Assessment of Hippocampal-Related Behavioral Changes in Adolescent Rats of both Sexes Following Voluntary Intermittent Ethanol Intake and Noise Exposure: A Putative Underlying Mechanism and Implementation of a Non-pharmacological Preventive Strategy.

Ethanol (EtOH) intake and noise exposure are particularly concerning among human adolescents because the potential to harm brain. Unfortunately, putative underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Moreover, implementing non-pharmacological strategies, such as enriched environments (EE), would be pertinent in the field of neuroprotection. This study aims to explore possible underlying triggering mechanism of hippocampus-dependent behaviors in adolescent animals of both sexes following ethanol intake, noise exposure, or a combination of both, as well as the impact of EE. Adolescent Wistar rats of both sexes were subjected to an intermittent voluntary EtOH intake paradigm for one week. A subgroup of animals was exposed to white noise for two hours after the last session of EtOH intake. Some animals of both groups were housed in EE cages. Hippocampal-dependent behavioral assessment and hippocampal oxidative state evaluation were performed. Results show that different hippocampal-dependent behavioral alterations might be induced in animals of both sexes after EtOH intake and sequential noise exposure, that in some cases are sex-specific. Moreover, hippocampal oxidative imbalance seems to be one of the potential underlying mechanisms. Additionally, most behavioral and oxidative alterations were prevented by EE. These findings suggest that two frequently found environmental agents may impact behavior and oxidative pathways in both sexes in an animal model. In addition, EE resulted a partially effective neuroprotective strategy. Therefore, it could be suggested that the implementation of a non-pharmacological approach might also potentially provide neuroprotective advantages against other challenges. Finally, considering its potential for translational human benefit might be worth.

Muerte inducida por medicamentos / FATAL ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS

Introducción. Las Reacciones Adversas Medicamentosas (RAM) son una problemática subvalorada en la actualidad y con el incremento de hospitalizaciones por RAM también se esta percibiendo en el mundo un aumento de la incidencia de eventos fatales de RAM. Esto genera un replanteo sobre el uso racional de medicamentos y los costos que traen aparejados los medicamentos para los sistemas de salud. Material y métodos. Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo sobre una base de farmacovigilancia del Hospital General de Agudos Dr. Cosme Argerich con datos de cinco años. Se utilizó el score de Naranjo (tabla 1) para determinar la causalidad de una droga en un evento médico adverso. Fueron incluidos en el trabajo aquellos que fueron determinados como ¨ciertos¨ o ¨probables¨. Resultados. En el perído que involucra la base de farmacovigilancia se detectaron 18 eventos de muertes inducidas por medicamentos. Quimioterápicos, inmunosupresores, corticoides y AINEs fueron las drogas más frecuentemente involucradas. Hemorragia digestiva alta e infecciones las patologías que llevaron a la muerte más frecuentemente. Conclusión. Los grupos de drogas involucrados coinciden con los de la bibliografía internacional. Es preciso contar con sistemas de farmacovigilancia estables y sostenidos para poder determinar y cuantificar con más precisión esta problemática creciente

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR) are one of the most common cause of death in developed countries and in developing countries too. New drugs and aging of the population are two of the mail causes of this. Approximately half of ADR are preventable. The aim of this Word was to determine the incidence of ADR ­ related death in a tertiary care hospital from Buenos Aires. A pharmacovigilance database was used and we applied the Naranjo Score to determine drug causality in adverse medical events. From a total of 2990 ADR, we detected 18 drug related ­ death. Anticancer, steroids and NSAIDs were the drugs most frequently involved

Non-inferiority trial between two dry-powder inhalers containing fluticasone/salmeterol in asthmatic patients.

Asthma is an increasing pathology with poor compliance. Achievement of control is possible but under intensive treatment. In this setting, fluticasone/salmeterol association delivered by dry powder inhalers is a valuable and proved option. A prospective, parallel, open-label, phase IV, multicentre non-inferiority study was conducted to determine therapeutic similarity between 2 different inhalers: Generic DPI and Diskus®, which both deliver a fluticasone/salmeterol association (CAS 80474-14-2/CAS 89365-50-4). A 103 uncontrolled asthmatic patients were randomly assigned in 2 groups, Generic (G) and Diskus® (D), and received the association for 18 weeks through the appropriate device. They were evaluated according to Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire and GINA/NIH guidelines. To demonstrate non-inferiority, the estimation of the Relative Risk between the Global Score Rate per group with its 95% confidence interval was calculated and compared against a non-inferiority margin obtained from a previous study. The Global Score Rate was 82% for G Group and 83% for D Group. The RR was 1.0124 (95% CI: 0.847-1.210). The margin set at 0.832 was not reached by the lower 95% CI (z=-2.097; p=0.018) pointing out non-inferiority. The results have demonstrated non-inferiority between groups. Thus, the 2 products are therapeutically similar.

Loratadine-pseudoephedrine in children with allergic rhinitis, a controlled double-blind trial.

AIMS: To conduct a randomized placebo controlled double-blind crossover trial in order to evaluate a loratadine-pseudoephedrine combination (L + PS) in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis. METHODS: Forty children (15 males; 25 females), aged 3-15 years, were included in this study. They were randomized to receive L + PS (0.2 mg kg[-1] body weight-2.4 mg kg[-1] body weight respectively) or placebo (PLA) for 14 days. After 7 days of washout, patients were shifted to the other treatment for a further 14 days. Nasal symptoms (sneezing/itching, congestion, nasal dripping) and signs (turbinal swelling, retronasal drainage), rated on a scale ranging from: 1. absent to 5. very intense, and their sum or mean total symptom score (MTSS) were used as efficacy measurement. RESULTS: Significant relief was observed; post-treatment MTSS difference and its percent change were respectively; L + PS = -4.29; 95% CI: -3.64 and -4.94 (27.8%), and PLA = -1.63; 95% CI: -0.95 and -2.31 (10.7%) (P < 0.001 baseline vs endpoint and between treatments). Furthermore, L + PS and PLA significantly modified symptoms, but only L + PS significantly modified signs. No clinical changes were observed during the trial; only one patient showed slight transient insomnia when receiving L + PS. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that L + PS is useful and well tolerated in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis. However, elements such as placebo effect must be taken into account for planning future trials.

Risk factors for hepatotoxicity induced by antituberculosis drugs.

To evaluate the risk factors involved in antituberculosis treatment-induced hepatotoxicity. In a retrospective study we analyzed the rate of drug-induced hepatotoxicity in a sample of 456 patients. Patients received a combination of drugs including isoniazid, rifampin, pirazinamide and streptomycin or ethambutol. The association among hepatotoxicity and several risk factors (age, sex, alcoholism and HIV infection) was studied by univariate methods, stratified analysis and the multiple logistic regression model. Signs of liver injury were found in 9.86% of the treated patients. In the logistic model, the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and significance were found as follows: a) for alcoholism, OR = 17.31 (95% CI: 6.35-47.16), p < 0.001; b) for HIV infection, OR = 3.23 (95% CI: 1.47-7.11), p = 0.003 and c) for female sex, OR = 2.44 (95% CI: 1.22-4.86), p = 0.011. Age was not significantly associated with hepatotoxicity. Alcoholism, HIV infection and female sex were associated with an increased risk of hepatotoxicity in this study.

[A simple system for recording and/or infusion-withdrawal in animals without restriction of movements]. / Un sistema simple para registro, y/o infusión-extracción en animalessin restricción de movimientos.

A low cost system was designed to allow a normally active animal to be monitored unrestrained in experiments using indwelling catheters and electrode leads. It is composed of a motor-rotated plate, an animal-activated switch and a power source. This system automatically compensates the horizontal, vertical and rotative animal movements and prevents twisting or kinking of the catheters and leads.

Un sistema simple para registro, y/o infusión-extracción en animalessin restricción de movimientos. / [A simple system for recording and/or infusion-withdrawal in animals without restriction of movements]

A low cost system was designed to allow a normally active animal to be monitored unrestrained in experiments using indwelling catheters and electrode leads. It is composed of a motor-rotated plate, an animal-activated switch and a power source. This system automatically compensates the horizontal, vertical and rotative animal movements and prevents twisting or kinking of the catheters and leads.