A Single-Blind, Crossover Comparison of the Pharmacokinetics and Cognitive Effects of a New Diazepam Rectal Gel with Intravenous Diazepam

Summary: Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics and cognitive effects of a new diazepam (DZP) rectal gel (Diastat®) with intravenously administered DZP.
Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized, double-dummy, two-period, crossover study. Subjects received either 15 mg of DZP rectal gel or 7.5 mg of DZP by intravenous infusion. Blood samples for DZP and desmethyldiazepam analysis were obtained before the dose and from 3 min to 240 h after the dose. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured over the first 24-h period. Subjects also completed five repetitions of a neuropsychological test battery over the first 8-h period.
Results: Diazepam rapidly appeared in plasma after rectal administration, exceeding 200 ng/mL within 15 min and reaching an initial maximum of 373 ng/ml at 45 min and a second maximum of 447 ± 91.1 ng/ml at ∼70 min. The absolute bioavailability of DZP rectal gel was 90.4%. Subjects receiving intravenous DZP were less alert and performed less efficiently on the WAIS Digit Symbol test 6 min after the dose. Subjects receiving DZP rectal gel performed less well on the WAIS Digit Span test 1 h after the dose and required more time to complete the Letter Cancellation and Grooved Pegboard tests 1 and 2 h after drug administration.
Conclusions: Diastat® displayed rapid, consistent absorption and was well tolerated. Alterations in cognition were mild and dissipated within 4 h of drug administration. This new rectal drug-delivery system offers an easy, safe, and bioavailable method to administer DZP.     

三七总皂苷眼用凝胶在兔眼部的组织分布研究

[目的] 研究三七总皂苷眼用凝胶在兔眼组织的药物分布。[方法] 选取12只新西兰大白兔,随机分为4组,每组3只兔子。每只兔眼分别给予凝胶41.67 μL/kg（即三七皂苷R1 0.132 mg/kg,人参皂苷Rg1 0.452 mg/kg）。给药后于0.5、1、1.5、2 h空气栓塞各处死1组兔子。取眼球,分离各眼组织。采用UPLC-MS检测不同时间点各眼组织的药物含量。[结果] 兔眼给予三七总皂苷眼用凝胶后,三七皂苷R1在兔角膜、晶状体、房水、玻璃体中的最大含量分别为13.16、1.16、0.86、0.10 μg/g,人参皂苷Rg1在角膜、晶状体、房水、玻璃体中的最大含量分别为38.49、4.50、3.38、0.28 μg/g。[结论] 三七总皂苷眼用凝胶滴到兔眼后,三七皂苷R1和人参皂苷Rg1可透过角膜分散到各眼组织。在0~2 h内,各眼组织中的药物含量由高到低依次为角膜、晶状体、房水、玻璃体,表明三七皂苷R1和人参皂苷Rg1可透过角膜,到达眼后部组织,在2 h时各眼部组织的药物含量依然较高,在眼组织的保留时间长。     

Polypeptide composition of normal and neoplastic human breast tissues and cells analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Summary The protein populations of epithelial cells cultured from two neoplastic and five non-neoplastic human breast tissues were resolved and displayed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silverstaining. With a computer-based image analysis system, we identified eight polypeptides which are present in both of the neoplastic cell lines, but absent from all five of the cultures of non-neoplastic breast cells. The eight polypeptides are not unique to cells cultured from neoplastic breast, because they are also found in cells cultured from non-breast tissues, both neoplastic and non-neoplastic. Two of the eight polypeptides ( M_r 25,000/pI 4.4 and M_r 31,000/pI 5.5) are present in the patterns of whole tissue samples from infiltrating ductal carcinomas and absent in most normal breast tissue.     

金属表面TiO2薄膜的溶胶-凝胶法制备及其血液相容性研究

通过溶胶 凝胶法制备TiO2 薄膜对 316L不锈钢和NiTi形状记忆合金进行表面改性处理。研究发现 ,经 5 0 0℃处理 1h的薄膜结构致密 ,膜层均匀平滑 ,薄膜主要由锐钛矿相TiO2 构成 ,随热处理温度的提高 ,锐钛矿相逐渐转变为金红石相。电化学腐蚀和动态凝血时间及溶血率测试表明 ,通过溶胶 凝胶法制备TiO2 膜进行表面改性的 316L不锈钢和NiTi合金的抗模拟体液腐蚀性提高 ,动态凝血时间延长 ,溶血率下降 ,说明溶胶 凝胶法制备TiO2 膜可以提高金属植入物的血液相容性     

Thromboresistant properties of hydrophilic gels

The thromboresistant properties of hydrophilic gels based on copolymers of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic vinyl compounds with vinyl monomers were investigated. The hydrophilic gels were shown to prevent adsorption of fibrinogen, activation of procoagulants, and adhesion of platelets. Hydrogen surfaces possess selective affinity for plasma albumin. The authors consider that the thromboresistant effect of hydrophilic gels is due to the competitive action of plasma albumin. Modification of hydrophilic gels increases their thromboresistant properties.Laboratory of Thromboresistant Materials, Institute of Transplantation of Organs and Tissues, Ministry of Health of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. M. Chernukh.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 89, No. 3, pp. 296–298, March, 1980.     

Comparative proteomic analysis of Vibrio cholerae O139, O22, O155 and El Tor biotype epidemic strains

Cholera ,as one of the most severe epidemic dis-eases inthe world,can occurin a short time ,andspread quicklyto a wide region.Until 1992 ,onlyV.choleraeserogroup O1 was recognized as thecause of epidemic cholera . However in October1992 ,a major outbreak of a cholera-like illnesscaused by a newserogroupstrain ofV.choleraee-mergedinIndia and Bangladesh.In contrast to allpreviously reported non-O1 strains , which induceonly sporadic cases of human diarrhea without epi-demic potential ,the new…     

兔关节软骨细胞的琼脂糖凝胶培养及其力学性质的研究

目的对兔膝关节软骨细胞进行体外琼脂糖凝胶三维培养,并对其力学性能进行检测。方法将琼脂糖凝胶、细胞、血清和培养基在正确的比例下混合,形成软骨细胞凝胶块。取培养7d、14d和21d时的软骨细胞凝胶块分别对细胞外基质进行组织学观察和免疫组化染色,同时采用Instron 5544材料试验机检测其极限应力、极限应变、抗压模量和切线模量的力学性能变化。结果在琼脂糖凝胶中培养的关节软骨细胞具有典型的软骨细胞特性,能够正常合成细胞外基质,形成有一定弹性和抗压缩能力的软骨样凝胶块。而且随着培养时间增长,基质合成增加,培养21d时的极限应力(0.0226±0.006)N/mm、抗压模量(0.608±0.061)N/mm和切线模量(0.096±0.004)N/mm,比7d时的(0.0204±0.004)MPa,(0.558±0.036)N/mm,(0.029±0.002)N/mm和14d时的(0.0213±0.008)N/mm,(0.586±0.095)N/mm,(0.049±0.005)N/mm有明显增加,但极限应变却没有明显差异(P>0.05)。结论软骨细胞-琼脂糖凝胶块的力学性能与细胞外基质的合成直接相关。     

The effect of surface chemistry modification of titanium alloy on signalling pathways in human osteoblasts

Establishing and maintaining mature bone at the bone–device interface is critical to the long-term success of prosthesis. Poor cell adhesion to orthopaedic and dental implants results in implant failure. Considerable effort has been devoted to alter the surface characteristics of these biomaterials in order to improve the initial interlocking of the device and skeleton. We investigated the effect of surface chemistry modification of titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V) with zinc, magnesium or alkoxide-derived hydroxy carbonate apatite (CHAP) on the regulation of key intracellular signalling proteins in human bone-derived cells (HBDC) cultured on these modified Ti–6Al–4V surfaces. Western blotting demonstrated that modifying Ti–6Al–4V with CHAP or Mg results in modulation of key intracellular signalling proteins. We showed an enhanced activation of Shc, a common point of integration between integrins and the Ras/Mapkinase pathway. Mapkinase pathway was also upregulated, suggesting its role in mediating osteoblastic cell interactions with biomaterials. The signalling pathway involving c-fos (member of the activated protein-1) was also shown to be upregulated in osteoblasts cultured on the Mg and CHAP modified Ti–6Al–4V. Thus surface modification with CHAP or Mg may contribute to successful osteoblast function and differentiation at the skeletal tissue–device interface.     

Engineered human dicentric chromosomes show centromere plasticity

The centromere is essential for the faithful distribution of a cell's genetic material to subsequent generations. Despite intense scrutiny, the precise genetic and epigenetic basis for centromere function is still unknown. Here, we have used engineered dicentric human chromosomes to investigate mammalian centromere structure and function. We describe three classes of dicentric chromosomes isolated in different cell lines: functionally monocentric chromosomes, in which one of the two genetically identical centromeres is consistently inactivated; functionally dicentric chromosomes, in which both centromeres are consistently active; and dicentric chromosomes heterogeneous with respect to centromere activity. A study of serial single cell clones from heterogeneous cell lines revealed that while centromere activity is usually clonal, the centromere state (i.e. functionally monocentric or dicentric) in some lines can switch within a growing population of cells. Because pulsed field gel analysis indicated that the DNA at the centromeres of these chromosomes did not change detectably, this switching of the centromere state is most likely due to epigenetic changes. Inactivation of one of the two active centromeres in a functionally dicentric chromosome was observed in a percentage of cells after treatment with Trichostatin A, an inhibitor of histone deacetylation. This study provides evidence that the activity of human centromeres, while largely stable, can be subject to dynamic change, most likely due to epigenetic modification.     

The RNA helicase, nucleotide 5'-triphosphatase, and RNA 5'-triphosphatase activities of Dengue virus protein NS3 are Mg2+-dependent and require a functional Walker B motif in the helicase catalytic core

The nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of Dengue virus (DV) is a multifunctional enzyme carrying activities involved in viral RNA replication and capping: helicase, nucleoside 5'-triphosphatase (NTPase), and RNA 5'-triphosphatase (RTPase). Here, a 54-kDa C-terminal domain of NS3 (DeltaNS3) bearing all three activities was expressed as a recombinant protein. Structure-based sequence analysis in comparison with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) helicase indicates the presence of a HCV-helicase-like catalytic core domain in the N-terminal part of DeltaNS3, whereas the C-terminal part seems to be different. In this report, we show that the RTPase activity of DeltaNS3 is Mg2+-dependent as are both helicase and NTPase activities. Mutational analysis shows that the RTPase activity requires an intact NTPase/helicase Walker B motif in the helicase core, consistent with the fact that such motifs are involved in the coordination of Mg2+. The R513A substitution in the C-terminal domain of DeltaNS3 abrogates helicase activity and strongly diminishes RTPase activity, indicating that both activities are functionally coupled. DV RTPase seems to belong to a new class of Mg2+-dependent RTPases, which use the active center of the helicase/NTPase catalytic core in conjunction with elements in the C-terminal domain.