The in vitro effect of artesunate in the combination with primaquine or chloroquine on the hemolysis and oxygen uptake of human erythrocytes was studied: 1. After exposure of human erythrocytes to artesunate at the concentrations from 1 to 10mM, the dose-dependent increase of hemolysis was observed. 2. At artesunate concentrations between 1 and 10mM, the increase of oxygen uptake in erythrocytes was seen. Primaquine, an oxidant drug, showed a synergistic effect with artesunate on hemolysis and oxygen uptake, while chloroquine was found to be antagonistic with artesunate on oxygen uptake. These findings indicate that artesunate exhibits oxidative effects.
Artesunate ; primaquinel ; drug therapy ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; erythrocytes

The effects of the combination between artesunate and primaquine or chloroquine on lipid peroxidation and on G6PDH activity of human erythrocytes were studied: (1) Artesunate concentrations between 1 and 10 mM induced the lipid peroxidation of human erythrocytes. The combination between artesunate and chloroquine reduced this process. (2) Artesunate used alone or in the combination with primaquine or chloroquine had no effect on G6PDH activity of human erythrocytes. These results suggest that artesunate was synergistic with primaquine but antaginistic with chloroquine on the lipid peroxidation, while both artesunate used alone and these drug combinations had no effect on G6PDH activity of human erythrocytes.
Artesunate ; erythrocytes ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; drug therapy

Background: Nha Trang city located in central Viet Nam, has had dramatic economic development in recent years. The economic development has also leads to changes in the environment. Previous studies showed that cancers were closely related to environmental factors, but there was no study on this issue in Nha Trang city. Objectives: The study aimed to describe the cancer cases that were recorded in the cancer registration and the related environmental factors in Vinh Luong commune and the three neighborhood communes of Nha Trang city. Subjects and method: 192 patients who were diagnosed with cancer in the provincial general hospital and other hospitals from 1/1/2000 to 30/9/2006 and have resided in 4 above communes. Water samples collected from 14 water-wells from these communes were tested for chemical pollution and bacteria index. 20 sites in Van Dang village were tested for radioactive pollution levels. Results: Average crude morbidity of cancer per 100,000 inhabitants per year in Van Dang village and Vinh Luong commune and in the 4 communes as a whole, were 64.9, 51 and 53.3, respectively. The rates for male and female were 65.0 and 41.0, respectively. The most common cancers in women were cervical and breast cancers (11.8% and 9.2%, respectively). For men, leading cancers were liver cancer (31.9%) and lung cancer (14.7%). Almost all of the water samples did not meet the hygiene standard for nitrate (NO3) and coliform. Natural radioactive levels in these 4 communes were normal. Conclusion: Van Dang village had the highest cancer prevalence per 100,000 habitants compared to the other villages of Vinh Luong commune, but it was still lower than that of some other provinces. Most of the water samples collected from the water-wells did not met standard for nitrate levels and coliform.
Cancer ; environmental factor ; water pollution

Reporting a measurement procedure and its analytical performance following method evaluation in a peer-reviewed journal is an important means for clinical laboratory practitioners to share their findings. It also represents an important source of evidence base to help others make informed decisions about their practice. At present, there are significant variations in the information reported in laboratory medicine journal publications describing the analytical performance of measurement procedures. These variations also challenge authors, readers, reviewers, and editors in deciding the quality of a submitted manuscript. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine Working Group on Method Evaluation Protocols (IFCC WG-MEP) developed a checklist and recommends its adoption to enable a consistent approach to reporting method evaluation and analytical performance characteristics of measurement procedures in laboratory medicine journals. It is envisioned that the Laboratory Evaluation and Analytical Performance Characteristics (LEAP) checklist will improve the standardisation of journal publications describing method evaluation and analytical performance characteristics, improving the quality of the evidence base that is relied upon by practitioners.

Backgroud: The aim of this study is to update on antibiotic resistance of common pathogenical bacteria isolated in Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital (Hue UMP Hospital). Methodology: Use of the agar disk diffusion method to test the susceptibility to antimicrobial agents of 3709 bacterial strains from infected patients hospitalized in Hue UMP Hospital in 2020 - 2022. Results: Among 3709 strains of pathogenical bacteria isolated, S.aureus was found with the rate of 29.9%, followed by E. coli (24.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginasa (17.8%), Enterococcus spp. (11.8%), Klebsiella spp (9.7%) and Acinetobacter spp (4.1%). The proportion of bacterial isolates has changed, but Staphylococcus aureus is still highest rate. S.aureus is resistant to many antibiotics, but MRSA strains have decreased significantly, from 73.3% in 2020 to 62.5% in 2022. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was resistant to some of the group A recommended antibiotics such as ceftazidime, piperacillin-tazobactam with the rate of 56.6% and 48.7%. The percentage of E. coli with ESBL strains (+) was at 28.2% - 30.3%. Enterococus spp strains are still sensitive to vancomycin (83.1% - 91.9%). The rate of Klebsiella ESBL (+) is only 6.9% to 8.2%. The strains of Acinetobacter spp were highly resistant to Piperacillin (100%) and Ceftriaxone (96.5%) but they are still sensitive to imipenems 70 - 71%, highly sensitive to Doxycillin (95.2%) and Cefotaxime (88.4%). Conclusion: Many bacterial strains are resistant to many commonly antibiotics. Providing timely, regular, and effective management of antibiotic resistance patterns for common pathogenic bacteria in hospitals, will help reduce the risk of bacterial resistance.