Pharmaceutical plasticizers for drug delivery systems

In the field of pharmaceutical science and drug development, there are important and particular challenges related to the selection of suitable and compatible ingredients as well as the design of successful formulations. As plasticization is a phenomenon widely exploited in all formulation fields, plasticizers should be recognized as a critical aspect for drug delivery. The choice of an appropriate plasticizer requires a wide background of information. This is because they are incorporated into drug delivery systems containing an assortment of ingredients which may have different reactions to the presence of plasticizers. Concurrently, there are numerous pharmaceutical plasticizers and various environmental issues dictating favored solutions. To address these encumbrances, an extensive information concerning plasticizers; their types, properties, pharmaceutical roles, etc. is discussed. Additionally, the specific objective of this review is to substantiate the safety and performance of newly discovered plasticizers.     

Development of budesonide nanocluster dry powder aerosols: processing

Aerosolized medicine is one of the fastest growing areas in the pharmaceutical industry. Dry powder aerosols of pharmaceutical compounds are particularly attractive for the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases but are also emerging as a treatment option for systemic diseases. Engineering particles in dry powder formulations can overcome many of the limitations of traditional inhaled pharmaceuticals. Here, a wet milling process for producing agglomerated budesonide nanoparticles (i.e., "NanoClusters") was explored. Parameters such as milling time and drug concentration were investigated, and the aerosol performance of dried budesonide NanoClusters was characterized. The wet milling process was able to produce aerosol particles composed entirely of budesonide. High emitted fraction and a large fine particle fraction suggested that the NanoCluster budesonide formulation would offer highly efficient delivery of drug throughout the lung.     

Synthesis of novel pyrazole and dihydropyrazoles derivatives as potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents

Novel dihydropyrazole 5-8, 10 and pyrazole derivatives 12, 14, 15, 17 were synthesized. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were elucidated by spectral and elemental analyses. The anti-inflammatory activity of all new compounds was evaluated using the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test using indomethacin and celecoxib as reference drugs. The most active derivatives as anti-inflammatory agents were accordingly tested for their analgesic activity using the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing method in mice and results revealed that these compounds had also good analgesic activity. The ulcerogenic liability of the selected compounds was also evaluated. Results showed that the selected derivatives had anti-inflammatory activity comparable to or slightly lower than the reference drugs, reaching about 82% inhibition with a considerable gastric safety profile.     

Knowledge,attitude and practice of El-Minia university students towards pandemic H1N1, Egypt, 2009

Aim  

This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of El-Minia university students regarding H1N1 and its preventive measures.     

Can diffusion weighted image and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) differentiate benign from malignant cervical adenopathy?

Background

Cervical adenopathy is a common problem and the differentiation of benign and malignant node is of crucial importance for therapy management.

Objective

This prospective study aimed to know if Diffusion weighted images (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) can differentiate benign from malignant cervical lymphadenopathy.

Patients and methods

Thirty patients with cervical adenopathy were included in this study. Doppler ultrasound, DWI and ADC maps were automatically reconstructed and used for the measurement of ADC values.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity of the RI cut-off value <0.69 in differentiation between benign and malignant cervical L.Ns was 88.8% and 71.4%, respectively. The optimal ADC cut off value for differentiation between benign and malignant lymph nodes was ?1.0 × 10⁻³ mm²/s with an accuracy 96.7%, a sensitivity 100%, a specificity 88.9%, PPV 95.4% and NPV 100% and statistically significant P-value = 0.000.

Conclusion

DWI and ADC were useful for differentiation between benign and malignant cervical lymphadenopathy and recommended to decrease the need of invasive biopsies. However, CDUS techniques can be used as preliminary technique but, they had potential pitfalls in diagnosis of malignant cervical lymphadenopathy cases.     

Health-related quality of life among hemodialysis patients at El-Minia University Hospital, Egypt

Background

Hemodialysis results in significant change in daily living, physical and psychological impairments, disruption of marital, family, and social life. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) assessment helps to plan individual treatment strategies, and determine the efficacy, quality of medical and social care provided.

Aim

The focus of the study was to assess HRQOL of hemodialysis patients attending El-Minia University Hospital dialysis unit, determine the relation between HRQOL and some sociodemograghic factors and clinical disorders and also to compare HRQOL between patients performing hemodialysis for less than and more than 5 years.

Subjects and methods

The study is a cross-sectional hospital-based study that included 170 hemodialysis patients; 81 males and 89 females, mean age 46.6?±?14.6 years. In all 59.4 % were rural residents. Data were collected by a questionnaire which included, demographic, social and medical data. Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36 (KDQOL-36) health survey was used for assessment of HRQOL.

Results

About two thirds (64 %) of the studied hemodialysis patients had physical and mental quality of life (QOL) scores below average level. HRQOL was lower in old, female, married, illiterate and non-worker hemodialysis patients. Hepatitis C positive (HCV), diabetic and anemic patients had decreased QOL scores. A longer duration of hemodialysis treatment was associated with reduced physical QOL.

Conclusion

The most important sociodemographic factors affecting HRQOL were age, sex, education, occupation and marital status. The most important clinical disorders affecting QOL were anemia, HCV infection, sleep disturbances and diabetes. Increase awareness of hemodialysis patients and their caregivers about disabilities associated with hemodialysis treatment and educational programs to decrease the problems which the patients face and to increase the QOL.     

Evaluation of left ventricular myocardial function in Egyptian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Tissue Doppler study and its relation to disease activity

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is frequently underestimated by routine imaging techniques. Aim of the work was to determine if new echocardiographic imaging modalities like tissue Doppler, can detect abnormalities in left ventricular function in asymptomatic SLE patients.Patients and methodsFifty SLE patients were attending the rheumatology department of the Kasr El Aini hospital. All patients were subjected to cardiac, musculoskeletal examination, routine laboratory investigations. Twenty healthy age matched subjects were taken as controls. Ultrasound examination by two dimensional echocardiography and color tissue Doppler were performed on the patients and control to obtain the cardiac chamber diameters, systolic and diastolic myocardial velocities.ResultsSLE patients have an increased prevalence of subclinical LV dysfunction. SLE patients with positive tissue Doppler findings were of old age, had long disease duration, high disease activity and nephritis.ConclusionTissue Doppler velocities have been shown to be a sensitive tool in detecting early myocardial dysfunction before the occurrence of reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).     

Preferred and actual delivery mode after a cesarean in London, UK

OBJECTIVE: To determine the delivery mode preferred by pregnant women with 1 previous cesarean delivery and to investigate the relationship between preferred and actual mode of delivery. METHOD: We reviewed the records of 215 women who were delivered in a London hospital with a history of 1 cesarean delivery. Women who planned an elective repeat cesarean section (ERCS) were compared with those who planned a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). RESULTS: Although 55.3% chose VBAC overall, only 37.8% of those who chose it were delivered by it, whereas 94.8% of those who chose ERCS were delivered by ERCS. Nonwhite women were more likely to choose VBAC than white women (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-6.1) but less likely to be deliver by it (odds ratio, 0.31; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.68). CONCLUSION: In this study, VBAC was the method of delivery preferred by most women. Nonwhite women were more likely to choose VBAC over ERCS but less likely to be delivered by VBAC.     

Association of African genetic admixture with resting metabolic rate and obesity among women

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of genetic admixture in explaining phenotypic variation in obesity-related traits in a sample of African-American women (n = 145) and to determine significant associations between obesity traits and admixture genetic markers. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Associations between genetic admixture and BMI, resting metabolic rate, fat mass, fat-free mass, and bone mineral density were tested using linear regression considering the estimation of admixture by 1) a maximum-likelihood approach (MLA) and 2) a Bayesian analysis. RESULTS: Both the conservative MLA and the Bayesian approach support an association between African genetic admixture and BMI. Evidence for the associations of African genetic admixture with fat mass and fat-free mass was supported by the Bayesian analysis; the MLA supported an association with bone mineral density. When the individual ancestry informative markers that were used to estimate admixture were tested for associations with BMI, significant associations were identified in chromosomes 1, 11, and 12. DISCUSSION: These results provide evidence supporting the application of admixture mapping methods to the identification of genes that result in higher levels of obesity among African-American women. Further research is needed to replicate and further explore these findings.