D-003 does not possess oestrogenic potential in-vivo: findings of the uterotrophic assay

D-003 is a mixture of long-chain fatty acids purified from sugarcane wax that inhibits both cholesterol synthesis prior to mevalonate formation, and lipid peroxidation. D-003 has been shown to prevent bone loss and bone resorption in ovariectomized rats, and significantly improves bone resorption markers in postmenopausal women with reduced bone mineral density. As hormone-replacement therapy, D-003 displays cholesterol-lowering and anti-resorptive effects. We have studied its potential oestrogenic activity in-vivo using the uterotrophic assay. Rats were randomly distributed into five groups: a sham-operated group and four groups of ovariectomized rats, one treated with vehicle, one with D-003 (50 mg kg(-1)), one with oestradiol benzoate (30 microg kg(-1)) and one with D-003 (50 mg kg(-1)) plus oestradiol benzoate (30 microg kg(-1)). Treatments were administered for 14 days. Ovariectomy decreased the values of relative uterus weight, epithelium cell height and endometrial thickness compared with sham-operated rats, and these effects were all significantly reduced with oestradiol benzoate, but not with D-003. Concurrent administration of D-003 and oestradiol benzoate had statistically similar effects on all variables as oestradiol benzoate alone. In conclusions, D-003 orally given at 50 mg kg(-1), a dose that prevents bone loss and bone resorption in ovariectomized rats, did not display oestrogenic/anti-oestrogenic activity in-vivo, as assessed in the uterotrophic assay.     

Valproic acid and its derivatives enhanced estrogenic activity but not androgenic activity in a structure dependent manner

Steroid hormones affect metabolic pathways and cellular functions. Valproic acid (VPA), used as antiepileptic drug, inhibits histone deacetylases and interacts with intracellular receptors. We analyzed the impact of VPA and VPA derivatives on activation of estrogen and androgen receptors (ER and AR) using reporter gene assays. VPA and its long-chain derivatives 2-(2-propynyl)-hexanoic acid [butyl-4-yn-VPA], 2-(2-propynyl)-heptanoic acid [S-pentyl-4-yn-VPA] and 2-(2-propynyl)-nonanoic acid [heptyl-4-yn-VPA] enhanced 17β-estradiol-induced ERα and ERβ activation partly synergistically with a structure–activity correlation. The extent of this effect regarding to ERα activation increased with prolongation of the aliphatic side chain. Regarding AR activation, VPA, S-pentyl-4-yn- and heptyl-4-yn-VPA slightly induced AR activity when tested alone. In combination with the AR agonist 5α-dihydrotestosterone, VPA, S-pentyl-4-yn- and heptyl-4-yn-VPA showed anti-androgenic effects without an apparent structural relation. Our results indicate that VPA and its derivatives affect estrogen signaling with a structural specificity, while the (anti-)androgenic effects of these compounds are not structurally correlated.     

Protecting cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity with cimetidine does not affect antitumor activity

The present study examined the influence of cimetidine on the nephrotoxicity and antitumor effects of cisplatin in vitro and in vivo. When the serum concentration of cimetidine was maintained over 20 μg/ml for 4 h by bolus and continuous intravenous infusion, cimetidine prevented nephrotoxicity of cisplatin without influencing antitumor activity. Cimetidine and the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly inhibited the in vitro growth inhibition of cisplatin in cells originating from the kidney, but not in SOSN2 osteosarcoma cells. Cimetidine (1 mM) also did not influence platinum concentration in the cells, regardless of whether the organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) was expressed. Cisplatin did induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the KN41 kidney cell line and cimetidine and NAC significantly reduced ROS production. However, cisplatin did not produce ROS in osteosarcoma cells. From these results, cimetidine clearly inhibits nephrotoxicity induced by cisplatin without any influence on the antitumor activity of cisplatin on osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo.     

Interferon-gamma does not enhance the bactericidal activity of murine macrophages

The results of these studies demonstrated that activation is a much more selective process than previously thought, since the interaction between activated macrophages and micro-organisms depends on the kind of activation and the type of micro-organism.     

HPLC法测定米诺地尔微乳中米诺地尔的含量

摘 要 目的：建立高效液相色谱法测定米诺地尔微乳中米诺地尔的含量。方法: 色谱柱:Diamonsil C18柱（200 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm）,流动相:甲醇 水 冰醋酸 十二烷基硫酸钠 (70 ∶〖KG-*4〗30 ∶〖KG-*4〗0.03 ∶〖KG-*4〗0.045)(v/v/v/w),流速：1.0 ml·min-1,检测波长：280 nm,进样量：10 μl,柱温：30℃。结果: 米诺地尔在5.00~100.00 μg·ml-1线性关系良好（r=0.999 7）,平均回收率为99.12%,RSD为1.60%（n=9）。结论: 该方法简便,准确,灵敏,重复性好,专属性强,可用于该制剂的含量测定。     

Plasma renin activity does not predict the antihypertensive efficacy of chlorthalidone

Summary It has been established that angiotensin II stimulation may limit the antihypertensive potential of diuretic therapy in some patients. It is less clear, however, whether renin-angiotensin II stimulation is the cause of the flat blood pressure dose-response relationship to diuretics. To investigate this, 75 out-patients with essential hypertension were treated with chlorthalidone 12.5, 25 or 50 mg o.d. for 3 weeks, in a double-blind, placebo controlled cross-over study.Chlorthalidone significantly reduced blood pressure in all the groups, a plateau being reached at 25 mg o.d. Similarly, plasma renin activity was increased by each dose level of chlorthalidone, but it showed a different trend, being increased to a comparable extent at 12.5 mg and 25 mg o.d., and still higher at 50 mg o.d. Thus, greater stimulation of renin was coincident with the levelling of the blood pressure response to chlorthalidone. However no significant correlation was found between interindividual plasma renin activity and change in blood pressure, either in the entire series, or in each treatment subset.The data suggest overall that renin stimulation may influence the characteristic dose-hypotensive response relationship to diuretic agents in antihypertensive therapy, but it is unlikely that measurement of individual plasma renin activity will provide an useful guide to the optimal dose of a diuretic agents.The following Centres took part in the multicentre study (Investigator, Co-Investigator):¹Pisa;²Pistoia (G. Bartolomei, G. Pettinà, F. Innocenti);³Pontedera (M.A. Cagianelli, M. Cipriani);⁴San Miniato (G. Cinotti);⁵Carrara (P. Innocenti, M. Diamanti);⁶Castelnuovo G. (C. Loni, F. Bianchini);⁷Seravezza (G. Saba);⁸Pescia (P. Saba, F. Giuntoli);⁹Volterra (L. Papi);¹⁰Roma, Ciba-Geigy Medical Department (M. Montanari)     

Conjugating drug candidates to polymeric chains does not necessarily enhance anti-influenza activity

Using the plaque reduction assay, relatively simple bicyclic quinone molecules, as well as multiple copies thereof covalently attached to a long polyglutamate‐based polymeric chain, were examined as new inhibitors of various naturally occurring strains of influenza A virus. The polymer‐conjugated inhibitors were found to have a far greater potency (for some as high as two orders of magnitude when a long spacer arm was employed) than their corresponding parent molecules against the human Wuhan influenza strain. However, such polymeric inhibitors failed to exhibit higher potency compared with their small molecule predecessors against the human Puerto Rico and avian turkey influenza strains. These observations, further explored by means of molecular modeling, reveal the previously unrecognized unpredictability of the benefits of multivalency, possibly because of poor accessibility of the viral targets to polymeric agents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 101:3896–3905, 2012     

Daily honey consumption does not change CYP3A activity in humans

Several studies investigating the interaction of honey and drug-metabolizing enzymes showed controversial results, with some suggesting that honey induces CYP3A-mediated metabolism in mammals and humans. This clinical trial was conducted to determine the effect of repeated honey administration on human CYP3A enzyme activity using midazolam as a marker substance. In a randomized, single-blind, parallel-group study, 20 healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either honey (2 × 20 g/d) or artificial honey (2 × 20 g/d) over a period of 10 days. To determine intestinal and hepatic CYP3A activity, oral (4 mg) and intravenous (2 mg) midazolam was administered in a semi-simultaneous way before honey administration, after the last honey administration, and 1 and 6 days thereafter. At baseline after oral midazolam, the partial metabolic clearance was similar in both groups (honey: 917.8 ± 234.6 mL/min vs artificial honey: 973.5 ± 373.8 mL/min). Ten days of honey administration did not change partial metabolic clearance (honey: 1016 ± 268 mL/min vs artificial honey: 1043 ± 450 mL/min), which was also true 1 and 6 days later. Neither honey nor artificial honey in amounts usually consumed affected the intestinal and hepatic CYP3A activity in healthy volunteers.     

Celecoxib does not affect the antiplatelet activity of aspirin in healthy volunteers

Celecoxib is a novel cyclooxygenase-2-specific inhibitor for the management of acute pain, primary dysmenorrhea, and the signs and symptoms of arthritis. This double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 16 healthy volunteers evaluated whether celecoxib alters the effect of concomitant aspirin on platelet function. Volunteers received celecoxib (400 mg/day) or placebo for 4 days. On day 5, they also received a single 325 mg dose of aspirin with either 200 mg celecoxib or placebo. Thromboxane and platelet aggregation response to adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), collagen, and arachidonic acid were measured before the first dose of celecoxib or placebo (baseline) and before dosing and 2 and 8 hours post dose on day 5. There was no significant difference in thromboxane inhibition between the two groups (percent inhibition: placebo 99.4%, celecoxib 99.0%; p = 0.555). There was also no significant difference in the effect of aspirin on platelet aggregation due to ADP, collagen, or arachidonic acid between the groups. Therefore, these data indicate that celecoxib does not alter the effects of aspirin on platelet function.     

Plasma-converting enzyme activity does not reflect effectiveness of oral treatment with captopril

Three possible endogenous ligands for benzodiazepine receptors, beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (beta CCE), tryptophylglycine (Trp-Gly) and ACTH peptides, have been tested, following intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration in mice, for their direct effects on the CNS and the modification of diazepam's antileptazol activity. Whilst beta CCE and ACTH both reduced diazepam's antileptazol activity, only beta CCE had direct stimulant effects. Trp-Gly produced sedation and augmented the antileptazol effect of diazepam. Despite these differing effects, it remains possible that the endogenous ligand for the benzodiazepine receptors has a tryptophan-like structure.     

复方桑参米诺地尔搽剂中米诺地尔的HPLCLC定

建立了高效液相色谱法测定复方桑参米诺地尔搽剂中米诺地尔的含量。采用C18柱，流动相为甲醇．乙腈·水（40：10：50），流速1．2ml／min，检测波长230nm，内标为对乙酰氨基酚。米诺地尔在3．649。6μg／ml浓度范围内线性关系良好（r=0．9999），回收率大于98％，日内和日间RSD均小于1％。     

HPLC-Q-TOF-MS法对米诺地尔及凝胶有关物质的分析

摘 要 目的：对米诺地尔及其凝胶的有关物质进行考察与鉴定,为标准提高提供依据。方法: 建立HPLC-Q-TOF-MS方法,色谱柱为Thermo Scientific Accucore C18柱（100 mm×2.1 mm,2.6 μm）,流动相为含0.1%甲酸的乙腈 水溶液（7∶〖KG-*2〗93）,流速为0.2 ml·min^-1 ,检测波长为230 nm;电喷雾离子源（ESI）,正离子扫描检测,一级和二级全扫描测定,质量扫描范围m/z 50~500。结果: 在建立的色谱条件下能分离出14个降解杂质,推断了其中8个杂质的结构。结论: 本方法能有效分离鉴定米诺地尔及凝胶中的有关物质,为其质量控制提供参考。     

Possible androgenic/anti-androgenic activity of the insecticide fenitrothion

To date, within the field of endocrine disruption, much focus has been placed on chemicals that mimic oestrogens (so-called xenoestrogens), and the number of such chemicals apparently detected continues to grow steadily. Less effort has been expended on investigating chemicals that mimic, or antagonize, other hormones. Nevertheless, a number of chemicals have been reported to have a weak affinity for the androgen receptor, all of which have, to date, been found to have anti-androgenic activity in vivo. In this report, we present evidence that the insecticide fenitrothion can interact with the androgen, but not with the oestrogen, receptor. Using recombinant yeast expressing the human androgen receptor, we found that fenitrothion behaved as an androgen agonist in vitro when tested alone, and that it could antagonize the androgen DHT when both chemicals competed for the androgen receptor in vitro. In vivo studies using both intact and castrated male rats showed no conclusive androgenic or anti-androgenic responses. Changes in organ weights suggestive of anti-androgenic effects were mitigated against by the reduced body weights of fenitrothion-treated rats. The toxicity of the compound precluded the use of higher dose levels to substantiate any tentative findings. Interestingly, fenitrothion (and related insecticides) is structurally similar to flutamide, an anti-androgen used clinically that gives clearly positive responses in both intact and castrated rats.     

HPLC法同时测定复方米诺地尔凝胶中米诺地尔和维A酸的含量

摘 要 目的：建立HPLC法同时测定复方米诺地尔凝胶剂中的米诺地尔和维A酸含量。方法: 色谱柱：Shim Pack VP ODSC₁₈柱（250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm）;流动相：甲醇和2%醋酸溶液进行梯度洗脱;检测波长：280 nm和350 nm;流速：1.0 ml·min^-1;柱温：35℃;进样量：10 μl。结果: 米诺地尔和维A酸分别在4.0～240.0 μg·mL^-1和0.05～3.00 μg·mL^-1的浓度范围内与峰面积呈良好的线性关系（r分别为0.999 6和0.999 3）。米诺地尔和维A酸的平均回收率分别为99.56%和99.36%,RSD分别为0.42%和0.50%（n=9）。结论:建立的测定方法简便,可行,适用于同时测定复方米诺地尔凝胶剂中米诺地尔和维A酸的含量。     

高效液相色谱法测定米诺地尔搽剂中米诺地尔的含量

目的建立测定米诺地尔搽剂中米诺地尔含量的高效液相色谱(HPLC)检验方法。方法采用Nova-PaKC18色谱柱(150mm×4.6mm,5μm),流动相为甲醇-水(70∶30),流速为1.0mL/min,检测波长为285nm。结果米诺地尔在2.5～20mg/L浓度范围内含量与峰面积比呈现良好的线性关系(r=0.9999),平均回收率为99.5%,RSD为1.85%,最低检出浓度为0.5mg/L。结论本法能准确检测米诺地尔搽剂中米诺地尔的含量,因此可作为米诺地尔搽剂质量控制的有效测量方法。     

Minoxidil in severe hypertension

Summary Minoxidil is a potent anti-hypertensive drug which acts on the peripheral arteriolar smooth muscle. It was administered to 14 patients with severe hypertension where standard therapy failed to control the blood pressure. The mean initial blood pressure was 209/129 when receiving treatment. Minoxidil was given in doses varying from 7.5 to 40 mg (mean = 24 mg) and was associated with propranolol (mean dose = 170 mg) and furosemide (mean dose = 120 mg). Twelve patients had an adequate therapeutic response. The systolic blood pressure was reduced by 44 mm Hg which represents a 23±3% reduction and the diastolic blood pressure was reduced by 33 mm Hg which represents a 26±3% reduction. Two patients were considered treatment failures and two patients died during Minoxidil treatment. Three patients showed electrocardiographic changes caracterized by T wave inversion at the onset of Minoxidil treatment and these changes were reversible in two. All patients except two had hirsutism and two women developped polymenorrhea. Other side effects consisted of tachycardia and weight gains. One patient with lupus erythematodes had an exacerbation of her disease while on Minoxidil. Minoxidil represents a useful and effective adjuvant to the treatment of resistant hypertension. It can delay bilateral nephrectomy in patients with terminal renal failure and high blood pressure.