Frontiers in pharmacology
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Access and Benefit Sharing Under the Nagoya Protocol-Quo Vadis? Six Latin American Case Studies Assessing Opportunities and Risk.
Global challenges related to access and benefit sharing (ABS) of biological resources have become a key concern in the area of research on herbal medicines, ethnopharmacology, drug discovery, and the development of other high value products for which Intellectual Property protection can be secured. While the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, Rio 1992) has been recognized as a huge step forward, the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol (NP) and of new forms of collaboration often remain unresolved, especially in the context of "the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources" (Convention on Biological Diversity, 2011). The vision and the specific implementation of this international treaty vary from country to country, which poses additional challenges. ⋯ Different policies in the six countries result in very diverse strategies and opportunities relating to the equitable use of biodiversity. A long-term strategy is required to facilitate a better understanding of the treaties and the resulting opportunities for a fairer development and implementation of transparent national polices, which currently differ in the six countries. So far, the benefits envisioned by the CBD and the NP remain unfulfilled for all stakeholders involved including local communities.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Dazhu Hongjingtian Preparation as Adjuvant Therapy for Unstable Angina Pectoris: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Objective: Dazhu hongjingtian [DZHJT, Rhodiola wallichiana var. cholaensis (Praeger) S. H. Fu] preparation as an add-on therapy has been applied to the treatment of angina pectoris. ⋯ Conclusion: Adjuvant treatment with DZHJT has an add-on effect in reducing angina pectoris attacks in patients with UAP. The beneficial effect may be correlated with regulating whole-blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, fibrinogen, thromboxanes B2, and CRP level. However, future well-designed prospective, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials with large sample sizes are required to evaluate the evidence.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Identifying Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns Through Multi-Level Latent Profile Analyses: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Primary Care Physicians.
Background: Overuse of antibiotics significantly fuels the development of Antimicrobial resistance, which threating the global population health. Great variations existed in antibiotic prescribing practices among physicians, indicating improvement potential for rational use of antibiotics. This study aims to identify antibiotic prescribing patterns of primary care physicians and potential determinants. ⋯ Higher use of antibiotics was associated with insufficient knowledge, indifference to changes, complacency with satisfied patients, low household income and rural location of the prescribers. Conclusion: Great variation in antibiotic prescribing patterns exists among primary care physicians in Hubei of China. High use of antibiotics is not only associated with knowledge shortfalls but also low socioeconomic status of prescribers.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Cytokine Release Syndrome: Analysis of WHO Global Pharmacovigilance Database.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have proven effective in the treatment of numerous cancers; however, they have been associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs), among which cytokine release syndrome (CRS) has been reported in a few case reports. To describe the burden of ICI-related CRS and raise awareness of CRS as irAE, we queried VigiBase, the World Health Organization global database of spontaneously reported suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and retrieved safety reports of suspected CRS associated with ICIs, gathered in the database through January 12th 2020. We assessed ICI-related CRS safety reports in terms of geographical and temporal patterns of reporting, patient demographics and clinical features, treatment characteristics, CRS clinical presentation, timing, seriousness, and outcome. ⋯ Besides two fatal cases, CRS recovered/was recovering at the time of reporting in 35 (60%) cases. We observed differences in the geographical pattern of ICI-related CRS reporting, with a high proportion of ICI-related CRS cases in Australia and North America (0.14 and 0.10% respectively). Due to ICI expanding indications, clinicians should be aware that ICIs could contribute to CRS onset in cancer patients as pharmacological triggers.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Veratrilla baillonii Franch Could Alleviate Lipid Accumulation in LO2 Cells by Regulating Oxidative, Inflammatory, and Lipid Metabolic Signaling Pathways.
Based on the pathological theory of lipid metabolism and using network pharmacology, this study was designed to investigate the protective effect of water extract of Veratrilla baillonii (WVBF) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model using LO2 cells and to identify the potential mechanism underlying the effect. The components of V. baillonii were identified from the public database of traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database (TCMSP). Cytoscape software was used to construct the related composite target network. ⋯ In conclusion, V. baillonii may regulate local lipid metabolism and attenuate oxidative stress and inflammatory factors through the PPARα/SREBP-1c signaling pathway. The present study also indicates that multiple components of V. baillonii regulate multiple targets and pathways in NAFLD. The findings highlight the potential of V. baillonii as a promising treatment strategy for nonalcoholic fatty liver injury.