Gum acacia mitigates genetic damage in adenine-induced chronic renal failure in rats

BACKGROUND

Subjects with chronic renal failure (CRF) exhibit oxidative genome damage, which may predispose to carcinogenesis, and Gum acacia (GumA) ameliorates this condition in humans and animals. We evaluated here renal DNA damage and urinary excretion of four nucleic acid oxidation adducts namely 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoGua), 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), 8-oxoguanosine (8-oxoGuo) and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanisone (8-OHdg) in rats with adenine (ADE)-induced CRF with and without GumA treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-four rats were divided into four equal groups and treated for 4 weeks. The first group was given normal food and water (control). The second group was given normal food and GumA (15% w/v) in drinking water. The third group was fed powder diet containing adenine (ADE) (0·75% w/w in feed). The fourth group was fed like in the third group, plus GumA in drinking water (15%, w/v).

RESULTS

ADE feeding induced CRF (as measured by several physiological, biochemical and histological indices) and also caused a significant genetic damage and significant decreases in urinary 8-oxo Gua and 8-oxoGuo, but not in the other nucleic acids. However, concomitant GumA treatment reduced the level of genetic damage in kidney cells as detected by Comet assay and significantly reversed the effect of adenine on urinary 8-oxoGuo.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with GumA is able to mitigate genetic damage in renal tissues of rats with ADE-induced CRF.

Drug utilization pattern of anti-epileptic drugs: a pharmacoepidemiologic study in Oman

PURPOSE

To get an insight into the type and aetiology of epileptic seizures; to describe the drug utilization pattern of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) for the treatment of various forms of epileptic seizures in this tertiary referral centre in Oman; and to compare our drug utilization pattern with that from other countries. In addition, the tolerability of AEDs and the use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) were evaluated.

METHODS

In a 6-month study, all epileptic patients aged 14 and above who were prescribed an AED were considered for analysis. Demographic data, type and aetiology of epileptic seizures, AED data, tests performed and adverse drug reaction (ADR) data were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 1039 prescriptions originated from 488 epileptic patients. The age ranged from 14 to 77 years (median, 24 years). Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (51%) of idiopathic/cryptogenic origin (83%) were the most common type and aetiology of epileptic seizures, respectively. An average of 1.34 AEDs per patient was prescribed with 78% of patients being on monotherapy. Sodium valproate (49%) was the most frequently prescribed AED, followed by carbamazepine (44%), phenytoin (12%) and lamotrigine (11%). Ten patients suffered an ADR and phenobarbital followed by carbamazepine were most commonly the subject of TDM.

CONCLUSIONS

Unlike the results in most other studies, generalized seizures represented the majority of epileptic seizures. The selection of the AEDs corresponded well with their known efficacy profiles for specific epileptic seizure types. Monotherapy was the type of therapy most frequently used, and sodium valproate and carbamazepine were the most commonly used AEDs.