Antidiabetic Effects of Add-On Gynostemma pentaphyllum Extract Therapy with Sulfonylureas in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Aims. To investigate the antidiabetic effect of the traditional Vietnamese herb Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP) together with sulfonylurea (SU) in 25 drug-naïve type 2 diabetic patients. Methods. After 4-week treatment with gliclazide (SU), 30 mg daily, all patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups to add on GP extract or placebo extract, 6 g daily, during eight weeks. Results. After 4-week SU treatment, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA(1C) decreased significantly (P < 0.001). FPG was further reduced after add-on therapy with 2.9 ± 1.7 and 0.9 ± 0.6 mmol/L in the GP and placebo groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Therapy with GP extract also reduced 30- and 120-minute oral glucose tolerance test postload values. HbA(1C) levels decreased approximately 2% units in the GP group compared to 0.7% unit in the placebo group (P < 0.001). Conclusion. GP extract in addition to SU offers an alternative to addition of other oral medication to treat type 2 diabetic patients.

[Drug addiction by inhalation of gasoline vapor. Clinical and toxicological aspects]. / Toxicomanies par inhalation de vapeur d'essence. Aspects cliniques et toxicologiques.

Following an epidemic of sniffing petrol fumes and the death of a child, the authors review published findings of this little-known type of toxicomania. They envisage the Clinical and Toxicological problems. Researching and identifying the petrol remain problems. It is possible to detect the traces of petrol directly in the blood by gaz chromatography on a capillary column coupled to flame ionisation detector but it not possible to identify the product with complete certainly. The gas liquid on a packed column detected by Fournier transformed infra-red spectrography can be given to identification with total accuracy.

[Surgical shock. Acute hypocatecholaminemia and therapeutic indications of an adrenocortical vasopressor sympathicolytic drug mixture. Clinical studies and experimental research]. / Socul operator, Hipocatecolaminemia acuta si indicatiile terapeutice ale amestecului farmacologic simpaticolitic vasopresor adrenocortical. Studii clinice si cercetari experimentale.

In cases with postoperative shock and collapse a constant fall in the concentration of serum cathecholamines was noted. Thus adrenalin was reduced by 77%, noradrenalin by 86.5%, in direct proportion with the fall in the blood pressure, of the pulse amplitude and with the slowing-down (or the arrest) of the microcirculation. The reduction of serum cathecholamines also coincided with a decrease in the amount of buffer bases and of the diuresis. The adrenocortical vasopresor sympathicolithic mixture is indicated in the prolonged arterial hypotension following failure of therapy aimed at filling of the vascular bed associated with the administration of sympathicolytic drugs.

Drugs as ligands of immunogenic molecules in parasites: an approach to the isolation of target-antigens.

Schistosomicide drugs are used as ligands to isolate the target antigens of schistosome by affinity chromatography. Anti-target antigens immune sera produced in rabbit permit their localization on the parasite using immunofluorescence. Target antigens of some drugs determine a relatively high immunoprotection in rat or mouse schistosomiasis infection.