New Battlefield Drug May Save Soldiers Dying from Blood Loss
People who suffer massive blood loss automatically go into shock as a stopgap measure, but can eventually die if their bodies stay in shock for too long. Now a drug used to treat epilepsy could reverse all that and boost survival rates for horrifically injured people, especially wounded soldiers far from any extra blood supplies. New Scientist reports on a new study of the drug that involved porkers. Valproic acid has improved survival rates among lab rats in the past by acting as an inhibitor that prevents removal of acetylation chemicals in the body. That in turn keeps several "survival pathways" turned on that would otherwise shut down as a body goes into shock -- increasing heart rate and shutting down expression of certain proteins may help a wounded person in immediate aftermath, yet can lead to organ failure and death after a short period. The latest study of valproic acid involved...