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Background: Depression was seen to be associated with an increased level of inflammatory biomarkers along with the disturbance in the monoamine neurotransmitter system. Current therapies are mostly focussed on the neurotransmitters imbalance but due to increasing cases of treatment failure there is a need to shift our treatment focus to other potential therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the preventive role of aspirin and metformin in stress induced model of depression in wistar rats.Methods: Fifty four wistar rats were randomly divided into nine groups as normal control, experimental control, aspirin (30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg), metformin (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg), two combination groups and imipramine (15 mg/kg). Depression model was created by the induction of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for consecutive 28 days. Behavioural assessment was done by evaluating immobility time in forced swim test (FST) and sucrose preference ratio (SPR) in sucrose preference test. The data were analysed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) test using SPSS software. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: The CUMS led to an increase in immobility time and decrease in SPR. Aspirin and Metformin alone and their combinations showed statistically significant response in preventing the immobility time to increase (p<0.001) and SPR to decrease (p<0.001). However the response of Aspirin was comparable with Imipramine but the response of Metformin was not as significant as of Imipramine (p>0.05).Conclusions: Aspirin and metformin might have a potential role in the prevention of depression.
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Background: Price of a drug is an important factor for compliance to the treatment. So, to overcome the high prices of drugs, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under government of India has issued Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) list containing commonly used drugs. Pharmaceutical companies can be punished if they keep their prices higher than the ceiling price mentioned in the DPCO. To find out the price variations of commonly used antidepressant drugs included in DPCO list of 29th April 2019.Methods: A list of all oral antidepressant drugs included in DPCO of 29th April 2019 and available in Indian market was procured from medguide India. Analysis of number of total brands following as well as not following DPCO ceiling price was done.Results: Author found 17 formulations of four antidepressant drugs included in DPCO. Total 556 brands found out of which 84.6% were following the DPCO and 15.4% of brands prices were higher than the ceiling price of DPCO.Conclusions: Though large number of companies are following the DPCO but still strict regulation is needed to further increase the compliance of guidelines.
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Background: DPCO (Drugs Prices Control Order) price list is issued by NPPA (National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority) each year to guide the pharmaceuticals companies for controlling the prices in India. Some drugs cost more than the DPCO list. As antihypertensive drugs are taken lifelong once diagnosis is made, price variation and costing above prescribed price cause a huge economic burden on such patients. This study was undertaken to know the number of antihypertensive drugs brands with price above the recommended DPCO price list 2017.Methods: Authors have collected the data from website medguideindia.com, CIMS (current index of medical specialties), Drug Today, and compared the listed antihypertensive drugs of various available brands in India with DPCO price list 2017. Data was entered in Microsoft excel 2010. Percentage of selling price above the DPCO price list was calculated for each drug.Results: The data of 30 formulations of 16 antihypertensive drugs was analysed. The total number of available brands of all formulations was 1365 out of which only 831 (60.88%) brands were found to have price <DPCO recommended list. 534 (39.12%) brands had price more than the recommended limit. The minimum violation of price limit was found in case of metoprolol 25mg (6.66%) and maximum price violation was observed with spironolactone 25mg and sodium nitroprusside inj 10mg/ml.Conclusions: Reassessment and monitoring for implementation of DPCO price list should be done as still large number of brands are not following the regulations and are violating the limit set by NPPA/DPCO.
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Background: The study was performed to analyze the extent of price variation amongst branded antihypertensive drugs in India and the relation of this price variation to number of pharmaceutical companies manufacturing/marketing these drugs. Methods: Price of different brands of antihypertensive drugs was collected from authentic sources. The data were segregated and the percentage price variation was calculated applying suitable statistical tools. Results: A total of 116 formulations from different companies representing 38 antihypertensive drugs were analyzed. Maximum price variation (3233.33%) was seen with 10 mg dose of propranolol. In general the price variations are proportionally correlated to the number of pharmaceutical companies. Conclusions: Price variation of great extent was found among many formulations. Physicians should be aware of these variations for choosing the appropriate brand for rational therapeutics. This will reduce the burden on patients and family.
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Recently, a lot have been written and discussed about animal experiments and ethics. Still there is too much confusion among academicians and researchers about the future of use of animals in biomedical research and up to what extent their use in laboratory, research institutions, and medical colleges. This article highlighted and discussed about various aspects of this burning issue along with several pros and cons.
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Background: Amla is one of the most often used herbs in indigenous medicine, whose all parts including fruit, seed, leaves, root, bark, and fl owers are used in various Ayurvedic/Unani medicines. However, studies to establish analgesic potential of amla were limited, so the purpose of the present study was to evaluate analgesic activity of amla, if it possesses any. Methods: Albino rats were divided randomly in three groups of six rats each. Group 1 (control) received distilled water orally, Group 2 (test) received Emblica offi cinalis extract in dose of 600 mg/kg orally and Group 3 (standard) received Pentazocine in dose 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Results: Emblica offi cinalis extract did not produced statistically signifi cant (p>0.05) analgesia when compared with the control group in hot plate latency, but produced a statistically signifi cant reduction in 6% NaCl induced abdominal writhing (p<0.05). Conclusions: Since the plant extract signifi cantly reduced the number of writhes in abdominal writhing model, but do not increase hot plate latency, the commercially available crude extract of Emblica offi cinalis exhibit analgesic activity involving peripheral mechanisms.
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Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the world due to factors like old age, family history, ethnicity, diet and some elements exposure, with lot of controversies regarding prevention of prostate cancer. Though the exact pathogenesis is not clear, epidemiological evidence supports a relationship between prostate cancer and hormone levels. In this review article we are focusing on the advances in different pharmacotherapeutic modalities i.e. Chemoprevention, Prostate-Specific Antigen, Hormone Therapy, Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, SERM, Vaccines, Cryotherapy, Watchful Waiting, Radiotherapy and Androgen Deprivation Therapy etc. and new possibilities with strategies to provide maximal benefits while effectively balancing risks for the prostate cancer treatment.
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Background: Curcumin has been used as a traditional remedy for many diseases in Ayurveda. Many studies have proved antidiabetic and antihyperlipidimic effects of curcumin. The present study was conducted to evaluate antihyperglycemic actions of Irbesartan in combination with Curcumin. Methods: After baseline sampling, 18 rats of diabetic groups i.e. Group 1 to Group 3, were started with exclusive high fat diet and water ad libitum for next 4 weeks. At the end of 4 weeks, each rat was given Inj. Streptozotocin in a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight, dissolved in 0.2 ml of citrate buffer (pH 4.5) intraperitoneally. Drugs were given orally in normal saline by gastric gavage with the help of rat feeding cannula. Results: Rats of diabetic group 2, receiving combination of Irbesartan 20mg/kg and Curcumin 200mg/kg body weight for 6 weeks, have shown significant decrease is mean FPG level (FPG- 29.69% reduction, p<0.001). Irbesartan+Curcumin had no any hypoglycemic effect in normoglycemic rats as well as diabetic rats. Conclusions: Irbesartan in combination with Curcumin has significant antihyperglycemic effects. At the same time, Irbesartan combined with Curcumin, does not produce hypoglycemia in normal as well as diabetic rats.