Scale-up of Adhesive Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems

Pharmaceutical Research -     

Asbestos bodies in lung tissue following exposure to crocidolite

A series of 206 necropsies in Western Australia (WA) have had routine counts made of asbestos bodies in samples of lung tissue using conventional light microscopy. Thirty-two cases had worked in the asbestos industry at Wittenoom, WA and (log) counts of asbestos bodies in their lung tissue correlated well with estimates of their (log) cumulative airborne exposure to crocidolite fibers (r = 0.60). There was no association between the number of asbestos bodies and time since exposure to asbestos ceased. In subjects without known exposure to asbestos, there was a weak but nonsignificant increase in number of asbestos bodies with increasing age, with 26% of cases having no asbestos bodies present. It is concluded that the relatively simple technique of light microscopy for counting of asbestos bodies in lung tissue provides a reliable indication of the level of past occupational exposure to crocidolite in subjects whose exposure has been only to crocidolite. This could be extremely useful in follow-up studies of cohorts that lack reliable measures of airborne exposure to crocidolite asbestos.     

A multicenter clinical trial of gadolite oral suspension as a contrast agent for MRI

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of Gadolite Oral Suspension as a gastrointestinal (GI) contrast agent for MRI in a phase II and two phase III multicenter clinical trials. Gadolite was administered to 306 patients with known or suspected abdominal and/or pelvic disease. MRI with T1- and T2-weighted sequences was performed before and after ingestion. Efficacy was evaluated by having two masked readers rate the certainty of their MR diagnosis (0 = uncertain, 1 = probable, 2 = definite) on randomly presented pre- and post-Gadolite Oral Suspension enhanced images. Principal investigators also evaluated the images and established the final diagnosis. Vital signs, clinical chemistries, and adverse events were documented. Blood and urine samples were analyzed for gadolinium content to determine whether Gadolite Oral Suspension was absorbed systemically. Certainty in MR diagnosis increased significantly (P < .001) for both blinded readers between pre- and post-Gadolite images (.49–1.18 for reader 1; .46–1.53 for reader 2). Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy also increased for both masked readers. No gadolinium was detected in blood or urine samples. There were no serious adverse events and no apparent drug-related trends in mean vital signs or laboratory values. Gadolite is a highly effective, safe, and well tolerated contrast agent for clinical use with MRI.     

Self-Concept and Satisfaction With Physical Appearance in Youth With and Without Oral Clefts

This study investigated relationships between child/parent dissatisfaction with child facial appearance and the self-concept/social competence of 8- to 15-year-old children with (N = 34) and without (N = 34) oral clefts. Children in both groups had normative psychosocial adjustment, but also reported moderate dissatisfaction with facial appearance. Cleft group parents were more likely to agree with their child's dissatisfaction. When cleft group parents were more dissatisfied with child facial appearance, their children reported better quality of life. Results suggest that parents of children with clefts reporting greater dissatisfaction may respond in positive ways that enhance quality of life.     

Long-lasting changes in morphine-induced locomotor sensitization and tolerance in Long-Evans mother rats as a result of periodic postpartum separation from the litter: a novel model of increased vulnerability to drug abuse?

Daily postpartum separations from the litter produce enduring changes in anxiety and sensitivity to the antinociceptive effects of morphine in Long-Evans dams. We tested whether postpartum experience alters sensitivity to the effects of morphine on locomotor activity. Dams were tested 4-6 weeks after their pups were weaned, and had one of the following backgrounds: daily separation from the litter on postpartum days 2-14 for either 3 h (prolonged separation-LS) or 15 min (brief separation-BS), or no separation (nonhandled control-NH). After 2 consecutive days (B1-2) of baseline activity measurements, subjects were tested daily after s.c. injections of either morphine (10 mg/kg) or saline for 7 days and again on day 10. Beginning 5 days later, saline and 1.0-10 mg/kg of morphine were tested in all dams. On B1, LS and BS dams habituated slower than NH controls, yielding higher horizontal counts. LS dams failed to habituate across baseline days and were more active than other dams on B2. Sensitization, a progressive increase in horizontal activity, was more rapid and robust in LS and BS dams compared to NH animals. LS was the only group that developed tolerance to morphine-induced decreases in vertical activity. In LS dams with the history of morphine treatment, injection of saline resulted in higher horizontal activity and center time compared to saline-treated counterparts, indicative of conditioning. Among animals with a history of saline treatment, LS dams were more sensitive to morphine challenges than BS and NH dams. As a result of the robust and long-lasting increases in the ability of morphine to induce behavioral sensitization in litter-separated dams, periodic postpartum separation may represent a new animal model of increased vulnerability to substance abuse.