A blinded study was designed to provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation on the possible therapeutic benefits of the use of Pluronic Polyol F-127 as a substitute skin in standardized third-degree thermal burns. Three separate burns, approximately 1600 mm2, were induced on the shaved backs of young, anesthetized pigs. Each animal served as its own control. One burn site was left untreated while the other two sites were covered with coded preparations of the Pluronic F-127 gel with additives. Polaroid photographs with a fixed focal-length camera were taken of all burn sites for planimetry analysis. Biopsies taken confirmed that third-degree burns were achieved. The pigs were followed for 30 days. The rate of healing of third-degree thermal burns was significantly accelerated over control sites when treated with Pluronic Polyol F-127 plus propylene glycol. When the bacteriostatic agent Garamycin was also added, the rate of healing remained significantly better than untreated controls. With the addition of Piracetam, burn wound healing was actually retarded within 30 days, when applied topically. Thus, wound healing was both accelerated and retarded as a function of the particular Pluronic preparation used to treat specific burn sites. This experimental modulation of wound healing suggests that the non-ionic poloxamer, Pluronic F-127, can significantly enhance the rate of wound healing by some unknown mechanism, possibly by stimulation of epithelial growth factor (EGF).
Pluronic F‐127 was found to be an effective base for the bactriocidal agent silver nitrate or silver lactate following 18–22% surface area full thickness thermal burns. Some protection was afforded by Pluronic F‐127 alone, attesting to its biological activity as an artificial skin. The bacteriocidal agents, however, further enhanced the effectiveness of the dressing as an artificial skin. No inhibition of skin growth and repair was noted and the dressing was equally effective against Psuedomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis. Indication that natural defense mechanisms in addition to surface infection needs attention was also noted. Conclusion was reached that Pluronic F‐127 is an ideal base for bacteriocidal agents in the treatment of full thickness thermal wounds. In addition, the Pluronic F‐127 dressing with silver nitrate or silver lactate showed promise as an effective biological artificial skin against electrolyte imbalance, heat loss, and bacterial invasion.
Erythrocytes from both normal and sickle cell donors were incubated on a bed of cultured rat vascular endothelial cells. Although the adherence of the erythrocytes to the endothelial cells was equivalent for both classes of donor, addition of 1.5 mM piracetam significantly decreased this adherence regardless of donor.
An inexpensive, rapid, convenient screening tube test for the detection of hemoglobin S and non-S sickling hemoglobins has been developed, which has a molecular basis. The reagents consist of potassium phosphate, sodium dithionite, and saponin. When sickling red cells are introduced into such a solution, the red cells lyse immediately, the hemoglobin deoxygenates, the beta globin chains of each hemoglobin tetramer are displaced laterally, complementarity of steric fit between interacting hemoglobin tetramers is achieved in accordance with the recently modified Murayama hypothesis for the molecular mechanism of sickling, a nematic liquid crystal system is formed, and in the presence of hemoglobin S or non-S sickling hemoglobins, the system becomes turbid. On addition of urea, those nematic liquid crystal systems dependent upon hydrophobic bonds are dispersed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.