Effects of paliperidone palmitate on coagulation: an experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a new antipsychotic drug paliperidone palmitate on hemogram and coagulation parameters in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were performed on 22 female albino Wistar rats (8-12 weeks old). Control group was given drinking water as vehicle (0.3 mL). PAL-1 rats were given 1 mg/kg paliperidone palmitate (in 0.3 mL drinking water) by oral gavage once a day for ten days and PAL-3 rats received 3 mg/kg paliperidone palmitate (in 0.3 mL drinking water) by oral gavage for ten days. Blood samples were drawn from the heart 24 hours after the last drug dose, and hemogram and coagulation parameters were measured with automated analyzers. RESULTS: Hemogram did not change in the paliperidone treated groups compared to the controls. Factor VIII levels decreased in the PAL-1 and PAL-3 groups; and this decrease was significantly greater in the PAL-3. Factor IX levels decreased in PAL-3 rats, but its levels also increased in PAL-1 rats compared to the control. DISCUSSION: Paliperidone has led to changes in the serum levels of coagulation factors VIII and IX in rats. As a result, paliperidone may be causing thromboembolism or bleeding in a dose-independent manner.

Are plasma and synovial fluid leptin levels correlated with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis ?

Leptin is an adypocyte derivated peptide hormone that plays a major role in preventing obesity development by the effects at the hypothalamic level. In our study leptin levels of 41 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and 25 healthy subjects as control group were assessed. Synovial fluid from 21 RA patients were collected to detect leptin levels. Synovial fluid and plasma leptin levels were analysed and correlated with RA duration, ESR, CRP, X ray changes (erosive or non-erosive disease) and negative or positive test for rheumatoid factor. There wasn't any significant difference at plasma leptin levels between RA patients (3.91 +/- 6.15) and control group (4.94 +/- 6.44) (p > 0.05). Plasma leptin levels were correlated with body mass index (BMI) in both healthy subjects and RA patients (r = 0.37; p = 0.018). Therefore in RA patients, plasma and synovial fluid leptin levels were not correlated with disease duration, ESR, CRP, negative or positive test for rheumatoid factor and erosive or non-erosive disease (p > 0.05). In conclusion leptin is correlated with BMI both in RA patients and healthy individuals but no considerable relation with disease activity.

The effects of therapeutic ultrasound on heart rate variability: a placebo controlled trial.

The effect of therapeutic ultrasound (US) on nervous system is controversial and the effect on autonomic nervous system is not clear. Therefore, the present placebo-controlled trial was planned to investigate the effects of therapeutic US application on right-side stellate ganglion, by using analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). A total 12 healthy volunteers were included in the study. RR intervals were recorded for 5 min before and after the US application, in supine and sitting positions. All procedures were repeated in all participants with sham US one week later. The heart rate (HR) was obtained by time-domain analysis and low frequency (LF) power (%), high frequency (HF) power (%) and LF/HF ratio values were obtained by frequency-domain (power spectral density) analysis. After the US application, there was a decrease in the HR (p = 0.002) and the HF power (%) component (p = 0.015) in supine position and a decrease in HR (p = 0.002) and LF/HF ratio (p = 0.028) in sitting position. There was no significant difference after the sham US application. In conclusion, we observed that therapeutic US application on stellate ganglion causes alterations on HRV parameters.