The protective effect of Eclipta alba on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage

The protective effect of Eclipta alba on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver damage was studied using 54 female guinea pigs as experimental animals. Pretreatment of the animals with E. alba gave significant protection from the hepatotoxic action of carbon tetrachloride. This was evidenced by studying the mortality rate, serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine aminotransferase, and serum alkaline phosphatase activity in E. alba-protected and -unprotected groups of animals. The mortality rate at the end of 24 hr was 77.7% in the unprotected group and 22.2% in the protected group. Serum enzyme activities were also significantly lower in the E. alba-protected group. The protective effect was also seen histologically, where centrilobular necrosis, hydropic degeneration, and fatty change of the hepatic parenchymal cells were markedly reduced in the animals receiving E. alba treatment before carbon tetrachloride intoxication.     

Lipid and electroosmosis enhanced transdermal delivery of insulin by electroporation

Transdermal transport of insulin and extraction of interstitial glucose under anodal iontophoresis (electroosmosis) following electroporation in the presence of 1,2-dimyristoylphophatidylserine (DMPS) was studied. An earlier study showed that DMPS increased the transport of insulin across porcine epidermis under electroporation by approximately fourfold. It was suggested that DMPS increased the lifetime of electropores in the epidermis resulting in an enhanced transport of permeants. When electroosmosis was applied across the epidermis following electroporation with DMPS, the enhancement of insulin transport was approximately 18-fold over electroporation alone. When the same strategy was applied to extract interstitial glucose, the enhancement was approximately 23-fold over electroporation alone. Real-time transdermal insulin transport kinetics was measured using FITC-labeled insulin and a custom-made vertical diffusion apparatus that had a fluorescence cuvette as the receiver compartment. Insulin transport by electroporation alone showed a nonlinear kinetics that is most likely due to the resealing of the electropores with time. The transport kinetics when electroporation was carried out in the presence of DMPS was more linear, confirming earlier studies that suggested the DMPS stabilizes transport paths formed by electroporation. The data suggests that in vivo, noninvasive insulin delivery to therapeutic levels and glucose extraction may be achieved by combining electroporation with anionic lipids and electroosmosis.     

A comparative study of sertraline dosages, plasma concentrations, efficacy and adverse reactions in Chinese versus Caucasian patients

This prospective 6-week study examined the differences in dosage and steady state plasma concentrations of sertraline in Chinese versus Caucasian depressed patients. Two groups of Chinese patients from different geographical sites and a group of Caucasian patients were evaluated with clinical measures during an initial dose of 50 mg/day, with subsequent doses adjusted clinically. The results of 17 Australian Chinese (ACHI), 13 Malaysian Chinese (MCHI) and 15 Australian Caucasians (AC) were analysed. Despite controlling for weight, the AC subjects received a significantly higher dose than both the ACHI (P = 0.002) and the MCHI groups (P = 0.012). However, the mean sertraline concentration to dose ratios at weeks 1 and 6 were not significantly different between the three groups. Sertraline was effective and well tolerated in both ethnic groups with few adverse events. Although there was a lack of difference between groups in the pharmacokinetic results, Chinese depressed patients appeared to require lower dosages with consequently lower plasma concentrations of sertraline compared to Caucasian patients to achieve clinical efficacy. Further studies of the dosages, kinetics and adverse effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors linked with genotyping are necessary.