Alginate/hyaluronic acid-based systems as a new generation of wound dressings: A review.

Skin is the largest organ of the human body, which acts as a protective barrier against pathogens. Therefore, a lot of research has been carried out on wound care and healing. Creating an ideal environment for wound healing and optimizing the local and systemic conditions of the patient play critical roles in successful wound care. Many products have been developed for improving the wound environment and providing a protected and moist area for fast healing. However, there is still high demand for new systems with high efficiency. The first generation of wound dressings merely covered the wound, while the subsequent/last generations covered it and aided in healing it in different ways. In modern wound dressings, the kind of used materials and their complexity play a crucial role in the healing process. These new systems support wound healing by lowering inflammation, exudate, slough, and bacteria. This study addresses a review of alginate/hyaluronic acid-based wound dressings developed so far as well as binary and ternary systems and their role in wound healing. Our review corroborates that these systems can open up a new horizon for wounds that do not respond to usual treatments and have a long curing period.

Therapeutic effects of modafinil in ischemic stroke; possible role of NF-κB downregulation.

Background: The phenomenon of ischemic stroke receives maximal attention nowadays. Many studies are designed to discover new therapies for reducing debilitating consequences of this disorder. Development of stroke-related tissue damage is due to the combination of blood flow occlusion and reperfusion phase. Inflammatory pathways participate in excess oxidative stress formation after reperfusion. Modafinil is a well-known medication prescribed for sleep disorders. Recently, several studies have focused on finding new indications for modafinil treatment. Anti-inflammatory effects of modafinil through disrupting NF-κB signaling pathway is reported previously. Downregulation of inflammatory cytokines and further oxidative damage have also been mentioned in various experiments. So far, no specific experiment had been conducted to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of modafinil on ischemic stroke. Material and methods: We evaluated outcomes of acutely administered modafinil on post-stroke behaviors and histopathological features (including apoptotic caspase-3 expressing neurons) through bilateral common carotid artery occlusion in rats. Alterations in concentrations of TNFɑ and IL-1ß were assessed, together with malon di-aldehyde (MDA) to represent oxidation level. Western blotting was used to reveal the involvement of NF-κB downregulation. Considering possible alterations in blood flow and neuronal metabolism, we also assessed the effects of modafinil on cerebral glucose metabolism through PET scan. Results and discussion: Modafinil exhibited promising effects on remission of behavioral deficits and the number of degenerated neurons in ischemic hippocampus CA1 region. IL-1ß and MDA levels were downregulated in treated animals. However, no significant alteration was observed in PET results and TNFɑ between treated and non-treated ischemic brains. Decreased protein levels of NF-κB was also measured in modafinil treated animals. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate a promising therapeutic effect of modafinil for animal models of stroke.

Protective effects of modafinil administration on testicular torsion/detorsion damage in rats.

Testicular torsion is a pathological condition which leads to sever scrotal pain and ischemia. After surgical reperfusion, oxidative stress factors cause to germ cell apoptosis. Thus, adjuvant therapy to surgery should be useful to decrease of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of testis. Modafinil, a drug to treat sleepiness, has been indicated to have anti-inflammatory effects. The aim was to evaluate the efficiency of modafinil administration after reperfusion surgery in a rat model of testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D). Male wistar rats were divided into three groups and each group contained 10 animals. To induce torsion right testis was rotated 720° clockwise and was left for 1 h. Modafinil group received modafinil (10 mg/kg) once daily intraperitoneally for 7 days after the surgery and the control group received physiologic saline once daily intraperitoneally for 7 days after the surgery. Thereafter, MDA, IL-1ß and TNF-α levels and histopathological changes were investigated. MDA, IL-1ß and TNF-α levels significantly increased in T/D group compared to the control group (⁎⁎P < .01 and ⁎⁎⁎P < .001, respectively). Moreover, modafinil administration significantly reduced these values compared to T/D group (#P < .05 and ##P < .01, respectively). Histopathological changes such as degeneration in germinal cells were detected in testis T/D group of rats whereas modafinil administration prevented degeneration in germinal cells, edema and hemorrhage compared with T/D group. In conclusion, administration of modafinil after reperfusion surgery had protective role on testicular torsion in rat and reduced ischemia/reperfusion cellular injury via anti-inflammatory and decrease of oxidative stress.