Simultaneous Quantification of an Enantiomer and the Racemic Compound of Ibuprofen by X-ray Powder Diffractometry

Purpose. An X-ray powder diffractometric method was developed for the simultaneous quantification of the relative amounts of the racemic compound (±) of ibuprofen (I) and S(+)-ibuprofen (II), when they occur as a mixture. Methods. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns of I and II show pronounced differences. This formed the basis for the determination of the relative amounts of I and II when they occur as a mixture. X-ray lines with d-spacings of 14.41 and 4.37 Å were unique to I and II, respectively. Mixtures containing different proportions of I and II were prepared which also contained lithium fluoride (III) as an internal standard. Results. A linear relationship was obtained when the intensity ratio (intensity of the 4.37 Å line of II/intensity of the 2.01 Å line of III) was plotted as a function of the weight fraction of II in the mixture. Similar results were obtained in the case of I. Using these standard curves, the weight fractions of I and II in 'unknown' mixtures were determined. The experimentally determined analyte concentration ranged between 98 and 104% of the true value. The relative error in the analyses of individual samples was < 10%. The minimum detectable weight fraction of I in II and II in I were 0.032 (3.2% w/w) and 0.034 (3.4% w/w), respectively. The minimum quantifiable weight fractions were 0.136 for I and 0.112 for II. Since the X-ray diffraction patterns of S(+)-ibuprofen and R(–)-ibuprofen are identical, the conclusions drawn regarding mixtures of I and II will also hold true in the quantitative analyses of mixtures of I and R(–)-ibuprofen.     

Neurilemmoma of tongue

Neurilemmoma is usually soimry, benign tumour derived from schwan cells of the Sheaths of peripheral cranial or autonomie nerves. In thehead and neck region it occurs most commonly in association with acoustic nerve within the skuil and is rely fottnd in the oral cavity (1,2). We report here two cases of the iongue diagnosed on histopathohgy.     

Single-stage repair of severe hypospadias using bladder mucosa graft

Our experience of single-stage repair of severe hypospadias (penoscrotal, scrotal, and perineal) in 30 children using urinary bladder mucosa for urethroplasty is reported. These children had severe chordee, small prepuce, and often ventral transposition of the penis with bifid scrotum where Devine and Horton, Asopa, or Duckett techniques are not so suitable. The graft uptake was uniformly satisfactory. Ten patients had complications; most of the fistulae healed spontaneously. Surgical intervention was required in 2 cases only: 1 for a fistula and another for a stricture with fistula. Meatal stenosis, seen in 4 cases, led to delayed distal fistulae in 2, which healed spontaneously with meatal dilatation. Regular dilatation of the external meatus is recommended to prevent this problem.     

Synthesis of alpha-methyl-benzamido-alpha'-substituted styryl cyclohexanone thiosemicarbazones as potential antifertility agents

Cyclohexanone was condensed with N-hydroxymethyl benzamide in conc. sulphuric acid to give alpha-methyl-benzamido-cyclohexanone (I). The reaction of (I) with thiosemicarbazide in ethanol resulted in alpha-methyl-benzamido-cyclohexanone thiosemicarbazone (II). Condensation of (II) with various aromatic aldehydes in the presence of ethanol afforded alpha-methyl-benzamido-alpha'-substituted-styryl-cyclohexanone thiosemicarbazones (III) in yields ranging from 40 to 50 percent. The compounds exhibited pronounced antiimplantation activity in female albino rats.     

Transformation of Penicillium chrysogenum using the Aspergillus nidulans amdS gene as a dominant selective marker

Summary The Aspergillus nidulans acetamidase gene (amdS) has been used to transform Penicillium chrysogenum at low frequency. Several transformants were tested and shown to be mitotically stable. Southern blot analysis indicated that transforming DNA had integrated into the chromosomal DNA, possibly at multiple sites.     

Electron microscopic evidence for the association of M 2 protein with the influenza virion

Summary Immunogold electron microscopy revealed that site-specific antibodies elicited by a synthetic peptide representing the N-terminal sequence (residues 2–10) of influenza virus M 2 protein were capable of binding to the surface of virions. Antibody binding was observed with two human influenza virus strains but not with an avian virus strain which has amino acid substitutions in the appropriate sequence of M 2. These results provide direct evidence for the presence of M 2 in the influenza virion.     

The relevance of a staging laparotomy for Hodgkin's disease in India.

A retrospective analysis of 328 cases of Hodgkin's Disease (HD) subjected to a staging laparotomy at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Bombay, India, from 1974 to 1986 was undertaken to assess its relevance to our setup. Eighty percent of the patients were from clinical stages (CS) I and II, 38% with lymphocyte predominance (LP), and 41% with mixed cellularity (MC) histologies. Staging laparotomy was positive in 60% cases overall, including 50% from CS IA and IIA, 68% from CS IB and IIB, and 53% and 67%, respectively, from LP and MC histologies. Splenic involvement was seen in 54% cases. Operative complications were encountered in 2% of cases and deaths in two cases only. In view of the high propensity for abdominal spread, only selected CS IA and IIA cases would merit a staging laparotomy within which, nearly 50% cases with a negative yield could be offered radical segmental irradiation alone for cure. The majority of our patients would, however, require combination therapy.     

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II — a case report of two siblings in a family

Two children out of three siblings of a family presented with tiredness, fatigue, and breathlessness for more than 6 months. Examination of peripheral blood smear, bone marrow aspirate, and a positive acidified serum test (HEMPAS) revealed these children to be a case of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II. This case is reported because of its rarity.     

Clastogenic effect of fenfluramine in mice bone marrow cells in vivo

Fenfluramine, an amphetamine derivative used in the treatment of obesity, has been evaluated in vivo in the bone marrow cells of Swiss albino mice using two cytogenetic endpoints for assessing its genotoxic and clastogenic potentials. Concentrations of 0.75, 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 mg/kg b.w. were administered orally for the study of sister chromatid exchange frequencies and chromosome aberrations (CA). SCE frequencies showed a positive dose response; 1.5 mg/kg being the minimum effective concentration. Fen caused a prolongation of cell cycle at all concentrations. Except for the minimum therapeutic dose (0.75 mg), all other doses (1.5, 3.0, and 5.0 mg) showed a significant increase in the percentage of damaged cells over that of the vehicle control. The degree of clastogenicity was directly proportional to the dosage used and inversely related with the duration of treatment. A gradual reduction of the clastogenic potential was observed after 12 and 24 hr of exposure, indicating that the maximum effect occurs at the middle or late synthetic phase of the cell cycle. This study, probably the first detailed screening of the drug for its genotoxicity, shows that Fen is moderately clastogenic and a DNA damaging agent in vivo.