Curr Ther Res Clin E
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Apr 2009
The effects of cetuximab alone and in combination with endostatin on vascular endothelial growth factor and interleukin-8 expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cells.
Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, plays an important role in tumor growth and metastasis. Both cetuximab and endostatin have been found to reduce the expression of endothelial-stimulating growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin (IL)-8. However, the effects of cetuximab alone or in combination with endostatin on human lung adenocarcinoma cell growth remain unclear. ⋯ The results from this in vitro study suggest that cetuximab treatment might both inhibit human lung adenocarcinoma cell line growth and reduce the expression of VEGF and IL-8, which are the biomarkers of angiogenesis. Endostatin was not associated with inhibition of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line growth directly. Findings with the combination of cetuximab + endostatin suggest that endostatin might enhance the antiangiogenic and antitumor activity of cetuximab through an apparent effect on VEGF expression and, to a lesser degree, on IL-8 expression.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Apr 2009
Comparison of recovery characteristics, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and gastrointestinal motility with total intravenous anesthesia with propofol versus inhalation anesthesia with desflurane for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A randomized controlled study.
Clinical effects, recovery characteristics, and costs of total intravenous anesthesia with different inhalational anesthetics have been investigated and compared; however, there are no reported clinical studies focusing on the effects of anesthesia with propofol and desflurane in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ⋯ Total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and alfentanil was associated with a significantly reduced rate of PONV and analgesic consumption, shortened recovery time and duration of hospitalization, accelerated onset of bowel movements, and increased patient satisfaction compared with desflurane and alfentanil in these patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery who completed the study.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Feb 2009
Effects of preemptive intravenous lornoxicam on the analgesic efficacy of epidural morphine and expression of chemokines in women undergoing hysterectomy.
It is believed that preemptive IV lornoxicam treatment can reduce the consumption of other analgesics, improve analgesic efficacy, and ameliorate immune function during patient-controlled IV analgesia. However, the effects of preemptive IV lornoxicam treatment on the analgesic efficacy of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with morphine and on chemokine expression remain unknown. ⋯ Preemptive IV lornoxicam treatment was associated with attenuation of the plasma concentrations of MCP-1 and SDF-1α immediately after and 24 hours after hysterectomy and was associated with more rapid resolution to near-baseline concentrations of both cytokines in these patients compared with controls; however, it was not associated with significantly reducing epidural morphine consumption.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Dec 2008
Effect of equivalent doses of fentanyl, sufentanil, and remifentanil on the incidence and severity of cough in patients undergoing abdominal surgery: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study.
Fentanyl congeners have been found to induce cough during induction of general anesthesia. Studies of fentanyl and sufentanil have found incidence rates of 28% to 65% and 15%, respectively. However, no study has assessed the occurrence of cough induced by remifentanil. ⋯ A total of 315 Chinese patients (197 women, 118 men; mean [SD] age, 37.9 [10.4] years) were approached for enrollment and assigned to 3 groups of 105 patients each; all patients completed the study protocol. The 3 treatment groups were similar in terms of demographic characteristics and type of abdominal surgery. The incidence of cough was significantly greater in the remifentanil group (57 [54.3%] patients) than in the fentanyl group (35 [33.3%]; P < 0.01) or the sufentanil group (32 [30.5%]; P < 0.01). The severity of cough was significantly greater in the remifentanil group (severe, moderate, mild, none: 24, 7, 26, 48) than in the fentanyl (7, 9, 19, 70; P < 0.01) or sufentanil group (4, 2, 26, 73; P < 0.01). In all 3 groups, when the patients coughed, significant increases were observed in their SBP (128 [12]-139 [16] mm Hg; P < 0.01) and HR (74 [10]-87 [16] beats/min; P < 0.01). Within 2 minutes after drug administration, 62 patients (59%) in the remifentanil group experienced hypoxemia (SpO2 <90%) necessitating manually assisted mask ventilation, while no patients experienced hypoxemia in the fentanyl or sufentanil group. Three patients (2.9%) in the remifentanil group experienced muscle rigidity and deterioration of SBP, HR, and SpO2. No other adverse events were recorded. Cunclusion: Remifentanil was associated with a significantly greater incidence and severity of cough than equivalent doses of fentanyl or sufentanil. Fentanyl and sufentanil appeared comparable in these Chinese patients undergoing abdominal surgery.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Dec 2008
Pharmacotherapy for atrial fibrillation in elderly hospitalized patients with comorbid congestive heart failure in australia: A retrospective study.
Despite the proven effectiveness of antiplatelet and anticoagulation treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF), their use has been suboptimal in practice, particularly in rural areas of Australia. ⋯ In these elderly hospitalized Australian patients with AF and CHF, digoxin, β-blockers, and amiodarone were the most commonly used antiarrhythmic drugs. Anticoagulation treatment was prescribed in ~60% of these patients.