Placebo controlled study on the efficacy and safety of calcipotriol in the treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis

Calcipotriol is a vitamin D analogue that has been used now a day as monotherapy in mild to moderate psoriasis. We have conducted a placebo-controlled clinical comparative study to assess the efficacy and safety of calcipotriol in the treatment of psoriasis. To assess the efficacy and safety of calcipotriol in comparison with placebo in patients with mild to moderate psoriasis. Experimental Study. This study was conducted in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre [JPMC], Karachi from January 2008 to March 2008. Sixty patients with mild to moderate psoriasis were enrolled after obtaining their informed written consent and were divided into two groups, A and B. Group-A was administered calcipotriol and Group-B was considered as placebo group for three months. The study parameter [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, PASI] score was noted after every fifteen days [02 weeks] and were evaluated statistically at the end of the study period. The significant changes in mean +/- SEM values were noted for the efficacy of calcipotriol during the period from day 0 to day 90 in group-A [calcipotriol] v/s group-B [placebo]. According to the statistical evaluation, a reduction in the symptoms of the disease was found up to 67.8% in group A, and 0.5% in group-B. The difference between the results of both groups was noted to be highly significant [P<0.001]. Calcipotriol as monotherapy is observed to be significantly superior to placebo in terms of efficacy and safety in the treatment of psoriasis

investigation of mechanism of vasodilator activity of 17 beta-estradiol as being geriomic or non-genomic

To determine the vasodilator activity of 17 beta-estradiol as being genomic or non-genomic. The experimental protocol was divided into three groups, In group I aorta of rat was subjected to serial dilutions of norepinephrine and a standard concentration was selected, which produced optimal vasoconstriction. In group II, tissue was challenged with serial dilutions of 17 beta-estradiol in the presence of vascconstriction induced by the standard concentration of norepinephrine. Meanwhile in group III tissue was challenged with serial dilutions of 17 beta-estradiol in presence of standard concentration of norepinephrine after pretreatment with dactinomycin, which was used to inhibit protein synthesis so that genomic mode of action could be blocked. In our study 17 beta-estradiol, after pretreatment with dactinomycin, produced vasodilator activity in the same pattern as obtained without administration of protein synthesis inhibitor in the tissue preconstricted with norepinephrine [P<0.001]. The observations demonstrate the vasodilator activity of the 17 beta-stradiol to be its non-genomic action