Folic Acid ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neural Tube Defects ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of vitamin B(12), ginseng saponin, and folic acid on mouse embryos subjected to high heat.

METHODSMice were used for the experiment.

RESULTSAfter exposure of pregnant mice to high heat, the rates of teratism, stillbirth, and fetal absorption were markedly lower in mice treated with ginseng saponin and folic acid following heat exposure than in untreated mice. There were no significant differences in these rates when comparing mice treated with vitamin B(12) with the untreated mice.

CONCLUSIONSGinseng saponin and folic acid can lessen injuries to murine embryos caused by high heat, while vitamin B(12) has little protective effect against high temperature except for promoting overall embryonic growth.

Animals ; Congenital Abnormalities ; prevention & control ; Fetal Diseases ; Fever ; complications ; Folic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Ginsenosides ; therapeutic use ; Mice ; Panax ; Saponins ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin B 12 ; therapeutic use

Erythropoietin ; pharmacology ; Folic Acid ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Platelet Count ; Vitamin B 12 ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with western medicine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its effect on blood stasis, and to explore ways to improve the clinical curative effect.

METHODSA total of 56 patients of RA were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 28 cases in each one. ① ibuprofen sustained-release tablets, 2 times a day, each time 0.3 g; ② methotrexate tablets (MTX), once a week, each time 10 mg ③ folic acid tablets, once a week, each time 5 mg were given in the control group, 30 days as one course, a total of 3 courses were required. In the observation group, acupuncture was adopted on the basis of the treatment as the control group. The main acupoints were Ganshu (BL 18), Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36) combined with local points. The treatment was given once every day for continuous 6 days a week, the treatment for 30 days as one course, a total of 3 courses were required. The serological indexs were evaluated before and after treatment, including the rheumatoid factor (RF), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedirnentation rate (ESR), platelet (PLT), fibrinogen (FBG) and D-dimer (D-D), the changes of disease activity score (DAS-28), symptom grade quantitative score, blood stasis syndrome symptom (the joint tingling, lip color, tongue, pulse, subcutaneous ecchymosis, squamous and dry skin) score were observed.

RESULTS① The scores of RF, hs-CRP, ESR, PLT, D-D, FBG, DAS-28 and symptom grade quantitative were significantly improved in the two groups compared with those before treatment (all <0.05), and the scores of hs-CRP, ESR, DAS-28 and symptom grading in the observation group were more better than those in the control group (all <0.05). ② The total score of joint tingling, lip color, tongue, pulse, subcutaneous ecchymosis, squamous and dry skin and blood stasis syndrome in both groups were decreased after treatment (all <0.05), the joint tingling, tongue, lip color and subcutaneous ecchymosis were improved obviously in the observation group than those in the control group (all <0.05). ③ The total effective rate in the observation group was 85.7% (24/28), which was better than 75.0% (21/28) in the control group (<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with western medicine can not only improve the clinical efficacy of RA patients but also improve the blood stasis.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Folic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Ibuprofen ; therapeutic use ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

The risk of developing colorectal cancer is increased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Surveillance colonoscopy has not been shown to prolong survival and rates of interval cancer are reported to be high. Continuing colonic inflammation has been shown to be important in the development of colorectal cancer and therefore anti-inflammatory agents such as the 5-aminosalicylates and immunomodulators have been considered as potential chemopreventive agents. This review focuses on various chemopreventive agents that have been clearly shown to reduce the risk of colorectal adenoma and cancer in the patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Chemoprevention ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*complications/*prevention & control ; Folic Acid/therapeutic use ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/*complications/drug therapy ; Mesalamine/therapeutic use ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid/therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical efficacy and toxicity of vitamin support in lung adenocarcinoma patients treated with pemetrexed second-line chemotherapy.

METHODSTwo hundred and eighty-three patients with stage 3/4 lung adenocarcinoma treated at our hospital from August 2010 to August 2013 were included in this study. The lung adenocarcinomas in all the 283 patients were confirmed by pathology or cytology, all were EGFR-negative, and all patients received pemetrexed second line chemotherapy. The 283 patients were randomly divided into two groups: the improved treatment group (142 cases) and the conventional treatment group (141 cases). The patients of conventional treatment group received 400 µg folic acid per os daily for 7 days before the first dose of pemetrexed, and continued until 21 days after the last dose of pemetrexed. Besides, they received 1000 µg vitamin B12 injection at 7 days before the first dose of pemetrexed, and once per cycle of pemetrexed for 3 cycles after the last dose of pemetrexed. The patients of the improved treatment group took 400 µg folic acid daily per os from the day before the first dose to 21 days after the last dose of pemetrexed. They also received 500 µg vitamin B12 by injection one day before the first dose, and one day before each therapy cycle of pemetrexed therapy.

RESULTSThe mean number of cycles of pemetrexed chemotherapy was 4 in both groups. In the 142 patients of improved treatment group, complete response (CR) was observed in two cases, partial remission (PR) in 28, stable disease (SD) in 21, and progressive disease (PD) in 91 cases, with a total effective rate of 21.1%. While in the conventional treatment group, CR was observed in one case, PR in 27 cases, SD in 23 cases, and PD in 90 cases, with a total effective rate of 19.9%. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.8 months in the improved treatment group and 4.2 months in the conventional treatment group (P=0.143). The toxicity of chemotherapy was mild in both groups, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The most common side effects of hematological system were leukopenia and neutropenia, and the most common side effects of non-blood system were nausea and vomiting. The most common grade 3-4 toxic reaction in both groups was leukopenia and neutropenia, with no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the age of patients was an independent factor of grade 3-4 chemotherapy toxic reaction (P<0.05), while gender, the baseline level of PS score or blood system had no significant effect on the grade 3-4 chemotherapy toxic reaction (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCompared with the conventional treatment scheme, the improved treatment scheme has similar therapeutic effects and could be used more conveniently, while the toxic effects of chemotherapy are not increased at the same time. Our results indicate that pemetrexed-based chemotherapy does not need to delay the chemotherapy because of vitamin support treatment.

Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Folic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Pemetrexed ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitamin B 12 ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin B Complex ; therapeutic use

Adult ; Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Folic Acid/therapeutic use* ; Risk Factors

The use of antiepileptic drugs in pregnancy always presents challenges to doctors and their patients as it may have deleterious effects on the developing embryo. Lamotrigine is most commonly-prescribed drug among the newer antiepileptic drugs; hence, it has been selected for the present review. A number of studies pertaining to the safety of lamotrigine use during pregnancy have been reported, with differing results. Contradictory results have been reported in animals regarding lamotrigine teratogenicity, and human studies have also proven inconclusive. In many countries, human pregnancy registries are maintained to establish the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy, as all the different suggestions favour some over others, with specific antiepileptic combinations still being questioned. It is our hope that the present work may integrate the available disparate relevant facts into a directed effort towards minimising the risk of foetal compromise.
Abnormalities, Drug-Induced ; Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Epilepsy ; drug therapy ; Female ; Folic Acid Deficiency ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Teratogens ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; Triazines ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma and its relation with the therapeutic effect of pemetrexed.

METHODSThe clinicopathological data of 38 patients with stage IIIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma receiving pemetrexed treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The tumor samples of the patients were collected for detecting TS expression using RT-PCR, and the therapeutic effect of the treatment was analyzed.

RESULTSTS positivity was found in 26.32 (10/38) of the patients. TS positivity was not correlated to gender, TNM stage or PS score. The total response rate of pemetrexed treatment (CR+PR) was 34.21 (13/38) in these patients, and the rate was 39.29% (11/28) in TS-negative patients, as compared to 20.00% (2/10) in the positive patients (P=0.087). Patients with low TS expression had significantly higher control rate by pemetrexed treatment than those with TS overexpression [89.29% (25/28) vs 40.00% (4/10), P=0.002].

CONCLUSIONTS expression may serve as a potential indicator of chemosensitivity to pemetrexed in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Folic Acid Antagonists ; therapeutic use ; Glutamates ; therapeutic use ; Guanine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pemetrexed ; Retrospective Studies ; Thymidylate Synthase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of plasma homocysteic acid (HCA) reduction on serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level in children with Kawasaki disease (KD).

METHODSSeventy-six children with KD were divided into 2 equal groups for treatment with aspirin and IVIG, or with vitamin B6 and folic acid besides in addition to aspirin and IVIG. Serum CRP level was tested before and after the treatments, and plasma HCA level was also measured after the treatments.

RESULTSSerum CRP level was comparable between the two groups before the treatment, but significantly reduced after vitamin B6 and folic acid treatment (7.56-/+2.94 mg/L vs 12.23-/+4.16 mg/L, P<0.05). Additional vitamin B6 and folic acid treatment significantly lowered plasma HCA level (4.56-/+1.14 micromol/L vs 7.79-/+1.79 micromol/L, P<0.05), and correlation analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between plasma HCA and serum CRP levels (r=0.697, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONLowering plasma HCA can decrease serum CRP in children with KD to enhance the therapeutic effect.

Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Folic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Homocysteine ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; therapeutic use ; Infant ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; blood ; drug therapy ; Vitamin B 6 ; therapeutic use