Stability of Sodium Nitroprusside and Sodium Thiosulfate 1:10 Intravenous Admixture.

PURPOSE: Thiosulfate has been shown to reduce the risk of cyanide toxicity during nitroprusside administration. Admixtures containing both agents may provide a safe and effective alternative to more expensive agents used to reduce blood pressure in the critically ill patient. This study determined the physical and chemical stability of a 1:10 nitroprusside:thiosulfate admixture, stored up to 48 hours.

IL-1beta receptor blockade protects islets against pro-inflammatory cytokine induced necrosis and apoptosis.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines (PIC) impair islet viability and function by activating inflammatory pathways that induce both necrosis and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to utilize an in vitro rat islet model to evaluate the efficacy of a clinically approved IL-1 receptor antagonist (Anakinra) in blocking PIC induced islet impairment. Isolated rat islets were cultured for 48 h +/- PIC (IL-1beta, IFNgamma, and TNFalpha) and +/-IL-1ra then assayed for cellular integrity by flow cytometry, MAPK phosphorylation by proteome array, and gene expression by RT-PCR.