A ProspectIve, OpeN-Label, Randomized Study Comparing EffIcacy and Safety of Teneligliptin VErsus Sitagliptin in Indian Patients with Inadequately Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: INSITES Study.

BACKGROUND: Teneligliptin is widely prescribed dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP-4i) in India because of its economical pricing. However, there is no headto-head trial comparing teneligliptin with any other DPP-4i in Indian setting. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of teneligliptin versus sitagliptin as add-on to metformin and/or sulfonylureas in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: This prospective, open-label, randomized, active-controlled study enrolled 76 patients (1:1) at 2 centres. Patients received teneligliptin 20 mg or sitagliptin 100 mg orally once daily for 12 weeks as add-on to ongoing metformin or sulfonylurea therapy. Primary endpoint was mean change in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline at week 12. RESULTS: Both arms were comparable (p>0.05) at baseline in terms of age, gender, metformin daily dose, sulfonylurea use, HbA1c, fasting and postprandial blood glucose (FBG and PPBG). At the end of 12 weeks, statistically significant reductions were observed in both teneligliptin and sitagliptin arms in HbA1c (-1.19 ± 1.16% p<0.0001 and -0.92 ± 0.95%, p<0.0001), in FBG (-28.3 ± 63.0 mg/dL, p= 0.01 and -22.9 ± 47.4 mg/dL, p=0.006) and PPBG (-41.3 ± 85.4 mg/dL, p=0.006 and -54.7 ± 85.6 mg/dL, p=0.0005). The reductions in all glycemic parameters were similar between the arms. Both gliptins were well-tolerated with no difference in the number of adverse events. There was no change in QT/QTc intervals or other ECG parameters at week 12 in both arms. In post-hoc comparison, percentage of patients achieving target HbA1c <7% (as per American Diabetes Association guidelines) at week 12 favored teneligliptin arm over sitagliptin arm (33.3% vs. 19.4% patients). CONCLUSION: Teneligliptin provided similar glycemic control as compared to sitagliptin and reduced HbA1c, FBG and PPBG values significantly within 12 weeks of treatment. Both gliptins were found to be safe and well-tolerated in Indian patients with T2DM.

A life saved at the cost of hand injury - A case of hand burn due to airbag deployment.

According to the Malaysian Department of Statistics motor vehicle accidents are the third leading cause of death in Malaysia and accounts for 7.4% of premature deaths in 2016. With the invention of the airbag, the number of serious injuries and fatalities have been reduced significantly. However, there has also been a corresponding increase in the number of injuries attributable to these devices. The patient narrated in this case report sustained a mixed dermal thickness burn over the upper limb as a result of an airbag deployment. She recovered without other life threatening injuries.

Selective Detection of Trinitrophenol by Amphiphilic Dimethylaminopyridine-Appended Zn(II)phthalocyanines at the Near-Infrared Region.

Novel amphiphilic Zn(II)phthalocyanines (ZnPcs) peripherally substituted with four and eight dimethylaminopyridinium units (ZnPc1 and ZnPc2) were synthesized by cyclotetramerization of the corresponding phthalonitriles. The effect of aggregation and photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes) and photochemical (singlet oxygen generation and photodegradation under light irradiation) properties was investigated. The chemosensing ability of ZnPcs toward explosive nitroaromatic compounds was explored in aqueous medium. This study demonstrates that ZnPc1 and ZnPc2 show fluorescence quenching behavior upon interaction with different nitro analytes and show unprecedented selectivity toward 2,4,6-trinitrophenol with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.7-1.1 ppm with a high quenching rate constant (K sv) of 1.6-2.02 × 105. The near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence in thin films was quenched efficiently because of the photoinduced electron-transfer process through strong intermolecular π-π and electrostatic interactions. The sensing process is highly reversible and free from the interference of other commonly encountered nitro analytes. Further, experiments were performed to demonstrate the use of ZnPcs as efficient heterogeneous photocatalysts in the reduction of nitro explosives. The smart dual performance of multicharged ZnPcs in aqueous media quantifies them as attractive candidates in developing sensor materials at the NIR region and to possibly convert the toxic explosives into useful scaffolds. These results provide an interesting perspective toward elaboration of stable fluorescent systems for the selective sensing behavior of nitro explosives and their facile heterogeneous catalytic behavior in the reduction reactions.

Hereditary arthro-ophthalmopathy (Stickler syndrome).

We report a 34-year-old woman with hereditary arthro-ophthalmopathy (HAO; Stickler syndrome). This disorder is a rare inherited generalized connective tissue disorder involving the eyes, facial structures and the skeleton, resulting from defective type II collagen formation. There is premature degenerative arthritis and osteopenia with increased incidence of fractures. The differential diagnosis and treatment for bone loss are discussed.