Evaluation of a new computerized psychometric test battery: Effects of zolpidem and caffeine.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of centrally active drugs using a new indigenously developed automated psychometric test system and compare the results with that obtained using pencil- and paper-based techniques.

Materials And Methods: The tests were standardized in 24 healthy participants. Reproducibility of the test procedure was evaluated by performing the tests by a single experimenter on two occasions (interday reproducibility).

A computerized stroop test for the evaluation of psychotropic drugs in healthy participants.

Background: The Stroop paradigm evaluates susceptibility to interference and is sensitive to dysfunction in frontal lobes and drug effects. The aim of the present study was to establish a simple and reliable computerized version of Stroop color-word test, which can be used for screening of various psychotropic drugs.

Materials And Methods: The standardized method was followed in all cases, by recording the reaction time (RT) in msec in 24 healthy participants using computerized version of Stroop color-word test.

Optimization of Gaussian Kernel Function in Support Vector Machine aided QSAR studies of C-aryl glucoside SGLT2 inhibitors.

The present investigations include utility of latest statistical algorithm Support Vector Machine (SVM) to identify non-linear structure activity relationship between IC50 values and structures of C-aryl glucoside SGLT2 inhibitors. Training dataset consisted of forty molecules and the remaining six molecules were chosen for test set validation. SVM under Gaussian Kernel Function yielded non-linear QSAR models.

Interaction between voriconazole and glimepiride.

Voriconazole, a triazole antifungal, is gaining popularity in the treatment of invasive fungal infections, mostly in the immuno-compromised patients. Voriconazole, a CYP2C9 inhibitor, has many potential drug interactions. Its interactions are both due to its pharmacokinetic properties and the genetic polymorphism of CYP2C9 enzymes.

Spirulina attenuates cyclosporine-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

Cyclosporine (CsA) causes a dose-related decrease in renal function in experimental animals and humans. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been implicated in CsA-induced nephrotoxicity. It was previously shown that Spirulina, a blue-green algae, with antioxidant properties effectively attenuated the doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in mice and cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat.

Protection against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by Spirulina in rats.

Purpose: Cisplatin (CP)-induced nephrotoxicity is associated with the increased generation of reactive oxygen metabolites and lipid peroxidation in kidney, caused by the decreased levels of antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of Spirulina, blue-green alga with antioxidant properties, in the protection of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rat.

Methods: Rats were treated with CP (6 mg/kg bw, single dose, intraperitoneally).

C-phycocyanin ameliorates doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in adult rat cardiomyocytes.

Doxorubicin (DOX), a potent antineoplastic agent, poses limitations for its therapeutic use due to the associated risk of developing cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure. The cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin is associated with oxidative stress and apoptosis. We have recently shown that Spirulina, a blue-green alga with potent antioxidant properties, offered significant protection against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in mice.

C-phycocyanin protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury of heart through involvement of p38 MAPK and ERK signaling.

We previously showed that C-phycocyanin (PC), an antioxidant biliprotein pigment of Spirulina platensis (a blue-green alga), effectively inhibited doxorubicin-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Here we investigated the cardioprotective effect of PC against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced myocardial injury in an isolated perfused Langendorff heart model. Rat hearts were subjected to 30 min of global ischemia at 37 degrees C followed by 45 min of reperfusion.

Protective effect of Spirulina against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

The generation of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether Spirulina, a blue-green algae, could serve as a cardioprotective agent during DOX treatment in a mouse model. Mice were treated with DOX (4 mg/kg bw, intraperitoneally), weekly, for 4 weeks.

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of losartan potassium in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension as compared to enalapril maleate.

Aim: To study the effect of losartan potassium in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension and to compare its efficacy and adverse effect profile with enalaparil maleate.

Material And Methods: One hundred and forty five patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were enrolled in this randomized, double blind, controlled, parallel and multicentric study. Seventy two patients received losartan potassium 50 mg and seventy three received enalapril maleate 5 mg.

Evaluation of amlodipine, lisinopril, and a combination in the treatment of essential hypertension.

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are well established and widely used as monotherapy in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension. Earlier studies combining short acting drugs from these classes require multiple dosing and were associated with poor compliance. Availability of longer acting compounds allows once daily administration to avoid the inconvenience of a multiple daily dose.

Clinical evaluation of the tolerability and efficacy of trovafloxacin compared with sparfloxacin in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical tolerability and efficacy of trovafloxacin compared with sparfloxacin in the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections.

Design: This was a randomised, double-blind, controlled, parallel study.

Participants And Interventions: 92 patients with lower respiratory tract infection were enrolled in three centres.

Determination of terazosin in human plasma, using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection.

A selective, sensitive, rapid and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of terazosin in plasma is described. The structurally related compound prazosin was used as an internal standard. The method comprises extraction with methylene chloride followed by chromatography on a C18 reversed-phase column.

Rapid and selective analysis of secnidazole in human plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection.

A rapid, reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of secnidazole, 5-nitroimidazole class of antiprotozoals from blood is described. Metronidazole was used as an internal standard. A simple extraction step with dichloromethane was done before chromatography on a C18 column with the wavelength fixed at 276 nm on the UV detector.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a new herbal revitalizer revivin.

Clinical efficacy and safety of a herbomineral drug containing withania somnifera Asparagus racemosus glycyrrhiza glabra, mucuna pruriens, Myristica fragrans, Anauchus pyrethrum, Ipomoea digitata, sida cordifolia, zine ash complex and high energy carbohydrate molecules were evaluated in an open study. All patients treated with the drug reported good improvement in the various symptomatology of general weakness appetite, sleep mood, and concentration the overall improvement ranged between 69-77% The drug was well tolerated.

An evaluation of antidepressants in rheumatic pain conditions.

In a randomized, double-blind, parallel study, fluoxetine and amitriptyline were compared with placebo in the treatment of chronic rheumatic pain. A total of 59 patients were evaluated during 4 wk of treatment and received 20 mg fluoxetine, 25 mg amitriptyline, or placebo daily. Pain intensity, pain relief, vital variables, and global evaluation were used to assess efficacy.

Multicentric, placebo-controlled, randomised double-blind evaluation of a new herbal cream in vagial infections.

Efficacyand safety of a new herbal cream containing aqueous extracts of Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Pongamia glabra, Glycyrrihiza glabra and Santallum album were evaluated in amulticentric, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. With active drug treatment, there was significant improvement in various signs like redness, oedema and symptoms like itching, burning, discharge and discomfort, compared to placebo treatment. Microscopic examination of smear and culture showed significant reduction of offending organisms after treatment with active drug.

Comparative study of omeprazole and famotidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcer.

In a double blind, multicenter, parallel group clinical trial in patients with symptomatic duodenal ulcers, 129 patients were randomized to receive either omeprazole 20 mg once daily (n = 65) or famotidine 40 mg once daily (n = 64) for 2 weeks, and if the ulcers were not healed, for a total of 4 weeks. Seventy four percent of these receiving omeprazole had healed ulcers after 2 weeks compared with 34.3% of those receiving famotidine (p < 0.

Antipyrine kinetics in undernourished diabetics.

In developing countries diabetics frequently suffer from varying grades of malnutrition. The combined effect of malnutrition and non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM) on the drug metabolising enzyme system has been evaluated using antipyrine as a protodrug. All the patients were under treatment and their plasma glucose values were within normal limits.

Use of micelles in studying drug-binding sites: simulation of the tubulin-bound fluorescence of colchicine.

Enhancement of the fluorescence intensity of colchicine occurs in media of low polarity and appreciable viscosity; this is suggested to be the basis of the intensification of its fluorescence when it is bound to and immobilized in tubulin. We show here that the tubulin-bound fluorescence features of colchicine are largely reconstructed upon solubilizing it in chosen micellar aggregates that offer optimal polarities and microviscosities. Triton X-100 and bile salt micelles intensify the colchicine emission but the maximal effects are obtained with tetrameric aggregates of the peptide melittin.