Contrasting the efficacy of pulsed dye laser and photodynamic methylene blue nanoemulgel therapy in treating acne vulgaris.

The treatment of acne remains a challenge for dermatologists. A variety of conventional therapies are available for acne treatment such as topical and systemic medications. Although many of these traditional acne treatments are effective, the wide-spread nature of the disease and its sometimes resistant nature delineate the need for alternative therapies. Therefore, over the past decade, phototherapy has been introduced for the treatment of acne, such as pulsed dye lasers (PDLs) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of PDL and methylene blue-mediated photodynamic therapy (MB-PDT) in the treatment of mild to moderate acne. Split-face clinical trial including fifteen patients presenting with mild to moderate acne were treated with 585 nm PDL on the right side of the face and MB-PDT with 665-nm diode laser on the left side. The photosensitizer MB was prepared in nanoemulgel formulation, and the treatment was carried out for three sessions maximum at 2-weeks intervals. Results revealed that both PDL and MB-PDT were effective therapies in the treatment of acne, as manifested by the reduction of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions throughout the treatment period. However, the latter therapy was proven more potent in the reduction of acne severity, and in terms of patients' tolerance. Therefore, it can be concluded that MB in the nanoemulgel form is a promising treatment approach for acne, and can be further experimented in the treatment of other dermatological diseases.

A novel HIPEC technique using hybrid CO2 recirculation system: intra-abdominal diffusion test in a porcine model.

The role of loco-regional treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis using intraperitoneal chemotherapy is still investigated. Actually, new technologies are suitable for these procedures, especially a new hybrid system using CO2 called Peritoneal Recirculation System (PRS-1.0 Combat). A HIPEC procedure in a porcine model using the PRS system was conducted. The objective of experimentation was to assess the distribution of liquid inside the abdomen, by using methylene blue instead of chemotherapy. Moreover, we positioned six different thermal probes in different abdominal regions inside the abdomen to measure the temperature during procedure. During the procedure, all thermal probes recorded an average temperature of 41.5°. At the end of infusion, the abdomen was emptied and then opened; the tracer distribution was recorded. No technical problems were recorded during the procedure. Good distribution of tracer was recorded. More studies are needed to investigate better this new technology.

Self-production of oxygen system CaO2 /MnO2 @PDA-MB for the photodynamic therapy research and switch-control tumor cell imaging.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds promise in biochemical study and tumor treatment. A novel multifunctional nanosystem CaO2 /MnO2 @polydopamine (PDA)-methylene blue (MB) nanosheet (CMP-MB) was designed. CaO2 nanoparticles were encapsulated by MnO2 nanosheet, and then PDA was coated on the surface of CaO2 /MnO2 nanosheets, which could adsorb photosensitizer MB through hydrophobic interaction or π-π stacking. In this nanosystem, CaO2 /MnO2 had the ability of self-production of oxygen, which solved the problem of tumor hypoxia largely. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the fluorescence of MB was suppressed by MnO2 , while its emission was triggered in the simulated tumor microenvironment. Therefore, CMP-MB nanosheet could be used to switch-control cell imaging potentially. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide testing and Live/Dead assay confirmed CMP-MB nanosheet had fewer side effects without illumination while it destroyed Hela cell with the illumination of light. Vitro cell experiment demonstrated CMP-MB nanosheet could achieve tumor microenvironment responsive imaging and inhibit tumor cell growth under illumination effectively. Therefore, the system has great potential for PDT application and switch-control tumor cell imaging. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2544-2552, 2018.

Influence of volume on the spread of local anesthetic-methylene blue solution after injection for intercostal block.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the volume of methylene blue-local anesthetic on the spread of the injectate along the costal pleura. Twenty patients undergoing elective thoracotomy were studied. Twelve patients received intercostal nerve injection with 10 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with methylene blue (10-mL group), and eight patients received 5 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine with methylene blue (5-mL group). The area of spread of the methylene blue was measured after the pleural cavity was incised. The 10-mL group had a mean area of spread of 51.1 cm2 as opposed to 17.6 cm2 for the 5-mL group (P less than 0.05). In the 10-mL group, eight patients had bupivacaine-methylene blue spread to two intercostal spaces, three patients to three intercostal spaces, and one patient to four intercostal spaces. In the 5-mL group, seven patients had bupivacaine methylene blue spread confined to one intercostal space and one patient to two intercostal spaces. We conclude that a potential anatomic space exists between the costal pleura and the internal intercostal muscle and that the spread of local anesthetic after intercostal nerve block injection is volume dependent.