ABSTRACT
Background: Impaired and aberrant wound healing imposes a huge financial burden and places an enormous drain in health care resources in the developed world and an insurmountable problem in the developing countries too. In this study, authors have compared the wound healing effect of topical application of Acacia catechu extract with silver sulfadiazine in excisional wound model in guinea pigs.Methods: Twelve guinea pigs were randomly divided into two groups (n=6). The wound healing was observed in excision model. The standard group is treated with silver sulfadiazine (group 1) and the test group with Acacia catechu extract (group 2). The mean wound size expressed in mm2 and the mean percentage of the wound healed was measured on day 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 19. Biopsy was done on day 21 for histopathological examination (HPE).Results: Statistical analysis was done by using unpaired t test for between the groups comparison and by using paired t test for within the group comparison. The mean percentage of the wound healed with-in the groups was found to be statistically highly significant (p value <0.001) and in between the groups was found to be statistically non-significant (p value >0.05). A comparable increase in collagen content and granulation tissue was found on HPE in both the groups on day 21.Conclusions: Wound healing effect of the Acacia catechu extract is equal to and comparable with that of silver sulfadiazine.
ABSTRACT
Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an airway disorder characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. Indacaterol is a novel, inhaled, once-daily, ultra-long-acting β2-agonist bronchodilator recently approved in India for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of indacaterol compared to twice-daily β2-agonist, salmeterol, as an active control. Methods: The present study was open, randomized parallel group comparison of two active treatment groups over a 12 week period. A total of 60 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD were randomised to treatment either with indacaterol (150 μg once daily) or with salmeterol (50 μg twice daily) and 51 (85%) patients completed the study. The efficacy parameters were change in FEV1, health related quality of life by measuring St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score and severity of dyspnoea as measured by Transition Dyspnoea Index (TDI) score which were assessed at baseline first and at weeks 4, 8 and 12. Results: Indacaterol increased FEV1 at week 4 by 50 ml, at week 8 and at week 12 by 60 ml over salmeterol and the increase was highly significant (p<0.001) at all stages of the study. Both treatments improved health status (SGRQ total score) and dyspnoea (TDI score), with differences between them favouring indacaterol. Safety profiles were similar across the treatment groups, and both indacaterol and salmeterol were well tolerated without any severe adverse events. Conclusions: Once-daily treatment with 150 μg indacaterol had a significant and clinically relevant bronchodilator effect and improved health status and dyspnoea to a greater extent than twice-daily 50 μg salmeterol. Indacaterol should prove a useful addition in the treatment of patients with COPD.