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Abstract

S.C. Thuluva, M. Igel, U. Giesa, D. L

Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Bonn, Germany
Objective: Plant sterol/stanol margarines are recommended as a lipid-lowering dietary supplement in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Parameters predicting the individual cholesterol-lowering effect have not been elucidated so far. Therefore, we investigated the responsiveness to sitostanol-supplemented margarine in a specially selected population. Methods and results: From a total number of 137 male subjects with hypercholesterolemia, eight subjects with the lowest and eight subjects with the highest ratios of lathosterol to campesterol in serum were included in the study. They received 1 g sitostanol-supplemented margarine b.i.d. for four weeks. Serum lipoproteins, the cholesterol precursor lathosterol, the plant sterols campesterol and sitosterol were measured. Subjects with a low ratio of lathosterol to campesterol had a significant decrease of serum total cholesterol (?14.2%; p < 0.01) and LDL cholesterol (?13.8%; p < 0.01; responder). In subjects with a high ratio there was no significant change in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (2.2 and 4.3%; non-responder). Conclusion: The ratio of serum lathosterol to campesterol predicts the reduction of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol during administration of sitostanol-supplemented margarine in patients with mild hypercholesterolemia.

*Both authors contributed equally to this study.Correspondence to:
Prof. Dr. K. von Bergmann Department of Clinical Pharmacology University of Bonn Sigmund-Freud-Stra
Email: Klaus.von_Bergmann@ukb.uni-bonn.de

Abstract

H. Hayashi, T. Matsuzaki, A. Saito, M. Shimizu and Y. Matsumoto

¹Department of Pharmacy, Yokohama Seibu Hospital, The St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Yokohama, and ²Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Tokyo, Japan
Objective: Factors influencing the neonatal therapeutic effect of anti-MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) drugs are investigated. Methods: This study took place over a two-year period from April 1998 to March 2000. We calculated the non-adjusted odds ratio for each influential factor to determine the therapeutic effect of anti-MRSA drugs. Results: Significant factors for therapeutic effect were found to be platelet count, urea nitrogen, creatinine, and CRP, each measured before starting administration of anti-MRSA drugs; whether blood drug concentration was measured; and whether pneumonia or septicemia was present. There was a tendency where a better therapeutic effect was gained when the total protein and albumin values were high. We applied multivariate logistic regression analysis to these factors, and found the following independent significant factors: CRP (odds ratio (OR) = 1.582), albumin (OR = 3.079), Cre (OR ?0.213), whether blood drug concentration was measured (OR = 3.767), and presence of pneumonia or septicemia (OR = 0.216). This result suggests that consideration should be given to these five important factors when treating MRSA patients.

Correspondence to:
Y. Matsumoto, PhD Department of Clinical Pharmacokinetics College of Pharmacy Nihon University 7-7-1 Narashinodai Funabashi, Chiba 274-8555, Japan
Email: matsuy@pha.nihon-u.ac.jp

Abstract

P. Winkler, M. de Vrese, Ch. Laue and J. Schrezenmeir

¹Institute for Physiology and Biochemistry of Nutrition, Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Food, Kiel, and ²Center for Biotechnology and Nutrition, Kiel, Germany
Objective: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study was carried out in order to investigate whether consumption of a dietary supplement containing probiotic bacteria plus vitamins and minerals over a period of at least three months in winter/spring affects the duration, frequency, and severity of symptoms of naturally acquired common cold infections as well as cellular immune parameters. Methods: 477 healthy men and women (aged 36 Correspondence to:
Prof. Dr. med. J. Schrezenmeir Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Food Institute for Physiology and Biochemistry of Nutrition Hermann-Weigmann-Stra
Email: devrese@bafm.de

Abstract

U. Fuhr, S. Kober, M. Zaigler, E. Mutschler and H. Spahn-Langguth

¹Institute for Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cologne, ²Department of Pharmacology, Biocenter Niederursel N²⁶⁰, Frankfurt/Main, and ³Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, German
Objective: Triamterene (TA), a potassium-sparing diuretic, is extensively metabolized by hydroxylation in 4?-position and subsequent conjugation by cytosolic sulfotransferases. To identify the cytochrome P450 enzyme(s) catalyzing hydroxylation of triamterene (the rate-limiting step in the formation of the sulfate ester (STA)), in vitro incubation studies were performed with human liver microsomes. Methods: Initial rates of TA hydroxylation (0 ? 300 Correspondence to:
Prof. Dr. H. Spahn-Langguth Spessartstra
Email: spahnlan@uni-mainz.de

Abstract

F.N. Christidou, T.K. Frangia, G.I. Bamichas, L.C. Gionanlis, T.A. Natse, I.E. Georgoulis and K.I. Sombolos

¹Renal Unit and ²Hematology Laboratory, G.H. ?G. Papanikolaou?, Thessaloniki, Greece
The anticoagulant effects of two LMWHs, tinzaparin sodium and bemiparin sodium, were compared during two study dialysis (SD) sessions (SD1 with tinzaparin and SD2 with bemiparin) in ten chronic hemodialysis patients. Prior to SD1, patients had received 3,500 IU of tinzaparin in each dialysis session for two weeks. After SD1, they were switched to 3,500 IU of bemiparin for two weeks and the second study dialysis session (SD2) was carried out. Patients used the same dialyzers during the whole study period and no changes were made in any of the other hemodialysis parameters. Blood samples for the measurement of PT, aPTT and anti-Xa activity were taken before the study dialysis sessions (sample 0), and again at two and four hours after the initiation of dialysis (samples 2-h and 4-h, respectively). PT values showed no change between the SD1 and SD2 sessions, but aPTT values were significantly higher in the 2-h and 4-h samples of the SD1 session compared to corresponding values in SD2 samples (p < 0.005). Anti-Xa activity was higher in the 2-h and 4-h samples of the SD2 session compared to the SD1 session (p = 0.005 and p = 0.012, respectively). At four hours, only patients receiving bemiparin had a mean anti-Xa activity higher than 0.40 IU/mg (mean 0.51 Correspondence to:
Dr. K. Sombolos Vas. Olgas 82 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
Email: sobolos@spark.net.gr

Abstract

D. Zullino, G. Mayland, L.G. Schmidt, E. F

¹Unit
Objective: There are great variations between hospitals in the way drugs are prescribed, and these variations may be due to multiple factors such as local prescribing traditions, pharmacoeconomic considerations, drug availability, regional differences of population, disease prevalence etc. Available studies on prescribing habits, apart from studies performed in a unique center, have until now been mainly restricted to single countries or regions and the comparisons across countries or regions have often been limited by the use of diverse methodologies and definitions. The aim of the present study was to compare drug prescriptions between German and Swiss psychiatric services with regard to their preference of newer psychotropics. Material and methods: Five psychiatric hospitals, associated to the AMSP project, were chosen to represent Swiss and German clinics, university and non-university settings. Data were available from one index day on 572 patients and 1,745 prescriptions. The comparisons were adjusted for age and gender. Results: There was a significant difference (p < 0.001) with regard to the prescription of newer antidepressants (NAD), Swiss clinicians giving proportionally more (65.2%) than the German psychiatrists (48.3%). No significant difference was, on the other hand, found as to the proportion of atypical antipsychotics, the lack of difference being due to the higher proportion of clozapine among the atypical antipsychotics in Germany. Conclusion: There seems, therefore, to be a higher propensity for Swiss hospital psychiatrists to prescribe newer antidepressants. This seems to be due to national or regional prescribing traditions. Further studies are needed to investigate the economical influences on antidepressant prescribing in Swiss and German clinics.

*The contributions of the authors D. Zullino and G. Mayland have to be considered as equivalent.Correspondence to:
Prof. Dr. P. Baumann Unit
Email: pierre.baumann@inst.hospvd.ch

Abstract

S. Baglie, P.L. Rosalen, L.M. Franco, A.P.D.B. Ruenis, R.C.C. Baglie, G.C.N. Franco, P. Silva and F.C. Groppo

¹Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, SP, Brazil, ²Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, PR, ³Faculty of Health Sciences, Methodist University of Piracicaba, Piracic
Objective: To compare the bioavailability of amoxicillin 875 mg tablets (EMS Sigma Pharma used as test formulation) and AmoxilCorrespondence to:
Prof. Dr. F.C. Groppo Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba Universidade Estadual de Campinas Av. Limeira Limeira 901 13414-903 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
Email: fcgroppo@fop.unicamp.br

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Volume 43, No. 7/2005(July)