Influence of pre-exposure to temephos and pyriproxyfen on the pharmacological action of some laxatives

The aim of the present work is to study the influence of short term daily oral exposure to temephos or pyriproxyfen on the pharmacological action [percent gastric emptying and small bowel transit] of 2 laxatives [lactulose and picolax] in male adult rats. The animals were fed normal diet [1[st] main group], or diet containing 50 times the maximum human acceptable daily intake of either temephos [2[nd] main group], or pyriproxyfen [3[rd] main group] for 15 consecutive days. In the 16[st] day the control group [1[st] main group] was subdivided into 4 subgroups: - First subgroup: given orally 1.5 ml of tested meal [0.5 mg phenol red / 1ml 5% glucose solution] and the animals were sacrificed immediately. - Second subgroup: given 1.5ml of the tested meal but sacrificed after 30 min. - Third and fourth subgroup: given 0.643 or 0.2 ml of lactulose or picolax / 100gm body weight and 30 min. later, animals were given the test meal and after another 30 min. the; animals were sacrificed and the% gastric emptying and small intestine transit were determined. Second and third main groups were subdivided to 3 subgroups given orally the test meal, lactulose, picoltax, respectively and sacrificed after 30 min. Results showed that - temephos and pyriproxyfen negatively interfere with the pharmacological action of lactulose as they sharply decrease its laxative action. - Temephos decrease the laxative action of picolax while pyriproxyfen showed no detectable effects

Glycemic and lipid responses to glucomannan in Thais with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the benefits of glucomannan supplement on glycemic and lipid controls in type 2 diabetic patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with two treatments separated by a 2-week washout period was performed in 10 men and 10 women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Two separated protocols of experiments were sequentially followed. Initially, purified glucomannan (1 g) or placebo was ingested 30 min before 75-g glucose load to evaluate their effects on glucose absorption and insulin secretion in oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Later, the glycemic and lipid changes after 4-week intervention with 3 g/day glucomannan comparing to the placebo were determined. The standard OGTT was performed before and after ending of each intervention. RESULTS: Glucomannan taken before performing the OGTT can lower the rise of blood glucose and insulin from 1 to 2 hour in comparison with the placebo, though a statistically significance of insulin was not achieved. Long-term glucomannan supplement significantly reduced the 120-min glucose area under the curve of OGTT. Glucomannan also decreased the rise of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Reductions of HOMA-insulin resistance index and body mass index were detected in glucomannan-treated group though the former was shown only in females. No within- and between-group differences of insulin, fructosamine, and other lipids were observed in glucomannan- nor placebo- treated groups. CONCLUSION: In type 2 diabetes, pre-prandial glucomannan ingestion attenuated a rise of blood glucose without significantly affecting insulin levels. Long-term supplement of glucomannan to the regular diabetic regimen lessened post challenge glucose AUC and impeded the rise of LDL-C. Supplement of glucomannan may be beneficial to the glycemic and lipid controls in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Avaliação do enquadramento dos laxativos na categoria de Venda Sem Prescrição Médica / Evaluation of the classification of laxatives in the category

Os laxativos disponíveis no mercado brasileiro são enquadrados pela legislação em vigor na categoria de Venda Sem Prescrição Médica. Os consumidores, consequentemente, realizam automedicação de laxativos, sem considerarem as diferenças no diagnóstico da constipação e a segurança dos laxativos. Avaliar o enquadramento dos laxativos na categoria de Venda Sem Prescrição Médica, mediante revisão bibliográfica sobre constipação e segurança dos laxativos, considerando as especialidades farmacêuticas existentes no Brasil em 2003. Levantamento das especialidades farmacêuticas laxativas existentes no Brasil em 2003, através de publicações específicas. Revisão bibliográfica sobre constipação, segurança dos laxativos e categoria de venda dos medicamentos, através da Internet e livros da farmacologia. Em 2003 estão disponíveis 61 especialidades farmacêuticas laxativas no Brasil, todas enquadradas nas categorias de "Venda Sem Prescrição Médica". O tratamento ideal da constipação depende do entendimento da fisiopatologia desta condição. Foram encontrados dados controversos sobre a associação entre o uso de laxativos estimulantes e câncer colorretal ou disfunção neuromotora do intestino. Os dados controversos são preocupantes diante do número elevado de laxativos encontrados no mercado, além de serem considerados pela legislação atual, que enquadra todos os laxantes na categoria de Venda Sem Prescrição Médica, independentemente do modo de ação

Constipaçäo no idoso: mitos e verdades / Constipation in aged people: miths and truths

Os autores fazem uma revisäo das alteraçöes fisiopatológicas que ocorrem durante o envelhecimento e que provocam constipaçäo no idoso. Como essa situaçäo é constatada com muita freqüência nas clínicas geriátricas, este trabalho procurará abordar o problema indicando as principais causas, o manejo näo farmacológico e os tipos de laxativos que podem ser usados para o tratamento farmacológico dessa patologia.

Constipação em Pediatria / Constipation in Pediatrics

Os autores ressaltam a importância da constipaçäo intestinal em Pediatria, destacando sua elevada incidência e frequentes complicaçöes. Definem os diversos termos empregados na análise do problema, estudam a fisiopatologia e as manifestaçöes clínicas da constipaçäo e o seu tratamento, expondo o programa terapêutico recomendado nessa patologia

Viscosity of gums in vitro and their ability to reduce postprandial hyperglycemia in normal subjects

Experiments were carried out in vitro with three viscous polysaccharides (guar gum, pectin, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) of similar initial viscosity submitted to conditions that mimic events occurring in the stomach and duodenum, and their viscosity in these situations was compared to their actions on postprandial hyperglycemia in normal human subjects. Guar gum showed greater viscosity than the other gums during acidification and/or alkalinization and also showed larger effects on plasma glucose levels (35 per cent reduction in maximum rise in plasma glucose) and on the total area under the curve of plasma glucose (control: 20,314 + 1007 mg dl(-1) 180 min (-1) vs guar gum: 18,277 + 699 mg dl(-1) 180 min (-1), P<0.01). Pectin, which showed a marked reduction in viscosity at 37 degrees Celsius and after events mimicking those that occur in the stomach and duodenum, did not have a significant effect on postprandial hyperglycemia. The performance of viscosity and the glycemia response to CMC were at an intermediate level between guar gum and pectin. In conclusion, these data suggest that temperature, the process of acidification, alkalinization and exposure to intestinal ions induce different viscosity changes in gums having similar initial viscosity, establishing a direct relationship between a minor decrease of gum viscosity in vitro and a reduction of postprandial hyperglycemia.

Cathartic activity in Aloe Vera Linn

The physicochemical analysis of aloe powder prepared lies in conformity with the B.P. and USP requirements. Furthermore the cathartic activity exhibited by the drug was found to be almost equivalent to the marketed aloe based laxative drug

The changes in electrolytes and acid-base balance after artificially induced acute diarrhea by laxatives

Following the acute diarrhea in patients (n = 24) overnight with commonly used laxatives for bowel preparation, the changes in electrolytes and acid-base balance in blood and urine were investigated. Though no alterations of serum sodium or potassium concentrations were noted, mild but significant reduction of mean values (+/- SEM) of plasma pH and HCO3 after diarrhea when compared to those before it developed (pH, from 7.42 +/- 0.01 to 7.39 +/- 0.01, p<0.01; HCO3, from 25.8 +/- 0.6 to 23.7 +/- 0.6 mEq/L, p<0.05). However, significant reduction of concentration in spot urine sodium from 150 +/- 12.3 to 93 +/- 14 mEq/g of crea. (p<0.01) and increase in spot urine potassium from 33 +/- 3.2 to 51 +/- 6.0 mEq/g of crea. (p<0.05) following diarrhea were seen with significant reduction of urine pH from 6.67 +/- 0.21 to 5.5 +/- 0.13 (p<0.001). Also, with this effective urinary acidification following diarrhea, a significant reduction of urinary anion gap as well as significant increment of spot urine ammonium was accompanied (anion gap, from 80.4 +/- 11.1 to 44 +/- 8.5 mEq/g of crea. p<0.001; ammonium, from 87 +/- 18.5 to 229 +/- 37 mg/g of crea. p<0.001) in addition to the significant inverse correlation between these changes in spot urine from basal levels in 24 study subjects (y = -1.13 x +61, r = 0.7, p<0.001). In conclusion, we observed that the acute diarrhea with laxatives used for bowel preparation caused a mild degree of metabolic acidosis with no changes in blood electrolytes.

Pharmacological evaluation of cassia roxburghi as a cathartic agent

The possible cathartic property of Cassia roxburghii has been evaluated in this study and comparison was also made with sennosides A and B and senokot in mice. Aqueous solutions were used for all compounds and parameters determined were weight and number of faeces in a given time. The texture and colour of the faeces were also taken into consideration. C. roxburghlii showed a 31% and 300% increase in weight and number of faeces when compared with control, while sennosides A and B and senokot showed a 33% and 106% increase in weight and 380% and 440% increase in number of faeces from control respectively. These studies showed that C. roxburghii possessed a valuable cathartic potential