A comparative study on safety and efficacy of travoprost and brimonidine/timolol fixed combination in patients of primary open‑angle glaucoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate the clinical efficacy of topically applied travoprost 0.004% eye drops versus brimonidine/timolol fixed combination eye drops in the management of primary open-angle glaucoma. Methods: In this prospective, randomized study, 65 patients received either travoprost eye drops once daily in the morning (n=33) or brimonidine/timolol fixed combination eye drops twice daily (n=32). Intra ocular pressure (IOP) was assessed at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure was mean reduction in IOP. Results: The baseline mean IOP values were similar between two groups. Mean reduction of IOP in the right eye for brimonidine/timolol fixed combination group was 9±2.9 mmHg, whereas in the left eye it was 10.9±2.8 mmHg. In the travoprost group, the reduction in IOP of the right eye was 7.8±2.9 mmHg (p=0.0002) and 7.5±3.4 mmHg (p=0.0001) in the left eye. The mean reduction of IOP for the brimonidine/timolol group was 9.95 mmHg and for the travoprost group it was 7.6 mmHg (p<0.0001) in both the eyes. Conclusions: The fixed combination brimonidine/timolol twice daily demonstrated superior mean IOP lowering efficacy compared to travoprost 0.004% in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

Stress induced neuron degeneration and protective effects of Semecarpus anacardium Linn. and Withania somnifera Dunn. in hippocampus of albino rats: an ultrastructural study.

Effects of herbal formulations were studied on hippocampal neuron cell bodies. Study was carried out in adult Swiss albino rats. Experimental rats (E) were divided into three groups. Group E1 rats were given immobilization stress for 14 hr/day for 30 days. Rats in E2 and E3 group were given daily single dose (40 mg/kg/body wt.) of alcoholic extract of S. anacardium and W. somnifera. After 1 hr giving the plant extract, the rats were subjected to stress. Treatment continued for 14 hr for 30 days. Control rats were kept in complete nonstress condition. Ultrastructural characteristics of neuron cell bodies in hippocampal sublayer (CA1-CA4 and Dg) was studied in rats of E1, E2 and E3 groups and compared with control. Results of the present study demonstrated, that both CA2 and Dg, 85% of neuron cell bodies exhibited degenerating characteristics, (which includes karyorrhexis, membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, chromatin fragmentation and intracellular spacing). Interestingly, after the treatment with S. ancardium cells demonstrating degenerating characteristics was significantly reduced (80%) as compared to treatment with W. somnifera. Study suggests that probably both the herbal drugs have cytoprotective properties.

Anti-platelet activating factor property of Rubia cordifolia Linn.

Rubia cordifolia is clinically used for the purification of blood by the physicians of the Indian System of Medicine. For the first time, the effect of the partially purified fraction of this whole plant has been studied on rabbit platelets. It inhibits the platelet aggregation induced by PAF (platelet activating factor) but not thrombin. It also inhibits the binding of 3H-PAF to the platelets in the dose-dependent manner. Thus it appears that R. cordifolia inhibits action of PAF at its receptor level either by it's blocking or by desensitization.