Sulodexide Improves Contraction and Decreases Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 and -9 in Veins Under Prolonged Stretch.

High pressure in the lower-limb veins is often associated with chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins (VVs), making it important to search for the mechanisms and agents that control venous function. We have shown that protracted increases in venous stretch/wall tension reduce vein contraction and augment matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9. Also, MMP-2 and MMP-9 promote venodilation, a hallmark of VVs.

Combined systemic (fluconazole) and topical (metronidazole + clotrimazole) therapy for a new approach to the treatment and prophylaxis of recurrent candidiasis.

Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is an important pathological and infectious condition that can greatly impact a woman's health and quality of life. Clinical and epidemiological studies show that different types of therapies are able to eliminate the signs and symptoms of mycotic vaginitis in the acute phase, but so far none of these has proved able to significantly reduce the risk of long-term recurrence. In this review, based on the available literature and original data from a preliminary in-vitro microbiological study on the compatibility between fluconazole, clotrimazole and metronidazole a new therapeutic approach to RVVC is discussed and presented.

Sulodexide promotes arterial relaxation via endothelium-dependent nitric oxide-mediated pathway.

Sulodexide (SDX) is a highly purified glycosaminoglycan with antithrombotic and profibrinolytic properties and reported benefits in thrombotic and atherosclerotic vascular disorders. However, the effects of SDX on vascular function are unclear. We tested whether SDX affects vascular relaxation and examined the potential underlying mechanisms.

Sulodexide counteracts endothelial dysfunction induced by metabolic or non-metabolic stresses through activation of the autophagic program.

Objective: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) predisposes to venous thrombosis (VT) and post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), a long-term VT-related complication. Sulodexide (SDX) is a highly purified glycosaminoglycan with antithrombotic, pro-fibrinolytic and anti-inflammatory activity used in the treatment of chronic venous disease (CVD), including patients with PTS. SDX has recently obtained clinical evidence in the "extension therapy" after initial-standard anticoagulant treatment for the secondary prevention of recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Methotrexate and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Current Evidence Regarding Subcutaneous Versus Oral Routes of Administration.

Unlabelled: Methotrexate (MTX) is still considered the drug of choice in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management. Comparing subcutaneous (MTX SC) and oral (MTX OR) routes of administration is important to optimize the everyday therapeutic strategy in the real-life setting. This review summarizes scientific evidence currently available on this topic.

Randomized, controlled study of innovative spray formulation containing ozonated oil and α-bisabolol in the topical treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers.

Objective: Ozone therapy has a large clinical application in many therapeutic areas because of its well-known antimicrobial, immunological, and oxygenating properties. Recently, interest has grown regarding the application of ozonated oil for vascular leg ulcer treatment. The efficacy of an innovative spray formulation of ozonated oil and α-bisabolol combination in the topical treatment of chronic venous leg ulcers was evaluated compared with standard epithelialization cream.

Allergic conjunctivitis: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Ocular allergy is a common disease in daily practice.

Objectives: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate clinical aspects of and therapeutic approaches to ocular allergy in Italy.

Methods: Of the 3685 patients affected by ocular allergy and enrolled by 304 ophthalmologists nationally, 3545 were eligible to be included in the statistical analysis.

[Topical treatment of vaginal infections by the association of metronidazole-clotrimazole].

Vaginal infections are one of the most gynecological frequently diseases observed and with significant psychological and clinical implications. Their pharmacological treatment may require different options, but even today, scientific literature and international guidelines recommend the use of metronidazole for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and trichomoniasis, and the clotrimazole for fungal infections from Candida (VVC). In this contest, the topical association of clotrimazole-metronidazole (vaginal pessaries, cream and douches) represents a current reference treatment for these types of infections with a number of important pharmacological properties.

Human pharmacokinetics of the muscle relaxant, eperisone hydrochloride by liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry.

Eperisone hydrochloride (4'-ethyl-2-methyl-3-piperidinopropiophenone hydrochloride) is a muscle relaxant agent, widely used in the treatment of patients with muscular contractures, low back pain or spasticity. Because of its mechanism of action (inhibition of gamma-efferent firing and local vasodilatation activity), side effects on central nervous system are rarely observed. A sensitive liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method for determination of eperisone in human plasma has been developed, with a lower limit of quantification of 0.

The regulatory elements of araBAD operon, contrary to lac-based expression systems, afford hypersynthesis of murine, and human interferons in Escherichia coli.

The overexpression of four different interferons, i.e., murine interferon alpha1 and human interferons alpha1, alpha 8, and alpha 21 was challenged in Escherichia coli.

[Endovascular treatment of spontaneous vertebral arteriovenous fistula in children: case report].

Spontaneous cervical artery fistulas are rare arteriovenous malformations between the artery and veins of the neighborhood. We report a case of non traumatic vertebral arteriovenous fistula in a girl, aged 9 years, treated by endovascular approach. Under general anesthesia and with fluoroscopic guidance, using a endovascular technique, latex detachable balloons were used to successfully occlude the fistula.

The IFN-alpha-inducing capacity of Sendai Virus in human leukocytes is independent from the hemagglutinating and hemolytic activities and from the viral proteins of the Sendai Virus preparations.

About 30 Sendai Virus (SV) preparations, examined for their capacity to induce natural human interferon alpha from fresh human leukocytes (Le-IFN-alpha) of healthy donors, were characterized for hemagglutinating (HA) and hemolytic (HemA) activities and for SDS-PAGE proteic pattern. The SV preparations were produced by a single passage or by serial propagations through eggs in different conditions of multiplicity of infection (m.o.

Variations in the interferon-inducing capacity of Sendai virus subpopulations.

Several Sendai virus (SV) preparations, propagated through eggs from the same viral seed, exhibited significantly different capacities to induce interferon (IFN) in human leukocytes (nHu-IFN-alpha). The amount of induced IFN and the numbers of SV IFN-inducing particles (IFP) per cell were determined in dose (SV concentration)-response (IFN yield) curves, kinetics of IFN production, and coinfection experiments with SV preparations that differed in IFN-inducing capacities. The possible role of leukocyte sources and the quality of the SV preparations and of allantoic fluids in affecting the IFN-inducing capacity of SV populations also were tested.

Sendai virus and herpes virus type 1 induce apoptosis in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Recent reports suggest that several viruses, besides human immunodeficiency virus, induce apoptosis in infected cells. We report here that Sendai virus or Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), two potent inducers of interferon-alpha, caused cell death in a consistent number of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A careful analysis of infected cells by different techniques, such as optical and electron microscopy, DNA agarose gel electrophoresis, and cytofluorimetric analysis of DNA content, showed that cell death was of apoptotic type.

Potentiation of interferon-alpha in vitro antiviral activity by interferon-gamma is not abrogated by antibody to interferon-gamma.

The addition of minute amounts of recombinant interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) to recombinant IFN-alpha 2 significantly enhances its antiviral activity. Although this potentiating action of IFN-gamma is destroyed by treatment with acid, it is not significantly affected by treatment with antibodies to IFN-gamma, suggesting that IFN-gamma molecules can interact with cells to potentiate IFN-alpha activity, even in the presence of neutralizing antibodies. Implications of this phenomenon are multifaceted, including the possibility that other IFN activities can be altered synergistically by combinations of different IFN types, even in the presence of specific antibodies, which have been described to occur in vivo in several pathological conditions.

Acid lability is not an intrinsic property of interferon-alpha induced by HIV-infected cells.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected cells induce acid-labile interferon-alpha (al-IFN-alpha) in cultures of mononuclear cells from peripheral human blood. We have investigated the physiochemical properties of such preparations to elucidate the reasons for acid-lability of this IFN. Al-IFN-alpha is a mixture of both glycosylated and unglycosylated molecules as shown by separation on Concanavalin-A Sepharose.

Role of glycosilation in the susceptibility of "acid labile" interferon alpha to acid treatment.

Mononuclear cells from blood of healthy donors produce acid-labile interferon (IFN) alpha when stimulated with HIV-infected cells. A large proportion of this IFN appears to be glycosilated, as treatment with neuraminidase causes a shift of the isoelectric point (IP) from pH = 5.2-5.

Membrane interactions involved in the induction of acid labile interferon alpha.

Human normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) produce acid-labile interferon (IFN) alpha when stimulated in vitro with HIV-infected cells fixed with glutaraldehyde. The cells responsible for IFN production are mainly B lymphocytes. The present study was aimed to further elucidate the cellular source of this IFN and to analyze the membrane interactions involved in the induction process.