The aim of this study is to assess if an adhesive biopolymer, sodium hyaluronate (NaHA), has synergistic effects with s-PRGF (a serum derived from plasma rich in growth factors and a blood derivative that has already shown efficacy in corneal epithelial wound healing), to reduce time of healing or posology. In vitro proliferation and migration studies, both in human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells and in rabbit primary corneal epithelial (RPCE) cultures, were carried out. In addition, we performed studies of corneal wound healing in vivo in rabbits treated with s-PRGF, NaHA, or the combination of both. We performed immunohistochemistry techniques (CK3, CK15, Ki67, ß4 integrin, ZO-1, α-SMA) in rabbit corneas 7 and 30 days after a surgically induced epithelial defect. In vitro results show that the combination of NaHA and s-PRGF offers the worst proliferation rates in both HCE and RPCE cells. Addition of NaHA to s-PRGF diminishes the re-epithelializing capability of s-PRGF. In vivo, all treatments, given twice a day, showed equivalent efficacy in corneal epithelial healing. We conclude that the combined use of s-PRGF and HaNA as an adhesive biopolymer does not improve the efficacy of s-PRGF alone in the wound healing of corneal epithelial defects.

SUMMARY The effect of timolol versus propranolol on hypertension, hemodynamics, and plasma renin activity was evaluated in 20 men. After two weeks of placebo, 11 men received timolol 30 to 60 mg daily, and nine men received propranolol, 240 to 480 mg daily, for five weeks in a double-blind randomized study. The 20 men then received placebo again for two weeks. Right heart catheterization was performed in all 20 patients after two weeks of the first placebo and after five weeks of timolol or propranolol. Equipotent doses of timolol and PROPRANOLOL has been found to be effective as an antihypertensive agent as a single drug and especially in combination with other drugs such as diuretics or vasodilators."'18 Timolol is a new beta-adrenergic blocking drug with no membrane stabilizing effect and with no intrinsic sympathomimetic activity which has also been found effective as an antihypertensive agent.8 10, 13,19 Franciosa and associates8 reported that equipotent doses of propranolol and timolol which caused a similar degree of inhibition of amyl nitrite induced tachycardia had similar effects on lowering blood pressure and heart rate. However, after five weeks of treatment, the mean cardiac output rose slightly in six patients receiving timolol, whereas the mean cardiac output decreased significantly in 11 patients receiving propranolol. Franciosa and Freis'7 also reported in another study that timolol administered for five weeks to 11 patients caused a significant decrease in mean supine systolic and diastolic blood pressure, a significant decrease in mean heart rate, and no significant change in cardiac output.Therefore, we performed a double-blind randomized study to evaluate the effect of timolol versus propranolol on blood pressure, heart rate, stroke index, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, and other hemodynamic variables. This paper presents the data in the 20 patients who completed this study. Materials and MethodsTwenty patients with diastolic hypertension were to complete this study. Twenty-three men received either timolol or propranolol. The mean age of the 20 men who completed this study was 52.7 ± 10.8 years. None of the patients had coronary heart disease, valvular heart disease, a history of cerebrovascular disease, a history of congestive heart failure, poor myocardial contractility, sinus bradycardia, bundle branch block, atrioventricular block, chronic obstructive lung disease, a history of bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, or peripheral vascular disease. Informed consent was obtained from all participants.propranolol were equally effective in significantly lowering supine and upright systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate recorded on an outpatient basis. Equipotent doses of timolol and propranolol caused similar hemodynamic effects including similar significant depression of cardiac index. Equipotent doses of timolol and propranolol caused similar marked depression of plasma renin activity. The hypotensive action of timolol and of propranolol was unrelated to their ef...

The mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP), left atrial dimension (LAD) by echocardiography, and PTF-V1 in the electrocardiogram were correlated with each other in 16 patients with acute myocardial infarction in the control period and after therapeutic intervention with either Dextran or furosemide and/or nitroprusside. No significant correlation was found between a normal control PAWP and the LAD. An increased control PAWP correlated well with an increased LAD (r = 0.98). No significant correlation was found between the LAD and the PAWP whether normal or elevated after therapeutic intervention. No significant correlation was found between the PAWP whether normal or elevated and the PTF-V1. No significant correlation was found between the LAD and the PTF-V1. We conclude in acute myocardial infarction 1) the PTF-V1 is not useful in assessing PAWP before or after therapeutic intervention, 2) the LAD correlates poorly with a normal control PAWP but correlates well with an elevated control PAWP, and 3) the LAD cannot be used to assess PAWP after therapeutic intervention.

Purpose To analyze if using a bioadhesive (sodium hyaluronate or HaNa) in combination with a blood derivative (s‐PRGF) improves the healing rate and quality of corneal epithelial ulcers. Methods Rabbit corneas removed 7 and 30 days after an in vivo re‐epithelialization assay were include in paraffin and processed for haematoxylin–eosin staining or cryopreserved for immunofluorescent staining. In vitro proliferation and wound healing experiments were performed using the human corneal epithelial HCE cell line and rabbit primary corneal epithelial cultures. We studied the following treatments: 1) 90% s‐PRGF 2) 0.22% NaHa 3) s‐PRGF + NaHa 4) PBS as control treatment for the in vivo assay. All components in treatments 1, 2 and 3 were half the concentration for the in vitro assays, being 1% BSA the control treatment (4). To manufacture s‐PRGF whole blood was collected by venipuncture from healthy volunteers or New Zealand rabbits, respectively. Results Healing rate was higher in cultures and in eyes under s‐PRGF treatment than in those treated with HaNa or the combination of both. H‐E sections at 30 days showed more cells in the anterior stroma in eyes under HaNa treatments. In agreement with it, Ki67 staining as well as in vitro proliferation assays demonstrated that HaNa stimulated cell proliferation. All treatments produced stratified and mature epithelia (CK3 positiveness) with barrier function (ZO‐1 staining) and activation of limbal stem cells (CK15 staining), although the HaNa treated epithelia were the less organized. Moreover, eyes treated with only s‐PRGF showed the best integrin β4 staining. Conclusions HaNa bioadhesive promotes epithelial and stromal cell proliferation, but does not improve the corneal healing capacity of s‐PRGF. s‐PRGF shows a better healing quality in terms of epithelial‐stromal adhesion.