Formononetin alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by targeting the PARP-1/PARG/Iduna signaling pathway.

Formononetin has been demonstrated to protect against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, however its mechanism has to be further researched. This study examined the effect of formononetin on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats using the PARP-1/PARG/Iduna signaling pathway. In male SD rats, a model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was developed. Animals were randomly assigned to one of eight groups: Sham operation, Sham operation + formononetin, MCAO, MCAO + formononetin, PARP inhibitor (PJ34) + MCAO, formononetin + PJ34 + MCAO, PARG inhibitor (Ethacridine lactate) + MCAO, and ethacridine lactate + formononetin. The neurological deficit test, TTC staining, HE staining, Nissl staining, TUNEL staining, and western blotting were utilized to assess formononetin's protective effects in MCAO rats. The data show that formononetin can effectively alleviate neurological dysfunction and pathological changes in brain tissue in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, reduce the area of cerebral infarction and neuronal apoptosis, decrease the protein levels of PARP-1, PARG, Caspase-3, P53, and AIF in brain tissue, and increase the protein levels of Iduna and p-AKT. As a result, we concluded that formononetin improves brain ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by modulating the PARP-1/PARG/Iduna signaling pathway.

Mifepristone combined with ethacridine lactate for the second-trimester pregnancy termination in women with placenta previa and/or prior cesarean deliveries.

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the second-trimester medical abortions using mifepristone and ethacridine lactate in women with placenta previa and/or prior cesarean deliveries. METHODS: The patients who underwent a second-trimester pregnancy termination from January 2009 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The eligible patients were assigned to four groups based on placentation and cesarean history. The abortion interval (AI), blood loss, hospital stays, incidence of curettage, and transfusion were reviewed. RESULTS: Two women underwent cesarean sections for placenta increta. Finally, 443 patients were enrolled in this study, including 92 with placenta previa, 153 with prior cesarean deliveries, 36 with the both factors, and 236 with normal placentation and no cesarean delivery history. All the included cases had a successful vaginal delivery. There was no significant difference in AI, hospital stay, rate of hemorrhage, and transfusion among the four groups. Patients with prior cesarean section had higher blood loss than the normal group (P = 0.0017), as well as patients with both placenta previa and prior cesarean (P = 0.0018). However, there was no obvious blood loss in patients with placenta previa when compared with normal placetal patients (P = 0.23). No uterine rupture occurred in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Mifepristone combined with ethacridine lactate is safe and effective for patients with low placentation or/and prior cesarean in the second-trimester pregnancy termination.

Bullous dermatosis on legs of elderly: A new clinical entity?

A lot of diseases occur on the skin of elderly persons. We report four elderly cases of bullous dermatosis that did not meet various differential diagnoses. Japanese, heart failure, atrophic skin and leg edema probably due to aging, as well as flaccid or tense bullae localized in legs were the common factors to our patients. Such conditions may be increased in coming aging society. Accordingly, it is worth regarding such symptom as the new clinical entity, which may comfort patients with similar condition and attract further attention.

Clinical analyses of 66 cases of mid-trimester pregnancy termination in women with prior cesarean.

BACKGROUND: The rate of cesarean delivery has significantly increased in China in the last decade. Women with prior cesarean history tend to have a higher risk of uterine rupture during termination of the pregnancy in mid-trimester than those without such a history. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influences of the potential risk factors on uterine rupture in women with prior cesarean. METHODS: We conducted this retrospective study of women with prior cesarean section, who underwent mid-trimester pregnancy termination between January 2006 and December 2013 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The protocol was oral administration of mifepristone and misoprostol for the patients with the gestational ages below 16 weeks or intra-amniotic injection of ethacridine lactate (EL) for those with at least 16 weeks of gestational ages. The thickness of the lower uterine segment (LUS) was measured before the termination of pregnancy. Logistic regression was used to study the risk factors of uterine rupture. RESULTS: The total rate of successful abortion was 93.9% (62/66). Four patients failed in induction, and one of them received curettage, whereas the other three experienced uterine rupture (4.5%). The successful rates of abortion were 85.7% (30/35) for women treated with mifepristone-misoprostol and 86.1% (31/36) for those treated with EL. There was a significant difference in the mean LUS thickness between the uterine rupture group (3.0 ± 2.0 mm) and the nonrupture group (7.0 ± 3.0 mm) (P < 0.05). The LUS thickness of <3 mm was associated with uterine rupture during mid-trimester pregnancy termination in women with prior cesarean (odds ratio, 94.0; 95% confidence interval 4.2-2106.1) after adjusted maternal age, gestational age, interdelivery interval and prior cesarean section. Severe bleeding that required transfusion occurred in one case (1.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Both the mifepristone-misoprostol and the EL regimens were effective and safe for the termination of mid-trimester pregnancy in women with prior cesarean. A thinner LUS is associated with a relatively high risk of uterine rupture.

[Comparison of combination of dinoprostone suppository and ethacridine and ethacridine alone for induction of mid term pregnancy].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness and safety of using the combination of dinoprostone suppository and ethacridine and ethacridine alone for the induction of mid-term pregnancy. METHODS: The clinical data of 96 patients at 16-27+6 gestational weeks in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from March 2008 to December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into combination group (n=54) and ethacridine alone group (n=42) based on their induction methods. The efficacy and side effect were compared between these two groups after the induction. RESULTS: The effectiveness rate was 70.4% (38/54) in the combination group,which was significantly higher than that in ethacridine alone group (4.8%) (2/42) (P=0.001). The durations of the first and second,and total stage of labor were found to be significantly shorter in combination group [(287∓39) and (513∓39) min)] when compared with ethacridine alone group [(546∓84) and (661∓82) min] (P=0.01). The bleeding volume in the combination group was (69∓4) ml, which was significantly less than that in control group (96∓7) ml (P=0.02). The two groups had no significant differences in terms of in-labor duration (P=0.45), postpartum placenta remnants (P=0.91), and fetal membrane remnants (P=1.31). CONCLUSION: The combination of dinoprostone suppositories and ethacridine is more effective and safer than ethacridine alone for induction of mid-term pregnancy.

[A comparative study on effect of bacterial load in diabetic foot ulcers dealing with iodophor and rivanol respectively].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the change of bacterial load applied with iodophors and rivanol of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), furthermore to evaluate the effect of both in removing superficial microbes of DFUs. METHODS: From March 2006 to March 2007, 30 patients were randomly divided into control group (group A, n = 10), iodophor group (group B, n = 10) and rivanol group (group C, n = 10). There were 18 males and 12 females with an average age of 59.8 years (range 46-78 years). The wound size ranged from 3 cm x 2 cm to 15 cm x 10 cm. The disease course was 6 weeks to 6 months (mean 2.1 months). Each wound was debrided and irrigated before process, then drug was compressed on the wound for 5 minutes, and irrigated again. The samples gained for three times, before, immediately and 24 hours after the process. Each sample was diluted before cultivation, the bacteria of wound were counted and compared among 3 groups. RESULTS: The cultures of specimens showed that the load decreased in every group, each cultured colony of specimen grew well, and there were no significant differences between 3 groups immediately after procedure (P > 0.05). There were significant differences between group B and groups A, C (P < 0.05), but there were no significant difference between group A and group C 24 hours after treatment (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both iodophors and rivanol could remove the bacteria on the surface of wound. Topical germicide could reduced bacterial load in the wound of diabetic foot, the role of sterilizing and bacteriostasis of iodophors were better than that of rivanol.

[A comparison between "moist ointment" and 0.25% iodophor, silver sulfadiazine paste and 0.1% rivanol in the treatment of deep II degree burn wounds].

One hundred and fifteen patients suffering from deep II degree burn were randomly divided into four groups, and "Moist ointment," 0.25% iodophor, silver sulfadiazine paste and 0.1% rivanol were respectively used as topical agents. Their effects were observed and compared. The results showed that "Moist ointment" group was significantly inferior to other groups in respects of healing of wound surface, bacteriostatic property, cost of treatment and formation of hyperplastic scar. Therefore, we suggested that the use of moist ointment in the treatment of deep II degree burn wound should be prohibited.

Prophylaxis of traveler's diarrhea in Egypt: results of a double blind controlled study.

Diarrhea represents the most frequent health problem of Western tourists visiting subtropical and tropical areas. Antibiotic prophylaxis has been suggested by some authors but may not be generally advisable because of adverse drug effects. In the present study we investigated the prophylaxis of traveler's diarrhea using a combination of tannalbuminate and ethacridin-lactate. During a 16-day cruise in Egypt, 77 tourists were assigned to either placebo or prophylactic doses of tannalbuminate (500 mg) and ethacridin-lactate (50 mg), 1 tbl. b.i.d., in a randomized double-blind fashion. The number of bowel movements, consistency of stools, and clinical symptoms like nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and fever were monitored daily. In the placebo group (n = 43) 35 tourists developed diarrhea (81.4%), whereas in the verum group (n = 34) only 18 tourists (52.9%) had diarrhea (p less than 0.0125). In the travelers receiving verum and developing diarrhea the clinical symptoms were less pronounced than in the placebo group. These results demonstrate that the events of traveler's diarrhea may be reduced; moreover, symptoms are attenuated by medical prophylaxis with tannalbuminate and ethacridin-lactate.

Second trimester pregnancy termination using extra-amniotic ethacridine lactate.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of ethacridine lactate by the extra-amniotic route for second trimester pregnancy termination and its associated complications. DESIGN: Retrospective study of women undergoing second trimester termination, over 3 1/2 years, with extra-amniotic ethacridine alone, or extra-amniotic ethacridine supplemented later by extra-amniotic 15-methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha. SETTING: Teaching hospital in Bombay. PATIENTS: 315 consecutive women undergoing late abortions with extra-amniotic ethacridine. Demographic features were similar in the two groups. INTERVENTIONS: In group 1, 207 women had 150 ml of 0.1% ethacridine lactate injected slowly into the extra-amniotic space. In group 2, 108 women had the initial injection supplemented 6 h later by an extra-amniotic injection of 250 micrograms (1 ml) of 15-methyl prostaglandin F2 alpha. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The occurrence of abortion following the induction procedure. The development of complications such as haemorrhage, infection, or injury to the uterus or cervix. RESULTS: The method was successful in 191 women (92%) in group 1 and in 106 (98%) in group 2. The median induction-abortion intervals were 35 and 19 h, respectively (Mann-Whitney U test, P less than 0.001). The corrected complication rate was less than 10% (30 women), with unplanned uterine evacuation in 6% (20), haemorrhage in 1% (4), and pelvic infection in 4% (14). CONCLUSION: The use of extra-amniotic ethacridine lactate provides an effective and safe treatment method for second trimester legal abortion. The induction-abortion interval can be appreciably reduced by supplementary prostaglandin.

PIP: This study investigated the efficacy of ethacridine lactate by the extraamniotic route during 2nd trimester pregnancy termination as well as its associated complications. This retrospective study of 315 women undergoing 2nd trimester terminations over a 3 1/2 year period was based at a teaching hospital in Bombay. Patients received either extraamniotic ethacridine alone or supplemented later with extraamniotic 15-methyl- prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha). Women were divided into 2 groups--in group 1, 207 women received 150 ml of 0.1% ethacridine lactate injected slowly into the extraamniotic space; in group 2, 108 women had the initial injection supplemented 6 hours later by an extraamniotic injection of 250 mcg (1 ml) of 15-methyl-PGF2alpha. Outcome measures which were evaluated were the occurrence of abortion following the induction procedure and the development of complications such as hemorrhage, infection, and injury to the cervix or uterus. The method was successful in 191 women (92%) in group 1 and in 106 (98%) in group 2. The mean induction-abortion intervals were 35 and 19 hours, respectively (Mann-Whitney U test, p0.001). The corrected complication rate was 10% (30 women), with unplanned uterine evacuation in 6% (20), hemorrhage in 1% (4), and pelvic infection in 4% (14). The authors conclude that the use of extraamniotic ethacridine lactate provides an effective and safe treatment method for 2nd trimester legal abortion. The induction-abortion interval can be appreciably reduced by supplementary PGs.

Prevention of travelers' diarrhea by nonantibiotic drugs.

Travelers have resorted to a variety of drugs for prevention of diarrhea. No beneficial prophylactic effect has been confirmed for halogenated hydroxyquinoline, lactobacilli, antimotility drugs, ethacridine, and various other agents. In contrast, bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) in liquid form reduced the incidence of diarrhea in students from the United States living in Mexico and in tablet form in volunteers challenged by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. In tourists visiting various developing countries, a randomized, double-blind study was conducted in which 390 persons received a total of 2.1 or 1.05 g of BSS daily or placebo in tablet form in two doses. BSS reduced the incidence of diarrhea by 41% in the high-dose group and by 35% in the low-dose group without causing important adverse reactions.