MONTELUKAST SPRAY DRIED MICROPARTICLES: PREPARATION, EXCIPIENTS SELECTION AND IN VITRO PULMONARY DEPOSITION

Objective: This study focused on the preparation of montelukast sodium (MTK) fast release pulmonary targeted microparticles using the spray drying technique.Methods: The effect of addition of different excipients namely: mannitol, leucine and ovalbumin on the physico-chemical characteristics of MTK spray dried powders were investigated. Powder flow properties, drug association efficiency as well as microparticle size and mass median aerodynamic diameter were determined. The prepared microparticles were characterized using FT-IR and TGA. The powder crystallographic and thermal properties were studied using DSC and X-ray powder diffraction. A twin stage impinger was used to evaluate in vitro pulmonary deposition from which the inhalation indices were derived.Results: The tested excipients showed no adverse chemical interactions with the drug based on FT-IR. The best inhalation indices were obtained with powders spray dried with leucine followed by leucine/mannitol mixtures with MMAD of 1.73±0.08 and 1.36±0.16 and fine particle fraction of 60.55±1.63 and 52.31±3.52, respectively. The dried powders showed good physico-chemical stability for up to 6 mo storage.Conclusion: The developed MTK spray dried particles may offer a good platform for the targeted pulmonary delivery of MTK overcoming the major biological barriers

Mesoporous Titania Gels Prepared from Titanous Chloride and Ammonia: SEM, Nitrogen Adsorption, Thermoporometry and Mercury Porosimetry Studies

Pore-size distribution studies were carried out employing nitrogen adsorption, mercury porosimetry and thermoporometry techniques on two titania gels prepared from titanous chloride and ammonia using oxygen gas as the oxidizing agent. These gels were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. After heat-treatment at 340 °C and 520 °C, the gels were found to possess the anatase structure, being predominantly mesoporous in nature as indicated by nitrogen adsorption studies and α S -plots. Very good agreement was observed between the BJH pore-size distribution analysis data and the thermoporometry pore-size determinations. Comparable results were also obtained by mercury porosimetry. The validity of thermoporometry as a viable and reliable technique for pore structure analysis was ascertained

HENRI DE REGNIER ROMANCIER. DU PSYCHOLOGIQUE AU NARRATIF (A LA RECHERCHE D'UN MOI ET D'UN AMOUR PERDUS)

PARIS4-BU Serpente (751052129) / SudocSudocFranceF

Attitudes and practices of families and health care personnel toward children with epilepsy in Kilifi, Kenya

Purpose. Epilepsy is common in underresourced countries, where most people with epilepsy do not take antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). This underutilization, referred to as the treatment gap, was investigated in Kilifi, Kenya, by exploring the sociocultural context in which children with epilepsy and their families live. This study focused particularly on what effect attitudes and practices might have on service utilization, particularly the use of AEDs. Methods. Attitudes and practices toward children with epilepsy were examined using qualitative data collection methods, namely, interviews, focus group discussions, group activities, and observations. These were carried out with children diagnosed as having active epilepsy, their parents, their grandparents, and health care personnel. Results. The responses illustrate both positive and negative attitudes, underpinning a wide variety of practices toward children with epilepsy. They also indicate the use of several types of services that vary between the traditional, medical, educational, and religious. The choice of these services was affected by different socioeconomic factors, the complex interrelationship of which offers some explanation for the underutilization of AEDs. Conclusions. The treatment gap may be explained by a "health versus sickness" model, accounting for families' health-seeking behavior in relation to their perception of cause and treatment. In this model, occasional convulsions associated with fever in younger children are placed in the "health sphere," making recommendations of regular and continued medication illogical for what is perceived to be a healthy child. When seizures persist beyond a certain age, the child is placed in the "sickness sphere," meaning that the child is incurable and treatment attempts are futile. Better levels of understanding and information sharing among children with epilepsy, their families, and health care personnel are required to improve use of medical services. Possible interventions include community-based services and health education programs for the community and service providers. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserve

Preparation and characterization of cobalt aluminate spinels CoAl \u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eO \u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3e doped with magnesium oxide

Cobalt aluminate spinels were prepared from cobalt and aluminium nitrate solutions using sol–gel synthesis route by ammonium hydroxide precipitation. The gels were dried at 75°C, doped with different amounts of magnesium nitrate, and then calcined for 3 h at 650°C. Sample characterization was carried out by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption studies, thermogravimetry and by determining acid–base properties. This was carried out with the objective of elucidating the effect, if any, of the presence of the dopant on the spinel structure and properties. The spinel structure was clearly exhibited in all of the prepared samples which were predominantly mesoporous. None of the samples showed any acidic properties, i.e. they exhibited only basic properties. We found that doping with Mg resulted in a slightly increased disorder of cation distribution for those samples doped with higher amounts of Mg. Doping also led to a general increase in surface areas and the development of larger pores, as well as larger content of chemisorbed water

Assessment of Erythropoietin Levels and Some Iron Indices in Chronic Renal Failure and Liver Cirrhosis Patients

This study was constructed to investigate the relationship between renal anaemia and erythropoietin (EPO) concentrations in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients and to evaluate the possible role of the liver. Serum EPO levels were measured in blood samples from 20 CRF patients on hemodialysis (HD), 20 liver cirrhosis (LC) patients, 20 patients having both CRF and LC and undergoing HD, and 20 normal control subjects. Blood cell counts, iron indices (iron, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) and ferritin), renal function (blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine), hepatic function (ALT, AST, ALP and bilirubin) investigations were carried out for all the subjects enrolled in this study. CRF patients without LC had serum EPO concentration of 6.21 ± 0.53 mU/ml (mean ± SE), which was significantly higher than that in patients having both CRF and LC (4.32 ± 0.52) (p < 0.01). Both groups showed significantly lower values than the controls (12.75 ± 0.70) (p < 0.001). LC patients with intact kidneys had significantly higher EPO level (22.70 ± 1.70) (p < 0.001). No correlation was found between EPO level and any of the hematologic or iron indices

Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Receptor 2 in Pregnant Females Prior To Pre-Eclampsia

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to measure the level of circulating soluble serum TNF-R2 to assess its accuracy as a predictor of pre-eclampsia during early pregnancy. Ninety pregnant women at 22-26 weeks of gestation having criteria making them liable to develop pre-eclampsia attending to the antenatal care and obstetric clinic department, at the faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Maternity Hospital. They included 2 groups of women: Group I (n=45) including women who developed pre-eclampsia; and Group II (n=45) including women who remained normotensive and non-proteinuric till delivery. Both groups were subjected to careful history taking and physical examination, all the cases were subjected to serum collection within 22-26 wks of gestation, the blood was collected for determination of soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-2 level using ELISA technique. The results of the present study showed that there were no significant differences between women of both groups concerning age and gestational age at recruitment. The mean value of serum level of TNF-R 2 was significantly higher in women who developed pre-eclampsia when compared to women of the control group. In addition, significant increase in mean serum TNF-R 2 was found in women who developed severe preeclampsia. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between serum TNF-R2 and each of systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure in preeclamptic women

Anti-Cancer Peptides: Status and Future Prospects

The dramatic rise in cancer incidence, alongside treatment deficiencies, has elevated cancer to the second-leading cause of death globally. The increasing morbidity and mortality of this disease can be traced back to a number of causes, including treatment-related side effects, drug resistance, inadequate curative treatment and tumor relapse. Recently, anti-cancer bioactive peptides (ACPs) have emerged as a potential therapeutic choice within the pharmaceutical arsenal due to their high penetration, specificity and fewer side effects. In this contribution, we present a general overview of the literature concerning the conformational structures, modes of action and membrane interaction mechanisms of ACPs, as well as provide recent examples of their successful employment as targeting ligands in cancer treatment. The use of ACPs as a diagnostic tool is summarized, and their advantages in these applications are highlighted. This review expounds on the main approaches for peptide synthesis along with their reconstruction and modification needed to enhance their therapeutic effect. Computational approaches that could predict therapeutic efficacy and suggest ACP candidates for experimental studies are discussed. Future research prospects in this rapidly expanding area are also offered