In vitro study of the tocolytic effect of oroxylin A from Scutellaria baicalensis root

Scutellariae Radix is one of the well-known tocolytic Chinese herbs. Oroxylin A is isolated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis. The main syndrome of preterm birth is caused by uterus contractions from excitatory factors. Administration of tocolytic agents is a strategy to prevent the occurrence of preterm births. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oroxylin A on contractions of uterine strips isolated from non-pregnant female Wistar rats (250~350 g). Contractions of the uterus were induced with acetylcholine (Ach) (1 μM), PGF2α (0.1 μM), oxytocin (10-3 U/ml), KCl (56.3 mM), tetraethylammonium (TEA; 1 and 10 mM), 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; 5 mM), glipizide (30 μM), a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor (LNNA; 10-3M), a β-receptor blocker (propranolol; 10 μM), and a cyclooxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin; 60 μM). The inhibitory effects of the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous contractions by oroxylin A were antagonized with Ach (IC50 22.85 μM), PGF2α (IC5027.28 μM), oxytocin (IC50 12.34 μM), TEA; 1 and 10 mM (IC50 52.73 and 76.43 μM), 4-AP (IC50 67.16 μM), and glipizide (IC5027.53 μM), but oroxylin A was not influenced by Ca2+-free medium, LNNA, propranolol, or indomethacin. Otherwise, oroxylin A-mediated relaxation of the rat uterus might occur through opening of uterine calcium-dependent potassium channels or adenosine triphosphate potassium channel activation. This suggests that oroxylin A is the tocolytic principle constituent of Scutellariae Radix, and oroxylin A may provide a lead compound for new tocolytic drug development in the future

THERMAL MODELING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HIGH POWER DEVICES

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Integrating aged care in Singapore—the ACTION framework

In Singapore the public healthcare organization, Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), (www.aic.sg), centrally coordinates and facilitates the transition of patients from acute care settings to care facilities in the community. In one of AICs recent projects, teams of care coordinators were formed and based at public acute hospitals. Known as Aged Care Transition (ACTION) Teams, they actively identify elderly patients who need assistance with obtaining community care, facilitate the transition of care and track the outcome