Therapeutic and Medicinal Uses of <i>Aloe vera</i>: A Review

The plant Aloe vera is used in Ayurvedic, Homoeopathic and Allopathic streams of medicine, and not only tribal community but also most of the people for food and medicine. The plant leaves contains numerous vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, natural sugars and other bioactive compounds with emollient, purgative, anti-microbial, anti inflammatory, antioxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-helmenthic, antifungal, antiseptic and cosmetic values for health care. This plant has potential to cure sunburns, burns and minor cuts, and even skin cancer. The external use in cosmetic primarily acts as skin healer and prevents injury of epithelial tissues, cures acne and gives a youthful glow to skin, also acts as extremely powerful laxative.

Design,delivery and efficacy testing of therapeutic nucleic acids used to inhibit hepatitis C virus gene expression in vitro and in vivo

Despite major achievements in the treatment ofchronic hepatitis C with the combination ofinterferons and the nucleoside analog ribavirin themajority of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection cannot be treated effectively.Toimprove this response rate we used antisensetechnologies to inhibit HCV translation as possibleadditional option for experimental treatment.Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides(ODN) are

Blastocystis hominis as a cause of chronic diarrhea in low-resource settings:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Blastocystis hominis(B.hominis),an anaerobic unicellular protist parasite,is known for its diverse clinical manifestations upon infecting the human gastrointestinal tract.Although globally distributed,it is particularly prevalent in developing nations.Examining the symptoms and treatment outcomes of B.hominis infection in low-resource settings holds immense significance,providing healthcare practi-tioners with valuable insights to enhance patient care.AIM To synthesize existing evidence on the symptomatology and treatment outcomes of B.hominis infection in low-resource settings.METHODS Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines,a systematic review was conducted.The search spanned electronic databases including PubMed,Scopus,and Google Scholar.After a comprehensive screening process,a thorough examination of the papers,adhering to inclusion and exclusion criteria,and data extraction from eligible studies was conducted.The findings underwent summarization through simple descriptive analysis.RESULTS The search yielded 1200 papers,with 17 meeting inclusion criteria.Chronic diarrhea due to B.hominis infection was reported in only two studies,while abdominal pain,diarrhea,flatulence,constipation,and nausea/vomiting emerged as the most commonly documented symptoms.Recovery rates after one week of treatment ranged from 71.8%to 100%,and after two weeks,from 60%to 100%.CONCLUSION In low-resource settings,chronic diarrhea resulting from B.hominis infection is infrequent.Common symptoms include abdominal pain,diarrhea,flatulence,constipation,and nausea/vomiting.Post-treatment,clinical outcomes are notably favorable,supporting the recommendation for treatment.Metronidazole is advocated as the first-line agent,with consideration for switching to a second-line option in cases of treatment failure or poor response.

Continuous Wear of Hydrogel Contact Lenses for Therapeutic Use

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and complications of continuous wear of etafilcon A for therapeutic use. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 228 eyes of 219 outpatients prescribed contact lens (CL) for one week of continuous therapeutic wear during 10 years. The reason for prescription of CLs, the primary disease, the duration of CL wear and the complications were assessed retrospectively. Results: The predominant reason for prescription of CLs was relief of pain or a foreign-body sensation (62.3%) and protection of the corneal epithelium (20.6%). The primary disease was post-penetrating keratoplasty (36.8%), followed by corneal epithelial erosion (14.5%), post-lamellar keratoplasty (14.0%) and bullous keratopathy (12.2%). The average duration of wearing single lens was 6.5 ± 3.2 days. The average duration of wearing CLs in total was 9.2 ± 10.7 months. The most frequent problem associated with continuous wear of CLs was their dropping out of CLs (12.3%). The complications associated with CLs included conjunctivitis with papillary hyperplasia, corneal erosion and superficial punctate keratitis, but corneal ulcer and corneal infiltrates were not found. Conclusion: Serious complications were not shown changing the lenses every week to keep to the prescribed time limit for continuous therapeutic wear, even if corneal epithelial barrier function is impaired.

Clinacanthus nutans:a review of the medicinal uses,pharmacology and phytochemistry

Clinacanthus nutans Lindau is known as snake grass belonging to the Acanlhaceae family.This plant has diverse and potential medicinal uses in traditional herbal medicine for treating skin rashes,insects and snake bites,lesions caused by herpes simplex virus,diabetes,and gout in Malaysia.Indonesia.Thailand and China.Phylochemieal investigations documented the varied contents of bioaclive compounds from litis plant namely flavonoids,glycosides,glycoglyeerolipids.cerebrosides and monoacylmonogalatosylglycerol.The pharmacological experiment proved that various types of extracts and pure compounds from this species exhibited a broad range of biological properties such as anti-inflammatory,antiviral,antioxidant,and anti-diabetic activities.The lindings of toxicity study showed that extracts from this plant did not show any toxicity thus it can be used as strong therapeutic agents for specific diseased conditions.However,further experiments on chemical components and their mode of action showing biological activities are required to elucidate the complete phytochemical profile and assess to confirm their suitability tor future drugs.This review summarizes the medicinal uses,phytochemistry and pharmacology of this plant in order to explore its therapeutic potential and gaps necessitating for prospected research work.

Comparison of long-lasting therapeutic effects between succimer and penicillamine on hepatolenticular degeneration

AIM To compare the long term effect of succimer (Suc) with that of penicillamine (Pen) in treating hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD). METHODS One hundred and twenty patients with HLD were divided into 2 groups. Group A ( n =60) received Suc 750mg , po. bid. Group B ( n =60) received Pen 250mg , po. qid. The period of maintenance treatment varied from 6 months to 3 years, averaging 1 5 years. Symptoms and therapeutic effects were evaluated by modified Goldstein scale. RESULTS The total effectiveness of group A in two different periods of treatment were 80% and 85% respectively, higher than those of group B (58% and 59% respectively) ( P <0 05). Suc also had obvious curative effects for the patients who failed in the use of Pen. There were fewer side effect in group A than in group B ( P <0 05). Suc and Pen could increase urinary copper excretion effectively and continually. CONCLUSION Suc is more effective and safer than Pen. Clinically, it can replace Pen as first choice drug for long term maintenance therapy of HLD.

Functional dyspepsia of ulcer-dysmotility type:clinical incidence and therapeutic strategy

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Therapeutic role of template-based lymphadenectomy in urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract

Lymphadenectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract has attracted the attention of physicians. The mapping study of lymphatic spread has shown that a relatively wide area should comprise the regional nodes for tumors of the right renal pelvis or the right upper two-thirds of the ureter. A prospective study showed that an anatomical templatebased lymphadenectomy significantly improved patient survival in tumors of the renal pelvis. This benefit was more evident for patients with p T2 stage tumors or higher. The risk of regional node recurrence is significant reduced by template-based lymphadenectomy,which is likely to be associated with improved patient survival. The removal of lymph node micrometastases is assumed to be the reason for therapeutic benefit following lymphadenectomy. The number of resected lymph nodes can be used to assess the quality of lymphadenectomy,but not to determine the extent of lymphadenectomy. The guidelines currently recommend lymphadenectomy for patients with muscle-invasive disease,even though the current recommendation grades are still low. The present limitation of lymphadenectomy is the lack of standardization of the extent of lymphadenectomy and the randomized trials. Further studies are warranted to collect the evidence to support lymphadenectomy.

Controversies regarding transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)have tantalized regenerative medicine with their therapeutic potential,yet a cloud of controversies looms over their clinical tran-splantation.This comprehensive review navigates the intricate landscape of MSC controversies,drawing upon 15 years of clinical experience and research.We delve into the fundamental properties of MSCs,exploring their unique immuno-modulatory capabilities and surface markers.The heart of our inquiry lies in the controversial applications of MSC transplantation,including the perennial debate between autologous and allogeneic sources,concerns about efficacy,and lingering safety apprehensions.Moreover,we unravel the enigmatic mechanisms surro-unding MSC transplantation,such as homing,integration,and the delicate balance between differentiation and paracrine effects.We also assess the current status of clinical trials and the ever-evolving regulatory landscape.As we peer into the future,we examine emerging trends,envisioning personalized medicine and innovative delivery methods.Our review provides a balanced and informed perspective on the controversies,offering readers a clear understanding of the complexities,challenges,and potential solutions in MSC transplantation.

High-intensity focused ultrasound extracorporeal ablation of liver tissuesin rabbits

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The role of drug utilization evaluation in medical sciences

Background:Drug utilization evaluation(DUE)is defined by the World Health Organization(WHO)and focuses on the medical,social,and economic consequences of pharmaceutical marketing,distribution,prescribing,and usage in society.The WHO recommends a physician to every 1000 people.According to the recent data from the Health Ministry in 2019,in which 1.16 million doctors are of active population with just 80%,or 0.9 million,practicing.As a result,a ratio of 0.68 doctors for every 1000 people,which is much below as per the WHO reports.This article describes history,types,WHO guidelines,need and purpose of DUE.Objective:The main aim of this paper is to provide information about the rational use of medication in outpa­tient and inpatient department with special emphasis of DUEs.It also provides awareness directly to healthcare professionals,researchers,academicians,pharmacist and nurses to reduce the irrationality of medicines.Methods:The method used to compile this review information gathered from websites,Google scholar,PubMed,Research gate,and studies published on DUE from July 20 to Oct 22 were included as source of information.Results:We studied more than 35 published study on DUE,that reveals most of the physicians prescribed branded drugs not generic drugs,but WHO prescribing indicator allows to prescribe generic drugs in the hospital pharmacy to maintain better inventory control.It may also help to prevent pharmacist misunderstanding during dispensing.Conclusion:The use of generic prescription names avoids the possibility of medication product duplication and lowers patient costs.It is important to remember that incorrect medication prescriptions have impact on both patients and their family members.WHO indicators identify irrational prescribing behaviours to make therapy more rational and cost-effective.

USE OF CELL-BASED BIOASSAY FOR THE QUALITY CONTROL OF BOTANICAL THERAPEUTICS

The single most important factor in modernization efforts of traditional oriental medicines is the limited understanding of active compounds responsible for claimed therapeutic effects.Indeed,the unknown identity of biologically active molecules generates major difficulties associated with botanical therapeutics in general.This includes management of raw materials,poor understanding of

Combination of "low-dose" ribavirin and interferon alfa-2a therapy followed by interferon alfa-2a monotherapy in chronic HCV-infected nonresponders and relapsers after interferon alfa-2a monotherapy

AIM To report on the efficacy, safety and tolerability of interferon alfa-2a combined with a "low dose" of ribavirin for relapsers and non responders to alpha interferon monotherapy.METHODS Thirty-four chronic hepatitis C virus-infected non-responders to interferon alfa2a monotherapy (a course of at least 3 months treatment) and 13 relapsers to interferon alfa 2a monotherapy (a dose of 3 to 6 million units three times per week for at least 20 weeks but not more than 18 months) were treated with the same dose of interferon alfa-2a used before (3 to 6 million units three times per week) and ribavirin (10 mg/ kg daily) for 6 months. In complete responders, interferon alfa-2a was administered for further 6 months at the same dose used before as monotherapy.RESULTS Seven (20.6%) of 34 non-responders stopped the combined therapy due to adverse events, including two patients with histological and clinical Child A cirrhosis. In 17/27 (63%)non-responders, the combined therapy was stopped after three months because of non-response. Ten of the 27 non-responders completed the 1;2-month treatment course. At a mean follow up of 28 months (16- 37 months)after the treatment, 4/10 (15%) previous non-responders still remained complete responders,All 13 previous relapsers completed the 12-month treatment course. At a mean follow up of 22months (9 - 36 months) after treatment, 6/13(46%) the previous relapsers were stillsustained complete responders.CONCLUSION Our treatment schedule of the combined therapy for 6 months of interferon alfa2a with a low dose of ribavirin (10 mg/kg/day)followed by 6 months of interferon alfa-2amonotherapy is able to induce a sustainedcomplete response rate in 15% of non-responders and 46% of relapsers with chronic hepatitis C virus-related liver diseases comparable to those obtained with the standarddoses of ribavirin 1000 - 1200 mg/day.Randomized prospective controlled trials using lower total amounts of ribavirin in combination with interferon should be performed.

Probiotic mixture VSL#3:An overview of basic and clinical studies in chronic diseases

Probiotics are known as“live microorganisms”and have been proven to have a health effect on hosts at the proper dose.Recently,a kind of probiotic mixture including eight live bacterial strains,VSL#3,has attracted considerable attention for its combined effect.VSL#3 is the only probiotic considered as a kind of medical food;it mainly participates in the regulation of the intestinal barrier function,including improving tight junction protein function,balancing intestinal microbial composition,regulating immune-related cytokine expression and so on.The objective of this review is to discuss the treatment action and mechanism for the administration of VSL#3 in chronic diseases of animals and humans(including children).We found that VSL#3 has a therapeutic or preventive effect in various systemic diseases per a large number of studies,including digestive systemic diseases(gastrointestinal diseases and hepatic diseases),obesity and diabetes,allergic diseases,nervous systemic diseases,atherosclerosis,bone diseases,and female reproductive systemic diseases.

Medicinal plants with hepatoprotective activity in Iranian folk medicine

There are a number of medicinal combinations in the Iranian traditional medicine which are commonly used as tonic for liver.In this review,we have introduced some medicinal plants that are used mainly for the treatment of liver disorders in Iranian folk medicine,with focus on their hepatoprotective effects particularly against CCI_4 agent.In this study,online databases including Web of Science.PubMed.Scopus,and Science Direct were searched for papers published from January 1970 to December 2013.Search terms consisted of medicinal plants,traditional medicine,folk medicine,hepatoprotective.Iran,liver,therapeutic uses,compounds,antioxidant.CCI_4.anti-inflammatory,and antihepatotoxic,hepatitis,alone or in combination.Allium hirtifolium Boiss..Apium graveolens L..Cynara scolyinus.Berberis vulgaris L..,Calendula officinalis,Nigella sativa L..Taraxacum officinale.Tragopogon porrifolius.Prangos ferulacea L..Allium sativum,Marribium vulgare,Ammi majus L..Citrullus lanatus Thunb.Agrimonia eupatoria L.and Primus armeniaca L.are some of the medicinal plants that have been used for the treatment of liver disorders in Iranian folk medicine.Out of several leads obtained from plants containing potential hepatoprotective agents,silymarin,P-sitosterol,betalain,neoandrographolide.phyllanthin.andrographolide.curcumin.picroside.hypophyllanlhin.kutkoside,and glycyrrhizin have been demonstrated to have potent hepatoprotective properties.Despite encouraging data on possibility of new discoveries in the near future,the evidence on treating viral hepatitis or other chronic liver diseases by herbal medications is not adequate.

Treatment of rotaviral gastroenteritis with Qiwei Baizhu powder

AIM To observe the effects of Qiwei Baizhu Powder ( QWBZP) on rotaviral gastroenteritis in children and in animal models.``METHODS Enrolled patients were divided into two groups, and one group was treated with oral rehydration solution(ORS) and the other treated with oral liquid of QWBZP. Neonate mice were orally infected with 50 μLrotavirus suspension (4 × l0s PFU/mL) and treated with ORS or oral liquid of QWBZP, respectively.``RESULTS Eighty-three cases of rotaviral gastroenteritis treated with QWBZP revealed a better efficacy than that treated with ORS (x2 - 10.8T, P<0.05). The contents of sodium and glucose as well as number of patients with positive human rotavirus antigen in stool in QWBZP group were all less than that in ORS group. In animal models,QWBZP was found effective in treating rotavirus gastroenteritis in neonate NIH mice, as compared with control groups. In QWBZP group, the mortality of infected mice was decreased by 73.3%, the body weight of infected mice was increased, the contents of sodium and glucose as well as number of mice with positive rotavirus antigen in feces were significantly reduced, and the pathological changes such as damage of small intestinal mucosa and villi were also obviously alleviated.``CONCLUSION QWBZP has effects on improving the absorptive function of small intestine, shortening the duration of diarrhea and rotavirus shedding from stool and alleviating the pathological changes of small intestine induced by rotavirus.

Effect of Qinling granule in treatment of 102 patients with chronic hepatitis B

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Mechanism of exogenous nucleic acids and their precursors improving the repair of intestinal epithelium after 7-irradiation in mice

AIM To clone expressed genes associated withrepair of irradiation-damaged mice intestinalgland cells treated by small intestinal RNA,andto explore the molecular mechanism ofexogenous nucleic acids improving repair ofintestinal crypt.METHODS The animal mode of test group andcontrol group was established,forty-five micebeing irradiated by γ ray were treated with smallintestinal RNA as test group,forty mice beingirradiated by γ ray were treated withphysiological saline as control group,five micewithout irradiation were used as normal control,their jejunal specimens were collectedrespectively at 6h,12h,24h,4d and 8d afterirradiation.Then by using LD-PCR based onsubtractive hybridization,these gene fragmentsdifferentially expressed between test group andcontrol group were obtained,and then werecloned into T vectors as well as beingsequenced.Obtained sequences were screenedagainst.GeneBank,if being new sequences,they were submitted to GeneBank.RESULTS Ninety clones were associated withrepair of irradiation-damaged intestinal glandcells treated by intestinal RNA.These clonesfrom test group of 6h,12h,24h,4d and 8dwere respectively 18,22,25,13,12.By screening against GeneBank,18 of which werenew sequences,the others were dramaticallysimilar to the known sequences,mainly similarto hsp,Nmi,Dutt1,alkaline phosphatase,homeobox,anti-CEA ScFv antibody,arginine/serine kinase and BMP-4,repA.Eighteen genefragments were new sequences,their acceptnumbers in GeneBank were respectivelyAF240164-AF240181.CONCLUSION Ninety clones were obtained tobe associated with repair of irradiation-damagedmice intestinal gland cells treated by smallintestinal RNA,which may be related toabnormal expression of genes and matchedproteins of hsp,Nmi,Duttl,Na,K-ATPase,alkalineph-osphatase,glkA,single strandedreplicative centromeric gene as well as 18 newsequences.

Progress in studies of tetrandrine against hepatofibrosis

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Androgenic-anabolic steroids and the Olympic Games

Androgenic-anabolic steroids （AAS） have been misused by athletes at the Olympic Games, both before and after they were prohibited in sport in 1974. Systematic doping with AAS occurred in the German Democratic Republic （GDR） from 1965 to 1989 which assisted that country to win many medals at Olympic Games, especially in female events. Currently, AAS are the most frequent category of prohibited substances detected in the urine of athletes both globally and at the last two Summer Olympic Games. Scientific confirmation that AAS are effective in enhancing sports performance was difficult because ethical approval was difficult for research involving male subjects taking massive doses of androgens as some athletes and bodybuilders did. Methods to detect AAS have evolved gradually over the past three decades and currently, despite an impressive array of sophisticated analytical equipment and methods, anti-doping authorities and analytical scientists continue to face challenges as have occurred from the use by athletes of designer AAS during the past few years. The future development and use of selective androgen receptor modulators （SARMs） can be anticipated to pose problems in the years ahead. Endocrinologists should be aware that on occasions, replacement testosterone （T） therapy may be authorized in sport as a therapeutic use exemption （TUE） and these circumstances are discussed.