Project description:With the incidence of central and peripheral nervous system disorders on the rise, neurosurgical procedures paired with the careful administration of select medications have become necessary to optimize patient outcomes. Despite efforts to decrease the over-prescription of common addictive drugs, such as opioids, prescription costs continue to rise. This study analyzed temporal trends in medication use and cost for spinal fusion and brain tumor resection procedures. The Medicare Part B Database was queried from 2016 to 2020 for data regarding spinal fusion and brain tumor resection procedures, while the Part D Database was used to extract data for two commonly prescribed medications for each procedure. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and linear regression were completed for the analyzed variables. The results showed a significant negative correlation between the number of spinal procedure beneficiaries and the cost of methocarbamol, as well as between the annual percent change in spinal beneficiaries and the annual percent change in oxycodone cost. Linear regression revealed that oxycodone cost was the only parameter with a statistically significant model. Moving forward, it is imperative to combat rising drug costs, regardless of trends seen in their usage. Further studies should focus on the utilization of primary data in a multi-center study.
Project description:A common genetic variant (rs3812718) in a splice donor consensus sequence within the neuronal sodium channel gene SCN1A (encoding Na(V) 1.1) modulates the proportion of transcripts incorporating either the canonical (5A) or alternative (5N) exon 5. A pharmacogenetic association has been reported whereby increased expression of exon 5N containing Na(V) 1.1 transcripts correlated with lower required doses of phenytoin in epileptics. We tested the hypothesis that SCN1A alternative splicing affects the pharmacology of Na(V) 1.1 channels.To directly examine biophysical and pharmacologic differences between the exon 5 splice variants, we performed whole-cell patch clamp recording of tsA201 cells transiently coexpressing either Na(V) 1.1-5A or Na(V) 1.1-5N with the ?1 and ?2 accessory subunits. We examined tonic inhibition and use-dependent inhibition of Na(V) 1.1 splice isoforms by phenytoin, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine. We also examined the effects of phenytoin and lamotrigine on channel biophysical properties and determined concentration-response relationships for both splice variants.We observed no significant differences in voltage dependence of activation, steady-state inactivation, and recovery from inactivation between splice variants. However, Na(V) 1.1-5N channels exhibited enhanced tonic block by phenytoin and lamotrigine compared to Na(V) 1.1-5A. In addition, Na(V) 1.1-5N exhibited enhanced use-dependent block by phenytoin and lamotrigine across a range of stimulation frequencies and concentrations. Phenytoin and lamotrigine induced shifts in steady-state inactivation and recovery from fast inactivation for both splice isoforms. No splice isoform differences were observed for channel inhibition by carbamazepine.These results suggest Na(V) 1.1 channels containing exon 5N are more sensitive to the commonly used antiepileptic drugs phenytoin and lamotrigine.
Project description:UnlabelledBackgroundThe objective of this systematic review was to examine the benefits, harms and pharmacokinetic interactions arising from the co-administration of commonly used dietary supplements with cardiovascular drugs. Many patients on cardiovascular drugs take dietary supplements for presumed benefits and may be at risk for adverse supplement-drug interactions.MethodsThe Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements and MEDLINE were searched from the inception of the review to October 2011. Grey literature was also reviewed.Two reviewers independently screened records to identify studies comparing a supplement plus cardiovascular drug(s) with the drug(s) alone. Reviewers extracted data using standardized forms, assessed the study risk of bias, graded the strength of evidence and reported applicability.ResultsEvidence was obtained from 65 randomized clinical trials, 2 controlled clinical trials and 1 observational study. With only a few small studies available per supplement, evidence was insufficient for all predefined gradable clinical efficacy and harms outcomes, such as mortality and serious adverse events. One long-term pragmatic trial showed no benefit from co-administering vitamin E with aspirin on a composite cardiovascular outcome. Evidence for most intermediate outcomes was insufficient or of low strength, suggesting no effect. Incremental benefits were noted for triglyceridemia with omega-3 fatty acid added to statins; and there was an improvement in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with garlic supplementation when people also consumed nitratesConclusionsEvidence of low-strength indicates benefits of omega-3 fatty acids (plus statin, or calcium channel blockers and antiplatelets) and garlic (plus nitrates or warfarin) on triglycerides and HDL-C, respectively. Safety concerns, however, persist.
Project description:Age-associated diseases represent a growing burden for global health systems in our aging society. Consequently, we urgently need innovative strategies to counteract these pathological disturbances. Overwhelming generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is associated with age-related damage, leading to cellular dysfunction and, ultimately, diseases. However, low-dose ROS act as crucial signaling molecules and inducers of a vaccination-like response to boost antioxidant defense mechanisms, known as mitohormesis. Consequently, modulation of ROS homeostasis by nutrition, exercise, or pharmacological interventions is critical in aging. Numerous nutrients and approved drugs exhibit pleiotropic effects on ROS homeostasis. In the current review, we provide an overview of drugs affecting ROS generation and ROS detoxification and evaluate the potential of these effects to counteract the development and progression of age-related diseases. In case of inflammation-related dysfunctions, cardiovascular- and neurodegenerative diseases, it might be essential to strengthen antioxidant defense mechanisms in advance by low ROS level rises to boost the individual ROS defense mechanisms. In contrast, induction of overwhelming ROS production might be helpful to fight pathogens and kill cancer cells. While we outline the potential of ROS manipulation to counteract age-related dysfunction and diseases, we also raise the question about the proper intervention time and dosage.
Project description:The human gut microbiota has now been associated with drug responses and efficacy, while chemical compounds present in these drugs can also impact the gut bacteria. However, drug-microbe interactions are still understudied in the clinical context, where polypharmacy and comorbidities co-occur. Here, we report relations between commonly used drugs and the gut microbiome. We performed metagenomics sequencing of faecal samples from a population cohort and two gastrointestinal disease cohorts. Differences between users and non-users were analysed per cohort, followed by a meta-analysis. While 19 of 41 drugs are found to be associated with microbial features, when controlling for the use of multiple medications, proton-pump inhibitors, metformin, antibiotics and laxatives show the strongest associations with the microbiome. We here provide evidence for extensive changes in taxonomy, metabolic potential and resistome in relation to commonly used drugs. This paves the way for future studies and has implications for current microbiome studies by demonstrating the need to correct for multiple drug use.
Project description:Co-infection with loiasis remains a potential problem in control programs targeting filarial infections. The effects of many anti-parasitic drugs often administered to Loa loa infected people are not well documented. This study compared the in vitro activity of several of these drugs on the viability of L. loa microfilariae (mf).Human strain L. loa mf were isolated from baboon blood using iso-osmotic Percoll gradient, and cultured in RPMI 1640/10% FBS with antimalarial drugs (mefloquine, amodiaquine, artesunate, chloroquine and quinine), anthelmintics (ivermectin, praziquantel, flubendazole and its reduced and hydrolyzed metabolites), two potential trypanocidal agents (fexinidazole and Scynexis-7158) and the anticancer drug imatinib. The drug concentrations used varied between 0.156 ?g/ml and 10 ?g/ml. Mf motility (CR50 = 50% immotility) and a metabolic viability assay (MTT) were used to assess the effects of these drugs on the parasites.Mf in control cultures showed only a slight reduction in motility after 5 days of culture. Active inhibition of Loa loa motility was seen with mefloquine and amodiaquine (CR50 values of 3.87 and 4.05 ?g/ml, respectively), immobilizing > 90% mf within the first 24 hours: mefloquine killed the mf after 24 hours of culture at concentrations ? 5 ?g/ml. SCYX-7158 also induced a concentration-dependent reduction in mf motility, with > 50% reduction in mf motility seen after 5 days at 10 ?g/ml. The anticancer drug imatinib reduced mf motility at 10 ?g/ml from the first day of incubation to 55% by day 5, and the reduction in motility was concentration-dependent. Praziquantel and fexinidazole were inactive, and FLBZ and its metabolites, as well as ivermectin at concentrations > 5 ?g/ml, had very minimal effects on mf motility over the first 4 days of culture.The considerable action of the anti-malarial drugs mefloquine and amodiaquine on Loa mf in vitro highlights the possibility of repurposing the existing anti-infectious agents for the development of drugs against loiasis. The heterogeneity in the activity of anti-parasitic agents on Loa loa mf supports the need for further investigation using animal models of loiasis.