Comparison of Apixaban and Low Molecular Weight Heparin in Preventing Deep Venous Thrombosis after Total Knee Arthroplasty in Older Adults

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of apixaban and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the prevention and treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after total knee arthroplasty in older adult patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 220 patients (average age of 67.8±6.4 years) undergoing total knee arthroplasty were randomly selected as research subjects and were divided into apixaban and LMWH groups (110 in each group). RESULTS: The incidence of DVT was lower in the apixaban group than in the LMWH group (5.5% vs. 20.0%, p=0.001). Activated partial thromboplastin times (35.2±3.6 sec vs. 33.7±2.2 sec, p=0.010; 37.8±4.6 sec vs. 34.1±3.2 sec, p<0.001; 39.6±5.1 sec vs. 35.7±3.0 sec, p=0.032) and prothrombin times (14.0±1.0 sec vs. 12.8±0.9 sec, p<0.001; 14.5±1.2 sec vs. 13.0±1.1 sec, p<0.001; 15.3±1.4 sec vs. 13.2±1.3 sec, p=0.009) in the apixaban group at 1 week after surgery, 3 weeks after surgery, and the end of treatment were higher than those in the LMWH group. Platelet and fibrinogen levels in the apixaban group were lower than those of the LMWH group. Also, capillary plasma viscosity and erythrocyte aggregation in the apixaban group at 1 week after surgery, 3 weeks after surgery, and the end of treatment were lower than those in the LMWH group. CONCLUSION: Apixaban, which elicits fewer adverse reactions and is safer than LMWH, exhibited better effects in the prevention and treatment of DVT after total knee arthroplasty in older adults.

Neamine inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in H7402 human hepatoma cells

To explore the effect of neamine on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in H7402 human hepatoma cells. This study was conducted at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China between October 2008 and February 2010. First, we employed the MTT [thiazol blue tetraolium bromide] and soft agar assay to detect the effect of neamine on cell proliferation, and investigated the migration and invasion by using a transwell assay in H7402 cells. We, then, investigated nuclear translocation of angiogenin by immunofluorescence staining. Finally, we stable transfected H7402 cells with the plasmids pCI-Ang [+] and pCI-Ang [-], which contain the entire coding region of human angiogenin in the sense and antisense orientations, to obtain angiogenin under-expressing/ over-expressing transfectants, and investigated the effect of neamine on angiogenin induced cell proliferation. The results showed that neamine positively inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of H7402 cells. Nuclear translocation of angiogenin was blocked by neamine, and angiogenin-induced cell proliferation was inhibited by neamine. Neamine positively inhibited H7402 cells. Since the toxicity of neamine is much less than neomycin, and is close to that of streptomycin and kanamycin, it may serve as a lead agent for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma therapeutics