Hygeia journal for drugs and medicines

1-2

Authors: Shirley Samson Varghese

Pharmacovigilance (PV) is the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment,understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem. WHO established its Programme for International Drug Monitoring in response to the thalidomide disaster detected in 1961 The aims of PV are to enhance patient care and patient safety in relation to the use of medicines;and to support public health programs by providing reliable, balanced information for the effective assessment of the risk-benefit profile of medicines. Though it was set in motion several decades ago, some countries still look upon PV as a ritual or a copycat strategy to comply with the International bodies. PV is not yet felt as an intrinsic need.......

5-16

Authors: A. Premkumar , T. Muthukumaran,V. Ganesan , Shanmugam R, Priyanka D.L

Plan: The main aim of our research was to develop a novel cream formulation consisting of combination of Miconazole nitrate, Mupirocin and Hydrocortisone for the treatment of secondary skin infections. Prologue: Topical route is most suitable route for skin infections. The development of topical drug delivery systems designed to have systemic effects appears to be beneficial for a number of drugs on account of the several advantages over conventional routes of drug administration. Methodology: A novel cream formulation consisting of combination of Miconazole nitrate, Mupirocin and Hydrocortisone was prepared. The formulation was subjected to in-vitro diffusion studies. Microbiological studies and in-vivo skin irritation studies were performed to find out the safety of materials used in the formulation. Outcome: The developed cream consisting of combination of Miconazole nitrate, Mupirocin, and Hydrocortisone was found to be safe and effective for the treatment of skin infections.

25-35

Authors: Manjula Devi A. S, Bittu Thomas, Annu Joseph, Kavuri Sravani.

Plan: To assess the incidence of inappropriate dosing of renally excreted drugs in hospitalized patients with renal impairment. Preface: Inappropriate dosing in patients with renal dysfunction can cause drug accumulation and toxicity. Method: Creatinine clearance or estimated glomerular filtration rate of patients with serum creatinine greater than 1.7 mg% was calculated using Cockroft-Gault equation and Modified Diet in Renal Disease equation respectively. Dose of all potentially nephrotoxic drugs was evaluated using the published drug dosing guidelines and the new dose or dosing interval was recommended based on the patient’s individual degree of renal impairment. Outcome: Five hundred and six drugs in 50 patients were evaluated of which the dosages of 88 (17.39%) drugs were not adjusted at the time of prescribing. Most of the drugs requiring dose adjustment were antibiotics (39.77%) and antihypertensives (14.77%). About 27% of the drugs were to be avoided strictly. Conclusion: Drug dosing evaluation and concurrent feedback mechanism by the pharmacist improve drug safety in patients with renal impairment.

45-56

Authors: Srinivasan.N and Sathyanarayana.D

Plan: A preliminary Pharmacognostical study on the leaves and stems of Indigofera barberi Gamble Methodology: The Indigofera barberi Gamble leaves and stems were collected, in the forest regions of Thalakona (Nelakona regions) of Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India in the month of November. The collected drug were dried and studied to determine various Pharmacognostical parameters such as macroscopy, microscopical characters of leaf and stems including its powder microscopical characters. The shade dried powder and various solvent extracts (viz., petroleum ether, chloroform, dichloromethane ethanol and water) have been analysed for their phytochemicals, behaviour of powder with different chemical reagents and fluorescence characters. Outcome: The data generated for the Pharmacognostical evaluation on Indigofera barberi Gamble leaves and stems. The results may be useful as a reference material in the preparation of standard monograph.

71-91

Authors: Mohannad A. Elkhider and Bob Chaudhuri

Plan: This review focus on the role of autophagy, in up regulation, in the innate and adaptive immune response, in controlling carcinogenesis, and in supporting neuronal cell growth, development & remodeling. Also the review covers the therapeutic interventions involved in the cancer management through autophagy modulations. Preface: Autophagy is a cellular degradative pathway where un wanted and weary cytosolic components are recycled. Any defects interfering with theintegrity of the autophagic machinery would compromises the cells defensesleaving the cell susceptible to infection by circulating pathogens. Currentliterature points out that the dysregulation of autophagy may be associatedwith the genesis of cancer. Accumulation of aberrant organelles and proteinsincreases the chances of triggering an inflammatory microenvironment favoringchromosomal instability and mutagenesis. The aggregation of certain proteinsyields cellular toxicity which eventually leads to cell death andneurodegeneration. Therefore, the autophagic duty of continuously monitoringand clearing out aggregated proteins isindispensable in neuronal cells. Outcome: The accumulation of autophagosomes is an established assurance in a number of neuro degenerative diseases. However, this observation has triggered controversy whereas one opinion considers the activated autophagic pathway to act as an executioner by initiating neuronal cell death while the other explains the presence of autophagosomes as a final attempt by the cell to sustain viability against the increasing amount of stress.