Introduction Astragalus species have been widely used in Chinese herbal medicine to treat gastrointestinal and inflammatory disorders. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Astragalus sarcocolla (ASE) and to rationalize its medicinal use as an antispasmodic drug for the treatment of spasmodic gastrointestinal and inflammatory disorders associated with increased intestinal motility. Methods The ethanolic extract of ASE was studied to examine its antispasmodic effect on the isolated rabbit ileum preparations, and the contractions were recorded on PowerLab (ADInstruments, Sydney, Australia). Results ASE was able to inhibit spontaneous ileum contractions. It also completely inhibited K + (25 mM)-induced contractions but was unable to inhibit high K + (80 mM)-induced sustained contractions. Pretreatment of the tissue with glibenclamide, a potassium channel blocker, caused a rightward shift of the dose-response curve when stimulated with K + (25 mM) in the presence of an increasing concentration of the extract. Verapamil at very low doses inhibited both the 25 mM and 80 mM K +-induced contractions. Conclusion The results of our study demonstrated the spasmolytic activity of ASE with the potential mechanism of activation of K + ATP, which provides a strong basis for its medicinal use in motility and inflammatory disorders of the intestine.
To record the frequency of malaria-like symptoms in patients who have been given mefloquine as chemoprophylaxis and to determine the effectiveness of antimalarials against these symptoms. Methodology It was an observational study that took place at a United Nations Level 1 hospital, Kaga-Bandoro, Central African Republic. The total duration of the study was three months. Patients presenting to the clinic with multiple symptoms despite chemoprophylaxis with mefloquine were assessed through a physical examination and screening test for malaria. Malaria treatment with a six-dose regimen of artemether (20 mg), along with lumefantrine (120 mg) two tablets BD for three days, was given after informed consent to those patients and post-treatment symptoms were observed and recorded. Results Out of 61 patients, 93% of them presented with body aches, 92% with headache, 52% with shivering, 44% with vertigo, 38% with fever, sweating, and nausea/vomiting, 18% with diarrhea, and 10% with pain in the abdomen. Conclusion It had been seen that patients presented with symptoms despite standard mefloquine prophylactic therapy, which were resolved with other antimalarial drugs. The presentation of the symptoms was also not classical.
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