Pharmacological Evaluation of Selected Medicinal Plants Used in the Management of Oral and Skin Infections in Ebem-Ohafia District, Abia State, Nigeria.

Oral and skin infections contribute significantly to the global health challenges responsible for the current trend of increased morbidity and premature death. The purpose of this study was to document medicinal plants used in the management of oral and skin infections in Ebem-Ohafia Local Government Area (LGA), Abia State, and to characterize the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The thin layer chromatography (TLC) profiling of ten of the selected folklore medicine was carried out using a various solvent system of different polarity index. The antioxidant capacity of the plant extracts was evaluated using chemical-based methods, and its antibacterial effect was investigated using disc diffusion and microdilution methods. Sixty-one plant species belonging to 26 families were discovered, and the most frequently cited species are Euphorbiaceae (18.03%), Fabaceae (11.47%), and Asteraceae (11.47%). All the plant extracts showed a promising free radical scavenging activity and efficient ferric reducing antioxidant power in a concentration-dependent manner possibly due to their richness in polyphenol with TLC profiling showing maximum three bands of phytochemicals. Also, the plant extracts exhibited a mild to weak antibacterial activity against our panel of bacterial strains having MIC values ranging from 256 to > 512 µg/ mL reflected in their zone of inhibition at 10 µg/disc. The data obtained for Breynia nivosa (BN), Eleusine indica (EI), Cassia alata (CA), Chromolaena odorata (CO), and Acalypha hispida (AH) extracts substantiate the traditional use of these herbal remedies in the region and open the possibility for the development of cheaper and affordable drugs in the treatment of oral and skin infections. Further studies are needed to identify active ingredient with strong antibacterial and antioxidant capacities along with their molecular mechanisms.

[Dynamics of local expression of connexin-43 and basic fibroblast growth factor receptors in patients with skin and soft-tissue infections against the background of diabetes mellitus type II].

Clinical results of wound healing dynamics were studied in 60 patients with soft-tissue infection against the background of diabetes mellitus type II. At the same time the study considered indices of intercellular contacts protein tissue expression such as connexin 43 (Cx43) and basic fibroblast growth factor receptors (bFGFR). The basic therapy of biopsy material of wound borders was applied. The reduction of bFGFR expression and the minor growth of Cx43 expression were observed. The pain syndrome proceeded for a long time and there were signs of perifocal inflammation, retard wound healing with granulation tissue. The application of combined method of ozone therapy which included autohemotherapy with ozone and an external management of wound by ozone-oxygen mixture facilitated to considerable shortening of inflammatory phase and regeneration. It was associated with increased Cx43 expression (in 1.9 times) in comparison with initial level and bFGFR was enlarged in 1.7 times to eighth day of postoperative period.

Telavancin pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections and various degrees of renal function.

This study characterized the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profiles of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved telavancin renal dose adjustment schemes. A previously published two-compartment open model with first-order elimination and a combined additive and proportional residual error model derived from 749 adult subjects in 11 clinical trials was used to simulate the individual concentration-time profiles for 10,260 subjects (NONMEM). The dosing regimens simulated were 10 mg/kg of body weight once daily for individuals with creatinine clearances (CL(CR)s) of >50 ml/min, 7.5 mg/kg once daily for individuals with CL(CR)s of 30 to 50 ml/min, and 10 mg/kg every 2 days for those with CL(CR)s of <30 ml/min. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) under one dosing interval (AUC(τ)) was computed as dose/CL. The probability of achieving an AUC(τ)/MIC ratio of ≥ 219 was evaluated separately for each renal dosing scheme. Evaluation of the dosing regimens demonstrated similar AUC values across the different renal function groups. For all renal dosing strata, >90% of the simulated subjects achieved an AUC(τ)/MIC ratio of ≥ 219 for MIC values as high as 2 mg/liter. For patients with CL(CR)s of <30 ml/min, the probability of target attainment (PTA) exceeded 90% for both the AUC0₋24 (AUC from 0 to 24 h) and AUC24₋48 intervals for MICs of ≤ 1 mg/liter. At a MIC of 2 mg/liter, the PTAs were 89.3% and 23.6% for the AUC0₋24 and AUC24₋48 intervals, respectively. The comparable PTA profiles for the three dosing regimens across their respective dosing intervals indicate that the dose adjustments employed in phase III trials for complicated skin and skin structure infections were appropriate.

[A multicenter study on panipenem/betamipron in dermatology].

Panipenem/betamipron (PAPM/BP), a new carbapenem, was studied in dermatology. PAPM/BP was used clinically in the treatment of skin and skin structure infections in a multicenter trial. Fifty three patients were enrolled in the trial. Clinical evaluations were made in 50 patients. Most patients received intravenous infusion of PAPM/BP in a dose of 500 mg twice daily. Other dosages were used in some patients. The overall clinical efficacy rate was 78%. When 15 cases of secondary infections were excluded, the rate was 85.7%. Adverse responses were nausea and/or vomiting in 3 patients, redness with itching in 1 patient, headache or head heaviness in 2 patients and diarrhea in 1 patient. The patient with redness and itching had also nausea and vomiting. This occurred 1 hour after the start of the first infusion of this drug. After the discontinuation of the treatment the symptoms went away on the next day. Abnormalities in laboratory test results were observed in 7 out of 53 patients. One patient with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma developed anemia (RBC 372 x 10(4)/mm3----275 x 10(4)/mm3, Hb 11.9 g/dl----8.8 g/dl, 35.1%----26.0%). Other abnormalities were all mild. Penetration of the drug into skin tissues after intravenous infusion of 500 mg of this drug in skin surgery patients was studied. Skin/serum concentration ratios ranged from 0.20 to 0.97. Skin concentrations were higher than the concentration of PAPM inhibiting 80% of clinical isolates over a period of 6 hours. In rats, skin concentrations were much lower than serum concentrations probably due to the difference in in vivo metabolism of PAPM. A few resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus against PAPM and imipenem (IPM) were isolated. However, PAPM and IPM showed good antibacterial activities compared to other drugs tested. In conclusion, PAPM/BP is considered to be a useful drug in the treatment of skin and skin structure infections.