Brand-Name Antidepressants Outperform Their Generic Counterparts in Preventing Hospitalization for Depression: The Real-World Evidence from Taiwan

BackgroundGeneric antidepressants are approved on the market based on evidence of bioequivalence to their brand-name versions. We aimed to assess whether generic antidepressants exert equal effectiveness as their brand-name counterparts for treating patients with depressive disorders.MethodsIn a nationwide, population-based cohort in Taiwan from 1997 through 2013, patients with a diagnosis of a depressive disorder aged between 18 and 65 years who were new users of antidepressant drugs were classified into either the brand-name group or the generic group. All patients were followed up until medication discontinuation or the end of the study period. We assessed the risk for hospitalization as a primary outcome and augmentation therapy, daily dose, medication discontinuation, or switching to another antidepressant as secondary outcomes.ResultsA total of 277 651 brand-name users (35.8% male; mean age: 41.2 years) and 270 583 generic users (35.8% male; mean age: 41.0 years) were divided into 10 different antidepressant groups (fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram, citalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, moclobemide, imipramine, and bupropion). We found that patients treated with the generic form of sertraline, paroxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, and bupropion demonstrated significantly higher risks of psychiatric hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratios ranged from 1.20–2.34), compared to their brand-name counterparts. The differences between brand-name antidepressants and their generic counterparts in secondary outcomes varied across different drugs.ConclusionsCompared to most generic antidepressants, brand-name drugs exhibited more protective effects on psychiatric hospitalization for depressive patients. These findings could serve as an important reference for clinicians when encountering patients with depressive disorder.     

基于网络药理学方法探究补肾活血汤治疗激素性股骨头坏死的作用机制

目的:探讨补肾活血汤治疗激素性股骨头坏死(steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head,SONFH)的作用机制。方法:通过中医药整合药理学网络计算研究平台(integrative pharmacology-based network computational research platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine,TCMIP)v2.0预测、筛选补肾活血汤组方中14味中药的作用靶标,通过GeneCards、CTD和OMIM数据库查询SONFH的疾病靶点。根据获取的药物靶标和疾病靶点,进一步利用TCMIP v2.0中医药关联网络分析模块构建"药物靶标-疾病靶点"相互作用网络,根据网络拓扑特征值筛选补肾活血汤治疗SONFH的核心作用靶点。利用GO和KEGG数据库,采用富集算法挖掘上述方剂核心作用靶点的生物学功能和通路信息。结果:共获得891个补肾活血汤药物靶标和365个SONFH疾病靶点。经"药物靶标-疾病靶点"相互作用网络分析,最终筛选出31个补肾活血汤治疗SONFH核心靶点,GO功能分析富集出生物过程532条、分子功能29条,KEGG信号通路富集分析出相关通路共12条,主要涉及炎症免疫调节(chemokine signaling pathway,Toll-like receptor signaling pathway,NOD-like receptor signaling pathway,leukocyte transendothelial migration,Complement and coagulation cascades,cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction)、血管新生及血液循环调节(VEGF signaling pathway)、神经系统调节(neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction)和细胞功能调节(apoptosis,regulation of actin cytoskeleton)等方面。结论:结合SONFH的病理机制,排除缺乏特异性的信号通路,我们推测补肾活血汤可能通过调节TLR4/NF-κB和VEGF信号通路发挥补肾壮骨、活血化瘀的功效,这可能是其治疗SONFH的作用机制之一。     

A Multi-Scale DNN Algorithm for Nonlinear Elliptic Equations with Multiple Scales

Algorithms based on deep neural networks (DNNs) have attracted increasing attention from the scientific computing community. DNN based algorithms are easy to implement, natural for nonlinear problems, and have shown great potential to overcome the curse of dimensionality. In this work, we utilize the multi-scale DNN-based algorithm (MscaleDNN) proposed by Liu, Cai and Xu (2020) to solve multi-scale elliptic problems with possible nonlinearity, for example, the p-Laplacian problem. We improve the MscaleDNN algorithm by a smooth and localized activation function. Several numerical examples of multi-scale elliptic problems with separable or non-separable scales in low-dimensional and high-dimensional Euclidean spaces are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the MscaleDNN numerical scheme.     

苇茎汤合麻杏石甘汤加减联合半量激素治疗儿童毒热闭肺证难治性肺炎支原体肺炎

目的:观察苇茎汤合麻杏石甘汤加减联合半量激素治疗儿童毒热闭肺型难治性肺炎支原体肺炎的临床疗效。方法:120例患儿随机分为对照组和观察组,各60例。在基础治疗基础上,对照组给予连花清瘟颗粒+甲强尼龙(每次10 mg·kg-1,2次/日),观察组给予苇茎汤合麻杏石甘汤加减+甲强尼龙(每次10 mg·kg-1,1次/日),疗程均为14 d。观察两组治疗前后肺功能指标[最大通气量(MVV),呼气达峰时间(TPTEF),第1秒用力呼气容积(FEV1),呼气达峰容积(VPTEF)],血浆心肌酶谱[肌酸激酶(CK),肌酸激酶同工酶(CKMB),乳酸脱氢酶(LDH),胫丁酸脱氢酶(HBDH)],免疫功能[免疫球蛋白G(IgG),免疫球蛋白M(IgM),红细胞免疫复合物(RBC-ICR),红细胞C3b受体(RBC-C3bR)],炎性因子[肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α),γ-干扰素(IFN-γ),白细胞介素-13(IL-13),白细胞介素-17A(IL-17A)],临床疗效和不良反应。结果:研究期间脱落4例。观察组总有效率96.6%(57/59),高于对照组的84.2%(48/57)(P<0.05)。与对照组治疗后比较,观察组MVV,TPTEF,FEV1,VPTEF,RBC-C3bR,IL-13升高(P<0.05);CK,CKMB,LDH,HBDH,IgG,IgM,RBC-ICR,TNF-α,IFN-γ和IL-17A降低(P<0.05)。观察组不良反应发生率低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:苇茎汤合麻杏石甘汤加减联合半量激素可明显改善毒热闭肺型难治性肺炎支原体肺炎患儿的肺功能,心肌酶谱,免疫功能和炎性因子水平,不良反应发生率低。     

桃红四物汤联合银杏酮酯滴丸治疗老年出血性玻璃体混浊的临床疗效研究

目的:探究桃红四物汤联合银杏酮酯滴丸治疗老年出血性玻璃体混浊的临床疗效。方法:收集2016年12月-2018年12月我院收治的老年出血性玻璃体混浊患者67例,共67眼,根据随机对照表分为对照组和试验组,其中试验组34例,对照组33例,对照组予以银杏酮酯滴丸;试验组在对照组的基础上联用桃红四物汤。两组均服用30 d。治疗结束后对比分析两组患者临床疗效、出血吸收时间、血液流变学及视网膜中央动脉血流动力学。结果:治疗后两组患者高切全血粘度、低切全血粘度、纤维蛋白原、阻力指数(Resistance Index,RI)低于治疗前,收缩期峰值速度(Peak Systolic Velocity,PSV)、舒张末期血流速度(End Diastolic Velocity,EDV)高于治疗前,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);治疗后试验组临床总有效率、PSV、EDV高于对照组,出血吸收时间、高切全血粘度、低切全血粘度、纤维蛋白原、RI低于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:桃红四物汤联合银杏酮酯滴丸治疗老年出血性玻璃体混浊临床疗效显著,适宜临床应用推广。     

芪月降脂片制剂处方的优化

[目的 ]优化芪月降脂片的制剂处方 .[方法 ]采用正交设计和多指标综合评分法对已筛选出的药剂辅料进行处方优化 .[结果 ]最佳制剂处方为糖粉 50 g ,辅料X 50g ,微晶纤维素 75g .[结论 ]该处方合理 ,成型性好     

Cationic Lipid-Based Gene Delivery Systems: Pharmaceutical Perspectives

Gene delivery systems are designed to control the location of administered therapeutic genes within a patient's body. Successful in vivo gene transfer may require (i) the condensation of plasmid and its protection from nuclease degradation, (ii) cellular interaction and internalization of condensed plasmid, (iii) escape of plasmid from endosomes (if endocytosis is involved), and (iv) plasmid entry into cell nuclei. Expression plasmids encoding a therapeutic protein can be, for instance, complexed with cationic liposomes or micelles in order to achieve effective in vivo gene transfer. A thorough knowledge of pharmaceutics and drug delivery, bio-engineering, as well as cell and molecular biology is required to design optimal systems for gene therapy. This mini-review provides a critical discussion on cationic lipid-based gene delivery systems and their possible uses as pharmaceuticals.     

古代日耳曼和阿拉伯律法与唐律中法医学内容的比较

本文详细介绍了古代日耳曼和阿拉伯律法中与法医学有关的内容及其对法医学发生发展的影响。认为以赎罪金代替原始的血亲复仇法是日耳曼法的一个进步；两法对非致命损伤的赔偿规定都取得了令人瞩目的成就。本文还就大致同时代的唐律对杀人及伤害案件的有关规定，比较了东西方法规的异同，探讨了差别的原因。     

Bioequivalence, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic response to combined extended release formulations of felodipine and metoprolol in healthy volunteers

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether bioequivalence is achieved for a new fixed combination of extended-release (ER) felodipine and controlled-release (CR/ZOK) metoprolol␣compared with the free combination of felodipine ER metoprolol CR/ZOK. The second aim was to study whether there was an interaction in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics between felodipine and metoprolol when administered as ER formulation. Methods: Two four-way cross-over studies were performed in 36 young subjects and 24 elderly subjects with frequent measurement of drug plasma concentrations, blood pressures and heart rate. The pharmacokinetic analysis included enantioselective analysis in six subjects. Results: Bioequivalence between the fixed combination and the free combination was observed for the two drugs (mean difference 27%) except for a minor deviation regarding C_max of metoprolol in the elderly. No significant interaction was shown except for a small increase (6%) of metoprolol AUC in the younger subjects. Mean plasma S-/R-enantiomer ratios were almost identical for the different treatments. Blood pressure and heart rate was significantly reduced for the fixed combination compared with felodipine ER in the younger and the elderly subjects. No significant difference regarding pharmacodynamics was detected between the fixed combination and the corresponding free combination. Conclusion: The fixed combination consistently provides fairly constant and effective felodipine and metoprolol concentrations after once-daily administration of one tablet. It is clinically interchangeable with the free combination of metoprolol CR/ZOK tablets and felodipine ER tablets. Finally, felodipine and metoprolol do not interact on a pharmacokinetic level when administered as the fixed combination. Received: 29 October 1996 / Accepted in revised form: 21 March 1997