Panminerva medica
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Studies on major depressive disorders (MDD) pathophysiology show decreased blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that increase after antidepressant treatment. The link between BDNF levels and antidepressants is still controversial. In addiction, there is a relationship between MDD and concurrent cognitive function. Hippocampus is linked to memory and learning and BDNF is abundant in this area. For this reason we investigated the presence of any association between paroxetine treatment, BDNF levels and cognitive performances in depressed patients. ⋯ To our knowledge this is one of the few studies on the effects of paroxetine treatment on plasma BDNF levels. We confirm literature data regarding the link between BDNF plasma levels, depression and antidepressant treatments. In addiction we found a specific cognitive deficit of depressed patients.
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Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is a frequent condition usually associated with heart failure and reduced survival. Surgery remains the gold standard treatment but a significant number of patients are not optimal candidates due to age, comorbidities or poor left ventricular function. ⋯ However, mitral apparatus is a complex scenario and there are several potential targets for improving mitral regurgitation. The aim of this paper was to review the current trnascatheter technology developed to treat MR.
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Optimal management of multivessel disease (MVD) is a complex medical decision with significant prognostic implications. Despite the advent of clinical and angiographic scores to aid with treatment delineation, therapy for MVD must be individualized for each patient and his/her clinical presentation. ⋯ Several patient factors including clinical presentation, severity of coronary artery disease, presence of left ventricular dysfunction and other comorbidities, and the patient's personal preferences should guide the decision making process. In this review, we discuss the management of MVD with regards to decisions of revascularization versus GDMT alone, mode of revascularization, extent of revascularization (i.e., complete versus incomplete), the strategy of angiography- versus ischemia-guided revascularization, and MVD management in the setting of an acute coronary syndrome.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Efficacy and safety of topiramate in migraine prophylaxis: an open controlled randomized study comparing Sincronil and topamax formulations.
Topiramate is a small molecule widely used for the treatment of epilepsy, migraine, bipolar disorders and alcoholism, and its availability as a generic formulation could significantly reduce the National Health Service expenditure. A generic formulation, available in Italy under the trademark Sincronil, recently showed superimposable blood levels, after oral administration to healthy volunteers, with the reference formulation. In the present study we report the results of an open label, parallel group, randomized, controlled study performed to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and impact on disability of two different formulations of topiramate (Sincronil and Topamax) in patients with migraine without aura. ⋯ In conclusion, in this study Topamax (reference product) and Sincronil (generic formulation) have proven therapeutically equivalent and both products were well tolerated.
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Matrine has a broad-spectrum of anti-cancer effects and is efficient in the inhibition of proliferation of hepatoma cells, leukemia cells and neuroblastoma cell. However, its efficacy and tentative mechanisms in rhabdomyosarcoma have not been addressed before. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Matrine on cell cycle and expression of cyclin D1 in human rhabdomyosarcoma cells (RD cell line). ⋯ Cyclin D1 mRNA levels progressively diminished (control group ratio of cyclin D1 / β-actin: 0.59 ± 0.06; Matrine: 0.35 ± 0.05, 0.27 ± 0.02 and 0.04 ± 0.03). All aforementioned changes were significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, Matrine markedly suppresses cell proliferation in RD cells by decreasing expression of cyclin D1 mRNA and blocking the cell cycle at the G0 / G1 stage.