Textbook Of Pharmacology Research Articles

The medical use of Málaka wine and cola nuts in late 19th/early 20th century Greece

The lands of Malaka in Spain have been renowned for their wine since the 8th century BC. Malaka wine gained popularity among merchants and consumers since the 17th century, becoming one of Europe’s favourites. The seeds (nuts) of the African Cola acuminata trees had been used in daily life as an invigorating and stimulating chewing or eating delicacy. In the late 19th century, Stamatios Krinos, who had opened one of the first (or the first) pharmacies in Athens in 1836, and his son Athanasios, produced an Elixir named Krinos Cola Wine to treat neurasthenia, chlorosis, anaemia, indigestion, gastralgia, chronic diarrhoea, cardiopathies, weakness and infertility. The properties of both the wine and the nuts, along with the chemical compounds of cola, were already known by the mid-19th century and the Krinos family took advantage of this knowledge to introduce a novel herbal drug (cola seeds) to the Hellenic pharmacopeia. The properties attributed to the Krinos elixir are de novo and in depth validated today by a series of modern medical studies. The fact that cola was not included as a therapeutic agent in the Hellenic textbooks of pharmacology of that era suggests that Krinos made an innovative addition to the timelessly popular Hellenic herbal medicine and pharmacopeia.

Spasmolytic Effect of Flopropione Does Not Involve Catechol-O- methyltransferase (COMT) Inhibition.

Flopropione (Flo) has been used for gallstone and urolithiasis as a spasmolytic agent almost exclusively in Japan. According to the package insert, its main mechanism is catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibition and anti-serotonergic effect. This is obviously contrary to pharmacological common sense, but it is described that way in pharmacology textbooks and occurs in questions in the National Examination for Pharmacists in Japan. As this is a serious problem in education, we re-examined the action of Flo. The guinea pig ureter was hardly contracted by serotonin, but noradrenaline (NA) elicited repetitive twitch contraction, which was inhibited by Flo. The sphincter of Oddi (SO) exhibited a spontaneous repetitive twitch contraction, which was inhibited by NA and Flo. The inhibitory effect of NA was reversed by α- and β-blockers, whereas that of Flo was not. Entacapone, a representative COMT inhibitor, did not affect the movement of the ureter and the SO. Nifedipine suppressed carbachol-induced contraction of the taenia coli, spontaneous movement of the SO, and NA-induced contraction of the ureter to almost the same extent, whereas Flo did not inhibit the taenia coli, but inhibited the contraction of the SO and the ureter. The inhibitory pattern of Flo resembled that of the ryanodine receptor agonist 4-chloro-m-cresol and the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptor antagonist 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate. It is concluded that COMT inhibition or serotonin inhibition is not involved in the spasmolytic action of Flo. Flo might act on ryanodine receptors and/or IP3 receptors, which are responsible for periodic Ca release from Ca stores, to disrupt coordinated Ca dynamics.

Presentation of the obsolete drug reserpine in three German-language pharmacology textbooks.

For several decades, reserpine was used to treat hypertension and, to a limited extent, psychoses. Over time, however, the indication became more and more restricted to the point of obsolescence. This study examines the extent to which textbooks are up to date in their content and oriented towards therapeutic guidelines, using the obsolete drug reserpine as a paradigm. Three German pharmacology textbook series were examined for the coverage of reserpine from 1964-2023: Allgemeine und Spezielle Pharmakologie und Toxikologie (Aktories), Allgemeine und Spezielle Pharmakologie und Toxikologie (Karow) and Pharmakologie und Toxikologie (Lüllmann). We compared the textbook content with data on reserpine prescriptions and hypertension guidelines and analysed the relevance of reserpine in examinations using German federal exam questions by the Institute for medical and pharmaceutical exam questions (IMPP). The textbooks differ conceptuallyfrom each other. The indication of reserpine for hypertension has become more restricted over timein all threetextbooks, yet they partially show discrepancies with hypertension guidelines. The reserpineprescription figures show a strong decline , and reserpine has not been queried by the IMPP, which underlines the obsolescenceof the drug. Overall, our study shows that the presentationof a representative obsolete drug in pharmacology textbooks lags current medical practice. We also unmasked more differences in the presentation of an obsolete drug in standard textbooks than anticipated. In conclusion, the analysis of obsolete drugs in pharmacology textbooks is an informative way of assessing how up-to-date they are.

Molecular basis of the different effects of procainamide and N-acetylprocainamide on the maximum upstroke velocity and half-decay time of the cardiac action potential in guinea pig papillary muscle.

Procainamide (PA) and its in vivo metabolite, N-acetylprocainamide (NAPA), display some pharmacological differences. Although it is agreed that PA is a class IA antiarrhythmic, it has been reported that NAPA is a pure class III antiarrhythmic that affects only the repolarizing phase of the cardiac action potential. This last concept, observed exclusively in dogs, gained wide acceptance, appearing in classic pharmacology textbooks. However, evidence in species such as mice and rats indicates that NAPA can affect cardiac Na+ channels, which is unexpected for a pure class III antiarrhythmic drug. To further clarify this issue, the effects of PA (used as a reference drug) and NAPA on the maximum upstroke velocity (Vmax) and half-decay time (HDT) of the cardiac action potential were examined in the isolated right papillaris magnus of the guinea pig heart. Both PA and NAPA affected Vmax at lower concentrations than required to affect HDT, and NAPA had weaker effects on both variables. Thus, NAPA displayed typical class IA antiarrhythmic behavior. Therefore, the concept that NAPA is a pure class III antiarrhythmic drug is more species-dependent than previously envisioned. In addition, we demonstrated that the differential pharmacology of PA and NAPA is explainable, in molecular terms, by steric hindrance of the effects of NAPA and the greater number of potent aromatic-aromatic and cation π interactions with Na+ or K+ cardiac channels for PA.

Application of gabapentinoids and novel compounds for the treatment of benzodiazepine dependence: the glutamatergic model.

Current approaches for managing benzodiazepine (BZD) withdrawal symptoms are daunting for clinicians and patients, warranting novel treatment and management strategies. This review discusses the pharmacodynamic properties of BZDs, gabapentinoids (GBPs), endozepines, and novel GABAergic compounds associated with potential clinical benefits for BZD-dependent patients. The objective of this study was to review the complex neuromolecular changes occurring within the GABAergic and glutamatergic systems during the BZD tolerance and withdrawal periods while also examining the mechanism by which GBPs and alternative pharmacological therapies may attenuate withdrawal symptoms. An elaborative literature review was conducted using multiple platforms, including the National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI), AccessMedicine, ScienceDirect, pharmacology textbooks, clinical trial data, case reports, and PubChem. Our literature analysis revealed that many distinctive neuroadaptive mechanisms are involved in the GABAergic and glutamatergic systems during BZD tolerance and withdrawal. Based on this data, we hypothesize that GBPs may attenuate the overactive glutamatergic system during the withdrawal phase by an indirect presynaptic glutamatergic mechanism dependent on the α2δ1 subunit expression. GBPs may benefit individuals undergoing BZD withdrawal, given that the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor current significantly increases during abrupt BZD withdrawal in animal studies. This may be a conceivable explanation for the effectiveness of GBPs in treating both alcohol withdrawal symptoms and BZD withdrawal symptoms in some recent studies. Finally, natural and synthetic GABAergic compounds with unique pharmacodynamic properties were found to exert potential clinical benefits as BZD substitutes in animal studies, though human studies are lacking.

Revisiting Pharmacology Curricula with an Anti‐racist Lens

BackgroundEvidence suggests that race is often misrepresented in undergraduate medical school curricula, particularly in the basic sciences. Incorrect discussion of race as a biological construct has long been present and is not only inaccurate but also prevents discussion of structural racism, sociopolitical and historical implications of health inequities. Although there has been increasing attention and awareness of racial bias in different areas of medical curricula like pathology and epidemiology, little has been shared about potential bias or race misrepresentation in pharmacology education.MethodsAs part of our institutional effort to promote anti‐racism curricula, pharmacology educators at the University of Illinois College of Medicine have reviewed the learning objectives, instructional materials, assessments, and required textbooks of the pharmacology curriculum used in the academic year 2018‐2020. All the curricular and assessment databases along with digital copies of required pharmacology textbooks were searched for keywords like ‘African American’, ‘black’, ‘Caucasian’, ‘white’, ‘Hispanic, ‘Latino, ‘Asian, ‘Chinese, ‘European, ‘native’, ‘race’, and ‘ethnic’. All search results were reviewed to determine if race was appropriately mentioned with context, as a social construct, or if race was adequately representing the ancestry or with combined race/ethnicity. Based on the findings, revisions were carried out in the instructional materials and assessment in the academic year 2020‐2021. The first‐ and second‐year medical students were surveyed in each course to comment on any perceived potential bias in instructional materials and assessment items.ResultsMisrepresentation of race was identified in 9% of our pharmacology instructional materials and 1% of our assessment items. The most common areas of misrepresentation were in pharmacogenomics related concepts where the race was referenced as a risk factor for certain genetic polymorphisms. Broad racial categories like Black, Asian, and Caucasian were used in pharmacogenomics despite evidence of intrapopulation genetic variations. The second most common misrepresentation was the use of race as a biological construct where race‐based medicine like isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine (BiDil) was described or race was presented as a risk factor for a disease. Evaluation of the pharmacology textbooks revealed a similar trend. Our curriculum was revised in the academic year 2020‐2021 based on the findings. The student surveys revealed no potential bias in the pharmacology curricula after the revision.ConclusionsMisrepresentation of race appeared in some parts of the pharmacology curriculum in the preclinical years as pharmacology textbooks consistently emphasize race‐based biological differences. Revisiting the curriculum with an anti‐racist lens helped to mitigate the racial bias and identify an opportunity to highlight the limitation and adverse consequences of using race in research and patient care. Our study revealed that there is an opportunity to integrate a holistic understanding of health disparities in the pharmacology curricula.

Markers, Pathways, and Current Evidence for Periodontitis-associated Insulin Resistance: A Narrative Review.

The aim of the present paper is to provide a narrative review of the markers and pathways of periodontitis-associated insulin resistance (IR). Research papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals from 2000 to 2021 were searched systematically in Online Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and MedLine/PubMed database. The medical subject headings (MeSH) terms used for literature search were "diabetes AND periodontal disease," "diabetes AND periodontitis," "inflammation AND insulin resistance," "Insulin resistance AND periodontal disease," and "insulin resistance AND periodontitis." Manual search for applicable work in review article peer-reviewed print journals, and latest editions of standard textbooks of pharmacology and pathology were searched for updated additional information. Relevant papers in English language on the topic and abstracts of pertinent articles after excluding the duplicates, animal studies, and in-vitro studies were also scrutinized thoroughly and finally included as required in this narrative review. Literature search in MedLine/PubMed with MeSH words mentioned above revealed 4,621, 4,993, 19,349, 414, and 434 papers, respectively. Seven out of 13 systematic reviews and a total of 18 randomized clinical trials to evaluate periodontitis-induced IR were short-listed to update current evidences. The current literature in the past two decades has evaluated the effect of periodontal therapy on various type-2 diabetes (T2D) biomarkers following periodontal therapy. These indicators of periodontal disease activity and surrogate biomarkers of T2D in periodontitis may be an important diagnostic tool for the early prediction of complications due to IR. This increased systemic burden of proinflammatory cytokines by periodontitis can be reduced by periodontal therapy, thus improving the patient's overall systemic condition. The inflammatory response in periodontitis is characterized by dysregulated secretion of host-derived mediators of inflammation and tissue breakdown that may lead to IR. It can be comprehended that periodontal disease is a recognized amendable risk factor for T2D.

Zoltán Vámossy, versatile and active medical professor of the Institute of Pharmacy

Abstract Zoltán Vámossy (1868–1953), with Transylvanian roots, became a doctor 130 years ago, in 1891, at the University of Budapest. Later, from 1898, he was appointed a private university professor of Pharmacology, from 1908 a public university professor, and from 1920 to 1938 he was director of the Institute of pharmacology. In the meantime, from 1922 to 1924, he also held the position of dean of the Faculty of Medicine. He was elected a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on May 5, 1920, but on April 23, 1948 his membership was terminated for political reasons. It was not restored until after his death, on 9 May 1991. Afterwards he taught even in the 1945/46 school year. He was an understanding and helpful instructor for the university students, so he was respected, appreciated, and loved. His professional life was filled with university education, academic work, and editorial duties. He wrote books to promote education, for example he translated into Hungarian a book written by Arnold Cloetta and Wilhelm Filehne in 1881, entitled Lehrbuch der Arzneimittellehre und Arzneiverordnungslehre. This was published in 1894 in Budapest under the title Gyógyszertan tankönyv (Pharmacology Textbook). In 1907 he published his own book Mérgezésekről (On Poisonings), and in 1908 Gyógyszertan orvostanhallgatók és orvosok számára (Pharmacology for medical students and physicians). The latter’s ninth, expanded and revised edition appeared in 1944. Medical students in Hungary and Transylvania learned from this for decades. In 1933 he was appointed chairman of the editorial board of the IV. Magyar Gyógyszerkönyv. His editorial work is also significant. From 1909 to 1944 he was the commissioned editor of the new course of the Magyar Orvosi Archivum (Hungarian Medical Archive), and from 1923 to 1944 he was the editor-in-chief of the Orvosi Hetilap (Medical Weekly). During this time, many of his writings were published here. In December 1927 issue, he announced that certain issues of the Orvosi Hetilap would be supplemented by a permanent supplement entitled Az Orvosi Gyakorlat Kérdései (Questions of Medical Practice). In 1940, in parallel with the Medical Weekly, he founded the monthly Orvostudományi Közlemények (Medical Gazette), which was published until the end of 1944. He strived for the correct use of the Hungarian medical language in all his writings..

An insight of medical student’s preference and opinions to Pharmacology textbooks

Background: Various medical subjects pose a daunting task to students. Chief amongst which the subject’s students grapple with is pharmacology. The study’s primary objective was to find out the second professional medical student’s preferences, feedback, and attitude towards pharmacology textbooks at SSR Medical College, Mauritius.
 Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based observational survey was conducted from May 2018- June 2018 at Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Medical College, Mauritius. A Chi-square test was performed to find out correlations between variables. p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
 Results: A total of 192 medical students participated in the study out of 210 students, giving an overall response rate of 91.42%. 103 (35.6%) students chosen Essentials of Medical Pharmacology- K.D. Tripathi as a first preference, followed by 59 (30.7%) students selected Pharmacology for Medical Students- Tara V Shanbhag and Smita Shenoy as a second preference, and 22 (11.5%) chosen Medical Pharmacology- Padmaja Udaykumar as a third preference.
 Conclusion: The textbook Essentials of Medical Pharmacology by K.D. Tripathi is the most popular and most preferred textbook, closely seconded by Pharmacology for Medical Students by Tara V Shanbhag and Smita Shenoy and followed by Medical Pharmacology by Padmaja Udaykumar, the third in the list of the most preferred textbook. The shortcomings of textbooks, such as the innate lack of the ability to cultivate interest in common diseases which are prevalent in the home country of the students, as well as the lack to inspire students to do further reading into research articles and studies, clearly showcases the disconnect that exists between publishers, authors and users.

Clinical ophtalmo-pharmacology. Looking ahead.

Clinical ophtalmo-pharmacology. Looking ahead.

In-depth Study of Pharmacology Teaching Reform Based on Ability Training under the Framework of American DQP

With the rapid development of economy in China, the pharmaceutical industry rises quickly. Although China’s higher medical vocational education develops fast, there are many problems in the current traditional teaching mode and curriculum system, which cannot meet the needs of students. How to reform the education mode under the background of informatization is becoming the focus of vocational education reform in recent years. In this paper, we discussed the teaching effectiveness of DQP framework, an international advanced talent training system of higher vocational education. We found that by choosing reasonable integration of teaching content, different teaching methods, it is in line with the requirements of the times. It facilitates the establishment of pharmacology curriculum standards, the organization of the compilation of pharmacology textbooks which contains the latest knowledge, the use of student-centered flipped classroom teaching mode to improve students’ autonomous learning ability, etc..

The "Square Box": Therapeutic Equivalence as a Foundation of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.

Every two years, the World Health Organization (WHO) updates its Model List of Essential Medicines, intended as a guide for countries to adopt or adapt in accordance with local priorities and treatment guidelines, for the development of national essential medicines lists. When more than one therapeutic option is available for a given indication, the WHO Model List often includes a single medicine as representative of a group of equivalent and interchangeable medicines. The representative medicine of that group is listed with an accompanying ‘square box’ symbol. The intended purpose of the square box is to highlight pharmacological classes or groups of medicines for which countries, institutions and health professionals can assume homogeneous therapeutic efficacy and safety and select the most appropriate single medicine based on price, local availability, and acceptability. Though this concept of therapeutic equivalence within a therapeutic class has been endorsed by most authoritative textbooks of pharmacology since Goodman & Gilman’s The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics and evidence-based guidelines, marketing forces have often made claims on individual drugs to distinguish them beyond relevant differences shown by reliable evidence: this has generated the concept of “me-too drugs” with its double meaning—i.e., market latecomers differing minimally from products preceding them and whose marketing budgets have significant opportunity costs, or medicines which may be useful to substitute for equivalent products in the event of shortages. The square box concept is applied in the context of a comprehensive list: therapeutic equivalence or interchangeability cannot always be easily established. Different interpretations have been applied to different groups of medicines over the 40+ year history of the Model List. This paper presents the concept of the square box, provides key examples and guidance on how square box listings should be practically interpreted in the development and implementation of national essential medicine lists, considers the applicability of a square box listing concept to biologic medicines and proposes that an updated review of the square box concept and listings is warranted.

Assessment of comorbidities in patients with deranged thyroid hormone levels

Background: There is association of deranged thyroid hormone levels with various co-morbidities. Drugs for comorbidity may interact with each other and affect the outcome of treatment. So, this study was planned to find out comorbidities with deranged thyroid hormone levels and various possible drug interactions.Methods: It was a prospective, observational study carried out at tertiary care hospital from November 2017 to June 2018. Thyroid hormonal levels reports were followed in OPD and online information system facility. Drugs interactions were checked by referring standard pharmacology textbooks, review articles and Medscape drug interaction checker. Approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee was taken before initiation of the study. Patients with deranged thyroid hormone levels were included in the study.Results: Study was conducted in 111 patients of thyroid disorders. Spondylitis, asthma, acne cases were seen in hypothyroid patients whereas hypokalemic periodic paralysis, thyroid ophthalmopathy statistically significantly seen in hyperthyroid patients. Various concurrent medications such as calcium, carbamazepine decreases the effects of levothyroxine. For management of comorbidities various drugs are given which also interact among themselves significantly.Conclusions: Diabetes mellites, obesity, spondylitis, lichen planus were more common in hypothyroidism while comorbidities like hypertension, hypokalemic periodic paralysis, thyroid ophthalmopathy were found to be more in hyperthyroidism. Incidence of drug interactions is found to be more with increased use of medications for comorbidities, so physicians should be careful while prescribing them. Due to drug interactions desired effects of drugs given for thyroid disorders may not be observed.

Leading RNA Interference Therapeutics Part 1: Silencing Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis, with a Focus on Patisiran.

In 2018, patisiran was the first-ever RNA interference (RNAi)-based drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Now pharmacology textbooks may include a new drug class thatresults in the effect firstdescribed by Fire and Mello 2 decades ago: post-transcriptional gene silencing by a small-interfering RNA (siRNA). Patients with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (hATTR amyloidosis) present withmutations in the transthyretin (TTR) gene that lead to the formation of amyloid deposits in peripheral nerves and heart. The disease may also affect the eye and central nervous system. The formulation of patisiran comprises the RNAi drug encapsulated into a nanoparticle especially developed to deliver the anti-TTR siRNA into the main TTR producer: the liver. Hepatic cells contain apolipoprotein E receptors that recognize ApoE proteins opsonized in the lipid carrier and internalize the drug by endocytosis. Lipid vesicles are disrupted in the cell cytoplasm, and siRNAs are free to trigger the RNAi-based TTR gene silencing. The silencing processinvolves the binding of siRNA guide strand to 3'-untranslated region sequence of both mutant and wild-type TTR messenger RNA, which culminates in the TTR mRNA cleavage by the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)asthe first biochemical drug effect. Patisiran 0.3mg/kg is administered intravenously every 3weeks. Patients require premedication with anti-inflammatory drugs and antagonists of histamine H1 and H2 receptors to prevent infusion-related reactions and may require vitamin A supplementation. Following patisiran treatment, TTR knockdown remained stable for at least 2years. Adverse effects were mild to moderate with unchanged hematological, renal, or hepatic parameters. No drug-related severe adverse effects occurred in a 24-month follow-up phase II open-label extension study.At the recommended dosage of patisiran, Cmax and AUC values (mean ± standard deviation) were 7.15±2.14μg/mL and 184±159μg·h/mL, respectively. The drug showed stability in circulation with > 95% encapsulated in lipid particles. Metabolization occurred by ribonuclease enzymes, with less than 1% excreted unchanged in the urine. Patisiran ameliorated neuropathy impairment according to the modified Neuropathy Impairment Score + 7 analysis of the phase III study. The Norfolk Quality of Life-Diabetic Neuropathy score and gait speed improved in 51% of the patisiran-treated group in 18months. Additionally,the modified body mass index showed positive outcomes. Altogether, the data across phase I-III clinical trials points to patisiran as an effective and safe drug for the treatment of hATTR amyloidosis. It is hoped that real-world data from a larger number of patients treated with patisiran will confirm the effectiveness of this first-approved siRNA-based drug.

How amytal changed psychopharmacy: off-label uses of sodium amytal (1920-40).

In the early 1930s, American neurologist and psychiatrist William Bleckwenn used sodium amytal to render catatonic patients responsive, so that he could engage in talk therapy. Bleckwenn found a new, 'off-label' use for this anaesthetic and anxiolytic medication in psychiatry and, in doing so, allowed for important discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of catatonia. Pharmacological textbooks reveal a 'label', while the Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office reveals explorations 'off label' of barbiturates. The 'off-label' use of barbiturates facilitated talk therapy, heralding an important shift in psychopharmacy. Drugs previously only used as chemical restraints became a form of treatment for specific psychiatric diseases. The current strictures against off-label prescribing are overprescriptive and close off innovative new uses.

Classification of Drugs Listed in Iranian Pharmacopoeia Based on Impact on Driving Performance

According to studies, drugs based on their Pharmaco-dynamics and pharmacokinetics can affect driving performance. There are clear conclusions about some medications and in other drugs have not yet reached definitive conclusions. There are two international experiences regarding the classification of drugs based on their impact on driving performance. These projects are DRUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs and medicines) and ICADTS projects. This study conducted to classify Iranian pharmacopeia according to drugs effects on driving performance. The projects divided the drugs used in the treatment of diseases into three categories in terms of traffic safety. The project first identified and explored similar experiences in the world by reviewing scientific resources. For the medicines that their effects were determined in the existing classifications, their impact category were extracted from DRUID and ICADTS systems. For drugs that have different categories in two systems or unidentified their effects on these classifications, Drug side effects, especially in areas of attention, cognition, sleep, vital signs were extracted from pharmacology and other related textbooks. With using appropriate keywords, the studies and evidences about these drugs effects on driving were assessed. At an expert meeting, with review of side effects and scientific evidences, the impact of these drugs on driving performance was determined. Finally, the effect of drugs on driving performance was classified into three groups with no or minimal, moderate and severe effects. Based on these classification results, a mobile application was designed and prepared for ordinary people. In this application, for any drug their effect category, side effects and prevention strategies were explained.

Comparison of drug information in package inserts with standard medical textbook of pharmacology

Background: Accurate and reliable drug product information is important for the safe and effective use of medicines. But there are variations in the quantity and quality of information mentioned in different drug information sources and a single credible benchmark is lacking. This study was carried out to compare the presentation and completeness of clinical information in package inserts (PIs) marketed by pharmaceutical companies in India with standard medical textbook of pharmacology.Methods: Out of eighty five PIs of different drugs, only 55 were found eligible to be included in this study after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. These PIs and medical textbook were analysed for quantitative and qualitative drug information and were compared using Chi square test of two proportions. The p value of 0.05 was used as cut off to evaluate statistical significance.Results: Quantitatively medical textbook was significantly better statistically in context of treatment of overdose and references. No statistically significant difference was observed in relation to information related to mechanism of action (MOA) and pharmacokinetics (Pk). After qualitative analysis, medical textbook was significantly better statistically in context of size and readability, references related to adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and indications and pictures. No statistically significant difference was observed in context of dosing interval, frequency of doses and pharmacokinetic parameters.Conclusions: PIs can be used as a reliable source of drug information by health care professionals in addition to other sources like medical textbooks.

PharmABCology: an initiative to create logical mnemonics systems for learning drug names

With a handful of comprehensive pharmacology textbooks on the market, students in any healthcare discipline are likely able to find at least one book that suits their individual needs. The more challenging part for students, however, is to become better acquainted with drug names. Textbooks seldom provide meaningful ways to help readers remember drug names and/or their mechanisms. Existing mnemonics, not widely used among students in general, may lack in providing the learner with an intuitive or logical approach to mentally connect with the drug names. For example, names of persons, objects or action verbs were chosen by random to represent a particular drug class or therapeutic drug use. The pharmABCology project was conceived with the final aim of creating logical mnemonics systems for drugs that students will commonly encounter in their studies. In this pilot presentation, two approaches, one based on the alphabet system and the other based on pharmacological mechanisms, were demonstrated in the mnemonics for four classes of drugs: 1) anti‐dyslipidaemics, 2) anti‐dysrhythmics, 3) anti‐hypertensives and 4) anti‐ischaemic drugs. For the alphabetical approach, the names, drug classes or mechanisms of anti‐dyslipidaemics and anti‐hypertensives are listed in alphabetical order. The other approach takes advantage of the spellings of anti‐dyslipidaemic and anti‐dysrhythmic drug names in formulating a meaningful sentence or phrase that is readily associated with the mechanisms of actions of these drugs. Some of the mnemonics systems above had been used in a sample (n = 30) of students in undergraduate MBChB tutorials, and the feedback was overwhelmingly satisfactory based on a 5‐point Likert scale. Of the 22 respondents (73 % response rate), 10 (45 %) and 9 (41 %), respectively, strongly agreed and somewhat agreed that pharmABCology mnemonics system helped with the learning of drug names. In light of the early promising results, similar approaches will be used to develop mnemonics for other drug classes with the intention of publicising this learning tool to the pharmacy, nursing and students in other healthcare‐related disciplines.Support or Funding InformationNilThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Student’s perspective about pharmacogenomic applications and knowledge in pharmacovigilance domain

Background: Pharmacogenomics has is presence now in all major pharmacology text books parallel with another important chapter pharmacovigilance. Pharmacogenomics apart from therapeutic application it can greatly influence standard treatment protocols with prevention of adverse drug reaction. Since the future will be physicians practicing personalized medicine, this study was planned to assess the second year M.B.B.S Students knowledge and their perspective about pharmacogenomic application.Methods: A questionnaire to assess the knowledge about pharmacogenomics and current status of its application is formulated with yes or no, true or false option. The study was conducted on 120 M.B.B.S Students who passed out Pharmacology university exams. The questionnaires answered voluntarily were collected and the data was analysed and with results calculated in percentage.Results: 80% M.B.B.S students had sound knowledge about pharmacogenomics. 100% M.B.B.S student’s doctors were well aware about pharmacogenomics. 13.0% of students were not aware but wanted to know about it, while 7.25% of students were neither aware nor interested about pharmacogenomics.Conclusions: Most of the doctors were aware about the pharmacogenomics theoretically and they need to be updated about its clinical application in their practice by seminars, presentation and workshops.

Constipation and Laxative Herbs in Iranian Traditional Medicine

Context: Constipation is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders and is characterized by stiffness of waste and difficult defecation. In modern medicine, different laxative drugs are used for the treatment of constipation, but they are not without side effects. Nonetheless, the appropriate use of herbal medicines can be beneficial for treating this disorder. Therefore, this study attempted to draw together some pharmacological and medical insights into the management of constipation through the use of Iranian traditional medicine (ITM). Evidence Acquisition: In this review article, we initially researched constipation and laxative herbs using some of the most famous ancient medical and pharmacological textbooks pertaining to Iranian medicine written from the 10th to 18th century AD. This includes The canon of medicine by Avicenna (10th and 11th centuries, Beirut publication), Makhzan-ol-advie by Aghili (18th century, Tehran University of Medical Science Press), and Al-shamel by Gharashi (13th century, Caltural foundation Publication). Then we extracted the names and laxative mechanisms of some herbs prescribed for constipation through ITM. Finally, a search of scientific databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar was performed to find related works concerning laxative mechanisms. Results: In ITM doctrine, laxatives are weak purgatives that lead to the defecation of waste from the gastrointestinal tract. From this perspective, laxative herbs can be classified into two groups based on their nature: laxative herbs with a hot nature cause the dilution and flowing of humors, but herbs with a cold nature function as laxatives due to their mucilage properties. Each of the laxatives was used in accordance with the primary reason for constipation. Conclusions: This study presents medical and pharmacological approaches in ITM for dealing with complications arising from constipation. Considering the optimistic results, these herbs can be used as a means of constipation management and further investigation into this area can potentially lead to the formulation of new drugs. © 2016, Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal.