ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of oxcarbazepine versus carbamazepine combined with baclofen in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Methods:A total of 74 patients with trigeminal neuralgia who received treatment in Haiyang People's Hospital from May 2019 to May 2021 were prospectively included in this study. They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group ( n = 37 per group). The observation group was treated with oxcarbazepine combined with baclofen, while the control group was treated with carbamazepine combined with baclofen. Both groups were treated for 4 successive weeks. Clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores before and after treatment, levels of pain transmitters [substance P (SP), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), β-endorphin (β-EP)], and quality of life were compared between the two groups. Results:The total effective rate in the observation group was 97.3% (36/37), which was significantly higher than 83.8% (31/37) in the control group (χ 2 = 3.95, P < 0.05). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in VAS score, SP, 5-HT, β-EP levels, and EQ-5D Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (EQ-5D) score between the two groups (all P > 0.05). After treatment, VAS score, SP, 5-HT levels, and EQ-5D score in each group were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment. After treatment, VAS score, SP and 5-HT levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group [(3.1±0.8) points vs. (4.2±0.9) points, (240.1 ± 34.1) ng/L vs. (314.1±40.1) ng/L, (38.2 ± 6.1) ng/L vs. (52.1±9.1) ng/L, all P < 0.001]. After treatment, β-EP level in each group was significantly increased compared with that before treatment ( P < 0.001). After treatment, β-EP level in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(268.1 ± 38.1) ng/L vs. (214.1 ± 29.0) ng/L, P < 0.001]. After treatment, EQ-5D scores in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:Oxcarbazepine combined with baclofen has superior efficacy in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia to carbamazepine combined with baclofen. The former can more obviously relieve pain, reduce pain neurotransmitter levels, improve quality of life, and has less adverse reactions.
ABSTRACT
Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, is transmitted by flea bite. Y. pestis forms a biofilm in the proventriculus of its flea vector to enhance transmission. Biofilm formation in Y. pestis is positively regulated by the intracellular levels of the second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP). The c-di-GMP in Y. pestis is synthesized by two diguanylate cyclases (DGC), HmsT and HmsD, and degraded by phosphodiesterase (PDE), HmsP. Here we summarized the regulators that modulate c-di-GMP metabolism and biofilm formation in Y. pestis and discussed their regulatory mechanism.