Tadalafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction; an overview of the clinical evidence

Prevalence and severity of erectile dysfunction (ED) increase with aging and are often associated with illnesses, like diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypertension, pathologically characterized by endothelial dysfunction and whose prevalence increases with age. The assumption that ED is mainly a neurovascular disease is supported by the evidence that specific phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibition produces an efficient erection in a wide range of ages and conditions. The availability of specific PDE5 inhibitors has enabled the development of effective treatment strategies, in this contest, tadalafil may be considered as the least “typical” PDE5 inhibitor. In clinical trials, tadalafil significantly enhanced, in patients of different ages, all efficacy outcomes across disease etiologies and severities. With an effectiveness lasting up to 36h, tadalafil allows patients to choose when to have sexual activities without the need to time it, showing positive feedback in terms of quality of life related to the treatment. Headache and dyspepsia were the most frequent side-effects of tadalafil, followed by back pain, nasal congestion, myalgia, and flushing, but the impact that long time action could have on effectiveness and safety is not yet entirely defined. The aim of this article is to critically review the available evidence from the tadalafil clinical research program and give the physician a rational approach for intervention in the treatment of ED and related diseases.     

万艾可治疗ED时对BPH引起LUTS改善的研究

目的 :探索、研究万艾可在治疗阴茎勃起功能障碍 (ED)时对由良性前列腺增生 (BPH)引起的下尿路症状(LUTS)的影响。　方法 :32例ED同时伴有BPH的研究对象 ,采用IIEF 5问卷表和IPSS评分表 ,在服用万艾可前和服药后 6个月分别各填写一次 ,应用单因素方差分析对所得到的前后评分进行统计学分析。结果 :在服药前32例ED中 ,轻、中、重分别为 14、13、5例 ,BPH中轻、中、重分别为 3、15、14例 ;服药后IIEF 5评分平均上升4 2 .36 % ,IPSS评分平均下降 2 0 .14 % ,两者在统计学上都有显著性差异 ,P <0 .0 1。　结论 :在治疗中老年性ED合并BPH中 ,应用万艾可既能治疗ED ,取得完美的性生活 ,又能达到改善由BPH引起的LUTS。万艾可是一治疗ED有效的药物 ,但对于前列腺基质平滑肌亦有辅助性松弛作用 ,因此也有助于BPH时LUTS的缓解。     

Pre-Implantation Multiple Cytokine mRNA Expression Analysis of Donor Lung Grafts Predicts Survival After Lung Transplantation in Humans

While current donor selection with clinical findings is generally effective, the imprecise nature of the assessment forces clinicians to remain on the conservative side. A reliable biological marker would assist donor selection and would improve donor organ utilization. We collected biopsies from 169 donor lungs before implantation. Expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and IL-1beta were measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Seventeen cases died within 30 days after transplantation. No donor factor was significantly associated with 30-day mortality. Univariate analysis of the 84 cases for development of the prediction model showed that IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta were risk factors for mortality and IL-10 and IFN-gamma were protective factors. We analyzed the cytokine expression ratios of risk to protective cytokines. A stepwise logistic regression for 30-day mortality demonstrated that a model containing the ratio of IL-6/IL-10 was the most predictive (p = 0.0013). When applied to the remaining 85 cases for validation, the test of model fit was significant (p = 0.039). Using the cytokine ratio, we were able to define three risk groups with striking differences in survival (p = 0.0003). Multi-cytokine analysis of the donor lung graft with qRT-PCR shows significant promise as a strategy to biologically evaluate the donor lung prior to implantation.     

Health‐related quality of life in multiple system atrophy

Although multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a neurodegenerative disorder leading to progressive disability and decreased life expectancy, little is known about patients' own evaluation of their illness and factors associated with poor health‐related quality of life (Hr‐QoL). We, therefore, assessed Hr‐QoL and its determinants in MSA. The following scales were applied to 115 patients in the European MSA‐Study Group (EMSA‐SG) Natural History Study: Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF‐36), EQ‐5D, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Mini‐Mental state examination (MMSE), Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS), Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) Parkinson's disease staging scale, Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale (COMPASS), and Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS). Forty‐six percent of patients had moderate to severe depression (BDI ≥ 17); Hr‐QoL scores on the SF‐36 and EQ‐5D were significantly impaired. Pain, the only domain with similar scores in MSA and published PD patients, was reported more frequently in patients with MSA‐P (predominantly parkinsonian motor subtype) than MSA‐C (predominantly cerebellar motor subtype; 76% vs. 50%; P = 0.005). Hr‐QoL scores correlated most strongly with UMSARS motor, COMPASS, and BDI scores but not with MMSE scores, age at onset, or disease duration. The COMPASS and UMSARS activities of daily living scores were moderate‐to‐strong predictors for the SF‐36 physical summary score and the BDI and UMSARS motor scores for the SF‐36 mental summary score. This report is the first study to show that Hr‐QoL is significantly impaired in MSA. Although not all possible factors related to impaired Hr‐QoL in MSA could be assessed, autonomic dysfunction, motor impairment, and depression were most closely associated with poor Hr‐QoL, and therapeutic management, therefore, should concentrate upon these aspects of the disease. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society     

卡巴胆碱对多器官功能障碍综合征小鼠脏器功能和结构的保护作用

目的:观察卡巴胆碱(carbachol,Car)对酵母多糖致多器官功能障碍综合征(MODS)小鼠多脏器功能和结构损伤的防护作用。方法:采用腹腔注射酵母多糖的方法复制小鼠MODS模型。雄性C57BL/6小鼠随机分为正常对照组(n=10),MODS 6、24、48 h组(n=30)和MODS Car 6、24、48 h防治组(n=30)。MODS组在致伤后腹腔注入生理盐水;MODS Car防治组在致伤前24 h内分3次灌胃注入卡巴胆碱。观察酵母多糖致伤后早期(48h内)动物死亡率,检测各组血丙氨酸转氨酶活性、尿素氮和肌酐水平,镜下观察致伤后48 h动物肝、肺、肾、心等脏器的组织病理学改变。结果:在酵母多糖致伤后48h内,MODS组小鼠死亡率达26.6%,MODS Car防治组的小鼠死亡率为10.0%。MODS组小鼠血浆ALT、BUN和Cr在伤后6h升高,而同时间点经卡巴胆碱预处理的小鼠血浆ALT、BUN和Cr仅略有升高,明显低于MODS组。光镜下观察发现,MODS组小鼠肝脏、肺脏、肾脏和心脏发生明显的病理改变,主要表现为脏器实质细胞浊肿、变性,间质充血、水肿和炎性细胞浸润,而卡巴胆碱防治组小鼠上述病变明显减轻。结论:预防性给予卡巴胆碱可以降低MODS急性期动物的死亡率,减轻脏器功能和结构的损伤,对急性炎症期的脏器损伤具有保护作用。     

复方通络中药改善肥胖患者血管内皮细胞功能障碍研究

目的观察复方通络中药对单纯性肥胖患者血管内皮依赖性舒张功能障碍的干预效应，探讨其作用机制。方法应用高分辨血管超声检查选择血管内皮依赖性舒张功能障碍[以血流介导的肱动脉扩张率（FMD）表示]肥胖患者（65例），随机分为通络中药治疗组和对照组。治疗组32例，对照组33例。治疗组给予辛香疏络2号胶囊，3g／次，每日3次；对照组给予淀粉胶囊，3g／次，每日3次。共用药12周，分别测定用药前后FMD、肱动脉内径（D0），同时检测辛香疏络2号治疗前后患者血清总胆固醇（TC）、三酰甘油（TG）的变化。结果治疗后治疗组FMD较对照组明显增加（P〈0．01），TC、TG较治疗前及对照组明显下降（P〈0．01）。结论复方通络中药辛香疏络2号胶囊可明显改善肥胖患者血管内皮障碍，调节血脂可能是其改善血管内皮功能机制之一。     

老龄大鼠非细菌性多器官功能不全综合征模型的建立

目的以酵母多糖腹腔注射建立老龄大鼠多器官功能不全综合征(MODSE)模型,并进一步与成年多器官功能不全综合征(MODS)模型作比较.方法成年和老龄SD大鼠,腹腔注射不同剂量酵母多糖,以血气、血生化和心、肝、脑、肺、肾等各主要脏器的光镜检查等为指标,观察上述各主要脏器的功能和形态学的变化.结果与成年和老龄正常对照组相比,成年和老龄不同酵母多糖组血气和血生化指标均出现不同程度的改变,肺、心、肝、脑、肾等主要脏器出现明显病理改变.在相同酵母多糖浓度下,老龄组呼吸功能、心脏功能和肾脏功能降低较相应成年组重;在复制模型程度相似的情况下,与成年大鼠相比,老龄大鼠有死亡时间延迟的趋势.结论酵母多糖腹腔注射可复制MODSE模型,以0.5 g/kg腹腔注射最为理想,该模型可用于MODSE机制和实验治疗学的探讨.     

创伤性膈疝并发多器官功能障碍的诊治

目的　探讨急性创伤性膈疝的发病机理 ,临床特征和处理方式。方法　回顾性分析2 6例急性创伤性膈疝的临床资料。结果　患者均为多发伤 ,有不同程度的呼吸困难 ,均行手术探查 ,膈肌修补。 2例术中死亡。 14例术后出现多器官功能障碍 ,其中 3例术后死于多器官衰竭。本组 2 1例存活。结论　外伤性膈疝早期诊断 ,及时手术 ,防治并发症可提高抢救成功率。     

舒张功能障碍对冠心病的诊断价值

目的应用超声多普勒方法评价冠心病患者的左室整体舒张功能及舒张功能障碍的发生率，探讨舒张功能障碍在冠心病无创诊断中的价值。方法对入选病人行常规检查，同时进行二尖瓣血流频谱、肺静脉血流频谱及二尖瓣环组织多普勒检查，对比临床标准与舒张功能障碍标准对冠心病的诊断率。结果舒张功能障碍标准对冠心病的检出率显著高于临床标准。结论舒张功能检查可作为冠心病诊断的初筛检查。