Oleic Acid Based Emulgel for Topical Delivery of Ofloxacin

The objective of the present study is to formulate and evaluate ofloxacin emulgel. Emulgel formulations of ofloxacin were prepared using different concentrations of gelling agent’s Carbopol-940 and Xanthum gum. Tween-80 and span-80 were used as emulsifiers and propylene glycol as a humectant in the preparation of emulgel. The effect of the concentration of gelling agent on the drug release from the prepared emulgel was investigated. The compatibility study was conducted using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). The formulated emulgel was characterized by their physical appearance, pH determination, viscosity, spreadability, drug content, microbial test and in vitro diffusion study. FTIR indicated that the drug and excipients used in the study are compatible with each other. All the prepared formulations showed acceptable physical properties, homogeneity, consistency, spreadability, viscosity, and pH value. Drug release from all the formulations depended upon the concentration of the polymer used. As the concentration of Carbopol 940 increased the spreadability and drug release was found to be decreased. Emulgels formulated with oleic acid gave a much higher release rate of ofloxacin than emulgels formulated with liquid paraffin. The release of drug from all the emulgels prepared followed Zero-order kinetics. The linear Higuchi plots indicated that the drug release from all the emulgels prepared followed diffusion kinetics. Emulgel formulated with oleic acid exhibited greater flux when compared with those formulated with liquid paraffin. The formulations were found to be stable during stability testing. It can be concluded that Carbopol 940 and oleic acid are recommended for the formulation and preparation of Ofloxacin emulgels for topical drug delivery. Key words: Ofloxacin, Emulgel, Spreadibility, Zone of inhibition

Impact of genetic subtypes of Prader–Willi syndrome with growth hormone therapy on intelligence and body mass index

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genomic imprinting disorder characterized by infantile hypotonia with a poor suck and failure to thrive, hypogenitalism/hypogonadism, behavior and cognitive problems, hormone deficiencies, hyperphagia, and obesity. The Stanford Binet and Wechsler (WAIS-R; WISC-III) intelligence (IQ) tests were administered on 103 individuals with PWS from two separate cohorts [University of California, Irvine (UCI) (N = 56) and Vanderbilt University (N = 47)] and clinical information obtained including growth hormone (GH) treatment, PWS molecular classes, weight and height. Significantly higher IQ scores (p < .02) were found representing the vocabulary section of the Stanford Binet test in the growth hormone (GH) treated group when compared with non-GH treatment in the pediatric-based UCI PWS cohort with a trend for stabilization of vocabulary IQ scores with age in the GH treated maternal disomy (UPD) 15 subject group. Significant differences (p = .05) were also found in the adult-based Vanderbilt PWS cohort with 15q11-q13 deletion subjects having lower Verbal IQ scores compared with UPD 15. No difference in body mass index was identified based on the PWS molecular class or genetic subtype. Medical care and response to treatment with growth hormone may influence intelligence impacted by PWS genetic subtypes and possibly age, but more studies are needed

Impact of genetic subtypes of Prader-Willi syndrome with growth hormone therapy on intelligence and body mass index.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genomic imprinting disorder characterized by infantile hypotonia with a poor suck and failure to thrive, hypogenitalism/hypogonadism, behavior and cognitive problems, hormone deficiencies, hyperphagia, and obesity. The Stanford Binet and Wechsler (WAIS-R; WISC-III) intelligence (IQ) tests were administered on 103 individuals with PWS from two separate cohorts [University of California, Irvine (UCI) (N = 56) and Vanderbilt University (N = 47)] and clinical information obtained including growth hormone (GH) treatment, PWS molecular classes, weight and height. Significantly higher IQ scores (p < .02) were found representing the vocabulary section of the Stanford Binet test in the growth hormone (GH) treated group when compared with non-GH treatment in the pediatric-based UCI PWS cohort with a trend for stabilization of vocabulary IQ scores with age in the GH treated maternal disomy (UPD) 15 subject group. Significant differences (p = .05) were also found in the adult-based Vanderbilt PWS cohort with 15q11-q13 deletion subjects having lower Verbal IQ scores compared with UPD 15. No difference in body mass index was identified based on the PWS molecular class or genetic subtype. Medical care and response to treatment with growth hormone may influence intelligence impacted by PWS genetic subtypes and possibly age, but more studies are needed

Psychological Impact of Predictive Genetic Testing in VCP Inclusion Body Myopathy, Paget Disease of Bone and Frontotemporal Dementia

Inclusion Body Myopathy associated with Paget's disease of bone and Fronto-temporal Dementia, also known as multisystem proteinopathy is an autosomal dominant, late onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in Valosin containing protein (VCP) gene. This study aimed to assess uptake and decision making for predictive genetic testing and the impact on psychological well-being. Individuals who had participated in the gene discovery study with a 50 % a priori risk of inheriting VCP disease were sent a letter of invitation offering genetic counseling and testing and were also invited to participate in this psychosocial study. A total of 102 individuals received an invitation and 33 individuals participated in genetic counseling and testing (32.3 %) with 29 completing baseline questionnaires. Twenty completed the follow-up post-test Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire including 13 of the 18 who had tested positive. Mean risk perception at baseline was 50.1 %. Reasons for testing included planning for the future, relieving uncertainty, informing children and satisfying curiosity. At baseline, one quarter of the participants had high levels of anxiety. However, scores were normal one year following testing. In this small cohort, one third of individuals at 50 % risk chose pre-symptomatic testing. Although one quarter of those choosing testing had high anxiety at baseline, this was not evident at follow-up