Category Archives: AMM 2011, Volume 57, Number 5

Indirect Determination of Gentamicin by Derivative Spectrophotometry

Szaniszló B, Iuga Cristina, Bojiță M

Department of Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, ”Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Introduction: Gentamicin sulfate is an aminoglycosidic antibiotic, used in severe infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria. UV-Vis spectrophotometry, a simple, high speed and accessible analytical method, is generally suitable for the quantitative determination of pharmaceutical active ingredients in raw materials. In the case of gentamicin, a drug that presents low absorbances on the UV-Vis domain, direct determination by UV-Vis spectrophotometry would not assure adequate detection and quantitation limits.
The aim of this study was to develop a new indirect spectrophotometric method, based on the capacity of gentamicin to form in the presence of Cu2+ ions complex combinations with increased UV-Vis light absorbing capacity.
Material and method: Optimised experimental conditions which assure formation of a stable complex was found to take place in the pre-sence of CuCl2.6H2O 0.1 mg/mL, while 1 mM NaOH was used as solvent. All readings were performed at 291 nm on the first derivative of the absorbance spectrum.
Results: The developed method was validated, and proved to be linear on the 0.051–0.261 mg/mL concentration range (r = 0.99935).
Conclusions: The developed method is fast, accessible and can be used for the determination of gentamicin in raw materials.

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fMRI and SAGE Test Evaluation of pre-Mild Cognitive Impairment (pre-MCI)

Stoicea Nicoleta1, Scharre D1, Abduljalil AM2, Knopp M2, Schmalbrock Petra2, Gusti Simona3, Gusti Alice4, Narayanan A5

1 Department of Neurology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2 Department of Radiology, Wright Center of Innovation, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
3 Department of Physiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Craiova, Romania
4 Faculty of Exercise Science and Sport, Craiova, Romania
5 Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

Introduction: Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is characterized by impaired memory and preserved activities of daily living. fMRI shows increased medial temporal lobe (MTL) activation during memory tasks in MCI patients as compared to lower activation in normal and dementia controls. Recent research has investigated patients with cognitive decline that is insufficient for MCI criteria, but who also appear to be at increased risk for developing MCI and dementia, known as pre-MCI. We compared pre-MCI subjects with matched normal controls using fMRI memory, visual, verbal, and problem solving tasks in an attempt to improve early identification of pre-MCI subjects.
Methods: Right-handed, English speaking pre-MCI patients were age and education matched with normal controls. Each subject completed the National Adult Reading Test (NART) and the Self-Administered Georcognitive Examination (SAGE). fMRI scanning was performed on a 3 T Achieva Philips scanner using an Invivo IFIS-SA fMRI System. Four cognitive tasks were performed during and after fMRI imaging testing: [1] Attention, [2] Verbal fluency, [3] Visuospatial problem solving (VPS), and [4] Memory. Single subject and group functional analysis was performed.
Results: Sixteen subjects (8 pre-MCI, ages 66–82y, and 8 matched normal controls) participated. Pre-MCI subjects showed numerically worse cognitive performance on the verbal fluency, problem solving and attention tasks than controls. While performing these tasks, pre-MCI subjects had reduced activation in the visual cortex during the attention task and in the frontal cortex during the verbal fluency task.
Conclusions: While more research is needed, specific fMRI activation tasks appear to differentiate pre-MCI from normals and may aid both in the initial identification of pre-MCI and possibly in follow-up evaluations looking for progression to dementia.

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Treatment with Bevacizumab in Exudative Age-related Macular Degeneration

Rusu Monica-Blanka1, Egyed ZsI2, Horváth Karin2, Máthé István Ildikó2

1 Clinic of Ophtalmology, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
2 Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate the preliminary results of treatment with Bevacizumab (Avastin) in the neovascular or wet form of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Methods: Thirty-five consecutive patients (38 eyes) received Avastin intravitreally. Every patient received 3 Avastin injections at a distance of 1 month. Each dose consisted of 2.5 mg (0.1 ml) of Avastin. The therapeutical effect has been evaluated by the value of visual acuity and the central retinal thickness before and after treatment. In order to measure the visual acuity, the classical optotipe was used and the central retinal thickness was evaluated by optical coherence tomography. The follow-up period was 6 months after the last injection.
Results: A number of 28 eyes (74%) had a favorable evolution of visual acuity, 7 eyes (18%) presented a stationary evolution and 3 eyes (8%) had an unfavorable outcome. The highest values were obtained at 1 month after the last injection (control 1). The optical coherence tomo-graphy decreased in 30 eyes (79%) and increased in 8 eyes (21%).
Conclusion: The evolution of visual acuity and central retinal thickness was predominantly favorable in 74% and 79% of the cases, respectively. We observed a direct correlation between the visual acuity and morphological parameters evaluated by optical coherence tomography, in 26 eyes (68%). Most patients described an improvement in the quality of vision, even when the visual acuity remained unchanged.

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Possibilities to Improve Benzylpenicillin and Phenoxymethylpenicillin Stability in Acidic Environment

Rad I1, Croitoru MD2, Gyéresi Á3

1 Dimitrie Cantemir College, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
2 Department of Toxicology-Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
3 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Background: Benzylpenicillin is water soluble natural penicillin used only by parenteral administration. Fast decomposition in acidic environment is the reason why benzylpenicillin can not be orally used. Phenoxymethylpenicillin is natural penicillin used in therapy by oral administration (filmed tablets, tablets, syrup, and suspension). It is relatively stable in acidic environment and has a bioavailability of about 50%.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to increase the stability of these penicillins in acidic environment (pH = 1.2) by using auxiliary substances: β-cyclodextrin, 2-hydroxypropil-β-cyclodextrin, magnesium glutamate and magnesium aspartate.
Methods: Improvements of stability were measured by high performance liquid chromatography in the absence and presence of the mentioned auxiliary substances.
Results: Cyclodextrins significantly improved the stability of the studied penicillins in acidic environment. Glutamate and aspartate showed no effect on this regard.
Conclusions: Significant improvement of benzylpenicillin and phenoxymethylpenicillin stability and possible pharmacokinetics can be achieved by using cyclodextrins.

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Evaluation of Permanent Tooth Eruption Patterns in a Local Community of School Children

Muica (Nagy-Bota) Monica-Cristina1, Oltyán Zsuzsa2, Păcurar Mariana2, Brînzaniuc Klara3

1 PhD candidate, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
2 Department of Pedodontics and Orthodontics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
3 Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Purpose: Due to the fact that in the past years we are dealing with more cases of atypical dentition, the authors propose an evaluation of the eruption sequence of permanent teeth in a community of school children.
Material and method: For this evaluation there have been examined 200 children, students at “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” gymnasium. The examined children were both in urban and rural and with ages between 9 and 12 years old, representing the permutation period of the dental support area. The clinic study (intraoral examination) was completed by X-ray examination in cases of atypical eruption, with the absence of the permanent tooth at the age that he should have been present on the dental arch.
Results: The results presented in tables and figures show that the normal sequence of the tooth eruption is presented in a lower percentage (28.5%) of the examined cases. The highest percentage is represented by the atypical tooth eruption (71.5%). Also we observed the existence of three atypical sequences by changing the classical order of the support area teeth: canine, first premolar, second premolar.
Discussions: Although our results were not statistical significant, they still show a changing in the classic eruption sequence. atypical sequences are more frequent in urban area due to more intensive process of industrialization and super refined food fast alimentation.
Conclusions: Classic pattern of eruption in maxilla and mandible has suffered in recent years a number of changes, with early appearance on the poorly developed dental arches of the teeth in the support area.

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Clinical Study Regarding the Association Between Some Etiological Factors and Tooth Wear

Mucenic Simona, Bereșescu Gabriela, Borş Andreea, Cămărăşan Alina, Molnar Varlam Cristina, Kerekes Máthé Bernadette, Székely Melinda

Department of Dental Arches and Tooth Morphology, Prosthesis Technology, Dental Materials, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Background: Loss of hard dental tissues is a permanent problem of the dentition that affects all age groups and is regarded as part of the ageing process and a modern problem for dentistry.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of some etiological factors connected with the tooth wear process.
Material and method: One-hundred-fifty patients were investigated, 84 of them presented different types of tooth wear: abrasion, attrition, erosion and the combination of these. In order to determine the etiological factors we used the association of anamnestic questionnary, clinical examination, digital photography. The etiological factors were classified according to their action with age, oral hygiene habits, parafunctions and unhealthy habits, chronic diseases associated with regurgitations and vomiting. Frequencies and percentages of variables were reported. Chi-square test was used to test associations between categories of variables at 5% level of significance.
Results and discussion: 51.19% of patients had more than one type of tooth wear and 22.62% had attrition. There was a significant association between tooth wear lesions and age, toothbrushing technique and type of toothbrushes used. Diet, parafunction and vicious habits, regurgitation and vomiting were not significant for tooth wear lesions.
Conclusions: The acknowledgement of the etiological factors is important for prevention and treatment approaches.

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Radiographic Evaluation into the Relationship of Different Cephalometric Values and Malocclusion

Mártha Krisztina1, Ogodescu A2, Păcurar Mariana1, Ogodescu Emilia2, Lőrinczi Z3

1 Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
2 Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timișoara, Romania
3 Department of Anatomy and Embriology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Background: There is an abundance of contradictory data regarding the relationship between the value of the cranial base angle, the type of malocclusion and the degree of mandibular prognathism.
The aim of our study was to identify craniofacial differences between the classes of malocclusion, to evaluate the relationship between the cranial base angle and lengths, the skeletal and dento-alveolar pattern.
Methods: A retrospective cephalometric study was carried out on 44 cephalometric radiographs to examine the contribution of cranial base angle and different linear and angular values in the four groups of malocclusion as classified by Angle. We measured the cranial base flexure, jaw position angles, the maxillary mandibular planes angle, the cranial base lengths and jaw lengths.
Results showed that the cranial base angle was significantly larger in class II division 1 subjects than in the class I group, mandibular length was found to be similar in class I and class II subjects, although it was significantly larger in the class III group and the cranial base angle was correlated inversely with maxillar and mandibular plane angles.
Conclusions: We found no correlation between the anterior cranial base length and maxillary and mandibulary prognathism.

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Helicobacter pylori Gastritis in Children – Assessment of Resistance to Treatment on the Casuistry of the Ist Pediatric Clinic Tîrgu Mureș

Mărginean Oana, Pitea Ana-Maria, Brînzaniuc Klara

University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Background: It is generally recognized the role of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer disease in adults and children. Some cases raise serious concern regarding the therapeutic approach because they do not heal with normal treatment schemes or have frequent relapses due to the fact that the microorganism has virulence factors that determine resistance to therapy.
The purpose of this work was to analyze the cases of gastritis due to H. pylori in children from our casuistry, which have not healed despite a properly conducted treatment to eradicate the bacteria.
Material and methods: This was a prospective study carried out on 1,041 children aged between 2 and 18 years, diagnosed with different types of gastritis in Ist Pediatric Clinic from Tîrgu Mureș, admitted between January 2001 and March 2010. We have had 539 cases of gastritis due to H. pylori; for these patients a specific treatment was prescribed in order to eradicate the infection and to cure gastritis (accor-ding to the current internationally accepted recommendations).
Results: The average age of patients in the study group was 12.9 years, with a higher incidence in the 7–12 (33.02%) and 13-18 years (62.89%) age group, predominantly among female patients (63.45%) and those from rural areas (55.84%). From the patients diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori gastritis, 478 cases presented for review; after proper treatment with anti-infectives in combination with proton pump inhibitors, clinical-histological healing of the disease after a month was found in 426 cases (89.12%); a number of 52 patients remained positive (10.87%). Two months after treatment the endoscopical and histopatological modifications persisted in 26 cases (5.43%); a total of six cases (1.25%) remained positive for Helicobacter pylori infection after therapy.
Conclusions: The resistance of Helicobacter pylori infection to therapy is caused by the continued action of favoring factors, the virulence of the microorganisms in association with a genetic predisposition present in some individuals.

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Frequency of Risk Factors in Retinopathy of Prematurity In a Sample of Infants from Mureș County

Maki Cristina¹, Máthé-István Ildikó¹, Vig Júlia¹, Baghiu Maria Despina²

1 Department of Ophtalmology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania
2 Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureș, Romania

Objective: To analyze the risk factors involved in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and to report the incidence of ROP in premature infants from Mureș county, Romania.
Material and methods: Our study was based on a prospective study of premature infants with risk for developing ROP, based on international protocols, admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from Tîrgu Mureș, between March 2008 and March 2010. In the study were included all the premature babies with gestational age ≤32 weeks and birth weight ≤1500 g, and those with gestational age >32 weeks and birth weight >1500 g, but with unstable perinatal evolution. Ophthalmic examinations were started at 4–6 weeks after birth, and followed until complete resolution of ROP or complete maturation of the retina. We used Chi square test and Fisher test to estimated relative risk (RR), associated with the risk factors of ROP.
Results: In our group of 137 premature babies monitored, 22% were in different stages of ROP. The advanced types of illness that needed therapeutic intervention represented 3% of all premature babies monitored and 13% of all babies with ROP. We found a statistically significant association between low birth weight (≤1500 g), low gestational age (≤32 weeks), mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days, intrauterine risk factors (maternal preeclampsia), respiratory distress syndrome, and the development of ROP. We also found a statistically significant association between extremely low birth weight (≤1000 g) and the development of severe forms of ROP. The other followed risk factors (blood transfusion, anemia or sepsis) were not linked significantly to the risk of ROP development.
Conclusions: Despite progress in neonatal intensive care, ROP persists and can be explained by greater prematurity and early screening. Effective screening procedures performed between the 4th and 6th week of life can improve the prognosis of the disease.

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Modifications of Dental Proprioceptivity After Apicectomy

Jánosi Kinga Mária1, Popşor S1, Kovács A2

1 Department of Prosthodontics and Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania
2 Private Practice, Tîrgu Mureş, Romania

Introduction: The proprioceptive control resulted from the periodontal mechanoreceptors is a major factor upon the control of masticatory muscle activity.
The aim of this study is to present the modification of dental proprioceptivity consequentially to apicectomy, which is followed by changes in the masticatory muscles activity.
Material and methods: In the present study we included a number of 11 patients from private practice, all of them presenting chronic periapical infection on which we performed apicectomy. To measure and compare the muscular contraction, we used electromyographic recordings before and after the surgery. We used the BioEMG II device, with surface electrodes placed bilaterally on the masseter muscles, the achieved data were recorded and analyzed using the device software.
Results: The data obtained preoperatively allowed us to visualize the shrinkage of the amplitude of the electromyographic signal, because the muscular activity was inhibited by the periodontal mechanoreceptors as protective reflex. Postoperatory results showed us a significant raise of the amplitude of electromyografic signals (p = 0.001), following the elimination of mechanoreceptors from the apical area.
Conclusions: The achieved results suggested that the mechanoreceptors localized in the apical third of the root, in the periodontal space are importants in providing the control of masticatory muscles activity.

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