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Background:Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) has been the standard topical antimicrobial for burn wounds for decades. Recently, nanometer-sized silver particles are available which have high surface to volume ratio and remain effective even at a very low concentration and minimizes the chance for tissue toxicity due to silver. Hence, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effectiveness of topical SSD and nano-crystalline silver (AgNP) hydrogel in burn wounds management.Materials and Methods:Study was conducted in the Burn Unit of IPGME&R & SSKM Hospital Calcutta, from January 2011 to August 2012. Patients with 2° burn injury were randomly allocated to SSD and AgNP treatment group. Clinical assessments of burn wound were done on every week till 4th week and on completion of treatment.Results:Data for evaluation were obtained for 54 patients on SSD (2° deep-dermal cases 27) and 52 (2° deep-dermal cases 31) on AgNP treatment. Healing status of 2° deep-dermal burns was more satisfactory for AgNP group than SSD treatment at 4 weeks. Among patients receiving AgNP, 80.6% showed at least 50% healing of 2° deep-dermal wounds compared to 48.1% on SSD at 4 weeks (P = 0.001). The figures for complete healing at 4 weeks were, respectively, 4% and 0% (P = 0.116).Conclusions:AgNP can be an effective and superior alternative to SSD for burn wounds, particularly 2° deep-dermal burns. Healing can be expected, in general, in 6 to 8 weeks time, depending upon the extent of body surface involvement.

Background: The components of the immune system have been indicated to be linked with the neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The participation of the immune system in the neurodegeneration in a rat model of colchicine-induced AD has not been explored. Methods: In the present study, hippocampal neurodegeneration along with reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitrite and TNF-α in the hippocampus and some systemic immune responses were measured after 15 and 21 days of intracerebroventricular colchicine injection in rats and again after oral administration of different doses of the anti-inflammatory drug naproxen in AD rats. Results: Chromatolysis and amyloid plaques were found along with higher ROS, nitrite and TNF-α levels in the hippocampus of colchicine-induced AD rats, and these changes were prevented by naproxen in a dose-dependent manner. Alterations in immunological parameters [increased phagocytic activity of white blood cells and splenic polymorphonuclear cells (PMN), increased cytotoxicity and decreased leucocyte adhesive inhibition index (LAI) of splenic mononuclear cells (MNC)] were also observed in colchicine-injected rats, which showed a dose-dependent recovery after oral administration of naproxen in AD rats. The number of plaques, chromatolysis of Nissl granules, TNF-α, nitrite and ROS levels in the hippocampus, phagocytic activity of splenic PMN and LAI of splenic MNC in AD rats showed greater changes in the 21- than in the 15-day study, and the recovery of these parameters after administration of naproxen differed between the two study durations. Conclusion: The present study shows that colchicine-induced neurodegeneration is time dependent and mediated by cyclooxygenase-induced neuroinflammation, which is reflected in the systemic immunological responses.

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