Stability indicating LC method for the estimation of venlafaxine in pharmaceutical formulations

A rapid, selective and stability indicating high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for the estimation of venlafaxine in pharmaceutical dosage forms. The analysis was done on a Spherisorb C8 (4.6×250 mm, 5 μm) column. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile:sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate [0.04 M], pH 6.8 (75:25) at a flow rate of 1.5 ml/min. Detection was carried out at a wavelength of 224 nm. The developed method was found to give good separation between the pure drug and the degraded product. The polynomial regression data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship in the concentration range of 1–10 μg/ml with r=0.9999. The method was validated for precision, accuracy, ruggedness and recovery. The minimum detectable and minimum quantifiable amounts were found to be 150 and 600 ng/ml, respectively. The drug was stable under basic and oxidative conditions. However, the sample treated with acid showed an additional peak at a retention time of 4.32 min other than the main peak at a retention time of 5.32 min. Statistical analysis proves that the method is reproducible and selective for the estimation of venlafaxine. As the method could effectively separate the drug from the degradation product, it can be employed as a stability indicating one.     

Adolescent exposure to and perceptions of environmental tobacco smoke

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) poses an underappreciated risk to adolescent health. This study examined perceptions of adolescents (n = 574) regarding ETS. About one half (54%) were exposed to ETS the previous week, and one third (30%) were exposed to 3 or more hours of ETS the past week. Concurrently, 29% believed that breathing someone else's cigarette smoke had little or no effect on their health. Most adolescents (56%) believed that smoking should not be allowed in restaurants without bars but were less supportive of prohibiting smoking in restaurants with bars (20%) or in bars (14%). Two thirds (69%) of adolescents believed that the government should be involved in making laws that protect the health of people who work in bars and restaurants. Almost one half (49%) believed that the government should be involved in passing laws that make it illegal for people to smoke in public places. Odds ratios revealed that females, nonwhites, younger students, nonsmoking students, and students who believed that ETS exposure had a moderate or major effect on health were statistically significantly more likely to support clean indoor air ordinances in select locations compared to males, whites, older students, students who smoke, and students who perceived that ETS exposure has little to no effect on health.     

The effectiveness of an NaF rinse containing fTCP on eroded enamel remineralization

Objective

The authors investigated the effectiveness of a functionalized tricalcium phosphate (fTCP) combined with a low fluoride level in a mouthrinse to reharden eroded enamel lesions.

Methods

Ninety enamel slabs attached in pairs to removable appliances were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (n?=?30/group): (T1) NaF rinse (225 ppm F?+?40 ppm fTCP), (T2) NaF rinse (225 ppm F; ACT^®), and (T3) no mouthrinse (saliva). While wearing the in situ appliance for 14 days, subjects brushed their teeth with 1100 ppm F toothpaste (Crest©) for 2 min, rinsed with 15 ml of water for 10s, and then rinsed with 15 ml of their assigned treatment mouthrinse. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using surface microhardness (SMH) and transverse microradiography (TMR). Intra- and intergroup comparisons (α?=?0.05) were performed using the t-test and ANOVA followed by the Tukey test (HSD).

Results

With SMH, intragroup comparison (t-test) indicated significant rehardening of the eroded lesion with exposure to T1 (p?<?0.001) and T2 (p?<?0.01) but not with T3 However, with TMR, remineralization was only significant (p?=?0.01) with T1, but not with T2 and T3. In the intergroup comparison with percentage change in SMH, T1 was significantly different from T3 (p?<?0.01; Tukey HSD) but not from T2, and T2 was significantly different from T3. Intergroup comparison based on percentage mineral gain showed that T2 (p?=?0.02) and T3 (p?=?0.01) differed significantly from fTCP, but not between each other.

Conclusion

Addition of low level fluoride to functionalized β-tricalcium phosphate promoted rehardening of eroded enamel lesions.

     

Pulmonary malakoplakia: a report of two cases

Malakoplakia of lung is an unusual condition that has been reported to occur in association with immunocompromised state, particularly in those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. We present two cases of pulmonary malakoplakia in immunocompetent individuals. The diagnosis was made on histopathological examination of surgically resected specimen.     

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas with loss of mismatch repair in a patient with Lynch syndrome

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is a precancerous lesion with a well-described progression to carcinoma. This case report describes a 61-year-old woman with a history significant for multiple cancers and a confirmed germline mutation of MSH2, a mismatch repair gene responsible for Lynch syndrome, who was also found to have an IPMN of the pancreas. Phenotypic manifestations of Lynch syndrome in this patient included multiple adenomas and adenocarcinomas of the colon and also several other Lynch syndrome-associated cancers. The patient's adenocarcinoma of the colon and IPMN of the pancreas showed identical immunohistochemical staining profiles with loss of expression of MSH2 and MSH6 proteins and high levels of microsatellite instability. The immunohistochemical staining and microsatellite instability patterns of the adenocarcinoma of the colon and IPMN gives strong evidence to support the consideration of IPMN as part of the spectrum of lesions found in Lynch syndrome.     

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Treatment with Adalimumab (Humira®) and Intravenous Immunoglobulin Improves Pregnancy Rates in Women Undergoing IVF*

Problem The purpose of this study was to investigate whether treatment with TNF‐α inhibitors and/or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) increases in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates among young (<38 years) women with infertility and T helper 1/T helper 2 cytokine elevation. Method of study Seventy‐five sub‐fertile women with Th1/Th2 cytokine elevation were divided into four groups: Group I: Forty‐one patients using both IVIG and Adalimumab (Humira^®), Group II: Twenty‐three patients using IVIG, Group III: Six patients using Humira^®, and Group IV: Five patients using no IVIG or Humira^®. Results The implantation rate (number of gestational sacs per embryo transferred, with an average of two embryos transferred by cycle) was 59% (50/85), 47% (21/45), 31% (4/13) and 0% (0/9) for groups I, II, III and IV respectively. The clinical pregnancy rate (fetal heart activity per IVF cycle started) was 80% (33/41), 57% (13/23), 50% (3/6) and 0% (0/5) and the live birth rate was 73% (30/41), 52% (12/23), 50% (3/6) and 0% (0/5) respectively. There was a significant improvement in implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates for group I versus group IV (P = 0.0007, 0.0009, and 0.003, respectively) and for group II versus group IV (P = 0.009, 0.04 and 0.05, respectively). Conclusion The use of a TNF‐α inhibitor and IVIG significantly improves IVF outcome in young infertile women with Th1/Th2 cytokine elevation.