The acute effect of inhaled NaCl 5%, per CF TRUST protocol, on spirometry indices in patients over six years with cystic fibrosis

Background: Our aim was to investigate the acute effect of inhaled NaCl 5% on spirometry indices in patients aged over six years with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: 44 children over 6 years of age with CF took part in this study. Spirometry indices were measured. After receiving two puffs of salbutamol spray, the children were administered with 5 ml NaCl 5% by a medical compressed air system using a nebulizer kit and immediately a spirometric test was taken again. Spirometry results were recorded and the data were analyzed by SPSS v.18. Results: The percentages of the annual decline of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) were 10.12±31.28, 7.26±17.10, and 13.8±21.7 in children aged 6 - 8 years, 9 - 12 years, and over 13 years, respectively. There were significant differences in FVC, FEV1/FVC, MEF50, MEF75, MMEF25/27 before and after hypertonic NaCl 5% inhalation (P < 0.05). A significant decline in FEV1 was observed only in 2% of the children. Conclusions: Patients with CF exhibited a suitable response to acute inhalation of hypertonic NaCl 5%. © 2018, Archives of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Gas separation properties of polyurethane/poly(ether-block-amide) (PU/PEBA) blend membranes

This study involves the preparation and characterization of polyurethane (PU) and polyurethane/poly(ether-block-amide) (PU/PEBA) blend membranes for gas separation. Polyurethane was synthesized by two-step polymerization based on isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polytetramethylene glycol (PTMG2000), 1,4-butanediamine (BDA) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) in mole ratios of 3:1:2. Two kinds of PEBA, MV3000 and MH1657, were chosen to prepare PU/PEBA blend membranes. The effects of the blend composition on the permeability of N2, O2, CO2 and CH4 were investigated. All membranes were prepared by thermal phase inversion. Physical properties of synthesized polyurethane and prepared blend membranes were investigated by FT-IR, XRD and SEM analyses. FT-IR results indicate that phase separation of hard and soft segments decreased as the amount of PEBA in blend membranes increased. XRD results demonstrate that crystallinity rose by increasing the amount of PEBA in the blends. According to the SEM micrographs of the prepared samples, PU/PEBA blend membranes are miscible systems. The results of gas permeation experiments demonstrate that by increasing the amount of PEBA in PU/PEBA blend membranes, the permeability of all gases decreased while selectivity increased

Curcumin delivery mediated by bio-based nanoparticles: A review

Todays, nano-pharmaceutics is emerging as an important field of science to develop and improve efficacy of different drugs. Although nutraceuticals are currently being utilized in the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases such as cancers, a number of them have displayed issues associated with their solubility, bioavailability, and bio-degradability. In the present review, we focus on curcumin, an important and widely used polyphenol, with diverse pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-viral, etc. Notwithstanding, it also exhibits poor solubility and bioavailability that may compromise its clinical application to a great extent. Therefore, the manipulation and encapsulation of curcumin into a nanocarrier formulation can overcome these major drawbacks and potentially may lead to a far superior therapeutic efficacy. Among different types of nanocarriers, biological and biopolymer carriers have attracted a significant attention due to their pleiotropic features. Thus, in the present review, the potential protective and therapeutic applications of curcumin, as well as different types of bio-nanocarriers, which can be used to deliver curcumin effectively to the different target sites will be discussed. © 2020 by the authors