimens for 12 days. 77% of patients receiving placebo showed serious ventricular rhythm disorders compared with 33% receiving antiarrhythmic therapy (p smaller than 0.05). Although only 35% of patients receiving procainamide achieved accepted therapeutic plasma concentrations compared with 95% of those receiving mexiletine, both drugs were equally effective antiarrhythmically. The only major adverse effect of therapy noted was development of a positive antinuclear factor in a procainamide-treated patient. These results demonstrate the efficacy of oral antiarrhythmic agents in the management of ventricular arrhythmias after acute myocardial infarction. Mexiletine has the advantage of less frequent administration and lower toxicity.