Analytical application of polymethylene blue-multiwalled carbon nanotubes modified glassy carbon electrode on anticancer drug irinotecan and determination of its ionization constant value

PubMed ID: 24054682The voltammetric behavior of anticancer drug irinotecan (IRT) was investigated at poly (methylene blue)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (PMB/MWCNT) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The modified electrode surface was characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The PMB/MWCNT modified GCE exhibits a distinct shift of the oxidation potential of IRT on the cathodic direction and a considerable enhancement of the peak current compared with bare electrode. The calibration curve was linear between the concentration range 8.0×10-6 and 8.0×10-5 M with the detection limit of 2.14×10-7 M by differential pulse voltammetry in pH 10.0 Britton-Robinson buffer solution. Controlled potential coulometry was applied to find transferred electron numbers due to the oxidation of IRT. In this study, the pKa value of IRT was also determined by the dependence of the retention factor on the pH of the mobile phase. The effect of the mobile phase composition on the ionization constant was studied by measuring the pKa at different acetonitrile-water mixtures, ranging between 35 and 50% (v/v) using the reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC) method with UV detector. IRT was exposed to thermal, photolytic, hydrolytic and oxidative stress conditions, and the stressed samples were detected by the proposed method. Sensitive, rapid, and fully validated electrochemical and RP-LC methods for the determination of IRT in its dosage form were presented in details. © 2013 Elsevier B.V

Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels are increased in patients with fibromyalgia: Correlation with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and 8-iso-prostaglandin F-2 alpha (8-iso-PGF(2 alpha))

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate serum levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and plasma levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin F-2 alpha (8-iso-PGF(2 alpha),) in patients with fibromyalgia

Resveratrol improves high-fructose-induced vascular dysfunction in rats

High levels of fructose in the diet results in metabolic abnormalities and vascular disorders. In this study, the effect of resveratrol (RES) on vascular relaxation and contraction responses was examined in the aorta of high-fructose (HFr)-fed rats. mRNA expressions of aortic sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), GLUT5, and aldolase B were also investigated. Rats were given fructose (30%) and (or) RES (50 mg.L-1) in their drinking water for 8 weeks. In the HFr-fed rats, plasma levels of arginine and the ratio of arginine: asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) decreased, whereas leptin levels increased. Decreased relaxation and increased contractile responses were detected in aortic rings. However, the aortic expressions of SIRT1, GLUT5, and aldolase B remained unchanged. RES treatment restored HFr-induced vascular dysfunction without improvements in insulin resistance. Treatment of HFr-fed rats with RES increased plasma levels of arginine and the L-arginine: ADMA ratio, and decreased plasma levels of leptin. RES increased SIRT1 expression, but decreased the expression of GLUT5 and aldolase B in aortas from HFr-fed rats. These results suggest that RES contributes to the restoration of HFr-induced vascular dysfunction in rats, at least in part, by up-regulation of SIRT 1 and down-regulation of GLUT5 and aldolase B in the aorta. Moreover, RES may have a positive influence on vasculature by partly restoring the plasma arginine: ADMA ratio and leptin levels

Control of human vascular tone by prostanoids derived from perivascular adipose tissue

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) surrounds most vessels and has now been recognized as a regulator of vascular functions. This effect of PVAT has been mostly demonstrated in vessels obtained from rats and mice. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate anti-contractile effect of PVAT surrounding human coronary bypass grafts such as saphenous vein (SV) and internal mammary artery (IMA). Moreover, we aimed to determine the involvement of prostanoids in the anticontractile effect of PVAT. Human SV and IMA preparations were set up in an organ bath. The presence of PVAT in SV and IMA preparations significantly attenuated the contractile response to noradrenaline (NA). Preincubation with indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, increased NA contraction in SV preparations with PVAT. This effect was not observed in IMA preparation with PVAT incubated with indomethacin. The lower measurements of prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) released from PVAT surrounding IMA versus SV supported these effects. In conclusion, our results show that PVAT of SV could attenuate NA-induced contraction by releasing both PGE(2) and prostacyclin (PGI(2)). In contrast to SV, PVAT of IMA exerts its anti-contractile effect independently from prostanoids. These observations suggest that retaining PVAT in human SV and IMA preparations may have potential clinical implications to improve coronary bypass graft patency. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Effects of Crataegus microphylla on Vascular Dysfunction in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Vascular dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether chronic in vivo treatment of Crataegus microphylla (CM) extract in diabetic rats induced with streptozotocin (STZ, intraperitoneal, 65mg/kg) preserves vascular function and to evaluate whether the reduction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), proinflammatory cytokines, and lipid peroxidation mediates its mechanisms of action. Starting at 4weeks of diabetes, CM extract (100mg/kg) was administrated to diabetic rats for 4weeks. In aortic rings, relaxation to acetylcholine and vasoreactivity to noradrenaline were impaired, whereas aortic iNOS expression and plasma tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), total nitritenitrate, and malondialdehite levels were increased in diabetic rats compared with controls. Chronic CM treatment significantly corrected all the above abnormalities in diabetic rats. In comparison, pretreatment of the aorta of diabetic rats with N-[3(aminomethyl) benzyl]-acetamidine, dihydrochloride (105M), a selective inhibitor of iNOS, produced a similar recovery in vascular reactivity. These results suggest that chronic in vivo treatment of CM preserves endothelium-dependent relaxation and vascular contraction in STZ-induced diabetes, possibly by reducing iNOS expression in the aorta and by decreasing plasma levels of TNF- and IL-6 and by preventing lipid peroxidation. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd